Chapter 3: The Pursuit of Strength
Going into mental overdrive was convenient, but doing it too often gave him a headache.
Besides, this wasn't an emergency. Shiraki Kei had plenty of time to sort through the memories in his mind.
His little sister, Sakurai Arisa, had come home with two classmates—
Matsumoto Kozue and Kure Karura.
...
The former had a ponytail, slightly curled at the end, giving her the quiet image of a girl-next-door. She was the female lead from the world of Baki, and Hanma Baki's girlfriend.
—He wondered what point in the timeline this was. Had the two of them confessed their feelings to each other yet?
...
The other girl had a more unique appearance, with long, straight black hair and a well-proportioned, toned physique that radiated an unusual vitality.
Her eyes were especially distinct. Not only was her gaze sharp, but the colors of her pupils and sclera were reversed—she had black sclera and white pupils.
She was from Kengan Ashura, the great-granddaughter of the leader of the "Kure Clan," which specialized in assassination. She was one of the clan's top talents, possessing combat prowess on par with a professional assassin.
...
...
Even professional assassins have to go to school.
—Drawing on the memories in his head, Shiraki Kei quickly understood this point.
After all, his sister attended "Ouzakura Girls' Academy," and Karura was far from the only "monster" at that high school!
Years ago, the old man had scraped together every last penny to save up enough tuition for Arisa's high school and university, just so she could get a good education.
After falling into high-interest debt, Arisa had wanted to use the tuition money to pay it off, but by the time she realized it, that meager amount was just a drop in the bucket.
Although she tried not to show it in front of her sick brother, Arisa couldn't hide her low spirits at school. Her two best friends, Kozue and Karura, noticed, which led to today's dessert shop outing to cheer her up.
"Excuse us for intruding!"
Karura waved at Shiraki Kei, while Kozue smiled and nodded in greeting.
Arisa had already told them about Shiraki Kei's illness, and both girls were worried about their classmate's brother.
But when they saw Shiraki Kei in person, he didn't seem... special.
No.
Karura narrowed her eyes.
She came from a martial arts family, after all, and could see more than the average person.
This Shiraki Kei before her was supposed to be suffering from a chronic, severe illness, yet his vitality was incredibly abundant. It wasn't the slightest bit inferior to a professional athlete's—or even a Kure Clan professional assassin's.
The only thing that proved he was sick was his "posture."
A truly strong master's center line—their center of gravity—is typically straight and stable.
But Shiraki Kei's center line was unstable, even crooked. You could clearly see the sluggishness that came from a long recovery period and lack of training.
"Arisa's brother... he seems more interesting than I expected..."
"Huh?"
Karura's gaze shifted. She was a bit surprised to see that Kozue's expression was unchanged.
After all, Shiraki Kei's build and appearance were quite impressive. Even if a normal high school girl wasn't interested, she should at least be a little flustered.
But from Kozue's expression, it seemed she was already used to this.
"Kozue?" Karura tilted her head, catching Kozue murmuring to herself.
"They're similar... both single-mindedly pursuing 'strength'..."
Kozue looked at Shiraki Kei and sighed helplessly. "He's just like 'him,' the one renting a room at my house. He starts running before dawn, and at night, he's training again, making all sorts of noise. He's always covered in sweat, and sometimes he comes home covered in injuries."
"He—Baki—told me before... he wants to become the Strongest on Earth."
"But my mom always says: That path only leads to death."
"..."
With a helpless expression, Kozue bowed goodbye to everyone, her figure gradually disappearing down the street.
As for Karura, she pulled out her phone and checked it. "Um, I might have to intrude a while longer. My sister was supposed to pick me up here, but she hasn't arrived yet."
Shiraki Kei and Arisa naturally welcomed her to stay.
But as Arisa went to get a stool for Karura, she suddenly noticed that Shiraki Kei's hand wasn't shaking anymore.
"Huh? Bro, is your illness getting better?"
Arisa noticed the sweat stains on Shiraki Kei's shirt and was even more astonished. "Wait, you've been training?!"
"Yeah, moved around a bit."
Shiraki Kei tapped the bandages on his head. "I'm feeling a lot better today. Even my head is much clearer. The Punch-Drunk Syndrome seems to be... recovering."
"This..."
Arisa was in disbelief.
She remembered running to more than a dozen hospitals in Tokyo, and the result was always the same: "No effective cure for chronic brain damage." Who knew that today would bring such an unexpected turn for the better.
Arisa was overwhelmed with emotion, finally managing to stammer out a question: "But... why?"
"Perhaps it's because of the 'human body.' The human body is a miraculous thing."
Karura, who was standing nearby, suddenly interjected, "For example, my family has spent generations absorbing the 'seed' and 'techniques' of exceptional martial artists. We eventually became able to break the brain's limiters and 'Release' stronger power."
"Arisa's brother's situation is probably an accident—some kind of catalyst triggered his body's highly efficient recovery mechanism. Like, for instance, a recent injury to the head?"
At this, Karura and Arisa both looked up at the bandages on Shiraki Kei's head, finding the most logical explanation.
Arisa was overjoyed. "Is this what they call a blessing in disguise?"
Shiraki Kei wasn't sure either. "Maybe?"
Arisa reached out a hand toward her brother's head. "Then let me touch it!"
Karura quickly stopped her. "...That's probably not a good idea. It still hurts."
"..."
Vroom—RUMBLE! RUMBLE...
Just then, a roar came from down the street as a streamlined, lightweight motorcycle sped toward them.
The motorcycle was incredibly eye-catching—and not just because of its model.
The rider was a well-built, short-haired girl whose physique balanced proportionality and power. She wore a black sleeveless tank top and shorts, revealing a glimpse of toned abdominal lines.
Screech—!
The short-haired girl executed a drift, stopping the bike perfectly in front of the empty lot's gate.
She took off her sunglasses, revealing eyes similar to Karura's—the same black sclera and white pupils.
"Sister!"
Karura waved to the girl, then introduced her to the siblings. "This is my cousin. She's three years older than me."
"Kure Fusu."
The girl introduced herself, waving her sunglasses casually as she nodded at the siblings.
At the same time, Kure Fusu's eyes were also sizing up Shiraki Kei.
Compared to the all-around 'genius' Karura, Fusu specialized more in firearms and tracking, so she could instantly pick up on even more details.
"Height 187cm, weight about 93... 94kg. Those are some impressive physical specs!"
"This looks like a karate dojo? Closed down? I haven't heard of any masters around here..."
As she mused, Kure Fusu suddenly extended her right hand, her slender thumb and forefinger forming a "handgun" gesture, and aimed it at Shiraki Kei.
It looked like a normal girl joking around, but for Kure Fusu, a sniping expert, it meant something entirely different.
"Bang!"
Fusu mouthed the sound. Shiraki Kei didn't react; there was no killing intent.
"Bang!"
She mouthed it a second time. Shiraki Kei still didn't move; she wasn't aiming at him.
"Bang—"
The moment she began to mouth the third "Bang—," before the sound even finished, Shiraki Kei had already bent low, his right leg sliding forward as his entire body's power exploded in an instant.
Swoosh!
The forward dash was so fast it seemed to distort the air, leaving an afterimage as he instantly closed the distance between them.
Kure Fusu almost didn't react in time. Her white pupils contracted slightly as she felt a strong wind rush toward her face.
At the same time, she heard Shiraki Kei's heavy breathing.
"Huff... huff..."
Beads of sweat, both cold and hot, appeared on his forehead. Cold, from Fusu's sudden burst of killing intent; hot, from the physical strain of the instantaneous lunge.
"What incredible footwork!"
Kure Fusu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. She added, "But your body isn't fully coordinated. It seems... you're still recovering?"
"I'll tell you the details on the way. Let's not bother them while they're resting!" Karura hopped onto the back of the bike and waved to Arisa and Shiraki Kei. "Thanks for having me! See you at school tomorrow!"
...
...
Only after the motorcycle had turned the corner did Karura complain to Fusu.
"Testing him with a 'gunshot' on your first meeting... isn't that a little rude?"
Fusu pouted apologetically. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help it. It's been a long time since I saw such an interesting master."
Hearing this, Karura was confused. "Why? I haven't even told you about Arisa's brother yet, have I?"
Fusu nodded. "Actually, I saw this on my way here—look!"
The bike turned another corner, still not far from Shiraki Kei's house.
Following Fusu's finger, Karura saw a "standing punching bag" lying in the weeds on the roadside, separated from the dojo lot by only a wall. The canvas skin was torn, and the filling inside was scattered everywhere.
"This is..."
Karura observed the trajectory. The bag had undoubtedly been launched from Shiraki Kei's property.
Aside from the wild guess that "Arisa is also a top-tier master," there was only one possibility—
This bag had been destroyed by Shiraki Kei's punch and sent flying over the wall!
"That's a fist technique I've never seen before!" Karura grew even more curious. "It's not just karate. What style does Arisa's brother use?"
"Who knows..."
Fusu put her sunglasses back on and grinned. "You have exams coming up, right? I don't have any assassination contracts right now. Leave the investigation to me. I quite enjoy this kind of 'leisure' activity."
...
...
Long after the Kure cousins had left, Arisa still hadn't snapped out of her joy.
It was Shiraki Kei who patted his sister's shoulder. "This is a rare chance. Let me cook tonight. What's left in the fridge?"
"Ah... oh," Arisa paused. "There are onions, potatoes, and carrots left."
"Alright, curry it is tonight!"
Shiraki Kei nodded, then looked at the dilapidated dojo. "There's still so much to do. The match in three days, the debt to the Teiai Group, my rehab training, dojo repairs, how to make money... Oh, right. I have to go get that punching bag. If I patch it up, I can still use it. Those things are expensive..."
Sakurai Arisa just listened quietly.
Ever since Shiraki Kei had fallen ill, Arisa hadn't seen her brother like this!
After muttering for a bit, Shiraki Kei looked at his little sister. He felt like he had so much to say, but he couldn't get it all out.
"It's been hard on you these past few years."
"Yeah."
"You can relax a little more from now on. It's good to go out with your classmates. Make more friends."
"Yeah!"
"And don't worry about your big brother anymore."
"...Yeah?"
Arisa's last "yeah" was a question, filled with distrust. Shiraki Kei paused, but then realized this was his sister, alright. She knew his restless personality.
Just like the "Baki" Matsumoto Kozue had described, Arisa would inevitably worry about Shiraki Kei—especially when he was shouldering a thirty-million-yen debt!
"For example... Bro," Arisa said quietly, "what did you mean just now by 'the match in three days'?"
...
...
Three days later, at dusk.
The underground match against the "Kengan Fighter" was about to begin.
The men in black from the Teiai Group and the minor boss from the Grisly Tooth Gang arrived together by car.