Chapter 296: Pure Happiness
Jun Sekibayashi [The Hell's Angel]— 38 years old. Height: 196 cm. Weight: 141
kg.
His hyper-developed muscles rose in jagged slabs like a Hellenistic statue,
looking more like organic armor plates than flesh. These slabs were anchored to
a skeletal structure as rigid as high-tensile steel.
With that monstrous frame behind it, a single heavy-handed punch whistled
through the air, catching Ren Shiroki flush on the face.
BOOM!
Ren's nose and lips seemed to collapse under the pressure of the fist. The
kinetic energy drove straight forward, appearing as if it would punch right
through his facial structure and into his brain.
The impact embedded itself in his skull!
Pain, acidity, vertigo, and a primal sense of peril—a chaotic storm of
sensations flooded Ren's mind. His eyes rolled back for a heartbeat, nearly
losing consciousness, only to snap back into a razor-sharp focus a micro-second
later.
—?!
I almost blacked out from a single hit?!
Ren had wanted to trade in a pro-wrestling style, but facing the raw torque of
the Hell's Angel, he realized he simply couldn't afford to take those hits
head-on!
Sekibayashi's right fist was still pushing forward, the follow-through intended
to crush Ren.
Zip—!
Ren suddenly snapped his neck to the left. He drove his lead foot into the sand,
using his back foot to pivot his entire mass into a clockwise rotation. He
"shed" the momentum, letting the massive fist slide past his cheek.
Splurt!
Ren's nosebleed sprayed in a fine mist, tracing a crimson arc through the air as
he spun. He grazed past Sekibayashi's extended right arm, closing the gap from
the giant's left flank. He coiled his body mid-rotation, driving his feet into
the sand for a counter-launch.
"MISSION START!"
[CAMMY'S QUICK SPIN KNUCKLE]!
Ren let out a roar, his left back-fist whipping forward with the combined torque
of his hips and the explosive drive from the floor. It caught Sekibayashi square
on the jaw.
BANG!
Ren's knuckles sank into the giant's cheek. With a sickening Pshhh, blood
erupted from Sekibayashi's nose.
Shash-shash-shash—
Blood sprayed across the sand, painting the ring in red. Unlike Ren's technical
evasion, Sekibayashi made zero effort to dodge. He simply braced his neck and
took the hit flush, his eyes watering from the shock but his grin never
wavering.
"TAKE THIS!"
Ren's face was a mask of predatory focus. He unleashed a flurry of rapid-fire
punches aimed at Sekibayashi's head—Light, Medium, Heavy—each one driven by the
rotation of his spine, each hit heavier than the last.
[LUKE'S TRIPLE IMPACT]!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The punches caught Sekibayashi square on the cheeks and temple. Yet, the giant's
smirk only widened. Even as blood sprayed from his mouth and nose, he refused to
block or slip a single strike!
"Phew...!"
Ren finished the combination, exhaling a cloud of metallic-smelling breath.
He had experienced the "No-Defense" resilience of Jose Kanzaki earlier, but
Sekibayashi was on an entirely different level. His standing posture surpassed
mere "Endurance"; it felt like he was using his very fighting spirit to deal
damage to anyone who touched him. Bathed in his own blood, the giant looked like
a demon emerging from the pit.
"If that's how it is—"
Ren bared his teeth, lunging forward. He drove his left palm-root forward with
everything he had, targeting Sekibayashi's solar plexus.
[JAMIE'S FREEFLOW STRIKE]!
THUD!
The palm-strike forced a heavy grunt from the giant's chest. A cloud of hot
steam and blood escaped Sekibayashi's gritted teeth.
Ren didn't let up. He used his left foot as a pivot, spinning his entire mass as
his right leg snapped upward in a high-roundhouse scan-kick. The wind from the
strike shrieked as it tracked toward the giant's neck.
[RYU'S HURRICANE KICK]!
"HYAH!"
BANG!
The heel caught Sekibayashi on the side of the neck. The giant stumbled to the
left, his 141kg frame momentarily off-balance, but he caught himself instantly.
Zip!
Sekibayashi's right hand snapped out like a trap, clamping around Ren's ankle.
His fingers dug into the bone, refusing to let go. His bloodshot eyes widened,
boring into Ren's.
The young Kure announcer shrieked: "DISASTER! Sekibayashi has caught Ren
Shiroki's leg!!"
Clack!
Sekibayashi raised his left hand, intending to lock both massive palms around
the ankle and snap the joint.
In that millisecond of peril, Ren drove off his grounded left foot, leaping into
the air. He twisted his body mid-vault to the right, using the rotation to force
Sekibayashi's grip to slip.
"DIE!"
Ren let out a sharp roar. He drove his free left foot into Sekibayashi's face
while violently wrenching his right leg free from the giant's grasp.
He arched his back mid-air, using the momentum to flip over Sekibayashi's head
and land behind him. He didn't waste a heartbeat, tracking the giant's footwork.
He's turning right!
Zip!
Ren drove his right foot into the sand and spun. He unleashed a second
[HURRICANE KICK], his heel catching the turning Sekibayashi flush on the jaw.
BANG!
Sekibayashi took another heavy hit, blood spraying once more, yet that jagged,
terrifying smirk remained etched on his face.
Ren's left foot touched down. He tightened his right fist and unleashed a brutal
downward hammer-fist to the chest.
[RYU'S COLLARBONE BREAKER]!
THUD!
The punch slammed into Sekibayashi's sternum, but it was absorbed by those
massive, high-tension pectoral muscles. Sekibayashi stood immovable, towering
over Ren like a mountain.
"Hey, kid. Are you finished?"
Sekibayashi's eyes were wide and crazed, his voice a raspy, gravelly growl. "How
was that?"
"Nice. That was perfect!"
Ren's face was a mixture of sweat and blood, the liquid turning a pale pink as
it dripped into the sand. He remained in his fighting stance, feeling the
biological heat radiating from his skin. He whispered in awe, "It feels...
dreamlike..."
"Haha! Glad you're enjoying the show."
Sekibayashi tightened his fists, his roar shaking the scaffolding. "THIS IS MY
PRO-WRESTLING!"
WHOOSH!
A heavy straight fired out.
Ren leaned back to dodge, but the knuckles still grazed his nose, drawing a
fresh line of blood. He stumbled back a half-step, his head spinning.
"I'M NOT DONE!!"
Bang-bang-POW!
Sekibayashi unleashed a frantic barrage of heavy punches. Every hit was a
club-like blow of raw torque. Ren was forced to raise his forearms, absorbing
the impacts while being driven backward across the ring.
It wasn't Karate technicality or Kenpo precision. It was the "Weight" of a man
who spent his life carrying a 140kg body and hitting things. The force was so
immense that even with his guard up, Ren's balance was being systematically
deleted.
Bang! Thud! Crack!
Ren's forearms were turned into a bruised, bloody mess. Slowly, his "Evasion"
frames were being replaced by "Block" frames. He was being pinned against the
turnbuckles.
The opening blitz from Ren and the current relentless offensive from Sekibayashi
had the crowd in a state of religious fervor. The match had hit a fever-pitch in
record time.
"OOHH! Sekibayashi is pushing him back!!" "Hell yes! Crush him!" "Keep it up,
Hell's Angel!" "Ren-kun, hold on!!"
The cheers were overwhelmingly for Sekibayashi. The high-risk, high-reward style
of the Hell's Angel was a magnetic force that no one could resist.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sekibayashi's barrage continued, effectively stripping Ren of his room to
maneuver. Just before he hit the ropes, Ren seemed to snap. He tightened his
fists and charged, acting as if he were going for a desperate frontal trade.
Sekibayashi grinned sadistically, coiling his muscles to meet the fist with his
own.
But the next heartbeat—[DEE JAY'S STAYIN' COOL]!
Zip!
Ren performed a rhythmic back-sway, letting Sekibayashi's heavy straight whistle
through the air. Having created a sliver of space, he drive off the ground in a
massive leap.
[RASHID'S TRIANGLE JUMP]!
WHOOSH!
Ren's boots hit the wooden ring-fencing. Using the counter-force, he launched
himself forward, vaulting over Sekibayashi's head to land behind him. He
performed two rapid back-hops to reset the distance.
"Heh... using the '3D' environment? You really are a Pro-Wrestler at heart,
aren't you?"
Sekibayashi spat out a mouthful of blood. He didn't pursue; instead, he stood
there, gasping for air. "Those hands are heavy, Ren Shiroki. But you're way too
fast!"
Sekibayashi recovered his breath a half-beat before Ren. He spread his arms and
leaned forward, his aura skyrocketing.
"Go ahead. Exercise your 'Rights', kid!"
"Parry, redirect, dodge... do whatever you have to do to protect your skin! That
is the right of you 'Fighters'!"
"But for us Pro-Wrestlers? We only have the 'Duty' to absorb every hit our
opponent offers!"
"Blunt force, blades, secret arts, explosives... it doesn't matter! All we can
do is take it head-on!!"
Sekibayashi spread his fingers wide, veins bulging on the backs of his hands. He
glared at Ren with a demonic grin. "Thinking about it like that... as a
'Fighter,' you must be feeling pretty Happy right now, aren't you?!"
"..."
The incredible declaration was the core of Sekibayashi's "Pro-Wrestling Creed."
He had added a touch of mockery to the words, a psychological jab intended to
rattle his opponent's focus and lure them into a mistake.
Faced with this logic, different fighters reacted in different ways. Rage,
dismissal, confusion—he'd seen it all.
But to Sekibayashi's absolute shock, Ren Shiroki burst into a fit of genuine,
heartfelt laughter.
"Yeah!"
Ren bared his teeth in a wide grin. "As a Fighter... I'm incredibly happy!!"
Sekibayashi froze.
Ren hoisted a tightened right fist. "You, as a Pro-Wrestler, choose to absorb
everything."
"And I, as a Fighter, am wracking my brain to find a way to deal with your
'Everything'!"
"To me... that is the soul of combat. A fighter struggling against a secret
art... and a wrestler with the resolve to take it... we're both having the time
of our lives, aren't we?!"
"..."
Hearing this, Sekibayashi couldn't help but let out a laugh of his own. "Ah...
you're damn right about that!!"
Ringside, the cheers were a physical wall of sound.
Kugo Kurachi stroked his mustache, a wide grin on his face. "Sekibayashi is in
his Super Fantastic state! He isn't going down tonight!"
"That's our Ace!" Jose Kanzaki shouted, his frame trembling with excitement. "No
matter how many times he's hit, he just gets stronger! That is the essence of
the Hell's Angel!"
Nearby, Gouki Shibukawa nudged his glasses. "That wrestling kid... he's really
transformed 'Wrestling' into a legitimate 'Martial Art.' It's magnificent!"
The old master's tone shifted into a wicked smirk. "However... don't go
underestimating a martial artist's fists."
Kurachi and Jose nodded solemnly. They turned their focus back to the sand.
Ren Shiroki stopped his movement. He stood tall, facing Sekibayashi.
"Now then... I'm going to exercise my 'Rights' to the absolute limit~!"
Ren no longer retreated. Sekibayashi began his steady, heavy advance. The
distance closed.
Their respective Airspaces began to grind against each other!
The young Kure girl narrowed her eyes. "ENGAGE—!!"
WHOOSH!
Sekibayashi unleashed a frantic barrage of punches. Ren dropped into a deep
crouch, letting the knuckles graze his hair as he drove his own foot into the
sand. He lunged forward, sliding deep into Sekibayashi's inner-circle.
His right fist pulled back to its maximum extension. Every vein in his arm
throbbed as the entire mass of his 101kg body was funneled into his knuckles.
His pupils quivered violently. Red veins tightened like iron chains.
[ENGINE]—MAX OUTPUT! The unconscious self was deleted.
Over 36 trillion cells fired in a single, perfectly synchronized pulse. The
target: Sekibayashi's massive chest.
[STRIKE AT THE APEX]—MAX POWER!
BOOM—!!!
A deafening, cannon-like roar echoed across the plaza. The spectators stared
with wide eyes, many forgetting to breathe.
Even the "Devil" Raian Kure felt a jolt of adrenaline. He leaned forward against
the barricade, a feral grin splitting his face. "Now THAT is a punch, brother!!"
(End of Chapter)
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