Yang walked back to Shinshinkai, his eyes fixed on the ground as he was walking
With a mind that is vacant, yet anchored by a single though.
After everything I did… how?
That thought kept echoing in yang mind he didnt even realize he was already in Shinshinkai until he reached the door to the dojo gym where he usually sleeps his minds decided to return to its usual work
He slid the door open and stepped inside
"Yo."
"Oh, welcome "
Doppo and Katsumi were sitting across from each other, legs crossed, two noodle cups in front of them.
Yang smirked. "Did Miss Natsue kick you guys out?"
"Yeah. Her mood changes have been getting more frequent lately."
"So what happened?" Yang asked, tilting his head.
Katsumi coughed catching yang attention "So… there's this family. A family of fighters, mind you. Their head came to our house with his granddaughter, intending for a marriage so we could merge our techniques together."
"That's a bit…"
"Creepy, right?" Katsumi finished. "So when Dad refused, a fight almost broke out between him and the family head."
"I thought Miss Natsue was chill with her man fighting. What happened?" Yang asked, sitting down next to Doppo.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Doppo's cup of noodles and emptied it into his stomach in one go.
"Eh?!" Doppo blurted out.
"Yes, you're right," Katsumi continued. "But she was angry because the head of that family said Dad promised him twenty years ago that if gets a son, he'd make him marry into his family. Mom didn't like that… but not to the point where she'd kick him out of the house. He simply left the house on his own terms, not wanting to see her sad expression.
."
"Oooh~."
"Ahem. Enough of this nonsensical crap," Doppo said, clearing his throat. "Yang, you look roughed up. What happened to you?"
"I tripped."
"Oh ho, really?"
"Yup. Tripped, fell out a window, and dropped five floors."
" did you win atleast ?"
" against the floor ? " Yang chuckled " no it was a stalemate as you can see "
Doppo smiled. "Alright, boys. Since both of you look free right now, let's go fishing"
"I'm eating?" Katsumi said, raising his noodle cup—only for it to be slapped out of his hands.
"No, you're not. C'mon, you two—grab your rods and move its a good night for fishing." He clapped his hands.
"I don't have fishing rod" Yang said, raising a finger.
"I'll buy you one in way," Doppo replied, giving Yang and katsumi a light shove forward " hurry hurry hurry "
__________
Now the three of them were walking through the forest.
Yang wore a yellow hat, his usual karate gi, and a pair of sunglasses.
Katsumi had on a casual white shirt printed with black palm trees.
Doppo led the way, three fishing rods resting over his shoulder. He wore a red shirt with black stripes.
"What's with this sudden occasion? This is the first we go fishing at night" Katsumi asked, pulling branches and insects from his hair with a frown.
"Yeah, this is starting to feel like one of those cliché tropes where a killer lures defenseless teens to a deserted place to brutally molest them . You're not gonna molest us right ? "
"like hell i would ! C'mon, what's with you two? It's nothing. I just want to spend some time with my cutest disciples. Nothing wrong with that."
Both Katsumi and Yang had the same thought.
Cutest?
When the three reached the lake, the only light came from the moon reflected across the water. It was barely enough to see anything.
"Can't see shit. How are we supposed to fish here?"
"Huff… can you boys stop whining?" Doppo walked toward a small shack that looked half-collapsed.
"I didn't say anything though." Katsumi shrugged.
"You were about to. I saw it in your eyes." Doppo dragged out a small wooden boat with two paddles resting on top. Then he shoved it toward the lake. He clapped his hands, dusting them off.
"Aight. Hop in, you two."
The two got into the boat, with Doppo climbing in last. He kicked off from the shore, sending the boat drifting across the water.
Yang stood at the front, while Katsumi settled in the middle.
Katsumi grabbed the paddles. "Guess I'll row."
"Take us to the deeper water, captain." Doppo gave a lazy salute.
"Let's pray some stupid fish are still awake at this time," Yang said as he tried to switch on the light at the front of the boat.
The lamp was secured in place with a bunch of wires.
It refused to turn on.
Yang tapped on the lamp until if fell of from place and into the water " oh ...nice "
He looked down at it go deeper and deeper and the light of lamp dimming as it went deeper until the light disappeared at the bottom of the lake
"So negative as always. Let's pray for smart fish instead " Doppo said, tossing one of the fishing rods to Yang ignoring the fact that yang just threw away their only source of light
"I mean… what qualifies as a smart fish?" Yang asked, catching the rod.
"I don't know. Maybe the ones that live in schools." Doppo smirked, glancing at them to check their reaction. "C'mon, that was funny. Schools—like when a group of fish swim in the same direction."
"…"
"…"
Both of them stared at him like statues
Now the boat moved quietly across the dark lake.
Only the soft ripples of water caused by Katsumi's gentle paddling could be heard, along with the loud yet soothing chirps of crickets.
The calm lasted only a minute before Yang broke it.
"It was a sumo wrestler."
Both Katsumi and Doppo turned to look at him.
"He was too strong. My punches couldn't even bruise him."
Doppo placed a hand on his chin, the other resting under his elbow as he thought.
Katsumi smiled and glanced back at Yang.
"If our little miss Seikun Tsuki couldn't even harm him with her punches, he must have some crazy durability… what do you think, Dad?"
Doppo ignored him. His gaze stayed on Yang.
"What rank was he?"
"Maegashira, as far as I remember."
"What rank?"
"Rank ten."
Doppo returned to his thinking pose for a moment, then lifted his eyes to Yang again.
"I've been avoiding thinking about the world of sumo ever since I fought a Maegashira before. Rank fourteen, some time ago. Now that you've brought it up… I'll tell you boys something."
He rested his arms on his thighs
"For us karateka, the real thing isn't matches. It's the conflicts that spring up in everyday life—streets, bars, work, school. Those fights help us improve and gain experience. For a karateka… that's the real deal."
The boat slowly came to a stop as Katsumi stopped paddling.
"On the other hand, sumo is completely different," Doppo continued. "There's no rikishi out there sweating over street fights. They aren't required to prove their strength."
He pointed lightly toward the water with his rod.
"Unlike us karateka, who square off against opponents from all kinds of fighting styles… everything for them is decided in that space called the dohyō. And… huff… it's hard to explain, but they are strong. Very strong. The one I fought some time ago was at least…"
"So he ranks higher, right? The sumo guy you fought?" Yang asked, raising his rod and casting the line far into the lake.
"No. Lower. Maegashira ranks go from one—the highest—down to seventeen, the lowest."
"Please don't tell me you lost."
Doppo smiled and shook his head. "Just who do you take me for? Of course I didn't lose. I almost did—but in the end I came out victorious."
"You almost lost?!" Yang's eyes widened.
In Yang's mind, Doppo was the strongest person he had ever met—followed immediately by Hanayama and Dorian.
He hadn't seen the full extent of any of them, but he was certain they were leagues above him.
To the point where he believed that not in this life—nor the next—would he ever reach anywhere close to their level.
And yet… someone had almost beaten Doppo.
That thought alone caught him completely off guard.
And it was by a sumo wrestler with a Maegashira rank even lower than that bastard who humiliated him at school.
Just how strong are sumo wrestlers?
No… the better question was:
How many others like them exist? Yang wondered.
"Anything interesting worth mentioning about your guy?" Doppo asked.
"He twisted the head of some yakuza goon three hundred and sixty degrees with a single sumo slap."
"And that's supposed to be interesting according to you?" Doppo tilted his head, looking confused, which in turn made Yang look even more confused.
A head twisting a full three hundred and sixty degrees from a single sumo slap.
No matter how many times Yang replayed that scene in his mind, it still felt absurd to him.
How is that not interesting to you ?!
"Say, Yang—how many bricks can you break with a low strike and with Seikun?"
"Two, almost three with a low strike… and ten with Seikun."
"Well, there you go. Your Seikun would have the same effect—if not stronger—if you targeted the head...so really there's nothing impressive with your guy except for his durability"
" now now Don't get excited and try your seikun on someone, hahaha. I'm just having a normal conversation with my students to encourage them."
Doppo glanced at both of them.
"Remember the words I'm about to say, Katsumi… Yang. Turn them into an earring that echoes every time you use karate."
Both boys directed their gaze toward him.
"The value of the art depends on the one applying it. If its application is for a good purpose, then the art holds great value. But if it is misused, then there is no art more evil or harmful than karate."He rested the fishing rod across his shoulders and continued.
"There was a time when the Okinawa police department considered teaching karate to its officers. The idea was later abandoned because people feared the danger of the art. Later, Admirals Rokurō Yashiro and Norikazu Kanna proposed that naval personnel learn karate as well—but that plan was rejected too. They feared sailors would simply use it in brawls."
He exhaled softly.
"People worry about karate because they see its potential for harm. And that fear isn't completely wrong. The real problem comes from instructors with poor character—those who focus only on technique and ignore the spirit of the art. Then their students treat karate as nothing more than a tool to satisfy whatever filthy desire they have."
Yang's mind drifted elsewhere.
He remembered his first master in prison—Kenji.
And the mysterious man he once met in the dojo in the middle of the night—Juumei Kuga.
Both of them had trampled on the core philosophy of the art and twisted it into something else entirely—something that shouldn't even be called karate anymore.
Even Daichi, the delinquent from school. The martial art he used was different—judo—but Doppo's words still applied.
Kenji and Juumei used their art to fight stronger opponents.
But Daichi used his only to crush the weak… and to prey on women.
Yang had no regrets about ripping his balls out.
In fact after what heard about him and his five other friends doings from ryu he regretted not killing him right there
Doppo looked out over the dark lake before finishing quietly.
"So I'll say it again… do not misuse the techniques of karate."
"Ah… yeah…" Yang replied with a nervous smile, remembering how he had used it—holding back just enough not to kill—on the delinquents at school.
"Now…"
Doppo raised his fishing rod and lightly tapped Katsumi on the head.
Katsumi, who had been looking at his phone, glanced up while rubbing his forehead.
"Ouch. What was that for?"
"My throat is dry from yapping for half an hour trying to give you genuine advice, and you were on your phone the whole time? Throw that garbage away and start fishing before I get angry. If we don't catch at least ten giant bass, none of us are going home."
"Okay, okay, jeez. And I heard everything. Yeah, yeah—typical advice from you. Karate spirit is sacred and cool or whatever."
Doppo sighed.
"What's so interesting on that thing that you'd rather miss the chance to fish with your daddy and your little cute junior brother, Yang?"
"So… there's this guy called Yu," Katsumi started, showing his father the screen of his phone.
"He called Me?" Doppo tilted his head he then extended his hand " show me "
"No, his name is Yu."
"Ooooh, now I get it. His name is Doppo, like me, you mean?"
"No, Dad. His name is spelled Y-U."
"Why me? What?"
"Yang, please explain to him," Katsumi glanced back at Yang, who seemed lost in his own thoughts.
"Explain what?"
"This boxer's name is Yu."
"Me?"
"Great… just great."
Yang's eyes widened as if a sudden realization hit him. "Ooooh, I get you now."
"Finally," Katsumi sighed.
Yang leaned forward, gesturing Doppo to do the same with his finger as he got closer "So this guy…" He pointed at the screen, where a melancholic-looking man with boxing gloves had his right hand raised by the referee. "…is you."
"That's not me."
"No, no. He is you, and I'm him too."
"…" Katsumi bit his lower lip, eyes closing as he pulled his phone away. "Anyway… he's a boxer who recently won his seventh world championship, from lightweight to heavyweight, without getting hit even once."
Yang and Doppo's eyes widened in shock.
"Apparently, he's coming to Japan to participate in mister Shozan Tournament, so I'll probably fight him there" Katsumi continued, staring at the screen with a cocky grin
Doppo glanced at Yang. "Oh, about Shozan… I spoke to him and tokugawa about changing who'll be the representative of our school."
"…Come again?" Katsumi muttered slowly. "I didn't hear that right."
"Won seven world championships across three weight divisions… kinda like Carlos Medal, right?" Yang caressed his chin thoughtfully.
Doppo's face brightened. "Please tell me you got that info from the Boxing's Greatest Champions VHS tape I had lying around the TV."
"Yup" Yang snapped his fingers.
Doppo's smile widened as he patted Yang's head. "Finally. Now I know my birthday gift to some brat didn't go to waste. But you got one thing wrong—mister Carlos only won five world championships across five different weight classes, and he struggled in a few of them."
"Oh, that's nice. I really wish he hadn't retired," Yang said, nodding.
"Mhmm. But keep in mind, he only struggled because he was experimenting with other martial arts at the time, which made his boxing a bit rusty. It wasn't until his last match that he returned to his prime where he put his opponent into a coma with a single strike."
"Father, please tell me I didn't hear that right," Katsumi's expression darkened.
"What?"
"ABOUT CHANGING THE REPRESENTATIVE, GODDAMMIT! STOP ACTING LIKE YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME!" Katsumi stood up violently, the force making the boat rock and rise sharply
"Oop," Yang muttered, gripping the edge of the boat with one hand, the other still holding his rod.
Doppo, arms crossed, remained unmoved. "You heard that right. Shozan will come tomorrow to meet the new representative."
Veins bulged in Katsumi's temple, his eyes wide, almost threatening to pop. "WHY?! WHO?!!!"he screamed on top of his lungs the birds in the forest nearby flew away in flocks
"It'll be the boy behind you," Doppo said calmly, "to represent our school."
Katsumi slowly turned his head toward Yang, a sardonic smile twisting his lips. "This is a joke, right? No… this can't… could I be dreaming right now?"
"… …"
"HIM??? Out of everyone in our school… Yang!!? This—this bitch??!" Katsumi pointed furiously at Yang, then looked at Doppo, who just nodded.
""Ouch… that's not cool, man—" Yang started, but Katsumi's right hand blurred forward, aiming straight for his face.
It stopped just a few inches away.
Yang's expression didn't change—stoic, unreadable.
The glasses on his face split clean in two and fell to the bottom of the boat.
What stopped Katsumi's hand was the hook of Doppo's fishing rod.
With a swift yank, Doppo pulled him back, causing Katsumi to tumble onto him.
Doppo pinned him to his chest, grabbing both hands and wrapping his legs around him, immobilizing him completely.
"T… this isn't faiiir!" Tears streamed down Katsumi's face.
"Auggggahhhh!" Katsumi shouted.
"A grown-ass man crying like a little girl… auhhh, daddy, this ain't fair, waaaahh," Yang said with a smirk as he stood up. "I'm a bitch, yeah—so what? I'd rather be a bitch who takes a hundred dicks daily than be a boy in his twenties crying into his dad's tits. And I know no one likes me at Shinshinkai—not Suedō's, not Katou and Takagi I even doubt your dad likes me. But at least I know that, and I've come to terms with it. Unlike you. Everyone only likes you because your father is the director.
You're cocky, ugly, lame—you smell like shit half the time. Yeah, I used to smell too, but that was when I had nothing.
You, despite your privileges, still smell like vomit mixed with crap.
Not even mentioning your sense of humor—it's older than your hairstyle.
You think you're hot shit, but actually, no one wants to be around you. Heck, I think even your backstory is made up just to make others feel bad for you ... You lost your old family because of some tragic circus accident? Well, nice try, Boy Wonder," he said, smirking. "I met your biological brother in a restaurant three days ago. When I saw him… I saw a real man. Unlike the boy I see in front of me now."
Yang's eyes bored into Katsumi, each word a spark lighting the flames of his fury.
"Eh?" Doppo muttered, stunned by Yang's bluntness.' Katsumi started this, but… damn '
Doppo bit his lip, trying desperately not to laugh.
Seeing Doppo's expression, Yang pointed at him with a smirk. "Look, even your dad is laughing at you."
Katsumi glanced up at his father.
Doppo immediately averted his gaze
_____________________
The lake was quiet again, save for the gentle lapping of water against the boat. Yang's back remained to them, his fishing rod still in hand, a yawn covering his mouth.
"Sorry for my lack of respect, master," he muttered lazily.
"Hahaha, at least pretend to care and look at me," Doppo chuckled, his grip on Katsumi loosening. The boy sagged in his arms, finally calming down, eyes reflecting the moonlight like empty mirrors—as if the night had stripped him of everything.
"Don't worry about it," Doppo said softly. "I think he needed to hear that at one point."
Katsumi had dreamed of this tournament for so long—wanted to win, to carve a name for himself. Tonight, that dream had been crushed. His grief, his anger—they were justified.
Doppo's gaze shifted to Yang's back. "Don't you have anything to say, Yang? This is the right time to speak if there's anything."
Yang stared at the water for a moment, calm and unreadable. "The tournament, you mean?"
"Yes. This is the right time to decide if you're in or out. The organizers will be at Shinshinkai tomorrow at sunrise."
Yang turned his head over his shoulder, eyes meeting Doppo's. "Look, master… I owe you a huge debt. You took me in when I had nothing—you gave me food, shelter, clothes. You were like a father to me. I can't possibly refuse you. If you want me in, then I'm in."
Doppo nodded slowly. "Yeah… that's why I'm giving you the choice right now."
Yang's expression hardened slightly. "I don't think of it that way. You told your son to his face that I would take his place in the tournament. You didn't even give him the chance to fight for it. That only means you want me to participate."
"…."
"I'm in. But I can't promise you the same results you expected Katsumi to have before changing your mind."
Doppo exhaled, a mixture of frustration and amusement. "Huff… Seriously, I can't with you boys. Alright. It's decided, then. you will be the representative of Shinshinkai for the tournament."
And just like that, without fully realizing it, Doppo's decision had sealed Yang's fate in this circle.
_________^^^______________________
Matsuo shozan ( garouden)
Yu ( the boxer )
Carlos medal ( kengan omega )