Chapter 331: Soul Combat Hub Style Pranks
An Sakurai.
Female. Profession: Underground Physician. She was a childhood friend of Nozomi
Tenma and a peer to legendary doctors like Kureha Shinogi and Himezono (Dr.
Hajo).
Covered in tattoos, sporting body modifications, and possessing a bifurcated
"split" tongue, she looked more like a nightmare than a healer. Yet, her medical
prowess was undeniable. It was for this reason she had been invited to be the
ringside doctor for Valkyrie and the resident physician for the Soul Combat Hub,
even renting an apartment nearby for convenience.
Since Kureha Shinogi and Dr. Hajo couldn't make it to the scene in time, Retsu
Kaioh had called upon her to oversee the high-stakes gamble that was Baki
Hanma's battle with Li Kaioh.
An Sakurai was more than happy to oblige. A chance to study a [POISON HAND]
master up close while witnessing a potential "miracle" was an opportunity no
medical freak would pass up.
And then, the miracle truly happened.
"It's been forced out!!"
"Baki Hanma is back from the dead!"
Li Kaioh, the master of the [MEDICINAL HARD FIST], lay flat on a mat, slowly
opening his eyes. He found himself moved to the shade of a tree in the Hub's
courtyard.
"Urgh..."
He clutched his head, his memories returning in fragments. He remembered pushing
Baki to the brink of death—remembered hammering every ounce of his concentrated
toxin directly into the boy's body. It was a poison designed to rot flesh and
extinguish life.
Instead, Baki Hanma had used it as a catalyst for rebirth.
Li Kaioh remembered the boy snapping his spear-hand, followed by a chin-rattling
punch that had sent his soul flying into the stratosphere.
"So strong..."
Li looked at his right hand; it was already neatly bandaged.
"A few dislocated fingers and a minor concussion. Nothing a man like you can't
handle," An Sakurai said, packing her medical kit nearby. "Just get a follow-up
check later."
Li Kaioh nodded his thanks. Turning his head, he saw Retsu Kaioh walking toward
him. Retsu stopped and gave a formal martial arts salute (Baoshan Li).
"Truly magnificent, Li!" Retsu said in a low, resonant voice. "Thank you for
your help. Because of you, my friend has been revitalized."
"Heh!" Li Kaioh waved a hand dismissively. "Is that the right thing to say? I
went into that fight with the intent to kill. I don't deserve your thanks."
"Regardless, I truly believe this is the best possible outcome." Retsu reached
down, pulling Li Kaioh up from the mat. "It's already late afternoon, but why
don't you join us for a meal?"
"A meal?"
Li Kaioh blinked. He looked over to see a young man and two girls hauling
several large bags of groceries. They were shouting for Retsu to come and start
the stove.
Ren Shiroki was beaming. "Retsu-aniki! We're counting on your cooking today!"
Li Kaioh finally realized the situation and let out a small laugh. "I've heard
rumors that Retsu Kaioh is quite the chef."
Retsu shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.
Despite the late hour, everyone gathered for a massive "lunch." It had been a
while since Ren had experienced the unique, rowdy warmth of the Soul Combat Hub.
The table was packed: Ren Shiroki, Arisa, Fusui Kure, Baki Hanma, Kozue, Retsu
Kaioh, Li Kaioh, and An Sakurai.
Even Shiba Chiharu, who had been house-sitting the dojo, was dragged in for the
feast.
With Ren and Arisa acting as assistants and Retsu manning the wok, a massive
spread of dishes was laid out in no time. Retsu was meticulous, preparing
different medicinal "Power Foods" tailored to Ren and Baki's specific injuries.
As the eight of them sat in the courtyard, laughing and talking, Baki—still thin
and gaunt—looked at the mountain of food and swallowed hard. "What a feast!"
Retsu gave a slight nod. "Eat."
Fusui giggled from the side. "Retsu-chin is so gentle!"
Baki raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Ren slapped his knee, laughing. "You have no idea!"
Retsu's face flushed slightly. He turned his head and grumbled, "Just shut up
and eat!"
The group fell upon the food with gusto. The sounds of laughter and clashing
chopsticks filled the air until every plate was licked clean. Baki Hanma,
despite his withered frame, ate the most. By the time he was done, his stomach
was visibly bulging.
"Man... I'm stuffed!" Baki exhaled.
Retsu stood up. "Done? Good. Then it's time for dessert."
Baki chuckled. "I'll eat whatever you bring out, Retsu-san."
Retsu went to the kitchen and lugged out a massive bucket of clear water—nearly
ten liters of it. He set it before Baki. "This is the hydration your body
requires right now."
Baki looked at the bucket, dumbfounded. "Ten liters? How am I supposed to drink
that?"
"Drinking it plain won't do." Retsu pulled out a large jar of powder. "This is
fructose—pure sweetener extracted from fruit. About 4kg of it."
"The volume is high, but it has the highest absorption efficiency." Retsu dumped
the sugar into the water. "Even if the toxin is gone, your body is far from
recovered. You need to replenish everything immediately."
"Normally, you'd need protein or starch, but we need speed." Retsu plunged his
hand into the bucket, stirring the water until the sugar was completely
dissolved. "This fourteen kilograms of sugar-water... will trigger a miracle!"
Baki stared at the concoction, took a deep breath, and began to chug.
The others watched, subconsciously swallowing their own saliva.
Gulp... Gulp... Gulp...
The sugar-water flooded his stomach. The boy's body, eaten away by the Poison
Hand, had been weakened to its absolute limit. The burden of the previous fight
had drained his final energy reserves—the glycogen in his liver was bone-dry.
But his muscle cells, pushed beyond their breaking point, were screaming for a
comeback. They were "vowing" to survive. If they ever encountered such a crisis
again, they would break through by sheer force!
Thus, the boy's body began an unprecedented [SUPER RECOVERY]!
After finishing the bucket, Baki laid his head on Kozue's lap right there on the
Hub's lawn and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The others cleaned up the dishes and sat around drinking tea. Li Kaioh watched
the sleeping boy and sighed. "The toxicity of the Poison Hand was reversed. That
is an undeniable fact."
He tried to analyze it: "Yin and Yang—two different toxins met within that boy's
body. Add to that the neurochemicals secreted by his brain due to his fighting
spirit... the sense of happiness from his lover's tears... perhaps even the
scent of battle... all these substances collided within him. In a flash, they
triggered a cataclysmic chemical reaction."
Li Kaioh looked up at the sky. "I have studied the Way of the Poison Hand for
decades, and this is the first time I have ever seen such a phenomenon."
Ren and Retsu shared a look and a smile. Hearing their friend praised felt damn
good.
But Li Kaioh wasn't finished.
To think there is a boy this strong... and...
Li's gaze shifted. First to Baki, then to Retsu, and finally to Ren Shiroki.
Retsu Kaioh is even stronger than the rumors in the Kenpo world suggest. And
this Ren Shiroki... he has the face of a brawler, but he radiates a terrifying
aura. Even this 'Soul Combat Hub'—it looks modern, but it reeks of the same
intensity as an ancient arena.
Incredible... Li Kaioh sipped his tea in silence.
Suddenly—Zip!
Ren stood up abruptly, startling Li, who thought a fight was breaking out.
Instead, Ren went to grab the souvenirs from Kure Village to hand out, saving
himself a trip to Retsu and Shiba's places later.
Since Li was a guest, he got a gift too—a box of specialty Kure candies.
"Er... thank you." Li Kaioh, caught off guard by the hospitality, accepted the
gift and handed over a business card, promising to return the favor one day.
As evening fell, the air around them suddenly felt "damp," as if a high-powered
humidifier had been turned on.
"Eh?"
The group turned. The source of the moisture was the sleeping Baki Hanma. Steam
was rising from his entire body as if he were "boiling." A profound change was
occurring.
Retsu's eyes sharpened. "He's awakening."
"Awakening...?"
Li Kaioh didn't understand the nuance, but he could see it with his own eyes.
Baki's muscles were expanding, filling out his frame like a balloon being
inflated.
They were firm, thick, and hard as steel, yet visibly supple. It was a body
built for the sole purpose of war.
Baki opened his eyes, saw Kozue's face, and exhaled a cloud of hot steam.
Whoosh!
He flipped onto his feet, landing in a low crouch. His movements were light and
precise, a powerful [KI] swirling around him. The boy stood tall, clenching his
fists and feeling the surge of power returning to every fiber of his being.
"I'M! BACK!"
Retsu was ecstatic. "Baki Hanma is restored! Baki Hanma is restored! Baki—pfft!"
Suddenly, Retsu caught a glimpse of Baki's face and couldn't hold it back. He
burst out laughing.
On Baki's handsome, refreshed face, someone had played a prank. Two goofy,
"eight-character" handlebar mustaches had been drawn on with a permanent marker.
It looked absolutely ridiculous.
Retsu: "..."
Is this the work of a child?
Retsu turned to Arisa. Arisa immediately pointed at her brother. Ren, for his
part, was whistling and staring at the sky.
It was Shiroki-kun...
Retsu's eyebrow twitched. He tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn't
maintain the "Master" persona.
Ren started explaining, something about a bet with Arisa that he lost, and
having to do a "Dare" as a penalty... long story short: a prank.
Retsu was speechless.
However, when Baki looked into a mirror, he didn't get angry. He burst into a
fit of laughter, clutching Kozue and doubling over.
"You know what, Retsu-san?" Baki wiped a tear from his eye. "The graffiti on my
house... it's always drawn by punks who are too scared to look me in the eye.
They do it behind my back."
"This is the first time—pfft!—this is the first time in my life someone has
pranked me to my face!"
Retsu paused, then smiled in realization.
Suddenly, Baki blurred forward, throwing a playful snap-kick toward Ren's groin.
Ren yelped and hopped back.
"Whoa! Watch it!"
Ren pressed his hands down, parrying Baki's leg, a cold sweat breaking out. The
two of them started shoving and wrestling playfully, and the joyful energy
spread to the rest of the group. Under the setting sun, the laughter didn't
stop.
Whether they could win or lose didn't matter right now.
To fight, or not to fight—for these warriors, any reason was a good one.
☆☆☆
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