Kazuma was now quite certain—Nishiyama Heita was running on sheer willpower alone.
What he couldn't tell was whether this was something unique to this world, or if Earth had it too.
After all, many heroic figures on Earth seemed to accomplish feats that defied the limits of the human body through sheer force of will.
But... that didn't really matter. He probably wasn't going back to Earth anyway.
He needed to think according to the rules of this world now.
This guy was clearly running purely on willpower. The glowing red aura around him, and the flaming Hannya Mask marker above his head, were manifestations of that.
Kazuma's cheat ability simply visualized concepts like "willpower" in a form he could see.
Based on his experience sparring with Chiyoko yesterday, Kazuma figured that talking an opponent out of their buff was possible—only this guy wasn't going to be as easy to shake as Chiyoko.
As he continued attacking in sync with Chiyoko, Kazuma thought, What if we can't break his mental state? Won't that basically be a permanent HP lock?
That's so broken...
Just then, he caught sight of the wakizashi the bald thug had dropped earlier.
—If I pick up that wakizashi and cut off one of his arms, that "HP lock" should break, right?
There's no way he could ignore massive blood loss through sheer will... right?
If he could, then Captain Orga from Tekkadan would love this world. He wouldn't stop, so he wouldn't die.
Kazuma began gradually maneuvering toward the wakizashi while continuing his attacks.
**
Nishiyama Heita exhaled a faint breath of relief.
He had no idea how much longer he could hold out. His arms were numb, his body was battered all over, and his sense of pain had dulled completely.
He didn't know when he might collapse—he was holding on through sheer grit.
All he needed was for the enemy to get impatient and try something desperate—like picking up the wakizashi. Then he'd strike.
He was certain Kiryu Chiyoko wouldn't go for the blade—he could tell she was a kind and pure-hearted girl.
Such people posed no real threat.
But her brother, Kiryu Kazuma, was a different story.
Nishiyama Heita knew—Kazuma was like him. A beast wearing human skin, prowling the modern city.
Kazuma would likely grab the wakizashi without hesitation—and try to cut off Heita's arm.
That would be the perfect opening to counterattack.
Nishiyama Heita let every muscle relax, ready to spring the instant that opportunity came.
Go ahead, Kiryu Kazuma. Pick it up—and prepare to lose.
**
Kazuma had reached the point where he could scoop up the wakizashi with a quick crouch.
Once he grabbed it, today's crisis would be nearly over.
All he had to do was—wait, no!
A chill ran down Kazuma's spine.
—No. Even though he looks like he's just stalling... if he had no way to turn things around, stalling would be pointless.
He must be waiting for a reversal!
If Nishiyama Heita had a counterattack prepared, he'd unleash it the moment Kazuma made a predictable move.
And the most obvious move would be going for the blade.
—In that case... let's turn this around.
Kazuma faked a crouch!
Nishiyama Heita sprang into action, lunging at Kazuma and throwing a punch with his right fist.
But Kazuma dropped flat to the ground, rolled to the side, and sprang back to his feet.
Even Kazuma was shocked by how smoothly he pulled it off—That was just like dodging a boss attack in a game!
Is this part of my mental state too?
As he came up, Kazuma spun and struck the back of Nishiyama Heita's head with his bamboo sword.
Nishiyama dropped to his knees.
Kazuma rushed in and kicked the wakizashi away from where it lay beside him.
He was surprised—the guy still wasn't unconscious.
But this was the end. One more strike, and Nishiyama Heita would be officially defeated by Kiryu Kazuma!
Just then, Nishiyama Heita shouted, "I surrender!"
Kazuma halted his bamboo sword mid-swing.
At first, he suspected a trick. But then he noticed—the red aura around Nishiyama was gone. The Hannya Mask marker above his head had stopped burning.
Compared to his earlier state, the change was unbelievable—but there was no mistaking it. The man had no fight left.
It was as if the blazing aura from moments ago had never existed.
—Wait, this kind of power can be switched off like that?
Chiyoko couldn't see the markers. She shouted, "Why should we trust you?"
But though she said that, she didn't rush in to attack him—clearly, she was leaving the decision to Kazuma.
Nishiyama Heita flipped over, sitting on the floor with a sigh. "You two were planning to knock me out, then wake up one of my guys and force him to tell you where Fujii Mikako is, right?"
The Kiryu siblings exchanged a glance. Then Kazuma nodded. "That was the plan."
"Yakuza care a lot about face. I can't let my subordinates see me knocked out on the floor. That would ruin both Nishiyama-gumi's reputation and my standing in the underworld. That's why bosses like us prefer one-on-one duels whenever possible."
Kazuma said, "Because if you lose, there's no one to see it?"
"You catch on fast." Nishiyama gestured toward the flashy suit he'd tossed aside. "There's a slip of paper in that jacket pocket with a phone number. Only Bandō and I know it. Call that number and hand me the receiver."
Kazuma glanced at Chiyoko. She immediately ran over to retrieve the suit.
Just then, the bald thug on the floor pushed himself up.
"KISAMA!" he roared at the Kiryu siblings.
"Bandō. It's over. Instead of yelling, bring me a cigarette," Nishiyama said calmly.
Bandō froze, then looked around and cautiously asked, "Boss, are you...?"
"I lost," Nishiyama replied evenly. "But young master Kiryu showed mercy—he spared me the humiliation of being seen unconscious. So in exchange, we concede. You just woke up—go call them and have Mikako released."
Bandō hesitated. "But... isn't this a big deal? If we back out, other groups will—"
"Then let them handle it. We lost, simple as that."
At this, Kazuma suddenly realized something important. "Wait—you mean if other groups take over, they'll come after us again? I thought beating you would settle this."
Nishiyama laughed heartily and quoted a famous line from Manhunt: "There's no such thing as over."
As soon as he finished, Bandō sneered at Kazuma. "The Tsuda-gumi will probably take over next—and they're far nastier than we are. You'd better start picking out your coffin."
"Bandō. Cigarette first. Then make the call," Nishiyama ordered coldly.
Bandō hurried over and offered him a cigarette, then lit it.
Once that was done, he turned and asked Chiyoko, "Where's the phone?"
Chiyoko answered, "On the shoe cabinet by the entrance."
Bandō nodded and left.
The moment he was gone, Nishiyama exhaled a smoke ring and asked Kazuma, "How'd you know I'd strike when you went for the blade?"
"Simple. You were waiting for a guaranteed opening. Picking up the wakizashi was the most obvious choice."
Kazuma's tone was calm.
Nishiyama smirked. "Smart thinking. If you ever find yourself down and out, you'd make a fine yakuza enforcer."
"I'm not becoming a yakuza. What's the point? Even at the top, you're just a local thug. I'm aiming a lot higher. And since you asked me something, now it's my turn—why did you surrender so decisively just now?"
Nishiyama took another drag on his cigarette.
"Simple. Sooner or later, you'll run out of options and be forced into a corner by other yakuza. Leaving you with a good impression of me now is an investment—one day, you might be a top-class enforcer. It costs me nothing."
Kazuma frowned. "And what if I'm never cornered?"
Nishiyama laughed even louder. "Then even better! It'd mean you've wiped out the Tsuda-gumi—and we'd get to take their turf fair and square."
Then he looked Kazuma in the eye. "But remember—Tsuda Masaaki is nothing like me. If he says he surrenders, don't believe him. You'll die."
At that moment, Bandō returned. "Boss, she's been released."
"Good. Go check on the others. I doubt Kiryu-san will let us leave until he sees her safe and sound."
As he spoke, Nishiyama adjusted to a more comfortable position. "Good timing. I need a break anyway... just resting my eyes a bit..." With that, he closed his eyes.
The cigarette in his hand slipped and snapped in half on the floor.
For an instant, Kazuma thought he'd died.
"I'm not dead—just meditating," Nishiyama said as if reading his mind.
Kazuma let out a breath. If the guy really had died, things would've gotten messy.
Now that the tension eased, Kazuma suddenly noticed that his whole body was aching—he was completely drained.
He grabbed a cushion, sat down cross-legged, and began recovering his strength.
He watched Bandō for a while, but seeing that the thug wasn't making any sudden moves, Kazuma closed his eyes.
Time to meditate a little. Let's see if I've got any new mental buffs—and what they actually do.
If he was going to keep clashing with the yakuza, understanding this stuff would be critical.
After a few seconds of meditation, his status screen appeared.
Rishin-ryū 3. Shintō-ryū 6. No changes there.
But now he had a new tag: Combat Experience 3.
What the heck is that?
Focusing on it revealed a simple description: "You have gained combat experience. Your ability to combine sword techniques is now more refined."
Gee, thanks. That tells me nothing.
Aside from that, there were no new mental buffs. Maybe they had expired, or maybe his mental state had shifted.
But one new timed marker had appeared.
"Defend the Nation, Punish Evil" — expires in 121 seconds.
Description: "Because you recited a poem, your damage against those with evil intent is greatly increased."
...What the heck?
(End of Chapter)