Chapter 475: Daily Life in The Inside
One week had passed since the fierce battle between [The Soul Combatant] and
[The Second].
Following the collapse and retreat of their primary combat assets, the
syndicates that had squatted in the Fourth Turtle District—IDEAL, Electric
Power, and The Worm—had quietly pulled their forces out of The Inside.
With the instigators gone, the threat of a full-scale riot evaporated.
The Secret Service Division and other Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department units
stationed at the perimeter could finally catch their breath, pulling back the
bulk of their deployment.
The Inside—that lawless sanctuary—reverted smoothly back to its everyday
routine.
However, compared to the status quo prior to the invasion, internal conflicts
within The Inside had noticeably dwindled, with several sectors even
transforming into peaceful zones.
This wasn't brought about by personal charisma or lasting peace treaties; after
all, the invaders had only stayed for a month—not nearly long enough to
fundamentally alter a culture spanning generations.
The real reason was simple: a handful of those foreign heavyweights hadn't left
yet.
The most formidable deterrents among them were the [Soul Combatant] Ren Shiroki
in the Three Wolves District and the [Unchained] Biscuit Oliva in the Tokita
Niko District.
As if by tacit agreement, the two men continued to temporarily reside within
their respective camps.
As for the rest of the foreign fighters, they had each gone their separate ways:
[The Umibozu] Yoshinari Karo: Having harvested a wealth of newfound camaraderie,
he returned to his beloved fishing port to face his impending disputes with
Electric Power;
[The Monster] Raian Kure: Desperate to find someone else to tear into, but
finding no takers brave enough to step up, he was eventually dragged back home
by patriarch Wu Erioh, shouting curses all the way.
Both men had officially departed from The Inside.
In addition:
[The Beautiful Beast] Setsuna Kiryu had vanished completely the moment he
regained consciousness, leaving nobody any wiser as to his intentions;
[The Ashura] Tokita Niko was moving freely between The Inside and the outside
world, having even taken a brief trip to reunite with Kazuo Yamashita to fight
in a Kengan match;
[The Wild Tiger] Takeshi Wakatsuki and [The Ice Emperor] Ryo Inaba both planned
to continue their training regimen, intending to stick around until they
digested their latest insights.
As for the final master—
[The Devil Lance] Gensai Kuroki.
Having fulfilled his contract to Metsudo Katahara, he still refused to leave,
lingering in the Six Spiders District as if waiting for something specific.
"..."
This state of affairs was admittedly a bit strange.
After all, none of these fighters were fugitives hiding from the law; they were
entirely free to come and go as they pleased.
Ren, in particular, could easily have returned to Tokyo to rest and recuperate,
yet he chose to remain anchored in his camp.
Even Fusui Kure, who stayed by his side, would occasionally venture out to hit
the city shops or run back home to check on the dojo.
So, what exactly was Ren planning to do?
Individuals sensitive to shifts in the local political climate couldn't help
feeling that an even larger storm was brewing on the horizon...
Early in the morning.
With his physical injuries practically healed—bandages and casts removed, and
his knocked-out teeth successfully replaced—Ren gradually ramped his morning
training back up to full intensity.
He started with a long run looping around the border of the Tokita Niko and
Three Wolves Districts, returning to his starting point without breaking his
stride.
After finishing his warm-up routines, he transitioned straight into shadow
boxing.
In the open plaza.
Ren settled into his familiar side-facing stance—left hand pressing downward,
right arm guarding his ribs—and fixed his gaze intently on the empty air ahead.
His hyper-accelerated mind kicked into overdrive, bleeding ink-wash ripples
across his vision until they finally sketched out the silhouette of Luke.
Dressed in a casual blue sleeveless jacket paired with a white-and-orange
tee—the coach was, as always, radiating boundless energy and enthusiasm.
{You know... your body's picking up a lot of new scars lately, huh...?}
Ren rolled his neck. "Guess so. But I still love every bit of it, including
these training sessions with you, Coach."
{Good! That's the exact spirit I like to see!}
Luke clapped his hands together, mirroring Ren's side-facing stance. {The early
bird catches the worm! Come on, bring it at me!}
Whoosh!
[DRIVE RUSH]!
Ren exploded forward off the front foot, closing the distance to Luke in a
heartbeat. He unloaded a rapid flurry of light punches, capping the sequence off
with a low-line sweeping kick.
Whack-thwack-whack!
Every single strike in the combination was neatly intercepted and parried by
Luke.
Worse still, Luke used a slight backward drift to slip past the trailing sweep,
driving a sharp, mid-level thrust kick straight into Ren's shin, forcing his
upper body to tilt forward.
Seizing the opening, Luke compressed his center of gravity, snapping his left
elbow upward in a brutal rising strike that hammered straight into Ren's
forward-leaning face.
[NOSE BREAKER]!
Bang!
——?!
Ren took the full force of the elbow, instantly drawing a stream of bloody
discharge from his nose as a sharp, stinging ache blossomed across his eyes. He
stumbled back two full paces.
{How's that? Holding up alright?}
"I'm fine!"
Ren flicked the blood away from his nose, bouncing rhythmically on his toes as
he shook out his arms and clenched his fists once more.
Luke grinned widely, flashing a set of gleaming white teeth.
His face bore two distinct, prominent scars: one cutting diagonally across his
right eye from his forehead down to his cheek, and the other running from
beneath his left eye down to his jawline.
Yet, paired with that carefree smile, the scars didn't look menacing at all;
they only added to his raw, athletic charm.
{That's it! That's the exact feeling!}
Thump-thump-thump!
The two traded blows back and forth, relentlessly driving the intensity and pace
of their sparring session through the roof.
Until finally, thoroughly exhausted and drenched in sweat, Ren collapsed flat
onto his back, panting heavily.
Only then did Luke lower his guard, offering his disciple an approving
thumbs-up.
{Great job! Keep grinding!}
With that, Luke prepared to take his leave.
Right at that moment, however—
The ink-wash ripples in the distance violently roiled. A dark shadow zipped past
with such speed that its fine details were impossible to parse, vanishing into
the gloom before a blink could finish.
{————!?}
Master and disciple both froze.
A second later, Luke chuckled, placing a hand on his hip. {Haha... still as full
of energy as ever. Did he get drawn out here by your youthful vigor?}
{Probably because it's his first time seeing you up close? He's still kinda shy,
you know...}
Luke waved goodbye, having no intention of spoiling the mystery, choosing
instead to offer a parting piece of advice to Ren. {You gotta stay
hyper-focused, or you're gonna miss him when he passes by!}
"——Right!"
Ren managed a weak thumbs-up from the dirt, signaling that he had heard—even
though his head was still spinning with question marks.
Training session concluded.
Time for a cooldown, stretches, and a long-overdue hot shower.
The weather was continuing to grow brisk, so during one of Fusui's recent supply
runs, she had picked up a few fresh sets of comfortable clothing for Ren, making
outfit changes a breeze.
After sharing a hearty lunch with the camp's gang members.
Ren chewed the final bite of his meal, pushed himself up from the table, and
ambled out of the camp, wandering off down the street until he vanished around
the corner.
The thugs exchanged confused glances.
"Hey, where's Boss Ren heading?"
"Post-lunch walk, probably?"
"..."
Ren was indeed taking a walk, though this time his route took him much further
than usual. Trudging straight through the Three Wolves District, he crossed the
border directly into the overlapping sector shared by the Six Spiders, Fourth
Turtle, and Three Wolves Districts.
[The Wild Tiger] Takeshi Wakatsuki was currently staying at a local camp there,
occasionally sparring with nearby martial arts masters.
However, Ren wasn't dropping in to visit Wakatsuki.
——
Stepping casually into the compound, Ren shoved his hands deep into his pockets
and strolled with unhurried leisure right up to a group of resting fighters.
"Hey—"
Ren arched an eyebrow, addressing the assembled masters. "I was thinking of
taking a leisurely stroll around the entirety of The Inside... on my own turf.
Do I have your permission?"
The question caught the local fighters completely off guard.
After mulling it over for a second, the camp's leader—a veteran master
specializing in short-staff techniques—stepped forward to confirm his intent.
"Kid, are you saying you aren't just dropping by to spar... but you're actually
looking to claim this entire sector as your personal territory?"
The short-staff master looked slightly annoyed. "You're planning to turn all of
The Inside into your backyard so you can go out for a casual Sunday stroll
whenever you feel like it?!"
Ren gazed up at the sky. "I just kinda felt like doing it today. I don't really
want to disrupt you guys too much... I just need you to acknowledge it."
"Ha, what an absurdly casual attitude! That sounds an awful lot like a
declaration of war..."
The short-staff master grunted, his right hand sliding naturally down toward the
weapon at his hip.
The next second—
Swish!
The master whipped his short staff upward in a lightning-fast strike, but before
his motion even cleared the halfway point, Ren's left jab had already fired,
landing squarely on the man's jaw.
Whish~!
With a single, effortless blow, the short-staff master's eyes rolled up into his
head, and he pitched forward, collapsing unconscious onto the dirt.
"..."
Ren glanced around the camp. Seeing that nobody else stepped forward to
challenge him, he nodded with a satisfied smile. "Since that's settled, I'll
continue my walk across my territory."
With that, he turned and continued forward.
It was only after he had already walked a dozen paces that the surrounding
fighters finally snapped back to reality, fully comprehending the implications
of what Ren had just announced.
"Could it be————"
Watching his retreating back, the crowd erupted into a collective gasp.
"The invasion wars are back on?!"
"Hey, someone's actually trying to conquer the whole of The Inside
single-handedly!"
"It's Ren Shiroki! The man who beat the Second is going out for a walk to
inspect his borders!"
"The Inside's territory war is starting up again!"
"Let's go! [Soul Combatant]!"
"Turn every single district you walk through into your personal turf!"
"Then take your sweet time strolling through the whole of The Inside! Give 'em
absolutely zero room to complain!"
"Oooooh————"
Cheers erupted, swelling into a wave of enthusiastic well-wishes as they sent
Ren off on his journey.
And thus, Ren marched straight through the Fourth Turtle District, effortlessly
sweeping aside the remaining two or three camp leaders he encountered along the
way, bringing the entire Fourth Turtle sector under his banner in one fell
swoop.
Continuing his march westward, he crossed over into the neighboring "Six Spiders
District."
[The Devil Lance] Gensai Kuroki was currently residing in the central camp
there. Having caught wind of Ren's approach well in advance, the master was
sitting patiently, waiting for him.
Or rather, having finished his official contract, Kuroki had deliberately chosen
to linger in The Inside precisely so he could have a proper sit-down chat with
Ren.
The two men sat side-by-side next to a dead campfire, each holding a bottle of
water.
Gensai Kuroki spoke in a deep, gravelly rumble, "Hmm! Young man, have you
clarified your objective yet?"
"..."
Ren took a slow sip of water, deeply contemplating the question.
"Mr. Guevara's fists taught me how to perceive a 'foundation,' opening my eyes
to the sheer might of anchoring oneself to the earth."
"And now... regardless of whether The Inside truly qualifies as the 'freest city
on earth,' one thing is certain: there resides a man within its borders holding
the title of [The Freest Man on Earth]."
"——That's why I simply couldn't bring myself to leave just yet."
Ren tilted his head, casting his gaze toward the direction of the Tokita Niko
District—the final destination on his scheduled walking tour.
"After the 'foundation'..."
"I want to understand the strength of 'freedom'."
"If I want to find the answer to that question, there's only one person I can
possibly go to: the freest man alive—[The Unchained] Biscuit Oliva."
Ren broke into a wide, bright grin.
"Regardless of how Mr. Oliva himself might feel about it, that's my working
hypothesis."
"The only reason Oliva hasn't left yet is because he subconsciously senses that
his freedom here in The Inside isn't absolute."
"Whether it's the second-generation Unchained... or—well, me?"
At that point, Ren scratched the back of his neck with a bashful chuckle,
feeling slightly awkward about praising himself so directly.
"I wanna go find out. I wanna go face Oliva's brand of freedom head-on."
"..."
Hearing that, Kuroki understood instantly. He drew in a slow, steady breath.
"Hmm, very well! When do you plan on setting off?"
Ren pushed himself up to his feet, maintaining his relaxed, easygoing posture.
"Probably... whenever the mood strikes me."
☆☆☆
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