Fire roared through the room, the once lavish room was breaking apart and burning away. In the center a man stood with a sword in hand. The blade about twice the size of his arm (roughly 2,3 meters). His short snow-white hair almost glowed through the smoke created by the fire. His body battered and bruised with cuts and burns all over, yet he stood there staring at the woman who stood at the exit. She looked like a princess; she wore the finest gowns and had hair so long it dragged.
"Put down this dog where he stands." She said calmly as men dressed in black tuxes entered the room, about eight. The man at the center smiled and shouted,
"HAO! Come, I shall send you back to your goddess in spirit!"
The woman scoffed and turned. As she left the men in suits began firing guns at the man in the room.
As she exited the building, entire building collapsed and the fire devoured all that remained.
"Good riddance, Oni. You've troubled me for far too long. Now you die, Jiang Zhelan." The woman said as she watched the fire.
Few days later….
"Dearly beloved, we are here to bury a father, a husband and a friend. Jiang Zhelan." The rain poured as the funeral proceeded. A wife wept heavily for lover as friends and family shed tears over their loss, however in the middle of all of this a boy stood there as he looked at his father's coffin. His face was emotionless, but his heart was heavy. He had his father's signature white hair.
As the coffin was lowered the boy just stood there, still. He simply nodded his head and looked up. As funeral ended and people got into their respective vehicles. The boy entered the backseat if a black Rolls-Royce. Next to him was a man who had messy black hair, a short stubble beard and piercing red eyes. He man wore a red suit with a black waistcoat and black pants with black gloves.
"Xuan. How are you feeling?" the man asked the boy.
"Be honest uncle Tommy. My father was killed because of the business, right? He died protecting the empire he built from the bottom up." The boy said, his voice steady and his words were scarily calm.
"Xuan. I'll take care of what happed to your father. For now, Ouroboros is under my leadership."
"Uncle I understand that. I simply wish to be allowed to join. Let me work as if I was some random kid who joined in hopes of achieving something at the organization. I want this no I need this. I need to become fit to take over Ouroboros."
"Do you need that or do you want to find your father's killer. Rash decisions get people killed in my line of work. Besides your nowhere near ready."
"Not ready! I can handle myself well in a fight and I can use a gun."
Hearing Xuan's words Thomas laughed.
"You simply lack spirit my boy." Thomas said as the car began to drive.
"Spirit? What do you mean by that?" Xuan asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Your father started a criminal organization from scratch and in the space of five years, Ouroboros became a world powerhouse mafia. Now tell me if that sounds normal to you, does that sound human?" Xuan stayed silent, puzzled. Thomas smiled and continued talking.
"The simple and true answer, it's not. Guns and money weren't what built Ouroboros. A power beyond human understanding did. Powers that have ruled society for eons and your father and I ventured into that space. And to our followers we became more than bosses, we became gods."
"Gods? What bullshit are you talking about Thomas!" Xuan shouted as he clearly thought Thomas was playing with him.
"Take us to warehouse 22." Thomas said to the driver before sitting back quietly.
"Why are we going there uncle tommy."
"I want to show you spirit."
The car pulled into an empty are warehouse. Thomas got of the car and pulled out his pistol. As Xuan stepped out Thomas handed him the pistol.
"Shoot at me." Thomas said with a straight face. Xuan took the pistol and stared at Thomas with a puzzled look on his face as Thomas backed away about 10 meters. Thomas stared at Xuan as the boy just stood there holding the pistol.
"Show me your resolve. You say you want to join Ouroboros! Then shoot at me goddammit!" Thomas shouted at Xuan.
Xuan gritted his teeth and aimed the gun at Thomas. As he stood there with the gun aimed at Thomas he thought of his father, anger boiled and the boy cocked the gun let of four shots. All on target.
As the bullets approached Thomas, a shadow raised from the ground deflecting the bullets. The shadow the engulfed Thomas, forming a giant crow looking shadow beast above his shoulders.
"This is Zhelan's blood, his son?" the creature spoke with a voice that sounded like some eldritch demon.
"Yes. Thank you for your protection, Yatagarasu." Thomas said as the showed beast disappeared into his shadow.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Xuan shouted as backed away from Thomas.
"That was the deciding factor in gang wars, the power behind the ascension of Ouroboros, the power that made us leaders, gods." Thomas said as he approached Xuan.
Thomas reached, grabbed his arm and put the pistol Xuan held against his chest.
"You understand now that simply knowing how to shoot a gun will not ensure you survive in our world." Thomas said in a sadistic tone as he stared at the boy, dead in the eyes.
"Xuan. Pull the trigger." Thomas taunted the boy. Xuan let go the pistol as it fell between them. Thomas smiled and patted Xuan on the shoulder.
"You lack spirit my boy." Thomas said as he turned and walked towards the car.
"You claim you leaders are gods huh." Xuan said. Thomas stopped and turned, look at the boy.
"The one who killed my father must clearly be some god also. Then it's simple. My resolve. I'll become a god killing oni. I'll become what keeps you 'gods' up at night. I'll become what you think about when the night grows quiet, what you fear in the dark. That will be my spirit. Uncle how do I acquire such a power?" Xuan said with a determined look on his face.
Thomas smiled as he looked at the boy.
"Hao. That's enough about the gang world for one day. I'll speak to you about that another day." Thomas said as he got in the car.
Xuan followed and the car drove off, leaving the warehouse.