Chapter 348: Offense and Defense
[Tokugawa Estate]
"Heh! Why don't you two trade some blows?!"
Mitsunari Tokugawa bared his teeth in a mischievous grin, looking back and forth
between Ren Shiroki and Hideaki Kanoh. "The guest wing isn't the place for this.
Let's head to the dojo!"
Hideaki Kanoh gave a respectful nod of agreement, and Ren didn't refuse. The two
men followed the little old man through the sprawling estate toward the indoor
training grounds.
On the way, Tokugawa couldn't contain his excitement and began explaining his
guard's history to Ren.
"Hideaki Kanoh here used to be a fighter in the Underground Arena! But
eventually, he decided to focus on security work and rarely steps into the Pit
anymore."
Tokugawa reached up and gave Kanoh a playful pat on the lower back.
"This kid... well, he had decent stats in the Arena, but compared to monsters
like Baki Hanma, he was outclassed."
"A long time ago, when Baki first came to my house looking to enter the
Underground, he fought Kanoh. Kanoh lost miserably—he even had an arm dislocated
in the process."
Kanoh gave a helpless shake of his head. "Milord, please... stop digging up my
old failures."
"Hahaha! Well, the opponent was Baki!" Tokugawa roared with laughter, then his
tone shifted back to business. "Even if Kanoh is a 'bottom-tier' in the
C-League, as a Captain of the Guard, he's perfect."
"Because he is a master of Defense."
The three of them passed through a long corridor and arrived at the Tokugawa
dojo.
Unlike the modern aesthetic of the Soul Combat Hub, this place was steeped in
tradition—polished wooden floors, high ceilings, and basic equipment like heavy
sandbags hanging from the rafters.
Ren and Hideaki Kanoh stepped onto the center of the floor, standing several
meters apart. Ren was wearing loose trousers and a long-sleeved casual shirt
Fusui had picked out for him, his feet bare. Hideaki Kanoh was in a relaxed
business suit, also barefoot.
Tokugawa stood between them, raising an eyebrow. "No need to strip down for
this, right?"
The old man looked from left to right, unable to hide his glee. "It's not a
formal match, just a technical exchange. But... treat it like a real street
fight."
Ren and Kanoh nodded. Before the signal to start, Tokugawa introduced Ren to his
guard.
"Kanoh. This is the [SOUL COMBATANT] who systematically dismantled the Death Row
Convicts. In your eyes—the eyes of a defense master—what do you see?"
Kanoh's expression flattened into one of total focus.
He had never looked down on Ren Shiroki; anyone who could earn the
"anticipation" of Mitsunari Tokugawa was a force to be reckoned with. But
standing directly across from Ren, Kanoh felt a surge of tension. He could sense
more than just physical presence.
Faintly, the air around Ren seemed to warp. A dormant power was accumulating,
feeling like a physical pressure that could lunge forward at any moment.
"Killing intent...? No, this is Combat Aura."
A bead of sweat rolled down Kanoh's temple. If this were a real death match, I
probably wouldn't stand a chance, he mused. But... in a technical sparring
match, I can show him my 'worth'!
Ren grinned. "Nice. That's perfect!"
He rolled up his sleeves and looked at the handsome guard. "Whenever you're
ready..."
[SOUL COMBATANT] Ren Shiroki vs. Hideaki Kanoh
Ren dropped into his stance first. He stood side-on, his posture slightly more
relaxed than it would be in a lethal brawl. Right arm guarded his ribs, left arm
kept low, and his left shoulder was slightly raised to protect his chin.
To Ren's surprise, Kanoh's body moved a second later, settling into a stance
that was a mirror image of Ren's.
"Shiroki-kun, I know exactly how strong you are," Kanoh said seriously. "So, I'm
giving this everything I've got!"
"Aha!"
Ren found it fascinating. He dug his rear foot into the floor, launching himself
like an arrow. A violent gust of wind trailed behind him.
[DRIVE RUSH]!
Voom!
Ren slid forward in a blur, closing the distance instantly. His fingers curled
into a half-grip as he unleashed three rapid-fire drunken-style strikes.
Thud-thud-thud!
Kanoh took the first two on his forearms. The final strike aimed for his jaw was
swatted away by his palm.
He blocked all of them?
And... he's not countering?
Ren's expression sharpened. His stance became more grounded, his fists clenching
tight.
[RYU'S UNBREAKABLE TRIPLE STRIKE]!
"Hah!"
Ren twisted his hips, launching a mid-section hook that was intercepted by
Kanoh's palm. He followed up with a low right sweep, but Kanoh hopped over it
with perfect timing.
Ren seized the opening, executing a small stutter-step to reset his rhythm
before snapping his left foot forward in a side-blade kick.
Whish!
The kick blazed toward the mid-air Kanoh. It looked like a guaranteed hit, but
Kanoh used his elbow to "trap" Ren's knee mid-flight, successfully parrying the
impact again.
BANG!
Kanoh was knocked back by the force, carving an arc through the air before
landing gracefully on his feet. He had taken zero damage.
What was even more surprising was that Kanoh had already adjusted his stance—his
hands shifting from a relaxed grip back into clenched fists. He was continuing
to mimic Ren's (and by extension, Ryu's) stance perfectly.
Ren surged forward, unleashing a relentless barrage of blows. Every single one
was parried or blocked, resulting in a rhythmic staccato of thud-thud-whoosh.
Ren's speed increased, pushing the pace to a frantic level, yet Kanoh's guard
remained impenetrable. Even when Kanoh switched to mimicking Dee Jay's rhythm,
Ren's kickboxing feints were seen through and neutralized!
POW!
After one final clash, Ren pulled back, resetting the distance.
"Ho?" Ren chuckled, genuinely impressed. "That isn't just 'mimicry.' That's some
kind of high-level defensive self-preservation art, isn't it?"
"Coming from you, that's a high compliment," Kanoh smiled. "Facing a top-tier
fighter, I don't have many offensive options. But I have spent my life refining
my defense. I've specialized in it."
He readjusted his posture, his eyes tracking Ren's every micro-movement.
"As long as I can mirror an opponent's stance correctly, I can predict whether
an attack is a feint or a genuine strike!"
"The essence of the Guard is Defense! If I can achieve perfect defense, then
even a mediocre offense is enough to fulfill my duties as a protector."
Ren listened to Kanoh's philosophy, then let out a long, satisfied breath. He
stepped forward casually.
He closed the distance, suddenly reaching out with his right hand to grip
Kanoh's shoulder. Using his own body weight as a lever, Ren yanked Kanoh forward
while falling backward himself.
If strikes wouldn't work, he would try a throw!
[RYU'S TOMOE NAGE]!
Whoosh!
Kanoh's balance was compromised for a split second, but he reacted with uncanny
speed. He swung his left arm vertically, his wrist slamming into Ren's right
forearm and slapping the grip away.
The throw was teched. Both men retreated a half-step.
"Hah... hah...!"
Kanoh was breathing hard, the adrenaline of a near-miss spiking his heart rate.
But he immediately re-synced his stance with Ren's, maintaining his wall of
defense.
Ren was delighted. "You can even tech a grapple?"
Kanoh thinned his lips. "If I abandon offense entirely and focus 100% on the
'Guard,' I can manage. High, mid, low strikes... or even the start of a grapple.
I am confident I can intercept them all!"
Watching from the sidelines, Tokugawa pumped a fist in excitement.
"You've really evolved since the Baki match, Kanoh!" the old man chirped.
"Shiroki-kun, my Captain's defense is no joke! How will your 'Combat' handle
it?"
Hearing Tokugawa "fanning the flames," Kanoh gave a bitter smile. "Milord,
please don't provoke him..."
Kanoh looked nervously at Ren. "Shiroki-kun, I've seen your fight with Dr.
Shinogi. I know you can overwhelm a 'Super-Physique' with pure aggression. And I
know you have that terrifying strike... [STRIKE AT THE APEX]? If you're going to
use that, please tell me beforehand so I can just forfeit."
Ren laughed, feeling a bit guilty. "That's a bit too honest, isn't it? That's
practically moral kidnapping!"
Kanoh was about to agree, but Ren's tone shifted.
"—But I get it. I see the path now."
The moment Ren said those words, Kanoh's hair stood on end. He focused every
fiber of his being on Ren, analyzing his frame.
Can I block the next one?
Ren remained in his side-facing stance, his "intent" to attack becoming visible.
A lightning-fast left jab!
Snap!
Kanoh raised both arms, successfully intercepting Ren's jab.
But before he could celebrate the block, he felt his balance vanish. Ren's arms
had shot forward, gripping his shoulders for the second time.
Using his weight, Ren threw himself backward. Because Kanoh was still in the
"stiffness" (block-stun) of the previous parry, he couldn't tech the throw in
time. His momentum carried him forward, right into Ren's trap.
Zip!
As they were about to hit the ground, Ren's right leg snapped upward, his foot
burying into Kanoh's gut and launching him over his head.
[RYU'S TOMOE NAGE]!
THUD!
Kanoh flew several meters, hitting the floor and rolling onto his back several
times before scrambling to his feet.
"Wait... what?!"
He stared at Ren, wide-eyed and bewildered. It felt like he'd been cheated by
physics. He couldn't explain why he'd been caught.
Tokugawa was just as shocked. "That... what kind of punch was that first jab?"
"Just a normal light jab," Ren explained with a grin, shaking out his hands. "It
was an ordinary punch, but because it had weight behind it, you had to block
it."
"The act of blocking requires your body to absorb and redirect force. That
creates a micro-second of 'stiffness'—a frame-trap."
"In that tiny window of recovery, you couldn't tech my grapple!"
"In other words, in 'Combat,' even a perfect defense isn't a safe haven. Just
standing there and defending is a one-way ticket to a loss."
Ren walked forward, closing in on Kanoh again. Kanoh struggled to process the
technical lecture, but his instincts forced him to reset his stance. He returned
to his specialty—the Guard.
This time, Ren didn't lead with a jab. The moment he entered Kanoh's range, he
dug in.
[DRIVE IMPACT: SHOCKWAVE]!
BOOM!
The heavy, torque-driven punch slammed into Kanoh's raised guard. The force was
so immense that Kanoh's entire upper body was snapped back, his arms going numb
from the vibration.
Shick!
Ren's hands darted out, seizing Kanoh's left arm. Using his own shoulder as a
fulcrum, he hoisted the guard up and slammed him face-first into the floor.
[RYU'S SHOULDER THROW]!
Thwack!
Kanoh hit the mats again, lying on his back, his eyes spinning in confusion.
Ren hadn't used his full power, so Kanoh was able to recover quickly. As he
looked up, he saw Ren looming over him.
"Beyond exploiting 'hit-stun' or 'block-stun,' you can also exploit the 'get-up
game.' You can force a gamble the moment your opponent rises!"
[SATSUI CHOICE]!
Ren's eyes glowed with a predatory light. A surge of murderous intent washed
over the dojo, chilling Tokugawa to the bone and making the hair on Kanoh's neck
stand up. It was the aura of someone truly intending to kill.
"Hah—!"
Kanoh let out a desperate shout, scrambling to his feet to reset his defense.
But the moment he rose, Ren's fist was already there. It was as if Kanoh's head
had "moved into" Ren's hand. There was no time to react, no space to block.
BONG—
It wasn't even a punch so much as Kanoh's face colliding with Ren's static fist.
"Urgh...!"
Kanoh instinctively tucked his chin. Ren pursued him with a flurry of light,
technical strikes. His movements were full of kinetic energy, targeting every
vital point in sequence.
The philtrum. The throat. The solar plexus. The liver. The groin.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Finally, Ren executed a spinning back-fist that grazed Kanoh's forehead. His
hand stopped dead center, shifting into a finger-flick.
Flick!
Kanoh took the heavy snap to the forehead and tumbled backward, sitting on the
floor with a pained grin. "Eeegh...!"
☆☆☆
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