Yakuza Rondo
Kuma/Goro
By K.R.Columbus
Copyright 2011 K.R.Columbus
Smashwords Edition
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Antiquarian Age Books
By K.R.Columbus
(Dates and titles can change at any time)
-We Shall be as Gods Series-
1st Testament - Vestigial Dream
2nd Testament - The Weaver and the Herder
3rd Testament - Shadows of Me
4th Testament - Children of Exile
5th Testament – Beyond Destiny (2012)
-Sodom’s X Duology-
A Song for the End
The World Ends for You (2012)
-Hyper Speed Inertia Series-
Battle-Submarine Yamato
The Fires of Kawaita (2012)
-MAGNA MAQUINA Series-
The Mall
The Greatest Machine of All
-YAKUZA RONDO Series-
KUMA/GORO
-Hall of the Mountain King-
-The Last Southern Mountain- (2012)
-Young Adult’s Books-
-The Columns of the Universe Trilogy-
The Crown of Orion (2012)
-The Treasures of Shamarkand Series-
Wanderers to Shamarkand
Daughter of the Gods
Carnival of Shadows
The Mechanical Labyrinth
The Mirror Tower (Spring 2012)
-Totemic Haven Series-
Totemic Haven
WildChild
Father Sun, Mother Moon (2012)
By K.R.Columbus
Yakuza Rondo
Kuma/Goro
By K.R.Columbus
“Never trust a relative. It is far worse than trusting strangers. With a stranger there is a possibility that you might be safe.”
Roger Zelazny - The Guns of Avalon
Salutations;
This is the second edition of Yakuza Rondo. The truth is that this novel, like most of my novels and novellas, was written for a minority within a minority and for them to find an audience is really hard; especially when my main character pretty much insults any European-American within the first few pages. [Not a personal view, most of the time my characters think pretty differently from my own beliefs.] The truth of this is that Kuma was in fact raised by a Japanese purist; like the ones that don’t allow Americans to enter the sumo world. Still even if Kuma gives this pretty harsh impression at first, that in fact puts off 60% of potential readers, later on as we come to know him we really see that his character is multi layered, and that what we read most of the time is not really what the character is thinking. This is one of those cases and Kuma ends up being a bit of a puzzle caught between his father’s way of thinking and his own way of seeing the world. I have been asked to delete the dorm house sequence, to rewrite it, but I'm a chubby gay bear American citizen damn it, enrolled in the selective service, pay my taxes and most of my family has been in the army; I won't change a thing; it is there for a reason. Freedom of speech anyone?
The new cover was drawn and designed by me like all the covers of my books; only that this cover fits the novel better than the older one picturing a pretty realistic CG Kuma. The new anime style cover goes better with my original vision for it. The character design is an echo of the anime designs of the 70’s like Mazinger Z and such. Kuma is a lot like a mixture between Boss from Mazinger Z and Musashi from Getter Robot. I really miss the old character designs, and that takes me to one of my most powerful inspirations for this work. Japanese gay erotic Manga. There are a lot of nods to Kumagoro’s work Otoko Dosukoi [Hence the name of the bear stable], Go Fujimoto, Kujira and many others that wet their fingers black with ink for our enjoyment. There are many others that end up unnamed since most of their work is in fact for minorities within another minority; and most of their work is still not translated to English or Spanish. If any at all.
There are some nods to Video Games like The Ninja Turtles, Double Dragon and River City Ransom [DOWNTOWN in Japan]. Puyo Puyo is mentioned [Puyo Pop is the American name of this game.] and Bust a Move [Puzzle Bubble] is hinted at.
This work was done in a very delicate part of my life, after five years of training to be a sumo wrestler I could not save the money to actually get to Japan. I used my knowledge of Japan and created this book that is in fact a modern adult fantasy with a deep mythological background. Hope everyone enjoys the book and stay for the ride when I write the sequel very soon; right now my book releases are a bit behind because I'm tackling the Spanish versions of the ones I have out [16], but compared to the 3 to 4 years wait with mainstream books, waiting a few months is nothing at all.
Thank you for your support; sorry for any punctuation mistakes I might have missed and hope you enjoy Yakuza Rondo.
K.R.Columbus.
PROLOGUE
-Bear Unleashed-
The whole room was surrounded by semi vertical glass walls, walls that gave view to a troubled city below; a city that even if close to midnight was kept lighted white by artificial lights that lie and cover the buildings below with false purity. An old, yet strong burly man with bushy eyebrows walked and leaned to look at the city below from an observation deck made out of glass as an electronic sound was heard signaling that he had a call.
“What do you want?” The man questioned knowing who was calling; his voice echoed in the room with power as he leaned slightly and looked below.
“You once said to me that I shouldn’t repeat myself…” A strong voice answered; a strong voice that somehow seemed flawed.
“Still, before me you have to.” The man glanced back as if he were seeing the person that was calling.
“I had to come back; I learned nothing with those Gaijins. By now I’m sick of their pale hair and fart like voices; they fill their own history with shit when all they did was fight each other.”
“Were we any different?” The older man hinted at their own history.
“That was different…”
“Some would differ.” The man waited and then sighed while gazing at the city below. “I see you learned something from them…”
“I did not…”
“You don’t care to see it, but I do see what you learned, and it is something rather unexpected.”
“And what’s that?”
“Love for your country…”
“That…it’s true, but…” The other voice began but was interrupted.
“I will grant your request, but have in mind that what lies between us is still as raw as when it came to be. Do you understand?”
“My faults come from you…”
“Is that supposed to be an insult?”
“No…”
“Someday you will come to embrace what I’m offering; someday you will see that it is the only way to keep our land from collapsing into the wolf’s den that it is becoming.”
“I wish I could see things the way you see them, I wish you would have had another in my place…that way my failure would not tax you so.”
“Silence becomes me in this matter, but what you asked will be so. As we speak an envoi is sending a message of your arrival next week to Downtown. Maybe amongst the filth you will find your own road into mine; after all it is expected from your bloodline.”
“I’m silence…yet, I thank you father.” The voice vanished with an electrical sound.
………
Two days before.
His figure flagged in front of the male dormitory of the Eta Delta Sigma frat house, he joined them out of coalition, out of pity and status, yet all they got him was more problems than the ones he wanted; more problems than the ones he could stand. So on his last night on campus he decided to pay them one last visit, he decided to leave them all his belongings along with a few little surprises; thanks for teaching him the truth behind the Gaijin mask.
Dressed in his most favorite high school uniform and handling his ancient katana he stood in front of the frat house and gazed at the first piece of European simmered shit, so much for watered down English tea; in the end it tastes like toilet water.
“What the fuck? Guys look! Goku seems to be dressed like a penguin today. What is it japo?”
“How many times have I told you fucking gaijin of shit that my name is Kuma, and that I’m Japanese, not a Japo. You should hear your poor excuse of a self; you sound like an ill written copy of Clavell’s Asian subdued cultural cock sucking propaganda.” Kuma revealed his sword and flashed it before the young man.
“A sword! What are you doing!?!” The man staggered away.
Taking the sword with both hands Kuma twirled it in the air, making his skin show in each twirl and swing of the sword; to the point that he stopped and allowed the earth before him to swallow part of the blade just as he gazed at the young man in the porch. A single stare made the young man shit himself on the pants as he staggered away as Kuma walked towards him with a sick grin that could only be accentuated by his bushy eyebrows and heavy body.
“So much for you…” Kuma said as he grabbed the young man by the collar of his shirt and hurled him towards the front door of the frat house; the door exploded as the young man landed unconscious at the other end.
Loud rock music was stopped as shouting took over and could be heard from outside; shouting accompanied by very colorful language. Kuma waited at the frame of the door, looking in for the first person to cross the line; leaning on the door frame as if nothing were happening. A young man with black hair came closer.
“Kuma…” He began, but never finished the line, because in that moment Kuma ran towards him, pushed him into the house and with that same velocity he pushed him against the nearest wall.
With a single punch he pummeled the young man’s head against the wall and so leaving a bloody stain as the young man trailed down to the floor. Kuma looked at his bloodied hand, he looked at it as feelings began to curl up inside and give way to rage, a rage that knew no comparison. He breathed like a wild animal, to the point that the others that had begun to surround him saw an image above his own; the image of a wild bear. Kuma’s shoulders raise and lower with his insane breathing as his back was given to the others in the house. As they saw the black haired men fall to the floor in unconscious pain they were scared shitless.
Kuma took his bloodied fist and licked it as he closed his eyes after looking at the young man at his feet. He wanted to say something, yet he couldn’t.
They came to him from all sides but within a second he had lurched himself towards one and hit two on the balls with his feet as he fell on the chest of the one he clang to. Seconds before they touched the floor he placed his elbow in the man’s chest and so as they hit the floor he felt the man’s chest give in; this one will not bother him again. Before the others had time to feel good about their nuts being kicked Kuma was already on his feet and standing on the chest of the man he had just leveled to the floor, with a wild snarl he readied himself.
While grabbing their cocks they backed away from the heavy set young man they had come to know as the Japo. They had never noticed the fire hidden behind his chunky, yet angry face. They never saw the murderous intent that waited to be let loose and that in that moment was eating them alive. Kuma had been merciful. At the moment he was being restrained and, oh so merciful.
“That’s not my name…” He used to repeat time after time; everytime unheard.
With a single kick he transferred one of the guys to the floor and there he raised his leg high and allowed it to grace the man’s face with a furious crunch that was followed by yet another kick that pushed the remaining guy against the wall. Kuma stood still, his head tilted towards the left and looking at the black haired young man that against the wall was trying to run away. He wanted to say and do something, yet he did not. With a sudden dash Kuma came to the fat, black haired student and punched him on the face, once, then twice and then thrice, he kept hitting the student until both his fists were dripping red.
“I’m sorry….” Kuma said as he walked away, staggering away from what once had been a student.
Once outside he stood beside his grounded katana sword, he took a cigarette from a box he had on a pocket and lit it with a lighter; he puffed smoke towards the night sky as he heard the neighbors scream and call. Biting deep into the cigarette Kuma kneeled, took the sword with one hand in such a way that he severed the smallest finger from his left hand; his terrible pain was muffled by cigarette smoke and polluted liberty air as he took the now dripping katana, and yet the pain he was caring for was unseen and unaltered. The blood on his blade was his own. He stood on the severed finger, kicked it with one leg until he saw it to be unusable, then he looked towards the street where a man dressed in black was waiting for him in a car. The man came to Kuma and regarded him with his eyes.
“Tell my father what I have done, all of it.” Kuma said.
“Yes, master Kuma.” The man said as Kuma entered the car with nothing more than a frown.
Chapter 1
-New Arrival-
A lonely figure dressed in a black high school uniform stood defiant against the blue sky next to a rectangular stone sign that marked with sharp strokes of sculpted brilliance the name of the place he wanted to get into. He curled and bit his lower lip as he tried to hide a snarl.
As I stand before the Heya’s main gate many things are running in my mind, but one thing is for sure, and that’s that I’m getting in. The possibilities are that my father already called them announcing my arrival and as we speak they all must be as soft as boar shit towards my arrival. Is this the type of tempering my father wants me to face? This is too bothersome! Kuma thought as he pierced his stare on the name tag.
The high school uniforms used all over Japan consist of a black suit with a white t-shirt under, very strict stuff when you come to consider it. It had been already more than four years since Kuma left high school, yet he still wears the uniform as a code of arms; a type of armor in this corrupt world he came to understand.
Members of a Heya use matching clothing like this one and Kuma knows that these ones in specific are the ones used by this Heya.
Kuma is the type of guy that has a face that looks tempered with fire and that always seems to be angry about something…even his eyebrows overflow to tell of his temper. He always was respected in school, a sort of lonely respect that comes hard upon the fellow, yet it is earned.
“Damn this is too bothersome!” He gazed upon the sharply sculpted characters that mark the name of the Heya, and then kicked it gently with his perfectly white shoes; Kuma hates to wait as much as he hates cold dishes, or sweet and sour stuff.
Kuma is waiting for a slave boy to open the gate, and so allow him inside. He breaths deeply and then closes his eyes just seconds before the main wooden gate began to open. Upon hearing the door open he opened his eyes and looked upon the one opening the wooden gates. At first glance he believed that the slave boy was naked but saw that he was dressed in a traditional loincloth; the boy is maybe two or three years younger than Kuma but shows an ever growing presence that seems to be powered by his dispersed sideburns.
“They have been waiting for you master Kuma.” The young man said bowing.
Kuma looked at the boy; he seems to be seventeen or so. “What’s your name?”
“It doesn’t matter sir, I’m but a slave still.” The boy’s voice was strong and reassured even if he was as soiled as this.
“I asked for your name.” Kuma commanded.
The boy lowered his stare as he noticed that Kuma was getting angry. “Master Kuma, my name is Goro.”
“Goro you say…interesting.”
Goro is trying to hide part of his ego, the part that in that moment is feeling so good to be recognized by the son of Kachōyabun Daigo; he actually asked for his name. Daigo is a powerful man that runs the underworld single-handedly and is the one that sees that all the silhouette Heya houses don’t get too deep into each other’s necks. The one with total neutrality that padded the way to a son that’s Bear oriented. He wasn’t happy when he heard that his son wanted to get into the Kumagoro Heya stable, but still he wasn’t angry about it…after all he wants his son to gather enough character, and the Kumagoro house will see to that, and fast…even if it brings problems later on.
“Master Kuma, you can wait here while I summon the house master to meet you.” Goro walked away after saying this; he seemed to be staggering.
Ounce inside Kuma was taken to a small garden that had a single male cedar in its center next to a few benches; from where he was standing he could see the sliding door that leads into the interior of the house and the stone pathways that leads to the kitchen and maybe the dormitories. After a while Goro staggered towards Kuma once again and bent with all the grace he could give.
“Grandmaster Bunta Gaman is waiting for you in the main chamber along with the other heads of the house; if you care to follow me I will lead the way master Kuma.” Goro smiled gently at Kuma; something Kuma haven’t seen in a while…not in this world anyway.
Kuma was reduced to say yes with his head as he followed Goro across the main entrance and into the main entrance room. As he sat in the semi raised floor that leads into the house he heard a far away wind chime breaking away the subtle silence that reigned everywhere, with unintended care Goro took Kuma’s white shoes. For a moment Kuma looked at a large wood carving with the names of the people that had been part of that stable; yet he didn’t pay much attention to it.
“I will keep them safe master.” Goro took the shoes as if they were a treasure; he held them close to his body.
“You better, how long have you been here?”
“Mater Kuma I don’t know if my current master will allow me to speak with you…I don’t want to bring you problems in a more event time.”
“At least tell me the name of your master, for respect…so I can tell him how good you have been, so he can reward you.”
“I don’t need any rewards; still, his name is Gontaro Yōjinbō …”
“Is that his real name?”
“I’m not sure, that’s the way he wills me to call him.”
Just in that moment a tall man with broken manacles on his wrists walked near and looked at Kuma. The manacles and hanging chains on his hands make him look as if he had been imprisoned at some point and the chains had been cut in half…if that was so he still had them hanging. Kuma moved his head to the left and looked up at the big man. The man was about seven hundred pounds and rippled with muscles even on his gigantic belly. To be part of the Kumagoro house you must be at least 200 pounds and have proved your way as a cub-slave or be very, very famous in the underground world. The houses have names of animals that have been left out of the zodiac calendar…the calendar consists of rat, oxen, tiger, hare, dragon, horse, pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep and snake. The animals that were left behind became the dark zodiac calendar that dwells between years in the shadows consisting of the bat, the bear, the Tanuki, the crow, the cat, the boar and the ones ruling over the light and dark zodiacs; the unknown. The metropolis of Tokyo has six hidden temples that each was made long ago to honor the name of the animal of its choice, the normal twelve animals rule over the destiny of the lives of everyone on the year they were born while the animals in the dark zodiac rule over just a few individual not predetermined by the year of birth but by their true calling…few people know about the stable houses and the hidden temples.
“Goro, what are you doing here? Go inside, Gontaro have been looking for you for a while now.” The humongous fat man hurried with a deep voice, a voice that can almost match his girth.
Goro looked away from Kuma and then looked at the man. “Master Tenji, I was asked by the grand master to welcome master Kuma here…I’ll be going to Gontaro now if you can take him to the grand master. He is waiting in the fancy room.”
“Do not mind it; you deliver him Goro I don’t want to get on the grand master’s bad side.”
“As you wish.” Goro bowed.
“Master Kuma how is your father and the foundation?”
“I don’t know you that much to disclose such information, yet I can say that my father is as always and the foundation is as it has been for the last thousand years.”
Kuma is very mad at Tenji, usually Kuma is mad at everyone but he doesn’t like a person that doesn’t introduce himself; even if they had met before. Kuma was almost three hundred pounds, while Goro must be around three hundred twenty or so according to Kuma’s calculations.
I’m feeling hostile towards some people already inside the stable and this will not help me when it comes to a team spirit point of view, yet if I don’t remember right this kind of feelings brings the spirit of the bear closer to the fire. Time will tell I guess.
“Master Kuma, please follow me.” Goro said, Kuma just said yes with his head as he tried to avoid Goro’s stare.
At ounce Kuma noticed something odd, the corridor he have been walking into gave the impression to give way to a second floor and he already had walked pass four rooms…from the outside the building looked barely like a two room building at the most.
This room is under some sort of Tejina-Jitsu [Illusionary art]…this building could take a whole block in real life, yet here it just keeps going. To make this kind of Tejina incantation it takes someone very experienced…I myself know some things about Tejina and some of the lesser arts; but this is extreme. Kuma wondered as he looked at the room with hushed wonder.
For a moment Goro turned and smiled, knowing that Kuma noticed the incantations, in the other hand Kuma ignored him by looking at a samurai armor suit of dark blue color that was on the left side of the long corridor they were walking. After a minute or so they arrived at a four meter wide gate at the end of the corridor, in its center there was a crest with a paw symbolizing the bear.
“When the Grandmaster asked me to meet you at the gate we were training here, I’m sorry if the room is messy master Kuma.” Goro spoke in a very low voice before approaching the gate.
Leaning against the crest with both hands he lets the gate slid open and so revealing the room beyond. To say it was a room would be an understatement, for what lay beyond the gate was a coliseum bigger than the grand sumo arena in Ryogoku; and that’s something big. The room was a perfect circle with an impossibly high ceiling that looked in many ways like a cave; the way the light enters from the high windows is almost mystical; like a natural cathedral, yet made entirely out of rustic wood instead of stone. The walls of the coliseum had been adorned with bear skulls; some still juicy and filling the room with their fetid smell that seemed fitting.
At the left side of the room there was a very strong tall guy dressed in a loincloth just like Goro’s and as he saw the new comers enter the room he stood very still and looked with piercing eyes at Kuma that walked slowly behind Goro. Looking at the other end of the coliseum Kuma noticed a man seated on a raised platform among a myriad of animal skins; the man was about fifty years old, very strong, with a lush beard and almost naked, he was covered by the skins around him yet Kuma could see every part of his body, balls, shaft and all.
“Come fort Kuma! The ancestors and I we have been waiting for you.” The man said; his voice deep and pulsating like a bear’s heart.
When the man spoke about the ancestors Kuma moved his eyes towards the bear skulls on the walls and then kept walking forward without saying a single word. When he was a few meters away from the raised platform he stopped and then looked straight at the Grandmaster’s eyes, the Grandmaster’s eyes were dark and deep like the eyes of a real bear; and so full of ancient wisdom.
“Grandmaster Bunta Gaman I come here before you to become part of your stable and to be part of the touched ones that walk the path of the bear. Let the rage of our enemies never lead us into submission.” Kuma announced with a potent voice that made Goro look at him.
“That is good Kuma of the foundation; you seem to know where you are dwelling. There is still time for you to go back…still want to be one of us?”
“Yes Grandmaster Bunta Gaman!”
“Well said, in you I see the traits of the bear, it is even in your eyes…I see you as one of our own but a trial is needed to allow you to be part of our family.”
“That is one of the reasons I came here, a trial is expected, but what type of trial?”
“A trial will…”
In that moment the main gate to the room was opened in a hurry, and from it stumbled towards them a heavyset young man wearing a Mawashi loincloth…
“Grandmaster! Grandmaster!” The short haired fat guy fell halfway towards them just as Kuma turned to look.
“What is it Ranuki?!” Gontaro asked as he came closer to help him to his feet.
Looking at the Grandmaster and then at Gontaro Ranuki scowled at Gontaro and then stood on his own; his face dirty and scratched.
“The cats! The cats are harassing the red girls!”
“They broke the agreement!” The Grandmaster stood from his seat, the skins covering him fell.
As he stood with his right fist closed, he looked at Kuma with a fierce stare as his manhood was filled with blood and was hard as stone. “As I was saying master Kuma, a trial will present itself and so here it is. Will you go with us?”
“I am here for no other reason.”
“Then follow your brothers to be master Kuma, follow them to the red light district and contain the cats, make them behave, it is our right as part of the dark zodiac to maintain balance here at Downtown, even the dark side must have rules.”
“Grandmaster…” Gontaro called.
“Yes, Goro is coming with us. Just look after him.”
Gontaro doesn’t want Goro to come with us? Why? Kuma thought as he saw Gontaro frown as he passed to leave.
“Master Kuma…”
“Yes Grandmaster?” Kuma looked back.
“Do you need a weapon?”
“Bears fight only with their paws…”
“Good, now go! Ranuki, you will stay with me.” Ranuki said yes with his eyes as he sat on his legs on the dirt floor and looked at the Grandmaster.
Kuma circled and walked backwards for a few seconds as he stole a look at Ranuki that was breathing heavily as he looked straight at the grand master. Something about that situation rung familiar to him in some way; he has always been good smelling shit, yet he couldn’t see what was wrong here.
The preparing sounds coming from the other rooms were muted as the doors were closed behind Kuma; the echoing persisted for a few seconds and there as the place became empty of sound seated before the grand master Ranuki closed his eyes as his body heaved up and down at the force of his breathing. Sweat trailed down his body. Closing his hands he opened his eyes and looked at the naked man seated above him.
“How did you found out?”
“Felt something…” His voice came out shy, completely different from the voice that they all heard before.
“Your Tejina art is working stronger than I anticipated.”
“Grand master, I don’t know if it was my Tejina…I really don’t know.”
“Then what? What could have made you go to the red?” For a moment the grand master remained silent as he closed his eyes and then opened them. “You weren’t with one of the girls were you?”
“No, sir…I…I was eating noodles.”
“Noodles? Noodles!?” The grand master shouted and then that shouting became a deep laugh that began to escalate to the point that Ranuki looked at him with his head tilting to the left as if looking for an answer. “Damn all noodles boy, I thought you were with one of the whores.”
“I wouldn’t, I have other things in mind.”
“Don’t I feed you enough? Doesn’t your sumo-stable feed you as well?” Looking at Ranuki seated there looking at him made him forget what he was going to say instead he… “Never mind come, sit. I am in need of you.”
Chapter 2
-A Red Showdown-
The city scrolled around them like an old piece of parchment that had been topped with towers of grey books, a parchment lighted by a fake sky and a nonexistent horizon that beyond hid the houses and districts of the Uptown; covering with artificial whiteness all the rotten things that could be found mingled amongst the millions that inhabited Downtown with their sorry souls. That light coming from the fake sky gave the whole city a sort of brilliance only given to shopping malls and things artificial, to the point that the beings living under its light came out looking like poor copies of dolls, nothing could be hidden in that intense cool light, skin became plastic and the eyes beaded poor excuses for pain and lingering failure to dream. How to hide the scars and a wounded spirit in a place where the darkness is hidden in the hearts of the ones that walk the streets, let it be night or day the only difference is a difference in brilliance and a different sort of sky paper mimicking stars, just to hide the tons of metal on top of the city that are the ground to the real city above.
“We have to take the subway to Lantern Street.” Gontaro shouted as he walked next to the others. “Once there Goro stay close to me until I say otherwise.”
“Yes, master. What about master Kuma?”
“Master Kuma stay with Tenji, I know it is your first day, if you need help stay behind him.”
“I don’t need your help.” Kuma snarled as he tried to ignore the fact that Gontaro was leading.
“We know, master Kuma…but we are going to deal with the clan of the cat; they are cunning.”
“It seems the kitties are in heat.” Tenji said with a broad smile.
“We have certain days to visit the flower houses; they don’t have a pass tonight. I wonder what happened to the Tanuki clan…wasn’t their turn to protect the red?” Goro asked.
“Well…they do are notorious drinkers.” Tenji said. “Maybe they are all drunk.”
“To have an alliance with them we seem to be far apart. That has to change.” Kuma commented.
“Alliance is just a word to most clans master Kuma; I bet if we find a whole barrel of sake we will see them there to honor their part in the alliance. All the word means is that they won’t get in our territory as long as we are in terms of alliance.” Gontaro explained.
“As you know master Kuma the Imago red district is under our care, as is Lantern Street…we shouldn’t have given it to the Tanuki clan.” Goro said.
“It is only a courtesy you know.” Tenji said.
………
Kuma was used to the way the subways look in Downtown, not even his stay in New York made him see it in a different way, no matter how many bad things can happen in the end the trains look way too clean, like the city above and the one above it the train resembles what it should be; a part of a greater whole. As clean and white as the trains are in Downtown many things don’t go along with them, the people around them, the young girl being taken to a flower house, the man in the corner barely holding on in his drugged die-dreams and the many others that with distant faces try to ignore the fact of what is happening around them.
“Don’t do that…” Gontaro said to Goro that had been smiling to the girl that was being taken to one of the flower houses.
Kuma thought in silence as he eyed Goro at the corner of his eyes; Goro had been smiling at almost everyone that was in front of him. A stop came and the man with the girl stood to leave. In that moment Tenji noticed that the girl was girdled by the neck and being led by a heavy chain that the man carried as if she were a dog.
Her eyes look so dull. Tenji thought as he looked at her faded eyes; doll eyes.
Tenji stood as the train stopped and using the inertia he pulled the man close to him. “Where are you taking her?” Tenji asked with a stern look.
“Kumagoro…”
“We are…”
“I am taking the slut to Bushi-town; crow territory. So buss off bear!”
Tenji laughed deeply; his belly heaving up and down as his chains echoed and the train started to leave. The man with the girl started to leave before the doors closed but Tenji didn’t allow it. Goro could but smile at the girl as she gasped and looked at Tenji with her fake doll eyes.
“Tenji…do behave. We have an assignment.”
“But I am behaving…”
“Just a warning.” Gontaro smiled.
“Let me go bear…”
“I wouldn’t be what I am today if it weren’t for warnings…they are so good to ignore.”
“From where did you take her?” Kuma asked as he tossed a spent cigarette on the man’s feet; which until that moment had ignored Kuma almost completely.
The cigarette remained close to the man’s boots and the lit part of the cigarette began to burn the rubber. Kuma looked sly on his seat, almost melting to the floor with both his arms between his legs. The man looked at Kuma and then at Tenji, it was clear to see that the man was a normal crook; not part of the clans.
“She is no one, just a girl paying off the debts of her parents.” The man came close to the girl grabbed her by the neck and then introduced two fingers into her vagina; the girl remained silent but Goro saw something in her eyes. “See she is tapped to delirium.”
“No one…” Goro repeated silently as Kuma stood from his chair.
Gontaro looked at Kuma and Tenji, he knew from a glance that there was something fishy about the Doll-Girl; a trained Daashi doesn’t react to smiles. The girl isn’t broken yet…and that is illegal. A girl taken to be a Daashi doll must have a Delirium-drive installed so her mind can go away as her body works.
“Something smells bad…and you see I can only stand the smell of my own stench. You might be protected by the crows, but you are still on our territory.” Tenji said towering over the man.
“Tenji, our stop is the next one.” Gontaro said as he saw Goro look at the girl once again with a faded smile. “Do as you must do, we will do the assignment.”
“You can’t do this!” The man said as he saw Tenji tower over him. “The crows will swarm upon you and yours!”
“Crows have no meat, but dark wings can make a good stew…” Tenji said as the train stopped.
“Come…” Gontaro said to Kuma as Goro stepped out of the train. “He can do this alone.”
“But…” Kuma looked at Gontaro, angry and ready to fight.
“You are still on trial Master Kuma.”
Tenji grabbed the man by the neck as Kuma went pass them. Once outside they looked as their other member left the station inside the train, the last thing they saw of Tenji was his mouth moving and then a shadow.
“We are lacking two and we might be heading to a gathering.”
“What about Ranuki…is he retarded that he can’t come with us.” Kuma asked while trying to ignore the fact that Goro was looking at him.
“The grand master says that he is not ready…he is being shown some new fighting techniques. Unlike you he doesn’t know how to fight…”
“But wasn’t he wearing a Mawashi? Or was that around his cock and balls just a big soiled diaper?”
“Bastard he is part of an o-sumo-stable and is still an apprentice. You don’t know anything about his life to be speaking shit about him like that.” Gontaro snapped.
“Then what the fuck is he doing in Kumagoro?”
“You are still not one of us…” Gontaro hissed.
“Fuck you!”
Seeing that they were about to fight Goro came between them. “Masters, let’s not fight between us. If blood is to be drawn let it be from our enemies.”
“Shut it slave…or I’ll make you suck my cock right here in front of…him.” Gontaro said.
“Please…” Goro pleaded, his back touching Kuma’s front and his belly being pushed against Gontaro front.
Kuma breathed heavily and then walked away towards the nearest exit, taking a new cigarette from his front shirt pocket, which he lighted as he began to walk up the nearest stairs.
“We will talk later.” Gontaro said to Goro as they followed.
………
All red light districts are fashioned to look darker than the rest of the city; it is part of the ambiance. As they came out of the subway station a shower of neon lights and reflective announcements were projected above them and on them as they walked from the street corner to the nearest flower house; a place full of ten year old girls and boys.
“Pedophiles…”Kuma said as he looked at the building and at the dark shadows moving inside behind red velvet and silken screens; his expression was vacant.
“Got anything against them?” Gontaro asked.
Kuma only moved his head to the other direction without giving his opinion.
“The house we are looking for is two blocks ahead.” Goro said as he looked at a noodle stand next to the bud house.
“If we aren’t going to fuck anything let’s move.”
“Don’t order me, master Kuma.”
“Then make your choice and have your five minutes master Gontaro, but don’t get any spunk on your pants.” Kuma puffed smoke as he walked to a dark pathway between two buildings.
I could just kill the bastard, but he is who he is. Things are not ripe for what I want and that will take my fortitude. Gontaro thought as he breathed in his rage and took it on the closest wall.
The streets were dark but one could see forms and deeper shadows holding on to the walls and moans of pain and pleasure could be heard permeating the whole place. To the right a dead man lost in a drugged labyrinth for all eternity. To the left, a clan member of the Bat fucking a very thin whore that already had fucked ten before him against that same wall as her pimp masturbates in the corner for the fifth time. Only one glance and Kuma saw his colorings and the knowing that the member saw them for what they truly were. Kuma could tell them apart so easily, it was all in the way they moved; in the way he moved and made his way into her dripping cunt; dripping with more than just her juice…in the way he moaned.
“What is a Bat doing here?” Goro asked.
“At least he paid the whore.” Gontaro said.
“An unlicensed whore…” Kuma pointed.
“Still a whore. She deserves to eat.”
“My father is blind.”
“So are many, but we try to keep his business in place as well as we can.”
………
They stopped almost in unison in front of the flower house; a wooden pagoda shaped building called the Black-Sakura. Screaming could be heard mingled with moaning and so many other things that like that they knew that was the place even before they were sure.
“Goro…” Gontaro looked at Goro; a command.
“I will…”
“We will enter from the front door. Beat them on sight and, try not to hurt the merchandise. A crooked whore isn’t as pleasant.”
“Nothing else would make me happier, only a coward would do otherwise.”
“Master, do remember that they must be drunk.” Goro said this to Gontaro but looked at Kuma. “The fight may not even be worth a sweat.”
“True but what else can we do?”
The main gate flew towards the edges, one side to the left and another to the right; all by a single kick from Gontaro. As that happened two whores ran away screaming from a young man with long nails that with painted lips had been kissing both women, one look and Kuma saw that the lipstick on his lips had been painted by himself as were the dark shadows under his eyes to mimic the dark lines of a cat.
“Kuma right! Goro left!” The command was shouted as Gontaro confronted the man on the floor.
Both Goro and Kuma did what they were told and came into the following rooms. The man on the floor rose from the floor as if he were a puppet, his torso rose as his legs came together under him in a fighting stance. It only took a few second for in that moment Gontaro’s arms went above the man as he jumped and just as he was on his highest point he punched the cat on the head with both hands. The cat twirled to the left and so breaking the walls between that room and the left one. Goro jumped as the wall collapsed and with brutal force he jumped on the man that had been twirled by his master and so stopped his momentum. Inside that room he had been fighting two men at once while a whore remained silent and quiet looking at Goro fight with dark kept eyes; her hands hidden inside her torn kimono. With a grapple Goro made one of the men fall to the floor as he kicked the other man towards Gontaro that in turn grabbed the man by the neck and held him up high above his head until the man stopped moving. In that moment two men jumped from the stairs both holding katanas of red color, a look and Gontaro threw the man he was holding to the other two just as the prostitute on the floor took a long needle out of her kimono and killed the other man that wasn’t caught mashed by the flying man. She moved with such grace that Goro could but smile at her before she prepared to take her leave.
“The leader is upstairs…” She said; her lips as red as blood while her face lacked color.
“The Tanuki?” Goro asked while kicking the man at his feet.
“Bonded on the third floor. Tama is dead.” The whore said before leaving.
“Just a slave!” Gontaro said as he ran to the stairs.
“Just a slave…” Goro repeated…he didn’t followed instead he walked outside.
………
With four men on the floor and a fifth against the main pillar sustaining the building Kuma looked rabid. Seeing that he was wasting time with this small fry he came to the man and with a growl he used his whole left arm and body and punched the man in such a way that he made the pillar behind him tremble and so making the whole pagoda tremble slightly. The man fell sideways to the right but as he fell he kicked Kuma on the back of his legs and so made him fall to his knees as with the other leg he kicked Kuma right in the face just as another member of the clan grabbed his neck from behind.
“Oh look it is a poor cub! Let us play with it!”
“Let me go and I’ll make you see my cub, I’ll drive it up your ass so fast that you will be blowing chunks within seconds you chunk of shit!” Kuma growled.
“It talks…Growl! Growl!” The man behind him began to yell as the one in front stood and stopped in front of Kuma.
Kuma growled and spat his spent cigarette away with rabid rage as he saw the blade against his neck, so close to his neck vein that he was wishing to let that blade taste his own blood if it only could bring his enemies down.
“What shall we do to him?” The man in front asked the other as he kicked Kuma on the gut once and then twice as blood began to drip from Kuma’s lip.
Kuma closed his eyes as he spat blood; everything became so silent.
Chapter 3
-Silently-
“Nekokashi!” Gontaro called to the darkness in the room.
There seated on top of a wooden crate stood a man so beautiful that one had to look twice before saying that he wasn’t a woman, his lines, long nails, his eyes and even the way he moved were so delicate that the manliest man would have a stiffy by looking at him.
“Gontaro how is your mother? Still on the business?” Nekokashi said as he pushed away the whore that was sucking his cock as Gontaro entered the room.
“What are you doing here? You broke the rules!”
“You know I find it a little stupid to have rules in this sort of world, things have to change… actually they will change very soon.”
“Shut up! Leave this place before more of your morons are dead.”
“Dead! Ha! We can’t die that easily bear! The strength that was given to you by the dark zodiac has another dark gift upon us…nine lives. So go away and leave me to my sluts.”
“You are so horny that you have to break the rules?”
“Aren’t you bears always horny? Or does your taste run in men? I have heard it is a strong trait in your clan as well with the Tanukis and the boars…”
“Not all of us…”
“My tastes run with young women but for this day I could become curious with your flesh…to make you suffer!” Nekokashi played with his nails in such a way that he looked like an exotic animal.
“I won’t submit to the likes of you cat! Or should I say, dog!”
“Oh boy, I am not the one that is going to be my bitch.”
Nekokashi crawled on the floor with such speed and grace that Gontaro could but back away as he jumped over him and slashed an X on his chest. Or at least that’s what Nekokashi thought, because as he stepped back and saw his enemy slash his chest he hugged Nekokashi with his strongest hold.
“You see little cat, I don’t know how many foul lives you have but I plan on taking all of them with me.”
“See…you…try…” Nekokashi said between gasps.
Feeling Gontaro’s flesh against his mouth Nekokashi did as any good cat would and bit the man, drawing blood and flesh as he did. Gontaro held his ground, blood dripping from him and pain tracing his whole body, yet he held his ground for four minutes; until he felt his mind waver and a moment of weakness was enough for the cat to scurry away towards the main pillar at the middle of the room. Circling the pillar with a nail Nekokashi looked at Gontaro.
“That much you want my cock inside of you?” Nekokashi said.
“You sad little fuck!”
“This ends now!” Nekokashi wailed
………
There was only one way out of that situation and Kuma knew it. No hesitation! No pain! With a single rush he punched the man behind him on the balls with his arm, the blade on his neck cut him on the right side of his brow just as he parted and punched the man in front of him. Blood flowed freely as he staggered away to the right corner of the room, yet he knew that he had to fight if he wanted to survive. He already could see the shadows of the men he had punched towering over him, yet the blood was stinging his eyes and his guts hurt like hell.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck you all!” He yelled as he turned to face them kneeling on the floor.
………
Goro stood alone outside the building, feeling strange and weak.
“What’s wrong with me? I have to be strong.” He said as a strong gust of wing moved his hair from one way to the other.
Goro turned as he felt something behind him, and suddenly an emptying feeling close to a long deep yawning was felt coming from the pagoda. He looked up and saw a very thin man jump from the second floor to an electricity pole; within seconds the man had vanished into the shadows of the streets beyond yet the yawning empty feeling wasn’t gone.
“Goro!!!” Gontaro’s voice was heard as a long wail that echoed out of the building.
Everything seemed in slow motion as the pagoda lost all electricity and was plunged into darkness, just as the building began to collapse Goro’s eyes widened and opened very wide.
………
Kuma was ready to die as he saw the ceiling fall on him; it came crashing on the two cats first with a deafening scream that pushed him against the closest collapsing wall along with a dry curtain of dust that penetrated his lungs without mercy.
In that moment everything was so silent, yet deafening.
………
The air stopped all together as everything fell upon them and there before the collapsing building Goro’s eyes became as faded and vacant as the doll-girl they saw on the subway. With both hands held in mid air towards the building the last collapsing piece of wood was held in mid air as waves upon waves of energy were released from Goro into the building. As if made by toy bricks the whole building began to be recreated, reconstructing itself piece by piece to the point that it ended up grander than it had ever been. With a deep breath and a silent gasp Goro fell backwards shaking as the whole night came back with its sounds and endless urban jungle cornucopia.
………
Goro lay seated against the pillar of the main room of the Kumagoro clan main building, a girl at his side was serving him a drink and on the closest corner Kuma lay slouched against the nearest wall; looking at Goro while drinking heavily. They had won that day and by then it already was night in the dark endless gloom of the red light district. Whores coming from the flower house they saved had been taken there by the Tanuki clan and as the night progressed four were spent on Tenji and two were already hanging from Gontaro’s shoulders.
These girls, they should be traumatized after what happened. Goro thought as he thanked the girl.
“I know what you’re thinking slave.” Gontaro came in with two girls on each side, Goro looked at him. “Believe it or not they are very grateful.”
“Very grateful…” Goro repeated.
“You know, I don’t like it when you do that.” Gontaro said to Goro while the girl to the left massaged his manhood into hardness. “The way you repeat things, it changes their meaning. I wonder if that is part of your art.”
“I am sorry if I displease you master Gontaro, but as it is trait to our clan we keep our personality traits.”
“Leave him be master of keys, he saved our sore asses this night.” Kuma said while pointing at Gontaro with a sake cup.
“Day…”
“Either way let him drink, fuck a whore if he wants to and let him forget that he is a slave for once.”
“Please don’t…” Goro hushed towards Kuma.
“I have business to attend to, two handfuls of fresh towing meat and juice to top my dripping cock. Whichever, he won’t fuck a whore.” Gontaro pointed at Goro as he left the room and left the two men alone.
“Wont fuck a whore?” Kuma asked while leaning towards Goro.
“Do you? You have been here four hours master Kuma and all I saw you do was talk to one of the Tanukis and lip sake, seven bottles by my account.”
“Nine, you’re off by two.”
“You’re almost drunk and falling and have been dismissing eager pussy since we came in.”
“As you have been for no reason, but I am seeing to your well being, it is a priority.”
“What do you care about me?”
For a moment there he wanted to say more, Kuma wanted to say that he cared for what came of him, he wanted to say that at some place he was feeling strange feelings that were way too familiar to him and that the sake was beginning to water his fortitude. So as he came to speak other reasons surfaced, mundane reasons.
“The grand master said so, to your master no less, but he seems to be…occupied.”
“I don’t need to be looked after master Kuma…I am Kumagoro.”
“So I am, I think…but still I need many things.”
“I should go.”
“Stay, I am your superior, right? I command you to stay and do come closer slave.”
“He is a slave for once…” Goro repeated as he crawled to be closer to Kuma.
“You don’t miss one slave. I know what you’re doing; you are not changing the meaning of the words as your master says. I know what you’re doing.”
“What?” Goro looked at him finish a tenth bottle of warm sake.
“You state the truth on what others say and so making the truth more sharp…tempered.”
“Why did you come here? You’re his son aren’t you?”
Kuma gasped deeply. “Have you been to a zoo slave?”
“Yes, once or twice, why?”
“I saw a bear there once, well fed and fat, yet it was cornered, wild, and was beautiful. You know what I saw in the mirror of his eyes?”
“What?” Goro breathed.
“He wanted freedom, in his eyes I could see the wild calling to it, driving him mad with each passing second. My father have placed before me many bars of forged gold, veins of glistering silver and yet to me they are nothing more than walls keeping me from myself. Do you have the slightest idea of what I mean?” Kuma said as he came closer to Goro, his neck inches away from Goro’s shoulder, his words coming out heavy with alcohol and yet so warm.
“We all are jailed one way or another by the things that were there for us before we were born. I know what you mean master Kuma, I know.”
“You two are awfully serious!” Tenji said as he woke from a deep sleep he had been taken in after pleasing four whores with his thick long cock; the girls moved slightly beside him as he raised his torso to speak to the others.
“Master Tenji, what happened to the doll-girl?”
“The girl’s name is Sumomo, as I thought; she was kidnapped from a registered family up in Uptown. Some pedophile have been watching her for some time and paid the crows enough money for the job.”
“She’s fine?”
“Safe, as we speak she must be warm on her bed.” Tenji’s eyes grew distant and sad. “Though I doubt she forgets the experience, the bastard had her for a few days for himself, no Delirium-Drive.”
“I knew it.”