CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34

Ryuhei moved first, his body blurring forward with a speed that defied human eyes, his steps cracking the concrete beneath him as he closed the distance between them in less than a breath.

Seijirou barely had time to raise his guard before Ryuhei’s fist slammed into his gut, folding him in half, the air exploding out of his lungs with a sharp gasp.

Before he could recover, another blow struck his jaw, then his ribs, each hit landing with brutal precision, carrying the weight of the dark energy that surged through Ryuhei’s veins.

Seijirou stumbled backward, disoriented, his vision shaking, but Ryuhei was already upon him again, his movements smooth and vicious, more like a beast than a man.

A heavy kick connected with Seijirou’s side, sending him crashing into a billiard table with enough force to split it down the middle.

The wooden frame cracked and splintered as Seijirou’s body bounced once, then fell limp across the shattered remains.

Ryuhei grinned, his aura flickering like black fire around him.

He grabbed Seijirou by the hair, lifting his head, then slammed it down against the table’s surface with a deafening crash.

The table collapsed completely this time, the green felt tearing apart as wood and dust flew.

"Still breathing?" Ryuhei taunted, his grin widening with every hit. "You’re a tough nut to crack, Kageyama."

He yanked Seijirou up by the collar as if he weighed nothing and delivered a spinning kick straight to his chest.

The impact sent Seijirou flying across the room, slamming into a stack of chairs that scattered under the force.

He rolled twice, coughing blood, before landing flat on his back, struggling to breathe.

"Seiji!" Suzune shouted, eyes wide in panic.

"You bastard!" Sakai screamed, grabbing a nearby metal pipe.

Shuo’s eyes widened in anger.

And without hesitation, Suzune, Shuo, and Sakai launched themselves at Ryuhei.

Suzune came first, a sharp kick aimed at his head, while Sakai swung a metal pipe at his ribs, and Shuo dashed behind to sweep his legs.

Ryuhei didn’t even flinch.

He sidestepped Suzune’s kick effortlessly, caught Sakai’s pipe mid-swing, and twisted it out of his hands before smashing the butt of it against Shuo’s stomach.

Shuo bent over, gasping, only to take a knee to the chin that sent him sprawling backward.

Suzune tried again, faster this time, striking with precise, trained movements, but Ryuhei caught her ankle mid-air and flung her aside like a doll.

She crashed into a wall, her breath catching painfully in her throat.

Sakai roared and charged again, trying to grab him in a chokehold, but Ryuhei’s form blurred.

In an instant, he vanished from Sakai’s line of sight and appeared behind him, driving his elbow into the back of Sakai’s neck.

The sound of impact echoed, and Sakai hit the floor, groaning.

Within seconds, all three of them were down.

But they didn’t stay down.

Bruised, bloodied, and panting, they pushed themselves up again, their determination burning even as their bodies screamed in pain.

Shuo was the first to move, feinting low while Suzune charged from the side and Sakai swung from above in perfect coordination.

Ryuhei’s grin widened, almost admiring their stubbornness.

"Persistent little insects," he muttered.

With a single spin, he deflected Sakai’s pipe, ducked beneath Shuo’s kick, and rammed his palm into Suzune’s stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs.

She coughed, clutching her abdomen, but before she could recover, Ryuhei grabbed her by the hair and yanked her upward, forcing her to face him.

Her eyes glared with defiance, even as blood trickled down her lip.

Ryuhei chuckled, tilting his head.

"You’re a pretty one," he said, his voice smooth but venomous. "Maybe I’ll take you with me tonight, huh? A little reward for all this trouble."

Suzune’s response was immediate and cold. She spat in his face.

The saliva mixed with blood, running down his cheek.

For a moment, everything went silent.

Then Ryuhei’s smile vanished. His eyes darkened, turning an even deeper shade of red as his aura flared violently.

"You bitch," he growled, his voice trembling with rage. "I changed my mind. I’m going to cripple your limbs and have my way with you while you watch, unable to move!"

He tightened his grip on her hair, raising her higher as he prepared to slam her head against the floor with all his strength.

But before he could, something shifted in the air, a pressure cutting through his aura like a blade.

Ryuhei’s eyes widened. He felt a sudden sting across his face, a sharp impact that sent his entire body spinning sideways.

Before he even understood what happened, he was already crashing into the far wall with a thunderous crack, dust and debris raining from the ceiling.

Suzune gasped as her body began to fall, but before she hit the ground, a familiar arm caught her.

Seijirou stood where he had been moments ago, his stance low and steady, his knuckles bleeding, his eyes burning with fury and focus.

The faintest wisp of steam rose from his shoulders as his body trembled, not from exhaustion, but from sheer, unrelenting will.

He looked down at Suzune, his voice low and calm. "You did good."

Then he turned his eyes toward the wall where Ryuhei had crashed through the concrete, his expression cold and sharp as steel.

Ryuhei groaned, his body half-buried in the cracked wall before he slowly pushed himself free, dust and fragments of concrete falling from his shoulders.

He wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, disbelief flickering in his crimson eyes.

He had felt that blow, it was sharp, clean, and hurts like hell.

His cheek throbbed with pain, the metallic taste of blood spreading across his tongue. For the first time since awakening his Karyoku, someone had managed to hurt him.

He turned his gaze toward Seijirou, who stood calmly in the center of the room, holding Suzune steady with one arm while the other hung loosely at his side.

The faint hum of tension between them made the entire room feel smaller, heavier.

Ryuhei spat to the ground, smirking despite the pain.

"You, how the hell are you even standing? I crushed you a minute ago." He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Don’t tell me you’ve got one too... a Karyoku?"

Seijirou gently set Suzune down beside Shuo and Sakai before straightening his back, rolling his shoulders, and cracking his neck in a slow, deliberate motion.

Then he flexed his fingers, the bones popping one by one. His face was expressionless, his tone dry, almost casual.

"Karyoku? I don’t have something that fancy." he said, tilting his head slightly. "But, isn’t it only natural for a last boss to get stronger and gain a few more health bars when he’s about to be defeated? That’s common sense, idiot."

The others blinked, not quite understanding his words, but Seijirou wasn’t speaking to them.

He was speaking to himself, and deep inside his mind, the memories of the game replayed vividly.

In the original story, Kageyama Seijirou—his game counterpart—was a last boss.

The strongest delinquent in the first part of the series. Every player who reached his stage had to rally all the school gangs under one banner just to face him.

Even then, when his health bar was nearly depleted, he would smirk, straighten up, and suddenly regain strength, his vitality surging as his health bars multiplied one after another.

The battle was infamous, an exhausting war of attrition that broke countless players’ patience.

It was frustrating. It was unfair. It was the kind of fight that made you smash your keyboard or throw your controller across the room.

And now, standing here, Seijirou couldn’t believe how happy he is that he carried that feature over even in this reality.

If he told his past self that he is grateful for Seijirou being able to restore and multiply health bars and get even stronger, the past him would probably commit suicide on the spot, not wanting to be a ’grateful’ person like him.

At this moment bruises were fading, his breathing steadied, and the pain dulled into nothing more than background noise.

Energy, raw and fierce, poured into his muscles, his body responding as if it had been waiting for this moment.

He crouched slightly, picking up two iron bars from the wreckage at his feet.

The metal felt familiar in his hands, an extension of his will.

He spun one once, testing the weight, and then crossed them diagonally before raising them into the Kali Arnis stance, feet wide, eyes locked, posture sharp and balanced.

The flickering lights above reflected off the iron, casting streaks of silver across his arms.

Ryuhei watched him with a wary grin, his aura flaring once again, the dark energy licking around his body like fire.

"You’re full of surprises, Kageyama." he said, his tone half-amused, half-predatory. "But this time, I’ll make sure you stay down."

Seijirou’s lips curved into a small, calm smile, his voice low and steady.

"Round two, then," he said. "Let’s see who breaks first."

And with that, the two of them moved, no words, no hesitation, only the sound of metal grinding against concrete as the rematch began.