When he opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was… weakness.
His muscles burned, as if his body had just come out of a coma. He tried to get up from the bed, but his arms no longer had the same strength as before. When he saw himself in the mirror of the simple room he was in, he was shocked.
"I… I'm sixteen?"
The face was the same, but younger. The body was far from the monstrous physique he once had. No scars. No physical trauma. It was him and at the same time, it wasn't.
Dressed in simple clothes, he left the room. A student dorm hallway, with signs and posters of dojos and tournaments plastered across the walls. Soon he found a flyer with a familiar symbol: the Ryusei Academy, in the Tier 4 city of Ryuken.
So this is where it begins.
He still had the Niko Style in his mind. Every Kata, every breathing pattern, every weight shift. It was all intact except for the body. When he tried to perform a basic move from the Fire Kata, a sharp muscle pain shot through him.
Tch… this body can't handle it yet.
He took a deep breath, accepting the limitation naturally.
⸻
A New Martial Culture
In the streets, billboards and displays showed rankings of student fighters. Each city had power levels called Tiers. Tier 1 was where prodigies and monsters lived; Tier 5, the bottom of the barrel. The city where Ohma had reincarnated was Tier 4 weak, but with potential.
Schools competed for slots in the National Tournament, and Ryusei was one of the few in the region with a competitive track record. Its greatest rival: Kurohyou Academy, from the neighboring city, whose team members were among the most promising in the country.
At Ryusei, the top five students three main fighters and two substitutes formed the core team. Only these fighters represented the school in the Nationals.
⸻
Martial Soul
While watching an evaluation match in the school gym, Ohma saw something unexpected.
At the moment of impact, the highest-ranked fighter released an invisible aura his eyes shifted slightly, the floor seemed to tremble. He moved with superhuman speed and knocked out his opponent in seconds.
"He awakened his Martial Soul," a student beside him whispered.
"What?" Ohma asked.
"The Martial Soul is the true power of martial artists here. Once awakened, they enter the Martial Apprentice Rank and can grow in strength, speed, and durability as they progress through stages. But… not everyone awakens. And not everyone advances."
Ohma observed in silence. So this was the "energy" of this world. Yet he felt absolutely nothing inside himself. No aura. No flow.
Is this body incapable?
—
Internal Challenges
Later that day, Ohma was called into the office of Ryusei's headmaster.
"You've been accepted as a special student. They say your style is unique… but you'll need to prove you deserve to be here."
"How?"
"In three days, there will be an evaluation fight. If you win, you'll be allowed to challenge a spot in the Top 5. If you lose… you go back to the bottom."
Ohma nodded.
"No problem."
In the courtyard, while training alone, he tried again to execute the Fire Kata. This time, the strain was even worse. His young body couldn't support the explosive movement. He dropped to his knees.
Damn… this body will break if I don't adapt the style.
He closed his eyes.
That's fine. I've fought like this before. From scratch. From blood. From instinct.
⸻
The Beginning of Awakening
On the day of the evaluation match, the gymnasium was packed. Many students came to see the "soulless" boy get crushed.
Across the arena, his opponent an Advanced Martial Apprentice smiled arrogantly.
"You're screwed. You don't even have a Soul and think you can beat me?"
Ohma simply rolled his shoulders.
These kids… think power makes them invincible.
The fight began. The opponent charged at full power, unleashing his aura. But Ohma dodged perfectly reading every step, every move.
The opponent grew angry.
"Stop dodging, damn it!"
Ohma waited. And when he saw the opening, he performed a quick move from the Redirection Kata. The opponent's body spun in the air and crashed face-first onto the floor.
The crowd fell silent.
But the opponent got up, unleashing an even more intense aura. He rushed in with a furious barrage. Ohma took the first blow, stumbling. He felt blood in his mouth.
This body can't take direct hits. I need to end this fast.
He focused. The world around him slowed down.
And then, something awakened.
His heart pounded. His breathing changed. An unfamiliar energy exploded from within. His whole body reacted as if a silent flame burned beneath his skin.
"What… is that?" the opponent murmured, stepping back.
Ohma's eyes gleamed — subtle, but intense.
Is this… a Martial Soul?
The world around him became crystal clear. His opponent's movements, his thoughts, his fear, his imbalance everything was visible.
Ohma advanced.
In two steps, he closed the gap. One clean, direct punch landed on the opponent's solar plexus. He collapsed, unconscious.
The silence was broken by shouts, gasps, and murmurs.
"He… he didn't have a Soul."
"He awakened it mid-fight?"
"What the hell was that?!"
Ohma breathed deeply. He felt light. Strong. Alive.
So… this is the power here.
He turned his back and walked out of the arena.
The soul… is born from the fist. That, I understand.