Chapter 214: An Abnormal Sense of Enjoyment
Ren Shiroki's tone was serious and calm, devoid of even a hint of mockery. He
was genuinely asking the question:
"Now, do you have any more excuses not to fight me?"
Dorian could hear the sincerity in his voice, but the question felt like a
needle to his pride. The irritation in his chest flared into a burning heat.
A legendary Kaioh... and yet his body was beginning to tremble. Veins bulged
across his forehead, his silver beard and hair shimmering with a predatory
menace as his facial muscles contorted into a mask of rage.
But after a few seconds, Dorian suddenly calmed down. He smiled and waved a
dismissive hand. "Since Ren-dono has no heart for the fray, I suppose I have no
choice but to take my leave for the night."
With that, Dorian turned and began to walk away, his heavy steps retreating into
the darkness of the street.
"――Hey!"
Lihito and Katsumi Orochi were the first to react. Lihito urged Ren to go after
him, while Katsumi's brow furrowed in deep suspicion.
"Damn it... there's that feeling again..." Katsumi ground his teeth. "It feels
like a performance. Is he showing a gap on purpose? What a suspicious bastard!"
Doppo Orochi merely arched an eyebrow and smirked.
He reached down, pried a loose stone from the courtyard floor, and wound up like
a professional pitcher. He hurled it straight at Dorian's retreating back.
Zip!
The stone whistled through the air toward Dorian's spine—but it neither hit nor
fell to the ground. It simply vanished into thin air.
"...Eh?" Lihito and Katsumi blinked in surprise.
Then they realized: Dorian had caught it without even looking back.
"Haha..."
Dorian stopped. He turned around, suddenly bursting into a fit of belly-laughter
so intense that tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
"Hahahaha! As expected of the legendary Bushin, Doppo Orochi! To see through my
performance and even go through the trouble of setting a 'test' for me... I am
truly grateful."
He walked back to his original position and let out a long, weary sigh. "All
that effort put into my acting, and you spoiled the show."
Katsumi and Lihito stared, the realization finally hitting them. Dorian's
"frustrated departure" and his earlier outbursts of rage had all been calculated
performances to set up a sneak attack.
Katsumi's eye twitched. "Just like Gaolang-san said... his cowardice is actually
nauseating!"
However, Retsu Kaioh narrowed his eyes. He looked at Dorian and asked a question
of his own: "Was that really an act, Dorian?"
Dorian: "..." Dorian: "Haha!"
The convict offered neither a confirmation nor a denial. He simply shrugged,
clutching his still-aching groin. "Well, I just took a rather heavy hit.
Stalling for time to catch my breath—of course that's a 'good' thing to do."
"..." Retsu remained silent.
Ren Shiroki stood up from the mat. He vaulted over the courtyard wall, landing
on the street to face Dorian.
Dorian was still recovering from the dual beatings handed out by the Bushin and
the God of War, so Ren didn't move to attack immediately. He leaned back against
the wall, glancing over at Retsu.
"Retsu-san, remember that problem we were discussing before?"
Retsu blinked. He and Ren had spent many hours talking, but the one that had
left the deepest impression was their debate regarding the "Path of Strength."
Ren had mentioned that one of his phantoms had told him: All combat, all
strength, all techniques... ultimately point to one result: ending the life of
the opponent. One who seeks the peak must face the Satsui no Hado.
That theory had haunted Retsu's thoughts as well. To Retsu, Ren's first hurdle
was how he viewed his own "collection" of styles. The sheer variety of
techniques Ren possessed created a massive, constant pressure toward lethality.
Does he accept the Satsui no Hado? Does he suppress the urge? Or does he find a
way to coexist with it?
Retsu looked at Ren. Has he found his answer?
"Haha!"
Ren let out a crisp, refreshed laugh. "I don't know the answer. So, I've decided
to just stop thinking about it."
Retsu: "..." Retsu: "...?"
Ren gave up on thinking? No...
Retsu's incredible martial intuition kicked in. He realized that "stopping the
worry" was Ren's answer.
"That was a close one. I almost got trapped by the 'normal' way to answer that,"
Ren said, looking relieved. "Usually, when faced with a resolve like that, the
answers are: Acceptance, Resistance, or Coexistence. Those three choices were
like a thick fog, leading me into a trap."
In Ren's mind, the ink-wash lines swirled violently. The phantoms were listening
intently.
"But the thing that first drew me to this life—to the pursuit of combat and
strength—wasn't the desire to end lives. And it certainly wasn't a desire to
ponder the philosophy of 'Killing Intent'."
"I wanted to see more. I wanted to experience everything during my 'journey'."
Ren looked Retsu in the eye. "I realized my reason for learning so many
techniques was actually... Fear."
...Fear? Retsu stood paralyzed.
Ren grinned widely. "During my travels, if I came across something amazing and
missed the chance to engage with it because I wasn't skilled enough? How much
would I regret that?!"
"—From that perspective, the Satsui no Hado is just another landmark on the
road. It's a part of the journey, not the 'Destination.' There's no need to
treat it like an 'Ending'."
"I intend to enjoy every second of it... in a way that isn't exactly 'normal'."
"..."
The answer was so unconventional that Retsu was left speechless. Even the
phantoms of Ryu and Sagat stood frozen in his mind.
Finally, Ryu let out a laugh of genuine amusement.
[Haha... I see. So that is your way of facing your 'Self'...]
Dorian's state was beginning to stabilize. Ren was doing light stretches,
hopping on the balls of his feet.
Watching Ren in this state, even the legendary Doppo Orochi let out a soft sigh
of wonder.
"If all the brats at the Shinshinkai were like Ren-kun, I'd have a permanent
migraine from trying to keep up with them!"
Katsumi looked confused. "Pops, didn't you mean you'd be 'at ease'? You must
have said that wrong."
"No, I meant 'headache'," Retsu corrected seriously. "Ren's mindset allows him
to absorb techniques and styles at a terrifying speed. Even when he's lost or
confused by the 'Killing Intent,' he doesn't want to waste a single second
waiting for an answer!"
"Karate, Drunken Boxing, CQC, Parkour, MMA, Wrestling, Muay Thai..."
"Right now, Ren Shiroki is constantly consuming new combat logic. He enjoys the
process of mastery so much it borders on an addiction!"
Doppo rubbed his chin. "Indeed. It's fundamentally different from Retsu's
discipline, Gaolang's loyalty, or even your obsession with finishing 'Modern
Karate,' Katsumi."
"He finds pure, unadulterated joy in the techniques themselves."
Doppo grinned at Retsu. "A man like that? If you tried to lock him inside a
single dojo, he'd sprout ten new ideas a day and drive the Master insane. I
couldn't handle him."
Doppo looked at Retsu. "Retsu, how would you evaluate his answer?"
Retsu shook his head. "I cannot. But if we think of the countless styles my
Master, Kaioh Kaku, has mastered as being similar to Ren's 'collection'... then
perhaps my Master would have an answer for him."
Out on the street, Dorian had finally fully recovered. He looked at Ren Shiroki.
"I've kept you waiting, Ren-dono. Let us begin."
Ren settled his feet.
Suddenly—
Dorian raised his hand to his mouth. In his palm was a pile of fine stone dust.
He had crushed the rock Doppo threw into powder while he was talking.
FWOOOSH!
Dorian blew a massive cloud of dust into the air, a blinding smokescreen that
instantly swallowed Ren Shiroki.
But to the surprise of the masters in the yard, Dorian didn't use the cover to
attack.
When the dust finally cleared, Ren was still standing exactly where he had been.
He was in his fighting stance, his eyes open and alert. He hadn't flinched. He
hadn't retreated.
"...You didn't leave my reach? Ha!"
Seeing Ren standing his ground against the trickery gave Dorian an odd sense of
security. For the first time all night, he let out a genuine, satisfied laugh.
(End of Chapter)
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