Hound of the Dead Chapter 2: Thugs (Patreon)

Beta read by Shigiya, Kyuugan and Darklord331

I've already started working on SEF, can't give an exact date yet.

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-Tokonosu City-


"Yo!" he greeted the two highschool girls, his tone cheerful. "Sorry to butt in, but I couldn't help but overhear that you're from Fujimi Academy. Mind if I join you for a moment? I'm new around here and thought it'd be a good idea to chat with my potential fellow classmates… you know, cool to break the ice and all that." He motioned to a bag containing a few cans of beer. Oh wait… according to the modern world’s laws these two were underage for drinking. Well, he didn’t think it was that big of an issue, he did find teens younger than him drinking from time to time, but he guessed it would be a bit different here. 


Though he remained undeterred, if they wanted to have a taste, then who was he to say no?


"Wait, you're really a student!?" The fiery redhead shouted again, her expressions a mix of surprise and skepticism, earning her a large smirk from the Irishman. Just from that he already had an inkling of her personality, he could already tell that the two would get along nicely. "You look like a grown-ass man!" 


"Hahahahaha! I do, don't I? I get that a lot, but aye, I'm seventeen.” He confessed with a chuckle, not insulted in the slightest as he struck a pose for the girls, the Hound basking in their admiration, or at least that what he assumed he was seeing in their eyes “I guess ye could say I hit the genetic lottery.” Truer words had never been spoken, both in this life and the last, though while it was certainly true that his father had been an early bloomer, supposedly sprouting a full beard before hitting thirteen, Cu couldn't help wonder if his past life was affecting his present. It certainly didn't hurt that he greatly resembled his younger self from his past life, right down to his crimson eyes and blue hair, which he'd styled back in a warriors-tail much like he had following his training under Scathatch, despite his mother's disapproval. "I swear this body is really seventeen years old, it’s the truth."


Not like he was lying, something told him that these gals would think of him as a weirdo if he mentioned he was an ancient Irish hero who got reincarnated in the modern world after fighting and getting killed in a war against other freaks of nature — his parent sure did laugh when he mentioned that. Oh well, it wasn't his fault they thought he was joking.


Was it the world fucking with him, or simply a side-effect of reincarnation, Cu honestly couldn't tell nor did he really give it much importance, though admittedly it was kind of comforting seeing a familliar face whenever he looked in the mirror. "So like I said, I'm new in town.” he explained to the girls with a smirk “Just landed a few hours ago in fact and thought I'd get the lay of the land since I'll be attending Fujimi Academy for the forseeable future.”


“I didn't know we were getting a foreign exchange student.” Fumiko mused aloud, her analytical mind already trying to piece things together as she eyed the hound "You sure you didn't get held back a year? You seriously look like you should be in college."


"I'll take that as a compliment.” Cu chuckled, not insulted in the slightest, since even in his past life he'd always been more mature than his true age implied “You're quite the looker yourself, if you don't mind me saying so.”


"Um...Thank you?" Fumiko stammered, clearly caught off guard by the foreign teen's forwardness, a stark contrast to the boy's she was familiar with "It's nice of you to say that, but I'm not that special, I'm actually rather plain compared to other girls.”


"No offence lass, but if you're what passes for 'Plain' around here then you might as well call the sun a candle.” Cu scoffed, smirking at the girl's shocked expression “Seriously, whoever called you plain must've never seen a real woman before.” 


She just lacked enough confidence as many people her age, at least that was the impression he got. Still felt weird being back in Japan and talking to regular people without a disastrous war and useless Master keeping him occupied. That Emiya boy and young missy were both high schoolers, so now he wondered how their regular day went outside of the Supernatural world. Sure, studying in Howth did give him a deep dive experience, but it just wasn't the same, or at least, he grew used to it after a couple of years. Perhaps this new environment and people would change things up for him. Speaking of Saber’s Master, he wondered how that lad handled hiis situation. if it weren't for how dense the lad was Cu would've bought him a drink to congratulate him for his luck in attracting good women. 


Then again, perhaps he was being to harsh on the boy. The Holy Grail War wasn’t an environment for teenagers of all people. Funny how the most competent Master, or the one who showed the highest potential to emerge victorious was Archer’s Master. A girl who coudn’t be honest with her feelings for the boy which he found almost sweet. He hoped both of them at least managed to punch that Archer at least once… bastard deserved it.


Coming back to Fumiko, it certainly didn't hurt the girl's case that she was considerably more...endowed, than most. Add i how adorable she looked in those glasses and Cu was certain he'd have to beat off the lads back in Howth with a stick to protect her chastity. "M-Momo?!” Fumiko squeaked, snapping Cu out of his thoughts just in time to watch the bespectacled girl flush scarlet, her redheaded friend having snuck up behind, having her hands snaked around the bespectacled girl’s waist and instantly grabbed a handful of her breasts, giving them several squeezes as she unconsciously let out a moan, an electric sensation spreading across her body.


Her shocked gaze went back to her redheaded friend's brazen action. 


"Hmm, Hmm, Hmm, I can confirm they are indeed very big! You should be more confident, Fumi~! These are some nice sweater puppies!" Momo said with a cheeky grin that matched Cu's as the boy started laughing out loud — much to the bespectacled girl's embarrassment.


"Yosh! You two are a riot!" His grin wouldn't die down, only getting bigger as Fumiko's face started to go beet red, not even struggling from her friend's public groping. "I can see that you are a good friend, redhead, she needs to grow some confidence for the future to blossom into a true beauty." 


"You can count on me!" Momo grinned, offering the hound a mock salute before immediately going back to fooling around with her friend's body without a hint of reservation, not that Cu was inclined to stop the free show.


Sadly, all good things must come to an end, Fumiko eventually managing to escape her friend's clutches, the bespectacled girl staggering away to place her back against a wall to ensure no-more attacks fromt he rear.


"Mou~! How embarassing!” she whined, pouting at her best friend as she carefully fixed her clothing back into place “Seriously Momo-chan, that was too much even for you! It's not nice to mess around like that, especially not when we're in public?”


“So does that mean you're fine with it so long as it's in private?” Cu quipped, not willing to miss the chance to further tease the girl which turned out to work in his favor as she stared at him bloody murder.


“And as for you!” the bespectacled girl huffed, striding up to the hound and stabbing a finger into his chest authoritatively “I don't know how things work where you're from but it's against the law for students to buy alcohol!”


Old enough to kill, old enough to drink, he nearly said that before realizing how weird it would sound to these two ordinary girls. Not like they were Magi, who didn’t care that much about such laws or even non-magical people for that matter or those who witnessed death for that matter. So with an awkward smile, he decided it'd be better if he apologized to make things less of a hassle. "Ah, sorry about that. Gotta remember I ain't in Howth anymore. Many kids there drink as early as thirteen, of course, they do it secretly."



"Sounds like my kinda place.” Momo confessed, the redhead stepping past her pouting friend to grab a can, cracking it open and chugging it down with the air of a pro, even going so far as to let out a proper belch when she was done. "Bleh, tastes like piss.” the redhead noted with a grimace, glaring at the now empty can as she crushed it up and tossed it into a nearby bin “Lemme know know next time you're doing a beer run, I know which is the good stuff.”


"Momo!?" Fumiko exclaimed, the poor girl looking absolutely scandalised as she glanced between her friend and the now empty can, as if unable to believe what she just saw.


"What?" the redhead countered, glancing back at her friend unrepentantly "It's not the first time you've seen me drink a beer. Hell we even had some of my dad's sake secretly, remember?” she blinked at Fumiko's look of confusion “Oh wait, you passed out after two cups." 



"..." 


From the looks of it, these two were quite the duo. The loud and outgoing friend and then the quiet and reserved one, such pairings were surprisingly common now that he thought about it. Oh well, he made sure to keep the remaining beers away from the redhead as she took a second one, not wanting to accidentally let things go a bit too far. She sat on the bench, now more comfortable around him with their short interaction with Fumiko standing in her spot from before. 'A right pair these two are.’

 

“No need to be be so stiff Lass.” he assured Fumiko, the bespectacled girl clearly not as comfortable around him as her more outgoing friend “If drinkings not your speed i got some snacks as well, you girls like chocolate, right?”


“Is the sky blue?” Momo scoffed, reaching over to grab a bar from the bag before tossing it over to Fumiko before taking another for herself “So what's your name big guy?” she asked with a grin “Oh, I'm Kawamoto Momo by the by, soon-to-be second year student of Fujimi Academy.”


"Tanuichi Fumiko," she gave a small bow, speaking silently and far more reserved than her friend. Not noticing that she was giving Cu a peek of her cleavage. "Also a second year." 


"Nice to meet you both, the name is Seth Collins, Seth is my given name. My friends call me Cu, so I don't mind if you use it instead. Also, a second year like you two, born and raised in Howth Ireland, and kicked into the land of the rising sun by my family." They gave him a strange look at the last part, which he ignored and continued to speak. "Sorry if I scared you gals. Just got a little excited to know I got to meet my schoolmates so soon and wanted to have a chat. Ain't got any friends, so this was an opportunity as any." 


“Ireland...I believe it’s park of the UK, I always wanted to visit such a place one day.” Fumiko said, forcing a silent sigh which went unnoticed by both. As someone who had proudly died fighting the enemies of Ulster, to say the current state of his homeland alienated Cu would be an understatement, the fact it had fallen to Saber's homeland doing little to soften the blow. Oh well, time was a cruel mistress, it not only changed people but entire countries themselves. Nothing he could do but to accept it and adapt to the modern world.


"Eh, you're Irish? What a coincidence, I have some distant relatives in Ireland as well!" Momo exclaimed with excitement which Cu mirrored by bumping his fists with her. 


“Heh, small world.” Cu mused, offering the girl a feral grin as they bumped fists in a show of solidarity “Should've known a girl with fire in her coat would've been from the homeland. So care to tell me what I'm in for at Fujimi?”


"You applied and got accepted in Fujimi without knowing anything about the school or the town?" Fumiko spoke with confusion while munching on the stick of chocolate, given how cutthroat the competition was for anyone who didn't have rich parents to get into the school — she expected him to at least know the basics. 


"A very fine lady told me it's a place for rich kids and started blabbering about how great the education was and blah, blah, blah, without giving much on the actual important stuff of this place, like a good bar." Kyouko sure did speak a lot without actually giving him anything to work with. Praising the damn place as if it were made of gold, with each student being the world's biggest genius. Didn't help that she was a teacher as well, so the chances of her opinions being biased were high. 


Who better to ask than an actual student? 


“Well you're not entirely wrong.” Momo confessed with a scoff, waving a hand for emphasis “As much as the staff like to claim it's a school for prodigies, you can pretty much count on one hand the people who didn't get in because their parents are rich or have the right connections.”


“She's exagerating.” Fumiko insisted, though Cu could tell even she wasn't entirely confident saying so “While there are those who only got in thanks to their connections, Fujimi really does try to cater to the best of the best, both in terms of academics and athletics.”


“Gotta back my girl on this one.” Momo confessed with a sigh “Say what you like about those riding the gravy train, all that money coming in means the school ain't lacking for funds, not with the likes of the Busujima and Takagi families shilling out for the good stuff.”


“As a result, not only has the academy been able to hire the best tutors available in their respective fields, they're also able to boast having the finest facilties for research and physical development.” Fujimi continued, seemingly pleased to gush about her alma matter.


“Heck, most of our sports teams are actually breaking world records as we speak.” Momo continued with a grin “Hell, setting aside the usual sports teams, our Kendo, Boxing and Sojutsu clubs always bring back nothing less than silver at the nationals… we probaby don’t even have any bronze medals. Just gold and silver for every single club, even i had a hard time to believe such a revelation”


"Soujutsu?" Cu interrupted the girl, wanting her to elaborate on the last part. That word rang a bell inside his mind, while the Grail provided every Servant with all the general information of the modern world, it didn't necessarily give them the more specific details. However, that didn't stop him from feeling something familiar with this word with his knowledge of Japanese. 


"Oh right, it's probably the first time you've heard this word, given you're not Japanese. It's basically the art of spear fighting, similar to kendo but instead of a sword, it's a spear." Fumiko explained patiently as his interest grew further. "Though it's not as popular as kendo in our school, most of the newcomers just choose to either become part of one of the sports clubs or kendo." 


“They teach you how to use a spear here?” Cu repeated, the hound struggling to keep the wolfish grin from forming on his face, unable to reign in his excitement at this latest piece of news.


"It's one of the traditional combat sports the school offers.” Fumiko supplied nervously, a little unnerved by the teen's sudden intensity “They've always done well at the nationals, though sadly it's doesn't seem to be as popular as the Kendo club this year.”


"Humph, they just want to have a chance with Busujima-senpai. Those horn dogs probably get off by getting hit constantly by her shinai. Too bad she never showed any interest in them. They really rather get hit to the face thousands of times than have to deal with Miyamoto-sempai and her mood swings.” Momo scoffed derisively “Though I can't say I blame them, I'd be pissed all the time too if I got held back a year.”


“You shouldn't talk about her like that, Momo-chan.” Fumiko chastised, Cu proceeding to sit back and let the pair chatter amongst themselves, a handy little trick he'd picked up in his first life in order to gather information on enemy tactics during the war with Connacht.


Just as expected, while the Soujutsu got his interest and will give it a check later, he couldn't really get into the conversation with these topics and talk about their classmates. Content to just sit by and absorb the information with a tranquil smile on his face. From what he managed to learn, Busujima Saeko, apparently she was a descendent of Samurai, which would explain why she was so proficient in kendo, earning multiple accolades for their club to the point the only reason she was still the vice captain was because she hadn't challenged the captain for his seat.


However, in the end, kendo didn't really pique his interest that much despite having used a blade in his past life and it being a prominent weapon in his legend. Hell, his own legend ended with him wielding a sword instead of his beloved spear, even if he'd had to tie himelf up by his intestines to do so – from his early childhood till his adulthood, the sword didn’t capture his interest as much as the spear. His shishou drilled the core understanding of spearmanship and runecraft to the point of nearly killing him multiple times with her training. Though he enjoyed every moment of it, the joy of battle ran deeply within his blood and he had long since come to terms with his nature as being a warrior, a fighter. 


Maybe it would be different if he were challenged by someone of Saber or Assassin's calibre of swordsmanship, hell he'd jump at the chance to show Archer how a real swordsman fought, but even in his current form the idea of facing off against mere humans lacked any sort of appeal. But Sojutsu...now that was something he couldn't ignore, for while it was undoutedly true that there were stronger classes he could be summoned under, there was a reason he would always prefer to be summoned as a Lancer. Sadly, aside from fishing with hand-carved spears, Cu had little opportunity to practice his preferred means of combat, since none of the gyms or martial arts clubs in Howth covered any form of weapon usage, let alone spears. 


Though he kept his expectations in check. They were still teenagers who wouldn't have the same experience as him in any conceivable way. Not like they ever dealt with a life or death scenario, nor would they ever experience it — the world was too peaceful for it to happen realistically. Even with his reduced circumstances, he harboured no delusions that he would find a challenge there. It didn't matter how many accolades this Miyamoto Rei had earned, in this life and the next there was only one woman who surpassed his skill with a spear. Having said that, Cu would be lying if he denied the growing anticipation in his heart to pick up a spear at long last, honestly looking forward to testing the mettle of his future club-mates, wondering if any of them would remain after he showed them how a pro fights.


"What about you, Cu?" Fumiko spoke, breaking him away from his thoughts. Both looked at him curiously, waiting for an answer to a question he didn't hear, which he asked to repeat. "Ah, both Momo and I were wondering how you managed to get admitted to Fujimi High."


"Trust me, it isn't easy.” Momo confessed whilst slumping forward with a sigh “Fumiko-chan was able to get in on a scholarship because she beat all the competition by claming the top spot during Middle School. Everyone else had to bribe the staff to get in.”

 

"Idiot, don't make it sound like that. It was just a simple entrance exam and my past scores allowed me to get admitted. And why am I being targeted here? Didn't you get admitted because your mom and dad 'donated' a large sum of money?" She pointed at the redhead who had the decency to scratch her chin with some level of embarrassment and laughed awkwardly. 


"W-What do you mean by that? I-I got in because of my exceptional talent with sports and record as a track runner." Though she tried to speak confidently, it was quite clear to both that the girl relied on her parents to get in. "A-Anyways! So what's your story?" 


"Well unlike you, princess—"


"Hey!"


"—my parents aren't exactly the richest or even associated with some top officials or something. Mom is a fishmonger and Dad is a fisherman, you can't get any richer than that in Howth," he joked. "I'm not the smartest head around, my grades were the textbook definition of average. Not too good and not too bad. As for how I got here? Got fortunate, I guess, Mom was friends with someone who works in the school and managed to negotiate something for me to join. Don’t know if you can consider that as a form of nepotism, but i wouldn’t blame you to think that." 


He was grateful to Kyouko, the woman having proven herself to be strict but fair, and clearly cared deeply enough about her job that she'd go out on a limb for a lunkhead like him based entirely on her past relationship with his mother. He'd already been debating how best to repay her for her kindness, but with the recent revelation of the Sojutsu Club, his desire to do so had become all the more personal.


"So yeah, for the most part, I just got lucky...which is a first for me, not gonna lie." He quipped, his past life and time as a Servant flashing before his eyes as he finished off his beer last beer “Anyways, it's been great getting to know ya ladies, but I should be heading back.” 


"Oh wait!" Momo called out, the redhead reaching out to halt Cu in place as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her smartphone “Since we'll be classmates, better share contacts. You got Line?" 

 

"Line?" Cu repeated, not familliar with the jargon but suspecting it had something to do with her phone. While Kyouko did provide him with a new phone and number to use in Japan, she'd yet to show him how to use it to find places. 


"I'll take that as a no.” Momo sighed, shaking her head before reaching out to him “Your phone, give it to me.” she commanded, Cu hesitantly doing so, looking on with intrigue as the redhead proceeded to mess around with his device before passing it back. “I added both Fumi's and my number.” Momo explained, beaming up at the former Servant with an encouraging grin “If you need any help or just feel like wadering around Tokonosu then give us a call and we can come hang out.”


“Sounds like a plan to me.” Cu noted, honestly touched by the gesture, for while he'd been planning to continue his exploration later, having a guide familliar with the lay of the land would save him a lot of time. “Thanks for that princess, you and the little miss have a great day."  


"Quit calling me that!” Momo shouted, glaring heatedly at Cu's retreating back as the Hound made his escape, leaving the redhead to fume alongside her giggling friend “Oh don't you get started Fumiko!”


Break 


'All in all, I'd say today went rather well.' Cu mused, hands in his pockets as he slowly meandered his way down the street 'Even managed to make a few new friends, and with a couple of gals to boot.'


Glancing up at the sky, he watched as the vibrant canvas of the evening sky had morphed into a deep and enchanting shade of orange as the sun dipped below the distant horizon. The sign of evening approaching became evident, with the chirping crickets, the melodious serenades of katydids, and the rhythmic buzzing of cicadas eventually waning into a serene backdrop. The once bustling streets began to see a gradual reduction in the number of pedestrians, casting a tranquil ambiance over the city as he walked to the more… secluded part of the city. 


As night's inky veil unfurled across the urban landscape, street lights flickered to life, casting their warm, welcoming glow onto the pavement below. An eerie sense of déjà vu overtook the former Lancer as he traversed the dimly lit streets, a palpable tension in the air reminiscent of the days he spent in Fuyuki during the Holy Grail War.


"Except this time, there's no sadistic, two-face, fake priest of a  Master ordering me around." The distant cityscape was now punctuated by the towering silhouettes of skyscrapers, creating a familiar yet hauntingly beautiful panorama. Cu's sharp eyes glanced across the city's outline, piecing together the intricate puzzle of Tokonosu's layout. With a casual whistle, he turned down a narrow alley, his footsteps finally coming to a halt before a looming, graffiti-covered wall.


"..." This place smelled heavily of smoke and piss, quite the contrast to the tranquil environment a couple of steps away. Well, it was the quietest place he could find, with those curious bunch following him for a while. 


His gaze shifted to the rear of the alley, where a shadowy assembly of figures blocked the only path of exit. Clad in dark attire, their faces obscured by hoodies and masks, a notable exception was the man with a do-rag who stood distinct from the rest, being bulkier and taller than the rest. He held onto a boombox that was playing music at nearly full volume and the same stench of smoke coming from them. 


“Well now, what do we have here?” the apparent ringleader of this barrel of monkeys drawled in what he probably thought was a threatening tone as he swaggered out to sneer at Cu, clad in a do-rag with his hands in his pockets “Haven't seen you before...you new in town?”


"You figure all that out while you were following me did you?” Cu quipped, reaching up to clean out his ear with his pinkie finger, completely unconcerned with the punk's pitiful attempt at intimidation, hell even his ma was more intimidating on a good day.


That seemed to catch the leader by surprise for a second before he recomposed himself. Cu could understand his confusion, in a normal case one would run away or go to the cops to escape. 


“Ooh, we got a live one!” The guy exclaimed to the sound of jeers from the peanut gallery “Might wanna check the attitude pal,” he sneered, getting in Cu's face “no telling what might happen to a loudmouth gainjin wandering alone at night.”


“That a threat?” Cu deadpanned, his features entirely unchanged save for a brief flaring of his nostrils flaring at the foul scent of cheap booze and old tobacco on the punk's breath, the hound honestly curious if the guy was serious or if he was working up to some sort of joke. 


“Not at all! Just a friendly warning from a group of concerned citizens!” The leader shook away his words and continued on, "Walking these parts solo ain't too smart. How 'bout we keep ya company on the way home? Maybe you can spare a few of them beers. While you're at it, my friend over there needs some medical attention, but the damn fees are so high… wouldn't mind sparing some cash as well, right?"


Cu maintained an air of serene composure, unruffled by the foreboding atmosphere. He scanned the group for signs of firearms but found none, though the blades glinted menacingly beneath their belts.


"Ah you guys must be joking," Cu replied with a nonchalant smile. "And sorry to disappoint, pal, but I've got no plans to share these brews with ya. A little lass already put away two, and there's not much left for me."


“Dude there's like, two six-packs in that bag at least.” a random voice from the peanut gallery called out, only to be silenced with a slap upside the head and a glare from the do-rag wearing individual while Cu casually pulled a can out of the bag and cracked it open.


"As you can see," Cu continued, a playful smirk gracing his features, "not enough for even one person."


The group of street thugs, however, was unimpressed by Cu's retort. Their leader let out a hearty laugh, and the others joined in. 


"C'mon, foreigner," he said with a sneer, "you're in our territory now. You don't get to refuse our generous offer." The other people nodded in agreement, their faces contorted with arrogance.


With an air of bravado, they stepped closer to Cu, further blocking any escape route. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense as Cu remained unperturbed, sizing up the situation. It seemed he might have to resort to more than just words to handle this encounter. 


"I'll pass," giving them one last chance, the blue-haired Irishman tried to walk past the leader only to be stopped — his collar grabbed as the man snarled at him. Though with Cu being slightly taller, they didn't meet eye to eye. "Don't say I didn't warn ya." 


"Now listen here y—mmph!" Before the leader could even finish his phrase, his face got smashed with a powerful headbutt. Cu's attack landed squarely on the leader's nose, causing an explosive burst of pain. Blood sprayed into the air as the thug stumbled backward, clutching his face in agony. The once-confident leader was now writhing on the ground, dazed and disoriented. "Aaaarrrghh!" 


"What the fuck!?" 


"Boss!"


The other members of the group were taken aback, their initial arrogance replaced with shock and anger as they witnessed their leader crumple to the ground, clutching his bleeding nose. Cu's swift and decisive response had left them bewildered, unsure of how to react. 


But that momentary pause only lasted for a second before the group decided to escalate things further. One of the thugs, undeterred by his fallen leader, pulled a switchblade from his pocket. With a menacing glint in his eye, he lunged at him with a vicious swipe, aiming to make a mark on the foreigner who dared to challenge them.


Cu's previous expression remained unyielding as he slipped his hands into his pockets, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. The thug's knife came dangerously close, the blade slicing through the air, with him feeling the wind grazing his skin with each slash.


"Using a weapon against someone unarmed? Man, you guys are just patheic," he quipped with a mocking tone, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. The man moved with ease and grace, almost as if he were dancing. Each step, each shift, was perfectly timed to avoid the blade's deadly edge.


The street thug's frustration grew as his strikes continued to miss their mark, his attacks growing wilder and more frenzied. He couldn't understand how Cu effortlessly dodged every slash, his movements a well-practiced ballet that rendered the blade useless. With an angry face, he shouted, “You sunnuva bitch-! What the fuck are you all doing there waiting!? He attacked Yoshio, this bastard!"


The shock and anger that had gripped the remaining group members were enough to snap them into action. No longer willing to stand idly by, they decided to take matters into their own hands. With blades and fists at the ready, they closed in on Cu, their intentions clear: to overwhelm him.


'Hah, it sucks fighting without a spear.' He thought as he ducked at a punch aimed straight for his head, then swiftly raised his knee and delivered a brutal gut attack that pushed all the air out of the person's lungs. This was followed by Cu grasping his face and harshly slamming against the wall — most likely breaking most of the front teeth and nose. 


While he wasn't exactly a master hand-to-hand martial artist, that didn't mean he couldn't handle himself against run-of-the-mill troublemakers. Against another Servant without his spear, he still had his runecraft to fallback to in the worst-case scenario, but aside from that he would be doomed. "Maybe I should get myself a new spear… or make one." 


Doubtful that this world possessed any remnants of the Curruid's bones with how the supernatural showed itself to be a non-existent part of this world. Even if by some god-given luck it existed, he didn't know where to find it or where this world's version of Gae Bold would be. 


"Come on now, I don't have all day." He taunted them which worked well with their red faces twisting with fury. 


The other assailants rushed forward simultaneously, a cacophony of threats and jeers filling the alley. Blades gleamed in the dim light, and fists flew at him from all directions. Now challenged by multiple attackers, he knew that he needed to end things right there as soon as possible. "Ah damn it!" 


One of the goons tried to stab him lower at his tights which moved away in time, but didn't have time to move out his bag which got ripped to shreds with the cans falling onto the floor and getting crushed by their shoes. Alright, now he was pissed. 


Instantly, his crimson eyes widened with the desire to break them all down burning through his veins. 


The group found their strikes landing on empty air or meeting with Cu's hands, which moved like blurs to deflect their blows. This left a few open-to-leg strikes that crushed their ribs or sweep attacks that even blocking barely helped. "Argh!" 


Their numbers quickly dwindled as they made short work of them, either knocking them unconscious or just making them unable to move a muscle by breaking a few bones. 


To their eyes, Cu was no different from a beast, his attacks visible and even predictable at times. But the sheer speed and force behind each jap and kick forced a wave of pain to flood their minds before they could even think of dodging. The crimson eyes almost looked like they glowed in the dark, their weapons amounting to jack — leaving behind nothing but the desire to run away. 


And he didn't even look winded one bit!


"C-Crazy… this guy is crazy!" Despite their collective effort, the group was unable to land a single hit on Cu. They watched in growing frustration as their attacks were rendered futile by the Irishman's agility and combat prowess. The one wearing the durag had his knees shaking as he watched the foreigner choke out one of his friends till they were foaming out of their mouth before being thrown to the ground with a loud thud — leaving him as the only remaining guy standing. 


“HIIIE-!” he shrieked, srambling desperately on all fours towards the lip of the alley, hoping against hope that the monster wouldn't follow him where other people could see “S-Stay away from me you freak-!” His attempt to run away proved futile as an excruciating sharp pain came from his left leg, rendering him immobile as he fell to the ground. Looking down, he grew horrified to find a knife embedded at the back of his thighs, bleeding warm blood all over his pants. "Hah… hah… hah!!!" 


Hyperventilating, he crawled away a couple of meters only before getting further pushed onto the ground with a heavy weight on his back as Cu took a seat. 


"Give it up, lad," the crazy monster said casually, his bored face glancing at the street for any more problems. Hands rummaging through the thug's pockets before he retrieved a box of cigarettes and started smoking. "I told you to leave, should have listened also…"


Once again, the durag-wearing person screamed with pain as the knives embedded in his flesh got forcefully pulled out with more blood bleeding through the now open wounds. 


Cu retrieved the fallen switchblade, twirling it in his hand with a dangerous glint in his eye. "You forgot something."


"I-I-I'm sorry!" The person begged with a shaky voice. "D-Don't kill me, I have a family, m-my little sister is waiting for me back home!" 


He watched as the man exhaled a puff of smoke which dispersed in the wind, a slight frown present before he shook his head. "What are you talking about, idiot? I ain't gonna kill you or anyone else for that matter, just for trying to mug me." 


Not like he had that little control over his battle lust and bloodlust. Sure when alive he did have his moments of frenzy, but not like they happened every time and only occurred in the middle of intense battles. This was the farthest thing from a battle, calling it a minor warm up for his limbs sounded more appropriate. 


"Also, don't worry to much about the wound. Just needs a bit of a patch up… probably." He joked, finding it funny as the guy beneath him started panicking. "Mah, stop panicking you big baby. You wouldn’t be in this situation if your group didn't try to rob a poor student like me."


"Y-You're a student!?" The man exclaimed with shock, everyone in his group thought this was a grown man this whole time! "Wait! I mean, this was a-all a mistake man, p-please let me go. I promise you w-won't ever see my face ever again! I p-promise to ev…"


As he continued to ramble on without showing any signs of stopping, the former Servant of the Spear took this event to become more certain of his desire to check out this Soujutsu club and find people actually capable of using a weapon. Hopefully, they'd give him more challenges than this bunch… or maybe he could try to challenge that Busujima lass. 


"...ster, she's still young and both our parents and grandparents are not in good health!" The man hadn't finished yapping about his little sister. Rolling his eyes, Cu lightly tapped the guy's head with the back of the switchblade to shut him up. 


"I'm telling ya that I’m not going to kill you!! Do I like some sort of psycho out for blood?" 


"..." 


His silence was more telling than anything else. Given Cu was still covered with splotches of blood from the people he just beat the crap out of, it didn't help his image. This is on top of holding a blade covered in blood with the victim crying on the ground. "Never mind, don’t answer that. Just tell me your name, can't exactly keep calling you lad all day." 


"Yoshito… Honda Yoshito," he reluctantly answered, just wanting not to offend this monster any more than necessary and possibly getting stabbed again. "I'm s-sorry… I promise we won't try to m-mug you again. Heeeee!" 


He screeched as the end point of the blade poked his back. Goosebumps spread all over his body as Yoshito nearly lost consciousness. "Don't mug or harass people in general, you plank. And why are you even hanging out with these people if you have a family waiting for you? Only a matter of time before you get into trouble with the law or meet someone more bloodthirsty than me." 


Out of everyone, this was the only one who hesitated to attack him in the first place and just stood in place the entire time. Whether it was due to fear or just cowardice, he couldn't tell. Funnily enough, this Yoshito looked more intimidating than the rest with his larger build, plated teeth, tanned skin, chains, and tattoos. 


“...It's not as simple as that.” Yoshito mumbled, only to flinch at Cu's frown, realising he'd spoken the words aloud “I-it's not like i wanna do this! But i gotta meet my quota or my boss will cut me loose-!”


“Then walk away.” Cu cut him off relentlessly.


"...My boss is pretty damn rich. He would give us alot of money if we do his work and he even lends me his old car when I drive him around town. Makes it easy to support my family without having to get legit work… finding a job here is hard with my looks, even before dressing up like this." He said as Cu got off his back, feeling his heart calm down despite the stinging pain coming from his leg.


That last part the Irishman did not expect, still, he wasn't going to let go of him so easily. "Well sorry to hear that, but that still doesn't excuse resorting to mugging people. How about this, I won't hurt you anymore or ‘kill’ you if give up this stupid shit. But your little group of friends ruined my beers and now I'm empty-handed. If you buy me a pack or two, then I'll forget about this mess and call it even." 


"Eh, seriously!?" The thug shouted with surprise, not expecting the condition to be something so trivial. He honestly thought the boy would demand all his money or more from him. Possibly even use this opportunity for blackmail. 


"Well yeah, it's already late at night, I wanna go home and sleep. Haven't slept since… two days ago? Yeah, something like that — the flight to Japan was just unbearable." The travel had really taken a toll on his body, which now demanded some sleep. "Though if I find you hanging out with this group again, I'll break your legs and face till even your family won't recognize it." 


"Yes, boss! I promise I'll follow your words and not cause any more trouble!" Yoshito's forehead pressed against the ground as he thanked the gods for not having his life end here or experience any more brutal ass kicking like his other peers, who got their faces caved in. 


"Oi, I'm not your boss," Cu said, dropping the cigarette bud into a trash bin. Not that he was going to follow through with this threat, as long as this guy stopped bothering him and anyone else then this was fine. 


"Get up, let's get you patched up and we'll make a stop at the convenience—?" The blaring sound of sirens and a bright flash of light assaulted Cu's senses as he put his arms up to cover his face. The screeching noise of a car tire skiding across the road with footsteps making their way near him. "What the…" 


He didn't have to wonder what was going on for long until a loud gruff voice yelled at him. "Put your hands up where I can see them, boy. You're coming with me to the police station for some questioning."


Ah shit… even in this world, his bad luck never ceases to chase him at every given opportunity. 


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Kyouko was having a peaceful evening in her house, dressed in her usual night garbs with a cup of steaming hot tea, she enjoyed the few moments of peace by watching her favorite show. Having completed setting up her upcoming lessons and plans for future assignments to her students — the woman believed she deserved a break. 


"He should be sleeping by now, the flight was quite long from what I understand." She thought about Fiona's son, Seth Collins or Cu as he told her to call him. He didn't seem his age, that was for certain but in the end, he behaved like a teenager. Brash, a bit on the rude side but not something a bit of time and discipline wouldn't fix. 


For his age, the boy possessed the right physique and face that may attract some attention from the girls in Fujimi. Kyouko hoped that wouldn't be the case and he focused instead on his studies. She had enough trouble dealing with some of the more shameless boys who used their parent's status to their advantage and caused a ruckus regularly. 


Knock


Knock


The sound of knocking from the front-door snapped her out of her musings, the redhead frowning at the clock, as it was fairly late for anyone to be calling and she wasn't the type to order out even when she was too lazy to cook. “One moment!” she called out, adjusting her nightgown as she rose from her seat and crossed the short distance to the hallway, making sure the latch was in place as she cracked the door open only to pale at the sight of a blood-covered Seth Collins grinning awkwardly at her.

 

"Ah, hey teach,” the teen greeted with an awkward grin, tilting his head to the side to draw her attention to the middle aged man standing just behind him with one hand on his shoulder, the olther reaching into his coat to pull out a Police badge “In my defense, I didn't kill anyone.”


That… that did nothing to lower her skyrocketing blood pressure. 


{Break}


"I'm sorry, Rei." 


How many times had she heard this phrase for the past two months? Dozens of times by now, and every time, it felt just as painful as previous times. Smiling and saying it was okay did little to make her father feel better and less guilty. 




Sitting at the dining table, the girl sighed. The sunlight outside shone on her face, which accentuated her features: orange-brown hair tied in a single small ponytail with bangs hanging over her face, reddish-brown eyes and a slender figure with ample breasts.


Her mother and father, Tadashi Miyamoto and Kiriko Miyamoto, sitting at the table with an awkward atmosphere permitting the room.“Don't worry about it.” She assured her father for what felt like the umpteenth time, offering him a soft smile that did little to ease the awkward atmosphere at the dinner table “It's not like I was expelled, if anything the fact he could only hold me back a year is kind of pathetic.”

Feeling both of their warmth, the father managed to push out a small glimmer of a smile. "That damned Shido Ichirou, I promise I'll get him behind bars and have his bastard son put on trial along with him!" His voice burned with fury at the corrupt politician who he'd been investigating for a while under the charges of corruption and fraud. Yet to protect his image and force the police to stop any investigation he resorted to the disgusting tactic of targeting his daughter and her education. Manipulating the school board and having his son help in order to hold her back a year despite her having near-perfect scores. 


"Now now, don't get too worked up about this, dear. We'll figure something out like we always do and Rei here isn't that naive to not understand the situation." His wife added, relieving some of the burden he carried but not enough to fully forgive himself. No matter how much they smiled, he knew deep down that his daughter got hurt because of his actions, which was unforgivable to Tadashi. "Let's change the subject, it's better to not delve into depressing things like this." 


"Mom's right," Rei supported her suggestion. "I want to know why you came back so late last night, Dad. Did something happen at the station?" 


At that question, the father sighed while remembering his encounter last night. "It's those Fujimi delinquents again. I was on my way back from work when I stumbled across the aftermath of a fight. Near old man Azuma's house downtown."


His wife huffed, "Ah, that place. Yeah, it's a popular area for gangs and groups to gather regularly with how rarely any police officers pass by there. Even if there was one, they'd be too scared to meddle with any of them." Having been a former gang leader in her young years, Kiriko knew that that street like the back of her hand. Many things changed with the city these last two decades but that place remained stuck in time for lowlives to take advantage off. "Who's the poor soul those kids attacked this time?" 


At that, her husband shook his head. "That's the thing, those kids were the ones that were sent to the hospital — some were even put in emergency care." 


"What?" Rei exclaimed, a sentiment shared by her mother, for as much as they disapproved of the gang's actions, that didn't mean they wished for them to come to harm "What happened? Was it a rival gang? Did they get shot up or stabbed?”


"Thankfully no, though considering the state we found them in, they probably wish they were.” Tadashi confessed with a grimace “I'm not going to sugar-coat it girls, when I first saw those kids I almost thought they'd been mauled by a bear.”


“But they'll live, right?” Rei enquired, breathing a sigh of relif at her father's nod “Then they got off easy.” she declared, averting her eyes from her father's disapproving frown, not about to get into an argument over it “So did you find out what gang they messed with?”

“That's the darndest thing.” Tadashi confessed as he accepted a cup of coffee from his wife, the detective taking a long drink before looking his daughter in the eye “It wasn't a gang at all, they got their asses handed to them by a single boy.”


"Eh?" Both Kiriko and Rei stammered, the pair of them staring at the detective like he'd suddenly sprouted a second head, thought the former was tinged with a hint of intrigue, as not even she had been ballsy enough to take on an entire gang by herself back in the day.

“According to statements taken from both the Boy and the only conscious member of the gang, the 'Victims' cornered the boy while he was returning home from running a few errands, leading to him...defending himself...quite violently.”


“You're kidding?” Kriiko chuckled, only to trail off awkwardly as Tadashi merely looked her in the eye, his expression not changing one iota “You're seriously telling me a single boy wiped out an entire gang of delinquents like in those silly Kung Fu movie?”


“If there's so silly then why do you force me to watch them everytime we go out?” Tadashi demanded wryly “What worries me is that according to the kid's papers he's transferring to Fujimi as a Second Year, so be on your guard around him, okay Rei?”


“You think he might have something to do with Shidou?” Rei suggested, her fingers tightening at the mere thought of the bastards that had ruined her life, only to relax at the sight of her father shaking his head in dismissal.


“Seeing as the kid's from Ireland of all places, I highly doubt it.” Tadashi countered, knowing full well that Ichirou's infleunce didn't extend far past the shores of Japan “No, turns out his mother is an old friend of Hayashi-san, who is serving as his sponsor while he's here.”


“Kyoko-san?” Kiriko repeated, blinking at the thought of the strict disciplnarian sponsoring someone savage enough to put nine people in hospital in a single night “Sounds like she's got her hands full with this one.”


"He was actually surprisingly co-operative for someone his age.” Tadashi confessed with a hint of approval and honest surprise “Answered all my questions, never raised a fuss and actually seemed sheepish when i dropped him off on her doostep.”


“Well then lets hope he learns his lesson and stays out of trouble from here on out.” Kiriko proposed, the Miyamoto matriarch breathing a sigh of relief as her familly happily settled down for breakfast, having successfully distracted them from the earlier bad mood.


Not long after that, Tadashi made his way to the police station, leaving Rei to help her mother clean up before heading off to school, the elder Miyamoto noticing her daughter looking decidedly harried.


"Ah, are you going out to meet a friend?” she asked, smiling as she watched her daughter slip on her school shows “Is it Takashi-kun? It's been a while since I've seen you two hang out together. You two haven't gotten into an argument I hope?"


“No, nothing like that.” Rei assured her after an uncomfortable pause, the younger brunette finishing pulling on her shows as she rose to her feet “We still talk, I'm just in a hurry because I wanna stop by the dojo first.”


Truth be told, Rei didn't want to think about how things currently were between her and her childhood friend/crush, Komuro Tadashi, the pair of them having slowly drifted apart ever for a while. Their relationship getting scarce by the day to the point she wondered if he still remembered her,


It wasn't like he wasn't attracted to her… at least she hoped so. Even now, when they were drifting apart, she could still feel his eyes drawn to her figure when he thought she wasn't paying attention. No, the problem with Takashi was that he, like most boys, was simply too cowardly to act on those feelings. Sadly, as much as it hurt her to do so, Rei had moved on, unwilling to wait around for however long it took for the teen to get his act together, 


'Hah, this is making me angry again.' she sighed, shaking her head to clear it of such morbid thoughts, as the last thing she needed was to be depressed all day on top of the frustration she felt thanks to the Shidou Situation.


It was for this reason that Rei had opted to stop by the Sojutsu dojo before first bell, the brunette wanting to vent some of her frustrations on, that is, alongside her fellow club members until she was ready to face the rest of the school.


'Oh yeah, Hisashi-kun did ask if I was free for a group hangout.' 


Her and Takashi's friend, they knew each other for years and she found herself interacting with him more frequently lately. Rei didn't know if he was interested in her, but she was enjoying her time together. Though admitedly a part of her felt kind of dickish by moving on to his best friend, Hisashi. But if they were having fun together, then why did she need to feel guilty? It was her life and if Takashi didn’t want to take the first step the she couldn’t affort to stay behind for long as Rei still had her own life and feelings.


"I'll be going."


"Take care~!" 


As she stepped outside, her mother's words lingered in the air. The weight of recent events pressed on her shoulders as she headed towards the dojo, the frustration building up. On the other hand, Kiriko's smile died down as she sighed. 


"That girl isn't good at hiding her emotions."


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"So this is the place, huh…" 


Standing in front of a large gym-like building that was hosting regular kendo and soujutsu practices, Cu couldn't stop himself from smirking. 


"Let's see how good these people are."