Chapter 241: Duel of the Climbers!
Rumble!
The reinforced exterior wall, thick and solid as it was, had been pulverized by
the [STRIKE AT THE APEX]. A massive, jagged hole now gaped where the wall used
to be, sending shards of brick and stone whistling into the night.
Sikorsky was caught in the epicenter. For a heartbeat, his entire body was
suspended over the abyss, but through a feat of sheer biological impossibility,
the little finger of his left hand hooked into a single protruding brick.
Using that tiny, singular pivot point, Sikorsky defied gravity. He flexed his
forearm, his tendons creaking like iron cables, and yanked his entire 100kg
frame back into the building.
Zip—
Sikorsky landed with a light hop, standing once more on the ninth floor, facing
Ren Shiroki.
"Phew...!"
He exhaled a long, steady breath. Though he had just stared death in the face,
his expression remained cool and unbothered. "As I thought... staying outside is
a bad idea. It's way too dangerous out there!"
Sikorsky offered a playful shrug, looking at Ren. "The Kure monsters are gone.
Now, it's just the two of us. A proper 1-v-1!"
"Nice. That's perfect!"
Ren cracked his neck, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Ready? Go!"
Outside the hotel, Command Post.
Erio Kure had been watching the tactical feed of the battle. When he saw Raian
ignore his orders to chase after Doyle, his blood pressure spiked again.
"That damn brat! He dares ignore the Patriarch's command? I told him to erase
Ohma Tokita from existence immediately!"
Reiichi Kure stepped forward to play peacemaker. "Grandpa, the official contract
is to eliminate the terrorists. Raian's being a hothead, sure, but he's still
technically on the job."
Erio began to sob dramatically. "Waaaah! My Karura is going to be stolen away by
that seaweed-haired delinquent!"
At that moment, Karura strolled over, looking curious. "Grandpa? What are you
guys talking about?"
"Oh! My darling granddaughter!"
Erio's face transformed instantly into a mask of doting grandfatherly warmth.
"Grandpa was just... uh... talking about Fusui and Ren Shiroki."
Karura smiled, her expression sweet and innocent. "They're such a great match,
aren't they? I hope Ohma-kun and I end up just like them."
Erio Kure: "..."
Reiichi whispered, "Grandpa, your face is turning purple. I've got your heart
meds right here."
After some more "persuasion," Karura finally left to help the staff prepare the
giant bear meat Gaia's squad had delivered. Erio immediately pulled Fusui aside.
"That boyfriend of yours... does he take assassination contracts?"
Fusui gave a dry laugh. "Ren-chin is a bit of a connoisseur, Grandpa. He only
picks the rarest targets. Right now? He's focused on Sikorsky."
Erio slumped, dejectedly walking to a corner to draw circles in the dirt.
"Sikorsky... the Russian mobster, right?" Reiichi murmured the name, scanning
the dossiers. "They say he's a beast. He put the wrestling 'Hero' Alexander
Gallen into a coma and climbed a hundred-meter vertical missile silo with
nothing but his bare fingers."
Reiichi spread his own fingers, studying them. "Even with [REMOVAL], we aren't
geckos. Scaling a smooth, polished silo wall without tools? That's not a human
feat. What kind of fingertip strength do you need for that?"
"Enough to hang from a tiny metal nut on a ceiling and read a novel comfortably
from beginning to end," Fusui replied. "That level of grip is beyond human
biology."
"I've heard Lihito has a similar talent," Reiichi noted. "But it's different. A
'Kengan Fighter' has a sport-combat mindset. A 'Russian Mobster' from the gulags
has a survivor's mindset."
"If your boyfriend tries to fight Sikorsky like he's in a ring, he's going to
take a heavy counter-hit."
Hearing this, Fusui's eyes crinkled behind her goggles. She led Reiichi toward
the tactical monitors. "Just watch the feed, Reiichi-kun."
Reiichi blinked. "Oh? You seem pretty confident."
"Ready? GO—!"
Ren didn't wait. He tightened his calves, lunging forward with a high-speed
lunge. He fired a lead straight aimed at Sikorsky's torso.
[DRIVE IMPACT: SHOCKWAVE]!
Whoosh!
Mid-swing, Sikorsky flicked his wrist. A handful of glass shards whistled
through the air toward Ren's face. Ren ducked his head laterally, the shards
grazing his ear.
Sikorsky capitalized, charging forward as if to trade blows. But the moment they
closed the gap, the Russian suddenly leaped into the air.
Zip!
He vaulted off the hallway wall, his left hand snatching a tiny decorative
molding above a doorframe. He hung suspended in mid-air, a meter above the
floor. As Ren turned to track him, Sikorsky launched a vicious, diagonal kick
aimed straight for Ren's jaw.
BANG!
Ren took the hit. Blood sprayed from his nose as he was forced back several
paces. He reset his stance, breathing through the sting.
"Oho..."
Ren snorted the blood from his nostrils, staring up at the convict. The man was
nearly 190cm and weighed 100kg, yet he was hanging effortlessly from a doorframe
with only three fingers. His grip was an evolutionary anomaly. He looked as
comfortable as if he were standing on solid ground.
"Magical fingers. And unlike Lihito-kun, your style is much more... 'Adult'."
Ren murmured the analysis to himself. "Using climbing to create lethal angles...
no hesitation when aiming for the neck... truly, the combat logic of a
survivor."
Sikorsky sneered, waiting for the next move.
"However," Ren's tone shifted, "Climbing isn't the only 'Technology' that can
adapt to a battlefield. Humans have invented a lot of ways to move."
ZIP!
Ren exploded forward, his limbs moving in a rhythmic, high-frequency dash toward
Sikorsky.
[RASHID DASH]!
It wasn't a standard sprint. It was the core movement of Parkour—the art of
displacement. Originally designed for soldiers to navigate complex warzones, it
was the ultimate system for environmental mobility.
Sikorsky wanted to play on the walls? Fine. Ren would treat the entire room like
an obstacle course.
Stomp!
Ren stepped into Sikorsky's kicking range. A heavy tactical boot whistled toward
his head. In a heartbeat, Ren dropped low, his body almost touching the carpet.
He slid forward in a high-speed kneeling glide.
[RASHID SLIDE]!
Whoosh!
He cleared the arc of the kick. The moment he passed Sikorsky, he sprang up and
sprinted toward the opposite wall.
"Aha!"
Ren leaped at the vertical surface. His foot drove into the masonry, boosting
him two meters upward. He slapped the top of the wall, using the counter-force
to launch himself into a secondary leap.
[TRIANGLE JUMP]!
Zip!
The maneuver launched Ren high toward the ceiling. He was now looking down at
Sikorsky, diving through the air like a predatory bird.
Sikorsky realized the danger and tightened his grip. Ren spread his arms wide,
putting his entire 101kg mass into a falling tackle.
[ZANGIEF FLYING BODY PRESS]!
BOOM!
Ren's arms locked around Sikorsky's neck, his weight slamming into the convict.
Ren expected the combined 200kg mass to tear Sikorsky from the wall instantly.
But he was wrong.
Sikorsky's fingers groaned, blood starting to seep from beneath his nails as he
crushed the doorframe in his grip, but he held. He didn't budge an inch.
"Amazing!" Ren shouted in genuine admiration.
Clinging to Sikorsky's neck like a parasite, Ren arched his back and drove his
forehead into the Russian's face with bone-shattering force.
[ZANGIEF HEADBUTT]!
THUD!
Blood sprayed from Sikorsky's nose. The violent shock finally compromised the
doorframe; the wood splintered and gave way. Gravity finally claimed them.
As they fell, Sikorsky struggled desperately. He managed to drive a knee into
Ren's ribs, forcing a release and preventing a follow-up strike on the ground.
Both men hit the floor and rolled apart.
"Phew—"
Sikorsky performed a tactical roll and sprang to his feet, staring at Ren with a
look of genuine alarm.
Ren was already hopping on his toes, his eyes glowing with excitement. "I never
thought I'd see Parkour trade blows with Rock Climbing. Isn't it magnificent?!
Isn't the world of combat beautiful?!"
Sikorsky's brow furrowed. Despite himself, he felt the logic of it.
"Haha..."
The Russian laughed, though cold sweat was pouring down his face.
He's unexpectedly difficult to handle. This kid... he's a total monster!
(End of Chapter)
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