Fists That Protect Love – The Man Who Fought in Ken's Shadow - A shattered first love

His fist shattered the rock. A dull *thud* echoed across the misty morning wasteland. This rocky area lay at the eastern edge of Hibari Village. Rintarou came here every morning to train. He was a young man, 185 centimeters tall, with spiky black hair and a streak of red dyed into his bangs. His body was honed and muscular, yet still carried a certain leanness. His leather jacket, covered in countless tears and patches, was soaked with sweat as he glared at the massive boulder before him with heated reddish-brown eyes. "……Hah!" One more blow. His right fist punched through the exact same spot on the rock. The old scar above his eyebrow twitched. The boulder was already reduced to rubble. But Rintarou's heart felt no lighter at all. (*Why… why am I…*) Rintarou clenched his back teeth hard. It was a habit that surfaced whenever his emotions ran high. The face that rose in his mind was his best friend's. Kenshirou. The successor of Hokuto Shinken. It was different from the Hokuto Gouretsu Ken that Rintarou used — a martial art that simply smashed rocks with brute force. The human body had 708 *keiraku hikou*, pressure points, and Ken's fist struck those. It was a secret assassination art passed down a single bloodline, destroying enemies from within. In this vast wasteland called the Kantou Wilds, violence had become the only justice. Nations had crumbled, laws had vanished. People gathered around the Akane River, fighting over water and food. Hibari Village was one such settlement, with a population of roughly 120. Rintarou had been born and raised here. So he knew. In a world like this, everyone admired the strong. "Why only him…" The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. It wasn't that Rintarou hated Ken. They had been best friends since childhood, training together countless times. Ken was a kind guy who couldn't ignore anyone in trouble. Now he lived quietly in a half-destroyed house on the northern outskirts of the village — they called it the Wind Ruins. But still. "Tch." Rintarou wiped off his sweat and started walking the path back to the village. Along the way, he could feel his heart in complete turmoil. He wanted to surpass Ken. But he didn't hate him. He was just frustrated. Frustrated at Ken for possessing that hopeless, unfair thing called talent. (*I want to be strong, too.*) Strong enough to protect someone. The thought brought Sumire's face to mind. Rintarou bit his lip tightly. When he reached the village entrance, Kuma-san's voice flew at him from the smithy. "Oi, Rintarou! Picking a fight with rocks again first thing in the morning?" Kumazou-san, age 55. A former Self-Defense Force officer, now working as the village blacksmith. He repaired farming tools and made iron clubs for self-defense. Currency had ceased to exist in this world, so one iron club traded for 20 liters of water. Gasoline was even more insane — one liter supposedly went for 10 liters of water. Rintarou raised a hand lightly. "Yeah, something like that." Kuma-san tapped the smithy's sign with a *thunk thunk*. Rintarou couldn't read the letters. To him, they were just patterns. Seventeen years had passed since the nuclear war ended. Most people could no longer read. But Hibari Village was different. Its literacy rate was three times the wasteland average. The reason why — "Off to study letters with Sumire-sensei again today?" Yes — because she was here. Rintarou's heart skipped a beat. "No, I, letters are…" "Don't be shy. A strong man who can read and write gets even more popular." That wasn't it. He was just — But he couldn't say it. From the distance, he could hear children's voices. The Aozora Schoolhouse, a repaired old school building. Sumire taught letters there every day to 25 children. A tattered world map hung on the wall, and she always pointed at it with a smile, saying, "This is where the ocean used to be." Rintarou looked toward the schoolhouse. Beyond the window, he could see black hair reaching down to her waist, tied back with a blue cloth. Her clear, wisteria-colored eyes gazed at the children. (*I can't get close.*) Rintarou averted his eyes and left the area. Afternoon. Passing by the outskirts of the village, Rintarou heard it. "Stop! Let go!" His body moved on its own. In the shadow of a ruined hut at the village edge. Two thugs had grabbed Sumire roughly by the arms. "Hey, just behave! You behave and we won't hurt you!" "Yeah, yeah. We just need you to come along to the Tsuchigumo Post Town." Tsuchigumo Post Town — a trading hub 25 kilometers north of here. But it also had a black market, and rumors said human trafficking happened there. Blood rushed to Rintarou's head. "Stop it!" He leaped out, driving his right fist into the nearest thug's flank. The brute force of Hokuto Gouretsu Ken. *THUD!* "Guah!" The thug went flying, slamming into the wall and crumpling. The other one panicked, releasing Sumire and reaching for the knife at his hip. But Rintarou's left backfist struck his face faster. *CRACK.* "Uwah!" Neither of them got up again. Sumire sat on the ground, her eyes wide. "Are you okay?" Sumire slowly stood up. "……Yes. Thank you." Her voice, as she thanked him, trembled slightly. But her eyes were no longer afraid. He could see a core of strength in them. Sumire brushed the dust from her skirt and looked straight at Rintarou. She was petite at 158 centimeters, but her large wisteria eyes held a firm will. "You're, um, the one who trains at the village edge every morning…" "You were watching?" Sumire smiled just a little. "Every morning, working so hard. I thought it was amazing." His chest grew warm. "I'm Rintarou. A practitioner of Hokuto Gouretsu Ken." "I'm Sumire. I teach the children letters in this village." It was just an introduction, but Rintarou was already elated. Sumire looked at his hands in their fingerless gloves, then looked up at his face. "Thank you so much for earlier. ……Rintarou-san, you're strong." Those words made him happy. He felt like someone had acknowledged him. Like his fists had meaning, after all. Sumire's smile was far warmer than the wasteland sun. Though she had just been attacked by thugs, her eyes shone as if she had already forgotten it, and that gentleness seeped deep into Rintarou's heart. (*Is this… love?*) Rintarou realized his chest was pounding. Watching her black hair sway in the wind, he wanted to protect her. He wanted to stay by her side, always. It was the first time in his life he had ever felt this way. But. "I admire strong people like Kenshirou-sama." His heart stopped. "Kenshirou-sama, the one living in the ruined house to the north —" Sumire continued talking innocently. But nothing more reached Rintarou's ears. Kenshirou. Him again. (*I'm…*) "— Thank you so much. I'll head back to the village now." Sumire waved with a smile and jogged back toward the village. Rintarou couldn't move. Jealousy, despair, and anger at himself — it all felt ready to explode inside his chest. Night fell. Rintarou was alone, out in the wasteland. He slammed his fist into the ground. *THUD!* He slammed it again. *THUD! THUD!* "Dammit…! Why, why is it…!" He choked back his voice and wept. His best friend had become his rival in love. And on top of that, Kenshirou possessed that extraordinary power. It was no wonder Sumire admired him. But he couldn't accept it. When he lifted his face, the starlight was painfully bright. Rintarou wiped his tears and ground his back teeth. "I'll definitely become stronger than him." He clenched his fist. "And then, I'll protect Sumire…!" That was when it happened. On a distant hill, numerous lights flickered into view. Headlights. A gang of bikers was moving toward Hibari Village. An ominous engine roar trembled through the night wasteland. Rintarou rose to his feet. Something was about to begin.

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Episode 1

Name: Fists That Protect Love – The Man Who Fought in Ken's Shadow
Author: Novelia

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