Chapter 344: The Strength of Being Human
Kaku Kaioh.
No one noticed when the 146-year-old elder had moved his wheelchair, positioning
himself directly in the path of Yujiro Hanma.
Furthermore, no one could quite wrap their heads around the words the Sea
Emperor had just leveled at the Ogre.
"Hmm. Even up close, it's the same. You're truly a weakling, young man..."
Kaku Kaioh slid his sunglasses back onto the bridge of his nose, lowering his
head slightly like a frail man at the end of his days.
The spectators stood frozen, the previous violence forgotten. Their eyes darted
nervously toward Yujiro. The Ogre's lip curled downward into a silent, predatory
snarl as he stared at the elder.
Kaku Kaioh began to reminisce, his voice airy. "It was about twenty years ago,
wasn't it? I started hearing the rumors..."
"A man had appeared in the world of conflict—the 'Strongest on Earth,' 'The
Strongest in History.' Dubbed [THE STRONGEST CREATURE ON EARTH]."
"Looking at your frame and your movements... I see. Every twitch, every breath
radiates the talent of a genius. You haven't shamed your title."
"—But despite being a genius, you are fundamentally weak."
Kaku's gaze pierced through his lenses and the gloom of night, locking onto
Yujiro's eyes.
"Hunger. Agitation. You are a vessel overflowing with deficiencies."
"You cannot suppress them. No... it's more accurate to say you don't even try to
suppress them."
Facing the man who stood at the apex of biological violence, Kaku Kaioh offered
a serene smile.
"To lack the ability to crush your own rising impulses... to have zero
self-control... that is the height of weakness."
"What is strength?"
"What is the true strength of a 'Human Being'?"
Kaku arched an eyebrow at Yujiro.
"The history of conflict and martial arts is a history of the struggle against
'primal impulse and instinct.' Oh, Strong One... you, who cannot defy your own
instincts, are nothing but a weakling."
"..."
Hearing this, Yujiro's mouth twisted upward, his facial muscles rippling like
warped sheet metal.
"Wandering the streets at this hour?" Yujiro rumbled. "You've got a lot of
energy for a fossil, old man..."
Kaku sat calmly in his chair. "I manage. So, would you like to see it? The
definition of true strength?"
The air around the two masters began to distort. To the observers, the clashing
of their "Auras" was so intense it created a visual ripple, like heat shimmering
off asphalt. It was a collision of "Absolute Power" versus "Absolute Logic."
Ren Shiroki and Ohma Tokita held their breath. Yagyo shifted his weight,
shielding Arisa with the practiced grace of a gentleman. Kuroki Gensai's gaze
darkened. Retsu Kaioh looked on with a mixture of reverence for his master and a
cold, gnawing dread. This was Yujiro Hanma, after all.
"Master...!"
The atmosphere turned brittle, a suffocating pressure that made it hard to
breathe. It felt as if a single nod from Yujiro would trigger a cataclysm that
would tear the street apart and ignite the very stars.
The stalemate was broken by a new visitor arriving through the midnight gloom.
Baki Hanma.
The [CHAMPION] of the Underground Arena and the son of the Ogre.
Patter, patter, patter.
The sound of sandals hitting the pavement drew closer. The boy's silhouette
emerged from a side path. His face was handsome, inheriting the beauty of his
mother, Emi Akezawa. But years of crossing the "Dead Line" had etched a
sharpness into his features—a ghost of the man who stood before him.
Yujiro turned his head toward Baki.
Baki was wearing flip-flops and loose training pants, his hair a messy nest as
if he'd just crawled out of bed.
"I was wondering why I couldn't get to sleep tonight," Baki mused, hands in his
pockets. "I thought I'd just slept too much lately, but I guess my gut was
telling me not to miss the show."
Baki glanced at the mangled heap that was Yanagi Ryuko, then looked up at his
father.
This was the man who had brought him into the world solely to create a rival for
himself. When Baki was thirteen, after surviving wars against a hundred masters,
he had fought Yujiro and been utterly decimated. His mother, Emi, who had spent
her life seeking Yujiro's love, had finally chosen her love for her son. To
protect Baki, she had challenged the Ogre as a mother—and died in Yujiro's
final, bone-crushing embrace.
Baki didn't even know how to process that memory anymore. He only remembered his
mother, dying in the arms of the man she loved, protecting the son she loved.
Baki stared at Yujiro, lost in thought.
Yujiro turned fully toward him, baring his teeth in a grin. "You almost lost
your life, Baki."
"Yeah..." Baki scratched his head, scanning the crowd. He saw friends and
legends alike.
Feeling the weight of the moment, Baki spoke. "Old man. I've got something to
say to you."
"Oh?" Yujiro chuckled. "'Something to say'? How formal!"
"By the look on your face, you're about to demand a confrontation."
Baki's expression flattened. "That's exactly what I'm thinking."
Yujiro fell silent for a beat, his expression shifting before splitting into a
wide, jagged grin. "Poison is out of the system, and the moment you feel better,
you're looking for a fight?"
Baki didn't answer. He threw back a question of his own. "Are you changing the
subject? That doesn't sound like you."
The boy didn't look nervous. He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd come flying
at me the moment I mentioned a confrontation."
Baki put his hands on his hips. "I'm not like you. I don't give a damn about
being 'The Strongest on Earth.' I don't find any glory in it."
"If you're the 'Strongest Creature on Earth,' then I'll be the second strongest.
I only need to be a tiny bit better than you."
Baki pinched his thumb and forefinger together. "Just a tiny bit stronger than
you... that's all I need!"
Yujiro's grin turned into a full-blown display of teeth. He looked up at the
sky. It was clear and starry—much like the night of their battle when Baki was
thirteen.
Yujiro suddenly asked, "How many years has it been since then?"
Baki answered instantly. "Four years and eleven months."
Yujiro looked impressed by the speed of the answer. He laughed. "Just a slightly
bigger slug than you were back then, and you think you can trade blows with me?"
"I can't?" Baki pushed.
He pulled off his hoodie, tossing it onto the grass to reveal a lean,
hyper-muscled torso covered in scars. "Old man, you're talking too much!"
Baki tilted his head, his expression relaxed but his words biting. "Are you
scared?"
While the father and son squared off, Motobe Izo tucked the fragments of his
broken sword away and quietly moved over to the group of spectators.
"Tonight is even more dangerous than I imagined..." Motobe muttered. He stuck a
cigarette in his mouth, but he was so focused on Yujiro that he forgot to light
it.
"The Strongest Brat on Earth vs. [THE STRONGEST CREATURE]. Every time these two
meet, the tension is like the eve of a world war."
Ren Shiroki nodded in agreement, his eyes glued to the scene. For him, this was
a night to remember. Kuroki Gensai's [DEVIL LANCE], Kaku Kaioh's absolute
mastery, and Motobe's ancient combat... it was a gathering of "Strength" that
even the Tokyo Dome Underground Arena couldn't have hosted.
Motobe caught Ren's gaze and gave a helpless shrug. "Heh. You kids have a lot of
guts. But I guess I'm no better—I want to see this with my own eyes too."
"Just hope we can run fast enough if the Ogre truly loses his temper."
Yujiro chuckled. "There are a lot of voyeurs here tonight, aren't there?"
"Does it matter?" Baki countered. "For us, it doesn't matter if there's an arena
or an audience, right?"
Baki stepped closer, seizing the momentum. "Or is it true? Is the 'Old Man'
actually afraid of a kid like me?"
Yujiro paused. Then, his tone shifted. "Baki... don't push yourself too hard.
Your legs are shaking."
"—?"
Baki blinked, realizing for the first time that his legs were indeed trembling.
It wasn't a choice; he was so keyed up that his body was reacting before his
mind could process the terror.
The next instant—WHOOSH!
Yujiro's right hand snapped out. He caught Baki by the face, his palm engulfing
the boy's head, and lunged forward with terrifying speed.
BOOM!
Baki's back and head slammed into a brick park wall. Cracks spider-webbed across
the masonry like a shattered windshield. Yujiro's fingers exerted immense
pressure, squishing Baki's cheeks until his face puckered.
Baki was lifted off the ground, one of his flip-flops falling off.
Veins bulged in Yujiro's brow. With just one hand, he pinned Baki against the
wall and began his "education."
"If you're going to provoke me, watch your words!"
"You dare say I am afraid?"
The grip tightened, like a hydraulic press, forcing Baki's eyes half-shut.
"Just because you've 'tasted a woman' and survived a near-death experience...!"
"I heard you beat some third-rate Kenpoist? Don't start thinking you've mastered
the 'Truth' of the fist!"
"You brat...!"
Yujiro roared: "GET LOST!"
CRACK!
Yujiro dug his feet into the pavement and surged forward. He didn't punch; he
used his raw physical mass to push through Baki's head, literally driving the
boy through the brick wall.
CRASH!
The wall imploded, a massive hole appearing where Baki had been pinned. It
wasn't an impact; it was a pure display of "shoving" force.
Baki was launched through the debris, tumbling across the park grass for several
meters before coming to a stop on his back.
"Tsk...!" The boy hissed in pain.
The observers, including Baki himself, were struck by a singular, overwhelming
thought:
He's so... goddamn... strong!!
☆☆☆
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