Chapter "Broken Existance"

Everyone’s eyes turned to the beggar, who stood in stunned silence with widened eyes. He began to hear a growing din, as if lots of crowd was converging. The echoes of distant screams and the wail of police sirens filled his mind, amplifying the chaos around him.

As the beggar stood, overwhelmed by the rising clamor, a single tear rolled down his cheek. When the tear hit the ground, it transformed into the floor of the Almighty Tournament arena. The scene shifted to a buzzing, cheering crowd, and from the beggar's perspective, he saw the fighting floor where Kojiro and Taiga were locked in combat. Witnessing the intense battle, his heart raced. He glanced sideways and noticed the Ryu no Ikari students gathered nearby, their expressions filled with nervous anticipation.

The beggar's eyes widened as he took in the fighting stage. He saw Kojiro standing defenseless, while Taiga charged toward him with relentless speed. In a surreal slow-motion effect, the Ryu no Ikari students began advancing forward, their movements deliberate and tense.

Taiga leaped into the air, poised to deliver that final, brutal kick. Suddenly, the image of 12-year-old Kojiro appeared before him, smiling and giving a thumbs-up while saying, "Let's do our best, Sensei." The beggar’s eyes widened in shock and realization.

Taiga landed the brutal kick, sending Kojiro’s head toward the ground. The beggar watched in slow motion as the impact loomed closer. The Ryu no Ikari students rushed toward Kojiro, their movements frantic and desperate.

"Kojiro!” The beggar whispered softly, as Kojiro's head slammed into the ground. His eyes widened in horror as the camera revealed his true identity: it was not a mere beggar, but Renjiro Matsumoto, tears streaming down his face.

In an instant, the arena vanished, pulling Renjiro Matsumoto back to the present moment where he stood as a beggar. Tears still in his eyes, the truth was revealed: the beggar had been Renjiro Matsumoto all along.

Renijro Matsumoto’s gaze remained locked on the fallen Hisashi. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to Todoka, his expression morphing into a scowl of pure fury. Todoka’s face drained of color, a clear sign of his growing fear.

“Who the hell are you?” Todoka shouted, his voice betraying his fear.

Renjiro’s eyes burned with fury as he locked onto Todoka, seeing a reflection of Taiga in him. With a surge of anger, he charged at Todoka, who, taken aback, retreated with hesitant steps. As Renjiro closed the distance, Todoka, startled, threw a punch in a desperate defense. Renjiro deftly dodged the blow and delivered a precise strike to Todoka’s abdomen. The impact caused Todoka to cough up blood, staggering backward. He collapsed onto his knees, clutching his injured midsection.

Hanae and Todoka's friends stared at Renjiro in stunned bewilderment. As the initial shock wore off, Todoka’s friends erupted in anger and charged at Renjiro. He swiftly assumed a defensive stance, bracing himself as the confrontation ignited into a fierce fight.

Hanae rushed to Hisashi, clutching him tightly as she desperately pleaded for him to wake up, but he remained unresponsive. Meanwhile, Renjiro dominated the skirmish effortlessly, dispatching Todoka's friends with ease. Their efforts were futile against his skill and strength.

The last of Todoka's friends collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from his mouth and forehead, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear. They looked up at Renjiro, who remained in his fighting stance, untouched and unwavering.

Renjiro, visibly enraged with bloodied fists, stared down Todoka's friends. Suddenly, he ducked, narrowly avoiding a kick from Todoka.

Todoka, fuming, assumed his fighting stance. Renjiro mirrored him, and the two locked eyes, ready for their imminent clash.

“Why the hell are you saving this brat?” Todoka demanded, his voice seething with anger.

“How dare you,” Renjiro replied, his tone icy and deliberate. “How dare you kill him!” he roared, his fury erupting.

Todoka and his friends stood frozen, their faces slack with shock as they stared at the beggar, unable to comprehend his identity.

Renjiro charged at Todoka with a furious sprint, unleashing a flurry of rapid punches. Todoka, struggling to keep up, tried to dodge the blows but found himself overwhelmed. As Todoka attempted to counter with a punch, Renjiro deftly intercepted, gripping Todoka's fist in mid-air.

Renjiro yanked Todoka toward him, delivering a crushing headbutt. Before Todoka could recover, Renjiro unleashed a series of rapid punches to his abdomen, then finished with a powerful kick to Todoka's face.

Todoka was sent sprawling, crashing hard to the ground, his face and mouth smeared with blood. Exhausted and battered, he attempted to crawl away, but Renjiro, seething with rage, advanced relentlessly behind him.

Suddenly, Renjiro's eyes widened in alarm. He clutched his head, collapsing to his knees as he screamed and writhed in excruciating pain. Hanae, Todoka, and his friends looked on in stunned confusion, their eyes fixed on the beggar who was now engulfed in agony, his cries echoing through the silence.

“Todoka!” one of his friends shouted urgently. “We need to get out of here!”

Todoka nodded in agreement, scrambling to his feet and sprinting away, his friends quickly following suit.

Renjiro struggled to his feet, his screams of pain echoing through the area. As he steadied himself, he turned and looked at Hisashi, who lay motionless in Hanae's arms.

With a tearful expression, Renjiro reached out his trembling hand toward Hisashi, taking slow, unsteady steps. "Kojiro," he whispered hoarsely, "please wake up. Don’t die on me, Kojiro.”

Hanae looked alarmed as she watched the beggar slowly approaching them.

“Stay away!” Hanae shouted, her voice trembling with fear.

Renjiro halted in his tracks, stunned, as tears welled up in his eyes. He let out a guttural scream, clutching his head in torment, the pain clearly overwhelming him he turned and fled, urgency driving his steps.