Kengan liner, 6 hours till arrival

Jiang Yu stood on the guardrail of the ship's deck over the small group with her arms crossed

Despite having entirely normal eyes, her gaze resembled that of the Kure Clan

Jiang:a sweet little thing like karura makes a heart felt confession to you after ten long years and the best you can do is a mock salute? If that's your idea of accepting someone's feelings I'll die long before I can hold my grandkids.

(Y/n) still remained entirely frozen seeing her visage in the moonlight as another gust of wind came gently blowing across the deck

Jiang:long time, Sonny boy. Not so much of a runt like you were before when I dug you outta the slums, you've grown some.

(Y/n):J-...Jiang?

Jiang titled her head to the side as (y/n) remained in total shock, almost like a waking dream

Jiang:oh? No "Mom"?

That same unnerving grin slowly crept across her face as her pupils vanished leaving her eye entirely white

Akiyama was just barely able to look over her shoulder at the Chinese woman standing over them

Akiyama:*that's the...God of War!*

In a flash Jiang leapt up off the guard rail into the air far over them which indented the metal rail as she tucked both knees up to her chest and as she fell downward she slammed both feet into (y/n)'s face sending them both flying away from each other

(Y/n) managed to find his feet as he slide back nearly a whole meter while Jiang sent herself flying towards the drop off over the side of the ship

(Y/n) gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists with a reignited fury like when he'd confronted Raian

(Y/n):JIANG!!!!!!!!!!!

His voice rang out through the night sky as Jiang grabbed the guard rail with both hands as she performed a elbow lever and launched herself back at (y/n) in the blink of an eye and slammed her head straight into (y/n)'s jaw making him stumble back again as Jiang landed on one knee with the same grin and (y/n)'s blood sparsely scattered in her hair

Kazuo:(Y-(Y/n)!

(Y/n) slammed onto his back as blood started gushing from his nose, he quickly sat up clearly dazed from both the kick and the violent headbutt

Akiyama:*she just attacked him out of the blue?*

Jiang:you know how this goes. You've been looking for me right? What'd you expect, a bit of hugging and kissing while we catch up by the fire? Want compassion? Grow up. Wanna do family things? Tough shit. The only thing we do is separate the wheat from the chaff, and the best way to do that is in a fight.

(Y/n) kicked himself up to his feet as he spit onto the deck as that look in his eyes remained

(Y/n):Jiang, you're going to eat these last five years of mine!!!

Jiang put her arms out to the side like she was going to accept a hug

Jiang:Then let's see if you've got what it takes to take down David, eh Goliath?

(Y/n) lunged towards her as he pulled his right fist back with the floorboards beneath where he'd launched being least fractured, with his longer arms he was able to swing first with a fierce right uppercut but Jiang simply dodged with a sway back but (y/n)'s fist ripped open her tunic entirely exposing Jiang heavily scarred torso and well defined abdomen along with her breasts that were wrapped tightly in bandages

While (y/n)'s fist was still going sky high, Jiang threw a left low kick towards (y/n)'s right knee and landed right on target which knocked (y/n) off balance but didn't put him on the ground just yet

(Y/n) threw a left straight as he was left of balance but Jiang lunged in while tilting her body to the side to dodge as she raised her right arm into the air and then slammed her elbow down into the side of (y/n)'s neck making him start to fall with his right side being closed to the ground

The instant after striking his neck, Jiang placed both hands on (y/n)'s left side as she slammed her right knee into the side of (y/n)'s stomach as blood started leaking from his mouth

Lihito:*d-damn! She's walking all over him! Those attacks are brutal!*

(Y/n) extended his left arm going for a headlock as Jiang ducked under (y/n)'s arm and dodged behind his head as she pivoted on her heel and then slammed her right heel into the back of his head making him drop face first onto the ground

Kazuo:it-it's like (y/n) can't land a single hit against this woman, I've never seen him be in such a one sided fight before...

Jiang started walking over to (y/n) as she put her arms out to the side again like she was waiting for a hug as (y/n) launched himself up with a right haymaker straight for Jiang's ribs as she swatted (y/n)'s fist away and then slammed her foot into his face before he'd gotten too far from the ground and he started falling again

(Y/n) accepted the fall as he flipped back onto his hands and tucked his knees up to his chest and thrusted them forward as Jiang dodged around to his left side and raised her leg as she slammed her foot down on (y/n)'s head and her foot shoved his head down to the floor as it indented the floorboards

(Y/n)'s body went limp as Jiang kept her foot planted on his face as she kept grinning

Kazuo:(Y/n)!

Akiyama covered her mouth in horror seeing the brutality of Jiang's stomp as Lihito gritted his teeth wanting to fight, but he knew what'd happen if he'd interfered again

Lihito:*damnit, who's that lady? Wait...I think I heard her say mom...but, they look totally different! Judging by Akiyama's expression she recognizes her but I've never seen her...*

(Y/n) suddenly grabbed Jiang's ankle and started to pull her into a leg bar but Jiang delivered a left straight to (y/n) left ribs, a kidney shot that loosened his grip for the fraction of a second for Jiang to escape and gain some distance

In the few seconds they'd fought, (Y/n) hadn't landed a single hit while Jiang landed critical strikes again and again leaving him out of breath and in pain as he clutched his left side

(Y/n)::*sh-shit...it's like she's predicting my every damn movement.*

The title God of War is not one that's doled out on a whim. Those who are referred to as "God of War" are hailed as masters in their own right, unbeatable kings of combat who won't die when they're killed. They shake off the rot and keep coming at you until you've been reduced to a mere pile of broken meat. Anyone who comes face to face with a God of War has one viable method when facing them. RUN.

(Y/n) gritted his teeth as he used his forearm to wipe away the blood from his mouth sneering it across his face in the process, the minor wound he'd received from karura had been reopened as well

Jiang started rotating her neck from side to side to crack it as (y/n) stayed on one knee trying to get a half decent breath of air into his lungs

Jiang:Time for round two.

She opened her arms again as if waiting for a hug again as she started walking towards (y/n) as he stood back up and gritted his teeth

Jiang:*I know you're in there. Come on out.*

(Y/n) assumed his fighting stance as he lunged for her once again

(Y/n):*North hemisphere, White Snake.*

He threw a right jab as Jiang swayed back again to dodge as (y/n) continued advancing with a left straight which Jiang just swayed her head to the side to dodge while (y/n) threw another right jab into a left hook as Jiang swayed into (y/n)'s arms dodging his greater range by getting in close

Kazuo:*even with that barrage of attacks he can't land a hit!*

Jiang:*North Hemisphere, White Snake.*

(Y/n) started exhaling as Jiang delivered seven strikes almost simultaneously to multiple areas across (y/n)'s body

A right straight to the jaw, a left vertical fist to the throat, a right hook to the ribs, a left straight to the stomach, a left low kick to the hip, a left mid level strike to the chest and finally a right mid level strike to the chest as well

(Y/n) started falling backward again from the sudden onslaught of attacks, Jiang slowly exhaled as steam exited her mouth

Jiang:You were never that good with that one.

In any fighting setting, even pro combat veterans need to take quick breaths between strikes. The continuation of attacks cannot occur without breathing. In those small windows of inhaling and exhaling is where a counter attack lies. However the technique White Snake rejects this principle and instead compresses the air inside the lungs while unleashing a fierce combination leaving no room for counter attack. It's a brutal barrage of attacks that Jiang Yu created after her first fight with Takeshi Wakatsuki. However following its use, the user must immediately inhale to prevent passing out from the intense strain it places on the body.

(Y/n) planted his feet as he lunged forward while reaching out with his left hand and managed to grab Jiang by the neck catching her by surprise by his brushing off of her blows

Kazuo:*He's got her! When it comes to pushing through pain (y/n)'s second to none! He shrugged off blows from Jun Sekibayashi and kept going!*

(Y/n) pulled back his right fist and whaled it forward into a right straight to Jiang's stomach and with enough force to break his grip on her neck and send her crashing into the wall of the ship and smashing clean through it

Lihito:a clean hit! No way she's not floored after a blow like that!

Suddenly (y/n) slammed down onto his left knee but kept his eyes locked onto the opening in the wall he'd created with Jiang's body

Lihito's smirk at (y/n) finally landing a blow vanished as he saw (y/n) drop

Lihito:*shit he's down again, so he is feeling those attacks. Wait what's...*

He saw (y/n)'s right wrist was dislocated but the foreign fighter got up as he began walking ahead into the gap in the wall as he cracked his wrist back into place

Lihito:*did she break his wrist earlier? No, that must've happened either just before or during the impact of his last strike...*

As (y/n) stepped through the hole in the wall, he found himself in the park he and Lihito had been in earlier, Jiang was standing in front of the fountain at the center with her arms crossed and carrying the grin she'd worn the entire fight, her abdomen remained entirely unscathed even after the vicious blow (y/n) had landed against her

(Y/n)'s face remained serious with a silent anger as he continued walking towards her

(Y/n):*So Jiang, what do you think after five long years? I really want to know.*

His internal dialogue portrayed his frustration and apparent anger of the situation before him as Jiang spread her arms apart welcoming him once again as he approached

(Y/n):*Have I gotten stronger since you ditched me in China? Go on tell me! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!*

He lunged in while lowering himself as he pulled back his right fist and threw a fierce uppercut straight for Jiang's jaw as she tilted her head to the side as (y/n)'s fist grazed her cheek and created a small slice going from the corner of her jaw to just up past her ear, a strike she could've easily dodged entirely

(Y/n):*YOU SEE WHAT I'VE SPENT ALL THIS TIME BECOMING!!! I'VE GIVEN UP ON EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT STRENGTH IN THE PURSUIT OF GETTING THAT SAME STRENGTH!!! I KEPT TRAINING AND WINNING EVEN TO THE POINT MY BONES CRACKED AND MY LEGS GAVE OUT!!! EVERYTHING I'VE DONE WAS TO GAIN THIS STRENGTH!!! THAT'S WHAT MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN ABOUT!!!!!*

As Jiang remained standing still in front of him with her signature grin, (y/n) threw a right high kick going straight for her head as Jiang squatted down under it as (y/n) missed entirely

(Y/n):*SO TELL ME JIANG!!! I'M DOING PRETTY GOOD RIGHT!!*

As (y/n) turned to face his opponent she kept her arms open as (y/n) threw a right straight right towards Jiang's face

(Y/n):*SO TELL ME!!! HAVE I IMPROVED, OR AM I STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH?!?!?!*

Jiang swayed to the left and dodged as she threw a left jab that grazed (y/n)'s chin

A blow to the chin is an exceptionally hard strike to perform in the middle of the fight but almost always worth the risk. When struck on the chin, the head is jerked in such a way that the brain rattles inside the skull and when colliding with the wall of the skull, the victim is knocked into unconsciousness.

(Y/n)'s eyes rolled back as he fell over onto the fountain railing knocked out cold

As Jiang turned and looked over her shoulder her demented smiling was missing, but looking at the back of (y/n)'s head, a small satisfied smirk graced her lips

Kazuo and the others ran through the hole in the wall and saw Jiang standing over him completely unconscious

Akiyama:(y/n) is...down?

Lihito:how the hell is that lady still standing after a hit like that? I don't see a mark on her.

Kazuo ran over and past Jiang who looked back at the arrival of the group with an unchanged expression

Kazuo started shaking his unconscious representative to no avail of waking him up

Kazuo:(y/n)! (Y/n) wake up! Are you alright?!

Jiang:Ni Hao, Kazuo Yamashita. I see you've been looking after my son for a while now.

Kazuo froze hearing her voice, he'd completely forgotten about her in his panic

Jiang:I hope he hasn't been causing you too much trouble.

Kazuo slowly looked over his shoulder in a nervous sweat

Kazuo:you're the woman...from the ship...

Jiang:Yup.

She answered with a lighthearted and childish tone with no semblance of the menacing aura she'd held during her fight

Jiang:(Y/n) was a good horse to back for the tournament, he'll definitely take you far and he'll get stronger as he progresses into the later brackets.

She turned her back on the manager

Jiang:Best of luck in the tournament, Kazuo Yamashita. I hope you can live with the consequences.

She put her hands in her pockets as she started walking away

Kazuo:wh-what...? What could she mean by that?

(Y/n) started coughing as he roused himself to consciousness

Kazuo:(y-(y/n)!

(Y/n) slowly sat up and started looking around and slowly came to the realization Jiang was already gone

Kazuo:are you alright?! Do you need anything?!

(Y/n)'s head slouched forward which hid his disheartened expression from everyone

(Y/n):...damnit.

(Y/n):me? Lose? Not gonna happen. The version of me that would've accepted that way of think? I killed him a long time ago.

He let his head hang low, he'd broken his own vow, he hadn't made that promise to anyone, he'd just sworn it, to himself.

Meanwhile Jiang was walking down the deck of the ship with the same small smirk

Jiang:If I hadn't used the East Hemisphere, Great Wall technique, I could've taken some damage there.

She put her hands into her pockets as another gust of wind blew across the ship

Jiang:if I hadn't gotten that strike in when I did, it might've gotten rough if he took his shackles off.

She continued walking off as her nose began bleeding but it wasn't because of the fight, after all she'd taken No damage throughout its duration

Elsewhere, president Katahara was sitting in his private room as one of his bodyguards approaching him

Bodyguard:we'll be arriving at our destination soon sir

A devilish smile crept across Katahara's face

Katahara:well then, good. By now everyone should be settled with which fighter they'll use to represent their destiny.

Elsewhere Cosmo was walking with Wakatsuki down a hallway, Cosmo was as happy as ever while the older fighter remained stoic

Cosmo:man these cruises are totally fun, huh? We should go on another one some time, wakatsuki.

Wakatsuki:we're not here for fun, remember?

Cosmo:huh? I don't think so, aren't these matches all about our enjoyment?

Wakatsuki let out a short sigh

Wakatsuki:...honestly...kids these days.

In the main dinning hall there was a loud disturbance

Make voice:HEY MISSY!! BRING ANOTHER ROUND OVER HERE!!!

Jun Sekibayashi was doing what he did best, entertaining people, he was drinking pint after pint of alcohol with several dirty glasses already piled on the table in front of him with no sign of stopping soon

Sekibayashi:WHAT KINDA IDIOT WOULD SLEEP WHEN THE PARTIES JUST GETTING STARTED!!! I'M GONNA DRINK THIS SHIP DRY!!!! ANYONE THINK THEY CAN KEEP UP WITH ME?!?!

He picked up another pint and started chugging it as the small crowd around him started chanting "chug"

Inside the Kure's room, karura was sleeping peacefully while the rest of her present relatives were having a quiet meeting to avoid waking her

Erioh:with Raian being our designated representative of the Kure clan, you all will be in charge of protecting him outside of matches to preserve his strength. Understood?

Raian started clenching his fists as he began grinning

Raian:it's time I slaughtered that guy! I'm gonna butcher every last one of those bastards!!!

Later into the night, nearing dawn, Kazuo was walking the deck of the ship when he spotted his fighter standing alone on the bow, despite getting beaten senseless by Jiang he barely had any bruises on him and the wound from karura was already scabbed over

Kazuo silently walked up behind (y/n) who didn't turn to face his manager

He took a deep breath as he walked up beside the foreigner

Kazuo:are you...alright? You just kind of...walked away back there.

(Y/n) just kept facing ahead

(Y/n):what makes you think I wanna talk at this moment, Kazuo Yamashita.

Kazuo took a deep breath

Kazuo:that was your...mother, right? She fought the same as you usually do so I guess she also taught you what you know-

(Y/n):if you're gonna replace me as your representative then just go ahead and do it.

Kazuo:wh-what?

The manager looked at the back of (y/n)'s head surprised he'd put up such little resistance to being replaced

(Y/n):I lost, that's all there is to it.

(Y/n) gripped the guardrail he was leaning on as his knuckles started turning white

(Y/n):so just get it over with and get lost...

Kazuo reached out to place his hand on the foreigners shoulder but pulled back

Kazuo:...(y/n) I don't know what happened between you two but, you...you didn't lose the fight from what I saw.

(Y/n) tensed up as he snapped his head over his shoulder

(Y/n):ar-are you dense? She knoc-

Kazuo was shaking but he was doing his best to keep a fake smile on his face in spite of the fact he was terrified he might've just angered his competitor

Kazuo:I-I didn't see the end of the fight so...f-f-f-for all I know, you could j-j-just tripped and hit your head on the fountain. S-So you didn't really lose if that's the case and I'd still have the s-strongest fighter in the tournament!

(Y/n) just kept staring at the smaller man as Kazuo began sweating nervously under his gaze

Kazuo's trembling worsened when (y/n) looked down

(Y/n):...good grief.

He weakly chuckled to himself as a reserved smile crossed his lips while he covered his left eye with his hand and pushed his hand back as he ran his fingers through his hair

(Y/n):you really are something aren't you, Kazuo Yamashita.

(Y/n) leaned forward and lowered his head to the manager

The act of lowering one's head to another is a sign of submission and withheld only to express heartfelt gratitude and loyalty. (Y/n) has only ever willingly bowed his head to another once before in his life to his mentor and mother. Growing up in harsh conditions and violent areas, he's unused to kind gestures such as these.

(Y/n):I'm sorry for disappointing you, I know for this tournament you'll need nothing less than the very best fighting in the world.

While keeping his head bowed he started clenching his fists to the point his palms began bleeding

(Y/n):I swear that from this moment forward, I will never lose again, I'll win this tournament...

The blood from his palms began dropping onto the deck as the sun began to crest over the horizon ahead of them which outlined an island in the distance

(Y/n):would that be alright...Kazuo Yamashita?!

Kazuo knew how important the declaration was if (y/n) of all people was to lower his head willingly, it brought a smile to his face seeing the young fighter get that fighting spirit reignited

Kazuo:of course.

The speakers across the ship made a hum as they turned on to broadcast President Katahara's voice

Katahara:ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. This ship will soon be arriving at the land of battle. Please turn your attention to the fore!! That is the land of battle for this tournament!!!

Kazuo looked to the island before them, it was covered in trees from what they could see and massive with a large mountain blocking the direct sun from beaming into their eyes

Katahara:The place to which all desires drift to!!! Ganryu Island!!!

Kazuo:wh-what kind of island is that?

He gulped nervously

Kazuo:*Ganryu island, it has such an omnious name! They can't just pass it off as some joke! It's finally starting, it could be a bloody hell with fighters like (y/n) around every corner! Fine, I don't mind the ominousness, this is the perfect kind of place for such an event I guess! Alright I've steeled my nerves for this! From now on I won't allow myself to be shaken anymore!*

(Y/n) began raising his head as he looked towards Ganryu Island

(Y/n):Kazuo Yamashita, let's do this.

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To be continued

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