Chapter 383: Purity
The desire to "do something"—the actions and passions born from that single
spark have birthed countless miracles throughout history.
In ancient times, a commoner might catch a glimpse of a passing Emperor and
sigh, "A man should live like that." In the modern era, a young Kaoru Hanayama,
upon inheriting the position of the 16th Head of his family, looked to the
legends of the Otokodachi and decided that was the only path for him.
To do something—it is a simple, fundamental act, yet it is the ultimate conduit
for human Will.
To Ren Shiroki, it didn't matter if he saw self-driving cars, moon-bound
rockets, or high-level AI programs. Within those feats, the only thing that held
any "Truth" was the Will of the person who decided to make it happen. Everything
else was just decoration.
It was for this reason that Ren, like a tiny handful of monsters in this world,
chose to use nothing but his own flesh and bone to investigate the definition of
"Strength."
With that spirit burning in him, Ren sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes
unblinking as they locked onto the screen.
[THE OGRE] Yujiro Hanma vs. [THE SEA EMPEROR] Kaku Kaioh.
The intensity of the match was triggering a biological shift in Ren. Originally,
he had canceled his training block for the afternoon to watch this bout. No one
in their right mind would call that a "loss."
But right now, Ren was drenched in sweat, gasping for air as if he were in the
middle of a marathon!
Infected by the overwhelming Will radiating from the screen, Ren's body was
"Heating Up." His internal temperature was spiking. Every muscle fiber in his
body was being manually toggled by his mind—relaxing, contracting, vibrating in
a state of hyper-arousal.
Though he was sitting still, he was performing a high-torque variation of Ryu's
seated meditation, mixed with his own style of [ISOMETRIC TRAINING].
Isometrics are common among elite bodybuilding veterans. Simply put, it involves
posing or tensing the muscles without actual movement, maintaining a state of
extreme contraction for a set period. Standard methods involve using one's own
body, a wall, or a floor as resistance while maintaining controlled breathing.
But what Ren was undergoing was isometrics pushed to a lethal, superhuman
intensity!
Kicking, punching, dodging, parrying—his mind was running a 60-frame-per-second
combat simulation, and his muscles were reacting as if the strikes were real!
He was exhausted. It was a level of fatigue that transcended physical exertion.
But his body yearned for it. He wanted to feel that apex. Without realizing it,
Ren's current training output was ten times higher than his original plan.
"Hah... hah...!"
Ren panted, his oxygen consumption reaching redline levels. Massive beads of
sweat rolled off his bangs, hitting the floor with a rhythmic patter-clack. The
area around him felt like a high-temperature sauna, radiating a heatwave of pure
willpower.
"This is... it...!"
Caught in the throes of technical ecstasy, a stray tear mixed with the sweat on
his cheek. It was a visual impact rivaling Baki's "Sugar-Water Rebirth."
Yet, no one in the living room was looking at Ren. Every eye—including Ren's
own—was fixed on the screen, savoring the war of the century.
[The Great Centennial Arena]
Yujiro Hanma's punch had reduced the reinforced stone floor to gravel. Spiderweb
cracks raced across the entire stadium. Even Kaku Kaioh felt a twinge of tension
he hadn't experienced in a hundred years.
"Shaori, Datsuryoku... these petty parlor tricks," Yujiro rumbled, staring at
Kaku. "You weaklings can share them amongst yourselves all you like."
"Weaklings?" Kaku asked, curious. "Meaning...?"
"Everyone! Except for ME!" Yujiro's bronze face twisted into a metallic, mocking
grin.
"You weaklings spend your lives agonizing over 'Truth,' 'Secret Arts,'
'Heredity,' 'Torque,' and 'Weight'..."
"If combat were a physical substance, all those things would be Impurities!"
"Even this conversation we're having is an impurity!"
With that, Yujiro lunged, unleashing a massive, raw-power uppercut.
BOOM!
The punch caught Kaku on the chin. The knuckles pressed into his skin, but the
force was once again bleed off through [SHAORI]. The old man performed a full
mid-air flip and landed perfectly on his toes.
Yujiro followed up instantly with a heavy cross, sending Kaku flying across the
arena. His aura was horrific, radiating a genuine intent to murder
the 146-year-old master.
Kaku rolled through the impact, coming to a stop against the arena wall.
Whoosh!
Yujiro closed the gap. As he prepared to strike again, Kaku snapped a kick out.
Yujiro reflexively raised both arms to guard.
BAM!
The withered, skinny leg struck Yujiro's forearms. An offensive [SHAORI]
shockwave erupted from the impact, actually forcing the iron-like Ogre backward!
Screee—!
Yujiro's shoes left two smoking tread-marks in the sand.
"Not enough weight behind it...?" the Ogre muttered.
Kaku didn't answer. He was beaming with delight.
Come, O Strong One! the Sea Emperor thought. Technique is the only true matter
of a struggle! Everything else is dross!
Two philosophies, two absolute Wills, collided and crashed in the Pit.
Yujiro seized the advantage first. Using his raw power, he pinned Kaku against
the arena wall, denying him the space needed for defensive [SHAORI].
This was the Ogre. But the person he was beating wasn't just an old man—he was a
master with 140 years of experience in the abyss!
POW!
Kaku's nose erupted in blood. But he didn't back down. He lunged forward with a
piercing shriek of "HIYAAAA!", raining an Offensive [SHAORI] barrage onto
Yujiro.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The two traded blows in a phone booth. Even Baki had never seen his father like
this—head snapped back, neck twisted to the side by a flurry of strikes.
Finally, with a flying-knee to the face, Kaku actually sent Yujiro flying. The
Ogre hit the dirt on his back with a heavy "Urgh!"
"Cough...!" Kaku stood his ground, spitting out blood. The fire of battle was
fully lit. "Don't get cocky, brat!"
"Old man..."
Yujiro rose, his back turned to Kaku. He stretched his arms wide, and the
muscles in his back began to flex with a sound like shifting tectonic plates.
"Cocky? I haven't even STARTED!!"
RIIIIIP!
Yujiro's shirt was shredded into rags by the sheer expansion of his back. There,
carved into his musculature, was the face of a weeping demon.
[THE DEMON BACK]!
This was the true face of the Ogre! The specialized "Striking Muscles" of the
Hanma bloodline were more than just anatomy; they were a biological weapon
designed solely for war.
Looking at that "Face," Kaku Kaioh finally understood.
He had once believed Yujiro should discard the "I am the only strong one"
mentality. But now he realized Yujiro was right. To the King of Beasts, other
animals aren't rivals. They are prey.
The relationship between Yujiro Hanma and "All Other Humans" was exactly that.
There was no other possibility.
Fine then! The Lion vs. the Prey!!
Kaku leaped into the air, flying at the Demon. Even when he was punched through
a stone wall, he crawled out, landed, and lunged back in.
BANG-BAM-POW!
Since the day he was born... it had been over a hundred years. Fifty thousand
days! Every single day, he had refined his fists. Longer than anyone! Denser
than anyone!!
Gradually, the tide shifted.
Yujiro stood in the center of the ring, hands in his pockets. He was covered in
his own blood, yet he didn't move an inch.
"OYAAAAAARGH!!"
Kaku roared, his fists and feet blurring at a speed that the human eye couldn't
track. He struck every vital point on Yujiro's body in a single frame.
Everyone watching was struck by a singular question: What kind of battle is
this...?!
Kaku was using an "Original Kenpo" that had evolved past any known school. Even
Retsu—the [FIST MASTER]—couldn't name the moves, yet he was certain: everything
Kaku did was Kenpo. Every strike was the peak of Offensive [SHAORI].
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Yujiro's cheek was split. His nose was broken. His ribs were bruised.
In the entire world, who else could do this? Who else could make the [STRONGEST
CREATURE ON EARTH] bleed like this?
Perhaps it was the realization of this fact, or perhaps there was another
reason. Regardless... Yujiro stopped resisting.
Slowly, his hands emerged from his pockets. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
"That's enough, old man."
Yujiro raised his arms. The Demon muscles on his back shifted and warped,
turning into a weeping face of sorrow. He was about to use a "Technique."
Clap!
Yujiro's hands descended, his palms slamming into Kaku's ears simultaneously.
[DUAL PEAK PIERCING]!
Kaku's eardrums shattered. Blood sprayed from his ears as his eyes went vacant.
Immediately after, Yujiro wound up a massive punch aimed straight for the center
of Kaku's face. He intended to end the struggle with a killing blow.
But just as the Ogre's fist was about to make contact, it stopped. It hovered
millimeters from Kaku's nose, refusing to move a fraction further.
The shockwave of the punch made the skin on Kaku's face ripple, but the old
man's expression was static. Empty.
"—!!"
Yujiro's eyes widened. He began to curse in a voice full of pure, unadulterated
disbelief. "You... are you an idiot?!"
The crowd was stunned. Yujiro's voice rose to a thunderous roar. "ARE YOU
KIDDING ME?!!"
Only then did the others notice Kaku's condition.
"Wait...?" "What is...?" "No way!"
A wave of disbelief swept through the arena and across the world. In the living
room, Baki and Retsu stared at the screen, their mouths hanging open. "Is this
for real...?!"
The ringside doctors rushed onto the sand. They checked Kaku's heart, his pulse,
and his pupils. Finally, the head medic stood up and delivered the verdict.
"He died of old age."
The stadium fell into a stunned, grief-stricken silence. A few people began to
sob.
A 146-year-old man, dying of natural causes. It was an easy thing to understand.
To some, it would be seen as a peaceful end.
But why today? Why now?!
Yujiro stood frozen. His brow furrowed in a mask of incandescent fury. He
clenched his fists, his body dropping into a low crouch as he began to tremble—a
volcano on the verge of an eruption.
He was vibrating with rage. It looked like he was going to explode and level the
stadium.
But in the end, Yujiro did nothing. He stood up straight with a sharp tap of his
feet. He took a deep breath and walked off the arena, his expression one of
total, hollow loss.
No one announced the result. Everyone was left wondering: Is this a victory?
[Soul Combat Hub — Living Room]
As the stream cut out, the room fell into a deathly silence. Even Ren's heavy
breathing seemed to have been muted. Faces were grim.
Baki's brow was furrowed. Retsu looked like he was about to break down in tears.
Minutes passed. Five... ten... the clock ticked toward half an hour.
Then, Retsu's phone shrieked.
Ring-ring! Ring-ring!
Retsu picked it up and stared at the screen. His eyes nearly popped out of his
head. It was a video call from "Kaku Kaioh".
Retsu: "..."
Retsu: "...Huh?!"
☆☆☆
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