Chapter 397: Unstoppable
Regardless of whether Alai Jr.'s true objective was to provoke Baki Hanma into a
fight or if his intentions were sincere, his relentless pursuit of Kozue had an
unexpected side effect. It had cleared the fog in the girl's heart, leaving her
feeling lighter than she had in weeks.
"Thanks for the food, Ren-aniki."
"See you later!"
The young couple thanked Ren for the lunch and the drinks before heading out of
the Soul Combat Hub hand-in-hand, returning to their respective homes.
Ren returned to the living room. By now, the rest of the crew had finished
cleaning up the "VIP observation zone," and the room had returned to its usual
peaceful state. However, they were all busy processing what they had just
witnessed—specifically, the "Strongest Youth's Philosophy on Love."
"Mm-hmm!"
Marco nodded with a gravity that didn't match his innocent expression. "Marco
won't look down on anyone! A strong person is someone who decides their own
path! Marco wants to be that strong!!"
Arisa flashed him a thumbs-up and rewarded the giant child with a fresh bag of
chips.
Beside them, Karura Kure's black-and-white eyes shimmered with a manic, joyful
light. She giggled, "Marco is right! That's why I'm going to have Ohma's
babies!"
The girl sat on the floor, swaying back and forth in technical ecstasy. "Kozue
and Baki-aniki have such a deep bond... Ohma and I must be exactly the same,
right?!"
Ren and Arisa immediately started waving their hands and shaking their heads so
fast they left afterimages. "No, no, no! It is definitely not the same thing!"
In contrast to the siblings, Fusui Kure—possessing the unique biological logic
of the Kure Clan—nodded in total agreement with her kinswoman. She sat
cross-legged, leaning her chin on her hand, and joined Karura in her rhythmic
swaying.
The two Kure girls began to plot.
"Don't worry, I've got your back," Fusui said, checking her phone. "Kazuo-san
ordered a batch of heavy training equipment from the Hub. I just got the
delivery confirmation. I told him to bring Ohma-kun along for the hand-off."
While Ren and Baki had been having their own adventures, [THE ASHURA] Ohma
Tokita hadn't stopped for a single heartbeat either.
He was currently partnered with his manager and employer, Kazuo Yamashita.
Between matches, training sets, and witnessing the wars of the underground, his
schedule was packed. The memories he had lost due to his previous brain injuries
were steadily resurfacing, and his Niko Style was reaching a state of
unprecedented refinement.
While Ohma personally didn't care about luxuries, the Nogi Group's backing meant
his training environment was top-tier. The philosophy of the Nogi Group was
simple: If it exists, buy the best version of it.
To that end, Kazuo had used the Hub's corporate connections to order a suite of
professional-grade weighted sleds and resistance gear to be delivered to Ohma's
training grounds.
By mid-afternoon, a taxi pulled up outside the Soul Combat Hub.
Kazuo Yamashita stepped out, followed by Ohma. Regarding Fusui's specific
request that they come in person—Ohma found it a bit suspicious, but he didn't
refuse. He actually had business with Ren.
He had heard the rumors about the Secret Key Cards being distributed to the
city's top fighters. As a native of The Inside, Ohma felt a sense of duty to
warn his friends.
"It's been a while. The 'Scent' of this place is getting even thicker," Ohma
mused, hands in his pockets as he surveyed the dojo. "Let's go, Yamashita
Kazuo."
"Haha... Ohma-san, you still insist on using my full name..." Kazuo followed
him, his posture much more relaxed than it had been months ago. Spending time in
the inner circle of the Kengan Association had given the middle-aged salaryman a
heart of iron.
They walked into the courtyard just as Ren and Fusui were stepping out.
"Ah, Kazuo-san!" Fusui waved, pulling out a clipboard to confirm the equipment
order.
While the logistics were being handled, Ohma walked up to Ren.
"I heard you and the [WILD TIGER] got your hands on some Secret Key Cards for
the Ward," Ohma said, getting straight to the point. He rubbed the bridge of his
nose. "What kind of mess is that rotten place cooking up now...?"
He was about to give Ren a detailed warning when the sound of high-speed,
rhythmic footsteps—shick-shick-shick—echoed from the corridor.
"—?!"
Ohma spun around. Karura Kure was sprinting toward him like a ravenous predator,
her arms wide and ready to latch on like an octopus.
Ohma's pupils contracted. He had survived the Inside, the Worm, and the Kengan
matches, but this was a different category of threat altogether. Baki's romance
was high-school drama; Ren's romance was technical exploration; Ohma's "romance"
was a survival horror game.
Zip!
Without a word, Ohma spun on his heel and sprinted out of the Hub's gate at
terminal velocity. He didn't even look back. Whatever details he had about the
Ward could wait—evading the "Kure Embrace" took priority.
"OHMAAAAAA~!!" Karura screamed, vaulting over the perimeter wall with the
agility of a cat as she pursued her prey.
Kazuo Yamashita broke into a cold sweat, frantically signing the invoice before
chasing after them. "Wait! Ohma-san! Please don't assault high schoolers in
broad daylight!!"
"I'M NOT ATTACKING HER, I'M RUNNING AWAY!!" Ohma's voice echoed from down the
block.
The three of them vanished around the corner in a cloud of dust.
Ren and Arisa stood at the gate, watching the dust settle.
"You know..." Arisa mused, leaning against the pillar. "Baki-aniki is dating a
high schooler, too. Why does it look so much cooler when he does it?"
Ren delivered a slow, heavy [KNIFE-HAND CHOP] to his sister's head, making her
yelp. "Because Baki-kun's is a school romance. Ohma-kun's is a nature
documentary."
Baki, several blocks away: "Achoo!"
As evening fell, Ren was finishing his final set of shadowboxing when his phone
buzzed. It was a video call from Dawn Village.
The screen showed two faces: Mitsumitsu Yoroizuka and Saw Paing.
Mitsumitsu had clearly given Saw Paing a strict "No Roaring" order. The Burmese
fighter was sitting uncharacteristically still, his bright eyes wide and a
massive grin on his face as he waved frantically at the camera.
Ren waved back. "Yo!"
"Ren-kun," Mitsumitsu began, his expression tired but resolute. "The eviction of
Dawn Village has been temporarily halted. There will still be legal battles
ahead, but the immediate threat is gone. We'll take it one step at a time."
The old man knew this was his own war, so he didn't linger on the details. He
moved to the reason for the call.
"Toyo Electric... Katsumasa Hayami... they won't give up on those Secret Key
Cards. They're desperate. I suspect a new challenger will be heading your way
very soon."
"Ren-kun, stay sharp." Mitsumitsu's tone turned solemn. "Hayami is a despicable
man. He had scouts at your match with Saw Paing. He's analyzed your frames, your
habits, and your style. He's looking for a weakness to exploit."
"I don't see any weaknesses myself, but then again, I'm just an old villager.
Just... watch your back."
Ren nodded, his eyes sharpening. "I hear you, Grandpa. Thanks for the heads up."
"Good. I trust your instincts." Mitsumitsu smiled. "Come visit us in Kyushu when
this is over. Dawn Village will always have a room for the Hub crew."
Saw Paing couldn't hold it back any longer. He leaned into the camera and
roared, "YOU BETTER COME VISIT OR I'LL DRAG YOU HERE MYSELF!!
AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGH—!!"
Zzzzt—!
The microphone on Mitsumitsu's aging phone finally gave out under the acoustic
pressure. The screen flickered to black.
Back in their hotel room in Tokyo, Saw Paing looked sheepishly at his "Grandpa."
Mitsumitsu sighed, but he couldn't stay angry.
"You're in high spirits, kid," Mitsumitsu noted. "Better than you were before
the match."
"YEAH! OF COURSE!!"
Saw Paing clenched his fists. "I can feel it now! The 'Gap' between me and
Ren-aniki... and Gaolang... and Retsu-aniki. It's huge!"
"I couldn't feel it before. I was too busy shouting." Saw Paing bared his white
teeth. "But knowing the gap exists? That's the most Hot-Blooded feeling in the
world! It means I have a goal to chase!"
"Just you watch, Grandpa! I'm going to catch up to them!! AAAAAARGH!!"
☆☆☆
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