underground fights.

Boris was ecstatic. Full of energy, he recapped all the obstacles he had faced in his mind, hearing the shouts of the soldiers around him—each one trained for war. Up until now, Boris had been a machine, executing orders with ruthless efficiency. But now, at this moment, he could feel the secure beats of his heart, waiting.

-Yes, this dojo has something intriguing... This is probably the main sojo base. It seems there are strong people here,- Boris murmured, pursing his lips as his vice-captain followed him closely. -It's time to end this game of hide-and-seek.-

Boris filled his lungs with air, realizing he had been holding his breath, and opened his mouth to make his presence known.

-Master of the dojo, I request a fair fight…- Boris began.

-Stop making so much noise. Let me at least drink in peace,- Sakaki roared, who, in Kenichi's absence, often found himself in a foul mood. The energy and presence radiating from Sakaki left Boris frozen in place, overwhelmed by the aura of a true grandmaster.

Out of nowhere, Shigure appeared, sheathing her katana like a flash and slicing the soldiers' shoes with impeccable precision—cutting only the shoes. –Just their shoes? Excellent skill,- thought Boris, unable to pinpoint the exact moment the katana had been sheathed.

-In a dojo, you must remove your shoes,- Shigure remarked.

Sakaki chuckled.

-That was great, Shigure.- Sakaki's comment brought a blush to Shigure's cheeks.

-These people aren't normal,- Boris muttered to himself. -I am Boris Ivanov from Yomi, here under orders from Yami to take control of this dojo.-

-You're in trouble,- Akisame said.

Boris was stunned, surprised at how Akisame had so easily positioned himself behind him. The skill on display was impressive.

-Ah, but first, let me return your friends to you.- Akisame added.

-So, it wasn't the newspaper delivery guy. It was this thing.- Apachai grinned, carrying one of Boris' soldiers like a toy.

Boris couldn't help but scrutinize each character, each one more intense than the last. First was the man in a leather jacket, effortlessly violent, like a human war tank. Then, the swordswoman in pink with lightning-like brows, the best swordswoman Boris had seen in his young life, followed by three towering figures, all equally dangerous—super masters, beings beyond the norm.

-Who are you?- Boris asked, sensing a premonition about these people.

-I don't think we're the ones who've infiltrated this place. Didn't you read the sign?- Ma Kensei quipped. -You're at Ryozanpaku, where those who have mastered martial arts gather.-

Boris' eyes widened completely. -So, that's what Hakusan meant. This is Ryozanpaku… I can't believe it. The old enemies of Yami, the people training the strongest disciple in history. This is the place!- Boris muttered.

-It looks like you came in with no idea of what this place is.- Akisame said, as the five masters stood before Boris like mountains confronting an ant.

Boris was no coward; he would never abandon an order. He was Alexandra Gaidar's most treasured disciple and would never surrender.

…

-I have something to say,- Kei interjected.

Ten minutes earlier, at the entrance gate, the great elder was about to move when Kei, looking around, handed over a phone number. It belonged to a man named Niko.

-Apologies for the intrusion. I didn't tell Boris the truth… but I needed some time alone without arousing suspicion. No one else must know about this,- Kei confided, pointing to the roof. Both disappeared, with the elder lifting Kei at an inhuman speed.

-I still don't understand your purpose,- commented the elder.

-And it's better that way. Only you should know… This man is my original master, someone I hold dear. Yami is preparing for war, and it would be best if you joined forces to defeat Yami's vast network. I fear there's a man, just as strong as you—perhaps a bit stronger. He's a terrifying figure. You'll need help to surpass him. My master is a wise man. I'd like both him and James Shiba to join Ryozanpaku. But James is very proud. He'd rather die than submit to a Furinji,- Kei said.

-Original master?- asked the elder.

-Yes… my master. I now live under the yoke of a wretch who poses as my teacher. I've come to admire him, but I despise him, and my heart finds no peace knowing he's still alive. He's a man who deserves death.- Kei continued. -Born from darkness, his mind is irredeemable. Changing Jenazah would be easier than changing that monster.-

The elder listened silently.

-You wish to kill your own master?- the elder asked, stroking his beard.

-That's how he taught me—killing him would mean I'm worthy as his disciple. But that doesn't matter. Those two people are with Ryozanpaku… Besides, you should double Kenichi's training. He'll die if he faces the strongest in Yomi. And consider training Ryuto; I know he's alive and in need of your guidance. Ogata sees him as a failure and a burden, but his mind can be redirected.- Kei said seriously.

He didn't know what would come from the union of Worn and Yami, but it would bring nothing good. Rumors spoke of three individuals called the Sinister Soldiers, Worn's executioners—sleeping agents with unknown allegiances.

Would they destroy the world? And if he had to stain his hands with blood to prevent it, would he?

-What are you afraid of?- the elder finally asked.

-The end of the world,- Kei replied. -Yami's plan is more dangerous than it appears.-

-I'll be cautious.-

-You can't tell anyone about this. No one should know now. I'll help when the time is right. Don't expect mercy for Kenichi,- Kei warned.

Both jumped from the terrace, watching Boris yell about never surrendering.

…

-Boris.- Kei said, patting the shoulder of the zealous soldier.

-I could use some tea. It's always good to have a refreshment before a fight.- Kei commented.

-What a lad… but he's right. We can't be discourteous.- Akisame agreed.

-Traitor! Using martial arts! Command Sambo, come to me, Ryozanpaku!- Boris shouted.

Akisame, stroking his chin, signaled a halt with a quick gesture, moving his body and sending Boris onto a cushion, where he adopted a lotus position. Switching to Russian, he spoke a few words, surprising Boris with his use of Boris's native language. Akisame was a master of the tea ceremony, calming his rivals' minds with just his tea.

Just in time for Kenichi's arrival, smiling. Kei nodded, now prepared to watch Boris' fight, absorbing each Sambo technique as if it were part of his own life.

-Masters, your number one disciple, Kenichi Shirahama, has returned!- Kenichi declared. -I'm all recovered. How about we start training right now?-

-Right now, someone's trying to take the dojo's emblem.- Miu said, noticing Kei and Boris sitting next to each other, surprising her upon seeing Kei.

Kenichi's surprise was even more intense. Seeing Kei, but before he could act, Boris lunged at Kenichi with murderous intent. He threw a quick punch, but Miu intercepted it. However, it was a feint; Boris executed a swift grab and, with a side movement, aimed a knee at Miu's ribs, which she blocked, though with imperfect form.

Boris was unfazed, launching a takedown with his foot. But Miu countered with a sidestep and a quick strike that blocked his offensive. She dropped to her knees, feeling the impact of the murderous intent.

-Miu-san!- Kenichi unleashed multiple kicks from his position—karate-style kicks blended with Muay Thai—quick and deadly. His spirit was awake, though he took a blow to the stomach that made him cough slightly.

-He managed that much power in a moving kick from that position. Not bad at all,- Boris noted. Indeed, to Kei, Kenichi had made tremendous strides, becoming quite powerful. At least now he could handle the First Fist without needing a personality shift, showing newfound cunning.

-Who are you?- Kenichi asked.

-I am one of the disciples of Yami's group, Yomi—Boris Ivanov. I am also a disciple of Alexandra, one of the Ten Fists.- Boris explained, and everyone understood what that meant.

-And what are you doing here, Kei?- Kenichi asked.

-Kei Kazama, member of Yomi. My master is the Tiger Niko, of the Formless Style.- Kei replied.

Kenichi's inner strength began to build, his words now lethal. The evolution of Kenichi was indeed remarkable.

-It must be sad to belong to Yomi, only able to use martial arts for violence,"- Kenichi remarked, pushing his style to the limit as he entered a sei mode, channeling his power to the fullest while suppressing all his killing intent, which completely stunned Boris. Meanwhile, Kei sipped his tea, his mission complete, and now all he wanted was to leave here as soon as possible.

In a heartbeat, Boris leaped, aiming a kick at Kenichi's face. But it was a double attack—while striking the face, he grabbed his opponent's legs and executed a twisting hold, locking his opponent in place by encircling his legs from behind and grabbing his opponent's neck. Kei was impressed by the maneuver.

The Russian grappling style. Sambo was reinvented to serve as a killing art for the Russian army, a secret guarded even through Perestroika, taught only to KGB agents with one sole purpose: to destroy the enemy.

Kenichi began to perform a series of breathing exercises—a karate breathing technique—and, with his hands well-positioned, he lifted Boris. Kenichi had reached the rank of high disciple, which was a surprise. Kenichi's rhythm was unstoppable. He broke Boris's hold.

Then he threw Boris into the air, and like a rabbit, Boris quickly performed a maneuver, leaping to strike, only to be completely blocked by a Seikuken. He launched multiple punches, and when Boris spotted an opening, he attempted a sweep, which Kenichi evaded with a somersault.

In mid-air, Kenichi dodged another of Boris's kicks and landed.

-No one hits Miu and gets away with it. You're a complete fool,- Kenichi commented, thrilling Miu and the masters as they saw Kenichi's determination.

-You've matured a lot while you were away,- Miu said.

Boris tried another kick, but Kenichi quickly countered with a jiu-jitsu hold. Sambo had a natural weakness to the ancient jiu-jitsu style, which broke holds. In a way, Boris was the perfect adversary for Kenichi because of this counter.

Kenichi launched numerous punches, which Boris dodged; the last one was grabbed, and Boris swiftly applied a hold to break Kenichi's neck, tossing him over his head. But Kenichi placed his hands on the ground and responded with a kick from the ground—a tremendous knee strike that broke Boris's shoulder guards.

From the ground, he spun, his feet rotating like a top, but Boris jumped clear. They engaged in a completely different style of combat. But Boris's confidence began to waver as he saw that every one of Kenichi's moves embodied the purity of his skills—he wasn't trying to kill him. Even now, his attacks were clean and pure. Their strikes were evenly matched.

-Yami's training is impressive, pushing its disciples to the limit. I can see he's well-trained,- Akisame commented.

-It seems so; they're fairly evenly matched,- Sakaki remarked.

-But there must be at least 11 other disciples. Being evenly matched isn't enough,- Akisame said, glancing at Kei, who sipped his tea and observed the weights and the power difference. He must have participated in many battles to reach that strength so quickly. His stats had doubled, and his power was tremendous. His talent exceeded Kenichi's—that was beyond doubt.

-Yes, we have his son held hostage,- Apachai added. –It's Apachai… today's been quite a lucky day,- the gentle giant commented.

-Apachai, what's coming over the enemy's radio?- Ma Kensei asked.

-Hey, Boris Ivanov, it's for you—someone called the Leader,- Apachai said.

There was an awkward moment, but Kenichi nodded, signaling for him to take the phone.

-Don't say too much,- Apachai advised.

-Retreat,- Boris growled.

-Exactly, retreat immediately,- Kanou Shou ordered. –I couldn't contact your subordinates; it's been quite complicated.-

-I'm currently in the middle of a fight with the enemy,- Boris replied.

-Do you want me to make you disappear? Return immediately. That's an order,- Kanou commented.

-Kei Kazama is here,- Boris added.

-Pass him over,- Kanou said.

Silence fell completely. The phone was tossed, and Kei caught it with one hand, smiling indifferently.

-Then eliminate me, you trash,- Kei responded.

-Fine.-

-Let's go, Boris.-

Boris nodded with a somber gesture. As he tossed an insignia to Kenichi, Kei paid no attention, giving Miu a wink as she looked concerned, preparing for what he wanted most—a fight with Kanou Shou. He was certain he would win.

…