Chapter 48: Prodigal Son

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[10/9/2058, Shanghai, China]

The crack of thunder tore through the unrelenting downpour plaguing the mega-city that was Shanghai, the endless labyrinthine network of roads and alleyways looking similar to that of an infinite rat maze, hundreds of thousands of people enjoying their evenings, going about their business. A jagged bolt of lighting appeared through the abyssal night, lighting up the dark space was soon combated by another strike, seemingly locked in combat for a brief moment, dragons of fire as it would have been seen millennia prior. A metallic sheen broke through the inky black before quickly returning to the still darkness, the rapid rotation of metal blades rode upon the skyline at a quick pace, no markings or brand could be seen upon the aircraft as it neared its location.

The dragons were soon to descend upon Shanghai.

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A young adult, not that long past his twentieth year of birth, peered loathly out of the tinted helicopter windows, the maturing adolescent held a stern expression as he clicked his tongue, letting out a disgruntled noise, turning his gaze away from the city below. The young man was dressed smartly, in black suit with a thin pinstripe design overlaying a neatly pressed white shirt, his hair forcefully straightened giving him an older appearance. A tightly rolled up sleeve revealed a large dragon tattoo plastered along the length of his left arm, displayed proudly as a sign of his commitment to his clan. He had been preparing for this event for many moons by this point, aiming to illustrate his commitment to fulfilling his role as heir-apparent to the Shimada Clan, but more importantly to prove himself to his father.

Yet as the adolescent gazed into the unknown with an unwavering conviction comparable to that of spartans, a course and dry chuckling destroyed the tense atmosphere the young man had created for himself, gaining his attention. "Hanzo, your expression is so serious, you will scare away all of the other attendees." An older gentleman said, with a voice similar to that of old mahogany but a seemingly warm intent through his words, "There will be time to look so morose, for now just enjoy the ride my son."

Hanzo looked almost embarrassed, a crimson hue falling upon his face, before returning to his stoic composure, remembering what his father had just started and gave up, within the matter of moments, only gaining a more rapturous laughter from his father. Hanzo looked upon his father, Sojiro Shimada, current head of the Shimada Clan, as he had been for the last few decades, and while the years were soon catching up to him Sojiro still maintained his jovial demeanour when necessary. Hanzo had taken much of his father's complexion, with his similar angular features and build, unlike his younger brother who had taken much from their mother... Hanzo hadn't thought about his mother for a prolonged period, the scars of her death still weighing heavy upon the young man's consciousness, and while life had taken her as it had any other person, it didn't help Hanzo's inescapable sense of helplessness in the face of adversity.

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