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Chapter 3 - Where Pain Begins 3

9 years later, Jigoku and Uso are already 16 years old.

Jigoku is muscular and has long black hair past his shoulder blades.

Uso is slim, slightly muscular, and still has short white hair.

Jigoku is sitting under a waterfall and meditating.

Jigoku: It's already been so many years.

I hear every drop, every rustle, I'm able to perceive almost everything.

I notice the falling leaves and the sound of the wind that lifts them.

Incredible.

Suddenly, Jigoku hears footsteps…

Hm? What's that? Footsteps? Something's moving.

A deer? A stag? No, I hear only two limbs, I think...

Suddenly, a small rock flies toward Jigoku, at high speed, in a straight line.

Jigoku opens his eyes and catches it in his hand.

In front of him stand Mafin and Desu.

*Jigoku: What is this?

*Mafin: See? I told you mine was better.

*Desu: Pff, mine is a killer. – he replies with indifference.

*Jigoku: What are you doing here? What's going on? Are you disturbing me on purpose? Are you bored?

Mafin smiles.

*Mafin: It's good that you're so focused and eager, but we were just checking how much you've improved over time.

*Jigoku: What kind of people are you, I can't believe it.

If this keeps up, I'll have to report it to you-know-who, "Mister Desu."

Desu snorts and vanishes, turning into a black shadow, and dissolves.

Jigoku closes his eyes and continues meditating.

The next day, Jigoku is meditating again.

Jigoku: Ahh, a moment of relaxation, away from the dumb and dumber.

The lunatics have nothing to do, but today I have a moment to myself.

Easy on them, amateurs and idiots.

Silence and peace.

Jigoku opens his eyes, and his gaze immediately registers a speeding silhouette. A man, surrounded by flickering blue lightning, is rushing toward him at tremendous speed. The air trembles, and sparks jump in every direction, as if the earth itself rebelled against his presence. In a split second, the opponent's knee, charged with electric power, approaches inevitably toward its target, ready to crush everything in its path.

Jigoku, at the last moment, shields himself with his arms, takes the hit, and breaks through the surrounding waterfall. The opponent's knee struck with incredible force, and the energy of lightning exploded upon contact with his body. The sound resembled thunder, and the surrounding waterfall shattered into chaos. Water, rocks, and scraps of vegetation flew into the air like bomb fragments. Jigoku, though crushed by the impact, burst through the wall of falling water and was flung backward, feeling the world around him turn into a turbulent vortex of destruction.

Jigoku barely catches his breath when suddenly the opponent appears right in front of him, so fast that the space around seemed to crack under the pressure of his speed. Time slowed for a brief moment, and Jigoku saw only the outline of a blurred figure and... a burning, demonic, blue-black smile. The opponent's face, lit by sparkling light and a trailing flame, was like a specter from hell—grotesque, triumphant, terrifying. But before Jigoku could react, the apparition vanished, leaving behind only a wave of heat.

Jigoku: Holy fuck! What the fuck is that?!

Jigoku runs, and each step brings him closer to the gate leading to the house grounds. His breath quickens, heart pounding like crazy, the goal already in sight. Suddenly, the sky lights up with a blinding flash, and the ground shakes from a terrifying boom. Like an angry thunderbolt, the man descends from above and crashes into the earth with cataclysmic force. A wave of lightning spreads in all directions, tearing the ground to shreds and filling the air with a deafening crack. The torn-up earth rises for a moment, and from its cracks erupt blue flames charged with electricity, creating a hellish spectacle of chaos. Jigoku stops abruptly, squints his eyes, trying to shield himself from the heat and rising dust, as the silhouette of the opponent slowly emerges from the abyss of fire.

Jigoku barely manages to catch the opponent's movement. The man disappears from his field of vision, only to appear in front of him like a blurred lightning bolt. However, before he can react, the opponent disappears again, this time appearing behind his back. In a split second, he feels a crushing blow to the back of his head. The world spins, sounds fade, and the image blurs into blackness. Jigoku collapses to the ground, his body falling silently, and his mind sinks into darkness.

Some time later that same day.

Jigoku wakes up in bed.

His arms and head are wrapped in bandages.

At the table sits the Man who did this to him, and on the other side of the table sits Desu. The man has long black hair reaching almost to his waist, is muscular, and sits shirtless in tattered, scorched shorts.

Both sit across from each other, arms crossed, staring into each other's eyes with a menacing gaze.

Between them sits Mafin, who, completely unfazed by the aura of dread, sips tea from a small cup. His demeanor is surprisingly carefree, as if he doesn't notice the tension hanging in the air at all.

On the other side of the room, right by the bed, sits Mizumi. She's wearing a blue dress.

When Jigoku begins to stir, she leans over him with concern.

Jigoku slowly opens his eyes, his mind still foggy.

*Jigoku: Mizumi? Where am I? What happened?

Jigoku touches his head.

*Jigoku: Ow, fuck, holy shit what a pain.

Jigoku tries to get up and sees the people sitting at the table, he sees the man with black hair.

*Jigoku: Oh fuck it's that bastard! What is he doing here?! What the fuck?!

Mizumi pushes him back into the bed with both hands.

*Mizumi: Calm down, lie down, don't get up, I'll explain everything to you in a moment.

*That's my brother, I found out you're having trouble unlocking your Jiko, you can't use any power.

*So I suggested that I ask my brother for help, to check you.

*You didn't know him before and he's much stronger than me, he's one of the generals of this country.

*I thought maybe under pressure you'd unlock your potential, and my brother was also curious.

Mizumi hugs the lying Jigoku.

*Mizumi: I'm sorry, little one. – She says with a sad face.

Jigoku looks at the man.

*Jigoku: Mizumi, what's his name? – he asks quietly.

Mizumi smiles.

*Mizumi: That idiot? Bunsho.

Bunsho and Desu keep staring each other down as Mafin pours himself more tea.

*Bunsho: Pff… I won't give you my sister for anything. – he says with a confident smirk and closed eyes, as if he's certain that nothing and no one can defeat him. His tone is full of arrogance, as if what he says is already decided.

*Desu: Pff… I'll fucking kill you anyway. – he says with the same confident smirk, and his voice sounds like a cold announcement of an inevitable fight. Desu's eyes are closed, but in his posture lies an undeniable confidence that he'll come out of this confrontation victorious.

Bunsho flashes a mocking grin.

Desu does the same.

Mizumi, who had been sitting next to Jigoku until now, suddenly stands up. Her face lights up with a bloodthirsty smirk, as if she knows the moment has come to play her part. She gracefully approaches Bunsho, her steps are confident and swift, and her whole posture radiates confidence. Suddenly, without warning, she slaps him on the head with an open palm, with such force that the sound shakes the whole room. Bunsho sways for a moment, stunned, with eyes wide open, but quickly regains his balance, not expecting that it would be her to land the blow. Mizumi doesn't look at him any longer, her gaze immediately shifts to Jigoku, who is still lying on the bed and watching the situation in surprise. Mizumi instantly walks back and sits next to Jigoku.

*Mafin: What a perfect family atmosphere... – he says with a slight smirk in a grandpa-like voice.

*Tea tastes best in moments like these.

Slowly, with complete calm, he raises the cup to his lips and sips the tea, as if this whole situation was something ordinary to him, or maybe even amusing.

*Mizumi: Remember Jigoku, never let anyone walk all over you.

*Always do things you won't regret and that you'll consider right.

*Just be good to yourself.

*Do whatever you like.

A few days later, Jigoku, Uso and Mafin are sitting at the table.

Jigoku is spreading paprykarz on bread.

*Jigoku: You know what's weird? That day I didn't sense at all that someone was approaching me, how is that possible? Am I weak?

Mafin sips his tea.

*Mafin: You're definitely much weaker than Bunsho, that's probably why you couldn't detect him.

*Bunsho said you managed to block his first attack, he was impressed.

*Even though he was going easy on you, you still did well.

Jigoku looks at his father, surprised.

*Jigoku: Going easy? What do you mean going easy? Who is he, a god or something?

*Mafin: Mizumi's brother. – he replies with a smile.

*They're called the twin dragons, but Bunsho is much stronger than his sister.

*He's definitely one of the strongest in this country.

*Jigoku: Who's stronger, Bunsho or Desu?

*I heard them at the table.

*Mafin: Certainly both of them are very powerful, but Desu has too many secrets even I don't know about.

*At least that's what I think, even though he's my student, he has many secrets.

*Desu matches him in skill, just with a completely different fighting style.

*Bunsho is literally a beast when it comes to fighting style, a true machine of destruction.

Jigoku widens his eyes.

*Jigoku: Do you think I could become his student?

*Mafin: It's already too late for that, we leave tomorrow.

*Jigoku: What? Where?

*Mafin: We still don't know what lies within you, what you are.

*That's why we're going on a journey to my old friend.

*He will reveal the shape of your being.

*Jigoku: Friend? Father, you don't even have buddies, let alone friends...

Jigoku starts laughing loudly.

Mafin closes his eyes tightly and sips his tea.

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