Chapter 4: The Mad Dragon Rises.


"BAHHHHHAAAAAAAHHHHH! HEY, UA! I, KAZUO MAJIMA, WILL TAKE ON YER EXAM AND SHOVE IT SO FAR UP YER ASS THAT YER NOT GONNA BE WALKING!" Kazuo thundered, the exam grounds echoed with his voice. He dropped into his Breaker stance. The other participants cringed at his loud, obnoxious demeanor… but when they saw his tattoo, of a silver dragon winding around a hannya mask… they realized that this loudmouth was something else.

Kazuo Majima

The Mad Dragon.


I smashed into a two-pointer with a loud roar, I LOVED fighting like this. Just steamrolling and having a good time was my favorite kind of thing. I was doing it all for my dad and Uncle Kiryu. To continue their legacy.

I remembered the year I spent with Uncle Kiryu, how he taught me a secret style alongside Dad's secret style. The Mad Dragon Style! I grabbed a piece of the bot and smashed it into another one, "YAHHHHHH! Hell yeah! C'mawn!" I challenged the other bots, seeing another applicant almost get hit by one, until I kicked it down.

It was another boy, he looked shocked, seeing my tattoos. I glowered at him.

"What? Ever see any tats before?! Get movin'!" I urged, the sparkling boy blinked and nodded, moving on and I didn't notice a bot screaming at me until I dodged it, I pulled back and launched into the air, "SPECIAL MOVE: WILD HUNT!" I screeched, "BAHAHAHAHAHA! YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I savagely kicked and punched it, pulling out my bat and finishing it off with a brutal swing.

I posed, "HOME RUN!" I yelled, twirling my bat and not noticing another bot until something yanked me out of the way. It was a girl with vine hair.

"As much as I do not appreciate your use of the word 'Hell' in that context, you are saved for now," the girl stated. I smiled widely.

"Well now, seems like I got myself a guardian angel after all! Keep watchin' my back an' I'll watch yours…" I snarled, bringing my bat up.

The girl sighed, "I do not need assistance from a heathen,"

"Oh wow, you're one of those types, uh? Anyway, I'll see ya around, Vine Girl!" I dismissed, running off and bouncing upward to see if there were any other bots around to smash and people to save.

Yet time was called and I landed on my feet, smiling widely and in a good mood that the way to my future was cleared. I picked up my coat and shrugged it back on. I still had a wide-ass smile on my face.

I smirked and shouldered my bat, finding Dad at the entrance. He was grinning and he wound his arm around my shoulders.

"Maaaannnn! You really did some good work! Look at 'cha! All… all mature and bringin' tears to yer ol' man's eye!" Dad exclaimed, sniffling a little bit. I sighed.

"Dad… don't get all wishy-washy on me… do it when I'm kickin' ass as a hero!" I whined a little. Dad smirked.

"Weeeeellll… can't yer ol' man baby ya before you become a big, strong hero, Kazuo-chan?" he teased, tickling me, I held back a laugh.

"D-dad! N-no! N-not! BAHAHAHAHAHA!" I howled, "St-stop!"

"Heheehe! Jus' wait till I tell whatever girl you bring around where yer sweet spot is!" Dad cackled, his smile wide.

"You wouldn't!" I snapped.

"Oh I would, Kazuo-chan…" he cooed at me, I blushed and looked down at my feet. We went home, but something was bugging me. I slowed my steps.

"Dad… were you and Uncle Kiryu… criminals?" I asked, remembering Vine Girl's odd look at my back tattoo and my arm tattoos. Dad slowed down and got serious.

"Yeah, Kaz-chan… We were. Why?" he asked.

"It's jus'... people look at my tattoo and get all fidgety… just…" I sighed. Dad nodded, smiling a little bit.

"Kazuo, I understand… the Yakuza life kept dragging yer Uncle and I back in, I know a lot of people don' like the Yakuza, an' seein' yer tat might put 'em off," Dad said, "But be proud, Kazuo, be proud of where you are. Bein' a sad sack's not gonna save anybody,"

Dad smiled widely, "Didn't I teach ya to take pride from despair and tear out yer own path?" he wheedled.

"Yeah… you did," I stated, smiling. Dad ribbed me a little, grinning. He got that glint in his eye that told me he knew something.

"So… you and that girl…" he muttered.

"Bwuh?! You saw that?!" I gasped. I blushed, remembering how pretty that girl looked. Both Momo and Vine Girl were pretty. Still, I had to just wait for an opportunity to come my way. We went inside and I sat down on the couch, with Dad already drinking a little bit.

I sighed and laid down, closing my eyes to take a little nap. Of course the days after the exam were full of uncertainty and doubt, so walks were common. I was walking near the park when I saw the girl from last week working on something, her eyes set on her easel? She paints?

Substory 3.

In the Garden of Eden.

She noticed me and looked down at my feet, "Oh, it's you," she stated dryly. What is it with girls and acting all cold to me when I didn't do anything?! I nodded.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, Kazuo Majima, the 'Mad Dragon' as you so gracefully showed to all of us at the exam," she stated, flicking her paintbrush on the canvas, stopping briefly to glare daggers at me.

"Uhm… did I do somethin' wrong? If yer tryin' to convert me, it's not gonna work," I mumbled. The girl stepped up to me, her eyes slightly narrowing.

"How many men have you killed?" she asked.

"WHAT?! Nobody! What the fuck are you on?!" I gasped, backing up as she studied me some more.

"A man of your bearing, a man of your sadism would definitely have some innocent lives under his belt…" she mumbled.

"Sadism? Bearing? Speak normal, please, I ain't too smart…" I said, trying to keep away from her.

"It's obvious, Kazuo Majima. You carry a tonto, you carry a bat, you wear a snakeskin jacket to cover your HEDONISTIC tattoo, you are in need of salvation, something terrible…" she sighed, one of her vines pulling me in gently.

"Still, I, Ibara Shiozaki, through the Lord's divine grace will save thee from thy sin," she said, holy light shining on her face, making her look… even cuter? What the fuck is going on?! She smiled serenely.

"Since you are clearly a Yakuza, this will take quite some time... oho yes… quite some time," she mumbled.

"Look, Miss Ibara, I ain't a Yakuza! You got it all messed up! I just got the tats to honor my father and uncle! Isn't that part of whatever wackadoodle religion you believe in?!" I exclaimed, seeing her easel. Seeing what was on the canvas…

It was me. Was I…naked?! God, I wanted to put my knife through that GODDAMN Painting! If my dad got ahold of it… he'd frame it and put it in a place of honor… Ibara smiled at my reaction.

"So it is not lust like mine…" she sighed, "Or pride… so maybe it's wrath or gluttony…"

"Are ya tryin' to figure out which deadly sin I got…?" I drawled, "It's wrath. I get mad, SUPER mad…"

Ibara nodded, "You do get quite savage," she commented.

"Gee thanks, keep in mind that I don't paint naked guys in the park," I sighed, "An' I keep my lust private,"

"May I… confess something?" Ibara asked, making me pale a little at the way she was looking at me. Especially my legs and chest, even my ears. I immediately palmed my knife. If I needed to I could hack off some of her vines, change my name, move to another city and forget this ever happened.

"Uhm… surrrreeeeee?" I wheedled, unprepared for what I was about to hear. She clenched her hands, gathered her courage and…

"I enjoy punishment! Especially from one who displays their sin so proudly! I know it's sinful, and I know it's an impurity… but… Majima-kun, punish me! Give it all you have!" she urged, opening her shirt.

"Cut me, slap me, do whatever you want to me!" she begged, "Don't hold back on me!"

I raised my hand and heard her sharp intake of breath in anticipation. I hesitated and she felt my hand gently land on her shoulder.

"Sorry, I… I can't. My Uncle Kiryu taught me never to do that to any girl, even if they like it…" I mumbled.

"Yet… you… urgh!" Ibara snarled, "A beautiful, pure maiden has offered herself up to you and you'll pass on it?!"

I only had one more card to play…

"Ibara, look! A sinner!" I snapped.

"Oh ha-ha," she sighed, "As if that'd- HEY!"

I ran off, my agility coming in handy. Yet I left one thing behind…

A leather glove.

Substory 3.

In the Garden of Eden.

Complete.


I skidded to a stop, kneeling and gasping, "Holy… fuck… that was… awkward…" I lost her. That was good. I still- OH SON OF A BITCH! My glove! My glove's in the hands of that crazy religious masochist!

"Ah shit, Dad's gonna be disappointed! We ain't goin' all the way back to Kamurocho for a new pair!" I growled, leaning against the alleyway wall. I needed to catch my breath but… a shadow passed over me.

I unsheathed my tonto, ready to fight if need be. But then, I felt a heavy weight slam into me, and a woman with long white hair and red eyes with skin as dark as mine loomed over me, foot firmly planted on my chest.

My tonto skittered out of my grip, stopping just at the mouth of the alleyway. Red eyes met blue. Ears twitching, her nose twitched, sniffing. She leaned down to get a better look at me. For some reason…

She looked so familiar. Then I remembered.

"Ma and Pa don't like ya… so… I'm savin' ya, 'kay?"

One name shoved itself onto my tongue, and I felt tears sting my eyes, I tried to smile, but she eased off my chest, her eyes filled with so much emotion. Remorse, sadness, relief and joy all culminated in her expression.

"R-rumi?" I choked out.

"Hey, Jackrabbit… I told ya to wait…" she sighed, and I tackled into her arms. I couldn't stop crying. It was her. My big sister. She squeezed me tightly, in an 'I'm so sorry for leaving you, hug.'

"Hey… hey, no more tears, got it? Big sis is here now, don't cry!" she assured me, "I'm… I'm glad you found somebody to take care of ya…"

"Y-yeah… I… I finally got my quirk…" I sniffled. Rumi pushed me off her, eyes sizing me up.

"Wow, tats… a fuckin' tacky-ass jacket… an' a knife? Who the hell raised ya, Jackrabbit?" she asked, "A yakuza member?"

I got sheepish, "Former. Used to be a captain… his name's… Goro Majima," I admitted.

Rumi blinked, then it clicked, "No fuckin' way… the Mad Dog of Shimano?!" she gasped, grabbing me and hugging me tightly, "Aw hell yeah! Next thing yer gonna tell me is that ya know Kazuma Kiryu!"

"Actually… he's my… Uncle Kiryu…" I admitted, with Rumi squeezing me tighter.

"Ow! Ow! Rumi! Don't break me!" I demanded.

"I can't believe it! You were trained by two LEGENDS of the underground circuit! You gotta introduce me! You gotta let me get a picture with 'em!" she exclaimed, letting me down and smiling widely.

I sighed. First a vine masochist and now a reunion with my big sis…? No, how are yous or apologies? Well… guess that's the way Rumi operates…

Now that I think about it… she acts a lot like Uncle Kiryu. While I act like my dad… She has a code and sticks to it, gets involved when she's needed, then doesn't expect a reward. Rumi wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

"Hey, how 'bout we go out an' celebrate yer landslide at the exam? My treat," she asked.

"Uhm… sure…" I mumbled, thinking back to Ibara and the very real possibility that she'd be using my glove for something bad. So either haughty Yaomomo or 'Pure' and 'Holy' Ibara Shiozaki?

Both of them were so cute… Rumi noticed my dreamy expression. And she smirked.

"Well well well, seems like my lil' bunny's got some girl trouble…" she sighed, "So spill! What's up with my bro and the babes?" she demanded, stabbing her slice of carrot cake like it killed her pet or something.

I smiled, "Well… there's Momo. She was a girl I helped over in the shopping district, real haughty and snippy, but liked tea, so… there…. That was the only one…" I mumbled.

"Nope." Rumi stated, enunciating the P.

"What?" I asked.

"There's that other one, the one with the green hair," she stated, "She saved ya,"

"Oh yeah, HER. She's a real piece of work…" I sighed bitterly, "Why do all the girls I run into super cute, but don' like me at first?"

"Because you're an Usagiyama! We're direct and forward and hide nothing! Also, you were raised by Goro 'I live by my own rules' Majima!" Rumi laughed a little bit, ruffling my hair and patting my ears.

"So spill, an' leave nothin' out! It's just you an' me, Jackrabbit!" she stated.

"O-okay… before I ran into you, I ran into her… she was painting something, and she wanted to talk to me, so here I am, a fifteen year old boy talking to a pretty girl with pretty hair. She goes on an' on about religious stuff and guessing my deadly sin, which is wrath…" I trailed off for dramatic effect.

"Then I saw what she was paintin' and it was me… naked. An' then she tells me her sin is lust an' I'm freakin' the hell out 'cause what am I s'posed to do? Then she tells me she likes gettin' punished by a sinful guy, referrin' to me," I explain, taking a bite of my own slice of carrot cake. Rumi whistles and smiles teasingly at me.

"Well then, seems like ya got yer hands full…" she sighed.

"Tell me about it… I wish I could drink," I growled. Rumi laughed and ruffled my hair.

"Man! How 'bout I buy ya yer first drink? Or does yer dad wanna do it?" she wondered.

"Dad wants to do it, if not him then Uncle Kiryu," I said. Rumi and I ate our slices in bliss, happy to be reunited once again.