The Day of Thunder

[Ukyou]

After politely requesting to use an open, fallow field, Ukyou and Kichi were in the middle of it, facing each other. Both had divested themselves of their top layer of robes, leaving them both in trousers. They were both built strong, despite Ukyou's initial appearance. A rather nasty scar stretches across the chest of Kichi.

Ukyou moved slowly, walking Kichi through a set of moves that were almost painfully slow in the way he did them... or at least were to Kichi, who still struggled with patience at time. They each had rocks tied to their wrists, making the slow movements all the more difficult to maintain.

[Saru Ranmaru]

Lots of manly exertions had not allowed Ranmaru the blissful state of sleep. And so, he walked about a little bit more surly than usual.

In the fields, well, he checked out the men as he always did. He definitely appreciated the muscles... and the fact that somebody else would be asked about the bareness of their chests.

He didn't interrupt with words, though. He was much too tired to really think of much to say just yet.

[Ukyou]

They moved through their routine until the end, each step slow, deliberate, and graceful. The taller one seemed to be working a little harder than the shorter, who was blithely smiling for all of it. Finally, they finished, and the shorter one waved. "Good morning!"

The other one bowed, even as he started post-workout stretching.

[Saru Ranmaru]

"Yes, quite." Ranmaru crossed his arms, glancing around for anything else that might have been of interest around here. "You two are Shinsei's people then. Why?" He knew he had been brusque though didn't much care to elaborate further.

[Ukyou]

The monks glanced at one another in confusion.

Finally, Ukyou asks, "Why... what?"

[Saru Ranmaru]

Ranmaru shrugged. "Serve him. Follow him. Whatever you want to call it."

[Ukyou]

"Well, in my case it would be rather neglectful if I allowed him to take the entire weight of the world onto his shoulders," Ukyou said. "It's some people's destiny to save the world. My destiny is to look after weirdos."

[Kichi]

Kichi raised an eyebrow at Ukyou, then looked back at Ranmaru. "I am the student of Ukyou-sensei primarily."

He glanced at Ukyou. "Sensei..."

[Ukyou]

"All right, all right..." The smaller man sighed. "Because he knows the world better than nearly anyone, enough to be able to follow the shape of destiny. He can see truth in people's hearts. He's my closest friend, and I'm concerned about him. He considers what he knows to be an obligation to everyone to try and use it for the good of as many people as he can."

[Saru Ranmaru]

"That is the burden of great men," Ranmaru said, nodding along. He too was convinced that he knew the course of the world and how best to help others. "And so, he has set people on a path to defeat a great evil plaguing the land. Since you are not of a clan, how will you contribute to this reckoning?"

[Ukyou]

"Since Shinsei himself is having to fight his own battle to give the Thunders the best shot they have to defeat the Champion, Kichi, Nozomi, and I are here to serve as guides should people need them," he explained. "In philosophy or general advice."

[Saru Ranmaru]

Ranmaru shrugged. "Right, because that's what monks do." He looked over their bodies and then smirked. "Right, you have to train your bodies too and all that." His eyes narrowed. "But okay, you can't help us against the Champion itself. But can you say anything at all about what it is? Will it really only be one?"

[Kichi]

Ranmaru shrugged. "Right, because that's what monks do." He looked over their bodies and then smirked. "Right, you have to train your bodies too and all that." His eyes narrowed. "But okay, you can't help us against the Champion itself. But can you say anything at all about what it is? Will it really only be one?"

"There will really only be only be one," Kichi said, speaking up this time. "It will be something that will be a challenge even for nine of the Empire's best to take down. Given its ties to Yume-do, it may be something that will be a challenge to even comprehend. Consider that Jigoku's original goal was to corrupt one of the Kami themselves to its cause, you can get an idea of what I'm talking about."

[Saru Ranmaru]

"Right, something not of our reality but theirs." Ranmaru's muscles tensed. The idea of his brute strength not working on a problem was, well, problematic! "And since it's our realm, we can't just send the Kami at it. That being said, why doesn't our enemy send nine too?"