"Glass, wood, concrete."
"I experimented endlessly with different materials."
"Finally, I managed to create a vacuum in my palm."
Yanagi Ryuko stepped forward and pressed his palm against the concrete wall.
Bang!
The wall tore apart as if it were paper, leaving a large, jagged hole.
"The strongest poisonous gas on Earth can be made this way," Yanagi Ryuko said, raising his hand with pride. "Sarin and hydrogen cyanide are nothing—just one breath of this can kill."
"Going to prison was the best thing that ever happened to me," he continued, a sinister smile curling his lips. "It was the perfect place to learn how to use it."
"Soon, my name became synonymous with deadly poison."
Woo—! Woo—!
Police sirens blared in the distance.
"The police are finally here," he muttered. "Still slow as ever."
Stepping on Baki and flipping over the wall, Yanagi Ryuko walked casually through Tokyo's streets.
Then a cold shiver ran down his spine, a sensation he hadn't felt in years. Slowly, he turned—and saw Sol Mirek, standing atop the wall of Tokyo Den High School, calmly watching him.
"Can he really spot me in this crowd?" Yanagi Ryuko's confidence faltered slightly. The young man before him was a monster, far more dangerous than he'd anticipated.
Yanagi Ryuko narrowed his eyes and tensed. Every instinct screamed that Sol was at least ten times deadlier than Baki moments ago.
As Sol turned away, Yanagi Ryuko exhaled, realizing his back was soaked in cold sweat.
Meanwhile, Baki slowly got up, still dizzy from the attack.
"Baki, you lost," Gouki Shibukawa said, patting his shoulder.
Baki shook his head, trying to clear the fog. "What… what was that technique?"
Gouki Shibukawa's expression was serious. "Aiki is an incredibly dangerous martial art. Yanagi Ryuko has mastered it completely. But… your recovery under that pressure was impressive. Truly worthy of being the champion of the Underground Arena."
At that moment, Sol strolled into view, school bag slung casually over his shoulder. He had originally intended to fight Yanagi Ryuko, but remembered he hadn't activated his Hanma Blood yet. Fighting now would be pointless.
"Missed all the fun, huh?" Sol raised an eyebrow at Baki, who was still sitting dazed on the ground.
"Did you manage your side?" Baki asked.
Sol shrugged. "Doyle escaped. Clever guy. But the police should catch him soon."
Gouki Shibukawa studied Sol carefully. "You're the one who defeated Spike, Dorian… and Doyle?"
"Mm-hmm," Sol replied, then extended a hand to help Baki up.
"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy," Baki said, gripping Sol's hand and standing.
"That guy… Yanagi Ryuko… used a very specialized technique."
Sol nodded, momentarily distracted, his eyes flicking toward the system panel in his mind. Hanma Blood… time to evolve.
He hurried home, locking doors and windows, drawing the curtains. Sitting cross-legged, he opened the system panel.
[Host has met the evolution conditions. Do you wish to begin evolving the Hanma Blood talent?]
"Confirm evolution," Sol thought.
[Hanma Blood evolving 10%… 30%…]
A burning sensation erupted from his chest, spreading through his limbs. His blood felt like molten fire. Every cell was changing. He clenched the floor, leaving deep scratches on the wood.
[Hanma Blood evolving 50%… 80%…]
Muscles tore and reformed, bone density increased, and strange red patterns appeared on his skin. Sol could feel the power in his bones.
[Hanma Blood evolving 90%…]
His body expelled impurities, temperature spiked, and the surrounding air distorted. Sweat vaporized instantly, forming a mist around him.
[Evolution complete!]
Boom! An invisible shockwave erupted, scattering objects across the room. Sol's black hair flickered red for a moment, then returned to black.
[Hanma Blood activation progress 10%. Other talents cannot be evolved until fully activated.]
Stretching his limbs, Sol cracked his joints and threw a casual punch into the air, creating a sonic boom. His terrifying physical power, combined with Hanma Blood, surged through him.
He had ascended from barely touching Tiger-level to the very peak. Sol was now more than ten times stronger than when he first entered Baki's world. A single full-strength blow could shatter Doyle completely.