Chapter 398: Siege Demonstration
The following morning.
Ren Shiroki woke early, as was his custom, to begin a new day of training. The
strengthening of muscle is a cyclical process of destruction and recovery. To
ensure every muscle group received adequate rest, a combatant's routine had to
remain fluid; no two days featured the same menu. To Ren, this was just another
form of "Pilgrimage."
Inside the Hub's equipment room, bare-chested and barefoot in nothing but a pair
of shorts, he began.
First came the striking warm-up. Following that, Ren positioned a weight bench
at a steep 45-degree angle. He used resistance bands to secure his ankles at the
high end, then laid back, gripping a pair of heavy dumbbells to perform
high-intensity weighted crunches.
Whish! Hah! Whish—!
His breathing was perfectly synced with his rhythm. A thin layer of sweat soon
coated his skin as his abdominals reached the point of failure.
Ren's movements slowed. The ink-wash smoke swirled and coalesced into the
massive form of Zangief.
{KEEP GOING! PUSH! PUSH!}
The powerful [RED CYCLONE] clapped his hands in encouragement. {ONE MORE! GOOD
THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO THOSE WHO FINISH THEIR SETS!}
Zangief-style encouragement provided a mountain of psychological fuel. Ren's
core tightened as he exhaled, powering through the final rep. He dropped the
dumbbells and sat upright, taking deep, greedy gulps of air.
Next came push-ups—supported only by his index fingers and thumbs. Four points
of contact to train his core and his "cord-cutting" finger strength
simultaneously. After several sets, Ren inverted himself into a handstand. He
bared his teeth, lowering his face until it nearly touched the floor before
exploding back upward.
"HAH—!"
Rep after rep followed until his muscles reached total failure. He finally
flipped back onto his feet, gasping out plumes of hot steam.
Ren grabbed a long towel, draping it around his neck as he began his flexibility
drills. In the mirror, his muscular frame looked even more functional and
grounded than the day before.
Baki Hanma once said: "A human can manifest their imagination into reality." He
had reached that realm, proving himself a true Champion. For Ren, a "Special
Training" infused with his Will served to exponentially increase the intensity
of his workout, feeding the results back into his biology.
Ren's body was no longer just a collection of scars. His muscular definition was
hyper-vivid, the density and quality of his tissue now surpassing that of
Olympic-level athletes.
Cool-down finished. Sweat wiped dry. Ren threw on his tracksuit, adjusted his
hair, and bid the Hub crew farewell as he headed out.
On his way, he bumped into Nozomi Tenma, the CEO of the Valkyrie circuit,
accompanied by her childhood friend Dr. An Sakurai. They were arriving at the
Hub for a routine physical assessment.
Nozomi's eye surgery had been a success; she was nearly at the point where she
could return to the ring, and her rehabilitation was progressing smoothly.
Though she still wore her characteristic "dead-fish" expression, the muscle
definition in her arms, abs, and thighs was visible even through her athletic
gear.
"Oho, Shiroki-kun!" Nozomi called out, curious. "Where are you heading so
early?"
"The Shinshinkai." Ren stretched his arms. "Katsumi-kun invited me for a demo.
Figured I'd head out for a change of pace."
Ren grabbed a quick breakfast on the way and arrived at the Shinshinkai HQ just
as the morning practice session was beginning.
Katsumi Orochi, the current Second-Generation Head, was in the fourth-floor
training hall. He was leading hundreds of disciples through a series of Seiken
(straight punches), the air vibrating with the force of their collective
spirits.
"HAH! HU! HAH!"
Ren didn't interrupt. He removed his shoes and shirt, moving to an empty space
at the edge of the hall to begin his own striking drills.
Whish-whish-whish!
Compared to the rigid, one-beat-at-a-time nature of Karate, Ren's style was a
flowing, erratic stream of synthesis. It was agile, multi-angled, and perfectly
timed.
An hour passed.
The Shinshinkai disciples took a break, their eyes fixed on the man training on
the sidelines. Katsumi Orochi was a certified genius, and his open-mindedness
was part of what made the "New" Shinshinkai so formidable. Since taking over, he
had invited many "Guest Coaches" to perform demonstrations, pushing his students
to evolve past the boundaries of traditional Karate.
Retsu Kaioh, Gaolang Wongsawat, and of course, Ren Shiroki.
Ren's demos always featured a new stylistic twist, acting as a spark of
inspiration for the disciples.
"Alright," Ren said, stepping into the center of the hall. "Today, let's look at
Anti-Siege Management."
Three senior disciples stepped forward, each carrying a heavy training post
wrapped in thick hemp rope. They approached Ren from three different angles,
using the posts like "Shields" to simulate a multi-man enclosure.
The next second—Voom!
[DRIVE RUSH]!
Ren exploded forward, closing the distance to the first post in a blur. He
unleashed a high-volume barrage of strikes, pinning the first disciple in place
and rendering him unable to maneuver.
The other two disciples closed in rapidly, aiming for Ren's blind spots with
their heavy posts.
Ren fired a side-kick forward.
[RYU: SOKUTO KERI]!
BAM!
The post in front of him was hammered back. As Ren's right foot returned to the
floor, he used the impact to pivot. He dropped his weight, his torso twisting
with violent torque as he drove his back into the two incoming posts.
"SHAA—!"
[JAMIE: REVERSE BACK-STRIKE]!
The drunken-style bash slammed into the two posts, knocking them back several
steps.
Before they could reset, all three disciples lunged simultaneously, trying to
crush Ren with the combined weight of the timber.
Zip!
Ren twisted his hips, his core muscles firing in a high-speed rotation. He
launched a spinning aerial kick that covered a full 360-degree arc.
[RYU: TATSUMAKI SENPU KYAKU]!
Thud-thud-thud!
His heel caught all three posts in a single frame. Two of the disciples lost
their footing and hit the floor with a "Waaah!"
The third managed to stay upright but was reeling. Ren stepped in, catching the
post alongside the disciple. He exerted a controlled forward pressure, pinning
the man gently but firmly to the mats.
The disciple stared up at Ren, a cold sweat breaking across his brow as he
realized just how easily his "shield" had been neutralized. "T-Thank you... for
the lesson."
Ren stood up, helping the man to his feet. Katsumi Orochi applauded from the
sidelines. "Incredible. That was a beautiful sequence!"
"Did you all see that?" Katsumi turned to his students. "In a real fight, you
must always account for being outnumbered. But you don't fight a crowd; you
fight one man three or four times. The logic remains the same."
"You all have the techniques. But the question is: can you execute the right
move at the right time? There are no identical fights. Every frame is a new
puzzle."
Katsumi's voice turned heavy. "Now, back to the basics! Train!!"
The demo was over. As the students resumed their drills, Katsumi and Ren sat on
the sidelines to hydrate.
"I've heard you've been doing some deep thinking lately," Katsumi smiled.
"Ren-aniki, have you found that 'Advantage' you were looking for in the rhythm
of Combat?"
Ren rubbed his chin. "It's getting there. But I still feel like a piece is
missing."
Ren looked around. "Where's Doppo-sensei? I wanted to pick his brain."
Katsumi waved a hand. "Pops is back in the mountains. He left a few days ago for
a private training retreat. He should be back soon; I'll text you when he
lands."
Ren thanked him. Katsumi, feeling energized by the demo, stood up. "Since you're
here, why don't we get a few rounds in before lunch? Let's use the private dojo
upstairs."
"Nice. That's perfect!"
Ren followed him toward the stairs. But before they could reach the door, a
Shinshinkai student named Terae rushed up the hallway with a worried expression.
"Master Katsumi! Shiroki-sensei! We have a situation on the second floor. It
looks like a challenge."
Terae whispered, "Someone brought a very... unsettling Judo practitioner. He's
calling for Shiroki-sensei by name. They don't look like they're here for a
'Technical Exchange'."
"Oho? Hahaha!" Katsumi couldn't help but laugh. "In this day and age, someone is
still brave enough to kick the front door of the Shinshinkai?"
Ren's eyes shimmered with excitement. "Calling for me specifically? Well, we
can't keep a guest waiting."
"Let's go see." Katsumi patted Ren on the shoulder.
[Second Floor — Training Dojo]
A "Guardian" from Toyo Electric, dressed in a sharp white suit, was waiting.
Beside him stood a mountain of a man in a tattered Judo gi.
He had wild, unkempt hair and a hulking, hyper-muscled build. A streak of black
face paint was smeared across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were wide—too
wide—and he wore a manic, toothy grin that made the back of one's neck crawl.
He stood in a bizarre posture. Despite being 195cm tall, he was hunched over,
knees bent, arms dangling so long they nearly brushed the floor. He reeked of
blood and insanity.
The second floor was usually used for amateur Karate classes, but the students
had already been ushered out by the panicked staff.
Ren and Katsumi arrived, surveying the scene. The Toyo agent offered a polite,
shark-like smile.
"Shiroki-san. This is Masaki Meguro, a master of Judo and one of our company's
registered Kengan fighters."
"As per your preference, I'll skip the long introduction," the agent added, his
tone oily. "He's eager to test his skills. Would you mind giving him a lesson?"
Ren appraised Masaki Meguro for several seconds. He looked at the crazed smile
and the hunched, insect-like posture.
Ren sighed, looking at Katsumi with a face full of disappointment.
"Ugh... he's 'okay,' I guess. Roughly... average?"
Ren shook his head. "He's not going to be much help for my research, is he?"
☆☆☆
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