Liam's Bizzare Adventure Vol.1 Ch.1

Liam’s Bizarre Adventure

	Down….Up…. Down. Liam continues his daily training. Counting was meaningless as it was not a number he was trying to reach, but an ideal. His usually blank face marked with an uncharacteristic determination. Sweat flows down his face, hanging on the edge of his chin for a second only to fall onto the tatami mats in silence. This is a story of  Liam McComb’s other life.


Volume 1- Black Mask

“Okawari!, Okawari!” Michael chirps handing his bowl to Austin.
“Hai.. Hai” Austin says scooping another serving of rice. The strangest thing that no one commented on was for Austins usually calm personality he was wearing a cooking apron with Miku designs. The sight of  him in this apron was an unusual one, or rather, an impossible one, something that should not logically exist in this world. A miracle created by situation.
 “How can someone who sleeps all day need to eat this much food anyways?”He asks, handing the bowl to Michael.
“Food is love. Food is justice.” Michael  replies with his cheeks already bulging from his newly filled bowl.
These are the daily adventures of the homiez living together ever since most of Kei-Ti was destroyed in a supernatural battle, the details of which were being suppressed by some organization. Most of the homiez had witnessed the light show that was the battle. Liam had also learned something very important: He could do the same things as those monsters that destroyed Kei-Ti. But for now, at this moment Liam was not concerned with the mysteries surrounding his life. He was taking it easy, enjoying this brief moment of peace.
Liam- The one who’s 12 room 8x8 tatami mat house survived- had offered lodging to his now homeless friends as their families were on extended paid vacations from the government. Around the table were gathered Liam, Dylan, Michael, Warren, Austin, Dkoo, DV, and DanTan. Liam wondered how they were all able to smile so easily despite of what had happened. Michael in particular who had been absent for most of the battle seemed to have been the most shaken up in the days after. But he guessed that didn't really matter as long as now everyone was safe and happy.
	But Liam wished he was stronger. Rather, the urge to “protect” what is close to him had started to become him. Or did he become the ideal? Liam stewed in his confliction as the homiez carried out the usual assigned chores. Michael and Dylan chatting away while washing the dishes, Warren and Dantan fixing up the television wires, and Austin talking on the phone to solve an electric problem. Liam was glad to have at least this much normality in his life back and tried to push annoying concepts from his mind.

	“Nee nee, Let’s get to bed everyone”. Michael says while clasping his hands and smiling towards the homiez.
“No point.” Austin replies. “School is cancelled for the foreseeable future.”
“Da-me Austin, you’ll never grow big and strong like Miku if you talk like that~Sleep is important.” And with that Michael begins dragging Austin away. Austin struggles for a second but realizes it’s futile and he accepts his fate as the other homiez begin walking to their rooms along with them.

	With the other homiez out of sight it was time to begin the real training.Focusing his mind he crafts the “mask” behind which he would hide during his nighttime activities. He was a Yokusei- one who kills Youkai, mysterious beings that drained the happiness from humans in order to gain strength. Liam pondered for a moment how sickening it was that the thing they steal is happiness. But he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps.
“So you’re going out there again?” Dylan walks into the dining room.
“Oh, Hey, Dylan” Liam takes out two cups and begins pouring tea. “Yeah, I am”
“I don’t understand, you know the dangers, what am I going to say if one day you just don't come back?”
“Dyl-”
“No, stop and listen, everyone is doing their best to live happily after what happened with this whole supernatural shit. This is just being selfish. What am I supposed to do, what do they do? To keep going out when you barely understand that world, much less your own powers. Every day is another chance of the dice, and all it takes is one loss.”
He’s right. He’s right. But still, if everyone had that ideology there would be no one left to fight.
“But still, I have to go.” Liam smiles at Dylan, who gets up and walks out of the room in silence.

Only a few minutes of running into the city later Liam is greeted by his strange acquaintance
“Yo-, Kai*(TN- the kanji used here signifies “hello new” or hello again), we kill them”  As a gleam of red hair enters Liam’s sight code name ‘Beaver’ begins to travel next to him.
“Just die. That greeting was retarded.”
“You look good as always, C-rank 248-Strongman”  Beaver says undeterred by Liam’s tsun.
“You know it’s just a glamour I put on for the sake of anonymity...and it’s C-rank 230 now”  Liam sends a smile to Beaver.
“Wooah, such a big jump, way to go and pass this old beaver. Or rather,  in this situation should I say ‘as expected?’ with that cursed power of yours.” ehe.. He says putting his hand behind his head.
“Regardless, you guys are still the lowest of the low” Another familiar voice approaches.
B-rank 160, Osaka Blizzard.
“For now, maybe”  Beaver says.
“You guys know I’m just kidding, but seriously be careful not to get too ambitious, Youkai can be tricky.”
“On that subject, we’ll be taking a leave Blizzard, we know plenty well your fighting style doesn't suit a team.”
“True, true, take care you two, and good luck.”
Beaver makes a sharp turn and Liam follows behind as Beaver has the keen sense to pick up on Youkai just before they are about to emerge.

	They arrive in an unused lot just as the Youkai begins to emerge from the ground: A huge eye with a series of long appendages swaying at its side.
“Let me try taking on this one alone, it doesn't seem so strong.”
“You got it.” Liam replies but does not lower his guard.
Beaver closes his eyes for a second and his teeth begin to extend, and then form. With a snap Beaver breaks off what is now a long katana with a gleam like those of the white snakes said to be messengers of god. Beaver acted erratic, but when it came to a sword fight he didn’t think Beaver had any chance of losing. The long katana glows unnaturally white, reflecting the light of the moon in such a way that took the breath from any who beheld its beauty.
  “Damn I still can’t quite do it perfectly.” He says after spitting out a small amount of blood. Creating swords was the main way Beaver used his power to control the bones in his body. He was fairly limited in the fact that he could only control bones freely and he still healed like a normal person for anything not composed mainly of calcium, teeth being the easiest source to use for his weapons.
“Now, Come!” Beaver charges at inhuman speeds at the monstrous eye, which sends a barrage of tentacles which beaver sidesteps and begins running up. Another wave attacks but with an insanely quick movement of Beaver’s wrist they fall to the his side.
“Is that all you've got, monster?” Beaver is close to the eye, or rather, the ‘core’ of the Youkai. But just as he is about to deliver the final blow.

“Wha…?” Beaver looks down at his shoulder. he has been stopped in midair. It’s covered in blood. A tentacle had stabbed him from behind. In each of the spots Beaver had cut one tentacle off, two more had grown to take their place.
“Looks like I messed this one up pretty bad.” Beaver mumbles, coughing a spew of blood.
Time stops for a second and then the tentacle throws the unconscious Beaver to the ground.
“No!” Liam dashes to catch Beaver before he hits the ground. His shoulder badly hurt.
However Liam doesn’t have time to take care of Beaver, as he looks he is completely surrounded by regrowing tentacles on all sides. Liam is about to be impaled from every direction.
“Don’t get so cocky monster!” He closes his eyes and focuses his chi to his hands letting the energy gather.
“Taboo Art: Sunred Blast.” Liam sends his chi in every direction.  The nighttime sky is changed to that of one of late afternoon and then slowly fades back to normal. The monster was incinerated in the blast, leaving only the ‘core’.An iridescent stone that glowed a mild cyan. Each of the colors was supposed to signify the qualities of the Youkai, but Liam hadn't quite gotten into the technicalities behind his job. He takes the core and snaps it into two pieces, tucking one half into Beavers pocket. He takes this moment to absorb the core, an important ritual which releases the collected energy the Youkai had stolen in its life and bolsters Liam’s own energy along with increasing his rank. He slouches for a moment against the wall, this had already been quite a night.

	“Quite interesting, for someone whose ability is supposedly great strength to use one of the taboo arts. Just like they said you are an anomaly indeed.”
Liam looks up from his thoughts and sees a man dressed in a western suit, black, with a top hat perched on his head that seems to extend unnaturally.The man looks at ease, sitting with his legs crossed upon the stone fence that surrounds the empty lot. His face is covered not with a glamour, but simply a black smiling theater mask.
“There he is! Stop him!” A line of green dashes towards this strange meeting.
“What are you doing?” The man who you recognize as ‘Wasabi’ exclaims. “Don't you know that’s-” Wasabi never gets to finish his sentence as the center of his chest is pierced by the  masked  man’s gloved hand.
“My, my, were you never taught it is rude to interrupt when people are discussing important matters?” I’m terribly sorry for this mans rudeness.” He says before pulling his hand out and letting the body fall to the floor. “Now,” The man says bowing, “S-Rank 1: Black Mask, or so they call me.”
Liam takes stance, and exhausted, begins, “Taboo Ar-
“No no no no no, we can’t have any of that he says locking Liam’s wrists in his hand and pulling them up.”
“I can’t play with you now, but I’m going to keep watching you, so please do your best not to bore me.”  The man begins laughing as he dematerializes into nothing.

“This way!” Liam hears footsteps nearing. A militia enters the lot quickly blocking off any exit routes.
“My god.”
“They always said he was a strange one.”
“I know but I never thought he’d be the type to kill his own comrades.”
They look upon the scene in disgust. Liam standing with two fallen Yokusei at his feet.
“Guys listen-” Liam says holding up his hands “I-”, Liam stops mid sentence as he sees the blood covered glove on his hand.
					End ch.1 Volume 1