''Bastard!'' Rijun looked at the mocking face of Ichiro with an enraged look. He was about to jump off the balcony and go beat the living sh*t out of him.
But then, a calm voice came behind him.
''That's enough.''
Rijun turned his body around and widened his eyes in shock.
''Ali, what are you doing here?'' He asked with sweatdrops appearing on his forehead.
Ali twirled the gun around his finger, ''It wasn't too hard to guess what you were up to. I have to admit, you are an utter disappointment.''
''Haaah?!'' Rijun's face became even angrier, ''Who the fuck do you think you are?! I am great Battle Maniac Rijun!''
''You are nothing but a coward.'' Ali shook his head out of disappointment.
''Don't you dare to insult me!!!'' Rijun lunged towards Ali with his body glowing in bluish color.
''Hmph.'' Ali snorted and didn't even look at Rijun, put his gun did.
*BANG*
*BANG*
Two bullets left the barrels and pierced through both of Rijun's legs.
''ARGHH!'' Rijun fell on the ground with his blood staining the floor below him in red.
Ali put the gun back on the holster and walked away, ''Utter disappointment.''
''Grrr!'' Rijun held his bleeding legs with an agony-filled gaze. He will live, but he won't be able to walk for a few days.
Ichiro flinched and looked backward. He thought he heard gunshots.
He narrowed his eyes, but he turned around and continued his walk towards the stadium.
The streets were emptier than ever before. Most of the citizens of Underworld City are either sleeping or partying. The sleeping rhythm is as messed up here as in the Darkland.
Ichiro isn't planning to sleep this night. He is going to finish the fifth page of the Book of Etiquette.
But, while he was walking. He encountered something strange.
A young boy around 8 years old was innocently sitting on the bench. It was the first time Ichiro saw someone so young here.
The young boy turned his head towards Ichiro and didn't change his expression.
''Mister, why is your shirt broken?'' He pointed towards Ichiro's jacket and shirt, which was ripped in half after Rijun's attack.
''Things happened,'' Ichiro replied and walked past the young boy who never stopped looking at him.
''Kid, what are you doing here?'' Ichiro decided to ask.
''I was bored at home.'' The young boy replied.
''Isn't your parents there?''
The young boy shook his head, ''They went to the party, I was supposed to go to sleep, but I am not sleepy.''
''Hmm.'' Ichiro continued his walk, but then the young boy asked, ''Mister, are you the fighter in the tournament?''
''I am,'' Ichiro replied.
The young boy nodded, ''I guess this will be the last time we will be meeting.''
Ichiro raised an eyebrow, ''And why is that?''
''Because you will die.'' The young boy said and stood up.
Ichiro stopped walking. He turned around to look at the young boy, ''And… Why would I die?''
''There are over 100 fighters. Your chances of survival are very minimal.'' The young boy said with a surprisingly smart tone.
Ichiro smirked, ''Well, you know math. But, you are wrong about one thing.''
''Hmm?'' The young boy looked at him curiously.
''You think that every fighter has the same chance of survival, which is below 1%, but you are wrong…'' Ichiro turned around and continued his walk towards the stadium, ''Only the strong will triumph. Everyone, in fact, has only 0% chance of survival because they lost the moment I joined this tournament.''
His words echoed in the young boy's ears. He watched as Ichiro's back became smaller and smaller until he had completely disappeared.
''Arrogance… Or confidence?'' The young boy shrugged and returned to his home while being curious about the young man he had met.
…
Half an hour later.
Ichiro reached his room, and the familiar sound of the camera moving was heard.
The camera in his room can move 360 degrees and capture the entire room. He can't do anything without the camera seeing it.
He can't even take a shower because there is a camera there too.
Ichiro didn't really care. He grabbed his bag from the ground and opened it.
He took a violet-colored book from there with the title of Book of Etiquette.
He sat down on his bed and opened the fifth page.
The camera was only capturing Ichiro's figure but couldn't see what the book showed.
Ichiro started reading with a concentrated expression.
[Fifth Page - End of First Lesson]
[You have done well, young man. Your power of gentlemancy has improved another realm while your feelings have been confirmed, isn't that right? Listen to your heart of gentlemancy. It will tell you the answer you need. You only need to believe in your own heart and not the words of some book. If you are still afraid of taking that decisive step, then think closely… What are the three things you are thinking the most on daily basis?]
''What am I thinking most…'' Ichiro looked at the ceiling and thought deeply, ''When I wake up, I think about my training routine, but I also think about not going overboard so I can spend some time with Azura…
''During breakfast, I think about what moves I should train today, but I also think what I should do with Azura that day…''
While he was thinking, he didn't see, but half of his hair was already pure white in color with beautiful grey eyes!
Words started changing in the book, which attracted Ichiro's attention.
[Three things you think most - 3rd: Training - 2nd: Improving Iron Style - 1st: Azura]
[Fifth Page - END!]
Ichiro closed the book, and finally, a small appeared on his face.
The white hair slowly started disappearing until only his black hair remained.
But… His grey eyes didn't disappear!
His black eyes have been replaced with grey eyes, which increased his charm by another level.
If his black eyes looked like beautiful stars.
His grey eyes looked like beautiful gems, which had been untainted by human sins.
Ichiro lied down on the bed and planned to get a wink of sleep.
'It is time for this pointless tournament to end…'