2:12 PM

  “Like I said, you’ll be dead anyways.” The words came out with chunks of congealed blood as Soga Kusurisuke rose from the ground. The hole which had just been carved into his chest by Jounichike Koutarou healed. The only evidence of such damage even happening being the basketball sized tear in the front of his shirt and jacket.

  Koutarous eyes widened and his jaw slacked somewhat. “H-how-!”

  CRACK!

  Soga’s flist slammed square into the nose of Koutarou, throwing him backwards and out of his slippers the Yakuza threw his hands up and caught onto one of the exposed rafters of his vaulted ceiling. Pulling himself up he flipped forwards and kneeled atop the plank, blood pouring from his nose down to the floor in a puddle. “H-how are you still alive!?” He roared as his nose began to set back into place.

  Looking up at Koutarou, Soga sighed. “Even if I told you it wouldn’t make much sense anyways.”

  Teeth grit Koutarou leapt down from the plank. His leg outstretched for an overhead kick that seemed to flicker in the air for a moment.

  Throwing his left hand up, Soga raised his brow as the attack landed. The heel of Koutarou hitting the center of his hand sending shockwaves down his arm. His Radius shattered as flesh squelched, popped like grape muscle and blood sprayed through the kitchen.

  Not done yet, Koutarou fell to the ground and lowered his center mass, knees dropped, his hand flickered before it was thrown into Soga’s liver. The sound of flesh exploding was horrific, blood sprayed as shards of bone fell to the floor, muscle fibers twitching as nerves were exposed to the hot air.

  “As expected of a Sanjougou.” Soga frowned weakly as blood dripped from the corners of his trembling blue lips. [Overgrowth - 茨茂稔: Bone Briar Shield]

  “!?” Observation flashing red Koutarou jumped backwards to avoid the mass of bone-like spikes which erupted from Soga’s right leg. Spreading outwards like a porcupine's quills, Koutarou once more flipped himself atop the rafters, eyes wrinkled. I assumed the brat had some kind of healing blessing, but that looked like he made some kind of construct from his bones? Does he have a kind of body manipulation blessing then? Who the hell does this kid think he's messing with? He was Jounichike Koutarou, one of the Sanjougou. The three district lords of the Toumeikan, 2nd in command under only Susanori Kobe himself!

  CRUNCH

  Down below Soga's leg healed, flesh growing over exposed bone and muscle fibers; he ripped the first of the spear-like growths from his leg and flexed his arm. Rotating his back he flicked his hips and threw the first of the spears at Koutarou who smacked it out of the mid air easily.

  He’s sow! He merely got the jump on me before, how foolish to assume he was anything greater than that! His eyes glazing over Koutarous mouth curved into a grin, his expression warped like that of a demonic grimace. With his spell [複撃: Fukugeki] Koutarou could repeat a single action up to 300 times per second, the kinetic energy from those actions stored up until the final one is performed upon which the energy is released. “I can crush skulls with my finger, I can split buildings with my first, I can tear steel with my grip yet you think you can stand before me here!?” Koutarou roared and he slapped the other bone spears from the air as they were thrown at him.

  “I’m not afraid of what can’t hurt me.” Soga answered, lips drawn thin.

  [Overgrowth - 血圧噴射: Blood Pressure Jet].

  Putting his hands together Soga squeezed them against one another until the flesh of his right middle finger burst open. A geyser of blood hissing with rage as it shot towards Koutarou.

  [複撃: Kenzou!] Koutarou’s fist flickered 150 times in a single second. The motion of punching being repeated over and over again he could feel the green energy build surge within his arm until he could barely contain it any longer and it flew forwards clashing with the geyser of blood. Though upon contact he felt the sharp sting of his flesh being ripped from bone as his knuckles were forced apart. The geyser, while small, had the power of a pressure washer and split Koutarou’s fist all the way down to his wrist.

  “Tch!”

  Clicking his tongue Koutarou leapt from the support beam which crumbled with a twist of his torso, avoiding the stream of blood as he came down upon Soga. Leg extended overhead for another axe kick it flicked through the air before coming down upon the Venator’s shoulder.

  CRACK!

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  To say his shoulder exploded would not be hyperbole, flesh ruptured as muscle was torn, bones crunched and tendons snapped, joints collapsing it looked as painful as possible.

  [Overgrowth: Hon-]

  [複撃: Fugeki!]

  Right foot flicking through the air there was a flash and a bang as the sound barrier was shattered. Koutarou using the energy built up in his foot was able to kick off the air itself. Twisting his body around until he was on the left side of Soga.

  [複撃: Kenzou!]

  Once more the fist of Koutarou flickered, the action was done 180 times and when it landed the jaw of Soga was literally torn from his face. His chin removed, the Venator was thrown across the kitchen of Koutarous home and through the wall until landing inside a wet room the size of a small bedroom.

  “Blegh.” Soga coughed as his jaw began to reform, bones grew and nerves flicked through the air like a snake's tongue. Teeth bursting forth and muscle grew before flesh covered it. In but three seconds his jaw had gone from being removed from his skull entirely to being regrown as good as new.

  His Kimono's top no longer wrapped around his shoulders, Koutarou walked towards the still kneeling Soga. Bare above the waist he exposed his old wiry frame. His skin wrinkled yet veins still pushed against its surface, twisting along coils of dense muscle. “So it is a healing blessing then.”

  “Bhaisajaguru.” Soga muttered as he coughed up bits of bone and congealed blood.

  Each foot step Koutarou took caused the floor to have his foot print embedded into the wooden flor board as if mud, “What?”

  “[薬師如来: Bhaisajaguru].” Soga repeated this time louder. “Hail. Appear, O Healer, O Healer, O Great Healer, O King of Healing.” He muttered, starting to stand up. “Everyone wishes they were immortal, that they could heal from any disease or sickness, injury or tragedy. But do they even stop for a second and wonder what it’s like to not be able to die, even if the pain you're feeling makes you want to?” Standing to his full height, Soga towered over the Yakuza who he looked down upon with a sneer. “Let me share some of that pain with you.”

  Eyes glazing over Koutarou roared in rage. Throwing his fist forwards with no repetition behind it the sound of Koutarous elbow joint being snapped echoed through the hollow wet room. Having brought his left knee up, Soga watched as his opponent's arm fell limp.

  Not yet done, Soga flicked his hips and slammed his own right elbow into Koutarou's temple, causing him to gag and stumble forwards- vision blurring.

  “!”

  However, gritting his teeth and ignoring his brain rattling inside his skull, Koutarou forced himself up and swung his fist into Soga's face so fast it was a blur. [複撃: Kenzou!]

  Soga once more was sent flying backwards, this time crashing into the glass wall which separated the wet room from the garden outside. The glass sliced him open as he crashed through it and flew meters away rolling across the grass which he soaked red with blood and ripped flesh.

  “How dare you try to mock me!” Koutarou screamed as he jumped through the shattered glass wall and down to the garden below, his feet slicked apart by the shards as he stomped forwards. “I’ve done nothing but accept your challenge in kindness and this is how you treat me!? Does a brat like you know no respect!? Then I’ll teach you what your ill-fitted father should have!” Grabbing the limp Soga by his caller Koutarou lifted him up.

  “!”

  Though upon seeing the damage to Soga’s face, the missing eye, the caved in skull and brain matter leaking out of his ear like a thick slurry even he hesitated with a grimace.

  “H-how are you-”

  “Still alive? Or is it how I have not gone mad? I ask myself that everyday kid.” Soga sighed as his skull began to grow back around his brain which shrunk into his skull. Nerves and veins spreading across the white bone like worms writhing after a rain.

  [複撃: Soride!]

  Raising his free left hand which was formed into a flat plane Koutarou repeated a karate chop 200 times before letting it come down onto the collar bone of Soga’s left side.

  CRUNCH!

  Bone bent inwards and ribs cracked, organs reputed and muscle burst forward as the hand of Koutarou dug all the way down into Soga’s torso without breaking flesh, instead dragging through it as if it was made of sand. Not finished Koutarou then- with his left hand still wrapped around Soga's collar lifted the man up and brought his stomach down over his own knee which he flicked upwards.

  “Blegh!” Blood sprayed like a fountain out of Soga’s mouth with light pink chunks of organ but Koutarou didn’t stop. Raising his hand which writhed with veins and wrinkles he brought it down in a flash of flickers onto the butt of Soga as if to spank him. The sound it made was like that of a car ramming into a brick wall. His hand flashing through the air upon meeting with Soga's backside caused blood to spray from his mouth once more, this time his intestines shooting out as well and falling to the grass like pink worms.

  “You have no honor, boy!” Koutarou screamed as he lifted Soga up and threw him onto his back on the ground. Soga, still vomiting up his own organs, his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

  “You have no-”

  [Overgrowth - 血圧噴射: Blood Pressure Jet]

  “!”

  Blood shot out of Soga’s mouth in a needle-thin geyser and Koutarou barely sensing it in time swung his head back. Yet despite that the tip of his nose was caught in the crossfire and the cartilage ripped from his face leaving his nostrils exposed to the hot autumn air.

  “I’m actually starting to get angry here.” Soga groaned as he rolled onto his side and clutching his stomach. Still vomiting out the last bit of intestines and other chunks of discolored flesh mixed with blood.

  “Y-you brat-”

  “Jounichike Koutarou, born 2240, Soga Kusurisuke born 2434. Up until now I’ve been letting your abuse of the elderly pass but I’m starting to think you’re just too much of an upstart to turn the other cheek with, boy.” Soga rose from the ground shakily as he spoke. “So now it’s my turn to teach you a lesson, okay kid?”

  Ready for you weekly Kanji Lesson? Or rather... every 10~ days Kanji lesson... I can't even apologize anymore can I?

  [薬師如来: Bhaisajaguru] - A Buddha of healing, and medicine, “Hail. Appear, O Healer, O Healer, O Great Healer, O King of Healing.” is a prayer associated with him

  [Overgrowth - 茨茂稔: Bone Briar Shield] - The Kanji 茨茂稔 mean "Thorn" "Overgrown" and "ripen".

  [Overgrowth - 血圧噴射: Blood Pressure Jet] - The Kanji mean literally "Blood Pressure" and "Jet Spray"

  [複撃: Fugeki] - The Kanji mean to "compound" as in a number and "beat." or "attack."

  [複撃: Kenzou] - The Kanji for this attack would be 拳増 being read as Kenzou and meaning "Fist, Increase."

  [複撃: Soride] - The Kanji for the attack would be 刀手 read as Soride and meaning "Blade Hand"

  So In Japanese there's two ways to call someone "brat" which is written as 餓鬼 in Kanji meaning "Hungry Ghost" but more often written as simply ガキ in Kana is the modern word used to call someone a brat. Meanwhile there's an older way which is 小僧 read as Kozou and literally meaning "Little Monk" and is used to call someone a brat and or basically an upstart. It's a more archaic term, When referring to Soga, Koutarou uses Kozou.