At that moment, on a dark web forum known to those in Japan's underworld—referred to locally as the Darknet Medieval Jeppland Branch—a thread popped up on the free board under an anonymous handle.
1. Anonymous VIP: 2017/05/03 (Wed) 13:27:18.47 ID:lokoisGod
Just got a call from a buddy at EE's security team. Is it true Black Yaksha broke out of his coffin and came back?
2. Anonymous Mercenary
It's legit. The God of Destruction himself confirmed it. Word's spreading like wildfire in Tokyo after a fight in Akihabara. EE's team triggered an EMP to lock down info, so no videos got out, but dozens of people saw it.
3. Anonymous VIP: 2017/05/03 (Wed) 13:28:37.13 ID:lokoisGod
Holy sh*t…
4. Anonymous Hacker
Isn't Black Yaksha overhyped? A guy from 10 years ago? Sounds like a lot of exaggeration to me.
5. Passing Anonymous
???
6. Anonymous Acupuncturist
?????
7. Anonymous Fighter
???????
8. Anonymous VIP: 2017/05/03 (Wed) 13:30:23.47 ID:lokoisGod
LOL look at this noob's hook collection skills LOL. Black Yaksha's hype is real, but he's still unbelievable.
9. Anonymous Hacker
If you wanna argue, explain it yourself.
10. Anonymous Acupuncturist
Ugh, young folks who can't research should shut up. Makes me wanna stitch their mouths with needles.
11. Anonymous Fighter
First time seeing someone call a Seven Fists legend "overhyped." Is your liver popping out of your body? I'm not far, kid.
12. Passing Anonymous
(Comment deleted by Ivan's Guardians)
13. Anonymous Patriot
(Japanese flag waving GIF) As a Japanese, let's hype Black Yaksha, the only Japanese among the Seven Fists!
14. Anonymous Hacker
(Foreigner shocked by automatic taxi door GIF) Aren't you tired of your nationalism?
15. Anonymous Patriot
(49 Amazing Things About Japan GIF) Nope, never tired~ Always thrilling~ Always fresh~
16. Passing Anonymous
Why's this fake patriot always haunting the board? A ghost?
17. Anonymous VIP: 2017/05/03 (Wed) 13:40:55.06 ID:lokoisGod
Honestly, I think it's possible. Get out of your mom's basement!!!
18. Anonymous Loves Anonymity
It's written in the Kojiki that the ninja in Sasuke's Ninja Chronicles are historically accurate.
19. Anonymous Acupuncturist
I'm losing it…
20. Anonymous Hacker
If Black Yaksha's such a big deal, why'd he vanish without a word? Wasn't he the underworld's top mercenary?
21. Old Man Geek
Heh heh heh… Let this old man explain…
22. Anonymous Fighter
Nobody called you, Grandpa. Go home.
23. Anonymous Acupuncturist
Anyone else annoyed he writes "old man" in kanji?
24. Old Man Geek
Black Yaksha… or rather, the 17th leader of the Fuma Ninja Clan, Fuma Kotaro, first rose to prominence on a summer night in 1999…
25. Anonymous Hacker
Someone summarize in one line.
26. Anonymous VIP: 2017/05/03 (Wed) 13:48:21.36 ID:lokoisGod
God of Destruction Ivan held the first God of Fist tournament in 1999 to find a worthy rival. A crazy strong NINJA in black massacred everyone, made it to the finals, and became a legend.
27. Old Man Geek
The Fist God Tournament… when the world's top fighters gathered for fame and fortune, a man in black ninja garb appeared out of nowhere…
28. Passing Anonymous
LOL how long is this roleplay geek gonna ramble?
29. Anonymous Patriot
Japanese NINJA are invincible, and Black Yaksha is a god.
30. Anonymous Mercenary
You're secretly a Manshin fan, aren't you?
31. Anonymous Patriot
Argh! No way!
32. Anonymous Fighter
Even the brainless patriot spammer is freaked out by Manshin—it's a moral textbook.
33. Anonymous Mercenary
Sasuke's Ninja Chronicles is really freaking awesome.
34. Anonymous VIP: 2017/05/03 (Wed) 13:55:27.53 ID:lokoisGod
Nah, not reading it~ Manshin's art is one-trick, and the story's trash~
35. Old Man Geek
At the turn of the century, when Nostradamus's prophecy and the God of Fist tournament had the world buzzing, a black-haired prodigy threw down a challenge to the world's strongest…
It was Golden Week, but Fuma Yukika, stuck working part-time and unable to visit her hometown, skimmed the anonymous dark web thread with skepticism before getting ready to head out.
Black Yaksha, Fuma Kotaro, mentioned in the post, was her father, who left home ten years ago. Whether the Black Yaksha spotted in Akihabara was really him was uncertain, but it was worth checking out.
Will he remember my face?
Ten years ago, the Fuma Ninja Clan wasn't in such dire straits. But when her father, their linchpin, left, the clan naturally fell apart. Members scattered to make a living, and now the clan barely clung to existence.
Though she hadn't seen him yet, a whirlwind of emotions swirled within her. She wanted to ask why he left the village, why he abandoned her.
"Father…"
Muttering a word she hadn't spoken in years, Fuma Yukika locked her apartment door and headed to Akihabara, where Black Yaksha had been sighted.
To avoid attention, we slipped into Akihabara's maze-like alleys and ended up at a coin laundromat.
Whirrrrrrr—
As my dirt- and blood-stained hoodie spun in the washer, I glanced at Sasha, who was boredly scrolling on her phone. "So, what's next?"
She looked up. "I wanna do some Akihabara sightseeing."
"Aren't you being chased?"
"You took them all out, so we're probably fine for a few hours. Just keep protecting me until 7 p.m., like we agreed."
Having taken her upfront payment, I couldn't argue. Instead, I brought up something that'd been nagging me. "By the way, our fight didn't end up online."
With that many witnesses, I expected at least one video. But after checking a few forums, it was eerily quiet.
Sasha crossed her legs casually. "Probably the EMP."
"EMP?"
"EE's combat team triggers EMPs during major ops to disable electronics in the area. Videos spread too fast on social media these days."
"And the posts?"
"Probably Japan's government working with EE to control info. With EE's influence, it's doable."
I was growing curious about this "EE" she kept mentioning. It couldn't be that Yonggae, right?
Seeing my confusion, Sasha explained seriously. "EE stands for Easter Egg Company, a massive Russian arms corporation."
"…And why's a place like that after you?"
"I told you, my dad's kind of a big deal in Russia."
"Oh, right."
Honestly, with everything moving so fast, I'd half-forgotten.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The washer signaled it was done. I pulled out my now-clean but damp hoodie and tossed it into the coin dryer. Leaning against the laundromat's glass wall, I asked Sasha, who was yawning, "So, where do you wanna go next?"
"Huh? Isn't it obvious?"
She flipped her phone to show me the screen. "We're in Akihabara. It's gotta be a maid café."