Chapter 365: You Dare Pull Me?!
"DOWN!"
The announcer's voice cracked. "Ren Shiroki has landed his invincible
[SHORYUKEN]! He's dropped Okubo! The Combat King is coughing up blood on the
sand!"
Ren Shiroki stood side-on, his chest heaving as he slowly approached the prone
giant.
"The [SOUL COMBATANT] is closing in!" the announcer continued. "He's going for
the kill-shot against the [COMBAT KING]!! Is this the end?!"
In the stands, the crowd was vibrating with tension.
The next second—Zip!
Naoya Okubo suddenly rolled onto his feet. He bared his teeth in a savage,
bloody grin, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he spat out a mouthful of
crimson.
"Don't look down on me, Shiroki!"
His ferocious aura was a far cry from the "funny Osaka guy" persona he usually
wore on variety shows. This was the face of a man who had been pushed to his
absolute limit.
Even Ren was taken aback for a heartbeat.
Okubo spat out another glob of blood, his eyes locked onto Ren. "I'm one of the
strongest candidates in the public world for a reason. I've fought war after war
against monsters you can't even imagine. Don't think I can't see through you!"
"That 'Relaxation-Yank' of yours... you just mastered that five minutes ago,
didn't you?"
"You think a half-baked move like that is enough to put me away? Don't make me
laugh!"
Okubo dug his toes into the sand, dropping into a striking stance. He lunged
forward, throwing a heavy punch with everything he had.
[SYNTHESIS: STRIKE TO TACKLE]!
Whoosh!
Ren wasn't convinced. He manually triggered his [ENGINE], allowing his left arm
to go completely limp before snapping it forward in a flicker-jab.
[ED: PSYCHO FLICKER]!
Whish!
Ren's "Soul" arm bypassed Okubo's heavy punch, snaring the man's right shoulder.
He exerted a massive downward force, trying to yank Okubo off balance and drag
him back into his personal space.
Ren's right palm was already primed to strike.
But Okubo had anticipated the "Snatch."
"Fast! But too predictable!"
"YOU DARE PULL ME?! TAKE THIS!"
Zip!
Okubo didn't resist the pull. He leaned into it, using Ren's own yank to
accelerate his tackle. He threw his arms wide, wrapping them around Ren's waist
in a crushing bear hug.
Ren's right palm-strike landed, hitting the side of Okubo's face and drawing
more blood, but the giant gritted his teeth and pushed through the impact.
"Whoa! A terrifying clinch!" the announcer shrieked.
"There's more!"
Okubo roared, tightening his grip on Ren's torso. He arched his back, throwing
his entire weight and core strength into a high-amplitude throw.
"GRAAAAAH!!"
BOOM!
Ren used his right hand to shield the back of his skull just as his shoulders
hit the sand. The impact was so violent that Ren's entire body bounced nearly a
foot off the ground before falling back into the dirt.
"Cough...!"
Ren lay flat on his back, the blood in his mouth jarred loose by the impact. His
pupils were quivering, his brain struggling to reboot after the shock.
At the same time, Okubo was too exhausted to follow up. He slumped down, bracing
his hands on his knees, his core muscles twitching from the effort.
"A MONSTROUS GERMAN SUPLEX!!" The announcer gripped the mic with white knuckles.
"At point-blank range, Okubo used his signature wrestling prowess to spike
Shiroki into the earth!"
"This was no playground toss! But... but... Okubo is also reaching his absolute
limit!"
Okubo remained hunched over, a mixture of thick saliva and blood dripping from
his lips.
"Hah... hah...!"
He panted heavily, then suddenly—thud—he sat down in the sand to rest.
"You're... damn strong..."
Okubo kept his head low, his eyes tracking the fallen Ren. "Up until today, I've
never met a fighter who could consistently break my rhythm. Fighting you... it's
been the highlight of my career."
"I never knew a boxing jab could be used like a damn harpoon!"
Okubo wiped his mouth, his face a mask of exhaustion and manic joy. "Looks like
we both need a second before we throw our last cards, huh?"
The Arena went quiet, the lull in the action feeling like the calm before a
hurricane. The crowd's cheers only grew louder in the silence.
"YEAH!!" "OKUBO! GET HIM! FINISH THE REVERSAL!" "SHIROKI! GET UP! DON'T QUIT
NOW!"
The announcer was equally hyped. "Magnificent! Both warriors are preparing to
bet their lives on the next exchange!"
The next second—Zip!
Ren and Okubo's eyes narrowed simultaneously. They both forced themselves back
to their feet, using their remaining reserves of stamina to face each other once
more.
Both men took their side-facing stances. But Ren's posture remained deceptively
loose, his left arm dangling in the [Datsuryoku] preparation.
[ENGINE]—MAX OUTPUT!
His consciousness took total control of his biological systems. A whisper echoed
in the back of Ren's mind:
This is fine.
Whether it's the Satsui no Hado or this 'Psycho Power'... all of it is part of
'Me'. I won't change. I'll just use it.
Ed leaned against the phantom railing on the sidelines. {Hmph. Think whatever
you want, kid. I only kept my 'Self' because someone finally treated me like a
human being.}
{So, as long as you don't lose yourself to the junk, I don't care what tools you
use.}
{The person I'm facing is just you. That's all.}
Ren remained silent. He didn't have room for complex thoughts anymore. He had
surrendered everything to his "Consciousness," letting his body follow the
singular path of his "Will." Specifically, the Fighting Spirit within that will.
Follow the spirit. No hesitation. No doubt.
At the same time, Okubo centered his mind.
Alright. Come and get it!
I didn't come here for a 'Win.' I came to fight the strong and become stronger
myself!
The answer was simple.
Okubo locked eyes with Ren.
Is your next move stronger? Or is mine?
The two men began a slow, agonizing crawl toward the center of the ring.
The announcer watched, unblinking. "They're closing in! Inch by inch! They're
about to enter each other's 'Kill-Zone'!"
"CONTACT!"
"—At this moment, their striking ranges overlap! But neither has fired! They're
still moving forward!!"
Just as the announcer noted, neither Ren nor Okubo struck at the first moment of
contact. They were both holding their breath. Because they were so exhausted, a
simple "Strike" wouldn't be enough. They needed to find the distance that
guaranteed a knockout.
Step. Step. Step.
They got closer. Past the maximum reach. Past the grapple range.
Finally, their lead feet crossed. Their toes overlapped on the sand. They were
standing in each other's pockets, a distance where any movement could be fatal.
Cosmo Imai subconsciously swallowed. "Ren-aniki... Okubo... they've both got
massive balls to stand that close."
A single bead of sweat gathered on Ren's forehead. The moment it lost its battle
with gravity and slid down his skin—Zip!
Ren's left arm fired with [SOUL-LEVEL RELAXATION]. Like a weightless ghost, his
arm snapped forward in a snatching jab.
Okubo met it head-on. He fired a heavy right cross, aiming for the inside of
Ren's wrist to deflect the snatching force.
Shick!
Ren's left arm was swatted aside.
Okubo seized the opening, driving his palm-heel directly toward Ren's face. He
intended to bury the younger man beneath the weight of his "Synthesis." At the
same time, he was already calculating Ren's counter.
He'll probably go for a kick to the ribs!
Okubo raised his other arm to guard his side, prepared to tank the kick while he
crushed Ren's face.
But the next instant—Whish!
Ren's left arm retracted with impossible speed and fired a second jab using the
same "Relaxation" logic!
He didn't transition to a kick!
Ren had bet on the fact that a veteran like Okubo would expect a "Synthesis"
logic (the transition to a different limb). He chose the high-risk, high-reward
path of the double-flicker.
Against the "Spirit" energy Ren had touched, Okubo's "Rational" calculation led
to a fatal misread.
WHACK!
The lightning-fast [ED: PSYCHO FLICKER] snapped upward, burying itself into the
point of Okubo's chin.
THUD!
Okubo was upended. His brain rattled within his skull as his vision went black.
In the heartbeat before he lost consciousness, he heard the announcer's distant
roar:
"THE MATCH IS DECIDED—!!"
☆☆☆
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