Writefagging 02: History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi

When I opened my eyes again, it was sunset.

This, of course, was the open sky from ten years before, now bathed in shades of deeper reds, with pale yellows and purple at the edges of the sky. Ten years? Had it really been that long? To be honest, I had lost track. Runeterra wasn’t the greatest world, but I felt after a while I had really belonged. I wasn’t perhaps very liked (considered I had the reputation of being the Spooky Noxian Assassin Who Sucks at Teamfighting) but I could say I was content. Maybe not so much at facing off the army of undead and almost dying a couple of times, but yeah. Wait a minute, did I just kill Mordekaiser?

“So, how were your ten years?” That voice, again. This time I did turn to face him, only to find that he wasn’t in the same place as last time. Another quick swivel found him to be in the opposite position, the fist in his shirt now being a black color on magenta. Figures. “I must say, it was interesting watching you struggle.”

To be quite frank, that’s a rude thing to say. He didn’t seem to care though. “Honestly, I’m a bit surprised you made it through the end. Then again, it does seem that you sacrificed personal power for a powerful ally.” I wasn’t sure what he meant exactly. “Of course, you don’t even know what that means. But they do. It’s surprising that they actually decided to come along, even to me. We’ll see how they do.”

“Could you stop babbling for a second?!” I was mad. This guy had essentially jerked me around for ten years, albeit indirectly at that. I had a couple of words to say to him on that. “You just sent me through the entire universe and plopped me in Runeterra for ten whole years before yanking me out just as soon as I would have been set. I didn’t ask for this!” I balled my fists and wished that I had my weapons in my hands. I doubted that would matter much against a guy like this though, along with the fact that any sort of metal magic would be hard to maintain without a source of it.

“Hmm, I see that you obtained some of the Noxian courage in you. That’s good. People tend to not like them, I find, due to their views on strength. It seems that you took to it like a fish to water.” Did I? I blinked in confusion, taking a step back mentally. I...I think I did. After all, the whole ideal of Noxus was that strength was equal to power. I came into that world strong. Did I just accept that? If I was quite honest, I wasn’t a hero. Too much blood had dripped off my blade to call myself that by the end to call myself one. A Champion of a blood soaked country. Yet, despite it all…

“You don’t regret it.” The figure summed up. I looked at him in surprise. “I don’t need to read minds to understand the thought process going through your head. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you had to go through that so early. Most people get an easier start.” The last ray of sunlight slipped away into the dusk. “We’re out of time. Good luck on your next one.” With a flash of orange light he was gone and so was I an instant later, not even able to get out my frustrations on him.

Stupid guy.

Jump 02: History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi

Ashton:
+0CP The Shadow War
+100CP Bills
-100CP Prodigy
Age: 15
Katsujinken (Free)
Unarmed (Free)
Martial Arts: Furinji Style (Free)
Sei Ki (Free)
-50CP Martial Arts: Archery
-50CP Martial Arts: Ninjutsu
Civilian Skills (Free)
-150CP Used to It
-300CP Ki Kneading (Discount)
Master’s Body (Free after ten years)
-150CP Sei Dou Goitsu (Discount)
-150CP Speed and Agility (Discount)
Sword (Free, arm guards)
Dojo (Free)
-100CP Data Book
Master (Free, Hayato Furinji)
-50CP Import (Kindred)

Kindred:
Drop-In (Free)
Satsujinken (Free)
Sei Ki (Free)
Martial Arts: Archery (Free)
Hidden Weapons (Free)
-100CP Animalistic Incorporation (Wolf)
Master’s Body (Free)
Sword (Free, Bow)
-400CP Secrets of Steel
-100CP Headquarters (Discount)

My name is Ashton. Now, It’s Ashton Furinji. Crap.

The only way to describe it was waking up as myself, but not. There was still me, the offworlder Noxian who cut throats for a living. But suddenly, there was also the grandson of the Furinji household, a follower of the Life Giving Fist. Two polar opposites, one body. Needless to say, I had a bit of an existential crisis following.

Ignoring that, my new existence posed a problem. Miu was the only grandchild of the Furinji, that was how the story went. Suddenly, she had a younger brother. Yes, apparently I was the younger one by ten minutes. Yes, it got lorded over me whenever applicable. But how was I supposed to fit in? To be honest, my memories of this world’s story was hazy, but violence was certainly a highlight throughout it.

I found that in the end, it wasn’t much of a problem at first. One day after coming home from school I found out that Miu had brought home a boy after the commotion brought it to my attention. That could only mean one thing. Kenichi. I’ll freely admit that I was a bit more than a little stressed out. The plot was beginning here and I certainly couldn’t stop it. Even so, I welcomed him with a smile into our home with a smile, before informing him my status as her BROTHER. Yeah Mr.Shonen Protagonist, lay your hands on her. I dare you. Then again, I suppose that my grandfather was a cut more intimidating than I was. Ah well.

Ultimately I had decided that it was time to step it up a notch for myself as well. Passing it off as being motivated by the induction of a new disciple, I began stalking Shigure day in and out until she promised to teach me the basis of ninjutsu. If I’m honest, I think I just creeped her out after I had avoided all the traps she had set up in the forest after she had headed to what she had considered her safe haven in the hot springs. If there was one thing that I learned back in Runeterra, it was that the only person who could locate things easier than myself was Rengar. Not to mention that was mostly due to biological differences. Cheater.

Speaking of Runeterra, I had found on the way home from school one day when Miu had stayed for gymnastics that I still had control over my magic. Shapeshifting into my full bullet ant form was still possible, along with the hybrid form in between. It seemed that I also kept my affinity for metal magic, so that was nice. Too bad I couldn’t use it out in the open.

A bit after the altercation with Ragnarok, which I admittedly had a hand in for the final battle (I’m not sure that anybody realized I was there except for the Masters and Miu, since I stayed in the shadows) the Kindred finally showed up. I had been at the archery club’s private facilities around midnight out of boredom and was half-heartedly firing off some shots when Lamb came to chide me.

“An unfocused shot makes for a messy death.” Her voice echoed. “It is a disgrace to the slain to do so.” She pulled her bow from...I’m not sure to be honest. It was probably some form of magic. Pulling on the ancient wood, she fired out an ethereal blue arrow. It struck right in the center, hanging a minute before disappearing.

We continued like that for a few more hours until the sun began to rise, Wolf hovering above in impatience at our relative silence. By the end I felt like I had learned a lot more on the bow as Lamb spoke again.

“We shall meet like this again. But first, a gift.” From seemingly nothing once again she produced a few strange items. A scythe charm, a pair of boots, a wooden longbow not unlike hers, an address. An odd piece of paper held together by an insignia with a fist on it. “We have no need for these items, as you might. Death will always come, even without aid, after all.” That was...relatively spooky. Well, better not look the gift horse in the mouth. I turned to thank Lamb but she was already gone, the only sound that they were there was the distant baying of Wolf. I opened the sealed paper.

Cosmic Warehouse?

Jumpchain Supplement: The Cosmic Warehouse
-30CP Portal
-10CP Electricity
Shelving (Free)
-20CP Forcewall
-10CP Heat/AC
-10CP Plumbing
-10CP Terminal
-10CP Workshop

Okay, this was awesome. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t going in and out of this thing constantly, messing around whenever I could. It also made for a good training ground, after I had moved a few items into it.

Eventually, I had figured out that what Lamb had given me was the Boots of Swiftness after I had put them on and immediately crashed into a wall, along with the Essence Reaver after I almost chopped my hand off with it by accident. The bow itself was just a normal one, albeit a good one, and the address seemed to just lead a decrepit looking building, nondescript except for the faded symbol of the Kindred’s masks near the entrance. It seems that it was meant to be some form of hideout for them, but it appeared to be in disuse.

Yomi did not like me. Not even because I was part of the Furinji family. No, they knew something was up. Even without taking a single life, it was almost as though they could see the lives I had taken. Was it just a thing of the Satsujinken? Or did the masters know too? I have to admit that I was incredibly paranoid about this for a bit. To be honest, I never found out that answer.

While I did end up in a couple of skirmishes, most of the time I was content to allow the plot to continue as it would and continue my training. While sporadic training with Lamb only allowed me to become an okay hand at Archery, at this point I was happy to say that I had become slightly better than Miu in only ninjutsu alone.

The DoD went off without a hitch. That was one of my failures. Kanou Shou, dead on the ground. Being cast aside merely as another sacrifice for Yami. I lost it.

Blood.

I had never successfully performed the Death Lotus until that day. But if I’m honest? I couldn’t have felt more alive. Fortuna lived, but he looked more like swiss cheese soaked in hot sauce than a human by the time I was done with him. I was lucky enough to have had him in a corner where the Shinpaku Alliance hadn’t seen me, although apparently, the handiwork was enough to make some of their stomachs crawl by the sounds that came after.

After that, I honestly couldn’t do much. I basically was made to follow the flow of the plot, I couldn’t do much. To my shame, I ended up being unable to save Miu from Jenezad. I was mad. Enraged. She’s gone.

~

FOCUS.

The smell of poison filling my nostrils. Pierce. The scream of a master in pain.

Standing over Jenezad, I have to say that he is perhaps one of the people I had ever hated the most, save Mordekaiser. I’m not even sure that I have the right to judge him. I’m just as bad as he is. It didn’t matter to me. Even knowing that he would be killed by Hongo wasn’t enough. I had a debt to be paid. In the end, he was killed as it should be, but I was left with a confused and slightly angered Sasaki as to how I had managed to stab right through one of the One Shadow Nine Fists with only my hands. That took a lot more explaining than I wished.

Miu was mad at me for a long time afterward. My world was a blur. The taste of blood on my hands was a constant reminder, just one slip. If not for me, then for my family. I wasn’t very subtle about it either, apparently. As of late it seemed that my name was being mentioned in hushed conversation, along with my fathers. They thought I would turn out like Saiga. They were probably right.

The final battle against Yami was perhaps one of the most freeing things I had encountered. At last, the battlefield! I needed it, more. No killing, that’s fine. But I need it. Something has to scratch this itch. Flesh hitting flesh. The sound of steel against steel. A figure moving like the wind through the bodies, cutting down all in their path. Yet, despite this, none perished. Suddenly, I slammed into the ground. I could feel the wind knocked straight out of my body, along with my ribs cracking. Kushinada Mikumo stood above my figure.

“There is no need for any undecided ones in this fight. Begone child.” I grit my teeth and roared, cutting all hesitation. She moved my blade aside and slammed me to the ground. I cried out in pain. Suddenly, with a crash, my grandfather was before me. Protecting me. I heard yells to run, to save myself.

I yelled out all of my agony, my indecision, my grief at my own uselessness, in a sea of metal.

I had never used all of my mana. Never attempted such a widespread usage. But here, where the weapons of the fallen and defeated lay? Suddenly, it was as though they were all standing on the back of some porcupine from hell, impaled on an impossible amount of blades. Of course, they were the unlucky ones. Most were able to escape and keep on fighting, destroying the hastily made constructions. It was enough to turn the tide of the battle. I collapsed.

After the time it took to heal, I ended up going on my own personal journey. After completing high school I ended up traveling the world, seeking to find myself. All I found was the bottle of a bottle of Taiwan, Lamb staring at me as I dangled my legs off a rooftop.

“You are distressed. You have been, for years.” I flipped her the bird. If she cared, then she didn’t show it. I’d assume she’s seen worse in her years as an immortal death god.

“I don’t know what to say to them. I want to make them proud and do as they do, but it goes against everything I’ve done up until now.” I bemoaned. “How can I pick one? Either way, I’m a hypocrite.

They seemed to be quiet for a bit. Then, surprisingly, it was Wolf who spoke. “We have been alive, for countless millenia. Seen untold amounts of civilizations, all of them I've seen rise and fall. Many of them, had people just like you.” He paused, before muttering, “No more words.” and proceeding to float off. Lamb continued where he had left off.

“To reject a part of oneself is to denounce a part of their life. The only true death is to have never lived. Are you prepared to kill yourself to fit into what you believe others expect of you?” I shook my head, slowly. “Then just be yourself. Go home. Your family awaits you.”

I can say with a light heart, that nothing terrible happened in those next three years, mostly just myself forming and mending the bonds that had weakened over my absence. I was content with myself once again, that was all that mattered.

Why make others happy, if you can’t even do the same for yourself?