Realistic or Modern Great Ganbatte Round 1!!!!: Evolution of the Fight

[obscured_light]

The faint trace of power.

Even if she wasn't fully aware of what the monk was talking about, Rivera could feel he wasn't bullshitting her. A gentle wind would have been too convenient otherwise. The display of power was also necessary, seeing as Rivera's eyes immediately darted to anyone who even vaguely turned in their direction. At least three or four, meaning three or four who would not fall for their tricks so easily. Could it even be called a trick really?

Ten. Her count was off but Rivera bore no ill will towards the monk, stepping aside and gesturing to the gathering.

"Take the lead, guys," she said with a small smile.

 

[PiePillager]

Shangren nodded and led the others out towards the beach. "It's also possible that there are people among those gathered who can hide their chi among us. Those would make for dangerous opponents." The monk raised a hand as he approached others, a few of them looking apprehensive. "Salutations., I assume some of you know why we're here, do you not?" he offered a slight smile to those gathered, raising a bushy eyebrow to each of them.

***
Fat Chu walked through the bar, the front doors directly opposite where Min-Ji and Musashi sat, opposite of Taku. Looking over at the aftermath of Musashi's brief clash with Taku, Chu merely offered a grunt of "Hmph," the sunglasses covering his face doing nothing to conceal the unimpressed glare he was determined to maintain before he turned his attention to Min-Ji. "Shorty from my concert, right? Back in the city? Guess that crew that was after you gave up the chase, huh?"

 

[Nellancholy]

Nabi, for her part, had taken to blending in with the crowd after her early success of being one of the first participants to assemble a full team. That didn't mean that she could relax, however. Instead, she was taking some time to carefully observe the bunch that hadn't joined her side. For the evening, it was pretty safe to assume that everyone still milling around considered themselves a contender, and any percentage of them could be the Mafia's agents. That Mergo certainly wasn't off the hook either, though the fact that she was willing to join the team of Nabi (a known target of the Mafia), meant that she would at the very least be a useful asset, if not someone to trust outright. She hated having to think of people like this, but when facing an organization that worked in the shadows and spent human lives as easily as money, a certain amount of ruthlessness was necessary.

Presently an aged man emerged from a beachside tavern, addressing some of the participants just as Nabi passed. Well, here was a chance to gather more information. Who was this man, and what did he plan? "The purpose of our gathering is fairly clear, eorusin." She folded her arms, giving him a cautious nod but a small smile at the same time. "Planning on getting a head start on the competition?"

PiePillager

 

[egglover]

Seated among her newfound comrades, the ninja and the samurai, Min-Ji raised her glass in a toast. Though their recent scuffle had conveyed something between them, she didn't dwell on the details, content as long as both men stood by her side. This eclectic group felt right. Musashi inspired trust, and Taku displayed a level of skill akin to the samurai. While the duo excelled in weaponry, Min-Ji specialized in hand-to-hand combat, particularly in a Korean style of wrestling. Their diverse skill set made for a formidable team.

A voice interrupted her thoughts from behind. Min-Ji turned to find Fat Chu, the concertgoer from before, and offered him a glass of her soju. "Haha, yeah! Sorry 'bout that. Kind of a wild story. Luckily I got my pal Musa here!"

She put her arm around the shoulder of Musashi with a grin. "Man he really saved my neck out there. Hope ya concert wasn't too, uh, crazy after that, Chu!"

Min-Ji cocked her head, a mischievous glint in her eye, "Hey, you're a participant, yeah? Got a team? Wanna join us? If you do we'll be like, Team Japan or some shit! Haha, 'cept for me, but I can pretend I'm from good ol' Ilbon. Hey bartender, another round of soju for my friends here!"

 

[PiePillager]

Shangren shook his head. "A scope on the competition? In a sense. We were actually hoping to look for suitable candidates to join our team, provided you have not all finalized your decisions yet. He turned to Rivera and Trent. "Forgive me, I do not mean to speak for all of us, but we have to manage it one way or the other."

Kipsang trailed behind the rest of his team for a bit, stumbling and knocking into a trash can, littering its contents onto the beach. "But you need to have what it takes!" he hiccuped. "Perhapssss som demonstrations arrrrre in.....under. Under? No, no...Order!" he guffawed.

"There is truth in these words, I have to admit," Shangren sighed. "Sparring would be the best way to determine if any of you are truly ready for this tournament, whether we join forces or become as rivals. Your performance may give you something to think about improving in the days ahead."

***

"Tch..." Chu looked to the side at Min-Ji's two other 'teammates'. The delusional man who claimed to be Miyamoto Musashi. Such a thing was impossible, but there was no mistaking it. Even if he wasn't the legendary swordsman reincarnated, or whatever his story was, he certainly had the skills to match. And as a descendant of Sasaki Kojiro, he couldn't let such brazenness go unchallenged. Fake or real, Musashi, it was up to him to defeat him. And the best way to ensure that they faced each other without a shadow of a doubt...

"Join with y'all?" he asked, glancing down at the woman. Cool with me," he concluded, taking a seat and accepting Min-Ji's glass of soju.