Chapter 394: Keep On Fighting
Ren Shiroki dug his feet into the sand, arched his back, and drove his left fist
upward with every ounce of remaining torque.
[CAMMY: RAISING UPPERCUT]!
BANG!
The punch caught Saw Paing squarely on the point of his chin. The force of the
impact lifted the Burmese fighter off his feet, spinning him half a turn in
mid-air before he hit the sand—THUD—flat on his back, his consciousness finally
surrendering to the void.
"THE MATCH IS DECIDED—!!"
Sayaka Katahara dropped her right hand, her voice a sharp, resonant command that
cut through the silence of the gymnasium. "The hot-blooded son of Burma has
stopped his roar!"
"In the Kengan Annihilation Street Brawl, [THE ROARING SPIRIT] Saw Paing
Yoroizuka has tasted defeat!"
"For the first time in his professional career, he has been taken down by a KO!"
"The victor—Ren Shiroki!!"
The crowd erupted into a chaotic symphony of cheers and applause, celebrating
the two warriors who had just waged a small war in the Pit.
"What a hell of a fight!" "That's our Saw Paing! Give 'em hell in the next match
too!" "Shiroki! Keep that streak alive!!"
Ren clenched his right fist, holding his arm high to acknowledge the audience.
As the adrenaline began to recede, he tentatively reached up to touch his nose.
"Tsk—! Cough, hack—!"
A surge of sharp, throbbing pain shot through his face. His nose felt swollen to
twice its size, and the pressure brought involuntary tears to his eyes. He
didn't even want to breathe through it.
During the heat of the clash, he could have manually forced the bone back into
place to clear his airway, but now that the frames had slowed down, the
biological reality was setting in.
"Yeah... definitely not touching that. It hurts like a bitch. I'll let the
doctors handle the 'Post-Processing'..."
Ren put his hands on his hips, looking down at the fallen Saw Paing. The Burmese
fighter's pupils were still fluttering, a faint trace of consciousness lingering
in a sea of blood and concussion.
"We've both taken a mountain of damage tonight," Ren whispered, not sure if the
other man could hear him. "But pain is just pain. It hurts for me, and it hurts
for you. That doesn't change, no matter how strong we get. It's part of the
trade."
Ren bared his teeth in a bloody grin. "The body is a tool. It overcomes, it
endures, but it never denies the sensation. That's why we're addicts, Saw
Paing-aniki. We love the burn."
Ringside medics rushed onto the sand, hoisting Saw Paing onto a stretcher. Ren
walked off the field with a steady, grounded gait. He was exhausted, but his
"Engine" was still cooling down, leaving him in a state of technical euphoria.
"Yo!"
Ren raised an eyebrow, waving to his inner circle waiting at the tunnel
entrance.
Fusui Kure, Gaolang, and Retsu Kaioh.
Gaolang's "dead-fish" eyes appraised Ren, his expression a mixture of respect
and weary exasperation. "You look like you enjoyed yourself. It was... an
acceptable performance."
"Hahaha! It was a blast, Gaolang-aniki!" Ren grinned, then winced as his face
shifted. "Actually, it wasn't acceptable at all! My nose is a mess! That
headbutt felt like being hit by a freight train..."
Ren wiped a smear of blood from his lip and turned to Fusui. "How do I look,
Ren-chin? Is my face ruined? Am I still a 'Vibrant' fighter?"
"—"
Fusui blinked her black-and-white eyes. She didn't answer immediately. Instead,
she curled her lip and gave him a look of absolute, exaggerated disgust.
Ren panicked slightly. "Wait, is it that bad?!"
Fusui lowered her head and bared her teeth in a snarl; then she snapped her head
up with a look of pure, cold contempt; finally, she pouted her lips and gave him
a squinty-eyed, mischievous grin.
The girl was cycling through the exact same ridiculous faces Ren had made at her
in the locker room. It was a 100% frame-perfect revenge.
Ren let out a helpless laugh, his eyes drooping. "Alright, alright. I get it.
Very funny."
Fusui giggled, her mood excellent. "Come on, let's get you to the infirmary."
As the two walked away, Retsu Kaioh turned to Gaolang.
"Ren has evolved again."
"It's no longer about 'finishing the match quickly.' He is reaching the realm of
the Seeker—pursuing the battle itself." Retsu reflected on the exchange. "The
desire to 'Become Strong' and the simple urge to 'Win' are fundamentally
different things. Ren is chasing the former."
Gaolang crossed his arms and gave a curt nod. "That idiot on the stretcher...
he's the same way."
Retsu offered a faint smile. "As are you and I, Gaolang-san."
The gymnasium's equipment room had been converted into a temporary medical wing.
Saw Paing had been moved to a cot, and Ren followed shortly after for "clean-up
and calibration." The surgeons provided by Metsudo were elite; their movements
were surgical and efficient. In no time, Ren's nose had been drained, reset, and
bandaged.
"Phew!" Ren took a deep breath through his clear nostrils. His mood was already
bouncing back.
On the other side of the room, Saw Paing lay on a folding bed. The blood had
been wiped from his face, and several areas of his body were wrapped in fresh
bandages. He was still unconscious. Gaolang and Retsu stood by, engaging in
low-voiced conversation while they waited for the "Roaring Spirit" to return.
After a few minutes, Saw Paing's eyelids twitched.
"Nnngh..."
His vision slowly pulled into focus. The first thing he saw was the stoic face
of his eternal rival, Gaolang.
"You're awake?"
Gaolang's voice was flat, but he was the first to notice the shift in breathing.
Saw Paing slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, his head hanging
low, his shoulders slumped with a heavy, leaden weight.
Gaolang didn't offer comfort; he offered an analysis. "Your mental state was
garbage at the start. You ate a heavy strike and a throw because you were
overthinking. You wasted 40% of your stamina in the first three frames."
"Furthermore, that final headbutt was rushed. Your condition was poor, and you
didn't account for the fact that a master like Shiroki would have an 'Intercept'
ready. You gambled on a single move and lost."
Gaolang shook his head. "Take today's defeat and carve it into your bones. It's
an experience you desperately needed. Anyway... I'm done talking. I don't have
the patience for a long lecture—"
Gaolang continued his "tsundere" grumbling, while Retsu watched with an amused
smile. Despite the harsh words, it was clear that Gaolang cared deeply for his
"Old Nuisance."
But then, Gaolang noticed something. Saw Paing's spirit was in the dirt. There
was no fire in his eyes. No roar in his throat.
Gaolang frowned. "Saw Paing?"
"Sorry... Gaolang," Saw Paing whispered. He kept his head down, staring at the
floor tiles. His voice was trembling. "I've... had enough. I'm finished."
The God of War's eyes widened. A surge of genuine fury flickered in his gaze.
"Had enough?! What the hell are you talking about?!"
Gaolang's brow furrowed, veins pulsing. He towered over the cot. "You aren't a
man of this level! Since when does a single setback break you?! You're the one
who stands up a hundred times! You were back on your feet in the ring—why are
you tucking your tail now?!"
Saw Paing's face was dark. The crushing weight of reality had finally caught up
to him. Losing the Kengan match meant losing the Secret Key Card. It meant
failing the deal with Toyo Electric.
The land development wouldn't stop. Dawn Village was doomed to be razed for a
power plant.
He was going to lose everything he loved. The Old Man's life work would be
gravel, and his brothers and sisters would be homeless once more.
"The fight... it was great," Saw Paing mumbled, his voice hollow. "Tell
Shiroki-kun thanks for the 'Closing Match'. It was a good way to go out."
"But... there is no 'Next Time' for me. I can't fight anymore..."
Saw Paing fell silent. He knew how much of an insult those words were to a
warrior like Gaolang. He waited for the blow—he expected a punch to the face to
wake him up.
But to his surprise, Gaolang just ground his teeth and let out a long, weary
sigh. "God... you really are a stubborn, simple-minded idiot."
Saw Paing: "—?"
Before he could ask, Ren Shiroki walked into the room, followed by two more men:
Metsudo Katahara and Mitsumitsu Yoroizuka.
The Village Head looked exhausted but relieved. Metsudo was wearing his usual
"mischievous grandpa" grin. It looked like a deal had been struck.
Ren grinned at Saw Paing. "So... I guess we're good?"
Saw Paing blinked. "What...?"
Ren pointed to the two elders. "The land development plan for Dawn Village?
These two 'old-timers' are going to handle the political blockade. They're
taking the fight to the boardroom."
"That is the gist of it," Mitsumitsu said, adjusting his glasses. "Negotiating
with the top brass is a headache, and the financial pressure is high... but with
my old friends by my side, I'm ready to wage a corporate war of my own."
Metsudo held up two fingers in a peace sign. "Ho ho ho! The Kengan Association
will provide full logistical support! I'm looking forward to it!"
Saw Paing froze, looking at Mitsumitsu. "Grandpa... you're going to fight too?"
Ren laughed. "Whether you're a fighter, a CEO, or just a brawler... everyone has
the right to 'Fight' for what they want."
Mitsumitsu stepped forward and slapped Saw Paing on the shoulder. "Whether it's
me or you, kid... we're both still in the game! So don't you dare look down on
yourself—and definitely don't look down on us!"
Ren watched as the light slowly returned to Saw Paing's eyes.
Saw Paing slumped back onto the cot, covering his eyes with his left forearm.
His voice was thick with emotion. "Thank you... Grandpa. Everyone. Thank you."
"And... Gaolang. I'm sorry I said that pathetic loser crap. I'm definitely...
going to keep fighting."
"Hmph," Gaolang arched an eyebrow, his expression turning into a mask of cool
indifference. "None of my business. Do what you want."
The room let out a collective sigh of relief, followed by soft laughter.
Ren couldn't resist a final jab. He began to mimic Saw Paing's dramatic, mopey
voice: "Oh, it was my greatest closing match! I can't fight anymore! It's all
over for me—!!"
Saw Paing's face turned bright red. A dark cloud of embarrassment hung over him
as he tried to hide behind his arm. His scalp prickled with mortification.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He sat bolt upright and let out a
soul-cleansing roar:
"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
☆☆☆
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