Chapter 390: I Want To—
BOOM!
Saw Paing hit the sand on his back with enough force to send a shockwave
rippling through the pit. The spectators in the front rows felt the vibration
travel through the soles of their feet.
Ren Shiroki didn't follow him to the ground. He stood back, maintaining his
side-facing stance, waiting for the "Get-up Game."
Sayaka Katahara gripped her microphone, her voice rising in disbelief. "What
just happened?! A monstrous counter-throw from Shiroki!!"
"Cough... ACK!"
Saw Paing lay flat on the sand, hacking up a spray of crimson. His pupils were
vibrating uncontrollably, his entire nervous system firing in a chaotic, numbing
overload.
But a mere throw wasn't enough to ground the pride of Dawn Village.
"I AM—I AM SAW PAING YOROIZUKAAAAAARRRRGH!!"
With a desperate, explosive surge of core strength, he performed a perfect
kip-up. Ignoring the damage from the throw, he lunged forward, swinging his
right fist with every ounce of his burning spirit.
Zip!
The heavy, hot-blooded fist blazed toward Ren's skull.
But Ren didn't parry this time. He snapped two fingers upward, driving them
through the gap in Saw Paing's swinging arc to strike the very tip of his chin.
[JAMIE: TENSHIN]!
Snap!
It wasn't a heavy blow, but its "Startup" was far faster. The impact rattled Saw
Paing's jawbone, the kinetic energy traveling straight to his brain stem. For a
micro-second, the organ bounced against the interior of his skull.
Even with the legendary density of a Burmese fighter's neck, the sudden
concussion was impossible to negate.
"—?!"
Saw Paing's eyes went vacant. He entered a state of "Stun."
Ren dropped his center of gravity, his hands curling into half-grips as his feet
dug into the sand for torque.
"HYAH—!"
[JAMIE: DRUNKEN FLOW]!
Thud-thud-thud!
A lightning-fast left back-fist slammed into Saw Paing's nose. Ren followed up
instantly, twisting his hips to pivot 180 degrees and driving a right
reverse-hand punch into the man's ribs. He finished the sequence with a left
straight that hammered into Saw Paing's philtrum, launching him backward.
POW!
Saw Paing flew back once more, hitting the sand with a heavy thud.
He stared up at the ceiling, but the gymnasium's lights were warping and
bleeding together like wet paint. A wave of artificial dizziness—the "Magic" of
a concussion—washed over him.
Retsu Kaioh watched with narrowed eyes. "Ren has evolved again."
He appraised the ring with a somber frown. "For the Burmese youth... this fight
is becoming far too one-sided."
"YAAAAAAARGH!"
Saw Paing scrambled back to his feet. His gaze was glassy and unfocused, but he
forced the air into his lungs, his willpower overriding his broken vestibular
system. He stomped the ground—BOOM!—the sound acting as a mental anchor to pull
him back to reality.
The silhouette of Ren Shiroki finally "Solidified" in his vision. That was all
Saw Paing needed. He charged.
Whoosh!
A savage uppercut blazed upward. Ren braced his forearms, catching the impact
with the meat of his small muscles to absorb the shock.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Saw Paing unleashed a relentless barrage, a storm of fists and elbows intended
to smother Ren and force him into a corner.
Ren retreated step-by-step, his balance appearing fragile. In the heartbeat
where Saw Paing saw an opening—"HAH!"—the Burmese fighter lunged with a massive
right mid-kick, trying to break the stalemate.
Ren's rear foot dug into the sand. He executed a rhythmic sway and a high-speed
back-step, the kick missing his ribs by a fraction of a millimeter.
[ED: KILL-STEP]!
The instant the kick passed—"SHAA!"
Ren's legs fired like pressurized pistons. He leaped into the air, leaving a
trail of displaced dust behind as he closed the distance in a blur. He tucked
his right leg and drove his left knee forward with lethal torque.
[SAGAT: TIGER KNEE]!
CRUNCH!
The knee slammed directly into Saw Paing's face. The impact snapped his head
back, a perfect arc of nose-blood spraying across the sand.
His body threatened to shut down, but he refused to hit the ground. Saw Paing
performed a desperate mid-air backflip, bleeding off the momentum and landing on
his feet.
Zip—!
Simultaneously, Ren landed and circled to Saw Paing's blind spot. The two men
had traded positions.
Compared to the mangled, bloody state of Saw Paing, Ren Shiroki looked... bored.
While he wasn't looking down on his opponent, he was moving with an airy,
effortless flow that suggested he wasn't being pushed.
Watching from the stands, [THE GOD OF WAR] Gaolang finally reached his limit. He
stood up and roared toward the ring:
"GET SERIOUS, YOU IDIOT!!"
Saw Paing heard his rival's voice through the ringing in his ears, but he had no
time to process it. He spun around, unleashing a low-line sweep.
Whish!
Ren had already leaped. He rotated his body mid-air, using the centrifugal force
to drive a spinning back-fist into Saw Paing's abdomen.
[CAMMY: QUICK SPIN KNUCKLE]!
THUD!
The fist buried itself in Saw Paing's gut. The Burmese fighter doubled over, his
lungs hitching as he tried to anchor himself. He was focused only on not losing,
leaving his defenses wide open.
Swoosh—
Ren's rhythm shifted instantly. He performed a lateral glide—[DEE JAY: FEINT
SWIVEL]—and snaked behind Saw Paing.
His arms darted out. His left arm coiled around Saw Paing's throat, his right
hand locking the grip. He tightened the triangle, compressing the carotid
arteries.
Saw Paing reacted purely on instinct, clawing at Ren's forearms to create a tiny
pocket of air. The two entered a grinding stalemate of physical mass.
Rear Naked Choke: 50% Secured.
Mitsumitsu Yoroizuka's eyes widened in terror, sweat pouring down his face.
"This... this is the Soul Combatant!"
Retsu Kaioh frowned. "Ren's technique is flawless. But..."
"But—" Fusui Kure blinked her black-and-white eyes. "Ren-chin isn't serious.
He's not having fun."
Ren indeed wasn't having fun.
Even as he applied the squeeze—watching Saw Paing's eyes turn bloodshot and
blood-flecked foam appear at the corners of his mouth—he felt a sense of
disappointment.
This isn't it, Saw Paing-aniki. You've forgotten something essential.
You're thinking about "for the sake of the village" or "because I have to work
hard," aren't you?
But that stuff has nothing to do with 'Strength'.
Winning for a 'Reason' is a burden. It's a shackle that's slowing down your
frames. You need to fight like you always do—with a clear mind.
I'm your opponent. How much longer are you going to keep "working hard" like a
student?
Snap out of it!!
Ren increased the pressure, the [ENGINE] in his arms humming with lethal
intensity.
"Nnnggh...!"
Saw Paing gritted his teeth. He dug his fingers into the skin of Ren's forearms,
his nails drawing blood as he fought for consciousness.
I... I have to... for the...
The lack of oxygen was starting to dim his vision. But in the encroaching
darkness, his thoughts became simpler. The "Reasons" began to fall away, leaving
behind a singular, burning core.
Saw Paing Yoroizuka didn't become a fighter "for" his brother. He didn't do it
"for" his father or his village.
He wanted to be Strong.
He wanted a Will that could pierce through any obstacle. He wanted to protect
what he loved by his own hand—the same way his father and brother had. He fought
because it was the only way he knew how to exist!
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
Saw Paing ground his teeth together with such force they audibly groaned. His
ten fingers locked onto Ren's arm like iron clamps. He threw himself into a
backward leap, his entire body jerking in a violent, multi-directional spasm.
SHICK—!
The erratic movement loosened Ren's grip. Seizing the micro-second of freedom,
Saw Paing arched his back and bucked, throwing Ren over his head.
Zip!
Ren flipped in mid-air, landing perfectly on his feet several meters away. He
was untouched, but his eyes were shining with a new light.
"Hah... hah...!"
Saw Paing clutched his throat, gasping for air as the oxygen flooded his
systems. The flush of his face began to recede, replaced by a cold, predatory
focus.
He looked at Ren, but he didn't charge. He did something that shocked the entire
gymnasium.
Saw Paing turned his back on Ren and walked to the edge of the pit. He faced the
Village Head, Mitsumitsu.
"Sorry, Grandpa. I was thinking about useless things."
Saw Paing grabbed the reinforced iron railing of the stadium with both hands. He
tilted his head back, and with a violent, whip-like motion—WHACK!
CLANG!!!
A deafening, metallic boom echoed through the hall. The spectators leaned in,
gasping. The solid iron railing had been bent into a twisted knot by the sheer
impact of Saw Paing's forehead.
"Phew... HAH!"
Saw Paing turned back toward the center of the ring, looking completely
refreshed. A trickle of blood leaked from a shallow gash on his forehead.
"Thanks for the lesson, Shiroki!"
The fire in his eyes had returned, hotter and brighter than ever.
Saw Paing slammed his fists together, the sound booming like a drum.
"From here on... it's not about 'For'! It's about 'I WANT'!"
"I'm not winning for some noble cause!!"
"I JUST WANT TO WIN AGAINST YOU!! HYAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!!!!"
The scream of the true [ROARING SPIRIT] finally erupted, a physical wave of
passion that hit the audience like a splash of cold water.
Saw Paing Yoroizuka... has arrived!!
☆☆☆
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