Chapter 332: Kaioh and the Sea Emperor
By the time the group had finished their meal, the afternoon was already fading.
As they sat and talked, evening settled over Tokyo. The sun dipped below the
skyline, painting the clouds in a fiery, visceral red—like fresh blood spilled
across the heavens.
Dr. An Sakurai was busy drawing blood from Baki Hanma.
Using a sterile needle, she extracted a sample, labeled the vial with practiced
precision, and carefully tucked it into a reinforced briefcase. Inside the case
was another small tube—a sample of the blood Baki had coughed up while still
poisoned.
"Thanks for this," An said, her usual manic grin tugging at the corners of her
mouth. "Being able to compare these two samples is a dream come true. I'm going
to rub this in Dr. Hajo's face the next time I see him."
She couldn't hide her professional obsession. "So this is the Poison Hand? The
preparation method is archaic, but the destructive effect on human tissue is
terrifyingly efficient."
"I bet even a glancing touch could cause permanent blindness," she mused,
scribbling furiously in a notebook. "What are the components? Peptides?
Aconitine? Is叶aconitine? Scopolamine? There must be neurotoxins and basic
organic compounds as well—"
She rattled off chemical terms at a machine-gun pace.
Baki looked completely lost, scratching his head. "Sorry, Doc. I don't speak
chemistry."
Snap!
An Sakurai slammed her notebook shut and stood up. "In short, whether it's the
Poison Hand itself or your bizarre recovery process—I'm going to dissect the
data until I understand every bit of it!"
With that, she turned and left. She wasn't heading home; she was likely off to
find a lab she could "borrow" for the night.
Once An Sakurai had left, Shiba Chiharu prepared to take his leave as well. He
carried several large gift boxes—specialty snacks from Kure Village—including a
massive portion specifically for his "Aniki," Kaoru Hanayama.
Shortly after, Baki and Kozue stood up. Holding hands, the young couple walked
out of the Hub, finally looking like normal teenagers again.
Inside the Soul Combat Hub, only Ren Shiroki, Fusui Kure, Arisa, and the two
Kaiohs—Retsu and Li—remained.
Li Kaioh, who had arrived in a rush, was staying at a hotel near the airport.
Since he didn't have much else to do in Tokyo, he wasn't in a hurry to leave. As
a Kaioh-level Kenpoist, a minor injury to one hand wouldn't stop his daily
regimen.
To show his gratitude for the hospitality, Li Kaioh stepped onto the outdoor
arena to demonstrate the forms of the [MEDICINAL HARD FIST].
Dressed in his blood-stained white training uniform and black cloth shoes, he
thinned his lips in concentration. His arches tightened, his weight shifted into
a side-lunge, and his palms fanned out, swaying in sync with his body's rhythm.
Suddenly—
Li Kaioh pivoted on his ankle, his hand snapping into a fist. Using his entire
body's torque to drive the strike, his arm spiraled forward, punching the air
with a whip-like crack.
Whish!
Compared to Retsu's explosive, overwhelming power, Li Kaioh's style was lighter
and swifter, yet it carried a hidden, penetrating force.
"Hah..."
Li Kaioh held the finishing pose, his brow furrowed. Recalling his defeat at
Baki's hands earlier that day, a brief sense of powerlessness washed over him.
No matter how he replayed it in his mind, the result was a crushing defeat.
While he was lost in thought, another figure stepped onto the arena.
It was Retsu Kaioh.
Li Kaioh blinked in surprise as Retsu offered a hand. He quickly realized Retsu
wanted to engage in a "slow-sparring" session—a technical exchange.
Li Kaioh threw a slow, deliberate punch; Retsu parried with a fluid, measured
block.
The two moved with glacial precision, focusing entirely on the mechanics of
attack and defense. It was a beautiful display of high-level Kenpo that Ren and
the others couldn't take their eyes off of.
However, as the exchange continued, sweat began to bead on Li Kaioh's forehead.
His movements were gradually being outpaced by Retsu's perfect economy of
motion. Finally, Li had no choice but to stop and concede.
"Incredible," Li Kaioh panted, his mood actually improving after the exercise.
He bowed to Retsu. "Even if it wasn't a real bout, it's clear you're on a
different level."
The two Kaiohs returned to the sidelines, wiping away sweat and drinking water
as they sat on the dojo's wooden porch (engawa) with Ren and the girls.
Finally, Retsu had the chance to ask why Li had come to Tokyo in the first
place.
"I... well, not just me. Many in the Kenpo world have heard the rumors," Li
Kaioh said gravely. "They say a massive tournament is being held to determine
the absolute definition of 'Strength'—the Kengan Annihilation Street Brawl."
"Oh?" Retsu smiled. "I see. It seems the word has spread quite far."
Li Kaioh nodded. "We were originally preparing for the Great Centennial
Tournament (The Raitai), but then this news broke."
Retsu turned to explain to Ren and Arisa. "The Great Centennial Tournament is a
gathering held once every hundred years. It brings together everyone with the
title of 'Kaioh' from across the globe to fight for the ultimate title: 'Kaiou'
(The Sea Emperor)."
"The one who holds the title of Kaiou sits at the absolute peak of the martial
arts world!"
"The champion of the previous tournament—the 146-year-old Kaku Kaioh—was
actually my mentor," Retsu added, a look of deep respect in his eyes. "I called
him recently to consult about the Poison Hand. His body is still as hard as
iron."
Arisa blinked. "A 146-year-old grandpa? He must be nothing but wrinkles!"
Retsu laughed. "Indeed. But the true miracle is that the Master can still fight
better than men a third of his age. I am certain of that."
Once Retsu finished his explanation, Li Kaioh continued. "The Great Centennial
is coming up, but the exact date hasn't been set. There's no rush."
"However, to prepare for it, many Kaiohs have set their sights on this 'Street
Brawl' in Tokyo. They want to use it as a warm-up."
Retsu nodded understandingly.
The idea of "Kaiohs" viewing a Kengan-level tournament as a mere "warm-up"
didn't surprise him. He carried the same absolute confidence in his art. To him,
Chinese Kenpo was the ultimate answer to the question of strength.
But he was curious about Li's personal takeaway. "So, Li... after fighting Baki
Hanma, what do you think?"
Li Kaioh contemplated for a moment, then smiled. "At first, I thought this
street tournament sounded like a joke. But now? I think I understand."
"The world is full of terrifyingly strong people. It's... exhilarating!"
Li's gaze shifted from Baki's empty mat to Retsu, and finally to Ren Shiroki.
"Retsu, you're staying here because you're also searching for that ultimate
strength, aren't you?"
Retsu didn't answer directly, but his smile spoke volumes. "I'm staying at the
Shinshinkai HQ for now. You should drop by if you have the chance."
"I will," Li Kaioh said. He picked up his gift boxes, bowed to everyone, and
took his leave.
Retsu stayed behind for a while, helping Ren scrub the bloodstains off the arena
tiles. It was late into the night before he finally departed.
[Tokyo—Tokugawa Estate]
Mitsunari Tokugawa sat in his traditional guest room, puffing on his pipe,
looking uncharacteristically tense.
Across from him sat Motobe Izo, who had just arrived from the airfield. Motobe
was on the phone, listening to Kozue's voice as she summarized the day's events.
Kozue thanked him repeatedly. "Yes, Motobe-san... thanks to everyone's help,
Baki is safe. The poison is gone."
Hearing those words, both Motobe and Tokugawa let out a massive sigh of relief.
After a few more instructions, Motobe hung up. The two old men shared a look of
pure relaxation.
"Phew!" Tokugawa took a massive drag of tobacco. "Motobe... we almost lost our
[CHAMPION]."
"Not a chance," Motobe said, crossing his arms. "That's the son of Yujiro Hanma.
I couldn't imagine a world where he'd be taken down by something as simple as
'Death'."
"Hahahaha! That's a bit much, isn't it? He's not an alien!" Tokugawa slapped his
knee, laughing so hard he choked on the smoke. "Cough... cough! So, is the other
news true?"
"Yes. Ren Shiroki defeated [THE DEVIL] Raian Kure," Motobe confirmed. "Many
witnesses saw it. A magnificent battle that came down to the wire."
Tokugawa paused, then a wide, delighted grin split his face. "Magnificent!"
The little old man clapped his hands. "I thought he was a promising rookie, but
it seems he has the charisma of a top-tier legend! And it's not just him. This
Street Brawl is attracting monsters from every corner of the world. It's getting
more interesting by the second!"
"Haha, you're in high spirits, old man," Motobe said, but his expression grew
serious. "On another note, we need to tighten security."
"Oh? Why?"
"Rumor has it that 'The Inside'—the lawless Ward of Tokyo—is getting restless,"
Motobe explained. "It's a black hole full of criminals and hidden underground
spaces. It's been quiet for years, but I fear someone is stirring the hornet's
nest."
[Soul Combat Hub]
Ren, Fusui, and Arisa were enjoying their first night back at the dojo. They
gathered in the living room, gorging on snacks and late-night ramen while
playing video games.
By midnight, Arisa finally succumbed to sleep and retreated to her room.
After washing up, Ren threw on a yukata and sat on the porch to catch the
breeze. He could feel the sweltering summer heat finally starting to break.
"Autumn is coming. The air is going to get cold soon," Ren muttered. He leaned
back against a wooden pillar, reflecting on everything he'd heard.
"IDEAL, The Worm, the Kengan Association, The Inside... and now Kaiohs and Sea
Emperors."
The more he chewed on it, the more excited he became. This world was vast, and
he was right in the middle of it.
"Nice. That's perfect!"
Ren grinned. Feeling a bit drowsy, he prepared to head inside.
Suddenly, the sliding door behind him zipped open.
Shick!
Fusui Kure's hand darted out, her fingers shaped into a "pistol" aimed directly
at Ren's head.
"Bang!"
"Whoa!"
Ren played along, falling backward onto the mat. He looked up to see the girl
with the striking black-and-white eyes smiling down at him.
They both laughed.
Fusui reached down, grabbed Ren by the shoulders, and began to drag her "prey"
back into the room.
☆☆☆
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