CHAPTER 89: THE CLEVER MOVE
The Power Bomb.
In the world of professional wrestling, it's a classic crowd-pleaser. You hoist your opponent high, tuck their head between your knees, and drive their back into the canvas with the force of a falling building.
It's loud, it's theatrical, and it's effective.
But because it has so many openings and requires such immense strength, almost no one in the world of "Real" Mixed Martial Arts thinks to use it in a serious fight.
And no one—absolutely no one—could have imagined how terrifying a Power Bomb would be when the "Performance" aspect was stripped away, and it was performed with 100% killing intent.
BOOM!!!
Katsumi Orochi's back slammed into the reinforced steel deck of the ship. A massive, vibrating shockwave radiated from the point of impact, traveling through the metal plates and into the feet of every spectator in the ballroom.
"Gah... cough!"
Katsumi's head snapped back. His pupils vibrated with a high-magnitude concussion. A mixture of saliva and bile erupted from his mouth as the air was physically punched out of his lungs.
The impact on his spine and ribs was so severe his body entered a temporary state of paralysis. He couldn't even draw breath; he could only wheeze.
The Teiai enforcers watching from the sidelines stood frozen, their mouths agape.
"A... a Power Bomb?!"
"That's not a standard move! He lifted a 115kg man over his head and added a mid-air rotation!"
"He tanked two direct hits to the forehead just to get that grip! He's insane!"
Even the experts in the room were shaken.
Hikoichi Yagyo, the Number Two Referee, blinked and let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh. "It seems my 'Old Eyes' have failed me. I predicted Ren-san would rely on a technical blitz. I was wrong. He is currently at 100% output."
Madarame Baku tilted his head. "Ren-chin's movements look slow enough for me to track, though. How is it a 'Blitz' if he's just walking into punches?"
"The answer is 'State,'" Kyara growled, his arms crossed. "Shiroki is blitzing, but not with speed. He's blitzing with his Consciousness."
"Exactly," Yagyo added, his eyes sharpening. "Baku-dono, you've seen matches enter the 'White Heat' phase—the final round where both fighters are bloodied and operating on pure survival instinct."
"Ren-san has forced his body into that 'White Heat' zone from frame one. He's ignored the feeling of pain and the fear of injury. He's fighting as if his life ends in the next sixty seconds."
"To adjust one's 'Mental State' to that degree... it's a level of control that few martial artists ever master. He has made his will the absolute ruler of his biology."
On the deck, a Teiai agent shrieked, "He's going for the follow-up! He's trying to end it!"
ZIP!
Ren raised his arms, his eyes locked on the gasping Katsumi. He raised his left leg high, gathering the explosive energy in his quads, and drove his heel downward toward Katsumi's chest.
[ZANGIEF: POWER STOMP]!
THUD!
Katsumi rolled desperately, his instincts screaming. Ren's heel hit the steel deck inches from Katsumi's ribs, leaving a visible dent in the metal.
Sensing the whiff of death, Katsumi didn't stop rolling. He used the momentum of a second roll to spring into a kneeling position, trying to reset his guard.
But Ren was already there. He didn't give the giant a microsecond to breathe. He stepped into the pocket and launched a heavy right straight.
[GUILE: MAGNUM LOADED]!
BANG!
The punch connected squarely with Katsumi's face. Blood sprayed from his nose and mouth as his head snapped back once more.
"GAH—!"
The sheer pressure in his face made Katsumi's vision go blurry. The blood was everywhere, painting his white gi a gruesome shade of red. He looked like a wounded beast.
But Ren's assault was relentless. He channeled the power of his lower body and exploded forward.
[DRIVE RUSH]!
WHOOSH!
Ren closed the gap. He prepared to launch a finishing combination.
"SEI-YAH!"
Katsumi Orochi, driven by a surge of desperate Karate pride, slammed his palms into the deck and vaulted. He spun in the air, his heel whipping around in a terminal rising kick.
SHING!
"A wake-up spinning kick!" Suedo roared from the sidelines. "A 115kg heel moving at that speed... it should end the night!!"
Suddenly, Suedo's eyes widened.
Ren hadn't continued his charge. He had predicted the desperate counter. Halfway through his dash, Ren had anchored his feet and crossed his arms in a rigid, reinforced block.
BANG!
The kick slammed into Ren's forearms. It was enough to push him back several feet, but it didn't break his guard. Katsumi landed on his feet, but his front was wide open. He had missed his chance.
Katsumi tried to raise his hands, but his nervous system hitched.
Ren didn't miss. He dropped his center of gravity and launched an upward rocket of a fist.
[RYU: SHORYUKEN]!
THOOM!
Ren's fist punched through Katsumi's reaching palm and slammed into the giant's jaw. The force traveled up into Katsumi's skull, the bone of his hand snapping into the bone of his chin.
Katsumi was flipped backward, tumbling across the deck before coming to a rest on his stomach.
"Hah... huff... hah..."
Ren's breathing was a heavy, metallic roar.
The gash on his forehead was still leaking, a red curtain covering the left side of his face. Blood pooled at his chin and dripped onto the steel, forming a small, expanding puddle.
His eyes were a map of burst capillaries. His "Mental Overdrive" was redlining, forcing his body to maintain a terminal combat state. Every move was being treated as his last.
The stamina drain was terrifying, but the results were undeniable.
Ren didn't wait for a count. He marched forward, his shadow looming over the downed Karateka. He vaulted into the air, bringing his knees down for a crushing strike.
[JAMIE: LUMINOUS KICK]!
BOOM!
Katsumi rolled again, his movements frantic. He lay on the deck, gasping for air, his eyes struggling to find a focal point through the blood and sweat.
Ren Shiroki gritted his teeth, his jaw set in a mask of pure resolve. He planted his right arm into the deck for balance and swept his left leg in a low, scything arc.
[GUILE: DRAGON FANG]—
Halfway through the sweep, Katsumi's eyes snapped open. The "Genius" had finally found his gear. He didn't roll away this time. He lashed out with a kick of his own, his shin catching Ren's supporting right arm.
WHACK!
Ren's right arm—already swollen from Katsumi's earlier palm-strike—gave out under the impact. His balance vanished.
THUD.
Ren hit the deck.
Katsumi didn't let the opportunity slide. He let out a guttural roar and lunged with a knee-strike that caught Ren in the ribs.
THOOM!
Ren was launched across the deck, skidding several meters before coming to a stop. He backflipped to his feet, clutching his right arm, a series of dry, pained coughs racking his chest.
Katsumi stood up. He settled back into his Karate stance. But he didn't move. He stood as still as a statue, his eyes vacant, his breathing nearly silent.
The spectators stared in confusion.
"Is he... out? Did he pass out standing up?"
The Association Referee prepared to step in, but Ren raised a hand to stop him.
Ren scanned the area. He reached down and picked up a piece of jagged glass from the earlier debris. Under the gaze of the crowd, he hurled the glass at Katsumi.
ZIP!
The glass was inches from Katsumi's throat when the giant suddenly twitched. With a micro-movement that was almost invisible to the naked eye, he tilted his neck. The glass whistled past his ear. Then, he went back to being a statue.
The Referee blinked. "What is he doing?"
"It's simple," Ren murmured, his voice a low, pained chuckle.
"To recover from the concussive trauma and get his heart rate back under control, he is using a very Clever Move."
"He is 'Running Away' while standing right in front of me."