Chapter 347: The Way of Combat
Hearing the question, Ren Shiroki looked a bit taken grainy.
"You want to hear my take?"
He picked up the small plate, using a tiny spoon to scoop up a piece of
high-grade yokan. He savored the refined sweetness, looking slightly
embarrassed.
"Jiisan, am I really qualified to answer that?"
Ren offered a faint smile. "When it comes to an obsession with the martial arts,
I'm nowhere near the level of Doppo-sensei or Shibukawa-sensei. When it comes to
technical refinement, I'm not even in the same league as Retsu-aniki or
Baki-kun."
"Are you sure calling me here to talk about this isn't a waste of your time?"
Tokugawa sat cross-legged on his cushion, bracing his left elbow on his knee as
he shifted into a more comfortable posture.
"Shiroki-kun, you're being far too humble."
The little old man began to count on his fingers. "In a moonlit park, you faced
Speck and beat him so thoroughly he'll never terrorize another soul. In front of
your own dojo, you took on Dorian and subdued him before Retsu finished the job.
On the rooftop of a skyscraper, you forced Sikorsky to utter the words 'I give
up.' In Kure Village, you made Doyle acknowledge his defeat. And just two nights
ago, under a torrential downpour, you sent Yanagi Ryuko packing in a pathetic
state."
"Every single one of those... was the work of Ren Shiroki!"
"You're making it sound like more than it was. It's not like I fought all five
alone," Ren said, waving his hands, his face reddening slightly.
"In the Speck fight, Kureishi-aniki had my back and Motobe-sensei was watching.
During the Dorian fight, I had an entire crowd with me. Sikorsky? That was
basically a group beatdown—I actually felt a little bad for the guy. And the one
who truly got Doyle to admit defeat was Jun Sekibayashi."
"As for Yanagi, I can't take much credit there either. Whether it was Baki-kun
or the other legends, they were the ones who really sealed Yanagi's fate."
Tokugawa arched an eyebrow. "But regardless of who else was there, you were
present for every single match. Is that just a coincidence?"
Ren bared his teeth in a grin. "If I had to put a name on it... it's because the
path I've chosen allows me to experience more. The 'coincidence' is just a
byproduct of the journey!"
Tokugawa stared at Ren, sipping his hot tea before letting out a hearty laugh.
"Not only has your physique matured, but your spirit is becoming quite elegant
as well!"
Ren scratched his head, feeling awkward under the praise. He hadn't forgotten
why Tokugawa had invited him, so he began to recount the events of the "Night of
the Ogre" in meticulous detail.
Tokugawa listened with rapt attention, occasionally clapping his hands in
delight or roaring with laughter. At other times, his eyes widened in shock,
until finally, he slapped his thigh in pure frustration.
"Ehh?! If I'd known, I would have told you to call me immediately! I missed a
summit of that scale?!"
Tokugawa gnashed his teeth in regret, mumbling to himself. "[THE DEVIL LANCE]
Kuroki Gensai, [THE SEA EMPEROR] Kaku Kaioh, even Motobe used a blade? To say
nothing of Yujiro... Damn! What a loss! At least you're here to tell the tale."
Tokugawa looked at Ren. "Tell me, Shiroki-kun... do you know who I am?"
The question caught Ren off guard. He asked tentatively, "Did you... forget?"
"What?! No!" Tokugawa waved his hand dismissively, looking like a man whose joke
had fallen flat. "I am the promoter of the Tokyo Dome Underground Arena!"
He tapped his temple. "In here, I store the data of the world's strongest
warriors. And now, there is a file for you as well!"
Ren grinned. "I'm honored."
Tokugawa's grin turned mischievous. "Which is why I want to know—how far do you
plan to take this?"
"Do you want the Soul Combat Hub to be world-renowned? Do you want to be the
champion of the Kengan Annihilation Street Brawl? Or are you aiming for the
[CHAMPION] Baki Hanma himself?"
Ren looked confused by Tokugawa's questions. "Why are those all about fame and
titles? Is 'founding my own style' not an option?"
Tokugawa's expression suddenly turned serious. "If you want to reach the level
of Doppo or Shibukawa, you're training in the wrong direction, kid."
Ren shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Tokugawa took another sip of tea and mused, "You really intend to keep learning
'hundreds' of different techniques, don't you?"
Ren nodded. "I've been thinking... perhaps that is my 'Way'."
Tokugawa's brow furrowed. "Aren't you afraid of being a 'Jack of all trades,
master of none'? Why insist on this path?"
"I can't bear to let them go," Ren said, his posture straightening.
"I've fought many matches now. But it was in Kure Village—sparring with Raian
Kure until the very end—that I finally started to feel it. What I'm mastering...
it doesn't feel like 'Budo' (The Martial Way). It feels more like 'Combat'."
Tokugawa's expression turned peculiar. "Not 'Budo'... you want to master the
'Way of Combat'?"
"Something like that," Ren replied, thinking it through. "My [ENGINE] for total
conscious control, the [STRIKE AT THE APEX] that synchronizes 36 trillion cells,
my parkour-based movement, the [SATSUI CHOICE] to manage lethal intent, the
[FRAME PUNISH] to exploit an opponent's recovery, and [LINKED TIMING] for
perfect rhythm..."
"These techniques don't fit into a traditional 'Budo' school. But they are my
'Combat'. They are my proof of existence—the tools that allow me to travel,
explore, and investigate the true nature of 'Strength'."
Tokugawa crossed his arms. "Hmm! I've met a lot of fighters, but this is the
first time I've heard someone say they want to master 'Combat' itself."
"Is that so?"
Tokugawa raised an eyebrow. "You aren't a 'Martial Artist' (Bujin). You've
become a true 'Combatant' (Kakutoka)!"
Ren smiled faintly. "No, I'm far from finished. I'm still training. There are
still many things I don't understand... and that's what fascinates me."
Tokugawa looked curious. "Like what?"
"Well... two nights ago, Baki-kun asked me a question."
Ren reminisced. "He asked: 'What kind of fight are you looking for?' At the
time, I told him I wanted a fight where I could see people giving their absolute
everything—to see the 'answer' of their strength, regardless of winning or
losing."
"But that was just a vague feeling. I still can't describe it specifically."
Seeing the troubled look on Ren's face, Tokugawa couldn't help but burst into a
delighted grin. "Hahaha! Beautiful! Simply beautiful!!"
Ren tilted his head. "...Beautiful?"
"Of course!" Tokugawa exclaimed. "A warrior in the middle of a journey is a
treasure! It's so easy to miss a person's 'Growth Phase'!"
Ren found the "Combat-Crazed" old man's logic a bit strange, but there was no
arguing with him.
The two of them continued to eat sweets and drink tea for a few more minutes.
Finally, Tokugawa spoke the words he'd been holding back.
"Shiroki-kun... could you let me see it? Your definition of 'Combat'?"
Ren had no reason to refuse. He stood up from the cushion and looked around the
guest room. It was spacious, covered in clean tatami mats, and free of clutter.
"Yeah, this works."
Ren took a few steps back and raised his arms, settling into Guile's solid
defensive stance. He began to shadowbox.
Whish! Whish! Whish!
His strikes were rapid and relentless, showing a perfect balance of speed and
stability. His condition was peak, and his movements were a pleasure to watch.
"Oh... Ho ho!" Tokugawa nodded repeatedly. "That's military CQC, isn't it? It's
a heavier, sturdier style than Gaia's. Very resilient."
But if it was just this, Tokugawa would have been slightly disappointed. He had
seen countless masters perform at this level.
Then, the rhythm changed.
Swish—CRACK!
Ren adjusted his timing. Between a spinning back-fist and a straight punch, the
atmosphere in the room suddenly tightened.
Tokugawa, a veteran witness of a thousand brawls, sensed the shift instantly.
Individually, the two strikes were beautiful. But combined with that specific
timing, they became something else—the [KI] between them surged, as if the space
was being compressed.
"Wait...?" Tokugawa blinked, struggling to grasp the logic.
Ren returned to his neutral stance. "That was [LINKED TIMING]. It's much more
obvious in a real fight."
He began to analyze his own performance even as he spoke, unwilling to waste a
single second of insight. "When to strike? When to make a judgment call? What is
the frame-data on impact? What is the next move in the sequence?"
"These are the things I thought I understood when I first started training. But
now... I'm getting more and more confused. I'm losing the 'definition'."
"But that confusion... it feels good. It's 'perfect'."
"Oh! Hmm..."
Tokugawa scratched his head. "To be honest, just hearing you explain it doesn't
quite get the point across. How about we head to the dojo?"
Ren grinned. He had sensed it already. He jerked his chin toward the corner of
the room. "With him?"
Tokugawa's grin widened. "Well, for it to be 'Combat,' you're going to need an
opponent!"
"Come out, Kanoh. Shiroki-kun noticed you long ago. You aren't exactly a master
of stealth, are you?"
The sliding door to the adjacent room opened. A handsome man in a sharp black
suit stepped out, his hair slicked back into a professional pompadour.
"This is the Captain of my personal guard—Hideaki Kanoh."
Tokugawa introduced him with a chuckle. "What a coincidence, right? He shares
the same surname as Metsudo Katahara's [FANG], Kanoh Agito!"
"While he might not have the same offensive 'evolution' as the Fang, my Kanoh
here is a master of defense."
The old man snapped his folding fan shut with a sharp clack, his eyes crinkling
with delight.
"Heh! Why don't you two trade some blows?!"
☆☆☆
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