" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

Your POV:

*The Hokuto Shinken, the secret fist of the seven stars, has been transmitted to only one successor for 2000 years. But Ryuken, the last master, didn't have the chance of having his own son. Because of that, he adopted four boys, to then choose one of them as his successor. Raoh the eldest, Toki the second, Jagi as third and Kenshiro the youngest.*

"Or at least, that's what Ken told me."

Rei: Did he ever told you what happened between the brothers, or what made he become the successor ?

"Apparently, out of the three, Raoh's the ambitious one, Toki's the nice one, and Jagi... is a prick. Summing up the whole thing."

Lin: So the one Ken went to fight...

"Yeah, Jagi. And, in all honesty, even if Ken said he could die... From what he told me, Jagi was always the weakest of the four, relying on underhanded techniques. So even if he does put up quite a challenge, I'm confident he will win.

Rei: ... You think after he's done with Jagi, he'll go after the other two ?

"It's always a possibility. If they're alive, he will at least try to find them... ..."

Rei: Let me guess, you want to meet with them too ?

"Toki, at least... Unlike the others, Ken had only praise for him, so I really want to meet the man in person."

Bat: HEEEEY !! news !! We received news from Ken !!

"Well... Speak of the devil."

Bat: Yes ! A traveling merchant brought this letter of Ken !

Rei: ...

Bat: Hey ! What did he write ?!

Rei: He is going to continue his trip a bit. He wants us to take care of you.

Bat: Wh- What ?!

"So I take it I was correct with that hunch ?"

Rei: Yes. He probably wants to deal with this succession problem... As the only inheritor of Hokuto Shinken...

Rei: Why are we here ?

"Killing an entire flock of birds with one stone. After all, if we can find Toki, we'll inevitably bump into Ken too."

Rei: ... He asked us to take care of Bat and Lin...

"And where's the problem ? The thing is 'Watch over them'. It doesn't matter if it's in the village or elsewhere, as long as they're with us."

Rei: While this might be a point... You realize the second they got hurt, we're already dead.

"I know that very well. That's why I'm not too worried. It's Toki, after all."

Bat: What if it was Raoh ?

"Let's make this clear... According, to what Ken told me, if I ever come across Raoh... I'll make a nice little detour of approximately 100 Kilometers, just to be sure I never ever bump into him."

Bat: So we're here to gather info, then ? Where to look for it ?

*BROM*

Villagers: Wh... What ?! Oh no ! It's him again !!

"Does that answer your question ?"

Bat: That could be anything...

Thug: Huuu ! Huuu ! So, attack !! My death has been predicted ! I must die today, so I can do anything !! Come on !! Attack, i'm gonna kill you !!

Villager: You filthy thief !!

Bartender: Rhaa... They always have to make a mess around here.

Villager: Flee, grandpa !

"So, Rei, can you take care of the negotiation while I handle big guy over there ?"

Rei: Leave it to me.

"Okay kids, you stay back and watch how grown-ups handle things."

Villagers: Ah ! Wai... hey you, wait ! Watch out ! Come back !

Bartender: Damn it ! Damn it ! What a waste. Wah ?! What do you want ?!

Rei: I have fuel in this... I will trade it for food.

Bartender: ... Ha ?

Rei: Food. You deaf ?

Bartender: Huh ?! You... Are you mad ?! It's dangerous here !

"We know that."

Villager: UWAA !! H- Help ! Help me, I am begging you !!

Thug: Hey ! Come !! i'm gonna kill you ! Come !!

"... Yeah, yeah, just one moment. Hey, Rei, take the can on the far left."

Rei: This one ?

Bartender: Hum... You sure have guts, y'know.

Rei: Hm. You as well.

Bartender: Ha ha ha ha !! But I understand why this guy is like this. He is the only survivor from the village of miracles.

"Village of miracles... ?"

Bartender: What ? You don't know it ? One day, a savior came to the village and he made miracles happen !! Just by touching the ill and weak, he cured them. A true miracle !

Rei: Just by touching, you say...

"... I think we just hit jackpot..."

Villager: He... Help, help me ! I am begging you... !

"... Rei, give me like two minutes."

Bartender: hey... You are not going to... !! Co- Come back ! He will kill you !!

Thug: Mn ?! What are you looking at, asshole !! I will break you in two !! Look at yourself, midget ! What are you thinking ? I'm gonna break you in tw-

*CRUNK*

"You already said that."

Thug: WA ?! WA ?! My... Body... I can't... Hah ?! You... You are like that guy, you use magic, right ?!

"... Tell me what you know about that 'Village of miracles'."

Thug: Hy... Hui.

Villagers: What ? he's calmed down...

Thug: That... that village was completely deserted ! Only the sick that couldn't walk stayed in the village, waiting for their deaths ! But... One day, that man appeared !

Thug: he truly was a savior... Him, by a simple push on a part of the body, he could make the invalids walk again. Those that didn't talk, talked with joy again ! And thanks to that man the village came back to life !! That man was named Toki...

"Toki... "

Thug: But one day, he suddenly changed !! That... That savior completely changed within one night !! A- A cruel monster and assassin with a grin cold as ice !! He... He called us his puppets !! he toyed with us in experiments and... the whole village suffered !

"What... What kind of nonsense is that ?!"

Thug: It's the truth ! I was one of those puppets as well. He touched my body and said that I would stop living in 3 days ! You... You know the same magic as him, right ? I am begging you, save me ! We are the third day !! I beg-WAAAA !!

"How is that possible... This is the complete opposite of what Ken told me about Toki..."

Rei: ... What do we do now ?

"Thing are really different now... Take Bat and Lin back to the village. I need to further investigate this matter..."

Punk: Master Toki... Kenshiro has slayed Jagi...

Toki: Good...

Punk: And, on another note, there has been reports of the "Shinigami" going around and asking questions. What are we going to do about this ?

Toki: Hmm... Either one of them, let's find them. I need strong puppets that can resist all my experiments. Hu hu... They will be ideal subjects, the successor to Hokuto Shinken, and wielder of a fist capable of oppose it. The Hokuto Shinken will be reborn through my hands !!

Dwarf: Master Toki ! It's me Habu, from the puppet hunters group. I am back.

Toki: Mff.

Habu: This time, I think that you will be satisfied. May I enter ? This is the specimen.

Toki: ... Good...

Habu: Please admire his muscles. This man is an ex-boxer, he was a heavy-weight champion.

Toki: I see...

Boxer: Are you Toki ?

Punk: Such brute force. Get him !!

Habu: What do you think of this destructive force ?

Toki: Hmm... It pleases me.

Boxer: If I slay you, the village will be saved. I won't let you experiment on these people anymore !! You will die !!

Toki: Hu... You are strong, indeed, but don't try to do something impossible.

Boxer: My fist can reach a speed of 200 Km/H ! I can crush boulders weighting one ton !! Your sins will stop here !

*Poke*

Boxer: Urgh !! What... I can't move anymore !!

Toki: ... That's it. Your muscles are nicely stretched. Huf... And full of energy. Well, you seem to be an excellent puppet.

Boxer: Huh ?! WOUAAH !!