The Wanderer

At the cafe, all of them are chatting with each other, their words are overlapping each other. Cai Kang learns more new things from them. All of Kazuha's old middle school classmates have been close knit and never drifted apart. They meet up a couple times to hang out. In the past, they had teachers from Shenmi who taught them both Qiyuan and Shenmi curriculum. He doesn't know the details behind that but they all kept an eye out for talented kids like them and help one another whenever they need it.

He was enjoying himself until he felt an upcoming presence. He looked to his left to see Ryosuke again outside of the cafe staring dead at him with a menacing look. It seems he decided to look for him again. He doesn't look as composed as he did last time.

Cai Kang is startled to see him again as he walked in the cafe and standing at the table with everyone now staring at him. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I finished my business." The young man said replied coldly. "Someone told me that you do know where the old man is."

Kazuha had an idea what he meant. Uh oh, We unknowingly created conflict. She thought.

"Take it easy, Ryosuke. I have a reason." Cai Kang said.

Kurai, sensing hostility, grabbed his arm while he is still seated at his chair. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"Stay out of this." Ryosuke showed the same behavior.

"Oh? Why is that? You're the one who came in out of nowhere and said all this sh*t." Kurai snarled.

"This business is between me and Cai Kang. I don't want to hurt you." Ryosuke said reflecting his feral behavior.

"Hurt me? That takes a lot of balls. How about we take this outside?" He said standing up. Both of them are glaring at each other. The rest are also on guard.

Cai Kang grabbed Kurai's shoulder and went to whisper in his ear. "Don't pick a fight. This guy is tough." Kurai looked at Cai Kang with a look asking if he was serious and Cai Kang nodded.

"Alright then." Ryosuke said after noticing the rest at the table getting ready for an attack.

"Check please." Maiko said after noticing they were bothering the other customers.

Both went to the park where there is a large area big enough to have their fight. 

Everyone else brought their drinks and are sitting at the bench to watch the fight. Kazuha was curious about his strength. Otaka. That name is familiar. Kurai and Ryosuke are staring down. It looks like they are actually gonna fight. Everyone has put up a minor enchantment around the area so that they wouldn't have bystanders.

"I'm here to fight Cai Kang, not you." He said.

"Fight me and win then you can fight him as much as you want. But I want it at you first." Kurai said and got in a stance.

"You seem confident. Are you a Kyo?" he said sensing his chi.

"You are one too. I can see that." Kurai said.

Once the fight started, the first blow sent a huge brush of air and already it got a lot of people's attention. 

"Shouldn't we do something?" Kadonaga asked.

"At this point, we can just watch. This uneventful day is finally getting interesting." Yoshino said. 

"Shiratori-san" Okazaki called her out but stopped when he saw that Kazuha is silent and focused on the duel the whole time.

"Oi, I really didn't need you to fight my battle!" Cai Kang yelled at Kurai.

"Are you kidding? I haven't had another real challenge in a while so think of this as fighting my own battle." He said.

"Geez, he's excited." Maiko comments.

Kazuha is seriously quiet and is heavily focused on watching the fight.

She and her friends have kept an eye on their community for anyone who is a Sen. They kept an eye on Kurai and are aware of his activities. However, they never actually see him fight seriously before so this is quite interesting.

Kurai made the first punch but it was immediately stopped by Ryosuke. The sound of the impact has almost hurt Kazuha's ears if it weren't for the hearing aids.

The two continued exchanging blows. Kurai and Kazuha saw that Ryosuke's fighting style to be familiar. Only Cai Kang seems to be aware of the style. After watching a bit more, they realized it is similar to the Cai style but a bit more firm and solid as his focus is on strength and durability. But they noticed that despite being a martial artist, they could tell that Ryosuke is self-taught which is quite rare for a martial artist of his caliber.

Self-taught martial artists are uncommon. Even more so if he is this skilled compared to a highly trained martial artist, just imagine if he has the right teacher, things might be different from him.

He is a diamond in the rough. Kazuha thought. She kept a close eye on the fight.

He is also a Cai school student? What a surprise. Kurai thought sarcastically.

He then noticed that his fists started to hurt. How durable is Ryosuke exactly?

Shit! This guy is tough. Kurai thought after Ryosuke barely hit him. He barely grazed me and yet it gave me a cut.

Cai Kang then ran to intervene and push Ryosuke off of Kurai. "About time I come in right? Besides this is you and me."

"Challenge accepted. I can take on both of you." He said.

"Why are you after the old man anyway?" He asked.

Is he after the engagement? Kurai thought.

What is he up to? Kazuha thought. 

"If I win, you break your engagement and you will set your engagement with someone else. I have someone in mind. If you win, then not only will I leave you alone but tell you everything including why I am here. How's that? Isn't that a good deal?" Ryosuke said.

He is not only after me but he is keen on breaking the engagement. I can't agree to this. This is not only personal but suspicious. he thought, "Are you after the engagement yourself?" Cai Kang asked.

Everyones eyes were wide with worry and anticipation. Kazuha is eyeing the situation with seriousness, not breaking character.

"No." Ryosuke repied. "I am not after her."

That resulted in a sigh of relief from all of them.

"Before we fight, I'll tell you this. For some reason, you were all over the place. It took me three months to find you. The old man broke contact some time ago so she told me to go find you." He said.

"What are you trying to say?" Cai Kang said. 

"Cai Changming is doing this on purpose. He is trying to hide you from me. I never would have thought you would be in Japan this whole time I was searching for you, especially here rather than Luminescent soil."

"What is it that the hag wanted with me? And why do you want to break the engagement?" Cai Kang said then thought for a moment and looked at Ryosuke.

"If you think I am just here to simply find you then you're wrong. Cai Changming is the only one who can help me right now." He said.

Cai Kang then thought for a moment and looked at Ryosuke. "Are you by any chance cursed again?" That resulted in Ryosuke with a scowl on his face.

Again? Everyone else thought.

Bingo. Cai Kang thought.

"Enough questions. Let us fight and this time, I'll put my full strength into this!"

Kurai, Cai Kang, and Kazuha sense the growing power. They are starting to realize he is no ordinary Kyo.

 "Who the hell is that guy?" Kurai said.

Ryosuke growls under his breath. "I am one of Japan's young prodigies." 

Prodigy? Kurai then looks around noticing that the area is rumbling.

Kazuha, who was trying to figure Ryosuke out, realized the severity of the situation.

"Run out of the barrier. We have to strengthen it." She then turn to run and run to the edge of the barrier where she started chanting along with the others.

"May the Earth Goddess bless her creations with her divine protection. Om mani padme hum. Om mani padme hum. May the gods protect their children." they all said and the barrier dimly glowed before it changed color and the sky turns purple. 

"Wait why?" Maiko asked, staring at Kazuha while assisting in the process with fast paced hand signs.

"He's different. We have to treat it as if it were Kurahashi Natsume fighting."

Maiko flinched in response and finished the ritual and it has strengthened even more.

Then there was a blast once Ryosuke punched the air towards Kurai who dodged the attack which then decimated a tree. Everyone protected themselves from the blast. Ryosuke is a particularly strong fighter. He's one of the most strongest people he has ever fought.

Kazuha is visibly shocked at the display of power. As a powerful Sen herself, she has met other chi users, some of which are her teachers. This one is different. There was one chi user in her generation who surpassed everyone without a teacher and the only one in Japan whom she hadn't met. She has been curious of him since the junior tournaments. Even though Kazuha won the tournaments, she believe he is the real winner. He just doesn't want to make an appearance outside of the preliminary rounds. Because of this, he was known as The Wanderer and is proclaimed one of the Four Seasons of Japan along with her.

"What the?" Kurai said in disbelief.

"He's insanely strong." Cai Kang murmured.

"My time in China is not in vain. I'm stronger than you." Ryosuke said.

______________________________________________________________

Meanwhile Cai Changming came back from his travels. He didn't immediately go back to China but traveled all over Japan before going back. He received a message a few days ago from Shoraku telling him to come back to Nerima as fast as he could. There was no explanation why but it had to do something with- 

Suddenly he felt a very powerful presence and heard Cai Kang's voice which broke his train of thought.

"Come at me Ryosuke!" He yelled.

Ryosuke? Changming thought. He understood what's going on now. He went to where the battle was taking place. It would've been destructive if it wasn't for the barrier supported by multiple people. "Stop this fighting. Both of you are causing damage to the park!" Changming said.

"Old man! What are you doing here?" Cai Kang said. 

Ryosuke saw him too but the first thing he did was grab his stuff and run.

"Hey! Come back here you coward!" Kurai yelled.

Kazuha put down the barrier and sat at a nearby bench where the others join in to process everything.

"Why did he run after seeing that man?" Kurosawa said. "Didn't he come here to see him?"

"That's Cai Kang's dad." Kurai said.

"Old man, you have a lot of explaining to do. Why is Ryosuke here?" Cai Kang said. Why the hell did he run? Isn't he after you in the first place?

"I'm afraid so. There is much I have to talk about."

______________________________________________________________

Toya came back from the bathroom after a shower. After he finished drying his hair, he noticed a black cat on his porch, injured on its back but it looks like the wounds are old.

"Oh my gosh. Who-"

Then he stops to notice that it has a bandana on its neck recognizing the same bandana from his encounter with the shapeshifter. "It's you." He took the cat inside. He then went to get a first aid kit and fix up his wound.

"You have a lot of nerve coming back here. When you turn human, how about telling me what happened to you to get such injuries?"

Then he began to notice that it is raining hard outside.

______________________________________________________________

It is past sundown and everyone's surprised to see the change that Cai Kang gets as he turns into a girl. Kurai and Kazuha walk the others home as it is getting late while the father and son catch up.

"By the way, do you know that person?" Ryu asked. 

Kazuha looks at her equally curious friends. 

"I heard rumors of him when I was a kid and while I never actually had a chance to duel him, he is really powerful at his age and he always disappears during the preliminary rounds." She said. "I heard that he is a self-taught martial artist who manages to become a powerful chi-user at a young age." she says reminiscing. "He first got the epithet for disappearing before anyone got his true name in the junior tournaments." she said then is deep in thought. "After seeing the other seasons, I finally get to see Autumn himself."

"That's Autumn?! How strong is he?" Maiko exclaimed.

"I remember during my first year in the junior tournament, the preliminary round was a battle royale. Most of the contestants were taken out in one punch by him, me included. I got off easy with a sprain while everyone got even more serious injuries. During my tenure, I may have gotten first place three times in a row but he had the most wins. If he didn't dropped from the competition early on, he would've been the three timed winner."

"He's that strong?" Kurai exclaimed. "I took the chinese equivalent of the tournament so I know how hard these tests are like."

"It's not a world breaking record but yes." She said.

"I do not expect Cai Kang and Otaka Ryosuke to know each other." Misaki said.

"Yeah, do you know what is going on?" Kurosawa asked.

"I don't know but we might get an answer soon." Kazuha replied. She looked up for a brief moment. "It's gonna rain soon. We better hurry."

Kurai sniffed the air. "She's right. There's gonna be heavy rain."

______________________________________________________________

Cai Kang and Changming head to the house together where it is beginning to rain.

"I got a call from Shoraku about Misako. He said that he received a call that her son will be coming to the Shiratori residence." He said.

"Yeah, he wanted to find you this time."

"I never talked about him at all now that I think about it."

"Ryosuke is cursed again and I guess he thinks you can fix it." 

Changming sighed. "No clue but I have a hunch. I will explain it once we find him."

Around this time, it started to rain and the two of them started to run. In the meantime, Kazuha is walking home alone with her umbrella then she suddenly receives a text from Toya.

______________________________________________________________

While Toya is treating Ryosuke, who is too weak to change back, Cai Kang walks in dripping wet.

"Took you long enough." Toya said.

"Thanks for worrying about me, Toya." She said it with sarcasm in her tone.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you." Toya said finished fixing the wound.

"By the way, My dad's here." Cai Kang said.

"He is? What for?" He said.

"It's complicated." She replied. 

Toya froze for a moment before resuming what he was doing.

Cai Kang is deep in thought. In the Inverse, it takes many years to reach the status of being a high level chi-user. Of course everyone has chi in their body however the ability to use chi can be obtained with training, they can increase their durability, run faster, stay underwater for long periods of time, have powerful strength, walk on water, in rare instances it can be used to fly. But using it outside the body is different. Even in the martial arts world, projecting chi that isn't one's own isn't rare but difficult since it requires a lot of control. It is a talent that not many people have. Even the old man doesn't have that talent.

Cai Kang noticed the cat staring at her. "What's with this cat?" She said noticing its back. It looks patched and scarred. It probably got attacked by dogs or had an abusive owner. Noticing him, the cat became more hostile. "Geez kitty, I'm not gonna hurt you." She said sweetly.

"There now, be careful. I just healed your wound. Don't get yourself hurt again." The cat continued to growl. It got Cai Kang suspicious and he tried to pet the cat before it scratched him on the hand. 

She pulled her hand back. "Ow! Feisty little thing aren't you?" She stopped after seeing a black bandana, immediately recognizing it.

The cat went back into the cushion where it lay on to rest. Cai Kang then walked away.

"Where are you going?" Toya asked.

"A shower. I'm freezing." She said. 

"Saeko has set up a bath in case you want one." Toya said.

"Thanks" Then Cai Kang noticed the cat being wet too.

Cai Kang sniffed the cat and covered her nose. "Jesus! When was the last time you bathed?" She said then saw Toya's expression. "Give it to me."

"Are you taking it to the bathroom?"

"Duh, I mean the smell is spreading to the room and I can't just leave it outside in the rain."

"But- Cai Kang wait!"

Ignoring him, Cai Kang went to the bathroom and took the cat by its scruff close to her face. "I know it's you, Ryosuke. I suggest that you stop the underhanded method." She said and tossed the shocked cat into the warm bath tub after locking the door. Then a hand appeared out of the bathtub and grabbed the edge. Out came Ryosuke, he was undoubtedly angry. Both continue to ignore Toya's yelling.

"Cai Kang, That cat is human!"

Ignoring the yelling, Ryosuke grit his teeth. "You're dead!" He then tried to punch him but was blocked.

"What are you doing here?" She said. 

Ryosuke then glared at him. "Shortly after meeting you here, I transformed and met the siblings in this family. They don't know who I am so don't bother asking more questions." 

Cai Kang always knew that Ryosuke was a shapeshifter but something seemed strange this time.

"I thought you could control it now. Your change seems different this time." 

"Not quite." He said. He has calmed down. "There was an issue. That is why I was looking for you and Changming." Ryosuke sat up and removed his shirt. Cai Kang is surprised to see that he has bulked up even more since they last met. He is shorter than Cai Kang in his male form but he is not missing out on anything else. He turned to show his back to Cai Kang and it almost made him gag.

"What the hell happened? You look like you got tortured." Cai Kang said with shock. 

Ryosuke's upper back is extremely scarred and discolored to a sickly purple and green. If that isn't bad enough, it looks like it is oozing pus and it stinks real bad. The bandages that Toya put on him were gone as he shapeshifts. "When I went to western China, I was cursed to endure the physical pain on my body and as if it were bad enough, it makes my shapeshifting harder to control." He said.

"Where did you go? Why are you looking for the old man then? What does this have to do with him?" Cai Kang said.

"I heard from the locals that he is the only person to go there and avoid getting cursed. Not to mention, he is a curse expert in China." Ryosuke said.

"So you think he might be able to cure you? Why didn't you ask the shamans or the old hag?" She said. 

"Not all shamans can cure every curse. This one is ancient. I could barely even walk with this at first but I got used to it. Every month, I cut it off before it spreads any further. Of course, it comes back but it does it at a slow pace." Ryosuke said.

"You're looking for a cure. I get that. But what is with the engagement talk from back there?" Cai Kang said.

"That one is actually pretty important for you." He said.

Then the door opened, interrupting them. Toya and Kazuha were standing and seeing the two of them. The boys were so immersed in the conversation that they didn't notice the siblings. Kazuha didn't say a word while Toya was confused. Kazuha heard a commotion in the direction of the bathroom when she came in and saw Toya banging on the door. She then heard the story from him. With no choice, she managed to unlock the bathroom door using a bobby pin she took from her hair.

She went in and saw the bathroom was a small mess and the large tub was broken as well as some tiles. It looks like they had a small fight before deciding to have a talk.

"You guys-" Toya said and cracked his knuckles.

"This isn't what it looks like." Cai Kang said.

"Oh I'm pretty damn sure that this is what it looks like." He said. Staying silent, Kazuha grabbed her brothers shirt by the collar and dragged him out of the bathroom despite his protest. 

"How about the two of you take a bath together without killing each other and I will provide a clean set of clothes and wash your old ones." she said and closed the door.

Then the both of them bathe without saying a word. Cai Kang turns back into a guy. He then quickly strips his clothes into the laundry bin, undo his hair and heads to the bathroom. Ryosuke also stripped out of his wet clothes and went to the bathroom.

In the meantime, the bathroom started repairing itself as part of the magical properties. Cai Kang has broke a lot of things since his arrival but it seems he has nothing to worry about.

Cai Kang turns on the faucet. "Oi, we'll get some answers tomorrow. The old man is here but he's fast asleep. I am a guest here at this mansion so let's not fight anymore." He said but noticed something as Ryosuke starts to wash his hair with a different faucet.

He notices scars both old and fresh. What did this guy go through? He thought before looking away to wash his hair.

______________________________________________________________

The next morning, the whole family came together and everyone was introduced to Ryosuke, clean and in fresh clothes.

"Now, I would like you to meet Otaka Ryosuke. A former student of the Cai school of martial arts and my younger twin brother." Cai Kang sheepishly said.

"Twin?!" Everyone yelled.

"You're brothers with the wanderer? There isn't much of a resemblance though." Kazuha said while trying to compare the two.

"We're actually half-brothers. We share the same mom but have different dads." Ryosuke said.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a brother?" Noriko asked.

"It is not a topic I'd like to talk about. We may be brothers but let's just say we're not on the best of terms." Cai Kang said. "Our parents divorced and my old man had custody of me while Ryosuke was in my mom's custody. The old man doesn't talk about Ryosuke. Hell, I didn't even know I had a brother until I was six." He said.

"It's true. The day I was born, I had my ability. I had the ability to shapeshift into animals. The bandana is enchanted to carry my items and clothes every time I change." Ryosuke said.

That confused them all.

"What?"

Changming nodded. "The moment Ryosuke was born, he was transformed into a piglet. As you know, he is actually cursed. Curses achieved at birth are usually hereditary. But it is no special trait that I have ever seen." 

Special traits are what defines a family as it is always hereditary however, if it causes more harm than good then it is a curse. It wouldn't be a surprise if people tried to eat him because of it.

"I knew that from the start but I wouldn't be actively looking for you if it weren't for another curse." Ryosuke said and took off his shirt.

"Another curse?" Changming questioned.

Ryosuke removed his shirt to show his back. Even Shoraku, who is normally composed, was shocked to see it. Kazuha remembered the rotten alligator skin from yesterday.

"Good god? What happened to your back?" Noriko said in disgust and gagged.

"That is the Gu curse. You trespassed the Fenxian mountains, did you? When did this happen?" Changming remarked.

"I can't read the warning. That's what happened. I had this curse for two months. It hurts so much that I literally cut off my rotting back but it grows back. The shamans tried everything; exorcisms, purification rituals, research into the gu curse, everything they could do but it only cured the symptoms, not the problem. Since you specialize in Chinese curses, mom said to look for you. You are the only person alive who went to that mountain and didn't come back cursed. I always get it off but it keeps coming back. How do you get rid of it?" He asked him.

"You can't. It's a curse that stays for life. It will only disappear with the sweet release of death." Changming said.

"I've heard of that curse. Anyone who walks there has to absorb all of the accumulated poison and evil spirits growing in the mountains at once. Normal people would die in a matter of seconds, minutes or days but you had it for two months?" Cai Kang uttered in shock.

"The Gu curse is an extremely powerful curse. For Ryosuke to have it for so long, it must be difficult to even stand. I'm guessing your mother must have helped you." Changming said. "Does that answer your question?" He says, 

"That explains the news that the Gu curse in the Fenxian mountains is entirely gone." Cai Kang remarked.

Ryosuke's expression didn't change but he seems to be thinking about it. "Yeah." He replied. Then Ryosuke looked into his bag and pulled out a box.

"I have a favor to ask. Do you have any more of your scrolls from your school that I can borrow? I already finished your latest editions."

Changming opened the box and saw that all the scrolls he had lent to him were there.

"Yeah, I can lend you the rest." 

"Now comes the other issue. What did the old hag have in mind for you?" Cai Kang eyed Ryosuke seriously. 

Ryosuke was silent.

"Back at the park, you challenged me and told me the terms. Care to explain what that was about?" He asked.

"One of my goals was to find Changming. While my goal for why I searched for him is now known, you are different. Our mom wants to find you and she told me that you are to be engaged. She wants me to figure out a way to cancel your current one so she can have you engaged to a girl of her choice. She already chose a partner for me. I think she found one for you too." Ryosuke said.

Changming slammed his hand on the table. "Ridiculous." He said.

"How did you find out about the engagement anyway? I seem to remember that the news hasn't been spread yet." Cai Kang said.

"Mom knew because it was what your old man planned for a long time. She hasn't forgotten and has figured it out when she found out that you are in Japan." He said.

"So she set up a fiancee for me?" Cai Kang deduced.

"Sort of." He shrugged. "She wasn't actually sure who would suit you."

"May I ask why?" Shoraku said.

"You see. Our mother is really committed to curing curses. She believes that Cai Kang's special trait is a curse and is determined to get rid of it."

"Who is your fiancee?" Noriko said with anticipation.

"Sanada Fukuna," He said.

"Wait, Fukuna?" Cai Kang asked and then slowly shook his head. "I remember that the old hag adopted her because she has no other family." He said.

Ryosuke stared at him with disbelief. "Did you honestly think our mother adopted Fukuna from the bottom of her heart? You know what she's like." He was extremely sarcastic. "It's because she's special. Her special trait is that she is immune to curses and can also repel them. Our mom had a theory but she didn't announce her as her possible daughter-in-law until she was right. She discovered that if Fukuna has children, her descendants will under no circumstance inherit any curse that is hereditary." Ryosuke noted.

Cai Kang squeezed his fists in annoyance and Changming was to a lesser extent not pleased either but his expression looks as if he is considering it. 

"I always suspected she had a motive since she is dead sure on making sure I be a boy with her crazy experiments on me. I was wondering why she insisted we become close. Now that you're engaged, it must be a lot of work." He said.

"Wow, I never saw this coming. Looks like we're expecting competition." Noriko said with glee. Toya is equally as excited.

"Are you nuts? You do not know the political mess this will cause." Kazuha sighed with disbelief. 

"It isn't official, is it?" Ren said.

"It's not. An engagement is official with an engagement ceremony and the consent of both parties in an official document." Changming said.

Shoraku nodded. "Not to mention, we haven't managed to convince the elders with the engagement agreement yet."

"When are we gonna see her?" Kazuha asked Ryosuke.

"I called her not too long ago so maybe a week. I put in our papers to enroll in your school."

"Wait, you're transferring to our school?" Cai Kang said.

"The school year is gonna be even more interesting." Toya commented.