Hokuto no Stigma is a sign of shame for whatever the chapter is deicated to.

Hokuto no Stigma: Chapter of Death and Repentance

Act 1 And so They Fought!

On one of my friend’s random whims, I found myself in a small fast food restaurant. The white walls and gray tables both reeked of grease. Of course, I couldn’t help eating here though. “Why did we come here?” I asked my friend who approached, carrying a tray with burgers, fries, drinks and the like. His name was Drake; he had blonde hair, blue eyes and was taller than I was. Sorry, but I’m not great at describing people, go read a comic or a manga if your imagination can’t fill in the blanks.

“Well, I was thinking.” Drake began, when he said “I was thinking” it generally meant some scheme to join Zane’s gang.

I had never met Zane, but I knew from observation that gang didn’t properly describe his Beggar’s Sect. They were closer to a police force. Basically, they kept other gangs out of the area. They were all well respected, even if a few of them were low-lives. Drake wanted that respect.

“Yeah, you’re pretty strong right. I think we can stop a couple of people from getting mugged or something, and then we’re in.” He said.

Don’t waste your time thinking about that. Of course, I didn’t say that out loud.

Then, at that moment, a man walked into the store. He was wearing a trench coat, and had blood red eyes. A drug addict if I ever was one. Of course no one else took the time to observe this. By the way he was about eight feet tall, just thought I’d let you know that.

“Hello sir, welcome to,” before the girl behind the counter could finish her speech, the man in the coat impaled her in the neck with a small needle. Upon closer inspection, the needle was hollow. Blood spewed from the wound and out the end of the hollow blood letter. A cruel technique. More people entered the store from the door on the side. They wore varying clothes, but they all carried those hollow needles, and were all at least seven feet tall.

“This is a hold up.” The first man said “Give us the money in the cash register, and everyone empties their pockets.” By this time, the girl behind the counter’s blood had splashed all over the man’s face. A grotesque scene, don’t you agree.

“Well, here’s your chance.” I said to Drake.

“They’re killers, I can’t beat them. I’ll die.” He said this in a shaky voice

“You got a problem with death?” I said, rising from my chair, leaving my jacket on the back of the seat “Perhaps you shouldn’t hangout with Yan Wang then.” The leader of this group of confused addicts had heard me call myself Yan Wang. I don’t like writing the word leader, so for the sake of myself, I’m calling this guy Zender. It’s a pun I’m sure no one will understand.

“Who are you that call yourself the god of death?” Zender said.

“Ken, you’ll see in a moment that death follows me.” I said, walking toward him; keep in mind when imagining this scene, that I’m about five foot nine. Two of his men ran at me. One tried to impale me with a needle, a single punch cause his face to cave in with enough force to cause his eyes to come flying out of his head. The next on had circled behind me. I used a back fist to crush his skull. Blood spewed from the giant wound that was once his face. I flicked part of the left hemisphere of his brain off my hand, as I continued my forward advance. More of his men came at me. I kicked one in the face, and then his head split in half. It split in layers, first the skin pulled apart, then the muscle, then bone, then finally the brain. Blood was being spewed from his wound the whole while. This technique has a name, but it’s not important for now. I saw him fall on top of one of his comrades. With his dead comrade on top of him, he panicked. He leapt to his feet and ran into me. The fear on his face was comical, considering how much smaller than him I was.

“Ah ta ta ta ta ta ta ta.” I howled my preferred Kiai as I let loose a flurry of punches, each aiming at one of the 708 secret vital points of the human body.

“Wait, I’m alive?” He said pleasantly surprised.

“Naïve!” I said loudly “You’re already dead!” As if on cue, his head began to expand, along with his chest. They swelled to well over twice their normal size, and then they both burst. Bit’s of heart, brain, liver and other body parts now littered the floor where he had been standing, or was standing, his legs were still there. Oh, wait they fell over too, never mind.

“Hokuto: Hyakuretsu Ken.” I said, for those of us that don’t speak Japanese, that move’s name means Northern Dipper Hundred Crack Fist. You can replace Northern Dipper with North Star if you’d like, I think it sounds cooler, but Hokuto means Northern Dipper, what’cha gonna do. Anyway name’s aside, only three men remained.

“Nice moves, but can you defeat me.” Zender growled still foolishly confident in himself. Drugs do that too you. “Use the needles men.” Zender’s men pulled the deadly weapons from their coat. With a quick toss four needles hurdled towards me. Unfortunately for them, I snatched them from the air with two fingers. Now, in both hands, I held two needles between my index and middle fingers. “Nishi Shinku Ha. The Two Finger Air Snatch” I said loudly, just before I threw the needles back at my opponents. The four steel tubes hit both of them, square in both eyes. They died on impact, but their blood continued to drain from their lifeless bodies.

“Back up, don’t come any closer.” Zender said, trembling, again this guy was eight feet tall; I wasn’t even six feet tall.

“As you wish,” I said, then I thrust my palm forward “Hokuto: Ensho Ha, Northern Dipper Taurus Palm Wave.”. When I thrust my palm forward, the air seemed to waver. You could see it, as if the air was water and it was a ripple, a circular wave hit Zender, but it had no force to it.

“What was that?” Zender asked, his question was answered in the next instant. His blood began to drain from the pours of his skin, until there was nothing left. Now, I’m sure we all know why I gained the title of Yan Wang, the god of death. Of course, I don’t like this title very much, so you won’t see it much.

Walking back through the carnage, I placed myself back in my seat. I observed that the cup that had my drink in it was now bloody. I made my way to the counter.

“Can I have another cup?” I asked, “I’m willing to pay for it if I have to.”

“How can you be so calm? You just waltz through killing people like some kind of Grim Reaper,”

“Yan Wang.” I interrupted to correct him.

“Who cares, the point is, half that stuff you did shouldn’t have even been possible. Now there is all this blood everywhere.” It was the guy behind the counter who was saying this in a rather scared tone.

“That’s why I need a new cup.” I said this with my usual tone of voice “I don’t drink blood.” Defeated he handed me a cup, and looked at the body of the girl that had been killed by Zender. Her eyes and mouth were still hanging open, and her uniform was stained dark red. He pulled the needle from her neck, and checked for a pulse.

“Hey, she’s still alive.” He said surprised, upon hearing this, I did a back flip high enough to get my feet to the ceiling, which I kicked off of and flew behind the counter. With a single glance, I could tell she wouldn’t make it. I decided to offer my condolences, with a punch to a group of pressure points. “Hokuto Ujo Ken.” I said, “The Humane Northern Dipper Fist.” With that, she died, smiling, eyes closed.

“Why, why did you kill her?” Drake asked, finally recovered from the shock, eh. So how strong do you think I am now?

“She was going to die from blood loss. The intense pain would have her die with a look of shock on her face. Hokuto Ujo Ken however, causes one to feel euphoria before dying. Thus the smiling faces and closed eyes.”

“I’m going to go call the police.” The man said, “Here, take this cup.” I accepted the large cup, in exchange for my medium cup, happy day, and walked over to the machine. I filled it with ice and root beer. The waited in that corner by the drink machine. Mainly, because there was no blood there. Everyone at this time was staring at me. I singled out a portly gentleman in his forties and said “Hey, you got a problem with root beer?”

“No!” He yelled startled then went to looking at the floor. His eye met with a piece of someone’s right lung, black with tar by the way. Then he nearly gagged, and turned his attention toward the ceiling. Unlucky guy, his eyes met with a pile of teeth and nerves that had stuck to the roof, the teeth were yellowed by the way. “Can I leave?” He asked me.

“Why ask me that, just go.” I said, he did just that. He got up, and ran towards the door. After nearly slipping on some blood, he was out of the door.

“The police say, that no one is at work today because it’s Saturday.” The guy said from behind the counter. The government, in an attempt to save money, had decided police shouldn’t work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Leaving Sunday their only work day. What Idiot runs this city? A sudden clapping of hands interrupted my thoughts of the kind of reasonable politician that should be in charge.

“Nicely done. I was going to take those guy’s out, but you beat me too it. Good job, Mr. Ken.” A man said. He was a bit taller than me and wore a hooded jacket. He had an aura of strength that was similar to mine, and yet the exact opposite.

“Who are you?” I asked, though, I think I had guessed who it was. The man removed his hood, underneath was a man whom I had never seen. My guess was Chuck Norris, so I guess I was wrong.

“They call me Zane the Beggar.” He said, “I was wondering if I could have a word with you outside.” He walked calmly out the door. I followed him naturally. Saying “Drake, you should leave out the back way, and don’t look back.” I opened the door and headed out.

The night air was cool, but not icy. The various neon signs that illuminated various buildings also helped bring light to the dark parking lot. Other than that a few street lamps lined the perimeter, bathing the darkness of the night a shade that was brighter than day.

“So what do you want, Zane?” I asked.

“I never thought I’d meet the successor of Hokuto Shinken, much less be fighting him.” Zane said, he closed his eyes as he spoke, as if say “I have nothing to fear from you.”

“Why do you wish to fight?” I asked.

“That’s a stupid question.” Zane began “I saw you kill those people. I have the task of punishing criminals that includes murderers.”

“A vigilante,” I began, I put my hands in my pockets and closed my eyes “Isn’t that also a criminal.” Zane used this opportunity to attack. He closed the distance between us and then came the strike. Blood flew through the air.

“Nice move.” Zane said, in between my bleeding index and middle fingers were Zane’s index and middle fingers.

“Nishi Shinku Ha.” I said, throwing his hand out of the way. Just in time to avoid a knife hand slash towards my neck.

“So, how do you like my Nanto Sake ken.” Zane said, imitating the movements of a drunken man.

Nanto Seiken, The Fist of the Southern Dipper, was the polar opposite of Hokuto Shinken. Where as Hokuto kills a man from the inside. Nanto users can cut with their hands, feet, and many other methods, including dynamite and boomerangs. All to destroy the outside of the body. Another difference is, where as there is only one successor to Hokuto Shinken, there are 108 branches of Nanto Seiken, such as the aforementioned dynamite and boomerang styles. Zane’s style was the Rice Wine Fist of The Southern Dipper, which, seemed to be a Drunken Fist or Zuiquan style.

By now we were both too far away from one another to use punches and kicks. That didn’t stop Zane; he thrust his hand through the air, and a wave of energy that looked similar to my palm wave earlier, only straight not circular, fired forward. I cut the ground as it moved, leaving a scar on the land. It sliced my shoulder, and warm blood trickled down my arm. He continually used this move, and I was on the run. The waves were right behind me, shattering lamps, and slicing cars and tree’s in vertically in half. I took careful note not to run in front of the restaurant, lest the people inside take one of the shots I dodged. Eventually, I had nowhere to run but into the street, and that was a bad option just like running in front of the restaurant. I turned around, and thrust my hand at the direction of Zane, mimicking his move. Our two waves collided, leaving the shape of a cross engraved in the parking lot. I jumped and flipped, I was about twenty feet in the air upside down. Then I unleashed another one of those cutting waves, Zane was prepared. He put both hands together, and thrust them both in my direction, the result was an enormous cutting wave. It plowed through my wave, sending it in a V shape, that slashed into the parking lot. It hit me in the chest, leaveing a gash on my stomach. It wasn’t very deep, but it hurt like crap. Of course my face didn’t show pain. Have you noticed how many times I’ve said “Of course”? Anyway, another statement that’s popular with me, I fell to the ground, I felt the need to finish this conflict. I had only one option. I charged towards him. “Shichisei Tenshin: The Seven Stars Mark Spirit!” I proclaimed. He used the double hand cutting wave again, when I cut across, He recovered from the miss, then fired again, then I cut behind him. All in all, I had moved in a pattern shaped like the Big Dipper, also called the Northern Dipper. I was behind him now, time to make my move. I threw a punch that stopped just behind his head.

“Stalemate, eh?” Zane wasn’t surprised, and he had both of his hands next to my next, ready to stab into it should he need to, just an interesting note I decided to throw in.

“You never meant to kill me did you?” I asked, though I knew the answer.

“I just wanted to fully test your fighting prowess.” Zane said, lowering his hands, I did the same.

“Your skills are nothing to laugh at either.” I said, wipeing blood from my chest with what was left of my shirt. A quick hit of my vital point’s stopped the bleeding.

“So, why did you need to analyze my power.” I asked, “What do you really want.”

“I can’t say, not here anyway. Just remember my name. You’ll be hearing it a lot soon.” And on that enigmatic last remark, the legendary Zane walked into the night. I watched him depart like a lone outlaw into the sunset. Then walked back into the restaurant. I picked up my jacket, an left for my home. “What a strange night.” I said to myself.

I arrived at my home, a small one bedroom apartment. I walked through my undfurnished living room, into the bedroom where I spent most of my time. I didn’t bother to wash the blood off, and laid in my bed. I drifted to sleep.

I felt as I morning had come only seconds after I had closed my eyes. So, to alleviate, I slept well into the night on Sunday. Then, I watched a certin movie from 1985. Yet another joke no one is going to get.

Anyway on Monday I found myself asleep on a cafeteria table. Even though I hadn’t done anything spectacular, a crowd surrounded me as if waiting for me to do something, like a Hyakuretsu Ken? The source of this uneeded attention, was Drake’s story of the fast food restaurant scuffle.

“You should have seen it. He punched people, and split peoples heads with kicks did all these flips, and he even shot energy blasts. Then he took on Zane.” That was Drake’s explaination

“That kick is called Ryusei Hagan Kyaku. The Metorite Face Breaking Kick.” I said from my sleeping position. I don’t say the name because face breaking kick sounds stupid. What was Master Shuken thinking? Anyway, while waiting for class to start, I heard a voice telling me. “Get up Hokuto.” It was a girl’s voice, and I know from expirence, when someone calls me Hokuto, it means a fight is about to start.

“I don’t want to fight a girl.” I said rolling onto my side.

“Because you can’t win?” she asked. By now I was curious, what kind of girl challenges a man of Hokuto to a fight knowingly. Apparently, a girl with an X shaped scar running the length of her face. Did you fight a man of Nanto too. “Alright, then why don’t you just defend yourself.” She threw a kick at me, which I dodged, however it sliced the table in half. Nanto Seiken, did you give youself that scar. That’s what the surprised expression on my face said. I flipped to my feet, just before another Nanto side kick sliced my chest. To my surprise, the kick didn’t hurt that badly. It wasn’t totally complete, her technique was perfect, but she didn’t have good timeing. She didn’t an aura of fighting strength like Zane and I. She wasn’t a formally trained martial artist, she could just reproduce techniques. Unfortuneately for her, as I demonstrated against Zane, there is a Hokuto technique that does just that. Unfortuneately for me, out of reflex, I threw a flurry of punches, the Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken to be exact. Luckily for both of us she dodged all one hudread of the deadly attacks.

“Nice punch, let me try it.” She said then used the Hyakuretsu Ken. One hundread punches flew at me, fast. I was capable of blocking all of them, because the technique wasn’t as fast as mine, but I had to use the Hyakuretsu Ken to do so. In fact it was more like the Hokuto Hyakuretsu Dan, Northern Dipper Hundread Crack Snap. That move was the prototype of the Hyakuretsu Ken. However to be able to copy this technique, which consisted of not only punches, but finger stabs, and attacks with the second knuckle. Then to attack the vital points at the right order and at the right time, I couldn’t do that. The only problem was the diffence in our physical builds, that and the fact I had a real master. If not for those two key points, I would have been splattered all over the floor.

“Who are you?” I asked finally I got into a stance. She was broke down tired from the Hyakuretsu fight. I had much more stamina than that of a regular person.

“Yuri, I heard your story from Drake. How you used killing techniques. I wanted to copy one of them. I didn’t think you’d use such a physicly demanding technique.” She got back up, and did her own stance.

“Where did you learn Nanto Seiken?” I asked, decideing not to say “Your going to countinue?”

“A man named Gin, he’s one of the Nato Rokusei.” Yuri replied “Now defend yourself.”.

“Tenha Kessatsu!” I said, sending seven waves that formed the big dipper into Yuri’s stomach, it slides through you, and burst out your back, which is the only external wound the attack causes.

“What the hell was that.” Yuri asked, in between gasps for air, where are all the teachers during this? Maybe they were wadeing through the crowd that had gathered around us.

“A projection of spiritual energy, called ki, in physical form. It can only be used after long years of training. I doubt you can copy that.” I said, right here is where I would use a killing blow, but I decided she didn’t need to die.

“Are you quite done?” A voice from behind me said. It was Zane, in the flesh. “Why don’t you just finish this. You haven’t used your full strength yet.”. Zane was either really perceptive, or knowlageable of Hokuto Shinken. Regular people can only use 30% of their full strength, a man of Hokuto, can use 100%. It always resulted in an expandtion of the muscles, and a ripping of one’s shirt. That’s why I wore the jacket.

“You were holding back?” Yuri asked.

“No, I just didn’t use my ultimate techniques.” I said, “Okay Zane, what do you want.”

“You know me that well already. Okay follow me.” Zane said, “Oh, and Yuri, one day Ken and I will teach you how to use ki. Then you’ll need to build up your physical strength and stamina.”

So Zane led me outside, then put a blindfold over my eyes. I guess I didn’t deserve anyones trust. I was at no real loss though. Even if you don’t make a sound, you can’t sneak up on me, as I was born an assassin. While walking I finally began to take heed to an ill omen in Yuri’s words. Nato Rokusei, the Six stars of the Southen Dipper. They were the ruling class among Nanto practicioners. The six strongest styles of Nanto Seiken were said to rival Hokuto Shinken. Though I doubted it. Hokuto is invincible, even if I’m not. I only knew one member of the Nanto Rokusei, and she was in Tibet. I also knew that all of the Nanto Rokusei have styles named after birds, and Zane’s style isn’t so that rules him out. Who, who of the Nanto Rokusei could Yuri have fought against. The cutting moves she used were kicks, I’ll look into a kicking style of Nanto later, one with the name of a bird.

About this time I could sense several people surrounding me. Was I going to be ambushed? My blindfold was removed, and I was surrounded by children.

“What is this about.” I asked to Zane, who the children were pretending to attack. Zane let himself be toppled, and I watched the violent little things until they let Zane get up. “Follow me.” He said. He led me to the next room, there was a table and chairs where we sat. One of the children came in carrying a tray with two slices of bread.

“Steve, have you eaten yet?” Zane asked.

“No, but you and your guest haven’t either.”

“I’m used to it.” I said that with tears welling up in my eyes. That fast food meal I bought cost three hundread dollars, and was the first time I had eaten in three days. There was a massive food shortage. Even I couldn’t eat, this lead to food being sold in the streets for ridiculous prices, but still below basic grocerys. This lead to a decrease in drug trafficking, as food could be sold legally. Some say that it’s the gangs that are causeing the shortage. Who could mastermind such a plot.? Yet even after all this, that boy had tried to share his meal with us.

“What is this place.” I asked, regaining my compousure.

“I found these kids, apparently their families had sold them to the gangs for food. It’s a barbaric practice, but with the police force in it’s current state, the city is at a loss on what to do.” Zane said, in the same state I was in, “Do you know who does this to us?” Zane asked, he didn’t wait for an answer “The government themselves. The have been lying to us, and stealing from us. Did you know that this city was allowed to secede from the rest of the country. Do you know why? Money, enormas sums of black market money allowed them to bribe our indebted country. Then, this countries government keeps all information away from us, we don’t even know we’re our own country. Anyone who goes to the border dies.” Zane said.

“So you want me to help?” I asked.

“Ken, you and I are going to peirce the border’s wall.” Zane said.

“Won’t that take at least three people?” I asked.

“Four people are comeing, You, Me, Yuri, and Jinno.” Zane said.

“Yuri’s comeing?” I said in a surprised tone, decideing that was a more important question than who’s Jinno.

“I’m sent her to fight you, I told her of Hokuto. In exchange for another move, I’m sure she’ll join in on the battle.” She lied and said Drake told me.

At that instant there was a huge commotion. Walking into the room, arms filled with boxes, was a man. He had many scars about his arms, probably from Nanto Seiken fights. The children clung to him.

“Is this the man of Hokuto?” He asked setting down the box.

“Yes Jinno.” Zane said. This dude was Jinno, hopefully he is a Nanto practioner or something.

“You know, my people hold a special grudge with Hokuto Shinken. Because of you we went underground, and followed a strict code. Only two disciples of Seito Gekken may be trained. Onee of us is supposed to die, and take Hokuto with us.” Jinno said. That was a huge shock. 2000 years ago in China, there was a style called Hokuto Sokeken, Northern Dipper Lineage Fist. A man named Shuken was the only known user of the style. One day, he learned of a style know as Seito Gekken, the Lunar Fist of the Western Dipper. It used the 708 secret vital points of the human body, this technique was mixed with Hokuto Sokeken, to make Hokuto Shinken. However, the Hokuto Clan saw deadly power of the Hokuto Shinken, and forced Shuken to kill all the other disciples of Seito Gekken. To prevent another style from using the power of the 708 secret vital points. Till this I thought he had succeded. But he failed. Beofre me was a warrior of the Seito Gekken.

“I hold no grudge, not against you. Now, if Shuken were alive, I would use the Hyakuretsu Ken you Hokuto men are so fond of.” Jinno said this sincerely “Here, have some of this.”. He threw me a loaf of bread. “There are some gangsters who’s limbs a drifting through a river now. I thought it would be a waste not to take their stock.”

One of the children took a bite, I was about to when, I smelled it, the food was poisoned. Steve had eaten his bread. He began to vomit blood. I rushed over to him, and used the Gedokujutsu, or Antidote technique. I was too late. Jinno use a similar technique from the other side, except, where as I only strike vital points, he punctures them with his fingers. Steve was dead. Jinno punched the wall, and the innocent surface gave way to a hole, in a concrete wall. I would have kicked the pillar behind me, but I had guessed we were underground, and I didn’t want a cave in.

“It’s all the governments fault.” Zane said, he had clenched his hand in a fist, to the point his hand was bleeding.

“I’m in.” I said, without looking up from the floor “I’ll pull down the wall even if only a single drop of blood is left of me.”.

“Good, one month, and we’re leaving.” Jinno said, but we need a good meal until then.

We needed food until then. So, we decided to steal it. All for the tears of the children.

Dedicated to the Twilight seires