Chapter 314: Phantoms and Existence
Fusui Kure returned to the room, bringing out a tea set and a platter of light
snacks. She began brewing the leaves Shibukawa had brought. As a university
student in Tokyo who spent her free time handling high-caliber firearms, the
delicate nuances of the tea ceremony were somewhat lost on her.
She moved with a clumsy, experimental rhythm. "I feel like I'm probably wasting
Sensei's high-grade tea leaves..."
"Hahaha! Don't worry about it~!"
Shibukawa didn't mind in the least. He took a sip of the hot tea to moisten his
throat, his gaze drifting toward the courtyard. He watched Ren Shiroki, who was
currently locked in a "Static Stance," appearing like a statue carved from
stone.
"Is Ren-kun doing some kind of post-match form training?"
"No, Ren-chin rarely does static drills," Fusui replied, sitting cross-legged
beside the old master and nibbling on a crisp tea biscuit. "If I had to guess...
he's waiting for a 'Master' to spar with."
"Oho?"
Gouki Shibukawa was a Grandmaster of the highest order; he possessed infinite
patience. He didn't pry further, choosing instead to watch in silent curiosity.
Ren Shiroki stood perfectly still.
He was never particularly good at meditation, which was why his consciousness
was currently red-lining. Within his mind's eye, the ink-wash lines began to
swirl violently, coalescing into a vibrant, shifting silhouette.
The "Southern Comet," the Kickboxing icon—Dee Jay!
[Yah-yah! What's the matter, Buddy? Hit a wall?]
Seeing his student looking so serious, Dee Jay leaned back, his fingers dancing
through the air as if he were holding an invisible microphone. He looked every
bit the rap superstar.
[Oh, sorry! You're doing your morning routine! HEHEHE~~~]
[But listen, a summer festival workout needs soul! It needs heart, rhythm, and
the beat of the street!]
Dee Jay stepped forward, pressing a light fist against Ren's chest.
[Since you're training to hit the peak, let's get those joints loose—with Dee
Jay!]
Ren could feel a pulsing, musical rhythm vibrating through the fist pressed
against his ribs. He suddenly expanded his chest, driving his mass forward.
WHOOSH—!
Dee Jay's fist was deflected. The phantom used the momentum to perform a
high-speed lateral slide, creating several paces of distance. He raised his arms
in a rhythmic guard, his fingers snapping to a beat only he could hear.
[Let's get that sweat going! MOVE!]
The heartbeat after the command—[DRIVE RUSH]!
ZIP!
Dee Jay glided forward, his movements full of high-frequency energy. His arms
trailed behind his torso as he reached incredible velocity.
The moment he entered Ren's range, he dropped into a deep crouch, coiling his
core before launching into a mid-air rotation. He unleashed a devastating,
high-torque spinning kick.
Ultimate Art: [DEE JAY'S MAXIMUM SOBAT]!
BANG!
Ren raised his forearms, barely tanking the impact. The force sent him reeling
back several steps before he could anchor his heels in the grass.
Dee Jay was in top form, firing off a series of rhythmic uppercuts into the air.
[Combat and Music share the same Rhythm, Buddy! Become the track! Dance through
the fire!]
"HA!"
Ren bared his teeth and laughed. He mimicked Dee Jay's explosive footwork,
driving forward with a [DRIVE RUSH], his fists and feet becoming a blur of
high-speed technical strikes.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
To a casual observer, Ren Shiroki was simply shadow-boxing alone on the lawn,
his movements frantic and precise. But from the way his muscles reacted to
phantom impacts and the intense focus in his expression, it looked like he was
locked in a life-or-death struggle with an invisible god.
"Oho!?"
Shibukawa Gouki adjusted his glasses, leaning forward to get a better look. At
his level of mastery, he could reverse-engineer an opponent's movements simply
by watching Ren's reactions. He could see the ghost's height, weight, and style
through the way Ren parried the air.
"Ren-kun's partner... stands about 184cm, maybe 90-95kg. A world-class
kickboxer, I'd wager~!"
Shibukawa took another sip of tea, continuing his commentary for the benefit of
the young Kure girl.
"I see now."
"In the boxing world, they call this 'Shadow Boxing.' Among Kenpo masters, it's
'Solo Combat' (Doku-to). It is a staple of training across all disciplines."
Shibukawa drifted into a memory. "But in terms of technical height, there is
only one man who has truly mastered this 'Image'..."
"Baki Hanma."
"That 'Strongest Brat' possesses a level of imagination that defies biological
reason. He can visualize an opponent so vividly that his own body sustains real,
physical trauma in the real world!"
Fusui listened to the Master, recalling her own encounters with the handsome
Champion. "Baki-kun really is something else. So... is Ren-chin's training level
lower than his?"
"..."
Shibukawa thought for a moment, then shook his head. "It's hard to say. Every
martial artist has their own specific habits. But even though they both use
'Image Training,' Ren-kun and Baki are on two different tracks."
Fusui tilted her head, listening.
"Baki's visualizations are focused entirely on the Combat. When his phantom
forms, it is a deathmatch. As a fighter with the Hanma bloodline, his purity of
purpose is unrivaled. He only sees the Kill."
"But Ren-kun's phantoms—even I can see it—possess more... Humanity."
"In other words, Ren-kun isn't just visualizing an opponent to beat. He is
visualizing a Presence. He sees details like how they talk, what they wear, even
their casual daily habits..."
"—Ren-chin?" Fusui blinked her black-and-white eyes. "What does that mean?"
"I have no idea!"
Shibukawa pursed his lips and waved his hands. "I can't say if one is 'better'
than the other, but they are clearly different. Baki visualizes the Battle.
Ren-kun visualizes the Existence."
Fusui blinked, resting her chin on her hand, her cheek puffing out. "Whoa. So
even Sensei doesn't fully get it?"
"Don't tease me, you little brat!" Shibukawa bared his teeth in a grin. "I just
like to fight. I'm not a neuroscientist or a philosopher!"
"Sorry, sorry~!" Fusui giggled, heading back to the kitchen to fetch more hot
water for the pot.
In the courtyard, Ren Shiroki finished his session with Dee Jay. After a brief
rest, the ink-wash lines began to swirl once more.
A figure of stoic, immovable calm coalesced. Ryu.
The long red headband fluttered in the phantom wind. Draped in his dark red gi,
Ryu stood barefoot on the grass. He dropped into his foundation stance and
offered a respectful, silent nod.
[COME!]
Ren lunged forward. The quiet of the garden was shattered by a rapid exchange of
fists and feet.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shibukawa noticed the shift immediately. Ren's "Sensei" had changed. At first,
the Master was simply impressed by the depth of Ren's "Will" and "Imagination,"
but slowly, a sense of wrongness began to creep over him.
This "wrongness" was triggered by Shibukawa's own Aiki Goshinjutsu (Protection
Arts).
Because Shibukawa had perfected his defense to a "Completed Form," his instincts
would project powerful hallucinations whenever he approached extreme danger. He
would see cliffs, locked iron gates, or rivers of lava—omens telling him to Turn
Back.
And in the middle of this bright summer morning, as Ren sparred with his second
Master, Shibukawa Gouki saw something impossible.
An ink-wash Azure Dragon, composed of swirling cherry blossom petals, let out a
silent, earth-shaking roar. It opened its massive maw and soared into the sky
directly in front of Ren Shiroki!
"GOD ALMIGHTY~!"
Shibukawa shrieked, his grip tightening in shock until his tea cup shattered in
his hand.
In that heartbeat, Ren was launched into the air by the force of Ryu's
Shoryuken. He flew backward, blood spraying from his nose, and hit the grass
with a heavy thud. He had been defeated with absolute finality.
THUD!
[Your movements are improving. You have been diligent in your training.]
Ryu offered a formal bow, turned, and walked away, his silhouette dissolving
into the rippling ink.
The morning routine was finished.
Ren took a quick shower and changed into a light yukata robe. He sat on the
porch beside Fusui, trading a few casual remarks with a still-rattled Shibukawa.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from the gate.
"BIG BROTHER!!"
The three in the yard turned to see a group of girls approaching, accompanied by
a hulking mountain of a man.
It was Arisa Sakurai, Karura Kure, Hina Hongo, and Nozomi Tenma, with Marco
acting as their escort. They were all dressed in tourist gear, arriving for the
festival.
Ren stood up and caught Arisa as she lunged at him, hoisting his little sister
and spinning her around several times before setting her down. The siblings
shared a look for a few seconds and then burst into a roar of laughter.
"Nice. That's perfect!" Ren rubbed Arisa's head.
But being her brother, Ren saw it immediately. Beneath the smiles, Arisa,
Karura, and even Marco carried a trace of genuine worry.
"Alright, what happened?"
"..."
Arisa took a breath to steady herself. "Kozue-chan said... Baki-kun fought
someone recently. He was poisoned. The situation is... pretty bad."
Ren's mind hummed, the data points clicking into place instantly.
Baki fought Yanagi Ryuko. He took a hit from the Poison Hand. The toxin has
saturated his system. He's at death's door.
Yanagi's "Way of the Void" was a filthy art. Even if you knew the secret of the
poison, avoiding it in a high-speed exchange was nearly impossible. A mere graze
was a death sentence.
Looking at the girls, Ren realized they knew far less than he did. Kozue had
likely kept the grim details hidden to spare them the panic while she
frantically contacted Dr. Kureha Shinogi for a cure.
Arisa let out a long sigh. "Baki-kun says he's fine, but he's lost so much
weight. I hope Dr. Shinogi can find a way to fix it."
Ren thought for a moment, then offered a calm, confident smile. "Baki Hanma is a
youth who wears the title of 'Champion' for a reason. To a monster like him,
even 'Death' is just another rival he has to overcome. There's no need to
worry."
"You're right. He is Baki-kun, after all."
Arisa was naturally optimistic; the logic was enough to settle her heart.
Seeing the girls finally relax, Ren gave his sister a playful pat on the back
and bared his teeth in a grin. "In that case... let's get moving! The Festival
is waiting for us!"
(End of Chapter)
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