Chapter 261: The Ultimate Declaration of Victory
"Ladieees and gentlemen! Thank you for waiiiiting~~~!"
The MC stood on the high platform, microphone in hand, expertly amping up the
crowd's energy.
"The three preliminary winners have been decided! Let's see what kind of
performance they bring to the Grand Finale!"
"Hey, hey, did you hear? Someone at Booth 1 won ten rounds of
Rock-Paper-Scissors in a row!" "That old guy is so fat—wait, no, he's solid! Is
he wearing an eye patch?" "Go for it, Sho-kun!" "Those two guys look like
they're built out of bricks..."
The spectators surrounding the event area were buzzing with excitement.
Meanwhile, in the contestants' prep area, Ren Shiroki turned his head, his eyes
wide as he locked onto the "OB" contestant from Booth 3.
Massive slabs of muscle, a bald head, and an eye patch partially concealed by a
pair of clear-lens glasses. A sharp, piercing glint flickered from his remaining
left eye.
It was the founder of the Shinshinkai—the "Bushin," Doppo Orochi!
At that moment, Doppo also widened his eye, staring right back at Ren.
"..."
The two shared a long look, then simultaneously turned to stare straight ahead.
A second later, they glanced back at each other, blinked, and quickly looked
away again.
Hiss—
Running into a legend from the underground world at a neighborhood festival for
"normies" was... a little embarrassing.
Just then, the winner of Booth 2—a youth named Sho-kun—walked up, chest puffed
out as his girlfriend cheered from the stands. He took his place right between
Ren and Doppo.
"Right here!"
Sho-kun—a typical long-haired young man—raised his hand to the crowd, waving to
his girlfriend and tightening a scrawny fist.
"Just watch! I'm taking that trophy home!"
With that, Sho-kun looked left and right at the "young man" and the "old man"
beside him. He grinned confidently. "Listen up, you two. I'm not going to go
easy on you just because of the age gap!"
"..."
The words "not going to go easy" acted like a trigger for both Ren and Doppo.
"Not going easy... is it?"
The faces of the two masters slowly darkened. A fierce, predatory glint sparked
in their eyes as they murmured in perfect unison: "Yeah... I wasn't planning on
sandbagging either..."
"Eh?"
Sho-kun didn't hear them. His attention was glued to his girlfriend and the MC.
"Everyone!" The MC cleared his throat. "The rules for the final are simple!"
He gestured down the long street.
"The final event is the Fun Obstacle Course! Our three finalists will start here
and navigate a gauntlet of obstacles and traps. The finish line is four hundred
meters away!"
"There's a buzzer at the end. The first one to hit it stops the clock. But be
warned! There are many types of traps along the way. You'll need fast reflexes
and tactical pathfinding. Sometimes a Z-pattern is faster than a straight line!"
"Finalists! To the starting line!!"
Lane 1: Ren Shiroki. Lane 2: Sho-kun. Lane 3: "OB" (Doppo Orochi).
The three stepped up to the mark, loosening their muscles. While the MC was busy
reading off the list of corporate sponsors, Sho-kun looked left and right,
re-evaluating Ren and Doppo. He arched an eyebrow.
"Man, you two are really sturdy. You've got some nasty scars, too. Training a
bit too hard at the gym, are we?"
Fueled by the power of young love, Sho-kun felt invincible. "But in an obstacle
course, big muscles are just dead weight! Speed is king!"
"..."
Ren and Doppo's lips pulled back into low, dangerous chuckles.
Doppo spoke first. "Ren-kun... do you really have the heart to race an old man
like me?"
Ren looked up at the sky, his expression serene. "It's a good thing Katsumi-kun
isn't here. His hundred-meter dash is sub-ten seconds. I'd never catch him."
"Haha! True. I'm getting up there in years myself—"
Doppo hopped in place, then suddenly whipped his head around toward the crowd
behind Ren and Sho-kun.
Ren flinched, but he soon realized Doppo wasn't looking at him. He was looking
at a middle-aged woman with permed hair standing in the audience. She wore
simple clothes and had a few wrinkles, but she possessed a quiet, peaceful
grace—the classic "Kind Neighbor" archetype.
She was the love of the Bushin's life: Natsue Orochi.
"NATSUE-CHAAAN—!!"
Doppo laughed boisterously and waved his hand. "Natsue! Are you watching?!"
Being a traditional woman, Natsue blushed, but she offered a sweet, encouraging
smile in return.
Seeing her response, Doppo's spirit hit the red-line. He slapped his bicep with
a loud CLAP, making the massive muscle bulge.
"Since we're out for a walk, we might as well win! If it's a prize you want, I
don't care who the opponent is—I'M NOT LOSING!"
"Watch me, Natsue! Watch your Super Doppo-kun!"
"I'm gonna blitz this whole thing in one go!"
The "Declaration of Victory" did more to hype the crowd than any of the MC's
words. The audience erupted in cheers and whistles. Natsue's face turned
beet-red with embarrassment.
"I've gone and burned all my bridges, Ren-kun~!"
Doppo turned his gaze toward Ren, his eyes glinting behind his glasses. "What
about you? Nothing to say to the little Kure lady?"
Ren thought about it for a second. He turned back to look at Fusui Kure. "Are
you having fun?"
Fusui was leaning against the barricade, her black-and-white eyes crinkling into
a smile. "I'm having a blast!"
"Nice. That's perfect!"
Ren lowered his center of gravity, staring at the starting curtain. He bared his
white teeth. "I'm having a great time, too—"
The words made both Doppo and Natsue pause. The veteran couple shared a look and
shrugged, clearly appreciating the youthful energy of the pair. It made them a
little nostalgic.
"Then allow this old man to give you kids a memory you'll never forget—the taste
of second place!"
Doppo cracked his neck, coiling like a spring.
The two martial artists were in the zone. Sho-kun, caught between them, had been
confident a moment ago, but now he was struggling to breathe. It felt like the
air pressure in his lane had suddenly tripled.
What the...?
Sho-kun broke into a cold sweat. The space around him felt distorted. He had a
sudden, irrational urge to turn and run for his life.
This isn't 'Fun'! This is a warzone! Are these guys seriously this intense about
a neighborhood race?!
Gulp!
Sho-kun swallowed hard, trying to keep his "Guts" from evaporating.
Just then, the MC's voice boomed: "Finalists! On your marks! Get set!"
The MC raised his hand and slashed it downward. "GO—!!"
Fwoosh!
The moment the signal was given, staff members on either side yanked on ropes,
lifting the curtain that blocked the first segment of the track.
The first obstacle was revealed: a five-meter-long incline ramp coated in a
thick, transparent lubricant. It was a classic "Slapstick" trap designed for the
entertainment of the crowd.
Ren and Doppo froze for a micro-second. They hadn't expected a variety-show gag
right out of the gate.
Sho-kun, who watched a lot of TV, reacted first. He scrambled onto the slippery
ramp, sliding and wobbling as he clumsily crawled his way across the slime.
Zip!
Sho-kun reached the other side, his pants slightly damp. He pumped a fist and
cheered, "Yeah! I'm in the lead!"
Ren and Doppo's eyes narrowed.
"Gaia-san said the city is more dangerous than the jungle," Ren murmured. "I see
his point now."
Doppo whispered, "Treat the slime as enemy 'Blood.' Avoid slipping during the
engagement. It's a basic tactical adjustment."
STOMP!
The two men stepped forward. They didn't step onto the ramp. They slammed their
heels into the concrete before the incline. A thunderous BOOM echoed.
In a heartbeat, two silhouettes soared into the air. They "ignited" through the
mid-day sky, vaulting over the entire five-meter lubricated slope in a single,
superhuman leap!
THUD! THUD!
The two landed perfectly on either side of a stunned Sho-kun. Their muscles were
already vibrating with high-frequency combat energy.
"Phew—"
Ren exhaled a cloud of heat. Doppo's glasses reflected the sun, masking his
expression.
"Let's have a happy battle, kid~!" Doppo chirped.
"Nice. That's perfect~!" Ren added.
395 meters to go!
☆☆☆
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