NOVEL NEXT Bonus Chapter! Ken's Fight [One Year Ago]
Ken's Fight: One Year Ago
The dim glow of torches casts long shadows as the noppera-bō stand eerily still, forming the ring. The crowd hums with anticipation. Heavy footsteps echo as the fighters approach. The air is thick with tension. And in the commentary booth…
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: YEaahh! Woooooo! Ladies and gentlemen, monsters and men, spirits and specters, IT'S ME. It's Styles, the master of the school mic! The SCREAMING PSYCHO of Audio and Visual!
And I'm here with my partner in crime, the man who has not one, not two, but three – three – three heads so we're covering ALL the angles! It's Sangai Goryō at my side!
TIME for another absolute BARNBURNER of a battle! Two titans! Two warriors! Two men WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN BLOCKING! It's gonna be messy! It's gonna be brutal! It's gonna be EXACTLY what you came to see!
Sangai Goryō: That's right, Styles. Tonight's match is a grudge match.
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: Oh, I couldn't have said it better myself, Sangai! Ken's got some serious beef with Kabetani.
Sangai Goryō: What's all that about?
Hade "Sty;es" Shigetsu: It's more than a misunderstanding between two classmates, my man! This thing between Ken and Kabetani is generational. Ken's dad says that Kabetani's grandfather owes them a debt. Kabetani's dad, though, doesn't wanna pay up.
Sangai Goryō: He won't pay? Why not? What's this debt about?
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: Ken's grandfather was, supposedly, a master swordsmith. He claimed to make a uchigatana that could cut through nearly anything Wooooooo! Watch out! That thing's sharp!
Sangai Goryō: And what does this have to do with the debt?
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: WHOA! I'm getting to that! WOoooOOo! Well, Kabetani's grandfather laughed at the uchigatana, saying it didn't look like anything special to him. He told Ken's grandfather to try out his sword to see if it could hurt the wall yokai.
Sangai Goryō: Oh no. Styles, you don't test a sword on a wall.
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: Woooow!! Sangai, my man! If only you'd been there to tell Ken's grandpa, then we wouldn't be here this afternoon. The uchigatana broke, and Ken's grandpa wants Kabetani's granddad to pay for it!
Sangai Goryō: A fight that's been building for generations, sports fans! It could all come to a head later. Stepping into the ring first, the iron-fisted ogre of Olympus Fight Club, the cinderblock with fists, the Bane of Boarded Windows—it's Kabetani 'Dry' Jirō!"
The massive Kabetani stomps forward, barely acknowledging the roaring crowd. His stone-like skin reflects the flickering flames, and he cracks his neck with the sound of breaking tree trunks.
Sangai Goryō: And facing him—stepping into the fighter's circle now—it's a man with a nickname that I still don't understand… the rampaging wrecking ball of Crescent Moon Academy, the orc who leaves NO MESS UNTOUCHED—it's Ken 'The Cleaner System' Musashiba!"
Ken rolls his shoulders, tapping his knuckles together with a loud pop. His tusks glint in the firelight as he glares at his opponent.
Sangai Goryō: Now, Styles, I gotta ask… 'Cleaner System'? What kind of nickname is that? Was Ken, like, a janitor before this?
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: A janitor?! Sangai, you disrespectful son of a tanuki! It's a tribute! A tribute to his old man, the legend of Crescent Moon Academy—Yoshi Musashiba!
Sangai Goryō: Ohhhhhh! So, what? Was Yoshi some kind of legendary sweeper or…?
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: No, Sangai—Yoshi is a pig. And Ken wishes he'd clean up after himself.
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The crowd erupts as the torches flare—the fight is ON!
The Fight Begins!
Sangai Goryō: Oh my gosh! Ken is opening up on Kabetani! Kabetani needs to start blocking some of Ken's punches!
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: Ha! He don't need to, Sangai! He's a WALL! Let Ken punch on him all day. It won't do NOTHING! Look at him out there! He looks BORED! WooooOWWWW!
Kabetani barely reacts as Ken's fists pound into his midsection. The thudding blows sound like a drum being beaten by a madman. Ken snarls, winding up for a massive uppercut…
Sangai Goryō: Even a wall's gonna start to crack after a while, Styles! Now Kabetani's on the offensive!
Kabetani suddenly lunges forward, swinging a massive open palm strike. Ken barely ducks it, but the force sends dust blasting outward like a shockwave!
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: He's trying to fall on top of Ken! Look out, Ken! He's heavier than your mother!
Sangai Goryō: Styles! There's no call for that!
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: I'd say, Sangai. I wouldn't call Ken's mother back either.
Sangai Goryō: Unbelievable… WAIT! Ken just slipped past Kabetani's guard—HE'S GOING FOR THE TAKEDOWN!
Ken suddenly drops low, gripping Kabetani's leg. With a roar, he wrenches him off balance, toppling the giant! The impact sends up a cloud of dirt as the crowd erupts in gasps and cheers!
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: OHHHHHHH MY KAMI! KEN MUSASHIBA JUST TOOK DOWN A FREAKIN' MOUNTAIN! HE'S CLEANING HOUSE, SANGAI! THE CLEANER SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED! WOOOOOO!
Kabetani tries to rise, but Ken is already raining down hammerfists like a storm sent by Raijin himself!
Sangai Goryō: Styles, this could be it! Ken is relentless! Kabetani's in trouble!
Kabetani grits his teeth, rolling to his side, trying to shake Ken loose, but Ken won't stop throwing bombs!
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: He ain't getting up, Sangai! This is OVER! Somebody ring the bell! Somebody call the janitor! Somebody—wait, no, don't call his dad!
Sangai Goryō:"KABETANI'S NOT MOVING! THE OFFICIAL'S CALLING IT! KEN MUSASHIBA WINS!!!"
The torches flare high as the noppera-bō fighters circle in closer, signaling the end of the match. The crowd ROARS as Ken raises a fist in victory, sweat dripping from his brow, breath heavy but victorious.
Post-Fight Wrap-Up
Sangai Goryō: What a fight! What a takedown! Ken just dropped Kabetani like a sack of haunted bricks!
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: Sangai, you ever seen a house get demolished? That's what we just witnessed! And Ken? Ken's the wrecking ball! THAT is why he's The Cleaner System! He takes out the trash! Woooooo!!
Sangai Goryō: What a brutal end for Kabetani—someone get the poor guy a mystic healer! But what's next for Ken Musashiba? Who's left for him to clean up?
Hade "Styles" Shigetsu: I dunno, Sangai… but if I were the next guy in line? I'd be calling in sick! Hahahaha!
The commentary booth erupts in laughter as the crowd continues cheering, the torches flickering wildly in the wind. The fight may be over—but the legend of Ken "The Cleaner System" Musashiba is just beginning…
After the Bell: Ken's Statement
The fight was over. The winner had been decided. But me? I wasn't finished.
The arena was a madhouse, students screaming, jeering, throwing their hands in the air. Blood still dripped from my knuckles, but I didn't care.
I paced, a wolf still hunting even though the kill was already made. The thrill wasn't gone yet, I told myself.
I knew what I needed, what my dad said I need, to do.
The loser, Kabetani—crumpled, gasping for breath, barely holding onto consciousness—was trying to drag himself off the mat. Trying to get out.
Pathetic, I thought.
I tilted his head, cracking his neck.
Then my eyes landed on the steel chair leaning beside the commentary table.
The crowd reacted instantly.
"Ohhhh hell—"
I snatched the chair, the cold steel gleaming under the lights. It felt heavier than I imagined it would.
Straight away, the faceless ones ran towards me.
They almost stopped me too.
Nearly.
I didn't care. I stalked forward, every step heavier than the last.
Kabetani barely had time to turn before I lifted the chair above my head—
CRACK.
Steel met bone. A sickening, wet snap echoed through the air.
The guy screamed.
And that killed me.
I just stood over him, breathing hard, gripping the dented chair like a weapon.
And I kept waiting to feel triumphant.
Like a winner.
Like my dad.
Teachers rushed in. The noppera-bō grabbed me and threw me down onto the mat.
I felt spiders all over me. Where the hell did they come from?
Then I looked up and saw Hina.
"Ken Musashiba," she said as the spiders swarmed me. "That was ill advised. You know the rules. The fight itself is meant to solve the issue between you and Kabetani."
I could feel their sticky webs everywhere. It was impossible to move.
I grit my teeth, looked up at her, and sneered.
"You knew the rules, and you broke them. Now… you belong to us."
I didn't know what she meant, but I was about to find out. And I wasn't sure I wanted to.
Just another day at Crescent Moon Academy.