HOTD: A New Dawn

The day was coming to a close.

It was a good time for some relaxation, though the idea of drinking didn't seem very appealing. Maybe just some quiet time. He'd been running himself ragged for a few weeks. It was about time he took a break.

The problem was that he couldn't rest for too long, and this wasn't the first time he's had this problem. It's almost like his brain was programmed to never be idle. He needed something to do. To occupy him.

He took the metro to travel across the city; he didn't feel like getting back home. Besides, he was a firm believer that by the world's plot, if he was destined to meet someone important, it would be through the power of chance alone, like he always had.

So far, it had served him well. And so, it was only fitting he tried the same strategy again. Once Tysone stepped out of the subway, he blended in with the throng of people that trickled into the streets.

'I should probably look up all the local schools in the city to narrow down the search.' 

Though there was no guarantee that Tokonosu would be the heart of all events. It could be any other town in Japan. But that'd be too bad. The odds weren't in his favor for that. And if the gods of anime truly cared, they would bring the world's stage to Tokonosu.

For him.

Tysone's legs carried him through the streets, passing by stores, people, buildings. There was no specific destination in mind, just wherever he felt like walking. The sky was getting darker as the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon.

A light drizzle began to fall.

Tysone stopped to gaze at the gray sky.

It was beautiful, really.

He walked on.

Some people took cover. Others opened up their umbrellas. Tysone merely enjoyed life and nature. As he turned a corner, the streets grew quieter. Neon signs flickered to life, their vibrant hues casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the wet ground.

He paused near a vending machine, fishing out some coins to grab a drink. The clink of the bottle being dispensed was satisfying, grounding him for a moment. He cracked the top and took a swig of the cool beverage, savoring its crispness.

Just then, a loud group of students swaggered by. Tysone recognized their uniform—Fujimi Academy. He almost thought he'd see Saya among them, but she didn't seem like the type to hang out with a crowd whose collective brainpower was that of a box of wet matches.

They were rowdy, the typical bunch of bullies you'd find anywhere. Tysone had no interest in their antics, so he ignored them, taking another swig of his drink.

However, his attention was piqued by the leader's voice. "Come on, man. It'll be fun." The guys behind him snickered.

"Hmm~ will it?" The only girl among them asked, blushing. "You sure you're not just looking to have a bit of fun yourself, huh, Shoujirou?"

"Well, maybe. But you know what they say—what happens in a love hotel, stays in a love hotel." Shoujirou grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Tysone would have tuned them out completely if it wasn't for one particular detail. The girl actually looked familiar. Pretty face. Orange hair. Seductive expression and big boobs. She was not Rei Miyamoto. Takashi would've had a heart attack if that was the case. 

He continued sipping his drink as he stared at her.

Naturally, his gaze caught her attention. She turned towards him, grinding to a halt. The group looked at Tysone. Their gazes weren't the friendliest.

"What's wrong? Is this monkey bothering you?"

Tysone raised an eyebrow at that. Straight to insults? How predictably cute.

"It's kind of funny. He looks dumb. He doesn't even understand what we're saying. Like a lost monkey." The guy said in a patronizing manner. "Go back to your jungle, monkey."

The other dudes cracked up. Tysone's blank expression made them totally believe their ruse worked. They kept calling Tysone a 'monkey' in their native language.

Tysone sighed and took one last gulp before he crushed the can and threw it straight at Shoujirou's face. A flash of surprise crossed their faces, before Shoujirou cried out in pain, holding his bruised nose and glaring at Tysone in anger.

"Look, I'm trying to have a peaceful night, and you guys are making it difficult." Tysone rubbed the back of his neck. "It'd be better if we didn't start anything here." His eyes narrowed. "So, you're going to apologize to me or you'll regret every single word that came out of that fucking mouth of yours."

The group stared at him, taken aback by the fact that he spoke perfect Japanese.

"Whoa, you speak our language." The girl said, genuinely surprised.

Tysone smiled wryly, stepping closer to them. He wasn't one for fighting, not if there was a chance some wannabe hero from some anime popped out of nowhere and got in his way, but sometimes it was unavoidable. If they attacked, he wouldn't hesitate to protect himself.

Shoujirou, still nursing his injured nose, spat on the ground and glared daggers at him. The other guys followed suit. Tysone's size made them rethink their life choices for a moment, but the numerical advantage was still on their side.

"You fucking gorilla—"

"Apologize or else I'll break you in half. You've already pissed me off." Tysone interrupted, peeling himself off of the wall.

Shoujirou snarled. "Why would I do that, you ugly bastard?"

"Because you clearly lack manners and common sense, and as your senpai, it befalls upon me to do the job your mom failed to do." He smirked. "Daddy hasn't been around much, eh? With such a whore for a mother, I could even be your father."

"You... you...!" Shoujirou lunged, his fist aimed right at his face. His friends were right behind him.

"Fuck this." Tysone sidestepped, avoiding his first attack with ease, then drove his elbow right into the guy's face. Blood sprayed everywhere as he cried in pain, clutching his face. "I gave you an option, now you don't get one." He said, grabbing the boy by the hair.

One of the other dudes swung a kick at his leg. Tysone dodged and swept his feet from under him, making the boy crash down onto the wet pavement with a yelp. Another guy came running, swinging wildly.

The move was telegraphed, yet it still landed on Tysone's cheek. Not that it did much beside piss him off further. "Oh, this is going to hurt, boy."

Tysone grabbed him by the arm, pulling him in and kneeing him straight in the stomach. As he doubled over, Tysone brought his knee back and then smashed it right into his face, breaking the boy's nose, sending him flying back. He fell with a loud groan.

Another one of them climbed onto Tysone's back and began choking him with a forearm, trying to cut off his airflow, but the difference in strength was far too great. Tysone was merely being annoyed at that point. He grabbed the arm around his neck and twisted, making the younger man scream out and loosen the grip around his neck. Tysone turned, catching him in a headlock and then slamming the dude into the ground, knocking him unconscious.

Shoujirou staggered to his feet and roared, throwing another punch at Tysone. He didn't bother dodging, instead, he caught it in his hand, twisting the wrist sharply until—Tysone stopped right before the bone could snap. He sighed, beating them in self-defense was one thing, but actively crippling them could invite a different kind of problem down the road. 

Tysone then released the guy's hand, and instead, grabbed him by the throat.

That, however, didn't mean he couldn't take a more vindictive and painful approach to make sure they learned well.

The grip around Shoujirou's throat tightened, cutting off his breath and causing his face to turn bright red as he desperately clawed at Tysone's fingers. "That... hurts...!" Shoujirou wheezed. "I... I'm..."

"Sorry, is that so? You learn fast. See? I was right after all, maybe I really am your father." Tysone laughed. He'd been feeling a lot more aggressive lately, probably due to his intense training and the stress of everything that was going on. He couldn't help himself sometimes. "Say the word, say 'daddy' and I might be nice enough to let you go."

"...fuck..." Shoujirou managed to croak out. He didn't relent, however. "Fuck...you!"

Tysone frowned. He had no interest in prolonging this further, so he simply let go of Shoujirou's throat and delivered a solid punch right in his gut, sending him stumbling back and collapsing to his knees. 

The remaining guys were groaning, nursing their wounds. Shoujirou laid there, his arms trembling. No one was stupid enough to get up, even if they could. 

"What a monumental waste of time." Tysone stared at the group of boys on the ground, and damn, he couldn't help but feel euphoric. A different type of thrill from making money or even staring at a pretty girl who stared back at him. A different type of high from beating these boys senseless. 

Power was truly an amazing gift. And gifts are meant to be used. 

"You idiots should've known your place."

He looked up to the only one left standing. "And you." She tensed up. Tysone's eyes were fixed on her, observing her. "I've seen your face somewhere."

"Hahhh, my, my, my~" She laughed. "Ahh, how scary. Are you going to hit a girl?"

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione.