But for Ryuji, things were different.
Food wasn't just something to replenish nutrients, it was also a kind of enjoyment. His path was different from Akuma's, so he didn't feel ashamed that Akuma possessed a stronger fighting will. From the way Akuma lived, it was obvious that guy was the kind of person who trained relentlessly every moment.
People who devote themselves to ascetic training naturally possess extraordinary willpower, that's something they've earned. If you're not convinced, then go spend your whole life training just as hard.
Ryuji knew he could never reach that level of rigorous training. No one was forcing him to do it. The only reason he wanted to become stronger was because becoming stronger meant there would be more new boobs for him to squeeze…
Looking at the mess in front of him, Ryuji quickly asked Mai for her opinion and received an answer that put his mind at ease.
"This level of compensation isn't a problem for the Shiranui-ryū. The gold you have on you is also enough to cover it, since you didn't actually spend any money. And we know the people at this hospital. If we talk to them and give a little help with the insurance process, all the affected victims can receive compensation. Besides, we also know a council member…"
Mai's answer made Ryuji breathe a sigh of relief.
Thinking about it, that made sense. The fact that Mai could guard such a large dojo, even an entire mountain, meant that she must have special privileges in this Japanese world.
Although the Shiranui-ryū dojo didn't appear particularly wealthy at first glance, that wasn't really how things worked.
She indeed didn't have much cash on hand, but Japanese society naturally favors landowners. Moreover, with Mai's skills, she didn't have to worry about the yakuza or other criminal elements at all.
It was only because Mai had been unable to manage these matters for the past few years due to various circumstances that she didn't seem wealthy. Otherwise, she wouldn't be short on money.
Not to mention anything else, just borrowing money to build houses on her land could easily bring in enormous profits.
Only then did Ryuji realize that Mai was actually a rich woman.
A hidden rich woman!
As long as she was willing to develop things in Japan, the land and assets under her name would generate tremendous income.
So, Ryuji stopped worrying about it. He handed all the gold he had to Mai to handle the arrangements, then sat down cross-legged and began summarizing the results of his battle with Akuma.
Meanwhile, Hanzo, whom he had accidentally forgotten about, returned at this moment.
Hanzo looked at Chun-Li, who was standing to the side with a hesitant expression. After asking Mai briefly while she was on the phone contacting people and confirming that his granddaughter had handled everything flawlessly, he turned to Chun-Li.
"Miss Chun-Li seems very concerned about this."
Chun-Li nodded when she heard that.
How could she not be concerned?
She was also a martial artist. Although she didn't know many of the masters in Japan, the shockwaves from Ryuji's battle with that mysterious fighter earlier had been enough to make even her feel fear. Just watching that terrifying power made her heart pound with a sense that it was completely beyond her ability to oppose.
She was a genuine top-tier fighter. Even Mai, who was standing beside Ryuji making a phone call, although the two seemed roughly equal in strength, Chun-Li was confident that if they actually fought, she could steadily suppress Mai, because Mai's mastery of qi techniques wasn't particularly outstanding.
But the shockwaves from those two just fighting had influenced the weather itself…
Were they even human?
Chun-Li couldn't help but think this.
"I hope Miss Chun-Li won't reveal what happened here. This matter is extremely serious and…"
Hanzo glanced subtly toward the direction of the distant U.S. military base and sighed.
"Yeah, I understand."
Chun-Li wasn't particularly interested in Hanzo or the Japanese martial arts world. The only reason she was here was to investigate the cause of her father's death and find the mastermind behind it.
If the father she had just seen wasn't an illusion, then the identity of the culprit was already very clear: M. Bison.
Chun-Li couldn't help recalling the conflicted expression on her father's face. Although he hadn't said anything directly, the way his expressions leaned toward certain answers, along with his deliberate silence. Combined with the information she had gathered recently, left only a few possible suspects.
And the one person her father believed she couldn't defeat… was likely Bison. And that meant the warlord operating in the open…
She bit her lip. Although she was quite strong, resisting bullets and explosives head-on was wishful thinking.
A small amount might still be manageable, she could probably endure a bit, but if there were many, being riddled with bullets would be almost inevitable.
Even worse, her appearance and figure were quite striking and these warlords were inhuman, who knew what would happen if she fell into their hands.
If martial artists could truly fight against modern weapons alone, then countries wouldn't need to develop new weapons every year, right?
But she couldn't simply ignore the murder of her father.
So at this moment, Chun-Li found herself thinking about slowly eliminating Bison's peripheral forces first, then finding others who shared the same hatred toward Bison and forming alliances with them.
After all, no one would believe that someone like Bison could grow his power to such an extent without making enemies.
And Ryuji…
Ryuji truly possessed the power to stand alone against an army.
With just a single strike, he had blasted someone from halfway up the mountain into the city, smashing through more than a dozen houses. Strength like that could truly be called godlike.
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