Chapter 15 — Shinosuke Nohara (04)
(Future Shin narrates, voice softer now, carrying weight and nostalgia.)
When the Takahara Clan fell, the world shifted.
Not publicly.
Not with explosions or broadcasts.
But in the invisible places where real power lives.
I didn't understand it then.
I was fourteen.
I only knew the enemy was gone, my sister could breathe again, and Akari no longer flinched whenever someone knocked on the door.
But there was something else in the air that week — something quiet and heavy.
Destiny.
The adults I feared and admired had moved because of me.
And one of them… was about to walk into my life like a natural disaster.
One week after the Takahara annihilation, United Earth felt calm again on the surface.
Which is why Fate decided to stir the pot.
Which meant Lin Xuan was coming.
And when Lin Xuan visits Earth, nothing stays quiet.
Year 6663.
Clouds hung low over the skyline.
A cold wind cut between the floating transport lanes.
In a quiet café on the fourth tier of Han District, three figures sat together.
Zhao Kenjiro.
Arun Nakamura.
And Lin Xuan.
Yes. The Lin Xuan.
Strongest being alive.
Slayer of lords and beasts.
The man half the Genesis Nexus feared and the other half worshipped.
To me, though?
He was the terror all children whispered about:
The Black-Eyed Monster.
Except right now he didn't look like a monster at all.
He looked tired.
Not physically — physically he was carved like a god —
but there was a stillness in his eyes, the kind that only appears after long years of fighting enemies so great that Earth looked small in comparison.
He took a slow sip of coffee — black, bitter, because Lin Xuan does not believe in sweetness — while Anika sat beside him, leaning onto his arm like she'd paid rent for the spot.
"Brother Lin~ why do you look so gloomy?" she asked, poking his cheek.
Lin Xuan ignored the poke.
Dion stood behind him, arms crossed like a loyal guardian, hovering with the concern.
"You should rest more," Dion muttered. "You haven't slept properly since the last time. Your aura is still unstable."
Lin Xuan blinked. "I rested."
"You meditated for four minutes," Dion deadpanned. "That is not rest."
Anika added cheerfully, "He's cranky because he hasn't seen Alicia and Vaibhav today. He pretends he doesn't care, but he does."
Lin Xuan looked away.
"…No."
Kenjiro and Arun exchanged looks.
Arun smirked.
"So, the Great Lin Xuan does have human emotions."
"No," Lin Xuan repeated.
Anika pinched his arm.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Arun cleared his throat loudly.
"Lin Xuan," he said, "we didn't ask you here to argue with Anika."
Anika gasped.
"I can argue whenever I want—"
"Enough," Kenjiro cut in.
He reached into his coat and set something on the table.
A holographic projector.
Lin Xuan looked at it, uninterested at first.
That was before Kenjiro activated it.
The moment the first image flickered — cages, experiments, the scent of cruelty frozen in digital form — Lin Xuan's expression changed.
Slightly.
Barely.
But enough for anyone who knew him to understand:
his aura dropped a degree.
He watched every frame. Every Asura-touched log. Every surgical note. Every stolen human life.
Anika pressed her hand onto the table.
"This… who uncovered all this?"
Kenjiro smirked.
"A child."
Lin Xuan's gaze moved.
"…A child?"
"A fourteen-year-old boy," Kenjiro clarified. "Your friends Hiroshi and Akari's son."
Lin Xuan froze.
He lifted his head—slowly.
"Shinosuke?"
"Yes," Arun added, smirking proudly. "Smart kid. Stubborn. Reminds me of someone."
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes.
Kenjiro leaned back, arms crossed.
"He hacked my PC. And my personal phone."
Dion choked.
Anika covered her mouth.
Arun grinned.
Lin Xuan blinked. "…You're serious?"
"I didn't laugh," Kenjiro replied. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"No," Lin Xuan admitted.
Kenjiro continued, "He delivered all the Takahara evidence. Clean. Precise. Not a trace left behind."
Arun added, "He even negotiated price."
Lin Xuan breathed out through his nose.
"…Price?"
Kenjiro massaged his forehead. "He demanded ten million first."
Anika burst into hysterical laughter.
Arun nearly spit out his tea.
Lin Xuan stared at the projector. "…He asked you for money?"
"Yes," Kenjiro snapped. "And then five million. Then one million. We settled on five hundred thousand."
Silence.
Lin Xuan's lips twitched.
Kenjiro leaned forward.
"Oh—and he wanted the bones of the Takahara Clan Head."
Lin Xuan froze.
Anika choked.
Dion blinked rapidly.
Arun slapped the table, laughing.
Lin Xuan just— stared.
"…Bones?"
"For a sword and a tea table," Kenjiro confirmed.
Lin Xuan covered his face with one hand.
Arun clapped him on the back.
"Lin… your virus has spread."
Kenjiro continued,
"And he did all of this alone."
Lin Xuan lowered his hand. His eyes— those black sclera, white pupils— sharpened.
"…He did?"
"Yes," Kenjiro said simply. "To protect his sister."
A long silence followed.
Lin Xuan's jaw tightened. His shoulders lowered.
Guilt flickered across his expression — fleeting but real.
"Akari and Hiroshi didn't tell me…" he murmured.
"They tried to handle it themselves," Kenjiro said.
Lin Xuan looked at the floor— then straightened.
Resolve hardened in his voice.
"I'm meeting him."
Anika brightened immediately.
"Family visit!"
Dion nodded. "I'll prepare transport."
"No," Lin Xuan said. "We walk."
Anika: "Why?"
Lin Xuan: "I need time to think."
Kenjiro raised a brow.
"About what?"
Lin Xuan said nothing.
But the truth was simple:
He saw too much of himself in that child(Me OFC!).
And he was going to make sure that power…
did not go to waste.
When they arrived at the Nohara home, chaos greeted them.
Not danger.
Not fear.
Chaos — the usual Nohara trademark.
Akari was running in circles, trying to hide exploded lab pieces.
Hiroshi calmly swept the floor with a broom he had just turned into a "new martial arts prototype."
Hinata was riding Shirou like a horse.
I was yelling, "HINA GET OFF SHIROU HE IS LITTLE—" while Shirou barked in agreement.
And then—
The doorbell rang.
I opened the door.
And froze.
Because staring back at me…
Was the Black-Eyed Monster.
The silver-haired, moonlit-eyed healer Yan'er had already left by then.
But now—
standing outside—
Was the man legends whispered about.
I stared up at him.
Lin Xuan stared back down.
And I said, without hesitation:
"…Why the hell is the black-eyed monster at my door?"
Anika snorted so hard she bent over.
Dion covered his mouth.
Kenjiro wasn't there, but he would've died laughing.
Lin Xuan's eyebrow twitched.
Hiroshi rushed in. "Shin—!"
I pointed aggressively.
"I'm calling the Council. Or my mom. Or both."
Akari peeked over my shoulder.
Saw Lin Xuan.
Shrieked.
Then immediately tried to fix her hair.
"L-Lin Xuan! Hi! Hello! Come in! Please ignore the smoke!"
A beaker exploded behind her.
Lin Xuan: "…"
I said, "See? He brings bad luck."
Hinata poked her head from behind me.
"Black-eye oniichaaaaaan!"
Lin Xuan blinked.
"…No."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…Yes."
Anika and Dion were trembling trying not to laugh.
Inside, Hiroshi offered tea with perfect calmness.
"Welcome, Lin. Ignore the chaos. Tea?"
Lin Xuan accepted the cup and took a sip.
I squinted.
"Don't drink that. Father puts weird things inside."
Hiroshi sighed. "Herbal leaves."
≥ "Suspicious."
Lin Xuan: "…It's good."
Akari almost fainted.
Anika leaned forward, staring at me with sparkling eyes.
"So you're the kid who hacked Kenjiro's PC and Phone?"
I stiffened. "N-No— well— maybe— depends— who's asking—"
Lin Xuan raised a hand.
Silence spread.
His gaze locked onto I.
And in a calm, steady voice that carried the weight of a thousand storms, he said:
"Let me take him as my disciple."
Akari dropped the beaker she was holding.
Hiroshi froze mid-sip.
Hinata fell off Shirou.
I blinked.
Then exploded.
"HELL NO! I'm not following some random guy with creepy eyes!"
Anika: "PFF—"
Dion turned away to hide his laugh.
Lin Xuan's eyebrow twitched again. "…Creepy?"
"YES!" I yelled. "You look like the final boss of my mental health!"
Akari slapped me lightly.
"Shin! That is L I N X U A N!"
≥ "I can see that!"
Lin Xuan took another sip of tea. Completely unfazed.
His voice remained calm.
"You're talented."
I froze.
Lin Xuan continued,
"You learned hacking at seven.
You defended your sister without hesitation.
You endured danger alone instead of panicking."
I looked away.
Lin Xuan's tone softened.
"You protected your family.
No matter the cost.
I respect that."
For the first time ever, I went silent.
I didn't know what to do with praise. And especially not praise from him.
Lin Xuan set his cup down.
"I want to train you."
I swallowed.
Hiroshi and Akari exchanged glances — surprise, pride, fear, all mixed.
Akari whispered, "Shin… this is the opportunity of a lifetime."
Hiroshi nodded. "You have potential he can bring out."
I looked at them, conflicted.
Then I said,
"…Fine."
Lin Xuan raised a brow.
≥ "But only if I test you."
Anika squealed.
Dion sighed, "Here we go."
Lin Xuan calmly asked,
"Test me?"
I nodded.
Lin Xuan stood.
I charged.
And Lin Xuan—
Flicked my forehead.
I flew back, hit the sofa, bounced, hit the floor, and lay there with my soul escaping my body.
"…Ow."
Lin Xuan looked down at me.
"Well?"
I groaned.
"…Fine… I'll follow you."
Lin Xuan nodded once.
"Pack your things. We leave now."
I stared.
"…NOW?"
"Yes."
I blinked. "…Do I get a goodbye?"
"No."
Anika raised a hand.
"I'll give you a goodbye!"
"No," Lin Xuan said.
"Yes!" Anika said.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Akari ran over, hugging me tightly. Hinata clung to my leg. Hiroshi placed a hand on my head.
And just like that—
My life changed again.
The house that smelled like smoke and tea
faded behind me.
And I followed the Black-Eyed Monster into the unknown.
I thought "unknown" meant a calm training ground.
I thought it meant a dojo.
Maybe a lab.
Maybe a private room with expensive equipment and something called a "training schedule."
I was wrong.
My "unknown" turned out to be a house.
A very small house.
In the middle of an empty countryside.
With no neighbors.
No furniture.
No heating.
No internet.
And absolutely no way to escape.
That was the day I realized:
Lin Xuan didn't train disciples.
He forged them.
He dragged me across long fields of tall grass, the wind cold enough to slap the truth into me.
"This…" I said, staring at the shabby wooden house, "…is where we're training?"
"Yes."
"…Why does it look haunted?"
"It isn't haunted."
"It looks haunted."
"It isn't."
"Do ghosts listen to you?"
Silence.
That silence was concerning.
He walked inside and I followed reluctantly, my backpack slung over one shoulder.
The interior was worse.
There was a table. Two cushions. A kettle. One cup. No lights. No bed.
Nothing else.
"…Is this prison?"
"No."
"It feels like prison."
"Good."
I blinked.
"…Good?"
"Yes. Training begins tomorrow at sunrise."
I looked out the window.
The sun was already setting.
"…Tomorrow? Can I at least sleep in this century?"
"You can sleep now."
"Where?"
Lin Xuan gestured to the floor.
"…You're kidding."
"No."
I stared at the wooden ground.
Then at him.
Then at the ground again.
"…You are not normal."
"Yes."
At least he admitted it.
I lay down on the cold floor and closed my eyes, hugging my backpack like a pillow. The only source of warmth was my jacket, which did almost nothing.
"This is child abuse," I muttered.
"No," Lin Xuan said.
"Yes," I countered.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"…Goodnight."
I heard him sit cross-legged at the table, meditating—
or pretending to.
I still don't know.
When dawn came, it didn't come gradually.
It came with a kick to my ribs.
"Wake up."
"AAAGH—"
I rolled into the wall.
Sunlight wasn't even fully out yet.
"You said 'sunrise,' not 'middle of the night!'"
"This is sunrise."
"It's dark!"
"It's morning."
"It's dark!"
"It's morning."
His eyes glowed faintly.
I shut up.
Training began immediately.
And by "training," I mean:
Lin Xuan beat the hell out of me.
Daily.
Repeatedly.
With precision.
With elegance.
With the calm expression of a man watering plants.
Wake up.
Get beaten.
Copy his movements.
Get beaten again.
Try to attack.
Fail.
Get healed.
Repeat.
If you think that sounds cruel, let me clarify:
It was cruel.
And also the most effective thing that ever happened to me.
His first command was simple:
"Attack me."
So I did.
He flicked my forehead again.
I saw constellations.
Every morning, he showed a new technique.
A kick.
A sweep.
A parry.
A throw.
Every morning, I tried to copy him(And I did).
And every morning, he countered me flawlessly, sent me flying, healed me, and repeated the cycle.
The man didn't even break a sweat.
Meanwhile I almost died at least fourteen times.
Emotionally.
Maybe spiritually.
Definitely physically.
But here's the terrifying part:
I was getting stronger.
Fast.
My reflexes sharpened.
My footwork improved.
My timing synced with his movements.
My instincts stretched like a growing wire.
Lin Xuan didn't praise me.
Not once.
But sometimes—
when he thought I wasn't looking—
I caught him watching me with a faint glint in his eyes.
Approval.
Maybe even pride.
I pretended not to see it, of course.
Can't let the monster think he's winning.
At night, after training, I lay on the floor, bones aching, pride shattered, but mind racing with possibility.
I could feel myself changing.
The boy who hacked for revenge was becoming someone else.
Someone sharper.
Someone louder.
Someone who would one day walk beside Vaibhav and Alicia, and fight gods with laughter.
But I didn't know that yet.
At that time, all I knew was:
"OW—LIN XUAN—THAT WAS MY FACE!"
"That is your fault."
"How!?"
"You moved your face into my strike."
"That's not—"
"Yes."
Even so, the man wasn't heartless.
He healed me every time I broke.
He corrected my stance whenever I slipped.
He made sure I ate enough(I mean that couldn't be called enough… That's… I… WHO BRINGS A WHOLE SHARK? Well… He does).
Gave me blankets at night.
Silently made tea for me when the exhaustion got too heavy.
He never admitted it, but he cared.
Too much.
One evening, after an especially brutal spar where I failed eighteen times in a row, I sat outside the house, staring at the sunset bleeding across the sky.
Lin Xuan sat down beside me quietly.
No words.
Just that silent presence that made the world feel steady.
After a long moment, he spoke.
"Do you know why I chose you?"
I looked up.
"…Because I hacked Kenjiro?"
"No."
"…Because I asked for clan-head bones?"
"No."
"…Because I survived your forehead flick?"
"…No."
He turned slightly, the fading light reflecting in his black sclera.
"You protect your family," he said simply.
I swallowed.
"You would break the world if needed.
Even at fourteen.
Even with nothing but your hands."
He wasn't praising me.
He wasn't flattering me.
He was stating a fact.
A truth.
And that's when I understood something about Lin Xuan:
He didn't choose strength.
He didn't choose bloodline.
He chose loyalty.
He chose heart.
He chose people who would stand against storms even if their knees shook.
At some point… He chose my talent.
That's why he chose me.
I didn't say anything.
Just stared at the sunset until the sky turned violet.
After a long silence, he stood.
"Training continues tomorrow."
I groaned into my knees.
"Of course it does…"
"Sleep early."
"I'll die early."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"…Goodnight."
And that was my first week under him.
Bruises and breakthroughs.
Pain and progress.
Arguments and lessons.
Growth I didn't understand yet.
The beginnings of a bond neither of us had words for.
The first steps of the path that would connect my fate
to Vaibhav's
to Alicia's
to Lin Xuan's
to the entire madness of our future.
And I had no idea.
All I knew was:
I was exhausted.
I was sore.
I was stronger.
And something inside me, something buried deep, whispered—
This is where you belong.
This is the family you will fight for.
This is the master you will follow through hell.
Even if you complain the entire way.
(Future Shin pauses, voice quieter)
That was how it began.
The chaos.
The pain.
The destiny I never asked for.
And still…
If I had to choose again?
I would walk out of that house
and follow him
every single time.
Next Chapter: Shinosuke Nohara — 05