Chapter 391: Personal Taste
Saw Paing's roar acted as a lightning bolt, jolting the spectators out of their
seats and leaving the announcer, Sayaka Katahara, in a state of shock.
"—?!"
Sayaka gasped into her microphone. "What is this?! Even though the tactical
situation remains the same—and Saw Paing even intentionally injured
himself—something has shifted! The atmosphere is boiling!"
"He's making a declaration—!"
Sayaka watched, transfixed. She felt the "familiar" spirit of her friend
returning to the arena, and a sense of relief washed over her.
"[THE ROARING SPIRIT] Saw Paing is announcing his true arrival!"
"The headbutt! He used the most iconic move in his arsenal to prove to the
crowd—and to Ren Shiroki—that the hot-blooded son of Burma is back!"
"Wake up, Soul Combatant!! Carve that thunderous roar into your heart and
prepare yourselves for war!!"
Sayaka's professionalism was top-tier, and her ability to manipulate the crowd's
energy was unmatched. But even without her commentary, every veteran in the
building felt their knuckles whiten at the sound of that scream.
They could feel it. The man standing in the pit now was the true 17-0 monster of
the Kengan circuit.
Beside the ring, the "Old Rival" Gaolang Wongsawat finally allowed his
expression to soften. He knew that the Saw Paing standing there now was the
annoying, persistent, yet undeniably "Great Rival" he acknowledged.
"Finally found his center and decided to get serious, has he...?"
Gaolang crossed his arms, his lidded eyes flickering toward Ren. "I suppose we
should thank him. He woke that idiot up and put the match back on track."
Beside him, Retsu Kaioh chuckled. "I suspect Ren doesn't need your thanks."
Gaolang arched an eyebrow. "You mean he did it because he wanted to, so it
doesn't matter?"
"The answer might be even simpler—" Fusui Kure leaned against the railing, a
mischievous grin on her face. "It's probably just Ren-chin's personal taste. He
has a bit of a 'dark' sense of humor when it comes to combat."
"Heh... fair point," Gaolang and Retsu shared a look, nodding in unison.
"IT'S HOT! IT'S BURNING UP!!"
Saw Paing slammed his fists together, letting out another localized shout. He
glared at Ren, dropping his center of gravity to its floor. He took a deep
lunging stance, left leg forward, arms snapped into a high guard with his fists
protecting his jaw.
Retsu arched an eyebrow. "Oho? A very intelligent choice."
"Indeed," Gaolang agreed. "By compressing his frame, he minimizes his vital
exposure. By guarding his chin, he's effectively nullifying Ren's [TENSHIN]
concussion flick."
"The only thing left exposed is his spine. But Saw Paing's skeletal structure,
tempered by Lethwei, is so dense that his spine is practically an armored
column. It isn't a vital point for him."
Retsu nodded. He remembered Ren's fight against Jaku Kaioh in Kure Village. Back
then, Jaku had curled into a ball to hide his vitals, only for Ren to upend him
with a wrestling lariat. But Saw Paing wasn't "hiding." He was standing firm,
his aggression radiating like heat.
He wasn't a "Shield." He was a Spiked Shield-Wall, primed to counter-attack at
the first sign of contact.
In contrast, Ren Shiroki's stance remained the same.
It wasn't a sign of arrogance, but rather the culmination of every frame of
experience he had gathered. He had adjusted his form micro-millimeter by
micro-millimeter until it became the "Combat Stance" he held now.
Ren had spoken to Retsu about his "Way of Combat." Facing Saw Paing's "Spiked
Shield," what would that path look like?
Screee—!
Saw Paing's lead foot ground into the sand. He exploded forward like an arrow
released from a high-tension bow, lunging at Ren with far more conviction than
his earlier probes. His velocity was staggering.
Ren timed the entry perfectly, executing a rhythmic sway and a high-speed
back-dash.
[DEE JAY: KEEP IT COOL]!
Whish!
Saw Paing's left elbow cut through the air like a sickle, creating a sharp,
whistling wind. But Ren's spacing was surgical; the bone-blade missed him by an
inch. Ren immediately lunged back in, driving his left palm-heel forward.
[JAMIE: DRUNKEN STEP]!
Zip!
The footwork drove the palm with incredible torque. Saw Paing didn't even try to
dodge. He locked his eyes on the incoming palm and slammed his entire face
forward, choosing to intercept the strike with his forehead.
BONG!
The impact caught Saw Paing square on the brow, turning the blood from his
earlier self-inflicted wound into a fine crimson mist that sprayed in every
direction. But he didn't budge. He hummed through the impact, his neck muscles
rigid as iron.
Saw Paing shoved past the palm, closing the distance to lock Ren into a crushing
clinch.
"THAT HURTS LIKE HELL, SHIROKI!!"
Saw Paing's face was a mask of gore, and his face was pressed against Ren's
shoulder, but it didn't stop his roaring.
"Listen up! A Lethwei fighter's skull is his life! I haven't stopped training
this since I was five! I've taken hammer-blows to the dome every single day! My
skull is the HARDENED PEAK!"
"TAKE A TASTE OF THE WORLD'S HARDEST HEADBUTT—!!"
Saw Paing arched his neck back, preparing to drive his skull downward like a
falling meteor.
But in that heartbeat, he realized his momentum was stalled. Ren's left elbow
was pressed firmly against Saw Paing's face, denying him the space required to
generate downward velocity.
He's jamming the startup frames!
Gaolang noted the move. "Fast reaction. He's denying the headbutt its travel
distance. It's the same logic used to break a Rear Naked Choke entry."
"YEEEEAAARGH!" Saw Paing hissed. "IN THAT CASE...!!"
Zip!
He grabbed Ren's torso, twisting his hips in a violent shudder. He executed a
low sweep while simultaneously yanking Ren to the left, putting his full weight
into a downward slam.
THUD!
Ren's body spun 180 degrees before slamming sideways into the sand.
"A THROW!" Sayaka screamed. "A brutal Lethwei-style takedown that you'll never
see in a Muay Thai ring!"
"Agh—"
Ren hit the sand hard. His head spun for a second, the arena lights blurring
above him.
"I'M FINISHING THIS NOW!!"
Saw Paing raised his right foot, aiming a series of savage stomps at Ren's head.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Ren snapped his head side-to-side, the heavy heel missing his skull by
hair-breadths, leaving deep craters in the sand. But the fourth stomp found its
mark.
BAM!
The heel caught Ren in the nose. Blood erupted, the shock bringing tears to his
eyes.
"HEYYYAHH!!"
Saw Paing didn't let up, driving another stomp down, but he hit nothing but
sand. Ren had already rolled into a sitting position, his back to Saw Paing.
"NOT YET!"
Saw Paing didn't hesitate, launching a mid-line roundhouse kick aimed at Ren's
head.
In the micro-second before the foot connected, Ren's upper body seemed to
vanish. He had dropped flat against the sand once more.
"—?!"
Saw Paing's kick whistled through empty air.
Ren bridged his back, inverting his body into a handstand. He unleashed a flurry
of rapid-fire spinning kicks while sliding across the sand—converting his "Rear"
position into a fresh "Frontal" assault.
[JAMIE: BREAKDANCE SWEEP]!!
Thud-thud-thud!
The consecutive mid-to-low kicks caught Saw Paing off guard, peppering his shins
and ribs. The giant was forced back several steps.
Snap!
Ren used the momentum to spring back to his feet.
But the next second—Whish!
Saw Paing was already back in his pocket. He gave Ren no room to breathe,
unleashing a ferocious barrage of punches and kicks in a relentless Lethwei
chain.
"SHAA-YA-YA-YA!"
Thud-thud-thud-thud-BOOM!
Ren parried with his palms, checked with his knees, and slipped what he could.
He could feel the weight of the "Spirit" behind every blow. It was like being
hit by a hurricane.
This... is actually making me a little emotional.
Just as his friends had surmised, Ren hadn't woken Saw Paing up for some noble
purpose. Not primarily, anyway.
The opponent's fists were currently wracking their brains to find a way to break
him. They were being thrown specifically for him—for Ren Shiroki. That
uniqueness was the greatest treasure a combatant could find.
Being slammed, bleeding from the nose, feeling the dull ache of bruised ribs—to
Ren, these were the "Sweets" of the process.
This is where the real fight begins. I need to savor every frame... Let's
trade!!
Against Saw Paing's relentless barrage, Ren's eyes suddenly flared with a sharp,
predatory light.
[SATSUI CHOICE]—PRE-READ!
Ren raised his left leg in a [PARKOUR] transition, using his shin to jam Saw
Paing's rising knee. He immediately stomped his left foot down to lower his
center of gravity, pivoting his torso.
He hooked his left forearm back and drove his elbow forward with the torque of a
coil-spring.
[RYU: DRIVE COUNTER—CHEST PIERCING ELBOW]!
BANG!
The strike buried itself into Saw Paing's sternum. The Burmese fighter's assault
was cut short as he was forced back several steps, gasping for bloody air.
"Phew..."
Ren's body swayed slightly, the light in his eyes tracing two shimmering lines
through the air. A faint mist of steam rose from his lips.
"Alright. My turn."
☆☆☆
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