Chapter 400: The Hungry Warrior
Inspector Morio Sonoda.
When he was trailing Master Shibukawa or chasing after Oliva, Sonoda was a weary
middle-aged student, perpetually exhausted by the whims of martial arts
monsters. When he was woken up at midnight to clean up a crime scene, he was a
tired civil servant.
But it had to be said: when he was on the clock and focused on a case,
Sonoda-san looked every bit the elite officer. He possessed a sharp,
professional dignity that was actually quite impressive.
"It looks like I walked into a challenge match," Sonoda said, pulling a
red-stamped arrest warrant from his pocket and displaying it to the room. "My
apologies for the interruption, but this man—Masaki Meguro—is coming with me."
"He is the prime suspect in a series of serial murders. His crimes are every bit
as horrific as those of the Death Row Convicts."
The situation had turned on a dime.
The Toyo Electric agent in the white suit immediately pulled out his phone to
report the failure to his superiors. Masaki Meguro, however, didn't seem to
understand what was happening. He simply stood there, tongue lolling out,
letting out occasional, high-pitched "Heh heh heh" chirps. He didn't have the
reactions of a normal human being.
Katsumi Orochi, whose blood was already up from the initial exchange, looked a
bit disappointed. He wasn't about to obstruct a police investigation, but he was
curious.
"Inspector, what's the story here?"
"Among the students who were just evacuated," Sonoda explained, "was a veteran
officer who has been on the force for twenty years. He recognized Masaki
Meguro's face instantly."
"He called it in to HQ, and we moved immediately to prevent the suspect from
vanishing back into the shadows."
Beside him, Kosho Shinogi added, "I happened to be at the MPD giving a seminar
on combat forensics, so I hitched a ride to speed things up."
While they spoke, Ren Shiroki's mind was racing, pulling up the files on the man
known as "Boy M."
Or rather... the "Non-Human."
Twenty years ago—
Meguro's father, Hiroki Meguro, was a titan of the Judo world known as [MEGURO
THE OGRE]. After retiring from competition, he founded the Meguro Dojo. He
trained many exceptional disciples, but the brightest star was his own son:
Masaki.
Masaki began his training at age seven. By thirteen, he was a prodigy who could
trade throws with grown men. Only three senior disciples and Hiroki himself
could match him. To the father, it was a golden age; his son was progressing
alongside his "brothers."
But then, the tragedy began.
One of the senior students, Ishida, was found murdered in a warehouse. His body
was a map of horrific blunt-force trauma—injuries consistent with being "Thrown"
with impossible force. Hiroki couldn't fathom who could kill a Judo expert with
a throw.
Then the second disciple, Munemitsu, vowed to avenge Ishida. He was found
shortly after, his skull pulverized against a concrete floor.
Finally, Hiroki caught the culprit in the act. It was his own son, Masaki.
The thirteen-year-old had just finished murdering the third disciple and was
preparing to dump the body. Hiroki, consumed by rage and grief, lunged to "clean
his house"—only to find, to his horror, that he couldn't budge his son.
Masaki's Judo had already transcended his father's.
In that moment, Masaki Meguro looked at his father with eyes that leaked bloody
tears. He whispered words that chilled the blood: "Dad... I've been holding it
in for thirteen years. I can't do it anymore."
Hiroki realized then that his son hadn't "gone mad." From the moment of his
birth, the thing called Masaki Meguro had never been human. He had merely been
acting the part, suppressing a primal, biological hunger for slaughter.
The legend, Hiroki Meguro, died a brutal death at his son's hands. Masaki
vanished into the night, leaving behind a crime scene so grizzly the MPD dubbed
him "Boy M." He had been a phantom on the most-wanted list for twenty years.
Ren remembered the rest.
Masaki had survived in the shadows thanks to Hayami Katsumasa. The Toyo Electric
CEO had found the feral teen and raised him as a "Beast" to be used as a lethal
pawn. That was why he was here with the Guardians.
But a secret like that couldn't stay buried forever. Once the monsters of the
underground started moving, the light of the law was bound to follow.
However, Ren hadn't expected the man sent to "collect" the specimen would be the
[CORD-CUTTER].
Kosho Shinogi shared his brother Kureha's penchant for long hair, though his was
a dark, brownish-black. He shared the family's handsome features, but Kosho's
face was harder, his gaze like the edge of a scalpel. He had been humbled by
Baki and Shibukawa in the past, and since the start of the Street Brawl, he had
been waiting for his chance to return to the Pit.
Kosho was currently bare-chested and barefoot, his aura radiating a sharp,
high-frequency intensity. His face bore a few new scars, suggesting he hadn't
been idle. He gave Ren and Katsumi a curt nod.
Ren grinned. "Shinogi-kun! I didn't expect you to volunteer for this mess."
"Ren Shiroki," Kosho said stoically. "Ever since my brother lost to you, I've
wanted to have a chat. But the Street Brawl is a busy circuit."
"Dojo warriors vs. Convicts, real-world combat, starting a fight the second you
lock eyes... it's a seductive rule set."
"I watched Baki, Doppo-sensei, Hanayama, Retsu... one after another, they
stepped into the frames of history. And I was left on the sidelines. It was...
insulting."
Kosho offered a thin, sharp smile. "But I won't miss the next round of this war.
I'm 'Hungry' for a fight."
Ren understood that feeling all too well. His own Technical Itch was flaring up,
his skin crawling with the desire to move.
"One problem, though," Ren sighed, grabbing the Toyo agent by the shoulder. "The
guest came here for me, but Katsumi-kun already had his turn, and now you're
cutting in line? What about my 'Process'?"
"Hmph. My apologies," Kosho said, sounding not at all sorry. "Don't worry. I'll
wrap this up in a few frames. Then we can talk."
Who was he wrapping up?
Masaki Meguro.
Kosho turned back to the Judo maniac. Meguro was vibrating with excitement, his
eyes shot through with blood as he stared at the newcomer.
"Hah... hah... HAAAA!"
He had wanted to lunge the moment Kosho spoke, but even while talking, Kosho
hadn't left a single opening. His spacing and posture were perfect, denying
Meguro an entry.
"I am a registered fighter of the Underground Arena—Kosho Shinogi!"
"But tonight, this isn't a sanctioned match. Consider this an act of vigilante
justice... or a Street Brawl. Even inside a dojo, combat is Combat!"
"You—"
Kosho was about to continue when Meguro reached his limit. He found the
millisecond of lag he was looking for.
"KILL! KILL! KILL!!"
Meguro shrieked, exploding forward with a startup speed that surpassed an
Olympic sprinter. He was a blur of tattered cloth and muscle.
Zip!
The next instant—CLAP!
Kosho drove his left foot forward in a straight thrust. His big toe caught
Meguro square in the throat, the impact sending the giant reeling.
Kosho had deliberately exposed an opening to bait the lunge, allowing him to
execute a perfect [FRAME PUNISH]. And he hadn't used the ball of his foot; he
had used the "Point" of his toe—a piercing strike.
"Cough... ACK!"
Meguro hit the sand on his back, clutching his throat and hacking up a spray of
blood.
"I heard you were looking for information?"
Kosho's expression didn't flicker. He raised his hands, his fingers curving into
hooked claws.
"Allow me to introduce you... to my [SLASHING FIST]—!!"
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you