Chapter 106: Even Beasts Can Burn with Hot Blood
"School starts today, huh."
Keni stood in front of the mirror in her brand-new uniform, tilting her head this way and that. Her once sharp, angular haircut had grown out into something softer—almost shoulder-length now—and it made her look way cuter. She could finally cover her neck properly.
"Wow… my chest really did get bigger."
She cupped both hands under them experimentally, then broke into a delighted grin when she confirmed it wasn't just her imagination.
I thought some things would never change no matter how hard I tried… but Kouichi-kun really broke that curse for me.
Every single day Takumi would grab any excuse he could to give her those "special massages"… and this was the result.
The memory made her cheeks instantly blaze. She pressed both palms against her burning face and let out a tiny, mortified squeak.
"So embarrassing… I've turned completely pervy now…"
"Waaah, my little girl! You've grown taller in just a couple weeks! But why are you grinning like an idiot at the mirror first thing in the morning?"
"Big sis is definitely in love. Totally. Kuso—Dad, you're such a moron! How can you not see it?!"
"Whaaat?! Who dares steal the daughter I worked so hard to raise?! Damn thief!!"
"Probably that boy around the same age as the big sister from Ryōzanpaku, right?"
"KUSOOOOO!!"
"Hey hey, Anata! Aren't you supposed to be going to work? And Rei—today's your first day back at school too. What are both of you doing camped outside Keni's door?!"
A short-haired, outrageously curvy woman stood holding a ladle, staring speechlessly at the father-and-son duo peeking through the door crack.
The hulking husband, Shirahama Mototsugu, scrambled to his feet.
"No way! How could I possibly go to work at a time like this?! I have something extremely important to do!"
"Oh? And this 'extremely important thing' is… what exactly?"
"Hmph! This isn't it—come forth, Sebastian!!"
Dramatic BGM seemed to play out of nowhere. A bookshelf in the living room slid open with a mechanical whirr. A robotic arm extended, neatly presenting a double-barreled shotgun.
Mototsugu snatched it up reverently.
"For the sake of protecting my daughter… Shirahama Mototsugu, I ask you to fight by my side once more, old friend."
"Dad's so cool!!"
Hearing his son's cheer, the man puffed his chest out even more—only for a blinding flash to streak across the room.
BAM!! THWACK!!
Both the big man and the little man were promptly clobbered by the ladle-wielding wife/mother.
"Uwaaaah! It hurts! Kaa-san, whyyyy?!"
"Before I really lose my temper—ONE of you is going to school, and the OTHER is going to WORK!!"
Under the terrifying aura of Wife/Mom, the two males slunk away with drooping shoulders.
Shirahama Saori pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.
"Good grief… the men in this house never give me a moment's peace. If Keni wants to keep staying at Ryōzanpaku, I should probably support her… but if my little girl really is in love, I wonder what kind of person he is."
"Good morning, Mom."
"Keni, morning! Let me see—ohhh, the new uniform looks great. No, wait—my daughter looks great."
"Geez, Mom… Where are Dad and Rei?"
"Work and school. Don't worry about those two idiots. Tell me, Keni… yesterday you said you wanted to keep living at Ryōzanpaku. Is it because you like someone there?"
She'd expected her thin-skinned daughter to frantically deny it.
Instead—although her face turned scarlet—Keni gave a firm nod.
"It's not just 'like.' I'm in love. Madly in love. If I don't see him even for one day… my heart hurts so much."
Saori froze.
Her usually gentle, shy daughter had just dropped a bombshell like that. High-schoolers… do they even understand what real love is?
But the look in Keni's eyes was so resolute, so blazingly intense that it actually felt deeper and fiercer than the bond Saori herself had built with her husband over all these years.
"Th-this…"
She was at a complete loss for words.
Finally she managed:
"…Okay. Mom supports you. When are you bringing him home so I can meet him?"
"Okay… Kaa-san."
Her daughter gave a shy, yet radiantly happy smile.
BAM! CRASH! BOOM!!
Once again Takumi was blasted backward, clothes shredded to rags.
Yet he stubbornly pushed himself up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and stared straight at the towering, two-meter-tall Thai man whose lean muscles looked carved from terror itself.
"Apachai-sensei… again!!"
The only reply was the murderous glint in those eyes and a storm of whip-like kicks.
Takumi spun like a top being lashed, head reeling, brain sloshing.
"Today Takumi's really hanging in there… even got Apachai all fired up."
"Yeah. Eight days ago he was getting one-shotted. Now he can take five hits before going down. Decent progress."
Akisame sipped his coarse tea. Sakaki nursed his sake. Both looked annoyingly relaxed.
Fuurinji Miu—already in her crisp new uniform—couldn't share their calm. Her small hands clenched so hard her knuckles turned white. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come. She just paced back and forth.
"Don't be so impatient, Miu."
Shigure sat cross-legged on the veranda, sword laid across her knees, speaking quietly.
Miu finally burst out:
"Isn't this enough already?! At least let him eat breakfast…!"
Right then Takumi was sent flying again, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
Miu couldn't hold back anymore—she flashed forward, ready to leap into the ring.
But a whip cracked out faster than she could move, snagging her around the waist and yanking her back.
"Shigure, you—!"
Takumi dragged himself upright. That last kick had loosened every tooth in his mouth. He was genuinely afraid that if he opened wide they'd all fall out and he'd become a 'toothless pervert.'
"That's enough, Kouichi. You can't become a master in one day. Stop pushing yourself like this."
Takumi squinted through swollen eyes until he found Miu's figure.
He gave a bloody grin.
"Miu… that new uniform looks really cute on you. Congrats on starting school again."
…His eyes were practically sealed shut. His magic was completely drained—he couldn't even use 'Instant Recovery.' Thin streams of blood trickled from his mouth and nose.
"Stop talking! Seriously—just stop! You always quit once your 'innate ki' runs dry… so why are you going so hard today?!"
"Because… cough cough… today is the day you guys start school. I at least wanted to… cough… give you a proper 'welcome-back' gift. I can't… cough cough… show up looking this pathetic. Your man… cough… can't keep losing forever!"
Every few words he coughed wetly—clearly his lungs were damaged.
He clenched his fist with fierce determination.
"Just one punch… Even if it's only one… I'm going to land a clean hit on Apachai-sensei!!"
Takumi blurred forward again.
Miu watched him get blown away once more and finally burst into tears.
"Baka… baka… BAKA!!"
BOOM!!
A violent blue aura exploded off Takumi—then instantly inverted, surging into blazing crimson.
Everyone's eyes widened.
Even the normally laid-back Sakaki and Akisame froze. Shigure's calm cracked. And high above, the legendary invincible Superman appeared on the rooftop railing.
"True-ki Reversal!!"
"First time in ten years I've seen this again!!"
While everyone was stunned, Takumi rocketed forward.
His speed was so extreme that faint white contrails streamed behind him—like a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier.
Apachai didn't even have time to react before the fist arrived.
But he was still a master-class Muay Thai monster—he twisted, throwing up an elbow block.
"Ryūkei Kigō Tashinkō!!"
Crimson ki detonated.
To an ordinary person, punching that hard would shatter every bone in the hand.
But the needle-like penetrating force pierced straight through Apachai's ki barrier.
His skin bulged outward in a fist-shaped mound—then a charred black imprint scorched into the flesh.
Apachai coughed up a thick mouthful of blood. The mad gleam in his eyes slowly faded into clarity.
"Kouichi-kun… that punch is your win."
Takumi gave a weak smile.
His body finally gave out.
Before he could collapse, the invincible Superman appeared and caught him.
"Elder…"
"Not bad. I may have underestimated this Ryūkei Kigō Tashinkō. You've earned a little trust."
For the first time, Fuurinji Hayato showed Takumi a genuine smile.
Blue ki flowed from the old master, washing over Takumi.
Every wound—external, internal, hidden—closed at terrifying speed.
In moments, aside from the shredded clothes, he looked completely unharmed.
Truly, the invincible Superman's secret art bordered on actual magic.
"Change and take them to school."
Takumi turned.
At some point Keni had arrived too. She stood beside Miu—two high-school girls in crisp new uniforms, beaming the sweetest smiles straight at him.
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