Chapter 377: The Fist Master!
"So... so strong!"
Rihito stood on the porch, his eyes wide and fixed on the arena. He had first
met the Kenpo master, Retsu Kaioh, during the "Boxing Exhibition" and had
witnessed his technical brilliance then. Since that day, Rihito had endured
countless trials and pushed his body to the limit in a desperate bid to get
stronger.
But watching this? Rihito felt a cold shiver. The gap between himself and Retsu
wasn't just a distance—it was a bottomless abyss.
"Whether it's that Sun Kaioh or me... we're lightyears away from Retsu-aniki's
level!" Rihito muttered, his scalp tingling with a mix of dread and awe. "What
the hell does it take to reach that height?"
"Ho ho ho..."
From his wheelchair nearby, the Sea Emperor, Kaku Kaioh, let out a soft, airy
chuckle.
"Young man," the ancient master said, his voice serene. "Being able to clearly
see the gap and then pondering the path forward—that is the absolute first step
on the road to true power."
"That... actually makes a lot of sense!" Rihito pounded his palm with his fist,
giving a sheepish grin. "Thanks, gramps."
He didn't know Kaku Kaioh's status or his history, but he could instinctively
feel why the old man was treated with such reverence. His instincts had
sharpened; he was starting to "see" the weight of a person's soul.
Ren Shiroki walked back from the arena edge to join the group of spectators.
Since Retsu showed no intention of switching out, Ren had to be content with
watching. He was pouting slightly, his "Willpower Addiction" flaring up because
he wasn't the one in the center of the action.
Meanwhile, the unconscious Sun Kaioh was carried off and leaned against a stack
of tires to recover.
Retsu looked at the remaining four visitors. "Next. Who is coming? I will face
you all!"
The Kaiohs shared a glance. Finally, the tallest of them—a literal titan—stepped
forward. He gave Retsu a formal martial arts salute.
"I will go."
It was Chu Kaioh, the master of the [DRAGON KING FIST]. He stepped onto the
sand, shedding his jacket to reveal a simple tank top over a massive, looming
frame.
Ren, Kaku Kaioh, Li Kaioh, Rihito, and Marco lined up along the porch to watch.
Fusui came down from the second floor to stand by Ren, while Arisa arrived a
moment later with a fruit platter and tea, ensuring the "VIP section" was
properly catered.
"Chu Kaioh of the Dragon King Fist," Li Kaioh introduced as the giant squared
off with Retsu. "Because of his size, he is known as [THE COLOSSUS]. He is a
giant who has mastered the technical finesse of Kenpo."
"Ready?" Ren raised his hand high. "FIGHT—!"
Having seen Sun Kaioh's humiliating defeat, Chu Kaioh took no chances. He
radiated a dense killing intent from the start, unleashing his reach instantly.
"SHAA!"
At over 210cm (nearly 7 feet) tall, his high roundhouse kick carried terrifying
range and momentum. It was a strike that would have decapitated a normal man.
But Retsu saw the frames of the movement before the foot even left the sand.
Whoosh—!
Retsu dropped into a simple, deep squat, the massive leg whistling harmlessly
over his head. With a movement that was both surgical and stable, Retsu twisted
his hips and drove his right palm-heel forward.
THUD!
The strike was quiet, but it buried itself with pinpoint accuracy into Chu
Kaioh's groin.
"—?!"
The giant let out a choked gasp, clutching his vitals as he collapsed into a
heap, writhing in silent agony. He tried to grit his teeth for a
counter-assault, but it was useless.
He looked up to see Retsu's foot hovering inches from his ear. Retsu had raised
his leg for a killing stomp but held it there, his expression neutral.
"Your courage is admirable," Retsu said, looking down at the giant. "But you
have not mastered the mass of your own body."
"Baki Hanma has a brother who underwent bone-lengthening surgery, growing
from 193cm to 213cm. Yet his combat efficiency remained flawless. Why? Because
he trained to command every new inch of his skeleton."
"The reason you lost is simple: your training is insufficient."
Chu Kaioh stared in shock, then slowly rose, wiping foam from his mouth. He
bowed deeply to Retsu in gratitude for the lesson.
Ren shouted: "THE MATCH IS DECIDED! TWO CONSECUTIVE WINS!"
Chu Kaioh staggered off the field, replaced by a lean, bronze-skinned Thai man
with a frigid expression.
Samwan Kaioh.
"Samwan Kaioh, twenty-five years old," Li Kaioh continued the briefing. "His
master, Su-ryu, traveled to Thailand eighteen years ago to fight on the Muay
Thai prize circuit. He witnessed a young Samwan playing with a king cobra, which
became the catalyst for the fusion of Kenpo and Muay Thai. Two years ago, Samwan
was awarded the title of Kaioh."
On the arena, Samwan stood a head taller than Retsu, looking down at him with
disdain.
Retsu arched an eyebrow. "Samwan. I read your interview. You claimed that 'Qi,'
'Breath-Power,' and 'Fa-jin' were all lies."
"You said that martial arts is nothing more than athletic ability and the
rational use of the flesh. You said there is no room for 'Magic' in a fight."
Retsu looked at Samwan, his eyes narrowing playfully. "In that case... I suppose
I'll have to use some 'Magic' on you."
"—?!"
Samwan flinched, entering a state of total focus. Retsu remained calm, slowly
raising his hands to his face.
The next second—Zip!
Retsu cupped his half-clenched fists in front of his mouth, forming a narrow
tunnel with his palms. He exhaled the entire volume of his lungs in a single,
explosive burst.
PHUT!
A concentrated, high-velocity "Air Bullet" traveled across the gap, striking
Samwan directly in his open eyes. The sudden pressure forced his eyelids shut,
blinding him instantly.
"GAH!"
Samwan panicked, unleashing a series of Muay Thai low kicks at the space where
he thought Retsu was. He hit nothing but air.
When he finally forced his eyes open, Retsu's hand was already there. A massive
palm engulfed his face, driving him backward and slamming him into the sand with
the force of a falling meteor.
BOOM!
The back of Samwan's head hit the earth, carving a crater in the arena. His
vision vibrated violently; he couldn't even find his feet.
"Your thinking is immature," Retsu said, staring down at his third opponent. "As
a practitioner of Muay Thai, your resolve and 'Sacrifice' are pathetic compared
to [THE GOD OF WAR] Gaolang Wongsawat!"
Samwan had no strength left to argue. He stumbled out of the ring to rest.
Ren raised a clenched fist. "THE MATCH IS DECIDED! THREE CONSECUTIVE WINS!!"
The fourth challenger stepped up. He wasn't tall, but he was built like a
reinforced bunker—thick, dense muscle covered every inch of his frame. He had
heavy eyebrows and a round, stubborn face.
"Yang Kaioh of the [DIAMOND FIST]," Li Kaioh whispered. His voice was beginning
to crack with nervousness; Retsu's performance was bordering on the divine.
"The Diamond Fist aims to turn the five limbs into indestructible iron. They
train by taking strikes from wooden swords, then iron chains. They let heavy
vehicles drive over their abdomens. It's even said their final trial is to stand
before an old-fashioned cannon and tank an iron cannonball with their chest."
"Yang is said to have finished his training by sitting under a thirty-meter
waterfall during a typhoon, enduring falling debris and rocks until dawn."
RIIIIP!
Yang Kaioh shredded his shirt, revealing muscles that caught the light with a
literal metallic sheen.
Thump! Thump!
He pounded his chest with his fists. "Don't hold back, Retsu! Give me everything
you've got! Hit me!"
Retsu looked at him with a mixture of confusion and pity.
"Yang. Why would you say something so foolish?" Retsu thinned his lips. "Why do
you presume to tell your opponent how to act? Do you expect the world to follow
your script?"
"—?"
Yang Kaioh blinked. In that moment of confusion, Retsu moved. He didn't lunge;
his movement was agonizingly slow. He placed his fist against Yang's forehead,
maintaining contact for a heartbeat.
Then, he triggered the torque.
[ONE-INCH PUNCH]!
WHISH!
The same strike that had once sent Ren Shiroki flying through the air exploded
into Yang's skull.
No matter how hard the skin or how dense the muscle, the skull is a hollow
vessel. The space inside cannot be filled with muscle. If the brain is rattled,
the body shuts down. Against a stationary target, a master like Retsu could
induce a concussion with zero effort.
"Urgh...?"
A clear fist-print appeared on Yang's forehead. It didn't "hurt" in the
traditional sense, but Yang felt as though his soul had been evicted from his
body. His legs turned to jelly, and he sat down heavily in the sand.
"Naive. And your resilience is a lie."
Retsu turned his back on the fourth man.
Ren called it: "THE MATCH IS DECIDED! FOUR CONSECUTIVE WINS!!"
Only one remained: Chen Kaioh of the [SANHE FIST].
Li Kaioh was now drenched in sweat, his hands shaking as he held the data
clipboard. He had expected a technical exchange, but Retsu was operating on a
plane of existence that made the title of "Kaioh" look like a participation
trophy.
"Sanhe Fist... it emphasizes the unity of Qi, Fist, and Earth. In modern terms,
it's about utilizing the environment and terrain to amplify one's strikes..."
Li's voice trailed off. He couldn't imagine a scenario where Chen could win.
Retsu walked to the center of the ring, stopping in front of Chen.
"This is the fifth round," Retsu whispered to himself.
Chen opened his mouth to ask what he meant.
Zip!
Retsu's left fist remained relaxed, but he pivoted his weight, his knuckles
grazing the point of Chen's chin in a high-speed backhand flicker.
Snap.
Chen's eyes rolled back. He collapsed into Retsu's arms before he could even
register the movement. Retsu caught him and lowered him gently to the sand.
"Poor adaptability. Zero fighting spirit."
Retsu turned to the porch, his gaze sweeping over the audience—specifically the
friends he had made at the Hub.
He looked at Rihito, who might get knocked down or bleed, but who carried a
reckless, death-defying resolve to get stronger. He looked at Marco, a "child"
with a tragic past who possessed a will of iron and potential that defied
calculation. And then... he looked at Ren Shiroki.
Ren was currently pouting. He was annoyed that Retsu had taken all five matches
for himself, leaving him with a mountain of popcorn and no one to hit.
But Retsu knew. No matter how much he grumbled, this man would eventually look
up, flash that signature grin, and say the words.
Ren wiped the salt from his hands and stepped onto the sand. He slammed a hand
onto Retsu's shoulder, his annoyance replaced by genuine pride for his friend.
"Five consecutive wins! Nice, Retsu-aniki! That was Perfect!"
☆☆☆
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