19 Showdown in Chinatown
The next day after school, Xander made his way to the publishing company to finalize his deal.
As he entered the designated meeting room, he saw a familiar face "what are you doing here?"
"I told you I want in on the new market" answered Ryuto "I have the factories and technology needed to make what you designed, so I contacted J publishing"
"…OK" Xander shrugged and carried on with his greetings. He proposed his next manga, Bleach, as it was one of the original big three, Naruto, bleach and One Piece. And even if they were no longer viable he would still have the 'new' big three, Demon Slayer, Black Clover and My Hero Academia.
He just has to make sure they run well together and not against each other.
Other than that, it was fun to watch and read anime and manga that weren't in his timeline. Things like cowboy bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha weren't really available in his home world… nor Buffy the vampire slayer series. If there was ever a wakeup call, then the shear trouble his stupidity got him and the scoobi gang in was definitely was it. after the mini existential crisis, he made a decision to take a copy of all the knowledge of the internet with him when he passes, it would help him when fighting in worlds he was unfamiliar with.
---
After the meeting, Xander, Ryuto and several of the meeting attendees decided to go for dinner in a China town that has cute waitresses and delicious food.
None of the guys objected, and so it was decided.
"Welcome to the Imperial wrath Chinese restaurant, do you have a reservation?" an old bald 'HEY' man in Chinese clothing and glasses welcomed the large group
Someone else however drew Xander's attention "Kensei sensei?"
"Kenichi?" replied Kensei surprised "What are you doing here?"
"Sensei?" asked the old Chinese man
"Ah, this is my student, Kenichi" Kensei introduced "this is Uncle Hakubi, the most knowledgeable man in Chinatown"
"Pleasure to meet you" Kenichi greeted Hakubi by cupping his fist and bowing in traditional Chinese greeting
"Good, good" Hakubi nodded in approval "please come in" he escorted everyone to the upper floor while Kenichi excused himself to accompany his master
"You don't have to be here" Kensei spoke calmly
"You're getting old sensei" Xander grinned "I can hear your heart from here, and it's telling me you are worried"
"*Sigh* why did I have to be stuck with a talented disciple? Why couldn't I have a hardworking one instead?" Kensei mock complained earning an indignant gasp from Xander and a chuckle from Hakubi
"It's good to have a lively student, don't you think?" Hakubi smiled kindly "I know why you are here, but ask anyway" he spoke with a knowing nod
"Where is Sougetsu?" Kensei asked with his mirth gone
"He is in Japan, but I don't know where exactly. All I know is that he is involved with the local mafia" Hakubi explained
'Hermit's master… shit, I forgot to cure his sister… does heal work on non-physical illnesses?'
[Nope, you need cure and it needs to be high enough level to work on certain things]
'Question, why can I access these abilities through quests if they don't exist in this world' Xander asked as it has been bothering him for a while
[They are basic gamer abilities. skills like fireball, chain-lightning, double-jump and so on and so forth exist in every game and as a gamer, you have access to them through the chosen skill collecting method]
'Quests?'
[Quests]
Xander's silent conversation with the voice in his head was interrupted when a girl in a scandalously short Chinese dress.
Because he was distracted, Xander reacted through auto pilot and within seconds, he had the girl pinned under him.
"Why are you interfering between me and papa?" the girl asked, sounding upset
"Papa?" Xander asked playing dumb
"She's Kensei's daughter, Ma Renka" Hakubi helpfully supplied
Xander calmly removed his hand from her and took a few steps back "Sensei, what does he mean… sensei?"
As Xander looked around he noticed Kensei gone, leaving him with an Irate Renka "Who are you?" she demanded
"Ah, my name is Shirahama Kenichi, Kensei sensei's student" he greeted
"Student" she shrieked and then went on a tirade about how important Kensei is and how he leads an order with 100 thousand followers
Xander let her continue venting her frustration with her father as they chased after him… she chased after him, Xander was just there to make sure she doesn't get killed.
After running for a bit, Renka abruptly stopped "hey, do you know where he's going?"
"Nope" Xander replied with a carefree smile
"Then why the hell are we running?" she shouted
Xander just shrugged as he looked around. It was then that a man came flying out of a restaurant.
Xander caught the man mid-air and set him down gently "are you ok?" Xander asked the man
"Y-yes thank you" the man was shaken but otherwise fine "be careful, those mobsters are coming"
Xander turned in time to see a tall guy and a shorter smoking guy exiting the restaurant "better pay up, or I won't be responsible for what happens nex…" he was interrupted with a snapping sound and pain coming from his shoulder
Looking down, his right arm was hanging at an odd angle "AAAAHHHH"
*THUMP*CRACK*
The man was interrupted again with a punch to the face that broke his glasses and nose. It was barely visible to all around who did it and how it took place. Renka looked at where the man is then to where Kenichi was and back again.
It was a few seconds after the event, which Xander spent staring down the tall dumb looking one, before Renka showed up next to him "um… what… what just happened?"
Not taking his eye off the big guy, Xander spoke "I'm going to ask this man a question, if he answers it truthfully, I let him go" he then took on a predatory smile like Feral taught him "if not, well, I get to have some more fun"
---
"So… why are you going with me?" Renka asked the young man that is her father's current Disciple
"I'm not. I'm going to really hurt Sougetsu" Xander replied, still having that really carefree smile he always had on
Renka was understandably taken aback "he's too strong for you, regardless of talent; a sprout can't fight a giant oak"
Xander closed his eyes and nodded sagely "wise words of a beautiful girl" he praised her causing her to smile and blush slightly "I'm still not letting you go alone"
Renka didn't say anything more as she ran alongside Kenichi 'what an odd guy' she thought to herself and a sister of existence marked another
---
Making their way through an entire building filled of Mafia members was easy enough. It was fine until they reached the upper most level. As they were walking through a hallway, Xander suddenly pulled Renka out of the way of a bursting wall.
Not wasting any time Xander threw a one of the falling stones at the head of the man standing in the opening where the man punched it into dust.
Xander faced the man and he faced Xander "I thought I felt Kensei's aura, but it seems I was mistaken. Who are you?"
"Kenichi, Kensei sensei's disciple" Xander introduced himself, then gestured to Renka "this is your niece, Renka"
"You brought shame to our family, DIE" she shouted and jumped at him with a flying kick before Xander could do anything to stop her
Sougetsu simply swung his arm and pinned Renka to the wall by her stomach, causing blood top gush out her mouth. Before he can refocus on Xander though, he was struck in the side with an axe, causing him to drop Renka.
Xander took the injured but conscious Renka and disengaged "w-what? Where did you get the axe from?" she asked, surprised
Xander smiled gently, but didn't take his eyes off the now without an axe in him Sougetsu and he answered "I told you I'm not a sprout fighting an oak tree" he looked directly at Sougetsu and his smile turned more predatory instinctively pulling Renka tighter to himself
"I'm the axe"
*CRASH*
It was then that Kensei entered the building through the window aiming a flying kick at his brother. As Sougetsu dodged he found another axe coming at him.
Sougetsu dodged the axe, but failed to notice the leg sweep by kensei causing him to fall to the ground. As he rolled to the side to avoid Kensei's drop kick, he was struck with the first axe in his shoulder.
Rage built up in Sougetsu's mind as he roared and went to retaliate but Xander was nowhere to be found "over here he heard from the right, but he knew his brother was coming from the left, he can sense him so he jumped back, into the hole he made in the wall.
He was truly surprised when he received a strike to his back from his brother. He was certain his brother was to his right. And that's when it clicked.
It was his brother's daughter, she felt the same as Kensei and his monster of a disciple knew it too. They used it against him…
'Damn cheaters' were the last conscious thoughts of Sougetsu…
For the night
