Chapter 60: Kastro's Fear x The Secret Art of Shingen-Ryu
Three veterans, plus Kastro. Gotoh went out to respond to the challenges and returned with the official fight schedule.
"As per your request, Young Master, your match against Harrison has been scheduled for after Wing's."
"'The Divine Shot' Guy has been pushed back by one day. I looked into Harrison's background. The man is cruel and enjoys torturing his opponents to death. Before coming to the Heavens Arena, he used his Hunter License to work as an enforcer for the mafia. He was later put on the dark web's wanted list for raping and murdering the boss's daughter."
He's a professional Hunter, too?
One slash... two... three. The tip of the cane sword hovered just before Gotoh's nose.
Roy finished a sequence of the 'Sun Breathing', took the towel from the young butler, and began to wipe down the blade.
[Notification... "Physique" +0.2...]
Without looking up, he asked, "What about the other one?"
"The last one, Kikuta 'The Ninja', lost out to Harrison and Guy for a spot." Gotoh, recalling the young man with waist-length hair he had seen at the reception desk, chose his words carefully. "Young Master, you've rejected Kastro again. I suspect he won't take it well and will likely cause trouble."
The butler pushed up the glasses on his nose. "As I thought, it would be better to just kill him."
Roy finished cleaning the blade. His eyes, the blade's tip, and the edge of the sword formed a single line. He admired the "new" blade glinting coldly in the sunlight. "You're too late," he said noncommittally.
Ding-dong... The doorbell rang.
Gotoh's brow furrowed. He pulled the door open, revealing Kastro's fair-skinned face.
"Why won't you accept my challenge?"
"Why should I?"
Roy didn't even spare Kastro a glance, continuing to toy with the cane sword, cultivating his bond with it.
Kastro narrowed his eyes. "Are you afraid that I'll defeat you this time?"
Roy let out a short, sharp laugh and gave him a casual glance. Gotoh took a step forward, blocking the way and looking down on him, unleashing his killing intent without reservation.
BOOM!
The killing intent, in the form of pure malice, pressed down on him through Ren. A storm of Aura formed in an instant.
Kastro's pupils constricted. He felt as if he had been plunged into the deepest hell, alarms blaring in his mind.
Unbeatable... I have to run... If I don't run... I'll die!
The instinct for survival screamed at him to retreat, but his legs wouldn't obey. He managed only a single step back before stumbling and falling to the corridor floor.
"Hah... hah..." Kastro gasped for breath. Only then did he hear the voice of the opponent he had sworn to defeat in this lifetime drift out from the room. "Ignorance is bliss... I think you understand now."
BAM! As the words fell, the door slammed shut, separating "you" and "me" into two different worlds.
Kastro sat there, legs splayed, for a long, long time before finally picking himself up and leaving, dejected. The corridor lights cast a long, lonely shadow behind him. Gotoh, his ears sharp, listened until he was certain Kastro was gone, then turned to Roy. "You are too kind, Young Master. As I said, killing him would have been simpler."
"Killing can solve most problems, but not all of them." The blade slid back into its sheath, and the sword in Roy's hand once again became an ordinary-looking cane. The boy, his sun-and-mountain earrings glinting, looked calmly at Gotoh. "If I draw my sword just because someone is an annoyance, what's the difference between me and the Harrison you described?"
Gotoh was undoubtedly loyal, and his every action was based on Roy's best interests. He didn't concern himself with "conscience" or "morality." So, it was up to him, his master, to consider those things for him.
"I'm hungry. Go prepare dinner."
It was four in the afternoon, time to add more points.
Using hunger as an excuse to send Gotoh away, Roy opened his system panel. Having learned his lesson from last time, he stripped off his clothes and hid in the shower.
With a muffled grunt, the transformation began. A minute passed quickly. When the boy emerged again, he was slightly taller than the day before, his physique even more heroic.
When Gotoh returned with a food cart, Roy enjoyed a grand feast and recovered his strength. The next day, he received tickets personally delivered by Wing. He went to the spectator seats and waited for the show to begin.
Huh? How did this kid's Aura Quantity suddenly spike again? When a student was on stage, their master naturally had to be in the audience to watch.
Biscuit was sharp-eyed. The first thing she saw upon entering the stands was Roy. Or rather, she was the one who had instructed Wing to buy adjacent tickets in the first place. She plopped down right next to him.
"Good evening, handsome." With a flick of her twin pigtails, the "maiden" first greeted Gotoh, who was giving her a cold look, then leaned in close to Roy with a grin. "Little Roy, have you eaten?"
"Big sister has some candy. Want some?" Biscuit pulled a few lollipops from her pocket, stuck one in her own mouth, and offered another to Roy.
Seeing that Roy didn't refuse, she beamed and sat there, giggling foolishly to herself.
Soon, the announcer entered the ring and began to hype up the crowd. Tens of thousands of spectators roared at her command, their excitement building to a fever pitch. The atmosphere was electric. Roy, caught up in it all, couldn't help but be affected. He found it amusing.
Biscuit leaned her head over. "You look like you're having fun," she said.
A smile played on Roy's lips, but he ignored her completely.
It wasn't until Wing and Morris entered the ring and the crowd's excitement reached its peak that the boy began to tap his fingers on the armrest, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Biscuit was a little surprised. "To show your happiness so openly... you'd be a terrible assassin," she said seriously.
Roy wasn't annoyed. He watched as Wing rolled up his sleeves, preparing to fight. "I'm just not like some people who enjoy putting on an act," he retorted sarcastically.
"It's not an act, it's about confusing the opponent," Biscuit argued defensively. "Yes, that's it! Confusion!"
"Whatever you say." Roy couldn't be bothered to argue. The old hag was probably past menopause; as long as she was happy, it had nothing to do with him.
"And now, the match officially begins!" the announcer roared.
The battle was underway!
Wing and Morris moved at the same time. Their fists and palms, wrapped in Aura, collided and they instantly retreated.
It was a simple probing attack. Wing, an Enhancer, against Morris, a Transmuter. Despite a ten-year age difference, they were evenly matched, both pushed back three meters. One had to admit, Biscuit had her own methods when it came to training her students.
"Hmph, hmph..." The old hag swung her legs, shooting a smug look at Roy. The words "See? That's my student" were practically written on her face. As Wing followed up with a straight punch and a whip kick, fighting with practiced skill and gaining the upper hand, her pigtails practically stood on end. She couldn't resist shaking a fist at Roy. "See that? That's the power of the heart!"
Shingen-Ryu... the 'school of the heart's source'. Roy had to admit, in terms of raw power, Wing was definitely not as strong as the larger Morris. But somehow, it was Morris who was being beaten back step by step.
At that moment, Roy couldn't help but think of Netero.
—A prayer with every punch.
The words left his mouth before he could stop them. "So this is it... to be filled with boundless gratitude for the martial art that nurtured you, and to repay that grace with your own humble efforts?"
The smug Biscuit suddenly froze.