Chapter 187: The Actor
"..."
What happened?
It hurts... my face feels like it's on fire... and my jaw is so stiff...
Am I bleeding?
Lihito's consciousness drifted in a void for what felt like an eternity before
he could finally "hear" again. He caught the faint sound of someone calling his
name. He forced his eyes open; at first, the world was a blurred smear of
darkness, but slowly, the stadium lights came back into focus.
"Lihito-kun!"
"Hey! Hey! Are you okay?!"
Lihito fully opened his eyes to find himself lying on a resting mat, his head
propped up by a pair of boxing gloves. A ringside staff member was hovering over
him with a frantic expression.
"Lihito-kun, can you hear me? Should I call an ambulance?"
"..."
Lihito paused, sitting up slowly. He felt as if his entire skull was about to
rattle apart.
"Ouch!! Dammit, that hurts like hell...!"
He ran a hand through his hair and looked around, remembering he was still at
the Boxing Expo. And then... Wait, I was fighting Ren Shiroki, wasn't I? Where
is he?
Seeing Lihito's dazed look, the staff member quickly filled him in. "Er... the
match is already over. Shiroki-san is resting over in the VIP seats. The second
match is about to begin."
"..."
Lihito blinked, his swollen eyelids heavy. His memory of the fight began to
resurface.
To be honest, he didn't know the first thing about technical boxing. He couldn't
move with the fluid grace of a pro. His strategy had been simple: tank the hit
and counter-attack with everything he had. It was a strategy that had worked for
him countless times in the past.
But he never expected that even with his "iron-man" resolve and full
concentration, he still wouldn't be able to stomach a single heavy punch from
Ren Shiroki.
In that split second before impact, Lihito felt that Ren's target wasn't
actually him—it was something "far more monstrous." Ren had radiated a savage,
overwhelming killing intent.
"A right straight? I didn't even see it coming..."
Lihito stood up, his legs still a bit shaky, but the fire of indignation in his
chest was burning hotter than ever.
I was actually scared?! No way! I don't accept this!
If this were a Kengan match—if I could use my 'Razor's Edge'—I'd definitely have
a chance!
With that thought, Lihito ignored the pain and turned around, intending to find
Ren Shiroki for a Round 2.
What happened?
It hurts...
Wait, did I just get knocked out again?!
Lihito suddenly snapped awake, bolting upright from the floor. He was met with
the resigned, pitying stares of the medical staff.
The memory hit him like a truck!
Ren Shiroki hadn't refused the challenge. The moment Lihito had demanded a "real
fight," Ren had swung again. The fist had merely grazed Lihito's chin, but it
was enough. The shock had rattled his brain, his eyes had rolled back, and he'd
hit the canvas for the second time in ten minutes.
I lost again?
But strangely, he felt that Ren's second punch wasn't nearly as terrifying as
the "first" one.
"..."
Lihito managed to drag himself to his feet and wobbled over to where Ren and the
others were sitting.
Seeing him approach, Fusui Kure nudged Ren with her elbow and whispered, "Wow.
He's definitely sturdy. He took two of your hits and he's still walking."
"...He is," Ren replied.
Ren was currently leaning his head against Fusui's shoulder, looking up at
Lihito. "Want to go for a third?"
Lihito scratched his head. "I mean, I want to, but you look like you're busy
overthinking something. Is it that big of a headache?"
"It's not a headache, exactly. It's just... someone asked me a question, and now
I can't stop mulling it over." Ren looked up at the ceiling lights. "Someone
asked me how I intended to walk this 'Path of Strength'."
"..."
Lihito blinked. "I don't get it. Is that a philosophy thing?"
"Ha! Nice. That's perfect!"
Ren was genuinely amused by the simple answer. He invited Lihito to sit and
watch the next match, while Arisa tossed the blonde fighter a bag of chips and a
Cola.
Meanwhile, back in the ring...
Retsu Kaioh and the Mysterious Hooded Man stepped onto the canvas for the second
"One-Round" match.
Sayaka Katahara, preparing to introduce the pair, suddenly noticed something
odd. The hooded man seemed "shorter" than he had been moments ago.
"...Eh?"
As she watched in confusion, the hooded man stepped forward. His physique began
to change visibly with every step; he seemed to grow taller, his posture
straightening out. From a hunched, elderly-looking figure, he transformed into a
lean, muscular man of about 179cm.
"Wait, what?!" The audience gasped.
The man pulled back his hood, revealing a young, handsome face with thick
eyebrows and hair that quirked up at the crown.
"Ah, did I startle you?" The man looked toward the window, noticing the sun had
finally dipped below the horizon. "A duel under the setting sun is so poetic. I
quite like it."
"..." Retsu Kaioh remained silent, narrowing his eyes.
Sayaka quickly approached. "Excuse me, but who exactly is this challenger...?"
"I am Chiba Takayuki." The man stripped off his hoodie, revealing a
well-developed physique. "People call me... 'The Faceless Man.'"
Seeing that Retsu wasn't responding to his flair, Chiba took the initiative to
provoke him. "Fist Master, perhaps you are wondering why I have such a
nickname?"
"Watch closely..." Chiba's voice suddenly shifted. "Look with your own eyes."
In an instant, right before the crowd, Chiba's entire "presence" and facial
expression shifted. He looked exactly like the "God of War," Gaolang Wongsawat.
Not only that, he began to throw punches—jabs that were identical in form and
rhythm to Gaolang's own.
Magic? Hypnosis?
"No." Chiba's tone shifted again, becoming arrogant and savage. "I don't just do
boxing. I can become anyone!"
His voice, his posture, even the way he carried his shoulders now mirrored
Lihito perfectly.
"That guy, Chiba Takayuki... he's an 'Actor'."
Fusui shifted slightly, adjusting her arm so Ren could lean his head more
comfortably against her. She began to explain:
"In the underworld, there is a breed of people known as 'Actors.' They
impersonate others with absolute perfection, usually for the sake of fraud or
high-stakes crimes."
"It's said that a master 'Actor' investigates a target's personal data from
every possible angle. Their performance is so thorough that even close friends
or family can't tell the difference."
"That guy is the 'Combat' variety of Actor."
Sayaka announced the start of the match, but Chiba wasn't in a hurry to attack.
"If I see someone's movements just once, I can replicate them with 100%
accuracy. Do you understand what that means?"
Chiba locked eyes with Retsu. "The schedule for this 'Street Brawl' is long. It
gives me more than enough time to collect data and master all of your secrets."
"And at the very start, I found my secret weapon—" He pointed toward the VIP
seats. "I'm talking about you, Ren Shiroki!"
"I've studied your past battles in detail. You are the ultimate 'source
material.' You've mastered martial arts from so many different fields that by
mimicking you, I can gain the tools to fight anyone and master everyone else's
techniques!"
"I look forward to our battle, Ren Shiroki."
"But for now... do you understand, Retsu Kaioh?" Chiba stepped forward. "Since
this tournament started, I've recorded and memorized the techniques of over
sixty-three high-level fighters."
"You aren't facing 'Chiba Takayuki' right now. You are facing a 'Chimera'
synthesized from sixty-three legendary warriors!!"
"..."
At last, Retsu Kaioh reacted.
He studied Chiba for a moment, then looked over at Ren Shiroki in the stands.
Suddenly, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"An amateur who can do nothing but mimic... you think words alone can shake my
resolve? You really are like a child who refuses to grow up."
"You wish to sow doubt in your opponent, turning it into caution, then
hesitation, before striking with your stolen moves."
Retsu gave a faint, cold smile. "A cute tactic. However, part of a Kenpo
master's daily training is the purging of all stray thoughts. We do not
underestimate any opponent, but it is equally impossible for us to misjudge
them."
"The little games you are playing... We predicted them four thousand years ago!"
Retsu stepped forward.
The match had officially begun. Chiba, sensing the danger, didn't dare hold
back. He unleashed a barrage of punches, but Retsu moved his feet with
effortless grace, evading every strike by a hair's breadth.
Whoosh!
Retsu closed the distance, stepping right into Chiba's personal space. He placed
the palm-side of his left glove over Chiba's face, completely obstructing his
vision.
"No matter how many faces you have, the essence of battle remains the same."
"You treat this ring like a 'Performance Stage' and think you can defeat me with
such vanity? This is an insult to four thousand years of Kenpo. I shall make you
taste the bitter fruit of your arrogance!"
Snap...
When Chiba's vision finally cleared, Retsu was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, a gloved hand touched his left jawline with a light, phantom-like
pressure. A whisper followed.
"One-Inch Punch..."
Fwoosh!
Retsu unleashed a short-range burst of explosive power (Fa-jin). The strike
slammed into Chiba's jaw.
The world began to spin for the "Actor." His vision faded to black before he
even hit the floor.
(End of Chapter)
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