Chapter 393: The Flaw
BOOM!
The first heavy punch slammed into Saw Paing's face, turning the blood-flecked
foam on his lips into a fine crimson mist.
BANG!!
The second punch buried itself into Saw Paing's stomach. The air was driven from
his lungs in a violent hack, his body arching backward, his right foot lifting
off the sand.
Super Art: [LUKE: ERASER]!
"HAH!!"
The third blow exploded against Saw Paing's chest, the sound dull and heavy.
BOOM!!!
Saw Paing was sent staggering backward, his feet skidding—tap-tap-tap—across the
arena. A fresh spray of blood erupted from his nose, painting a jagged red line
in the air.
"Phew..."
Ren Shiroki exhaled a plume of hot steam. His forearm was a bright, angry red
from the kinetic discharge, veins pulsing as faint wisps of white smoke drifted
off his right knuckles.
"He landed it!" Sayaka ran along the edge of the pit, her eyes wide. "That's Ren
Shiroki's heavy impact! Even Saw Paing is struggling to stay upright!"
Ren chuckled, despite the blood on his own face.
"Just... 'struggling'?"
He watched Saw Paing, who was hunched over with his hands on his knees, blood
dripping steadily from his nose onto the sand. Ren couldn't hide his admiration.
"Faced with a full-torque heavy chain, the [ROARING SPIRIT] of Burma still
stands. That... is exactly how it should be!"
Saw Paing gradually found his breath, a few stray tears of physical shock
pricking his eyes.
Slap! Slap!
He slammed his palms against his own cheeks, forcing his spirit to reset. He
wiped the blood from his mouth and widened his bloodshot eyes. To any observer,
it was clear: his stamina was entering the red zone.
"Sorry, Shiroki-kun...!"
Saw Paing took a lung-bursting breath and let out a raspy, soul-shaking roar.
"This is the last of my Full Power! I'm going to show you what 'Resolution'
looks like! AAAAAARGH!!"
His scream was like thunder. He charged, fists blurring.
Thud-thud-thud!
Ren dropped into a deep rear-lunge. His left arm performed a series of lateral
parries, his wrists redirecting Saw Paing's heavy hands while his knees rose to
check the incoming low kicks.
[DRIVE PARRY]!
Clap-snap!
Saw Paing's assault was being systematically dismantled. Ren was even finding
windows to counter, landing glancing blows to Saw Paing's face, yet the Burmese
fighter never allowed his jaw to be exposed.
Watching the exchange, Retsu Kaioh smiled. "He's prepared to 'Take the Hit' just
to force the pressure. It's a crude, violent, yet undeniably effective way to
burn his remaining stamina."
Gaolang Wongsawat crossed his arms, his expression stoic. "Naturally."
Retsu arched an eyebrow. "You have a lot of faith in your 'Old Nuisance,'
Gaolang-san."
"He's an idiot," Gaolang muttered. Then, his tone shifted. "But that idiot isn't
going to let his fire go out quietly."
Retsu looked back at the ring. "Oho?"
Ren was now opening up, throwing heavy 1-2-3 combinations.
[LUKE: TRIPLE STRIKE]!
BAM-BAM-BAM!
Saw Paing's face was a mask of gore, but he kept his guard high, using his
legendary skeletal density to absorb the shock as he continued to march forward.
Whoosh!
He fused his punches with lead-elbow strikes, swinging in a frantic, wild orbit.
The air whistled around Ren as the "Spiked Shield" closed in.
"SHAA-YA-YA-YA!"
Ren centered his mind, parrying the storm of bone and spirit. After a series of
clashes, Saw Paing's face contorted with effort. He was gasping for air, his
movements starting to show the tell-tale lag of exhaustion.
"—!"
Ren fired a right straight. Saw Paing managed a desperate block.
But the follow-up was already there—a heavy left hook swinging horizontally.
POW!
The hook finally bypassed Saw Paing's guard, slamming into the side of his jaw.
His brain rattled, and his vision warped into a distorted smear of colors.
But this time, Saw Paing didn't care. Even if Ren had punched his eyes out, it
wouldn't have mattered. Because through the haze of the concussion, he knew he
was finally at the right distance. His target was within reach.
Zip!
Saw Paing's hands shot forward, his fingers digging into Ren's shoulders like
iron talons.
"YAAAAAARGH!"
With a roar that shook the gymnasium, Saw Paing committed his entire body
weight. He tackled Ren to the sand, pinning him beneath his 88kg frame and
transitioning into a full mount.
I've caught you—!
Saw Paing had been waiting for this single micro-second. From the start of the
"Real" fight, he had realized that this was his only path to victory. He had
been failing the mount repeatedly, his head jammed by Ren's elbow—but this time,
he was in position.
"Hah... hah...!"
Saw Paing panted, feeling Ren trying to bridge his hips to break the mount.
There's no time to reset! I have to do it now!
Saw Paing arched his torso back, his neck veins bulging like thick cables as he
accumulated every ounce of torque in his core. He prepared to drive his
indestructible forehead downward.
The legendary finisher—The [HAMMER OF BURMA]!!
BOOM!!!
The headbutt landed with the force of a tectonic shift. A resonant hum echoed
through the Pit as the very floor seemed to vibrate, wave-like cracks exploding
outward through the sand.
Ren Shiroki, as an expert in striking arts, understood the physics of head
trauma better than most. He knew that the skull houses the brain. Whether it was
a flick to the chin or a hook to the temple, the goal was to rattle the organ,
essentially hitting the "Off" button on a human being.
But there was another "Vicious Move" common in street combat—the headbutt. Using
the densest part of the human anatomy, the forehead, to strike.
Hitting the hand bones? They'd shatter. Hitting the nose?
It wasn't just an "Impact." It was a specialized kind of agony. A pain that
began in the sinuses and radiated outward in a web of white light, piercing the
brain from a dozen different angles simultaneously.
Heavy. Savage. Cruel. The taste of iron and rust.
Ren felt that pain. His nose exploded in blood, and tears pricked his eyes. But
as the Hammer descended, Ren had already triggered his [RELAXATION].
[ED: PSYCHO UPPER]!
CLAP!
The near-instantaneous burst of relaxation allowed Ren's left arm to break free
from Saw Paing's pin. A fraction of a second before the Hammer of Burma reached
terminal velocity, Ren's uppercut caught Saw Paing square on the chin.
Ren was pinned on his back; he couldn't use his hips or the floor for leverage.
But the "Soul Power" of the flicker-jab logic allowed him to generate enough
torque to snap the head back.
Ren's fist deflected the majority of the power. The remaining force of the
Hammer followed Saw Paing's momentum, his forehead slamming into the bridge of
Ren's nose.
CRACK—!
Ren's nose erupted, his vision blurring. He stared up at the hazy figure of Saw
Paing, feeling the mount begin to weaken.
Saw Paing's jaw had taken the full brunt of the counter. His brain was vibrating
at a high frequency within his skull. His eyes went vacant, his vision
splintering into three overlapping images.
"—!"
Gaolang and Retsu both realized it at the same time. "The Intercept."
"A counter-punch..." Gaolang whispered. "He used Saw Paing's own downward
momentum to amplify the impact of the uppercut."
Fusui Kure remembered Ren's fight against Nio Komada. Back then, Ren had used
the same logic with his forehead to shatter Komada's forearm. Now, he had
refined the principle into a high-level striking counter.
Ren bridged his hips, bucking the dazed Saw Paing off him. He rolled to the side
and scrambled back to his feet.
"Landing a punch like that... that's the best feeling in the world," Ren
muttered. He blinked away the tears and blood, looking at the swaying Saw Paing.
His voice held a slight rasp of exertion.
"Too bad, Saw Paing-aniki."
"Because your vision was smeared, that headbutt was 'Incomplete.' It left a
frame of vulnerability."
"But damn... that hurt like hell."
Sayaka saw Saw Paing's eyes rolling back. She raised her hand. "The match—"
But she stopped as Ren raised his own hand, signaling her to wait.
Saw Paing was out on his feet. He couldn't even stand straight, yet a low,
guttural growl continued to rumble in his throat.
"Hah... hah..."
He widened his eyes, trying to find Ren. But the distance was too great, and the
world was a blurred mess. He was lost in the Pit, unable to find the path
forward.
Then... someone pointed the way.
Father? Brother? My brothers and sisters? The people of Dawn Village?
And the Old Man.
In his concussed mind, Saw Paing saw them all pointing. They guided him through
the darkness, helping him find his orientation so he wouldn't be lost.
"Ah... hnggh..."
Saw Paing lowered his head. He couldn't see a thing, but with their guidance, he
was certain Ren was right in front of him.
I'm happy. I'm not doing this 'for' them anymore. I'm doing it because I want to
protect them. As long as I think that... I still have strength!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGH!!!!"
He let out one final, world-shaking roar. He swung a blind fist at the
silhouette before him, felt the world spin ninety degrees, and then... darkness.
Thud.
Saw Paing collapsed onto his back, his eyes fixed on the black ceiling.
Sayaka Katahara dropped her hand.
"THE MATCH IS DECIDED—!!"
☆☆☆
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