Kenichi Shirahama

Kenichi Shirahama was late for school, even after a month into his first year of high school, the boy was still late. Rushing, he approached a happily walking Miu, who no matter how much her mother or uncle trained her, still attacked when someone suddenly appears behind her.

Kenichi, still worried about arriving at school ran, leaving an embarrassed Miu behind. Regretfully arriving late at school Kenichi was surprised when he saw the girl that had previously attacked him, already in class, presenting herself as the new transfer student.

Kenichi was for lack of a better term, fragile, weak, and easily bullied. Lacking any form of conviction, the boy was constantly bullied, that would soon change, when a shy Miu approached him.

While eating on a tree Miu saw the boy that rushed to her the previous day, talking to himself.

The boy whispered to himself, "I want to make friends." It seems Kenichi was tired of lacking any actual friends only bullies being near him.

Miu heard Kenichi talking to himself, and understanding his thoughts, she shyly asked him, "Excuse me, if you don't mind, I'd really like to be your friend." The girl was in a similar situation, her family at Ryōzanpaku choosing to transfer her to a different less prestigious school, hoping she'll be able to make real friends.

Kenichi, surprised at the girl eating on a tree, did not hear her. Miu jumped from the tree, her lack of common sense striking again, she landed on Kenichi's face, once again injuring the poor boy.

Believing Miu was attacking him, again, he reproached her. With absolutely zero remorse on her voice, she apologized, and once again, shy, and nervously asked the boy if he wanted to be her friend.

Trying to act nonchalant, Kenichi accepted Miu's proposal, in truth he was extremely nervous, such a cute little angel like Miu wanted to be his friend, he couldn't believe it.

After more small talk, finally exchanging names, they started to talk about themselves. Miu telling him about joining the gymnastics club, and Kenichi about joining the Karate club, explaining his reasoning to try, and become stronger to deter his bullies.

Miu quite seriously asked her new friend, "You want to learn….Martial arts?"

Her eyes shining with seriousness, surprising Kenichi. As someone who grew alongside some of the best martial artists in the world, Miu took someone trying to learn martial arts seriously. Kenichi chose to ignore her question for the moment.

Returning to class, and after being harassed by bullies, he was heading home, when he watched some gangsters approaching Miu, wanting to be the hero of the story, Kenichi tried to fight against them, only to fail miserably.

Surprising Miu by his sudden appearance, and feeling grateful someone tried to rescue her, Miu easily took care of the gangsters, even a low-class disciple can beat any normal adult, entering the disciple class means that the student is no longer 'normal' in the sense of the word. For Miu, who was a high-class disciple it was even easier.

Kenichi was astonished by Miu's strength, asking himself how could this small pretty looking girl be so strong.

A few more days passed since their first meeting, and Kenichi was still bullied, even in the Karate club, his seniors bullying him for being weak and refusing to teach him. He steeled himself to learn, even if by some magazine he had bought months ago.

Seeing Kenichi in the park trying to do... something resembling martial arts, Miu offered to help her friend, teaching him an absolute basic technique for counterattacking, something that took Kenichi days to learn, even considering the technique had two moves, rotate your feet to the right then point them inwards.

Once he finally learned it and won a small bout against the bully from the Karate club, Kenichi asked Miu, "How….how did you become strong?"

Miu stood there, thinking what answer she could give Kenichi, "You want to become strong?..... I do know a way for you to become stronger."

Thinking about the masters at Ryōzanpaku, and their personalities, she added, "But….the chances of you surviving…. are not high."

She did not say more, but gave Kenichi, a map? Maybe a map? Some kind of obscure directions marking the dojo's location.

Once Kenichi prepared to go to the location he realized that the map was more doodles than map, asking his little sister Honoka, to decipher the puzzle. Seeing the….map, Honoka wondered what crazy person has her brother met, as only someone with more than a few loose screws could draw the abomination she had in her hand, going full detective Honoka was finally able to give Kenichi the very approximate directions of the dojo.

Thankfully, the next day was Saturday, so Kenichi had the chance to visit the place Miu told him about, following the directions of the new map his sister had drawn, Kenichi was met with the giant door of Ryōzanpaku in all it's glory.

Trying really hard to open the door, but seeing it hadn't moved a little, the boy wondered what he could do. That was until a voice behind him asked, "What business brings you here?"

Startling Kenichi, when he turned he saw the massive figure Hayato, fearing for his life, the boy tried to enter the dojo and escape. Hayato seeing the small boy trying to push open the door, gave him a little help, opening the door. Kenichi fell face-first to the ground, not expecting the unmovable door to suddenly open.

The boy was having a downright panic attack, trying to escape, the elder stopped him, asking Kenichi the reason for his visit. Kenichi, figuring the massive man might be a martial artist asked Hayato, "You must be a master of martial arts, right?

Hayato, stood there thinking, seeing the boy was no longer a nervous wreck, responded, "Ahhh, I'm no expert, but I've never lost a fight." Oh, the always humble elder.

Realizing he might be in the place Miu recommended Kenichi quickly introduced himself to the elder, mentioning Miu was the one to give him the location to Ryōzanpaku, after hearing that his granddaughter introduced the boy to the dojo, the elder gladly accepted showing Kenichi the place.

Kenichi happily followed, not knowing this would be the start of his nightmarish torture.