The sedan engine coughs to life, spitting black smoke as Matoya slams it into gear. Tires scream against wet pavement, leaving the hospital garage in a cloud of rubber and exhaust.
Kantorou Mashashiba
My ribs feel like jagged glass. Every bump is a fresh hell, but the sound of the sirens is fading. We made it out.
Matoya Kaririba
Hang in there, Kantorou. I am pulling us into the industrial district. Too many eyes on the main roads tonight.
The city skyline gives way to the skeletal remains of the old shipyards. Massive cranes stand like rusted sentinels in the fog, casting long, mournful shadows over the derelict warehouses.
Kantorou Mashashiba
Stop the car here. The salt air might clear my head. We need a plan to get that bag back, Matoya.
Matoya Kaririba
He is barely standing, yet all he thinks about is the war. Asura does not break, even when we are bleeding out.
“Why the fuck.. are we not at BASE! .... more men would help Matoya... fuck i'm going to die...”
FAILURE (Good Willpower, rolled -1)
Kantorou Mashashiba
Why the fuck are we not at base. We need more men, Matoya.
Matoya Kaririba
The base is compromised, Kantorou. They know where we live. If we go back now, we walk into a slaughter.
Kantorou Mashashiba
My vision is blurring. The world is spinning, and the cold metal of the car door feels like ice against my palm. Fuck, I am going to die out here.
Kantorou stumbles out of the sedan, his legs folding under him like wet paper. He collapses into the freezing sludge, his grip on his chain knuckles failing as his consciousness slips.
Matoya Kaririba
Kantorou! Stay with me! Dammit, the blood loss is too much.
A heavy footfall crunches on the rusted gravel nearby. Through the thick fog, the silhouette of a man in a dark gi emerges, his crimson eyes glowing with an unsettling, predatory intensity as he watches them.
+ Scene Quest Added
Survive the encounter with Akuma
“*Due to NOT GOING TO BASE LIKE FUCKING RETARDS* Kantorou is near death and MAtoya if Akuma plans to attack might be too”
PARTIAL (Fair Health, rolled +1)
Kantorou Mashashiba
My legs... they aren't listening to me, Matoya. Damn it.
Matoya Kaririba
Lean on me. We just need to hide behind those containers until the bleeding stops.
Kantorou Mashashiba
Everything is gray. The shipyard, the fog, my own vision. I need to hold onto my strength, but it is leaking out of me with every pulse of my heart.
A sudden, unnatural chill cuts through the humid air of the harbor, snuffing out the flickering light of the distant sirens.
Akuma
You reek of a spirit that has already given up. Is this truly the limit of your path?
Kantorou Mashashiba
Who is this guy. He is not with the rivals, and he is not a cop. He stands there like a mountain, waiting for me to fall over.
+ New Item Acquired
metal chain knuckles
“Kantorou is soaked in so much blood it's insane never ending battles.”
PARTIAL (Fair Health, rolled -1)
“Kantorou is soaked in so much blood it's insane never ending battles.”
PARTIAL (Fair Health, rolled -2)
Kantorou Mashashiba
My legs, they aren't listening to me, Matoya. Damn it.
Matoya Kaririba
Lean on me. We just need to hide behind those containers until the bleeding stops.
Kantorou Mashashiba
Everything is gray. The shipyard, the fog, my own vision. I need to hold onto my strength, but it is leaking out of me with every pulse of my heart.
A sudden, unnatural chill cuts through the humid air of the harbor, snuffing out the flickering light of the distant sirens.
Akuma
You reek of a spirit that has already given up. Is this truly the limit of your path?
Kantorou Mashashiba
Who is this guy. He is not with the rivals, and he is not a cop. He stands there like a mountain, waiting for me to fall over.
“Kantorou is soaked in so much blood it's insane never ending battles.”
PARTIAL (Fair Health, rolled +1)
Kantorou Mashashiba
Get behind me, Matoya. This bastard is not just another school bully.
Matoya Kaririba
Kantorou, you can barely stand! Let me handle the heavy lifting while you catch your breath.
Kantorou Mashashiba
My grip on the chain feels slippery, but I cannot let it go. My pulse is hammering against my ribs, each beat threatening to open the wound wider.
The stranger steps forward, the wooden prayer beads around his neck clattering with a sound like dry bones. His crimson eyes lock onto Kantorou with predatory indifference.
Akuma
To fight with a broken body is admirable. To cling to life for a mere bag of trinkets is pathetic. Show me if your conviction has weight, or die in the dirt.
Kantorou Mashashiba
He wants a battle of strength, not a chase. If I charge, I might catch him off guard, but if I miss, the blood loss will surely claim me before the next round.
“Kantorou is soaked in so much blood it's insane never ending battles. He tries his strength to heal”
PARTIAL (Fair Health, rolled +2)
Kantorou Mashashiba
The blood loss is making the world blur at the edges, but I can feel the Satsui no Hado radiating off this freak. If I do not channel my pain into focus, I am a corpse.
Akuma
Your spirit is tethered to a fading vessel. Discard your hesitation, or it will be the last thing you hold.
Kantorou grits his teeth, forcing his trembling hands to tighten around the metal chain. He plants his boots firmly into the oil-slicked gravel, ignoring the sharp, tearing agony in his side.
Kantorou Mashashiba
I am not looking for an honorable death, Akuma. I am looking to win.
Matoya Kaririba
Kantorou, wait! He is not human. Look at the way the air warps around his feet.
Kantorou Mashashiba
Matoya is right. If I lunge blindly, he will end me. I need to bait him, make him overextend, and hope my strength holds for one final, devastating strike.
“*Akuma is not the person to face weakened opponents that is pathetic and a waste of time, no point to not fight the best*”
FAILURE (Good Willpower, rolled +1)
Kantorou Mashashiba
A legend like him wouldn't waste time on a dying man. If I stay on the ground, he gets bored. I have to make him acknowledge me as a true rival.
Akuma
Pathetic. You cling to your injuries like a shield. If you have nothing left to offer but the stench of failure, then vanish.
Akuma exhales a heavy, grey breath. He does not even take a combat stance, instead turning his back entirely as if Kantorou Mashashiba were a stray insect, not worth the effort of a stomp.
Kantorou Mashashiba
The arrogance. It burns more than the wound. He thinks I am done.
Kantorou Mashashiba
Hey. Where do you think you are going? I am still standing.
Kantorou Mashashiba lunges with a final, desperate burst of energy, aiming his chained knuckles at the nape of the man's neck. But his boot catches on a jagged piece of rusted metal, sending him spiraling hard into the freezing harbor mud.
Akuma
You lack the strength to even reach me, child. Die in the dirt.
Quest Complete
Survive the encounter with Akuma
Attribute Upgrade: Health Fair→Good