Chapter 272: The Master's Technique!
The petite old man, Gouki Shibukawa, stood before the devastating force of the
[STRIKE AT THE APEX]. He didn't retreat. He simply stepped forward with his
right foot and extended his left palm in a fluid, pushing motion.
WHOOSH—!
Ren Shiroki was launched backward as if hit by a freight train. He became a
high-velocity projectile, hurtling through the air until his back slammed into
the wooden scaffolding outside the octagonal ring.
CRASH! RATTLE!
The temporary wooden structure was reduced to splinters. Ren lay flat on his
back amidst the wreckage, clouds of dust billowing around him.
"GUUGH—!"
Ren arched his back, cold sweat breaking out across his skin from the sheer
agony. He let out a muffled groan through puffed cheeks, his features contorted
as he struggled to reclaim his breath.
A few Kure Clan workers nearby dove for cover, watching the scene with wide
eyes. Under this year's "King of the Hill" rules, a morning brawl wasn't
unexpected, but the physics of what they had just seen defied all logic.
Ren had thrown the heaviest punch of his life, yet he was the one who had been
sent flying.
Is this... the secret of the ancient arts? The legendary Aiki?!
As the Kure onlookers stood paralyzed, Ren managed to push himself up from the
ruins.
"Phew...!"
Ren exhaled a cloud of heat. The piercing pain in his back began to dull into a
heavy throb, but the vertigo from the sudden loss of balance made his limbs
tremble.
Seeing this, Shibukawa couldn't help but grin. He arched an eyebrow and teased,
"Oho! OHO~~! You actually flew that far?! Motobe-dono wasn't lying—that kid has
some terrifying power in his fists!"
Hearing this, Fusui Kure swallowed hard, her black-and-white eyes wide with
shock.
Just 'terrifying power'?!
She knew the [STRIKE AT THE APEX] better than anyone. It was a blow that
synchronized over 36 trillion cells. That single punch was capable of
pulverizing reinforced concrete.
But Gouki Shibukawa—155cm tall and weighing only 47kg—was smaller than Fusui
herself. He was a withered senior citizen.
How did he execute a defensive counter against that amount of mass?!
"Is that... the Aiki that can be used in 'Any Real Battle'?" the girl whispered.
Official Sonoda was also sweating from excitement. "As expected of the
Grandmaster... truly a miracle worker!"
Ren had heard the legends of the "Saint of War," but witnessing it was a
different reality.
When an enemy applies force to harm you, you simply add your own force to it and
return the total sum. The stronger the attack, the more devastating the counter.
Step. Step. Step.
Ren walked slowly back toward the ring. He kicked off his shoes, stepping onto
the sand barefoot. His trembling finally ceased as he centered himself.
"Nice. That's perfect—"
Ren took a deep breath, murmuring the analysis to himself. "The counter-force of
Aiki fluctuates based on the opponent's output. If I hit you with a '10,' the
feedback I receive is '10 plus your own torque'."
"..."
Shibukawa laughed boisterously. "Mm-hm! You catch on quick, kid!"
"It's the pinnacle of technical skill!" Ren praised, a look of genuine wonder on
his face. "It feels like something out of a fantasy novel. To apply the theory
of Aiki so perfectly in a real exchange... I honestly can't think of a single
way to beat you, Shibukawa-sensei!"
"Hahaha!" Shibukawa stood with his hands on his hips. "So? Do you want to
forfeit, Ren-kun?"
"—No."
Ren scratched his cheek, looking a bit sheepish. "We agreed to 'just play,' but
I can't do it. Whether it's a game, a festival, or a fight... no two moments in
life are ever truly the same. That's why I love this world."
"If I surrender now, I miss out on the experience. I really don't like missing
out—"
Hearing this, Shibukawa's playful expression vanished, replaced by a respectful,
sincere smile. "Yeah. I understand."
"Not long ago, I reached a level where my 'Protection Arts' (Goshinjutsu) were
nearly complete. My instincts started telling me to avoid danger entirely.
Whenever a threat appeared, a voice in my head would scream: 'Don't go there!'"
Shibukawa gave a faint, elegant smile. "But that's the problem with men like us.
The thing we love most in this world... is precisely that Danger."
"We've talked long enough, Sensei. My muscles are starting to cool down—"
Ren stood bladed. His left arm was held low, his right fist tucked near his ribs
to guard his jaw. He began to stalk across the ring, closing the gap inch by
inch.
There was no announcer. No crowd cheering. Yet the atmosphere was so hot it felt
like the air itself was combusting.
Their respective Airspaces collided.
Ren shifted his strategy. If he wanted to avoid having his power returned to
him, he had to prevent Shibukawa from reading the vector of his attack.
Let's see what you choose!
Ren's eyes flared with an ominous glint. He lowered his center of gravity, his
silhouette appearing to double as his body vibrated with high-frequency energy.
His face twisted into a mask of predatory focus.
[SATSUI CHOICE]—ACTIVATED!
In an instant, a dozen different lethal intentions swirled in Ren's mind,
presenting Shibukawa with a chaotic map of possibilities. To the Master's eyes,
the next microsecond contained thirty different versions of Ren Shiroki, each
launching a different strike. Only one would be made real.
"The youth of today have so~~ many ideas!"
Shibukawa's eyes widened. He suddenly raised his right arm, driving his
palm-root forward with blinding speed.
Ren, meanwhile, had twisted his core, intending to launch a high vertical kick.
[RYU'S HEEL DROP]!
The move was designed to descend from the most difficult angle to parry.
Zip!
But Ren's leg hadn't even left the sand when Shibukawa's right palm slammed into
the side of his knee.
He read the 'Choice'?!
Shibukawa had anticipated the specific intention. He yanked his palm back, his
fingers hooking the back of Ren's calf.
"Heave-ho!"
With a violent upward pull, he upended Ren. Simultaneously, his other hand
clamped onto Ren's face, driving his head toward the floor.
Zip!
At this angle, Ren's skull was tracking straight for a lethal impact with the
hard-packed sand!
"—?!"
Ren's eyes glinted. [SATSUI CHOICE] continued to cycle. His hands snapped behind
him, touching the floor a fraction of a second before his head did.
SLAP!
The moment his palms hit, Ren didn't resist Shibukawa's downward pressure. He
used his wrists to propel his entire mass into a lateral rotation.
WHIRL!
Shibukawa was pushing down, backed by Ren's own weight. A direct counter was
impossible, so Ren chose to "Roll."
Transitioning to counter-attack!
Ren bypassed the torque of the Aiki, braced his elbow against the sand, and
whipped his legs around in a series of continuous breakdance-style sweeps.
[JAMIE'S EXPLOSIVE FLARE]!
Zip!
The spinning kick aimed straight for Shibukawa's ankles.
The Master didn't retreat or block. He simply launched a low-level stamp, his
boot slamming down on Ren's grounded hand. His toes curled, pinning Ren's palm
to the dirt.
"GAH—!"
The searing pain in his hand killed the momentum of the spin. Ren's balance was
deleted. The "Explosive Flare" was smothered at the source.
Shibukawa didn't stop. Using the pinned hand as a pivot, he raised his other leg
and drove it toward Ren's exposed neck.
"HYAH!"
Ren let out a roar, performing a desperate bridge-pivot. He performed several
frantic rolls across the sand, finally clearing the Master's reach and resetting
at a safe distance.
He stood up, gritting his teeth. The back of his left hand was swollen and
bruised. It hurt like hell.
"He... he saw through it?"
Fusui's eyes were wide. "Is Shibukawa-sensei's mind-reading even better than
Gaia's?!"
Hearing this, Shibukawa waved a hand dismissively. "No, no. Gaia's talent is a
gift from the heavens. As for me..."
The old man gave a cunning smirk. "It's mostly just 'Reading'—the kind that
comes from seventy-five years of experience. I just recognized the 'smell' of
his next move."
The observers—Kure and Police alike—felt a cold sweat. He makes it sound so
simple!
"Ren-chin..." Fusui's brow furrowed.
[STRIKE AT THE APEX] was being redirected by Aiki. [SATSUI CHOICE] was being
countered by a lifetime of experience. Ren Shiroki's entire playbook was being
systemically dismantled!
Only one option remained—
"Phew...!"
Ren exhaled a cloud of heat. He stood tall, facing Shibukawa. He didn't speak.
He began a slow, deliberate march forward, closing the gap inch by inch until he
could reach out and seize the Master's lapel.
If strikes and feints were useless, he would try to pin or throw the old man!
"Oho! Bold!"
Shibukawa's face lit up with pure joy. He tilted his body diagonally,
misaligning Ren's center of gravity. He forced Ren to stumble forward, his body
pitching toward the sand.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa~!"
In the heartbeat before Ren could face-plant, Shibukawa's left hand snapped up.
He caught Ren's face in his palm and, using the youth's own forward momentum,
flipped him backward.
Zip!
This time, there was no escape. Ren performed a frantic mid-air bow-stance to
take the hit, but his head was driven downward. His back hit the sand with the
force of a falling building.
BOOM!!!
A massive cloud of dust erupted. Ren lay flat on his back, baring his teeth in a
grimace of pain. He coughed up a spray of blood. His pupils wouldn't stop
vibrating.
"..."
Ren opened his eyes, but the sky was a chaotic mess of shifting colors. He
pushed himself up, only to realize that everything in his vision—including
Shibukawa himself—was swaying and melting like smoke in the wind.
It was a classic concussion.
Shibukawa didn't pursue. He stood with his hands on his hips, teasing the dazed
youth. "Took quite a tumble, didn't you? Is the world looking a bit messy,
Ren-kun~?"
Seeing Ren's blank, unfocused stare, the old master's grin reached his ears.
"Heh! HEH~! It worked! It worked! Fun, isn't it?"
(End of Chapter)
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