Chapter 105: A Gorgeous Challenge
"So that's what happened. You should've just said so earlier."
Miu laughed lightly.
Takumi wordlessly pointed at his own face—black eye, swollen cheek, the whole classic beat-up look. Who did this? Did anyone even give me time to explain?!
"I believed in you, Koichi-kun~"
Takumi jabbed a finger at the teeth marks on his arm and the scratch marks across his chest. Yeah? How much "belief" does it take to go from sweet housecat to feral jungle cat, complete with biting and clawing?
Both girls blushed furiously and dropped their gazes to the floor.
Takumi cleared his throat dramatically.
"I'm gravely wounded right now. You two have to feed me."
"What are you, the last degenerate emperor of some fallen dynasty?"
Miu grumbled exactly that, but she still obediently picked up chopsticks and fed him a bite. Takumi chewed with smug satisfaction. He briefly considered demanding mouth-to-mouth feeding… but decided that might backfire spectacularly, so he dropped it.
Instead he yanked tiny Keni into his lap and slipped both hands straight under her shirt, kneading away.
Keni's face went nuclear red. She clutched his clothes and let out helpless little "nngh… mmph…" whimpers.
"You said I only like big chests, right? So I'm giving yours some extra 'massage therapy' to help them grow faster."
One girl feeding him, the other being thoroughly groped—Takumi truly looked the part of a tyrannical last-emperor playboy.
Miu's forehead vein throbbed. She was clearly annoyed… yet she only delivered a token little chop to his head. No real resistance.
Takumi was utterly obsessed with their bodies—hands wandering every chance he got. It drove Miu crazy… but deep down it also felt strangely sweet. This walking pervert had been staring at her butt since day one. What could she do? She'd fallen for him anyway.
The decadent tyrant's breakfast finally ended.
Takumi released a thoroughly melted, boneless Keni and stretched.
"School starts again in a week, right?"
"Yeah… time flew. Oh—Koichi, which school do you go to? Don't you have to attend?"
"Mm. I'm a high-schooler too—second year. Technically your senpai. But honestly… I came here for one reason: to train martial arts. Now that I've properly stepped through the gate, I'm supposed to leave… but I can't bear to part with you two."
"You're leaving?!"
"No way!"
Both girls latched onto his hands in panic, voices trembling.
Takumi quickly soothed them.
"It's fine. Ryōzanpaku is my home now. I'm not running away."
His words calmed them. They started clearing dishes together while Takumi stepped out to the backyard.
The moment he arrived he heard fists ripping air apart.
Apachai—the Thai Boxing Reaper—was drilling forms. Every punch detonated the atmosphere; every kick cracked like a whip. Wherever his limbs passed, the air seemed to shear into visible layers—sharp enough to slice.
Since arriving at Ryōzanpaku, Takumi had interacted with Apachai the least. Sparring? Hell no. One wrong move and those fists could straight-up kill him.
"So strong… he's literally a combat machine. In Keni's eyes I already count as a 'high-level' fighter, but the gap to a true master is insane. Normal human limit is black-belt 7th dan—8th and 9th are just honorary. But in this Bronze world the power scale has forty-nine dans, then fuses spirit, energy, and body into perfection… becoming that missing 'one' beyond fifty—the Great Derivation!"
Takumi genuinely envied master-level strength.
He'd been pretty satisfied with himself until yesterday—until he saw Shigure's injury and felt that gut-wrenching pain.
Sure, he was decent among disciples… but his base combat power was only 21st dan. Even Miu sat at 35. Reaching master level would take at least a decade of brutal training—and even then, becoming something like the Invincible Superman, a being who transcended the dan system entirely? Forget a hundred days in the training field—even a hundred years of effort and talent alone wouldn't cut it.
"Good thing I've got mana reinforcement. With enough mana, hitting 49th-dan base combat isn't impossible in a short time. The real problem is how to fuse spirit, energy, and body… how to actually become a master."
No amount of mana could shortcut that. Only endless real combat could.
His eyes lit up.
"Apachai-sensei! How about a spar?"
Apachai froze mid-punch… then his face split into a manic grin.
"Takumi! You want me to train fists with you?!"
"Uh… yeah."
"That's awesome! Don't worry—I've learned to control my power now. I won't kill you!"
"Kill—uh, great…"
Takumi's stomach dropped. If he could, he'd swallow those words right back. Breaking a promise was way better than getting half-murdered.
But yesterday's mysterious warning… Shigure's wound… they surged up again.
If he ran from challenges forever, this would be his ceiling. He could play king in mundane Black Iron worlds like reality, Onichichi, or School Days—but in the Bronze tier he'd stay average. Silver worlds would be off-limits. Golden Utopia? A pipe dream.
He clenched his teeth.
"Please instruct me!"
He dropped into a karate guard stance, focused ki at his dantian, unleashed calm blue waves—and pushed his freshly mastered Seikūken to the limit.
"Too good—I'm coming!!"
Next instant a whip-leg shot out like a mythic python striking from the void—lightning-fast.
Crackle—pop—
Seikūken, third-tier body, calm ki waves, mana reinforcement—all shattered like glass.
An overwhelming tsunami of power slammed into him. Takumi launched skyward… then crashed down hard.
Instant kill.
A genuine one-shot. That single leg nearly stopped his heart. Organs felt ready to vomit out. All resistance vanished. Darkness swallowed him.
"Koichi-kun!"
Someone shook him awake.
Lap-pillow—Keni this time. Her small face was pure worry.
On the other side, Apachai crouched guiltily while Miu yelled at him.
Takumi's gaze drifted—Shigure sat perched on a tree branch in the yard, her blank expression cracked with visible concern and faint reproach.
"Oi, Akisame. Don't you think our disciple's either got a masochistic streak or is just insanely arrogant? Challenging Apachai of all people."
Sakaki lounged on the engawa under the eaves, watching the three women fuss over the fainted boy. His words dripped disappointment… but a tiny smile tugged at his lips.
Akisame sipped tea calmly.
"You're laughing inside, aren't you? After he finally entered the gate he seemed addicted to flirting with three girls and forgot training existed. You were disappointed, right? But now—challenging Apachai proves he hasn't completely drowned in the soft life yet."
"Hah. I didn't say that. But yeah… I knew he wouldn't stay satisfied forever. If he wants Miu for real—not just beating the Elder outright, but even if the Elder went easy—he still needs master level to earn it."
"Instant Recovery!"
Takumi burned three points of mana. Pain flared, but no broken bones. He struggled upright.
"Miu—it's not Apachai-sensei's fault. I asked for the fight. I'm just… too weak. If I keep getting flattened this easily, how can I ever be your husband? Your grandpa's the Invincible Superman!"
He forced ki to surge. Before taking the hit he'd feared pain and death. Now, after tasting it… fear vanished. Only raw courage pounded in his chest.
"Again, Apachai-sensei!"
Miu watched him—worried, but she nodded. She didn't want her man stuck forever weaker than her.
Keni didn't fully understand, but she recognized conviction when she saw it. She followed Miu away from the yard.
Slap—agh—boom.
Takumi threw every technique he knew. Still got insta-killed every time.
Without Instant Recovery he couldn't have lasted. After ten rounds he had zero ki, zero mana, zero strength left. Brain foggy, body screaming.
"Stand up."
A voice cut through.
Cool energy washed over him, erasing every ache.
Takumi snapped alert—looked up.
Fuurinji Hayato—the Invincible Superman himself—stood there, palm glowing blue, healing him. The man almost never spoke to him.
"Thank you, Elder."
Hayato's tone stayed cold.
"Don't be so weak and still dare dream of my granddaughter. Worse—you shamelessly claim other girls too, without shame. Twenty years ago I'd have either killed you with one palm or thrown you out of Ryōzanpaku. But you've done some things… so as long as you don't go too far, I won't interfere. I may be lenient—but others aren't. Miu is my granddaughter… and his daughter. Yesterday was just his warning."
"Yesterday's warning…?"
Ice ran down Takumi's spine.
He knew instantly.
The one who'd secretly struck him with that snort—the one who'd warned him—was Miu's father.
The shadowy One Shadow Nine Fists' One Shadow.
The monster whose strength came closest to—or even surpassed—the Invincible Superman himself.
Fuurinji Saiga!
"Apachai-sensei! Again!"
Instead of cowering, Takumi's fighting spirit roared to life. He issued the challenge once more.
Seeing the boy not only unafraid but burning even brighter, some of the ice in Hayato's eyes thawed. He gave a small nod.
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