Chapter 381: A Battle of Astronomical Proportions!
The Guardians from Toyo Electric had arrived with an air of corporate malice,
dragging the Village Head, Mitsumitsu Yoroizuka, along as their pawn. They
radiated the cold, calculating aura of sharks in a boardroom.
But Ren Shiroki had accepted the challenge too quickly—too casually.
Because of his easygoing response, the heavy, suffocating atmosphere evaporated
instantly. Even the coerced Mitsumitsu felt the tension in his chest loosen.
"Ho ho ho!"
Metsudo Katahara stepped forward, patting his old friend on the shoulder. "It's
been too long since we watched a match together, Mitsumitsu. You should come
visit me more often!"
Mitsumitsu offered a helpless, bitter smile. "I'm afraid I'm not my own master
these days."
Due to aggressive land development policies, Mitsumitsu's pride and joy, the
Dawn Village, was on the verge of being seized by Toyo Electric. Its survival
depended entirely on the whims of CEO Hayami, which was why Mitsumitsu was
forced to follow their lead.
The two old friends chatted. Even at their age, the fire in their hearts hadn't
dimmed; they still yearned to face challenges and protect what they loved. The
scene looked as if Mitsumitsu had already slipped their leash, and the Guardians
didn't like it one bit.
The lean "Smiling Tiger" agent stepped forward to interrupt, reaching out to
pull Mitsumitsu away.
Metsudo's personal guards closed in simultaneously, squaring off against the
white-suited Guardians. The air crackled with a different kind of tension, and
neither side gave an inch.
Ren Shiroki's eyes darted to the side, spotting the bald Guardian who had just
managed to stand up while still clutching his groin.
"Aha~!"
Ren bared his teeth in a grin. He locked eyes with the lean agent and made a
sudden, aggressive motion with his lead leg.
Zip!
In that heartbeat, the lean man felt a primitive chill bolt up his spine. He
shrieked, "WAAAH!" and performed a frantic back-hop while instinctively covering
his own vitals.
When he regained his senses, he realized Ren hadn't even kicked. He had merely
shifted into an entry-frame and leaked a tiny burst of killing intent.
"..."
The lean man's face turned bright red. He couldn't maintain his menacing facade
anymore and shuffled to the sidelines in embarrassment.
Mitsumitsu checked his watch, realizing it was time to go. "In any case... I'll
have to take this one step at a time."
He had a stubborn streak of his own; he wouldn't beg for help easily. But
Metsudo Katahara's own brand of wilfullness was second to none.
"Don't worry, Mitsumitsu," Metsudo said, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses.
"I'm already planning my next vacation at the Dawn Village!"
Mitsumitsu's mouth finally curled into a real smile. "Fine. I'll take you
fishing."
The two old veterans patted each other's shoulders, looking exactly like they
did in the famous group photo taken decades ago during their early corporate
wars.
Saw Paing Yoroizuka. Known for his earth-shaking roars and a fighting spirit
that burned like the sun. Nicknamed [THE ROARING SPIRIT], he held a Kengan
record of 17 wins and 0 losses. He was also a close friend of Gaolang Wongsawat.
Ren's match against Saw Paing was scheduled for the weekend, a full week away.
Ren didn't do anything special to prepare. He stuck to his daily routine,
following the training plans his Masters had laid out. After months of this
level of exertion, his body had adapted to the "Overload."
Combined with frequent sparring sessions against the Phantoms, the intensity of
his training was at a level a public athlete would find suicidal. He was
frequently beaten into the dirt by his mentors, his sweat soaking the arena
sand.
But Ren loved it. Even in his sleep, he was calculating frames. The moment he
opened his eyes, he was back in motion, unwilling to waste a single micro-second
of his "Process."
[Thursday Afternoon — Soul Combat Hub]
In a rare move, Ren cancelled his afternoon training block. He prepared tea,
sweets, and snacks, setting up the living room for guests.
There was a match today that had to be seen. It was being broadcast via a
high-level private stream, but for a combatant, "Live" was the only way to
watch.
The guests arrived shortly after. First was Retsu Kaioh. Then came Mohammad Alai
Sr.—the legend didn't want to watch this one alone, so he headed to the Hub.
Marco emerged from the shower, smelling of soap and looking refreshed. Fusui
came in from her workshop, a smudge of gun grease still on the tip of her nose.
Arisa had taken a half-day off school, looking ecstatic.
At the front gate, they ran into Baki Hanma. The Champion was just as curious
about this battle and wanted to hear Retsu's technical commentary.
Including Ren, seven people gathered around the television.
At the same moment, other legends were tuning in across the city:
- At the Shinshinkai HQ: Doppo and Katsumi Orochi.
- At the Teito University Clinic: Jack Hanma, Dr. Kureha Shinogi, and Kosho
Shinogi.
- At the Katahara Estate: Metsudo and Kanoh Agito.
- At The Pit: Mitsunari Tokugawa.
- At a Private Mahjong Parlor: Baku Madarame, Kaji, and Akagi.
- At the Yamashita Residence: Kazuo Yamashita and Ohma Tokita.
This match carried the weight of history. It drew the eyes of every predator in
the city. No corporate scheme, no crime syndicate, and no natural disaster could
stop what was about to happen.
It was as if every event in the history of martial arts had naturally converged
to create this singular moment.
[THE OGRE] Yujiro Hanma vs. [THE SEA EMPEROR] Kaku Kaioh.
In the world of Chinese Kenpo, there is a sacred ground known as The Great
Centennial Arena. Unlike the Pit, it was surrounded by high stone walls, the
fighting surface sunken deep into the earth.
The stands were packed to the rafters.
The man with the mane of dark-red hair—Yujiro Hanma—walked slowly into the
center of the ring. He scanned the crowd. For a second, it felt as if he looked
directly into the lens of the private camera.
"Recently," Yujiro began, his voice carrying to every corner of the stadium,
"several 'Kaiohs' have tasted defeat. They were dismantled without mercy, left
rotting in the dirt. It was a pathetic sight."
The mockery was blunt, yet Yujiro's tone was strangely respectful.
"But despite that, 4,000 years of Kenpo history—and the titles of Kaioh and Sea
Emperor—remain untarnished."
The Ogre began to count on his fingers. "Disease. Injury. Agony. Age. These are
the obstacles that have broken tens of thousands of martial artists. They spend
their lives chasing power, only to wither and die before they reach the summit."
"But now... there is one who has transcended it all. A miracle of 'Combat' who
has achieved completion."
"A man who stands in a realm that no master of the past could touch."
"For over 140 years, he has not set down his fists for a single heartbeat. He is
the man who has reached the end of the 'Way of the Martial Arts'!!"
"He is the incarnation of the Fist itself."
"Kaku Kaioh."
Yujiro's face twisted into a massive, iron-like grin. "No matter how many
'Kaiohs' lose, as long as this man remains undefeated, the supremacy of Kenpo is
beyond debate."
As he spoke, Kaku Kaioh rolled his wheelchair into the arena from the opposite
side, dressed in his loose cloth robes.
The crowd erupted in a roar that shook the earth!
Kaku Kaioh stood up slowly, waving a frail hand to the audience. Then, with a
casual flick of his wrist, he caught the corner of his wheelchair and slung it
across the arena toward Yujiro.
Whish!
The referee didn't need to make an introduction. He screamed: "BEGIN... THE
DUEL!!"
Facing the flying wheelchair, Yujiro simply extended a single finger, catching
the frame with effortless grace.
Creak...
Yujiro swung the chair in a wide circle, the air whistling around it, before
setting it down gently on the sand.
"Take a seat," Yujiro rumbled. He wasn't in a hurry to strike; he had questions.
Kaku didn't stand on ceremony. "Ho ho! Thank you." He sat back down, allowing
the Ogre to push him across the arena as if they were taking a stroll in the
park.
"Sea Emperor," Yujiro said, looking up at the sky. "To reach this stage... what
did you discard? And what did you gain?"
"Women? Wealth? Wine? Friends?"
"The vast amount of time you've lived could have been spent in peace. But you
chose to step into a century of hardship and blood. Tell me... what was the
price?"
It was a rare, genuine inquiry from the Strongest Creature.
Kaku Kaioh was silent for a beat. "You of all people should understand, young
man. In the history of the fist, no one has yearned for power more than I."
"To obtain it, I discarded everything. Women, status, fame, alcohol—I let it all
go without a second thought."
"I lived solely for the sensation of my own strength growing day by day."
"But if you ask what was the most painful thing to lose on this journey? It
was... my Power."
"I discarded the very strength that had intoxicated me for decades!"
"Compared to that misery, even the death of my kin was a trivial matter!"
Kaku stood up and removed his robe, revealing a body that was little more than
skin and bone. To the naked eye, he possessed zero physical power.
He began to recount his past.
A century ago, Kaku was in his prime. He had built a body like reinforced steel.
Through extreme muscular conditioning, he had packed high-density muscle onto
his small frame. At that time, he believed his raw power was second to none.
To show off his "Might," he didn't just fight beasts; he mocked the very theory
of Kenpo. He called it "nonsense" and set out to prove it by challenging every
master he could find. He was undefeated.
But then, Kaku met a true "Master."
The man was over sixty, and his physical strength was non-existent. Yet, that
man dismantled Kaku. He struck him, kicked him, and beat him until Kaku was a
bloody ruin on the floor.
On that day, Kaku Kaioh lost to the Principle of the Fist.
From that day on, Kaku threw away his weights. He said goodbye to his muscles.
He began to train his mind. He meditated in the woods, stood in horse-stances
for days, and refined his movements micro-millimeter by micro-millimeter.
Compared to the rapid growth of muscle, the progress of the mind was agonizingly
slow. As his muscles withered, Kaku ground his teeth in frustration. But the
human spirit adapts to any environment.
Kaku wore out a thousand pairs of shoes. He walked across entire continents.
Over decades, his muscles vanished. He became gaunt, withered, ancient. By
ninety, he could feel the weight of his own chopsticks while he ate.
But in that moment... Kaku Kaioh had mastered the Principle.
His Kenpo was finally Number One under Heaven.
Yujiro's grin widened into a predatory display of teeth. "I see. So this match
is a war between The Principle and Raw Power."
"Quite the opposite, Yujiro!" Kaku countered. "It is not the Martial Art
challenging Power. It is Power challenging the Martial Art. You are the one
challenging me."
As he spoke, Yujiro applied pressure with two fingers. He hoisted the entire
wheelchair, Kaku included, into the air with one hand.
Snap!
Kaku lightly stomped his foot, shattering the wheelchair into splinters. He
launched himself into the air, performed a perfect mid-air rotation, and landed
silently on the sand.
The moment he stood, his feet were rooted. His body was slightly hunched, arms
hanging loose—the image of total relaxation. Yet his presence didn't yield an
inch to the Ogre.
Both sides were ready.
[Soul Combat Hub — Living Room]
Baki sat on the floor, his eyes glued to the screen. Beside him were Retsu and
the others.
Yujiro Hanma was Baki's father. Kaku Kaioh was Retsu's master. But to these two
warriors, the fight wasn't about "Loyalty." It was about something much deeper.
"It's starting," Retsu whispered.
Baki's eyes narrowed.
Ultimate Power vs. Ultimate Principle. Ultimate Might vs. Ultimate Technique.
Ultimate Violence vs. Ultimate Budo!!
Whoosh!
Yujiro wound up his arms, twisting his torso to the left to reach the limit of
his torque. He engaged the "Striking Muscles" in his massive back—a technique
only he could execute.
Kaku grinned. "Come on then~!"
BOOM!
Yujiro unleashed a massive horizontal haymaker. The sonic boom of the punch
echoed through the arena as it blazed toward Kaku's head.
THUD!
The punch slammed into the right side of Kaku's skull. The old man was lifted
off the ground, but after a single lateral rotation in mid-air, he landed
perfectly on his feet. He hadn't taken a single point of damage.
"—?!"
"[SHAORI]?!" Retsu gasped, his eyes widening. "And at such a high level of
refinement!!"
☆☆☆
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