Chapter 262: The Appropriate Speed
"Eh!?"
Sho-kun looked left and right, finding himself once again sandwiched between the
two powerhouses. The pressure was suffocating.
Meanwhile, Ren and Doppo had already dug their soles into the starting line,
silently coiling their power.
Scritch—
The pads of their lead feet ground into the pavement, kicking up a thin layer of
dust. They dropped into professional starting postures, their bodies primed for
high-velocity output.
The crowd was buzzing. "The muscles on those two... are they bodybuilders?"
"Look at that scary old guy and the handsome youth!" "Go for it, Sho-kun! Beat
the pros!"
The [SOUL COMBATANT] and the [BUSHIN]—
BOOM!
They drove their heels into the ground. Both figures launched forward like
arrows released from a heavy draw, their strides eating up the pavement as they
sprinted toward the first set of obstacles.
Before them were two parallel wooden walls: one high, requiring a vault, and one
low, requiring a duck.
Ren lunged to the right. Zip! He performed a precision leap, his silhouette
clearing the wooden wall with effortless grace.
But the moment his feet touched the ground, his combat instincts flared. He
instinctively cut his eyes to the left.
There was Doppo. He had performed a high-speed sliding tackle under his wall,
and as he rose, his face was contorted into a mask of pure, predatory focus. He
unleashed a sudden surge of battle intent.
"HYAH—!!"
Doppo let out a sharp, command-heavy roar. A localized wave of killing intent
locked onto Ren's perimeter, a psychological "Wall" that forced Ren to stutter
his step and drop into a split-second defensive posture.
Seizing that heartbeat of hesitation, Doppo offered a thin, cunning smirk. He
sprang back into his sprint, putting several meters of distance between himself
and Ren.
"Tch...!"
Ren immediately drove off the floor, re-accelerating in a desperate pursuit.
360 meters to go!
The match was wide open. Since this was an obstacle course and his opponent was
a heavy-set, middle-aged Karate Grandmaster, Ren was confident he could close
the gap through sheer mobility.
[RASHID DASH]!
Whoosh!
Ren blurred forward, pushing his Parkour adaptability to its absolute limit.
Facing a row of waist-high hurdles, he didn't just jump; he planted his palms on
the top rails, performing a series of high-speed "Kong Vaults" to maintain
forward momentum.
When he reached the steep incline ramp, he didn't slow down to climb. He drove
his toes into the surface and leaped, using his inertia to clear the peak
without losing a single frame of speed.
Then came the pool—an obstacle meant to be crossed via a swinging rope. With his
current velocity, Ren didn't even reach for the cord. He simply launched himself
over the water in a single, massive bound!
Zip!
Using Parkour logic, he treated the "Terrain" as a set of tools rather than
barriers.
When the staff members tried to pelt the contestants with water balloons to slow
them down, Ren didn't dodge. He used palm-strikes and hand-chops to pulverize
the balloons mid-air, keeping his trajectory straight and his speed red-lined.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
Ren's movement became a fluid, beautiful flow of kinetic energy. His muscles
were fully "Awake." Centimeter by centimeter, he began to reel in Doppo Orochi.
100 meters left!
Ren was accelerating further, pulling two full body-lengths ahead of Doppo. The
finish line was a neon beacon in his vision.
80! 50! 20! 10—
The final stretch was clear of obstacles. But Ren could feel the pressure from
behind spiking. Doppo was closing in, his aura becoming a physical weight.
The battle intent of the "Bushin" was more terrifying than any wild beast. He
was hunting Ren from behind, his presence so heavy it forced Ren to push his
physical output to 120% just to stay ahead.
Faster! I need more speed!
5... 4...
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!
Ren's silhouette was almost invisible to the naked eye as he reached the line.
3... 2... 1—
ZERO!
Ren tore across the finish line a full half-second ahead of Doppo. But he was
moving with so much raw, unbridled velocity that he couldn't stop. He blew right
past the "Finish Buzzer" on the podium.
ZIP!
He overshot the mark by fifteen meters, his momentum carrying him head-first
into a massive plywood advertisement board.
CRASH-CLANG-RATTLE!
Ren demolished the billboard, the structure collapsing on top of him as he went
tumbling end-over-end into a heap of wreckage.
"Phew... hah..."
Ren lay flat on his back amidst the ruins of the advertisement, staring up at
the summer sky and exhaling a massive cloud of heat.
He watched as Doppo Orochi trotted up to the finish line at a controlled,
leisurely pace. With a calm expression, the Bushin reached out and pressed the
button.
BZZZZT!
"WE HAVE A WINNER! CONTESTANT NUMBER THREE, OB!!"
The MC's voice boomed over the speakers, sounding utterly shocked. "What an
upset! Contestant Number One, Shiroki-san, had incredible speed but missed the
mark! Sho-kun takes a respectable third place!"
"Let's hear it for our finalists! Prizes and souvenirs will be distributed
shortly—!"
Amidst the roaring cheers of the neighborhood crowd, Doppo walked over to the
wreckage. He reached out and hauled Ren out of the pile of plywood.
"Phew—!"
Ren let out a long breath, waving off the concerned staff to signal he was
unhurt. He slung an arm over Doppo's shoulder as they walked toward the side of
the stage.
"In the world of the underground, 'OB' stands for 'Old Fox,' Ren-kun," Doppo
teased with a serene grin. "Do you know why you lost?"
Ren wiped a smudge of paint from his cheek, waiting for the Bushin's lecture to
begin.
Doppo raised a closed fist, smiling through his glasses. "When I realized I
couldn't outrun you, I chose to 'Force the Offensive.' I flooded you with
killing intent, making you panic and red-line your speed. I made you go so fast
that you lost your precision."
"In sports, as in the martial arts, raw speed is a tool, but 'Timing' is the
master. The most effective move isn't the fastest one; it's the one that arrives
at the appropriate moment."
"..."
"Faster isn't better. Slower isn't better. Appropriate is the peak?"
Ren processed the thought, nodding slowly. "That's a hell of a lesson,
Doppo-sensei."
"Of course it is! Because for her... I had to win!"
Doppo burst into a boisterous laugh, playfully shoving Ren aside. He spread his
arms wide as his wife, Natsue, walked over from the stands.
"Natsue-chan!"
Natsue looked embarrassed by the public display of affection, but she couldn't
refuse him. She walked into Doppo's embrace.
"Doppo-kun... you're such a show-off," she whispered with a sweet smile.
The veteran couple shared a tender moment. Doppo was still riding the high of
the victory, but Natsue looked over at the two youths.
"As for the prize," she suggested with a smile, "give it to those two children.
Consider it a gift from me, as thanks for entertaining my husband today."
Doppo patted her shoulder. "As you wish, my dear."
They both looked toward the lane barrier.
Ren had reunited with Fusui Kure. Fusui was staring at Ren's dusty, soot-covered
face—specifically at a smudge of grey on the tip of his nose—and she burst into
a fit of giggles.
Seeing her laugh, Ren couldn't help himself. He slapped his thigh and started
laughing too, the tension of the race evaporating.
The pure, youthful laughter of the boy and the girl drifted across the plaza.
Doppo and Natsue watched them, their own smiles softening.
"Heh..."
Doppo's grin turned gentle. "Actually, let's keep the gift. A little
disappointment in youth is a good seasoning for life."
Natsue nodded in agreement.
The event wound down, and it was time for everyone to head home. Doppo and
Natsue bid them farewell, and Lihito returned to his delivery route.
Ren washed his face at a nearby fountain and regrouped with Fusui, Arisa, and
Marco to find a spot for dinner.
Fusui stretched her arms over her head. "Tch! We didn't get the sunglasses. What
a pity—"
"Indeed," Ren agreed. But as he looked around, he spotted a small carnival
raffle booth nearby. The top prize was the exact same model of designer
sunglasses.
"Oho! It's the speedster from the race!" the booth owner called out
enthusiastically. "Want to try your luck? The grand prize is a long shot, but
you might win some pocket tissues!"
Ren: "..." Fusui: "..."
The two shared a look. Without a word, they turned and sprinted toward the next
block. They found Arisa, physically lifted her off the ground, and carried her
back to the raffle booth, planting her right in front of the drum.
Five minutes later, the owner had lost his grand prize.
Ren, Fusui, Arisa, and Marco all walked back to the car wearing matching
limited-edition sunglasses, their arms full of shopping bags. They were in high
spirits as they drove back to the Hub.
Back at home, the four of them sat in the courtyard to finalize the travel
plans.
The Kure Village Summer Festival was a major event. It involved several days of
traditional rituals and "pre-game" festivities, culminating in the massive Grand
Fireworks Display on the final night.
According to the girls' plan, Arisa, Kozue, Karura, and Hina would head to the
village on the day of the fireworks, stay overnight, and return to Tokyo the
next day.
But as "independent adults," Ren and Fusui's schedule was more flexible.
"Ren-chin and I are heading out early," Fusui explained. "The village has a lot
of hidden gems, and we can help the family set up for the festival. We'll
rendezvous with the rest of you on the big night."
Fusui patted Marco on the shoulder, her eyes crinkling. "While we're away, the
Hub is in the hands of you and Arisa-chan! Keep it running for us!"
Marco nodded with grave seriousness. "Marco will clean! Marco will handle the
finances! For example: fifty yen can buy anything in the world!"
Fusui: "..."
Ren tossed Marco a giant bag of potato chips (Value: 50 yen).
Truthfully, the Soul Combat Hub didn't need much maintenance, but the thought of
leaving his little sister and the "Giant Child" alone made Ren a bit uneasy. He
needed a reliable guardian to check in on them.
Ren thought of the perfect candidate. He walked to the gate and let out a
thunderous roar toward the street:
"CHIHARU-ANIKI!!"
(End of Chapter)
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you