Akuma wasn’t the only one fighting for his life. His older brother, Tenshi, was only moments away from dying. At least, he would be if he made a single wrong move.
He was in a handstand position, except one arm was tucked behind his back while the other pressed firmly against one of the many menacing spikes found around him. His right thumb trembled, struggling under the weight of both his own body and the twisted man above him. And the ocean of sweat poring out of his body wasn’t making it any easier.
To stop the spike from piercing his finger, he focused all his strength into channeling a peculiar power known as “Starlites”, the essence of one’s soul.
Perched comfortably on Tenshi’s feet, his father seemed lost in thought, his eyes drifting into the distance.
"The air is much sweeter than usual..." he murmured, his eyes narrowing. "...Has the seal broken? ...No, it’s merely weakened. And if that’s true, then this world is running out of time. They are coming."
He adjusted his position, his eyes shifting to the skies. Actually, they were far above the clouds, so perhaps he was gazing at something beyond.
"…Hey, Tenshi."
The subtle shift in his center of gravity disrupted his focus, causing the energy around his thumb to wane a bit, and the sharp spike to graze his skin. Luckily his experience allowed him to regain his balance just in time.
“Wh-What is it?”
“How confident are you in your skills? Like… Ya think you could beat a demon?”
“Demon…? If you’re talking about monsters from fairy tales, then I’d have to say, no. It’s pretty hard to fight something that doesn’t exist. If we’re talking reality though, I’d say as long as I’m not fighting you… I don’t think anyone in this world can beat me.”
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“Oh?” His father challenged, raising a brow. “Quite the ego you’ve got there.”
“It’s not ego if it’s true.”
“Hah! You really are my son, aren’t you. But how about we test that confidence… What about Akuma? Hm?”
He paused for a moment.
“Akuma? What about him?”
“Well, I think he might give you a run for your money.”
“Yeah right. That idiot hasn’t trained since mom died.”
The mention of their mother cast a feint shadow over the conversation, the two pausing before Tenshi’s father broke the silence.
“That is true… Hey, speaking of Akuma. How do you feel about him? Like as a person?”
“H-Huh? Where’s this… coming from?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Well… He talks to himself, he refuses to train anymore and he acts like nothing is his problem. I’d say… he’s a lazy, schizophrenic, weirdo.” A smirk played across his lips as he continued, “But he has guts. When he gets going, there’s nothing that can stop him.”
His father chuckled from his bluntness, almost causing Tenshi to slip again.
“You are absolutely right! That boy. If he just had the motivation, he could take my martial arts to a level I couldn’t even dream of! …Ugh, guess I’m stuck with you.”
“I’m glad you love me soooo much… Now can you please stop moving?! If you hadn’t noticed, I’m dying here.”
“Hm? Ah don’t be such a crybaby. When I was your age, I trained ten times as hard…”
His gaze shifted down as he started to reminisce his past.
“…Isn’t that right, Heracles… Besides! Why do you think I train you so hard while letting Akuma do whatever he wants?”
“Because you’re a deadbeat that refuses to raise his kids properly?”
A vein throbbed on his father’s brow.
“Keep talking like that and I’ll make you do pushups in that position!”
Tenshi’s eyes widened at the thought of such torture. His muscles tensed and his concentration began to slip. He knew it, he could just feel it. This was it for him.
“P-Please…” He begged. “Spare me. I-I’m sorry for what I said. You’re a wonderful dad.”
“Huh? What was that? I couldn’t hear you!”
“I SAID YOU’RE THE BEST DAD EVER!!”
“Too late... I want a thousand of them. And if you fall, you better hope these spikes kill you, because if they don’t… I will!”
Such was an ordinary day for Tenshi Tiryns.
