Chapter 256: No Climbing Allowed!
Just moments ago, in the shivering gray of dawn...
Gaia had been choked into unconsciousness. Ren Shiroki had emerged the victor,
though he was currently a blood-streaked mess, his skin peppered with stinging
lacerations from the "Ash Missiles." He was currently nursing his wounds with a
sharp hiss of pain.
The special forces squad had rushed to tend to both men. Ohma Tokita was
severely wounded, and Kazuo Yamashita was, as usual, a non-combatant.
Sikorsky had seen his window. He had sprinted across the 17th-floor lounge and
leaped out the window, hoping to escape the custody of these monsters. He
intended to scale down the building, but the "audience" below made that
impossible. The Kure Clan, Oliva, and the Metropolitan Police had the perimeter
locked tight. Fusui Kure, avoiding the prying eyes of the officers, had sniped
the concrete right next to Sikorsky's boot with a suppressed round. Terrified to
descend, the Russian had no choice but to climb upward.
As he climbed, he reached the roofline, only to find four feet dangling over the
edge: Baki Hanma and Kozue Matsumoto. Baki had noticed him long ago. The young
Champion had looked down with a terrifying glint in his eyes—a silent, lethal
warning that he did not appreciate his date being interrupted.
Sikorsky had shuddered, retreating into a dark, recessed corner of
the 18th-floor exterior, waiting for the cover of night to return. But time was
his enemy. The sun continued to rise, and more and more "heads" began to pop
over the edge to look at him.
Sikorsky clung to a narrow architectural ledge, his fingers and toes dug into
the masonry. He stared up at the row of legendary faces peering down from
the 19th-floor roof. His gaze eventually settled on the massive silhouette of
Biscuit Oliva, and a bead of cold sweat rolled down his face.
"So... 'Unchain' is here too."
"The man who reigns over the lawless world through raw torque and intellect...
Biscuit Oliva." Sikorsky had only heard the legends until tonight. "You've come
to personally arrest me? I'm honored."
Oliva's lips pulled back into a wide, white-knuckled grin. "Mm~ for a Russian
mobster on death row, you're surprisingly well-informed!"
Beside the giant, Ren Shiroki crouched at the edge, extending a hand toward the
convict. He beckoned with a finger. "Want a lift, Sikorsky?"
"Heh... hehe..."
Sikorsky let out a dry, hacking laugh. He climbed a few inches higher, reaching
the lip of the 19th-floor exterior. Maintaining a three-point climbing anchor,
he reached out his right hand toward Ren.
But the next second—SLAP!
Sikorsky violently swatted Ren's hand away. His face contorted into a mask of
savage pride as he let out a guttural roar. "Don't toy with me! My battle hasn't
ended yet!"
The air around the roof suddenly turned cold. The pressure from above doubled,
the atmosphere warping until it felt as though the very oxygen was being
squeezed out of the area. Sikorsky looked up. The grins on the faces of the
masters hadn't faded, but the "flavor" of the smiles had changed. They weren't
mocking him anymore; they were expecting something.
Oliva, ever the gentleman, gestured to the others. "Who goes first?"
Ren shook out his hand, his grin turning predatory. "Nice. That's perfect!"
Gaia offered a thin, military smile. "Truly the spirit of a condemned man."
Ohma Tokita stood up, rolling his shoulders despite the bandages. "You want to
go with me?"
The barrage of calm provocations sent Sikorsky into a frenzy. He scrambled
upward, his fingers tearing into the stone. "YOU ALL LOOK DOWN ON ME!!"
Zip-zip!
Having rested on the ledge, his stamina had returned. His movements were a blur
of high-speed vertical displacement.
But just as Sikorsky prepared to vault over the edge and onto the roof, the sole
of a Converse sneaker slammed into his face. The pressure was absolute, pinning
his head against the wall and stopping his ascent dead.
Sikorsky ground his teeth, his ten fingers digging into the roof's edge as he
tried to push back against the shoe, desperately trying to prevent himself from
falling into the abyss.
The one stepping on his face was the Champion, Baki Hanma.
The youth looked down with an arched eyebrow, his expression bored. He was
clearly ready to settle the debt for Kozue's kidnapping. "Who gave you
permission to climb up here?"
Sikorsky bared his blood-stained teeth against the rubber sole. "Hey... you
expect me to fight you while I'm hanging off a building?!"
"Exactly," Baki replied coolly. His gaze was icy. "I don't care if you're naked
or clinging to a wall. Since the fight is still on, don't expect to relax just
because you're in my range."
"Heh... typical brat logic. You think I'm the one in danger here?!"
Sikorsky let out a roar, reaching out with one hand to seize Baki's ankle,
intending to drag the Champion over the edge with him.
But in that heartbeat, Baki shifted his center of gravity forward. Using his toe
as a pivot on Sikorsky's nose, he performed a full 360-degree aerial spin on the
convict's face.
SHINK!
The maneuver was incredibly fluid. The rotation of Baki's instep swatted
Sikorsky's hand away while the friction of the turn pulverized the convict's
nose.
Splurt!
Sikorsky's vision exploded in a spray of red. His grip failed. He began to slide
down the exterior wall.
"Oho!"
Baki touched down lightly, performing a back-flip to return to Kozue's side.
Zzzzip—
Sikorsky slid down the stone facade, his fingers leaving deep scores in the
masonry until he finally managed to anchor himself on the 18th floor. He wiped
the blood from his eyes, staring up at the roof with a look of pure shock.
These freaks... are they serious?!
Ren Shiroki leaned over the edge, hands on his hips. "The match has already
begun, Sikorsky."
Gaia grinned, his voice echoing in the morning air. "You want to reach the roof.
We don't want you to. It's a very simple, very honest struggle for survival."
The realization finally hit Sikorsky, and with it came a tidal wave of manic
rage. "Fine! If I fall and die, don't go crying about it!"
He channeled every ounce of power into a single-arm pull, launching himself
several meters upward. Within two breaths, he had reached the roof's edge again.
As he peaked over the lip, he came face-to-face with a crouching Ren Shiroki,
who was looking at him with a wide, happy grin.
Sikorsky didn't hesitate. Zip!
He stabilized himself with one hand and fired a lightning-fast right [KNUCKLE
STRIKE].
But Ren was faster. He lunged forward, his hands clamping onto Sikorsky's
shoulders in an iron grip, neutralizing the convict's leverage.
"—!?"
Sikorsky froze, his momentum killed. He looked up just in time to see Ren's
forehead descending like a falling hammer.
[ZANGIEF HEADBUTT]!
THUD!
The heavy impact sent blood spraying from Sikorsky's nose and mouth. His
strength evaporated, and he began to plummet once more.
Zip-zip—Clack!
Falling toward the 17th floor, Sikorsky managed to flip his body, his fingers
snatching a small protrusion on the exterior wall. He hung there, panting, cold
sweat drenching his back as his heart hammered against his ribs.
"Hah... hah... phew..."
Sikorsky took several ragged breaths before forcing himself to climb again.
This time, the face waiting for him at the edge was Ohma Tokita. Sikorsky knew
Ohma was badly injured—he had seen the youth pushed to the brink of death the
night before.
"You think I'm weak just because I'm bleeding?!"
Sikorsky roared, his fingers digging into the stone as he lunged upward like a
hungry tiger, aiming a desperate strike at Ohma.
Ohma offered a faint, serene smile. He stepped laterally, his right hand
reaching back to graze Sikorsky's forearm. In a blur of motion, Ohma used the
convict's own upward momentum to redirect him into a spin.
[NIKO STYLE: REDIRECTION KATA - WILLOW]!
WHOOSH!
Sikorsky's balance was deleted. He was flipped over, falling head-first toward
the street.
Fortunately, Ohma didn't follow up. Sikorsky managed to right himself mid-air,
slamming his palms back onto the 18th-floor wall and clinging there like an
insect.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Sikorsky was beginning to shake. His legendary climbing fingers were trembling
from the exertion and the repeated trauma. His strength was hitting zero.
Tch...
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, tasting the iron on his tongue. The morning
wind high above the city felt freezing now. A thought he had never entertained
in his entire life as a predator began to fester in his mind: I can't get up
there.
The skyscrapers he had once treated like a flat playground were now an
impassable barrier!
If I fall now... I'm dead. I'm actually going to die!
Sikorsky gritted his teeth and made one more desperate attempt. He reached the
edge, only to see Oliva's massive hand descending toward him. The giant gave him
a gentle, playful push.
Tap.
Sikorsky plummeted again, barely catching a ledge on the 17th floor.
He looked at the window beside him—it was a perfect escape route. But for some
reason, his pride as a "Climber" wouldn't let him take it. He had to reach that
roof.
With finger-strength that could scale a polished steel missile silo, how could
he fail to conquer a simple hotel?!
Sikorsky squeezed the last drops of energy from his cells, his limbs moving in a
frantic, desperate crawl.
Zip! Zip! Zip!
This time, Gaia was waiting at the edge. As Sikorsky's head appeared, the
soldier reached into his pocket and sprinkled a handful of stone dust directly
over the convict.
Fwoosh—
"GAH!"
The grit filled Sikorsky's eyes. He slipped, his fingers frantically clawing the
stone to prevent a fall. Tears streamed from his eyes as he blinked away the
dust.
He forced his eyes open, his limbs vibrating with exhaustion. He tried again.
And again. And again. Each time, he met a different ending. Kicked off by Baki.
Pummeled by Ren. Flicked by Oliva. Redirected by Ohma. Blown back by Gaia.
A short distance away, Mitsunari Tokugawa watched the cycle. His expression
shifted from excitement to a dry chuckle, and finally to a look of weary pity.
He let out a long sigh.
"The match is decided..."
Sikorsky's terror had reached its breaking point. He felt his mind finally snap.
Realizing he could no longer hold on, he let out a broken, desperate scream:
"I LOSE! I SURRENDER! JUST... JUST LET ME UP!! PLEASE!!"
At the sound of the plea, the pursuit stopped.
Ren Shiroki reached out. This time, his hand didn't strike. He grabbed Sikorsky
by the wrist and hauled the 100kg Russian onto the roof in one fluid motion.
Zip!
The moment his feet touched the flat surface, Sikorsky's legs gave out. He
collapsed into a heap, his body going completely limp. He wouldn't be standing
again for a long time.
Gaia turned to face the rising sun, letting out a soft sigh. "Fear can breed
courage. it can drive a man to climb unreachable peaks."
"But a fear that one is powerless to change? That is a different animal. It
drags a man into the abyss and strips him of the will to continue. That... is
true horror."
As his voice faded—
Ren Shiroki slapped his thighs and let out a boisterous laugh. Oliva arched an
eyebrow, looking satisfied. Ohma Tokita crossed his arms, a faint smile on his
lips. Baki Hanma took Kozue's hand in his. Gaia snapped his heels together with
a sharp THUD, standing at military attention as a salute to the group.
Mitsunari Tokugawa raised his folding fan and slammed it into the concrete with
a thunderous crack. He let out a booming roar, announcing the final result:
"THE BATTLE IS CONCLUDED—!!!"
(End of Chapter)
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