Chapter 194: Injured

"Ugh…"

"You're awake?"

Tokita Ohma slowly sat up in a hospital bed. Sitting beside him was Doctor Hanafusa, holding his medical report.

"…The match is over?"

"Yes, it's over. I'm guessing you already knew how it would end."

Doctor Hanafusa set the report down and smiled.

Ohma stepped off the bed and noticed something unusual—his body felt lighter than before, and all the pain was gone.

"You've noticed, haven't you? The changes in your body."

Doctor Hanafusa's smile faded as he spoke seriously.

"After your preliminary match, you came to me for an exam. Back then, your body was a wreck. I don't know what that technique of yours is—the one that turns your skin red—but accelerating your heartbeat like that drastically increases blood flow, which puts extreme strain on your heart and blood vessels. With your condition back then, it wasn't even certain if you'd make it to the next match."

Ohma listened calmly, staring down at his hands, deep in thought.

"…It was him, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was Takamine Rinji," Hanafusa confirmed. "Though I don't know what method he used. The ruptured blood vessels in your body and your failing heart have been fully healed. Even your old hidden injuries are gone… Rinji is really someone impossible to understand."

"Yeah."

Ohma smiled, stepped down from the bed, slipped on his shoes, and opened the door.

The aura around him had changed drastically. If he had once been a raging beast, he was now much calmer, more centered.

"Hm? Where are you going?"

"To watch the match. That guy still has one last fight, right?"

"Yep. After that, he's heading back to Tokyo," Hanafusa replied, catching up with him. "Oh right—before he left, Rinji asked me to pass on a message."

"What was it?"

"He said… 'Let's fight again sometime, if we get the chance.'"

"…"

Ohma chuckled softly and headed back toward the arena.

"Alright."

---

"Rinji! This is the last one! You've got this!!"

Karura cheered from the commentator's booth, and Sayaka, beside her, didn't stop her—she just smiled warmly.

In the stands, the crowd's excitement was at its peak.

Rinji had defeated eleven fighters. With just one more, he would complete the twelve-man challenge.

In fact, after his sixth victory, everyone already acknowledged him as the second king of Kengan matches, right behind Kanoh Agito. And if he defeated all twelve…

He would become a legend. A god of the Kengan Association.

Witnessing the birth of a legend wasn't something that happened every day. Every spectator was ecstatic.

Rinji stood in the center of the ring, waiting for his final opponent.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the entrance.

Then a bearded martial artist stepped into view.

"He's finally here—the final challenger of the tournament! Can he stop Takamine Rinji's perfect win streak? Let's wait and see! Please welcome… representing Motohead Motors, Japan's martial arts master, the 'Devil Lance'—Kuroki Gensai!!"

Wooooooah!!

The roar of the crowd grew several levels louder.

No matter what, this was the final challenger against Rinji. Regardless of outcome, this would be a match recorded in the history of the Kengan Association.

Kuroki Gensai slowly approached Rinji.

"You must be feeling bored by now. With all that power and no worthy opponents."

"…"

"You're not even devoted to martial arts, yet you possess strength others could never reach in a lifetime. As a martial artist, it's… tragic."

Kuroki lifted his right hand, pointing a finger at Rinji.

Rinji understood his meaning and smiled. He walked up and raised his own hand.

Their forearms crossed as they pressed against each other.

"Um… can the two fighters please keep some distance?" the referee said timidly.

The two stood barely an arm's length apart, their hands touching. Normally, fighters stood meters away at the start.

Kuroki said, "This is fine."

Rinji replied, "You can start the match now."

Some didn't understand, but those with knowledge immediately recognized it.

This was a traditional Chinese martial arts sparring stance—the "touch hands" method.

This move was originally meant for controlled sparring, but at such close range, it became far more dangerous.

The referee had no choice but to shout, "Begin!"

Kuroki's eyes instantly sharpened. The hand that had been placed on Rinji's arm suddenly hooked inward, pulling Rinji's arm—and his entire body—toward him. At the same time, Kuroki's left hand shot toward Rinji's neck like a spear.

Rinji didn't hesitate. The moment his right arm was locked, he raised his left, switching from fist to palm and chopping down on Kuroki's attacking arm. At the same time, his right hand shifted and swung toward Kuroki's face.

Though Kuroki managed to dodge the punch, a visible cut appeared across his face.

Unlike previous matches where fighters maneuvered across a large arena, this duel between Rinji and Kuroki was fought within two feet of space. To the audience, all they could see were the blur of the two men's arms moving at lightning speed.

Although the space was small, that only made the moves deadlier—within such tight quarters, even a slight graze could be fatal.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...

Kuroki repeatedly threw orthodox punches at Rinji, but every time, Rinji deflected the strikes by controlling Kuroki's wrists, subtly altering the trajectory of the blows. The moment Rinji blocked the sixth punch, Kuroki went for a low kick aimed at Rinji's waist—but before he could lift his leg fully, Rinji stomped it down.

The attack missed. Kuroki immediately launched another.

He spread his fingers, tightly joined them together, and aimed his hand like a spear straight at Rinji's eyes.

Kuroki's fingers had been specially trained—they could pierce steel with ease. His infamous title, Devil Lance, came from this technique.

Crack!

Rinji responded with a sharp elbow strike. At the moment the "spear" neared him, he slammed his elbow into Kuroki's hand, breaking the index, middle, and ring fingers.

The Devil Lance had failed.

In the next instant, Rinji took a deep breath and suddenly stepped forward.

As he moved, his spine snapped forward and compressed power into a short, explosive motion. His fist shot forward like an arrow, directly into Kuroki's chest.

BOOM!!

The distance between them hadn't changed.

But in that moment, Kuroki's eyes lost focus. A mouthful of blood burst from his lips.

He recognized the technique immediately. After years of studying martial arts and visiting countless masters, he couldn't mistake it.

This was Xingyi Quan's Beng Quan, or more specifically—the Crushing Fist.

This move was often mythologized in fiction, but in reality, its power lay in controlling distance and catching the opponent off guard. Most Xingyi practitioners didn't even bother with it seriously, let alone use it in real combat.

Kuroki, his heart heavily damaged, stumbled back two steps, coughing up more blood.

He wasn't like the others. After watching just a few of Rinji's matches, he could already grasp where Rinji stood.

From the moment they locked hands, he knew—this boy's strength was unfathomable.

But he had never once regretted entering this fight.

All his life, he had approached martial arts as a student, always seeking to improve. Yet as his training continued, he began to realize his limits.

There was no target to surpass, no worthy opponent to overcome. If things continued like that, he would only grow weaker.

That's why he had asked a friend to enter him into this tournament. One of his goals was to fight someone truly strong.

That goal had been fulfilled the moment he met Rinji.

Before his consciousness faded, Rinji had already stepped forward, calmly delivering one final strike—a powerful upward fist toward Kuroki's face.

"Passing hands is like climbing a mountain—each step a new heaven."

Rinji's fist reached Kuroki's face.

And Kuroki smiled.

"Once you've crossed this mountain, the world opens up."

BOOM!

"The match is over! The winner—Takamine Rinji!!"

Kuroki collapsed.

Rinji stood still.

He touched his own neck and raised his hand in front of his face.

His fingers were stained with blood.

Rinji had defeated all twelve opponents. But in this final match against Kuroki Gensai…

He was injured.