Chapter 188: Pure Mastery!
In those few seconds, the audience witnessed a masterclass.
Retsu Kaioh raised his left glove, completely blinding Chiba Takayuki. He
shifted his feet to Chiba's flank and rested his right glove lightly against the
"Actor's" jaw.
Then...
The glove, which had been perfectly still, suddenly exploded forward.
Snap!
The tip of Chiba's jaw was caught by the thick padding of the glove. For a split
second, his face seemed to vanish from its position.
Immediately after, Chiba's brain rattled violently within his skull. His eyes
lost focus, and he wobbled before collapsing onto his knees, slumped over and
out cold.
It was another one-hit KO, but the style was a world apart from Ren Shiroki's
explosive downward smash.
Blind, shift, touch, explode.
Done.
Such a concise—even plain—strike, when executed by Retsu Kaioh, gave off a sense
of unshakeable, terrifying perfection.
"...Magnificent!"
Even Rama XIII widened his eyes, mentally replaying Retsu's movements. "A
flawless strike. It doesn't look like a boxing move at all, and yet—"
His tone shifted as he looked at Gaolang, who was still warming up. "That's not
quite right. Since he didn't violate a single boxing rule, it's more accurate to
say we simply didn't know this kind of boxing existed until now..."
"The match is over!"
Sayaka Katahara raised her right hand, announcing Retsu's victory. Even she
looked a bit confused, her eyes not entirely catching the nuance of the
movement.
Retsu replied in a deep, calm voice, "It was nothing special. I was merely
demonstrating the superiority of Kenpo."
"Um..." Sayaka paused, quickly catching on. "That punch just now... you hit him
from a starting position where your glove was already touching his face?"
"Indeed. That is the 'Zero-Inch Punch'—or, if you prefer, the 'No-Inch Punch'."
Retsu held up his right glove.
"Normally, when the fist is extremely close to the target—roughly 0 to 6
inches—it cannot be fully extended, leading to a massive drop in power.
However, the Zero-Inch Punch utilizes the 'Fa-jin' (Explosive Power) technique
found in Kenpo to increase instantaneous torque, allowing the strike to maintain
its full lethality."
Retsu turned to look at the unconscious Chiba Takayuki.
"An amateur who does nothing but mimic can never defeat a mature martial art.
Your understanding of combat techniques is too shallow, yet you blindly seek to
fight with them. I find this unacceptable!"
"...Unacceptable? 'You'?" Sayaka blinked, about to ask who else he meant, but
Retsu already had his answer.
"This fighter, Chiba Takayuki, has unrefined skills. It was impossible for him
to do as he claimed—to replicate a move 100% after seeing it once. But even if
his lie were true, even if he were a 'monster who surpasses his own physical
state,' it wouldn't matter."
"A martial art that has carried the weight of ages can never be broken by mere
'mimicry'!"
Retsu walked to the edge of the ring, looking directly at Ren Shiroki in the VIP
section. He shouted, "I am going to make you realize the absolute foolishness of
blindly 'stealing' techniques, and just how unrefined you truly are!"
Ren: "..." Ren: "...Me?"
Ren had been sipping on Arisa's Cola to recharge his energy. Noticing Retsu's
words were aimed squarely at him, he was genuinely taken aback. Retsu Kaioh is
putting Chiba and me in the same category?
The comparison annoyed him. Ren narrowed his eyes and met Retsu's gaze, refusing
to back down an inch.
Retsu had expected this. He signaled for Sayaka to move back and began a
demonstration right there on the ring. Even with boxing gloves on, he began to
perform a Kata.
He kicked out his left leg, leaned his body back into a spin, bent his knees to
drop into a half-crouch while retreating a half-step, and finally fired off a
lightning-fast straight.
Whoosh!
It was undeniably Drunken Boxing, bearing a striking resemblance to Jamie Siu's
[Freeflow Strike].
But upon closer inspection, Retsu's Drunken Boxing was far more "disciplined."
While his movements weren't as flashy or acrobatic as Ren's, his punching speed
was visibly faster, and the impact was clearly heavier. This was Drunken Boxing
stripped of its "Breakdance" flavor.
"When you fought Dr. Kureha Shinogi, you used a similar move—the Zui Quan of
Kenpo." Retsu stood up straight.
"I observed that battle. Your technical level is high, far exceeding Chiba
Takayuki's. But ultimately, your victory relied on the 'complexity' of your
techniques rather than the 'depth' of your mastery. To me, that is a childish
mindset!"
Retsu's gaze sharpened. "With your current level of technical refinement, you
cannot stand against my Kenpo. I am going to make you realize this, and then you
will re-evaluate the path you have chosen!"
"And what better place for this realization than a boxing ring—with all these
unfamiliar rules and restrictions?"
BOOM!
Retsu slammed his foot into the canvas and roared at the crowd. "Ren Shiroki!
Get up here!"
Retsu's voice echoed through the stadium, vibrating in the ears of everyone
present. People stared at each other in shock. They could tell this wasn't just
standard "pre-fight trash talk"—it was a genuine challenge from the soul.
Ren Shiroki gave his response. He tossed aside the jacket draped over his
shoulders and walked to the edge of the ring. He leaped over the ropes with a
clean vault and stood directly across from Retsu Kaioh.
"You're surprisingly considerate, Retsu-san," Ren said as he began wrapping his
hands. He let the staff help him secure his gloves and began bouncing on his
feet.
He studied Retsu and gave a helpless smile. "Actually, someone just asked me how
I intended to walk the 'Path of Strength,' and I've been brooding over it ever
since. So... thank you."
Ren was ready. Retsu had no intention of resting. At Sayaka's signal, both men
retreated several paces to create distance.
Retsu finally turned serious. He had the staff unbutton his training shirt,
revealing his bare torso. The audience gasped at the sight.
Muscles.
It was the kind of physique that made people instinctively whisper,
"Incredible..." It was lean yet supple, flexible yet bursting with power—a
"combat physique" without a single flaw.
Height: 176cm. Weight: 106kg.
Every muscle was clearly defined, like fluid carvings in stone. His trapezius
muscles were massive, and his core was coiled like a high-tension spring.
Metsudo Katahara chuckled. "Prince Rama, what do you think of Retsu Kaioh's
build?"
Rama's expression was one of pure delight. "Instead of asking me what I think,
you should ask him how on earth he trained his body to be like that..."
"Third Match—" "Ren Shiroki vs. Retsu Kaioh!"
Sayaka Katahara raised her right hand. She couldn't help but swallow hard before
shouting, "FIGHT!!!"
Unlike the previous "instant KOs," the moment the command was given, Ren and
Retsu simultaneously dropped into their stances.
Tap...
Retsu stepped forward with his left foot, his right foot anchored behind him.
His stance was immovable. He held his gloves up, one in front and one behind,
aligned perfectly with his line of sight.
Ren also stood bladed, but he dropped his leading left glove down near his waist
while keeping his right glove tucked near his chest. He bounced lightly, his
weight shifting back and forth.
Two completely different styles were clashing in the same ring! Yet, neither Ren
nor Retsu looked out of place. The reason was a single phrase: "Pure Mastery."
Retsu's "Stance" was the definition of absolute proficiency. Ren's "Stance" was
equally fluid, showing no signs of hesitation, becoming more refined with every
bounce of his feet.
Thirty seconds passed. Neither man had moved.
"Nice..." Ren's grin widened. "But at the end of the day, we're in a boxing
match. Moving is the soul of this sport. So... I'm coming in."
Retsu's eyes didn't flicker. "Come. I do not mind!"
Whoosh!
Ren exploded forward. The muscles in his core and calves fired, driving him into
a high-speed technical lunge—a Drive Impact!
But Ren suddenly realized that the moment he swung his fist, Retsu had already
stepped forward a half-step, positioning himself at the very origin point of
Ren's power.
Slap...
Retsu swung his left glove in a horizontal parry, swatting Ren's fist aside. His
other glove pressed against Ren's chest, and in an instant, a burst of
Inch-Punch power erupted, flipping Ren into the air and sending him flying!
BOOM—!!!
(End of Chapter)
☆☆☆
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