"Why's Soku Toma carrying a rock?!"
"That thing's gotta weigh a ton!"
"What's he doing? Weapons aren't allowed!"
The crowd buzzed with speculation.
Soku Toma hefted a massive boulder, larger than a man, and dropped it in the arena.
Boom!
The stone landed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Kid, you really want to fight me?" Soku Toma dusted his hands, addressing Suze seriously.
"What, the Toma clan's already planning to run?" Suze taunted.
Soku Toma smiled faintly. A black flash streaked before him.
Boom!
A deafening blast. The ton-heavy boulder exploded, shattering into pieces.
"So that's the rock's purpose!"
"Toma! My idol!"
"So strong!"
Cheers surged, wave after wave.
Soku Toma retracted his leg, smirking. "How's that?"
Suze calmly glanced at the referee.
Still reeling from the boulder's destruction, the referee caught Suze's look, waved frantically, and shouted, "Begin!" before scrambling away.
Suze didn't rush in. Hands in pockets, he waited.
Soku Toma chuckled, striding forward steadily.
Whoosh!
A black flash struck again.
Soku's elephantine leg lashed out, a meteor crashing into Suze's chest.
Suze flew like a spiked volleyball, spitting blood mid-air, but landed on his feet. "So, the Toma clan's a family of runners. This is your 'two-thousand-year undefeated' power?" he mocked.
He could've dodged that kick.
But he craved the hit.
Soku's force was just right.
Soku Toma, the man himself, was baffled. This kid's mouth was tougher than his. Did he think he could uphold a two-thousand-year legend too?
The crowd was stunned.
Was this guy planning a Sekibayashi-style comeback?
Soku's eyes glinted with ferocity. Crouching in a sumo stance, he charged, covering ten meters in a blink.
No one could mimic the Toma clan's path to glory—not on his watch!
A brutal kick roared in. Suze blocked with his arm but was hurled back, carving twin gouges in the ground like a plowed field.
"Stronger defense? Or getting serious?" Soku wondered, pressing forward. His kicks rained like a storm, dust swirling.
Some Suze dodged; some he took head-on.
His body soon showed damage.
Meanwhile, the Desire System's panel showed tens of thousands of Desire Points vanishing rapidly!
A terrifying aura, like a primal beast, brewed within Suze, seeping into every drop of his blood.
…
"Is there some trick here?" Erioh Wu frowned.
"No way this kid's that weak!" Reian Wu, of all people, refused to believe it.
"Maybe the gap in raw ability's too wide. This is the legendary Toma clan," Hoshiki Wu speculated.
Garura Wu smirked. "Relax, Suze-kun's definitely winning!"
Her confidence was inexplicable.
…
"This'll kill him!" Mitsumasa Tokugawa gasped from the VIP stand.
A fight enthusiast, he hated slaughter.
Metsudo Katahara, seated beside him, said, "Kengan has the best medical team… but if he's courting death, nothing we can do."
…
"He doesn't seem like a braggart!" Hana Miyagu's single visible eye flashed with surprise.
Her other eye wasn't blind—just hidden by soft bangs, close enough.
"You know the guy getting pummeled?" Iori Ichika glanced at her.
Hana nodded, recounting her talk with Suze.
She hadn't told her teammates, doubting Suze's chances of winning.
Iori laughed. "Hana, you got played! Tons of kids talk big to you!"
Nozomi Tenma chimed in, "At least you met a rich guy. Not a loss."
Hana hesitated. Her instincts were sharp—she felt Suze was strong.
Hina Hongo warmed up nearby.
Her match against Cosmo Imai was next.
…
In the fighters' lounge, Kinzo Sanshiki watched Suze take a beating, his frown deepening.
He pressed his earpiece, listened, then told Nitora, "If he loses, the organization will back you to win it all."
Nitora, arms crossed, said coolly, "Whatever. Just don't forget your promise."
Despite his immense strength, he wasn't a martial purist. Fighting was just a tool, like a dagger, gun, or grenade.
…
"Too brutal! Yoshino, stop it!" Sakura Yamauchi covered her face, eyes trembling. Suze's arm looked deformed.
That leg could shatter boulders! Even with damage mitigation, Suze was taking massive hits!
Yoshino Yorita couldn't bear to watch.
Tokugawa had set a 30-billion-yen bet with her family before the match per Kengan rules.
Pocket change for the Tokugawa family, but a flood for the Yorita household.
"Alright…" Yoshino, reluctant, reached for the surrender phone.
But a cold gun barrel pressed against her back.
A real weapon!
Yoshino's hairs stood on end, death looming.
"The boss said you don't get to surrender," Kurapika whispered coldly in her ear.
They were close; no one noticed Kurapika's move.
"You two bastards—" Rum's furious voice crackled through the earpiece. Kurapika hung up, choosing to trust Suze.
…
"Had enough?" Soku Toma, mid-kick, felt his foot seized.
As the dust cleared, he looked at Suze, who'd dropped his guard. A chill ran through him—a warrior's instinct flaring.
In that moment, Suze's gaze sent waves of dread through him, like a beast clamping his neck, chilling him to the bone.
Suze's eyes glowed red, his brow thickened, sharp and fierce. His handsome face radiated menace, black hair writhing like living snakes, seeking prey.
Was it an illusion? Suze seemed bigger, leaner, stronger than before.
"Let your Toma clan's two-thousand-year undefeated legacy unlock my War Demon Bloodline," Suze said, baring his teeth, eyes flashing with ferocity.
He squeezed.
Boom!
Soku Toma's foot exploded!
The Desire System's points hit zero. Suze's stats:
Desire System – SuzeAge: 18Talents: Surface-Underworld Walker, Eidetic Memory, Primal War Demon BloodlineSkills: True Eye EX, Assassination LV10, Sanda LV9, Cooking LV6, Observation Haki LV5, Tempest Kick LV5, Hypnosis LV1, Massage LV3Inventory: Pink TelescopeDesire Points: 0
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