Chapter 205: The Probe
In terms of street-fighting experience, Ohma Tokita had accumulated a lifetime's
worth.
The moment his right wrist was sliced, he deactivated the [Advance]. He knew all
too well that maintaining high-speed blood circulation with an open arterial
wound was a one-way ticket to a coffin.
He immediately tucked his left palm under his right armpit, clamping his right
bicep tight against his ribs. By using his palm to crush the brachial artery, he
forced the bleeding into a temporary halt.
Logically, the correct strategy now was to evade and circle, using his remaining
dregs of stamina to find a single opening for a reversal. But Yanagi Ryuko's
final words had shredded Ohma's logic.
"...Based on your form, I assume your Master died quite some time ago, didn't
he?"
The moment the words hit the air, Ohma's vision turned a chaotic crimson. His
teeth ground together with a sound like crushing stone. He locked a murderous,
predatory gaze onto Yanagi.
"You know the man who killed Niko?!"
"No, merely a guess," Yanagi shrugged, his tone airy. "But it truly is a pity. I
had hoped to test my skills against this 'Niko' person. I didn't expect him to
die while I was behind bars..."
The insult to his master was the final straw. Ohma ignored the wound on his
wrist and lunged forward, launching a frantic pursuit.
Zip! Zip!
Yanagi dodged with fluid, serpentine grace, letting the punches whistle past.
"Do you truly wish to continue? This will only end faster."
Ohma was beyond reason. Even as the blood began to soak his sleeve again, his
movements grew more savage. He was on the verge of forcibly triggering the
[Advance] again, his strikes coming faster and harder with every heartbeat.
"Shut your damn mouth! I decide how this ends!"
Zip! Zip! BANG!
A three-hit combination. The final blow finally caught Yanagi on the forearm,
knocking the convict back half a step.
"..."
Watching the demon-possessed Ohma, Yanagi let out a weary sigh. He tossed the
Bagh Nakh tiger-claws onto the pavement.
"I admit, I misjudged one thing. For you... it is 'already' over."
Yanagi rolled his wrists, his voice dropping into a slow, lecture-like cadence.
"The [Advance]... a technique that forcibly increases heart rate, leading to
vascular damage and cerebral hemorrhaging. It causes memory loss,
hallucinations, and auditory distortions..."
"Perhaps it even changes one's personality?"
"Combined with your massive blood loss, if you keep using the [Advance], you
will die quite young. Whether you 'decide' the fight is over or not is
irrelevant to the biology of your death. But... to avoid wasting more of my
energy, and to show a modicum of respect to the Niko Style... I suppose I'll
show you."
Yanagi flexed his palms.
A sight that made the hair on Kazuo Yamashita's neck stand up occurred: Yanagi
bent his fingers backward until the nails literally touched the back of his own
hand. His hands possessed a sickening, inhuman suppleness.
"This is the martial art I wield!"
Yanagi glided forward, walking straight into Ohma's reach. Ohma fired a right
straight, but Yanagi tilted his head by a fraction, letting it pass.
Simultaneously, Yanagi's right hand snapped up, his palm lightly slapping over
Ohma's face, covering his nose and mouth.
Slap!
It was a soft, almost delicate sound.
But the previously berserk Ohma suddenly lost all focus in his eyes. His body
turned to lead, and with a heavy THUD, he collapsed into a heap of
unconsciousness.
"This isn't a standard boxing KO or a simple concussion," Yanagi noted, looking
down at Ohma. "He'll be horizontal for at least half a day."
Having finished with Ohma, Yanagi turned his gaze back to the remaining
spectators.
Lihito was in a bad state. The wound under his ribs was deep, and he was losing
blood faster than Ohma had. He could do nothing but press his hand against the
gash, struggling to stay upright.
Ren Shiroki had been standing by, supporting Lihito. He had been a silent
observer for some time. To an outsider, it looked like he was simply studying
Yanagi's moves, but Kazuo Yamashita could see the truth—the bandages on Ren's
back were soaked through with fresh blood. His surgery wounds had torn open.
He was far from his best fighting condition.
Kazuo was trembling so hard his glasses were slipping. He couldn't understand
what he was seeing. Vacuum palms? The most poisonous gas? What is happening?!
"During my time in prison, they called me 'The Poison Hand'."
"This is the [Way of the Void]!"
Yanagi held up his palm, displaying it to Ren. "Let me ask you... what is the
most toxic gas on this planet?"
"..."
When no one answered, Yanagi continued his lecture. "Carbon monoxide? Hydrogen
cyanide? They can kill, yes, but they have warning signs. They aren't the 'most'
toxic. The answer... is Oxygen."
"The air surrounding us is 21% oxygen. As that percentage drops, the human
body's functions collapse accordingly. Dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting,
then coma."
"At 15%, those symptoms manifest. But if you drop the oxygen content to 6%... a
single breath will cause instantaneous loss of consciousness!"
Yanagi walked toward Ren, one step at a time. "The human body is a miracle. A
creature that can survive for five minutes without breathing... yet if it
inhales 6% oxygen just once, it shuts down. That is reality."
"Through years of training with various materials, I have mastered the ability
to create a vacuum environment with my palm, concentrating 6% oxygen air right
in the center. In prison, I refined this against a constant stream of
challengers. This... is the ultimate technique to end a human life in a
heartbeat!"
Yanagi's explanation was so detailed and clinical that Kazuo Yamashita felt his
soul leaving his body. Vacuum palms? Science-based assassination? This felt like
something out of a pulp sci-fi novel, yet it was happening in a parking lot in
Tokyo.
...Wait.
Kazuo suddenly had a flash of clarity. Why is this scary man explaining his
secret move? Wouldn't it be better to keep it hidden as a trump card? Is this a
trap?
Then, he realized. Ren is bleeding. Yanagi is stalling for time to let the blood
loss weaken him! How cowardly!
But why was Ren so calm? Was he waiting for backup?
Yanagi shared the same suspicion. An inkling of unease began to fester in his
mind. He decided to end it now. He lunged at Ren, his right palm extended.
The next second—
SPLASH!
A handful of blood slammed into Yanagi's face.
While he had been supporting Lihito, Ren had quietly cupped the blood leaking
from Lihito's wound and mixed it with his own. He had been waiting for the exact
moment Yanagi committed to his strike to launch a biological sneak attack!
"—?!"
Blinded by the blood, Yanagi flinched. Terrified that Ren would follow up with a
lethal combo, he performed a desperate backward leap. It looked like a retreat,
but his eyes were wide behind the smear of red, his muscles coiled to
counter-attack the moment Ren stepped into his trap.
"..."
To Yanagi's shock, Ren didn't pursue. He stood perfectly still, his stance
unshakeable and devoid of openings.
"Impressive," Yanagi muttered, wiping the blood from his eyes. "I didn't think
any youth besides Baki Hanma could reach this level of discipline. So... tell
me. Is that wound on your back truly debilitating? Or is it just a theatrical
display to make me drop my guard?"
Ren gave a faint, cold smile as he listened to the convict. "Sickles,
tiger-claws, and the Void... you've got quite the toolbox, Yanagi-san."
Yanagi gave a sinister chuckle. "Is that any way to address your elders, boy?"
"I think it's appropriate. After all, your techniques are nothing but Killing
Intent."
Ren shrugged. Then, he asked a question that felt entirely out of place. "To
you... what do those techniques meant to take lives actually represent? How do
you view them?"
"...What?"
Yanagi stared. He was in the middle of a battle to the death, and this kid was
asking for a philosophical lecture. Is he trying to distract me? No... is he
trying to find a gap in my logic to break my spirit?
In an instant, Yanagi's mind cycled through a dozen different possibilities.
Seeing Yanagi's hesitation, Ren suddenly let out a laugh. He straightened his
back, ignoring the pain. "Nice. I get it now."
Yanagi froze. "You get what?"
Ren looked around at the discarded sickles and claws before focusing back on
Yanagi's empty palms.
"You've mastered so many lethal arts, yet you can't even answer how you feel
about them. You view a simple question as a tactical ploy. You're tired,
Yanagi!"
"I see it now. You don't 'wield' your techniques... you 'rely' on them. You're a
slave to your own arsenal."
Ren nodded with a satisfied grin. "Thank you. You just helped me eliminate one
'Wrong Answer' from my list."
"..."
The words made no sense to Yanagi, but a surge of pure, irrational fury erupted
in his chest. I'm being lectured? By a wounded brat?
Yanagi spread his palms, dropping into his Way of the Void stance—a posture
known as Zen-u (Fore-wing). He prepared to strike again.
Facing that cold, cobra-like stance, Ren whispered to himself, "The fight is
over. Now... the Slaying begins."
Yanagi sneered. "Indeed. And with those wounds, you are the one in the most
danger. Your life ends here. This is the reality of combat—far removed from your
naive 'Martial Arts' worldview!"
"..."
"You're right," Ren said, his tone suddenly shifting. "In a 'Slaying,' anything
goes. Which is why... Yanagi Ryuko... you're about to get your ass kicked!"
Yanagi's face contorted with rage. He lunged forward.
The next heartbeat—
Ren roared: "RETSU-SAN!!"
ZIP!
Retsu Kaioh exploded from the corner of the alley. He performed a sliding
high-kick that slammed directly into Yanagi's face.
BOOM!
Retsu was currently clutching two bottles of Oolong tea in his other arm. He had
sensed Ren's distress back in the hospital and, unable to sit still, had gone to
a convenience store for drinks before following Ren's trail.
(End of Chapter)
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