In Japan.
Ryu was walking on the street, making his way toward his destination, the Yamazaki clan.
He wore a black hoodie that pulled over his head, black pants, and gray shoes.
A year had passed since then, and a month had gone by here. Now, it was time for him to claim his pending profit.
'This must be the place.' Ryu thought, as the first thing that appeared in his vision was a large gate in the distance. On each side, tall walls stretched out horizontally, with tiles covering the top of the walls and extending above the gate. The design looked traditional, fitting for a Yakuza clan.
He also spotted two people, who were presumably guards, standing in front of the entrance.
But that didn't stop Ryu's approach.
.
.
.
"Hey, you remember the rebellion of the heads of the family vessels?"
"Yeah, but why are you bringing that up?"
The two middle-aged guards conversed.
"Now that I think about it, that rebellion actually seemed like the right move for the Yamazaki syndicate." the first guard continued in a low tone, cautious that his words wouldn't be heard by anyone else but his friend.
"Huh? Are you crazy? Those guys tried to overthrow the clan head. How was that any good?" the second guard replied in bewilderment. He couldn't see how that rebellion would have benefited the clan in any way.
"Well, if you think about it, the Yamazaki clan has been in decline ever since the head has been in a peculiar state. And without proper leadership, it'll eventually collapse. So the choice the family vessel heads made back then, to let the vice president take over, could have been a turning point for the syndicate."
The first guard explained his reasoning as to why he agreed with that choice.
The Yamazaki clan was clearly in a weakened state. Any further decline would eventually bring its downfall.
"Hmm, you actually have a poin-huh?"
The second guard nodded in agreement, but his attention was suddenly drawn to a person approaching, making him and his friend frown.
"Oi, who are you?"
"This isn't a place where outsiders can get close to. Scram!"
The two of them raised their voices, their eyes turning cold.
But the figure didn't respond and continued walking toward them, which angered them at being ignored.
"You don't have to be so rude, you know?" Ryu said in Japanese as he stopped right in front of them. He slightly looked down, as he was a little taller than them.
"I want to ask if this is the Yamazaki household?" He asked.
"Yeah, it is, but you don't have any business here, so scram. You're clearly young and have no idea what you're trying to get from here. Beat it, or else it won't end well for you."
From his voice and features, they could tell he was a young man.
But as far as they knew, nobody was expected by the clan. Otherwise, they would have been notified beforehand.
So clearly, he was an outsider. Someone they should dispose of if he didn't heed their warning.
"Then allow me to pass through for a moment." Ryu said. His crimson eyes glinted with hidden malice.
"It seems that you don't want to leave. Then I'll have no choice but to get rid of you."
"What an arrogant brat."
Furious expressions formed on their faces after hearing the kid in front of them. It seemed that they, and the clan, were being regarded as a joke.
Such disrespect could not be tolerated.
But just as they were about to take action, a powerful impact resounded, followed by a loud thud.
"Huh?" The first guard's eyes widened as he turned toward his friend, who had been standing just a second ago, now slumped on the floor.
'Just what is this?' His eyes landed on the gruesome state of his friend.
The neck, from the front side, appeared twisted in a swirling motion that had destroyed its entire structure, now looking like an elastic bridge between the head and the body.
It was obvious that death had been instantaneous. The eyes of his dead friend remained open, no realization of what had happened or how it happened.
The realization of what had occurred, and his understanding of the situation, made his blood run cold. His body began to tremble as fear gripped his heart, his breath growing short.
His head slowly turned back toward the kid in front of him.
Only to meet those crimson eyes glowing with a deep, blood-red color. Devoid of any emotion, rendering all life meaningless.
"I-"
Only one word escaped his mouth before Ryu's left arm blurred in motion, too fast for the naked eye to follow, and a cool sensation brushed against his throat, the breeze of air sealing the feeling of being exposed.
"…Huh?" His eyes widened as blood gushed out of his throat and mouth. His hands instinctively covered the deep gash on his neck, feeling the warmth of the blood escaping.
But it was useless. The blood poured out like a waterfall. His knees buckled, hitting the floor, and his upper body followed, collapsing with a thud as blood spread and pooled beneath him.
Ryu looked at the scene apathetically.
There was no disgust, no emotion. To him, it was merely the rhythm of existence, the cycle of violence and strength.
Without strength, he would be the one lying on the ground. Without violence, his intent would remain unheard.
In the end, morality was a luxury reserved for the strong.
Droplets of blood fell to the ground from his stained left knuckles.
His eyes shifted back to the entrance, but instead of breaking it down, he kicked off the ground, reached the tiles above with one hand, and pulled himself up, landing in a sitting position as he observed the area beyond.
It was a large and spacious compound, with both small and large traditional houses. The largest stood at the far end, likely the main residence for high-ranking members.
It was a calm and beautiful place, with many small decorations and antiques that gave it life.
"Unfortunately." Ryu muttered as he pushed back his hood, revealing his silvery hair swaying in the breeze. "Such a nice place is infested with rodents."
He appreciated the natural and traditional design, but he knew this peaceful place was filled with impurity, considering who it belonged to.
.
.
.
"Huh? Is it just me, or do I see someone sitting on top of the gates?" A middle-aged man with a scar on his face said as he spotted a figure in the distance.
"No, I see it too."
Next to him stood several others dressed in the same business attire.
"Oi, notify the others. It seems someone is trying to intrude." The scarred man said as he began walking toward the figure, the others following behind with weapons in hand.
"Outsider." The scarred man shouted as they stopped at a distance from the figure. "Who let you up there, and what's your purpose?" He asked coldly, looking up.
His eyes narrowed in surprise as he made out the person's features.
'A kid?' He couldn't understand. why was a kid, who looked to be around fifteen years old, in their territory?
And how did he even get up there when the guards were supposed to be present?
"They're sleeping." Ryu replied, understanding what the man meant.
"And as for my purpose?" He continued. His crimson eyes calmly scanned the people below, thirty-three in total.
"That's not for a minion like you to know." He added, a slight mocking smile appearing on his face as he looked at the scarred man.
"You!!" Hearing this, the man's expression changed drastically into one of ferocity, veins bulging on his forehead.
Since when had anyone ever disrespected him like that, and from a kid, no less?
"I thought of letting you go if you complied, but I changed my mind." The man said through clenched teeth.
"I'm going to tear you apart!" He continued, killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Huh?" Suddenly, he frowned. The kid that had been in his field of vision was gone from his place as the tiles were broken, and the wall beneath it cracked.
'Where-' His last thought was cut short as a foot pressed down on his head, followed by a voice.
"From what I've seen so far." Ryu said, now suspended in the air with his right foot positioned above the man's head.
"You Yakuza seem too pathetic to exist." He finished, his eyes darkly glimmered as he brought his foot down, cutting through the air. The force instantly drove the man face-first into the ground without resistance.
The loud impact sent a shockwave through the air, shattering the floor into fragments as cracks spread outward, spider-webbing across the ground.
The nearby members were forced to cover their eyes from the unbelievable gust that followed the impact.
When the shockwave finally settled, they opened their eyes with confusion plastered on their faces, and the answer lay right in front of them, leaving them stunned.
They stared blankly at their leader, who only a moment ago had been alive and talking, now crushed beneath the kid's foot. His head had burst like a balloon, blood and brain matter splattered across the ground.
"Just what is this?"
"What kind of strength...?"
Murmurs spread one after another as nervousness crept into their hearts.
Their eyes flickered between the boy and the corpse beneath him, their thoughts frozen.
It had all happened too suddenly. They couldn't process anything. Only the boy's sudden disappearance, and then the horrifying scene that followed.
Even for them, the Yakuza, their hearts trembled.
They now understood. This was no ordinary brat. Because what kind of person could unleash such physical force, enough to turn someone's head into literal paste?
"What's wrong?" Ryu asked, noticing their shaken expressions.
"Don't tell me this little scene has the hardened, cold-blooded Yakuza trembling, right? If so, that would be too disappointing." He continued, moving his foot aside. A frictional squelch came from the mix of solid yet soft brain matter, making several of them flinch at the sound.
"Don't be ridiculous, you bastard!"
"We'll do whatever it takes to get rid of you here!"
Angry shouts rang out as they regained their composure, rage filling their faces, though their hearts still trembled beneath it.
But as members of the strongest Yakuza clan in Japan, they had to show their worth.
"Then come at me already." Ryu said with a smile.
"Damn it!"
"Kill this brat!!"
"We'll overwhelm him with our numbers!!!"
Several shouted as three members rushed toward Ryu, two of them wielding katanas and one unarmed.
"Eat this!" The first man threw a punch at Ryu's face, but Ryu countered with a punch of his own aimed directly at the incoming fist.
Their fists collided, and a gut-wrenching sound erupted upon impact.
"Ahhhh!!!" A horrifying scream echoed from the attacker. His right arm was in a gruesome state, bloody and folded up to his elbow.
The scene looked as if his arm had been severed, but in truth, his hand and forearm had been crushed and folded like paper against his upper arm, creating a bloody stump at the elbow.
"My arm-!" he screamed again in agony, but Ryu's next punch slammed into his chest, sending him crashing to the ground. The floor shattered, debris flying outward as he lay slumped.
The mark on his chest was equally horrifying, the center had caved inward in a spiral shape, destroying the bones and organs beneath.
"Die, you brat!!"
The second attacker slashed his katana toward Ryu's neck, but just as the blade was inches away, Ryu caught it with his left hand, diverting the strike aside. The attacker was pulled off balance, and Ryu followed up with a right-hand punch to the temple, smashing the man's head into the ground. Debris exploded outward, leaving his head embedded into the concrete.
The side of the skull where Ryu struck was deeply concaved with visible knuckle marks, blood gushing from the sunken wound.
"You arrogant fucker!!"
The third attacker struck from behind, aiming to slice Ryu in half. But Ryu pivoted left, lowering himself and spinning in a 180-degree motion parallel to the floor. Supporting himself with one hand, he launched a powerful kick at the attacker's face.
The force instantly snapped the man's neck, tearing the head halfway off, leaving it dangling by strands of skin as he fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Damn you!"
"Die!"
Two more rushed from behind with katanas. One slashing at his neck, the other thrusting at his back.
Both attacks landed, but the unexpected unfolded.
"Huh?" The two froze, eyes wide with disbelief at the impossibility before them.
The slash meant to cut through Ryu's neck had stopped at the surface, the blade pressing into his skin, forming a shallow dent but leaving no wound.
The stab aimed at his back met the same result, the tip of the katana pressed against his skin, bending slightly, but failing to pierce.
'Just… just what is this? It feels like I'm trying to pierce a mountain.'
He couldn't understand. It was beyond comprehension.
How could human skin be this tough?
The other attacker felt the same shock.
"I know that you're angry." Ryu chuckled.
"But you don't have to scream with every attack you launch."
He finished as he turned around instantly, a right-hand blade flashing out and chopping down on top of the slasher's head.
The force of the attack caved the skull inward, leaving a deep gap like a slide carved through flesh and bone. The brain within the half-shattered skull split apart as blood sprayed from the gruesome wound.
The irresistible force slammed him to his knees, shattering them on impact. The floor cracked and crumbled beneath him as a shockwave erupted outward.
"You're like literal bugs. Annoying and disgusting." Ryu continued as he moved in a blur. In less than a second, his palms struck both sides of the piercer's head.
A thunderous shockwave erupted within, blood seared from the man's ears as his eardrums burst, the pressure tearing through his bone and flesh. The force caved through his skull, liquefying his brain, until his eyes ruptured and were hurled from their sockets.
His body collapsed before the sound of the strike had even faded.
The attackers halted their steps as they witnessed the horror that had just unfolded before their eyes. The nervousness from earlier was replaced by fear, freezing them in place.
In seconds, they had watched their own people get absolutely massacred with no possible chance of resistance, and the way they fell was beyond gruesome.
This was a display of pure, overwhelming violence and strength.
Keeping in mind that the doer was just a kid.
"You people are not worth my time." Ryu said as his crimson eyes scanned the members before him.
"Bring me someone who can at least serve as a warmup." His tone was calm and laced with boredom.
Ryu was disappointed. If he had come all the way here only to find everyone fragile, then the trip was a waste.
Even though he would obtain the profit, sadly that would be considered a half-benefit for him.
He hoped that this Yamazaki clan had a few people, or someone, who could stimulate his growth so he could enter the paths that were still one step away from being reached.
But his expectations began to fade slowly; so far, all he was seeing were ants who could be exterminated at will with no resistance.
"Everyone, move out of the way."
A sudden voice sounded, startling everyone and bringing them back under control.
The familiar voice gave them courage. They turned to look as newcomers made a path through the crowd.
Ryu's attention drew to the voice. He saw two tall, middle-aged men approaching.
Both wore judo uniforms with black belts tied around their waists.
One had short black hair, a slight beard, and glasses. The other had black hair styled into a mohawk. A scar ran across his left eye and another across his face over the bridge of his nose, crossing the first scar.
Their bodies looked very well built.
They stopped a short distance from Ryu.
"Coming here uninvited and committing such actions. What's your purpose?" Hiroaki asked with a stoic face, looking at the kid's crimson eyes.
There should be a reason for the kid to come here and start a conflict for no reason, but of course his question did not mean he was trying to deescalate the situation.
Instead, this kid would not be leaving alive.
"And who are you supposed to be?" Ryu frowned, taking in the strength of the two figures before him.
"It doesn't concern you." Shingeaki replied indifferently.
"Just asking, you know. I want to know why weaklings like yourselves would step in." Ryu scratched his head in confusion. The aloofness they exuded didn't match the strength he felt from them, which wasn't that high to begin with.
"That mouth of yours doesn't seem to have been educated."
"It seems you bear the tongue of a snake, one we'd have no problem cutting before sending you on your way."
Both Hiroaki and Shingeaki spoke, coldness masking their faces, their eyes radiating killing intent.
"What frightening words." Ryu chuckled, a wide smile spreading across his lips.
"But I want to see just how you're going to do just that." He continued, his eyes squinting into crescent shapes.
The air around him seemed to change, causing both Hiroaki and Shingeaki to frown. from the unusual danger they both sensed.