CHAPTER 125: NO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST
Cosmo, Marco, and Kureishi stood in a silent semi-circle, watching the clear patch of dirt at the edge of the yard.
Ren Shiroki was bare-chested, his skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat. He had been at it for nearly an hour. He lunged, ducked, and fired off combinations into the empty air.
This was shadow-boxing—the foundation of all combat sports.
Through mental simulation, a fighter reconstructs a duel, practicing their timing and their counters in a world of pure imagination. Every professional, from the heavyweight champion to the local rookie, used this drill to build their "Dynamic Muscle Memory."
Cosmo Imai was a master of this. His Sensei, Kureishi, often forced him to simulate thousands of rounds in his head.
But as Cosmo watched Ren, his eyes began to tremble.
Ren's speed was increasing. His power was becoming palpable. His expression was no longer one of practice; it was the face of a man caught in the "White Heat" of a deathmatch. He bared his teeth, his pupils vibrating as he dodged "Something" that wasn't there.
ZIP! SHING!
Ren's movements were so violent, so committed, that they surpassed the boundaries of a simple drill. It didn't look like he was imagining an opponent. It looked like he was actually being hit.
Kureishi walked over to the cooler, asking if anyone wanted a water. Neither Cosmo nor Marco responded. Their focus was locked on Ren.
Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down Cosmo's spine.
"Wait... are you seeing this?"
His years of elite combat experience—and Marco's sharpened biological instincts—pulled a truth out of the static.
As Ren continued his frantic exchange, a shape began to coalesce in the afterimages of his movements. A Sumi-e ink-wash phantom was flickering into existence, trading blows with the youth.
WHAP!
The phantom lunged with a heavy straight punch. It was a move of absolute purity, devoid of "Tricks." It carried a weight of decades of refinement.
Kureishi stepped back, sipping his soda with a low whistle. "Oho! That looks like Ansatsuken Karate? But it's been evolved... it's a unique, refined style. Look at the flow!"
Kureishi's commentary snapped the boys into focus. They could see it now.
Ren's "Opponent" was a legend. A man roughly 175cm tall, weighing over 90kg, his body a map of dense, functional muscle. He radiated an aura of ancient, unshakeable strength.
Neither Cosmo nor Marco felt they could have walked through a combination from that phantom without being broken.
And Ren? Ren was being bullied.
ZIP! BANG!
Ren raised his arms in a guard, only to be driven back several paces by a phantom shockwave. He reset his center, but his guard was instantly pierced by a straight punch to the jaw, followed by a rising uppercut to the solar plexus.
THUD.
The sound was heavy and wet.
Ren let out a pained groan. His body buckled, his teeth grinding together as he forced himself to stay upright.
Cosmo and Marco didn't care about "logic" anymore. They were watching a slaughter.
"Ren-nii, watch out!" Marco cried.
Ren didn't hear him. He was staring at the phantom of Ryu.
BOOM!
A phantom fist slammed into Ren's face. In the real world, Ren's head snapped back. His nose ruptured, and a spray of blood hit the dirt.
Ryu's combination didn't slow down.
Fist. Low-line sweep to the calf. High-line spinning back-kick.
THE UNBROKEN TRIPLE STRIKE.
BOOM!
Ren was launched off his feet, flying backward and crashing into the grass. He lay there, gasping for air.
"..."
"Heh... HAHA!"
Ren burst into a wheezing laugh.
Ever since the fight with Katsumi on the ship, he hadn't experienced a battle this "Pure." His Master knew exactly where he was weakest.
"Come on!"
Ren spat a mouthful of blood and hauled himself up. He gestured for Marco to stay back and reset his stance, mimicking Ryu's rigid, centered guard.
"Is this a lesson?" Ren rasped.
{It is a spar,} the phantom's voice echoed in his mind.
Ren lunged. He used a "Lead-Step" lunge, driving his fist into the phantom's face. Ryu countered at the exact same micro-second.
BAM!
They both staggered back half a pace. Then they threw etiquette out the window. They began trading blows with a ferocity that made it impossible for the spectators to track.
It wasn't an exchange of "Techniques." It was an exchange of Fundamentals.
Ren was covered in visible bruises and hematomas—marks created by his own nervous system reacting to the "Imagined" trauma. But his rhythm was becoming lighter. He was finding his joy again.
The confusion he'd felt about the "Lethality" of his enemies began to fade.
But just as he prepared a counter-strike—
ZIP!
Ren's balance was shattered. His head was jerked back as if hit by a hammer. More blood sprayed from his nose.
The Headbutt.
Ren raised his arms, but he was immediately hit by three high-velocity hand-blade strikes.
THE MACHINE GUN CHOP.
BAP! BAP! BAM!
The bandages on Ren's forearms were shredded, exposing the half-healed skin beneath.
Cosmo and Marco shared a look of total bewilderment.
The opponent changed?!
The new master was a colossus. A wrestler standing well over 210cm (7'0"). Even Ren looked like a child standing before him.
[COME ON! TEST YOUR MIGHT!]
ZANGIEF threw his arms wide. He caught Ren in a crushing bear-hug, hoisted him over his head, and drove him into the deck.
BOOM!
Ren hit the dirt with a thunderous thud. He began to cough violently.
[ENGINE] — OVERDRIVE!
Ren forced his body back online. He used a Thomas Flare kick to sweep the giant's legs and popped back to his feet, firing a flurry of heavy crosses into Zangief's chest.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Zangief didn't dodge. He flexed his "Iron Body," absorbing every hit with a manic grin. He didn't even blink when a punch hit his jaw.
[MAGNIFICENT! IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!]
Ren prepared for another strike, but the "Hand-Feel" of the fight shifted again. The hardness of the wrestler vanished, replaced by a sudden, terrifying lack of resistance.
SHING!
JAMIE SIU caught Ren's wrist, spun him around, and delivered a high-velocity elbow to his face.
THUD.
Ren's world spun. He tasted copper. But he didn't close his eyes. He caught Jamie's trouser leg with his free hand.
HRAAAGH!
Ren used his core strength to uproot the youth, slamming him into the dirt with a roar.
"Haha! Thanks for the lesson!"
Jamie waved a hand and dissolved into smoke, replaced by the stoic man with the golden flattop. GUILE lunged, his heavy bicep leveled at Ren's throat.
BANG!
Ren was hit by the Sonic Hook. It felt like being struck by a structural steel beam.
Ren staggered back, clutching his throat. Guile's voice echoed in his ear.
[Analyze the movement with a cold heart.]
[The 'Terror' of an attack... the 'Miracle' of a move... those are not facts. Those are just 'Impressions'.]
[Impressions create fear. Fear limits your options. If you want to survive the battlefield, ignore the reputation. Focus on the Reality.]
Ren charged forward. Guile met him with a horizontal hook to the jaw. Ren's mind went white. He collapsed onto the deck.
"Nice... simply perfect... that was... great..."
Ren propped himself up on his elbows, smiling at the phantoms of his masters.
Ryu stood with his arms crossed, watching the youth.
{The opponents you face now... they are no different from the ones you faced before.}
{A man who vomits a grenade is still a man. A shield of titanium is still a guard. Find the weakness. Crack the puzzle. Win.}
Ren stood up, swaying on his feet. He looked out at the sky and let out a long, bloody grin.
"I see it now."
"I know exactly how to hit them."
☆☆☆
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