The Secret of Power

Tatsuya, bruised and battered, watches Kazuto with wide eyes, disbelief and anxiety written all over his face.

Tatsuya (thinking): IS HE REALLY GOING TO SAY IT HERE AND NOW?!

Prime Ravager, Tatsuya, and the scientist all watch him closely, their expressions ranging from curiosity to bewilderment.

Tatsuya (trying to stand, panicking internally): THIS IS DANGEROUS! SHOULD I STOP HIM? IS IT REALLY A GOOD IDEA TO TALK TO THESE GUYS ABOUT THIS?!

Kazuto takes a deep breath, his expression serious and unwavering.

Kazuto: "Okay, here I go. The decisive factor in this elaborate training plan is that you must push through to the very end."

Scientist (thinking, startled): "TRAINING? WAIT… SO IT WASN'T CYBERNETIC ENHANCEMENTS, GENETIC MODIFICATIONS, OR SECRET MEDICATIONS… IT WAS JUST... TRAINING?!"

Prime Ravager (raising an eyebrow): "What kind of training could possibly...?"

Kazuto turns to Tatsuya, his voice calm but resolute.

Kazuto: "This is an important part, Tatsuya. You have to force yourself to keep going, no matter how tough it gets. I became this strong in just three years. Here's the regimen: 1,500 burpees, 10,000 push-ups, 10,000 squats, 1,000 pull-ups, 100 sprints of 100 meters each, and finally, a 50-kilometer run. All at top speed, no breaks. And if you slack off, you start over from the beginning."

His face grows even more serious as the room falls silent.

Kazuto: "And of course, you have to eat three meals a day. But in the morning? One banana is enough. Oh, and another rule: no air conditioning, whether it's summer or winter. You need to toughen yourself mentally."

Tatsuya, Prime Ravager, and the scientist stare at him, their jaws practically hitting the floor.

Kazuto: "At first, it'll feel like hell, and you'll start thinking, 'One day off won't hurt.' But to become a truly strong hero, I didn't stop. Not even when my entire body screamed in pain and I was coughing up blood. Even when my legs felt like lead and refused to move, I kept doing squats. Even when my arms made weird cracking noises, I kept doing push-ups."

The air grows heavy as Kazuto continues, his voice carrying an almost mythical weight.

Kazuto: "After about a year and a half of training, I noticed a change. I became strong. You train so hard you think you're going to die or go insane. That's the only way to become truly powerful. All this nonsense about artificial evolution and creating a 'new human race'... it won't take you far. The true power of humans is that we can change ourselves."

The scientist stumbles backward, his face pale with shock.

Scientist: "W-WHAT?!"

Prime Ravager (clenching his fists, trembling): "IS... IS HE TELLING THE TRUTH?!"

Tatsuya (gritting his teeth, shouting): "MASTER… I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

He struggles to his feet, yelling with all his might.

Tatsuya: "STOP SPOUTING NONSENSE!"

Kazuto (raising an eyebrow): "Eh?"

Tatsuya: "EXTREME STRENGTH TRAINING? AND THAT'S NOT EVEN THAT HARD! MASTER, I NEED TO GET STRONGER! I DIDN'T BECOME YOUR DISCIPLE TO HEAR THIS KIND OF RUBBISH! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THAT STRONG JUST FROM TRAINING MUSCLES TO THE EXTREME!"

Kazuto (calmly): "Tatsuya. I understand you don't believe me, but… that's all I did. Honestly."

Suddenly, Prime Ravager lets out a low chuckle.

Prime Ravager: "Oh, I get it now..."

Tatsuya and Kazuto whip their heads toward him, startled. The scientist's face twists in panic.

Scientist: "HEY, PRIME RAVAGER?! DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO—"

Prime Ravager's muscles bulge grotesquely as his veins glow crimson. His eyes take on a wild, bloodthirsty gleam.

Prime Ravager (grinning wickedly): "IT'S FINE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SHARE YOUR LITTLE SECRET WITH ME! I DON'T CARE! EITHER WAY, I'LL BET MY ENTIRE EXISTENCE THAT YOU'RE NOT STRONGER THAN ME!"

His voice grows into a roar as his body transforms, his power surging to an unimaginable level.

Prime Ravager: "I'LL KILL YOU SLOWLY FOR LEAVING ME OUT OF THIS!"

The ground quakes as Prime Ravager activates his Berserk Mode, his appearance now reminiscent of a demonic beast.

Prime Ravager: "FIUU... ONCE I ENTER BERSERK MODE, I LOSE MY MIND FOR A WHOLE WEEK! MY BLOODLUST WON'T FADE UNTIL NEXT SATURDAY!"

He flexes, the air around him distorting.

Prime Ravager: "AFTER I KILL YOU, I'LL DESTROY THE NEXT CITY… NO, THE WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY IN SECONDS! I'LL GO ON A RAMPAGE UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND!"

Kazuto's face twitches in mild annoyance.

Kazuto (thinking): "WAIT... DID HE JUST SAY HE'D STAY IN BERSERK MODE UNTIL NEXT SATURDAY?!"

Prime Ravager charges forward at blinding speed, landing a devastating punch that sends Kazuto crashing into the ground, shattering it completely. He leaps after him, aiming to deliver the killing blow, but Kazuto narrowly dodges.

Kazuto (thinking, dodging blow after blow): "THIS IS BAD... 

Tatsuya watches helplessly, his body trembling.

Tatsuya (thinking): "MASTER...?"

Prime Ravager appears behind Kazuto, unleashing a flurry of punches with monstrous speed.

Prime Ravager (laughing maniacally): "DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!"

Kazuto braces himself, his thoughts racing.

Kazuto (thinking): "IF TODAY'S SATURDAY... AND HE'LL STAY IN THIS STATE UNTIL NEXT SATURDAY... THAT MEANS...!"

Suddenly, Kazuto's expression hardens. He clenches his fist, a faint golden glow surrounding it. Prime Ravager charges in for another strike, but Kazuto doesn't flinch.

Kazuto (yelling): "THAT MEANS… TODAY IS THE SPECIAL SALE DAY!"

With a single punch, Kazuto obliterates Prime Ravager's torso and head, his attack so powerful it disintegrates the berserk beast instantly.

Scientist (frozen in shock): "NOOOOOOO! THIS CAN'T BE THE RIGHT DAY!"

Tatsuya runs toward Kazuto, his voice cracking.

Tatsuya: "MASTER!"

The scientist collapses to his knees, trembling.

Scientist: "TO HELL WITH RESEARCH AND ARTIFICIAL EVOLUTION... MAYBE I'M THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO CHANGE."