CHAPTER 132: THE NEED TO TEST
SNAP!
Akoya acted like a starving hyena. He bared his broken, blood-stained teeth and lunged, his jaw snapping shut as he grazed the inner side of Ren Shiroki's thigh, leaving a jagged red trail behind.
SQUELCH!
In an instant, a rough laceration opened on Ren's left inner thigh. Though he had flinched just in time to avoid the artery, the teeth had still shredded the skin. The sight alone was enough to make a spectator's stomach turn.
"Tch—!"
Ren lifted his left leg slightly, hopping back on his right foot to reset his distance. He slapped his injured thigh once, the sting of the impact actually helping him focus. He bared his own teeth in a grin.
"Akoya-bro, you didn't get a clean grip. You aren't very good at the 'Feral' stuff, are you? Just acting scary isn't enough to finish me..."
Akoya spat a mouthful of crimson—a mixture of his own blood and Ren's. His face remained a mask of stony, unyielding malice.
"He... HE'S BITING!"
The crowd erupted. Even the Association Referee stood frozen, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. The Kengan Association had its fair share of "Monsters," including a few literal man-eaters, but seeing a high-ranking Police Captain resort to the tactics of a rabid dog was a psychological shock.
"Is... is that how Akoya fights?"
"I've seen his matches! He's always been technical and defensive! What the hell is this?!"
"He's gone completely berserk!"
On the sidelines, Cosmo Imai and Nozomi Tenma were equally stunned. Cosmo felt a cold shiver of "Pure Terror" radiating from the ring.
Only Takeshi Wakatsuki and Heihachi Furumi, who had heard the deeper rumors of the MPD's dark side, remained somewhat composed, though their brows were furrowed in concern.
Suddenly, a woman in a kimono hurried over. It was Shunsuka Hiyama, the CEO of Wakasa Life. Her face was deathly pale, her professional composure completely shattered. She ignored the greetings of the other executives and went straight to Fusui Kure and Nozomi.
"You're Shiroki-kun's associates, aren't you?"
Hiyama's voice was a frantic whisper. "The sponsorship stake—the medical equipment, the contracts—consider them yours! I will gift them to the Soul Combat Hub immediately. We won't even claim the victory in the official records."
"So please... tell Ren Shiroki to withdraw! We have to end this before he is completely suppressed by Akoya!"
Fusui and Nozomi shared a confused look. Hiyama gripped Nozomi's arm, her fingers trembling.
"Akoya... he calls it 'Executing Justice.' He inflicts private torture on anyone he deems 'Evil.' It's a pathology. He's possessed by the 'Dirty Harry Syndrome'!"
Nozomi blinked. "Dirty Harry?"
"It's not a clinical diagnosis," Fusui explained, her eyes fixed on the ring. "It refers to officers who abandon the law to carry out their own violent 'Cleanse.' Akoya can't stand the existence of 'Germs.' Once his restraint breaks, his killing impulse takes total control."
"He will fight until he is dead or his target is erased!" Hiyama shrieked. "I can't stop him anymore! Shiroki-kun has to run!"
Before Nozomi could respond, Cosmo Imai spoke up. His voice was quiet, but it was filled with a dazed, vibrating awe.
"Hiyama-san..."
Cosmo didn't look away from the ring. "Do you really think that... 'That' version of Ren-senpai would ever choose to run away?"
Hiyama looked up. Her breath hitched.
If Seishu Akoya was an Executioner looking to consume his opponent's flesh, looking like a demon from a nightmare...
Then Ren Shiroki was a vision of vibrant, terrifying grace.
The battle-spirit radiating from the youth had coalesced into a physical "Aura"—the [SOUL]. It was a blinding, destructive radiance that seemed to warp the very air around him. It was a tsunami of competitive "Might" that demanded to be seen.
Whether Ren had lost control like Akoya was up for debate. But one thing was certain:
Neither of them could be stopped.
ZIP!
Akoya launched a high-line roundhouse. His toes were leveled with Ren's eyes, his intent to blind or decapitate clear. Ren leaned his torso back, the kick whistling past his nose.
Akoya didn't reset. He dove forward, aiming for a double-leg takedown to drag Ren into a ground-suppression. Ren didn't scramble away; he anchored his weight and rained a series of heavy elbows onto Akoya's armored back.
BAM! BAM!
The strikes were like a sledgehammer hitting an anvil. Even with his high-spec muscles, Akoya's frame groaned under the pressure.
Failing to secure the takedown, Akoya opened his mouth again, lunging for Ren's thigh. But the moment his jaw opened, Ren's knee exploded upward.
BOOM!
The strike connected squarely with Akoya's face. The heavy, muffled thud of bone on bone echoed through the garage. Several of Akoya's front teeth were knocked loose.
"Guh—!?"
Akoya's rage spiked. But before he could counter, Ren's hands clamped onto his head.
"I told you... you're terrible at the biting stuff!"
Ren grinned, his eyes bloodshot and manic. He pulled Akoya's head forward, meeting the officer's face with his own forehead in a terminal crash.
"SEI—YAH!"
[ZANGIEF: HEADBUTT]!
CRACK!
A fountain of blood erupted from Akoya's nose. He was knocked backward, his balance shattered.
Ren didn't let him breathe. He lunged forward, swinging his left fist in a heavy, descending arc.
[LUKE: RAWHIDE]!
WHAP!
The lightning-fast mid-level strike slammed into Akoya's shoulder. Ren followed through instantly with a left-right combination into the officer's solar plexus. Akoya's body buckled, his "Might" finally beginning to sputter.
[LUKE: DOUBLE IMPACT]!
Cosmo pumped a fist. "YES! Keep the pressure high! He's breaking him!"
Wakatsuki nodded, his expression serious.
Akoya was in the red. Without Hiyama's tactical synchronization, he was relying purely on his 75ms reflexes to mitigate damage. But Ren was overwhelming him with "Pre-Input" logic. As long as Ren kept the combination going, he would win by attrition.
But to everyone's shock, Ren Shiroki suddenly stopped.
He stepped back, lowering his hands, and waited.
"Wait—what?!" Cosmo gasped. "He had him! Why did he stop?!"
Wakatsuki narrowed his eyes. He saw the "Look" in Ren's eyes. It wasn't fatigue. It was Ambition.
Pfft—!
Akoya spat out a shattered tooth and a mouthful of thick, dark blood. His nose was twisted to the side, and his eyes were glowing with a demonic, scarlet light.
He felt his consciousness returning to a cold, focused point. He needed a second to catch his breath. He needed to reset his Aegis.
He expected Ren to blitz him. He expected to die in the next flurry.
But Ren was just standing there.
"..."
Ren Shiroki watched him with a calm, inviting smile.
"I can't help it. I won't feel right if I don't try."
Ren gestured to the floor. "I want to see if my 'Suppression' is stronger than yours, Akoya-bro."
The statement was the ultimate insult. Ren was challenging the "Executioner" to a contest of his own specialty: Dominance.
"If you want to die so badly," Akoya rasped, "I will grant your wish!"
Akoya dropped into his lowest, most aggressive "Suppression Form." His hands were open, his muscles coiled for a terminal tackle. He charged forward like a starving predator, closing the gap with a thunderous stomp.
He was going to tear the "Evil" apart.
In that heartbeat, Akoya's 75ms reflexes were at their limit. He saw everything.
He saw Ren Shiroki drop into a sprinter's starting block. Ren's hands lightly touched the concrete. Then, his legs exploded.
Ren lunged with a speed that bypassed Akoya's ability to counter. He met the charging officer in the middle of the ring, diving under the giant's reach to wrap his arms around Akoya's waist.
BOOM!
The collision was massive. Akoya's balance was erased. He was tackled onto his back, the air leaving his lungs in a pained gasp as Ren mounted him.
Ren sat tall on the officer's chest, his fists tightened and raised for the final execution.
"I knew it. Beating you at your own game is the only way to truly win!"
THE ULTIMATE FINISHER READY—!
[LUKE: PALE RIDER]!!!
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