«I'll get you..."

He is followed closely by moral fatigue, physical exhaustion and emptiness in the soul. There was enough shit going on around that he learned to distract himself from the pain raging inside and fully concentrate on his hobby–the tools of escapism. It all started so simply, even too much. He saw something in the serious expression of the face and rude jokes, in the chocolate eyes full of fire and fading hope, interest and notoriety. He needed sharp-angled sensations, but the colors of life spread, at best, in watery watercolor. Ahead, mirages of emotions, ghosts of memories and a bleak future were thinning, among stunted houses, cracked asphalt and the smell of unwashed fryers, spreading all over the city to the forest, which was right next to the temple. The seasons change each other imperceptibly, like the days of the week, and Kuai Lieng does not mind, does not even hesitate. He understands that he cannot defeat this giant, and gives up without a fight. His movement through the lazy waves of routine, diluted only by inflicting physical pain and lectures on the right way of life, once abruptly ended on a sudden realization... It was not the first time for Kuai Lieng to feel empty –it was an integral part of his spiritual and senile role, which he tried to match. The empty look of dark blue eyes, an unusual element, not an original hairstyle and taste in clothes–there were plenty of details that others clung to more than once, as well as experienced rendezvous. His "friends" did not change, but they grew up, like couples, did not become more interesting with the onset of the warm season. The world around was like a snapshot frozen in time, an image. And Qui was genuinely surprised to find behind him, an interest that had arisen again, in one of his old acquaintances. To none other than to Scorpio himself. Hanzo Hasashi is a walking fire and fucked bomb of the past. The one about whom some of Lin Kuel are whispering and about whom crazy rumors are being spread. Scorpio is more an image and a legend than a real person and a demon in the past. Strange stories are walking around the companies about his actions and life, but no one has the desire and courage to ask Hanzo on their own. Kuai Lieng, has long realized that he belonged to a subgroup of masochists, but noticed it only when he realized the changes in his world order. One day, everything changed, because the ill-fated Noob Saybot, brought him back to real life by force. Everything has changed, because now he has a second chance? Thanks to Bi Han. Hanzo himself, more than once, was interested in the family tree of Sub-Zero, but he preferred to keep silent about it. Loving the man who killed your brother doesn't mean being part of a discussion club. Least of all, he was interested in what others are experiencing now. Kuai Lieng has no friends, because if life has taught him anything, it's that trust between humans and demons is tested by time, and he was in too much of a hurry to try everything in this life, and now, his good life has come to an end... He lives the life of a Sub-Zero, whom everyone knows, but they can't remember exactly where and under what circumstances they saw him, because he is everywhere, at every party, in every conversation and at every duel. He doesn't care about close ties—people don't care about his experiences. He lives in this symbiosis all his life, and does not dare to complain, exactly until Hanzo himself, the master of the Shirai Ryu clan, appears in the field of visibility. One day, they share an awkward conversation on one mission, and the next time Hanzo brings beer, which is neither hot nor cold. Kuai Lieng uses his skill of aimless chatter and occupies all the allies, replacing one useless noise with another, and Hanzo makes sure that the guy has a tongue without bones. It affects so popular questions that Hanzo can't stand, and for the first time in the evening speaks to him: – Are you telling me typical problems of society? Kuai Lieng shouldn't be bothered and embarrassed, but he just can't stop. Curiosity imperceptibly turns into a slight obsession, the one that causes tremors in the hands and feet. His stomach twists with excitement, and once in his room, Kuai Lieng frantically looks around in search of something to surprise Hanzo with next time. Hanzo is stingy with talk, but he's been through a lot. He makes it clear with all his appearance that impressing him will be a difficult task. Difficulties make Kuai Lieng take a deep breath. Awkward conversations bear fruit, and one day he and Hanzo find themselves on one, personal and secret task of Hasashi's choice, and then on the next. Secret assignments are a symbol of trust and mutual assistance. They look at the same enemies, and choose the same solutions and plan. But neither on the mission, nor in the forest, on the way back to the garden of fire, Kuai Liang, there was nothing to say. The words don't fit together, they get mixed up in a mess. Hanzo talks about his plans, how he plans to develop the Clan, what he wants to tell, what the next task is... Hypnotizes. And when Kuai Liang wakes up, he's already gone. Hanzo—idea and shadow. A real find for lovers of everything ephemeral and elusive. Kuai Lieng wonders how Hanzo hasn't had a queue lined up yet, and how lucky he is to be his only admirer. According to his stories, it seems that he has managed to visit everywhere and everywhere, that the contents of the Lin Kuel Library are not secret to him, and not a single event in relatively small China escapes his radar. The closer Sub-Zero gets to Scorpio, the more the hateful fog thickens around him. Hanzo slowly pulls Kuai Lieng into his pool. Suddenly, Liang finds himself at the mat. On a warm spring day, Hanzo falls down with some strange cold. Kuai Liang didn't leave his side, not for a second. He volunteered to help. But still, I had to leave eventually, leaving Hasashi alone. Kuai Lieng has a mug of tea in his hands. Hanzo sent him away when the elder got a little better. Like that. Simple and easy. He wanted to think about anything, but could not, the name froze on his tongue, "Hanzo, Hanzo, Hanzo" , in his thoughts, he does not believe in anything sacred, prays for his full recovery. If the saints care about someone like Hanzo Hasashi. Weeks pass before Kuai Liang feels a familiar presence in the garden. Days of anxious waiting pass, and it seems that everything is back to normal. Meetings begin again, shrouded in fog, the feeling returns that Hasashi reads his thoughts with his eyes, and touches his soul with his hands. One day, Kuai Liang finds out that Hanzo drinks like he's out of his mind and never suffers from a hangover. He drags the shy, too gallant Qui Lieng to parties where no one obviously invited them, but no one contradicts Hanzo, the bouncers let them through, and no one resists when he grabs two bottles of French red from the table, hands one to Qui Lieng and, smiling charmingly, makes a toast intended only for the two of them. He sees the fight for the first time from the podium of the second floor balcony. Hanzo incites two hard-core fighters to grapple for a completely far-fetched reason, and on the same warm, innocent, spring evening, Kuai Liang sees blood mixed with flowers on the asphalt for the first time and hears the distant, bubbling laughter of Hasashi. That evening, he furiously washes off the dust of the night streets, walks in the garden, hoping to feel at least something other than a painful craving for Hanzo, but he sees, hears and feels him wherever he is. The life of a gradmaster and a fighter is now full of new colors: the sweet taste of alcohol, iron–blood and salty–from uncontrollable tears. Kuai Liang doesn't know why he's crying–maybe because, with Hasashi, he feels like he's on an endless roller coaster, or because his life is changing too fast for the guy's shattered nerves. His life is more and more like the paintings from which it all began–the brushes of master Van Gogh, full of illness and mental anguish. Everything is as he wanted. On quiet evenings, when the spirit of adventure throws them away from dubious parties and fights, Hanzo is as quiet and peaceful as the nature around him. It is impossible to read his thoughts, even guess his emotion: he is changeable and inaccessible, but desirable, like an oasis in the desert. His knowledge of philosophy, fighting, clan management and the secrets of life, Kuaya intrigues absolutely everything, if he had his will, he would have drunk Hanzo without a trace. He is open and stupid in front of Hasashi, like a student in front of a mentor. He listens to a fine, deep speech about theory with fights and duels, intertwines his hot fingers with his icy ones, and Hanzo doesn't seem to notice it. Kuai Lieng was used to chasing ghosts, and knew that even the most elusive of them had their weaknesses. Therefore, squeezing Hanzo's palm tighter, he swore, knowing that Hasashi would read his thoughts: "I will get you, Hanzo Hasashi."