It was raining–not the storm like the one that took Rei’s parents,but a miserable and grey rain.Kenji was reading his physics book like always while walking down the school hallway,suddenly a group of older boys cornered Kenji.

  They pinned Kenji against the locker.They weren’t looking for money,they were looking for entertainment.They had taken Kenji’s glasses and were stepping on them,laughing as the frames of the glasses broke.

  “Please,” Kenji squeaked, his voice trembling.”I need those to see.”

  “Then look harder,four-eyes!” One of the bullies yelled ,holding his fist back about to launch it.

  At that moment,Kenji felt hopelessness as he knew what was about to unfold in front of him.

  “Move,”a voice suddenly appeared behind the bullies.A voice Kenji recognized as he looked behind the bullies.

  The bullies recognized the cold,dead stare of the “Ghost of 1C”.

  “This is none of your business,move along or else…” the bully yelled at Reizen.

  “Or else what?” Rei replied,clenching his fist.

  With a sudden move from one of the bullies,a straight punch which Rei grabbed onto the wrist of the fist and dragged the attacker closer.Rei performed Sok Tad or known as horizontal elbow strike used in the famous martial art “Muay Thai”.Rei launch his elbow to the attacker’s chin,in which making the attacker unconscious in an instant.

  Another one of the bullies tried to throw a punch but was ultimately defeated as he realized he was on the ground right as he was about to throw a punch.

  Rei realized the bully’s attack due to the bully’s telegraph attack.Rei launched a Jab Cross combination from boxing then performed a technique in the martial art “Judo” Seoi-Nage or Shoulder Throw.

  There is only one more left of the bullies which he ran off,shivering.

  Kenji was in awe but Rei didn’t offer a hand to help the boy up.Instead,he reached down ,picked up the broken glasses and placed them on Kenji’s hand.

  “If you’re going to be weak,” Rei had said,his voice low as the same,”At least learn how to run faster.”

  Rei walked away without looking back.Kenji didn’t have the chance to thank Rei for what he did.

  The sudden train sounds made Kenji snap back from his memory.He looked at Rei.The scary looking delinquent that was sitting beside him.

  Kenji hadn’t seen a monster that day.He had seen a person who defied his original purpose in life,a person who gave that boy hope in life.

  “Inuyama Station! Inuyama Station!” The intercom was announced.

  Kenji smiled and jumped up from his seat,his backpack nearly tipping Rei over.”We’re here!”,”Wait until you see the house,Rei.Its an old traditional style.My grandfather says the air is better for thinking but personally,I think its better for training instead without the neighbours complaining about the noise.”

  Ryuji stood up,He looked at Rei and noticed a slight change in the boy’s expression.”Remembered something?”

  “Just a debt,” Rei muttered,grabbing his bag.

  As they stepped off the train,the air around them was different.It smelled of freshness and rain-soaked earth.Inuyama was a world away from the concrete hierarchy of Tokyo.Here,the mountains looked like silent giants,and the streets were quiet not quite like the usual Tokyo bustling street.

  

  Rei looked up at the mountains.In the city,he was a Rank 2 delinquent.In this rural town,he felt a peace he never once received.

  But as he looked at Kenji’s excited face,he realized Ryuji’s words were the real challenge.He wasn’t here to travel.He was here to build a shield for someone.

  “The new school is called Inuyama Academy”,Ryuji explained as they walked toward a waiting car.”It’s small but it's an old and traditional school.They value discipline,tradition and harmony.”

  “Kenji,” Rei said as they reached the car.

  “Yeah?”

  “Tomorrow morning at five a.m.Wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.”

 Kenji gulped,his excitement suddenly mixing with a healthy dose of terror .”Five.. five a.m?”Kenji almost fainted from hearing something that is similar to hearing he has to run 10 kilometres everyday.

  “If you want to survive the ‘Apex predator world’ at the new school,” Rei said,a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth,”you need to stop being a target.We start with the basics of footwork.You need to learn how to run before you learn how to fight.”

  Ryuji watched them from the driver’s seat,a satisfied look on his face.

Author's note:

✍️Fun Fact:

The "Sok Tad" or Horizontal Elbow Strike and "Seoi-Nage" or (Shoulder Throw) weren't random techniques I searched up online.I wanted to show that Rei's fighting style is hybrid or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

The techniques shown in this chapter are practical techniques taught in some martial arts.