Chapter 389: Bare Knuckles!
Ren Shiroki's stance remained unchanged.
He stood side-on, his center of gravity balanced between his feet. His lead left
arm was held low, palm slightly open, with his left shoulder raised to protect
his jaw. His right arm was tucked against his ribs, fist clenched tight.
This posture was slightly looser than Ryu's absolute discipline, yet more
grounded than Luke's modern aggression.
"He's coming! He's coming!!"
Saw Paing noticed Ren's eyes. He had studied the recordings of Ren's previous
Kengan matches alongside Mitsumitsu Yoroizuka. He recognized that shivering,
bloodshot gaze immediately. Ren had entered his specialized overclocked state:
[ENGINE].
"Full power right out of the gate? That's exactly what I wanted!!"
Saw Paing adjusted his movement.
Shick!
He shifted from a balanced side-guard into a forward-leaning charge. His lead
left heel lifted, his right foot dug into the sand to anchor his torque, and his
fists were held level with his shoulders. It was a blatant, unapologetic
aggressive stance.
In the world of Kengan fighters, Saw Paing was considered medium-sized, but he
was universally acknowledged as the fighter who never stops pressing the pace.
Crrr—
Saw Paing's rear foot ground into the sand, accumulating power for a lunge. But
in the next heartbeat, his eyes widened. He stared at Ren, his expression
flickering with a rare moment of hesitation.
He had fought 17 Kengan matches and countless underground brawls in Burma. His
instincts were honed to a razor edge. And right now, staring at the relaxed Ren
Shiroki, his gut screamed a warning:
"—!!"
I can't find an entry!
If he just charged in blindly, he would be intercepted. And if he made even a
single mistake against this man...
I'll lose!
Standing on this stage for the sake of the Old Man, the village, and his
brothers, the psychological pressure on Saw Paing was immense. He had to win. He
had to give everything.
"HAH!"
Saw Paing bared his teeth, but he didn't charge. Instead, he kicked off to the
side, beginning a high-speed orbit around Ren.
Zip-zip-zip!
He moved with terrifying velocity, a bronze blur circling the stationary Ren,
looking for any gap to launch a lethal strike.
Sayaka shouted into the mic, "Just as expected! Saw Paing is the first to move!
He's looking to seize the initiative!"
—No.
In the VIP stands, Gaolang Wongsawat and Retsu Kaioh both silently disagreed.
Sayaka was a professional, but only those at the absolute peak of close-quarters
combat could see the micro-details.
Retsu narrowed his eyes, explaining quietly to Fusui. "That dazzling footwork is
nothing but a smokescreen. He realized that no matter what angle he attacks
from, Shiroki is ready to counter."
"The Burmese youth has realized that a single moment of carelessness will end
the match!" Retsu's tone turned critical. "But this level of caution is
stretching out his 'Startup' time. It isn't his style."
He looked at the man beside him. "Gaolang-san, Saw-kun is..."
"..."
Gaolang's brow was furrowed, his teeth grinding in irritation. "That idiot...
why is he fighting like this?!"
"This is bad—!!"
THUD!
Saw Paing reached Ren's blind spot and stomped the ground, launching himself
forward. "THE FIRST BLOW DECIDES IT! HYAAAAAAARGH!"
Zip!
In a flash, he was in Ren's pocket, his right fist cocked back for a heavy
cross.
But in the heartbeat it took for him to reach the target, Ren had already
pivoted. He was facing Saw Paing head-on, his stance as immovable as a mountain.
He read my footwork?!
Then we clash!!
Saw Paing gritted his teeth and threw the punch with every ounce of his weight.
At the same time, Ren shifted his weight back, his rear right leg anchoring into
a deep lunge while his left leg turned inward. His lead left elbow snapped
upward, his wrist pressing down to catch the incoming strike with his forearm.
[DRIVE PARRY]!
CLAP!
Ren's forearm caught Saw Paing's wrist with surgical precision, redirecting the
momentum and sliding the heavy cross harmlessly past his ear.
Saw Paing's eyes bulged. "He parried it—?!"
Because of the redirected force, Saw Paing was pulled forward, his chest and
abdomen exposed in a massive tactical opening.
Ren's right fist was already closed. Over 36 trillion cells fired in perfect
synchronicity. Accompanied by a thunderous sonic boom, he unleashed a strike
built of pure torque.
"SHAA!!"
[STRIKE AT THE APEX]—!!
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion of displaced air echoed through the gymnasium.
Squelch!
The heavy punch buried itself into Saw Paing's chest. For a micro-second, the
Burmese fighter's torso appeared to warp and cave inward under the pressure. He
was launched backward like a projectile.
Vroom—!
Saw Paing flew nearly fifteen meters across the sand. His back slammed into the
iron perimeter railing with a heavy CLANG, leaving him slumped in the dirt
against the fence.
"Hah... hah...!"
The sound of his ragged, bloody breathing could be heard even in the back rows.
It was a wet, raspy sound. Saw Paing's head hung low, a mixture of saliva and
bright red blood dripping from his lips. He looked horrific.
The crowd roared, mesmerized by the sheer "Destructive Power" of Ren's fist.
But Gaolang and Retsu were looking at the mechanics. Ren's real masterpiece
wasn't the punch—it was the [DRIVE PARRY]. Because he had the timing to parry a
heavyweight lunge, he was able to convert the frame into a total offensive
transition.
Ren's vision was sharper than ever. His control of the "Rhythm" was reaching a
terrifying level of precision.
However, neither the masters nor the amateurs believed the match was over.
Because the man in the dirt was Saw Paing Yoroizuka.
"Urgh... hnggh..."
A series of low, guttural growls erupted from Saw Paing's throat. He suddenly
let out a deafening roar: "HEYYAAAAAAARGH!"
He stomped his feet into the sand and snapped back to an upright position,
spitting out a mouthful of blood. His eyes, shot through with red capillaries,
were wide and burning with an undimmed fire.
"That's Saw Paing for you!" Sayaka gripped the mic, her voice trembling with
excitement. "Saw Paing doesn't use Muay Thai—he practices Lethwei! Also known as
Burmese Bare-Knuckle Boxing!"
"While it shares many techniques with Muay Thai, Lethwei is fundamentally
different. No gloves are worn. Headbutts and throws are fully permitted. And
because they fight bare-fisted, defense is almost non-existent. It is a style of
pure, unrelenting assault!"
"In the rules of Lethwei, there is only the KO!"
As she spoke, Saw Paing centered his mind.
Sayaka continued, "Normally, the human frame cannot survive the attrition of
such a sport. Broken bones are a daily occurrence in Lethwei. But the human body
is resilient! Through repeated fractures and recovery, the skeleton adapts. It
increases in density. It evolves!"
"Saw Paing has trained in Lethwei since he was a child. His bones have been
broken and reborn so many times that their density has reached a level that
makes him a different species altogether!"
Ren gripped his right hand, remembering the feeling of the impact.
"Lethwei, huh? Your bones are like iron!"
He grinned, settling back into his side-facing stance. He beckoned Saw Paing
forward. "Come on, aniki! Let's go again!"
"Cough—!"
Saw Paing hacked up a bit of blood, his breathing finally steadying. His
legendary durability was on full display. Yet, internally, he was struggling. He
had beaten countless titans in both Lethwei and Kengan matches, but Ren Shiroki
was a different puzzle entirely. Ren's understanding of technical "Frames" and
"Exchanges" was beyond common sense.
If a single move won't work... I'll use a chain! I have to win!!
"Sssss... HAAAAAA!"
Saw Paing took a deep breath and exploded off the sand—BOOM!—leaving a crater
behind as he lunged forward.
Zip!
In that split second, Saw Paing felt a moment of doubt.
What do I lead with? If I miscalculate, he'll just parry me again and that'll be
the end!
Left jab? No! Right mid-kick? No! Headbutt? No! Uppercut? No!
Ultimately, Saw Paing made a choice that shocked the masters. He reached Ren's
range and, instead of striking, he snapped his arms into a rigid, high-tension
Guard.
"HEYYYAH!"
He had decided to gamble with his life. No matter how powerful Ren's next strike
was—even if it aimed to take his head off—Saw Paing would tank it with his
reinforced skeleton and counter-attack until one of them stopped breathing!
Then, Ren moved. He fired a light left jab.
Tap!
It was a standard probe, the kind used in a hundred daily sparring sessions. The
weight was perfectly measured—not too light, not too heavy.
If it were too light, Saw Paing would ignore it and counter. If it were too
heavy, Ren would be stuck in the recovery frames of the punch.
Because it was a "Perfect Jab," Ren was able to retract his hand and launch his
next move before Saw Paing could even process the hit. He reached out with both
arms, snaring the Burmese fighter.
It wasn't Okubo's "Synthesis" (the seamless transition between methods). This
was Ren's own technical mastery of [STRIKE-TO-THROW]. He had utilized a "Light
Punch" to manufacture a "Grapple Window."
Whoosh!
Ren grabbed Saw Paing's left arm. He stepped forward, pivoting his weight to use
his own back and shoulder as a fulcrum.
Saw Paing's heart skipped a beat. Crap!
Ren hauled him over his shoulder, driving him downward into the sand with the
force of a falling anvil. The Pit shuddered under the impact, a cloud of dust
erupting into the air.
"HAH—!"
[RYU: SHOULDER THROW]!
BOOM!
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you