Chapter 309: A Stroll and an Explosion
Ren Shiroki watched Doyle's retreating back, a sharp glint flickering in his
eyes as he followed the rhythmic pace of the night.
[SATSUI CHOICE]—READ!
The dark impulse of the Satsui no Hado urged Ren to deliver a finishing blow,
calculating the exact trajectory needed to end the convict's life. Through this
data, Ren could see that Doyle's flight was genuine; he wasn't looking for a
counter-ambush, nor was he interested in the civilians nearby.
Ren wasn't in a hurry to end it. He truly wanted to see exactly how Doyle
intended to close his own curtain.
How do you intend to fight, Doyle-aniki?
Doyle, having "battled" a thousand times, found himself haunted by that very
question. There was no doubt in his mind that if he turned around now, he would
meet a total [DEFEAT] at the hands of Ren Shiroki.
But the choice to turn back was his own. If he used every dirty trick to escape
and never looked back, he might actually slip away. But would that count as
"Combat"?
"..."
The searing pain in his torso had dulled into a heavy throb, and his stamina was
slowly trickling back, but his mind remained a chaotic mess.
He rounded a corner, temporarily losing Ren. Stumbling down a narrow side-path,
he reached a designated trash collection point. He pried open a small utility
manhole cover and pulled out a hidden tactical bag. Doyle always made sure to
seed his operating zones with supplies.
"This will do," Doyle murmured, leaning against the cold brick wall as he
scanned the area. "Now... to find a proper stage—"
"Doyle-aniki, where are you planning to go?" Ren's voice drifted from directly
behind him.
Doyle's heart skipped a beat. He realized Ren was on the other side of the very
wall he was leaning against. Only two layers of brick separated them.
"..."
Doyle stood in silence for several seconds, then his shoulders dropped as he
relaxed. He looked up at the moon. "I guess once you cause a scene this big,
running is a fool's errand."
He gripped the handle of his bag, his lips curling into a thin line. "I'm going
to lead you to a place that favors me. And then I'm going to kill you."
To his surprise, Ren burst into a fit of laughter from behind the bricks.
"Haha! Doyle-aniki, such a straightforward declaration of a scheme? That's not
your style at all!"
"Is the death row convict who ambushed me during my morning run and used a
disguise to backstab Raian actually announcing his moves now?"
Ren leaned his weight into the wall. "Are you doing this because you want to
'Battle'? Will a fight like that allow you to finally accept defeat?"
"――――"
Already mentally frayed, Doyle's temper finally snapped at Ren's psychoanalysis.
"Shut up! If you've got the guts, then come and get me!"
"Sure thing!"
Ren's voice was cheerful. The next heartbeat, a wave of chilling killing intent
washed over Doyle, making his scalp go numb. He shoved off the wall, lunging
forward to evade.
BOOM!!!
Ren's [STRIKE AT THE APEX] erupted. His fist pulverized the brick wall, punching
a massive hole through the masonry and sending a spray of stone shards whistling
into the night.
Rumble-clatter—
Dust billowed through the alley. Doyle shook the debris from his shoulders,
clutching his bag as he took off at a dead sprint. He didn't dare look back.
The pursuit continued. Doyle scrambled through the labyrinthine streets of the
village. He didn't dare enter a private residence; doing so would draw the
immediate attention of the Kure patrols, and he knew he wouldn't survive a
run-in with the Clan elders.
Finally, he spotted his objective: a darkened gymnasium.
One side of the building was a multi-level structure—a specialized
weight-training facility. This was the environment Doyle needed.
Zip!
Doyle delivered a heavy kick to the side entrance, forcing the door. He dived
inside, letting the darkness of the gym swallow him whole. Panting heavily, he
peeked out the door, waiting for Ren to appear.
But then, a faint, rhythmic sound from deeper within the building caught his
attention. There was a dim light on in the main hall.
Someone is here? At this hour?
Doyle narrowed his eyes, searching for the occupant. A heavy, booming footstep
echoed behind him.
Someone was already there.
"GYA-HA-HA! A death row convict? I saw your face at the Tokyo Dome on opening
day!!"
A massive shadow fell over Doyle.
Doyle performed a tactical roll, spinning around to face the intruder while
clutching his bag. His eyes widened.
It was a giant standing 196cm and weighing well over 140kg. He looked to be in
his late thirties, his physique built like a fortress. He had thick dreadlocks
and a combat tattoo over his left eye.
The [HELL'S ANGEL], Jun Sekibayashi!
The wrestler was wrapped in bandages, and his nose was held in a heavy medical
splint—he looked like a man who had just survived a car wreck. Yet, a thin sheen
of sweat coated his massive muscles, and his skin was radiating biological heat.
He had clearly been training.
Injured? Training? In the middle of the night? Alone? Doyle's tactical mind
struggled to process the anomaly.
But Sekibayashi's next words brought him back to reality.
"The Street Brawl? I get it. You're a participant. In other words... you're my
opponent!"
Doyle's gaze turned cold and sharp. "No time. No place. No condition. We are
hostiles, and a meeting results in a finish. That's the logic, isn't it?"
Doyle looked up at the giant. "You want to go?"
"Haha! Straight to the point! I like you, kid! I'm Sekibayashi Jun!"
Sekibayashi bared his teeth in a demonic grin. "I've learned a lot today, and a
simple workout isn't enough to scratch the itch. Let's play—"
Zip!
Doyle didn't wait for him to finish. He lunged forward, the blades in his wrists
and elbows snapping out as he carved a silver arc toward the giant's torso.
But just before the strike landed, Doyle's modified joints jammed. The damage
Ren had dealt to his internal mechanisms caused his movement to stutter, turning
a lethal slash into a clumsy, predictable swing.
Crap—
Doyle's heart sank. He prepared for the dodge and the counter-strike.
But when he touched down, his blades were red. He had drawn blood.
"――!?"
Doyle spun around. The giant was standing exactly where he had been. The
bandages on his chest had been sliced, and two shallow gashes were visible on
his muscles, yet he hadn't flinched. He had stood there and let Doyle hit him.
"Eh?"
Doyle couldn't comprehend the logic.
Sekibayashi laughed, a drop of blood trickling down his abs. "A Pro-Wrestler's
battle means absorbing every bit of the opponent's 'Finish'!"
Doyle: "..."
Another one talking about 'Battle'!
Doyle felt a surge of irrational irritation. His expression turned ice-cold. He
twitched his fingers, the rhythmic clack-clack of his blades echoing in the
silent gym.
"You won't dodge? Fine. I'll just kill you first!"
Doyle lunged again, firing a high-speed vertical punch. He performed a
micro-lateral shift, intending to let the wrist-blade sever Sekibayashi's
brachial artery.
SHINK!
The blade hit its mark.
But then, Doyle's arm stopped dead. It wasn't a mechanical failure this time; it
was Sekibayashi's massive pectoral and deltoid muscles. The giant had tensed his
body with so much force that he had literally clamped the blade within his own
flesh!
"Kid! A 'Magical Body' like yours would be a massive hit in the SJPW!"
Sekibayashi roared, twisting his core to throw Doyle off-balance. In the same
motion, his massive leg snapped forward in a front-kick.
BOOM!
"WAAAAAH!"
Doyle took the full force of the blow to his stomach. He was launched backward,
tumbling across the floor to land beside his bag. He retched, blood spraying
from his mouth.
Sekibayashi snorted a cloud of steam, completely ignoring the shallow cuts on
his arms.
Doyle trembled as he rose, clutching the bag to his chest. "Wrestling? An
actor's game... you think that counts as 'Combat'? Don't make me laugh—"
His face darkened as he unzipped the bag, pulling out a large sack of industrial
flour and a high-grade lighter.
Sekibayashi looked confused. "—?"
"I was saving this for Ren Shiroki, but I'll send you to the afterlife first!"
Doyle sliced the bag open and spun on the spot, spraying the fine white powder
into the air.
Whoosh!
In seconds, the enclosed ground floor of the gym was filled with a thick,
volatile cloud of flour dust.
Doyle performed a backward roll toward the exit, flicking the lighter and
tossing it into the center of the room.
Zip!
Thermobaric Trigger: Dust Explosion!
KRA-KOOM—!!
A thunderous roar shook the building as the air itself ignited. A massive ball
of fire swallowed the interior, engulfing Sekibayashi in a wave of thermal
energy and pressure.
Doyle was tossed out of the door by the shockwave, rolling across the pavement.
He lay there for several seconds, his head spinning from the concussion, before
finally managing to stagger to his feet.
He looked back at the gym. Thick black smoke was billowing from the entrance.
The automated fire sprinklers had triggered, raining water over the wreckage.
The giant was face-down on the floor, unmoving.
He's probably not dead, but he's out of the game, Doyle calculated.
"Combat without dodging? What a lunatic... cough!" Doyle spat a blood clot,
clutching his stomach. "That was one hell of a kick, though."
"Tch... I need a new plan for Ren Shiroki—"
He muttered to himself, turning to leave. He walked for two blocks, vaulting a
perimeter wall and rounding a corner into a dark alleyway.
But there, blocking his path, was the shadow of a giant.
Doyle froze, his face pale. "You're persistent, Sekibayashi Jun—"
"Sekibayashi? No, no!"
The giant's silhouette became sharp and jagged. He tilted his head, letting the
dim light of the streetlamp illuminate his face. He was covered in soot and
singed hair, but his face was now a mask of terrifying white greasepaint.
Sekibayashi stuck out his tongue, his voice dropping into a manic, high-pitched
snarl.
"I am the [ANGEL FROM HELL]—MARVELOUS SEKI!"
"Thanks for the fireworks, kid! They gave me the spark I needed to return from
the Netherworld!"
(End of Chapter)
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you