Chapter 29: Force is Life
The building, fourth floor.
Kaji Takaomi, a normal person, had once thought about buying a ringside ticket to a fighting match, just to watch the fighters make their entrance up close.
He had never imagined that casual thought would be realized tonight—in this way.
Clack... clack...
Shiraki Kei stepped forward, like a gladiator walking into the arena.
Kaji's voice trembled, filled with disbelief. "Baku... Baku-san, are we... are we really going to..."
Is there really a "person" alive who would dare to fight that monster?!
But before Kaji could even ask, Madarame Baku clapped him on the shoulder. "Kaji-kun, don't just stand there. Get ready to run."
"Huh!?"
Before Kaji Takaomi could react, Madarame Baku—and the other man, Akagi Shigeru—suddenly turned and bolted toward the stairwell.
Kaji Takaomi instinctively followed.
After a few steps, he realized Shiraki Kei was still standing there. He worried, "Baku-san! If we just run, will he be okay?"
"I... will win!"
Madarame Baku wiped the blood from his nose, muttering, "From the very beginning, my goal has never changed. I came to this building to win!"
Hearing this, Kaji Takaomi was stunned. "Wait... are we abandoning Shiraki-san? Leaving him to die?"
"...Huh?!"
Baku froze, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Kaji-kun, you're so cruel. How could you even think of abandoning a teammate?"
"That's not what I meant!" Kaji's face flushed. "—I was just going by what you said! Why else are we running?"
Madarame Baku explained seriously, "Because even if we stay, we'll just get in the way. We don't know how to fight."
Kaji Takaomi: "..."
Kaji Takaomi: "Haha... right."
He'd almost forgotten. This wasn't some fantasy novel. There was no "power of friendship" here. Blindly grouping up would just drag their fighter down.
"So, what now?" Kaji asked. "We just run?"
"Huff... huff..."
Madarame Baku was already gasping for air, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Kaji-kun, we could just run... but don't you want to see it? That old man... regretting his entire life, repenting right in front of us..."
For no reason, Kaji Takaomi shivered.
And the aura of the other man—Akagi Shigeru—made him shiver even harder, to the point where it was almost hard to breathe.
"Yes... just this... isn't enough."
The silver-haired man laughed softly, muttering, "This gamble is about to get even more interesting."
Clearly, these two "aberrations" had another plan.
...
...
Fourth-floor hallway.
Shiraki Kei and Rodem faced off.
Their height and weight were nearly identical, but the lines of their muscles were different. Shiraki's were fluid and smooth. Rodem's were an inhuman, savage mass.
"Kill... KILL!"
With no preamble, Rodem charged, his dagger in a reverse grip.
Shiraki Kei didn't dodge. He clenched his fists, his right foot exploded off the ground, and his entire body lunged forward half a step as he threw a straight punch.
[Aura Burst • Shockwave]!
SWOOSH!
A short, high-speed dash that seemed to warp the air, focusing his entire body's power into the punch aimed at Rodem.
Even [Nioh] Komada, who had a nearly 30kg weight advantage, couldn't have faced this punch head-on.
But Rodem just shot out his right hand. His dynamic vision tracked the fist's trajectory, and with monstrous strength, he caught the incoming punch.
BANG!
The force of the blow only made Rodem's body tremble. His movement didn't even pause. His other hand slashed the dagger toward Shiraki.
Swish!
Shiraki Kei saw the danger, but instead of retreating, he pushed off his back foot, advancing another half-step, and slammed his left elbow straight into Rodem's chest.
[Aura Counter • Piercing Elbow]!
THUD!
The elbow struck Rodem's chest with a dull sound, forcing him back two or three steps before he regained his footing.
Drip... drip... drip...
Blood began to fall.
A red line had been drawn on Rodem's dagger. And on Shiraki Kei's left forearm, a bloody gash was now visible.
The "Piercing Elbow" had forced Rodem back, but at the same time, Rodem's dagger had cut him.
The wound wasn't deep, but it was bleeding.
...
...
Fifth floor, in the office.
The "referee" Yako watched the monitor—the moment Rodem cut Shiraki—his gaze filled with a mix of shock and awe.
He narrated slowly, "The Kengan Association's fighters are all sponsored by major corporations. Among them are top-tier masters who can defeat even armed opponents."
"But now, the man who defeated one of those Kengan fighters has been wounded by a dagger and is at a disadvantage."
Yako sighed. "So that is the rumored 'Brutal Soldier' of the Kokonoe Building, Rodem. How truly ferocious..."
...
...
Hearing Yako's commentary, Q-Taro brightened considerably.
"Haha, comparing Rodem to a weapon? You're not wrong!"
This was a rare opportunity, and he had to show off for this Kakerou referee, to knock him down a peg.
"Back in my mercenary days, I often had access to classified military intelligence."
"In the past, there were detailed experimental records... by 're-writing' the 'neural pathways' of the brain, combined with drugs, they could induce the body's latent potential, pushing it to its absolute limit."
Q-Taro's eyes narrowed.
"For example, in other cases, people who suffered accidental brain damage suddenly gained incredible artistic talent, or an explosive memory."
"In the military's experiments, they weren't trying to enhance 'memory.' They wanted 'brute force' that could surpass everything."
"So, they developed a drug called 'DOPS' (Dihydroxyphenylserine), using artificial intervention to rewrite the human brain."
"—That was the entirety of the 'Enhanced Soldier' experiment."
...
...
Yako raised an eyebrow. "Meaning, that man called Rodem... is an enhanced soldier from those experiments?"
"No."
Q-Taro shook his head. "To be precise, the test subject... was my son, Maruko."
Yako froze.
Q-Taro smiled as he explained, "Although the experiment did greatly enhance Maruko's body, it came at a price."
"Maruko's 'IQ' and 'moral compass' were both... damaged."
"And for some reason, he gradually stopped obeying my orders. He wouldn't even do simple things, like killing."
"Then one day, perhaps from long-term stress, or a side effect of the experiment..."
"As I was injecting him with his medication, the simple act of the 'needle piercing the skin' became a trigger. It caused a 'second personality' to emerge."
"That... was the ruthless, useful soldier I had always wanted—Rodem!"
...
...
After hearing Q-Taro's story, Yako nodded slowly.
"I see. Through a 'rewriting' of the brain and the catalyst of a split personality, the brutal violence known as 'Rodem' was born."
Yako's gaze drifted to Q-Taro, but he kept his next thoughts to himself.
To use one's own son for human experimentation... even in the underground world, that is an act that has lost all humanity.
But Q-Taro—this inhuman demon—was using this exact, powerful violence to maintain his power and satisfy his own desires.
Even [Usogui], who had once preyed on Kakerou's own members, had to obey this iron rule.
Violence is Life.
—This planet... is held in its orbit by a vortex of violence.
"So then, you who seeks 'what is strength'..."
Yako looked up, his gaze fixing on the image of the injured Shiraki Kei. He, too, was curious. He wanted to witness the answer.
"Can your 'strength' win against Rodem—that 'brute force' which is the very essence of human malice?"