[Reverse Tiger Blade Dojo]
A sign stood in front of a mighty dojo, with its building shaped like a temple. In the yard, a group of students practiced their martial arts skills under the watchful eye of their sensei.
It was a day like any other.
At that moment, a broad-shouldered man with bushy brows and a stern expression walked up the stairs, soon arriving at the dojo master’s private office.
Knock, knock—after knocking twice on the door, a deep sound came from inside, and the man then opened the door, stepping inside.
“Ken, what is it?” The dojo master asked, his voice firm but not unkind. He was a weathered-looking man with a strong jawline and piercing eyes.
He looked like a man who had seen it all.
His name was Tiger Erwin, the dojo master of the Reverse Tiger Blade dojo.
Ken respectfully put his arms behind his back and puffed his chest.
“I have just returned from Rach’s dojo. They are growing stronger with each passing day, which is also making them more rebellious against us.
“They have always been troublesome when I have gone to ask about the monthly fee for staying in our territory, and soon, they’ll most likely go to war with us.”
“The players are indeed bothersome.” Tiger Erwin removed glasses from his nose and rubbed them with a handkerchief. “They have grown strong. Dangerously so.”
“What should we do?” Ken asked with a deep voice. “Should I go teach them a lesson?”
“They have the power of reincarnation.” Tiger Erwin said and put the glasses back on his nose. “If you beat them up, they’ll just come back stronger. If you kill them, they’ll just come back to haunt us.”
Ken sighed as he felt frustrated. He felt like the Reverse Tiger Blade wouldn’t be the dominant force on this street for much longer.
At that moment, a short-haired man with one missing eye stormed inside the office, shouting:
“A player has come to challenge us!”
“What?” Ken turned around in surprise, looking at the short-haired man’s only remaining eye. “A player? You mean only one?”
“Yes, he is waiting downstairs!” The short-haired man shouted.
“Why are you acting so panicky?” Ken asked with a frown. “Get a grip, and go throw him out!”
“W-we can’t!” He shouted. “W-we tried, but he was strong, very so. I think only you, Ken, or the guild master can defeat him!”
Ken’s eyes flashed with a surprise.
“You go.” Tiger Erwin said and lowered his gaze back to the papers on the desk.
“Yes, master.” Ken bowed and grabbed the short-haired man by his scruff before tossing him out of the office. He then left the office and followed the man down the stairs.
After reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ken saw that the students were already waiting for him. They were standing aside; some of them had minor injuries and were visibly shaken.
And then he saw a man with his face covered by the hood standing in the entrance. He didn’t have a weapon in hand, and he was wearing a black poncho with a hood draped over his hair.
However, he radiated a strange sense of power and confidence that could only be found among veteran fighters.
“You have come to challenge our Reverse Tiger Blade dojo?” Ken asked, grabbed a steel sword from the rack, and held it up to the light, admiring its sharpness. “A foolish decision.”
“That shall be left to be seen.” The hooded figure replied and pulled out a single wooden sword from his inventory.
“A wooden sword?” Ken scoffed. “This is not some kid’s fight. You came to challenge our dojo. Therefore, you either leave with one of your arms missing or you’ll forfeit your life.
“We ain’t playing any games. Therefore, pick up your weapon!”
“This just happens to be my weapon.” The hooded figure replied and then slowly removed his hood.
A few quiet gasps came from the student’s side. The male students were shaken to their very core, while the female students blushed.
Ken narrowed his eyes at the handsome, black-haired man with piercing purple eyes. He couldn’t recognize him, which most likely meant he was a new person in Amaterasu.
“Who are you? Say your name!”
“My name is Ambrose.” He said with his commanding voice. “You might not remember me, but I do remember you.”
“Huh?” Ken narrowed his eyes. ‘Ambrose… Ambrose… That name seems familiar, but I would definitely remember his face if I had seen him before.’
“What is your goal here, Ambrose?” Ken asked.
“I am in need of a dojo.” Ambrose smiled charmingly. “I also have a bone to pick with you. Two birds with one stone, just like the saying goes.”
“Hah, it seems you are not only here to challenge us!” Ken said, ignoring the fact that Ambrose was still using a wooden sword, and he moved into his graceful fighting stance.
“Then, prepare to die!”
“Ambrose… Ambrose…” The short-haired man with a missing eye continued to repeat the name. “I swear I have seen that name somewhere and that face just recently, but where…”
Ambrose grabbed the wooden sword with both hands and stood firmly. He moved the sword in a slow and deliberate motion. It wasn’t easy to find any weaknesses in his stance.
“…” Ken narrowed his eyes and moved his sword into a reverse grip, the blade pointing backwards.
He then moved gracefully across the dojo, his feet barely touching the tatami mat on the floor. Then, with his swift footwork, he moved in a blur and suddenly swung his reverse-gripped sword down at his opponent.
The students exclaimed as they often saw Ken practicing, but he rarely went all-in with his footwork and attacks. Now, he was clearly not holding back, and it was a beautiful sight to see.
Ambrose moved his wooden sword slowly and slapped Ken’s wrist with it. His muscular, fiber arm got pushed away alongside the sword.
In just an instant, Ambrose struck the only weakness of the reverse blade style. When striking, the arm, the wrist, and the hand were most vulnerable.
Ken’s wrist turned red, and it looked like it might bruise soon. However, he wasn’t aware of it, as he was now fully concentrated on a fight.
‘A good defense!’ Ken admired his opponent’s quick thinking. ‘Have we fought before? I would assume that only a person who has fought us before could find out the weakness so quickly.’
Ambrose moved the wooden sword and hacked it down at Ken’s neck. Ken quickly dodged to the side with his swift footwork, avoiding the attack.
However, Ambrose expected it and reacted accordingly. There was only one way Ken could have dodged, and it was towards the left.
Therefore, Ambrose quickly shifted his wooden sword and smashed it at Ken’s left side. The flesh-smacking sound echoed through the air as the sword struck Ken’s body.
“Argh!” Ken cried out in pain and quickly backed off with stinging pain in his waist. ‘If he was using a real sword… No, I shouldn’t think about it. I am far from done!’
The short-haired man rubbed his chin as he was still thinking about the name. He then briefly remembered yesterday morning, when he was reading a newspaper in the nearby cafe.
In the newspaper, there was a wanted poster with a bright red color. Therefore, he managed to remember it, but he only glimpsed at the name and the picture. He wasn’t really paying attention to it.
However, it was barely enough to remember.
‘T-that’s right… R-red wanted poster…’ His eye slowly widened in a shock.
‘Oh my god.’