CHAPTER 8: Barewolf Vs Red Storm
All the students in the canteen had now formed a massive circle around the two of them.
Kenta and his friends were eager to watch this fight with rapt attention.
Finally, the desire they both feared and anticipated had come true.
In mid-air, Raizen's running Ushiro Geri (Back Kick) and Akuro's Kudo Roundhouse Kick collided brutally.
BAMMMMMM!
The impact of the collision was so terrifying that every student's breath hitched.
It felt as if someone had sucked all the air out of the canteen.
Kenta and his three idiot friends were completely stunned.
"B-Bro... what is happening?"
Reo stammered, his knees knocking together.
"This doesn't look like a fight!
It looks like two heavy trains just collided with each other! It sounds like an explosion!"
Ryu Takeda broke out in a cold sweat.
His mouth hung wide open in sheer terror.
Shoji was trembling violently, clutching his stomach with both hands.
"Kenta... b-bro,
I need to go to the bathroom...
I'm losing control just watching them!"
Kenta swallowed hard, his eyes wide open.
"Shut up and stand still!
This isn't a fight between humans...
this looks like a death match between a Werewolf and a Sabertooth Tiger.
Don't move from here!"
Meiko Fujiwara, who always kept everything under control, was taken aback for a moment.
But then, a strange, dangerous glint appeared in her eyes.
She ran her tongue over her soft lips.
Incredible, Meiko thought to herself, her heartbeat quickening.
I have never enjoyed bullying or playing anyone for a fool as much as I am enjoying watching the fight between these two monsters.
Pure entertainment!
I feel so excited...
I never thought Akuro had this much power.
But will this new toy (Raizen) be able to break him?
Aah, I can't wait!
Phones were out all around. Students were intensely live-recording this game of death. One boy, Kashi, staring into his camera, screamed like a maniac:
"Guys, look quickly!
Share the stream,
fast!
Everyone look, an incredible fight is breaking out in the Hakuho High School canteen!
This is a death-match between two monsters!
On one side, our undisputed tyrant Akuro, and on the other, this mysterious Red Hoodie Boy!
Let's see who lasts until the end!"
High on adrenaline, some students in the crowd chanted,
"Akuro!
Akuro!"
while others standing in the back yelled in hushed voices,
"Red Hoodie!
Red Hoodie Boy!"
Amidst all this, Akuro's two 'pet dogs'—Toma and Daizen—were silently and meticulously observing every single move of this brutal fight.
The sweat on their faces was proof that this fight was completely out of their league.
In the air, the clash of their legs was still locked.
They could feel each other's immense strength.
Their shoes scraped harshly against the floor tiles.
"Oh...
you turned out to be quite the dark horse,"
Akuro laughed in his psycho manner, the veins in his neck bulging.
"I never thought you knew Karate.
If only we had met sooner!"
Raizen didn't reply.
His cold eyes meticulously predicted every muscle twitch of Akuro's.
The two were evenly matched.
Suddenly, Raizen broke the lock. Using the ground for support, he leaped into the air and delivered a swift
Tobi Yoko Geri (Jump Side Kick),
immediately following it with a mid-air spin to launch a devastating
Ushiro Mawashi Geri (Hook Kick)
right at Akuro's head.
But Akuro wasn't some street thug.
He instantly formed a solid Kake Uke (Hook Block) with his hands and, slipping past the attack, countered.
He brought down a terrifying Kakato Geri (Axe Kick) aiming straight for Raizen's collarbone.
Raizen narrowly escaped, dodging backward.
"How did that feel?"
Akuro laughed, cracking his neck.
"Fun, right?"
The student commentator, Kashi, jumped holding his mobile:
"Oh man!
The Red Hoodie guy is giving Akuro a neck-and-neck fight!
And what's this—Akuro counter-attacked with a Kudo slide kick!
But wait, no!
Showing incredible flexibility, Red Hoodie deflected the kick and countered back! What a counter!"
Akuro took advantage of his body's flexibility and immediately adjusted his angle.
He is extremely agile,
Raizen thought to himself, noticing Akuro's speed and attack prediction.
His Kudo training is incredibly high-level.
"Akira's friend, can I tell you something?"
Akuro said, laughing as he stepped forward.
"You might like it or not, but the two of us are exactly the same.
The only difference is that you erase the pain of those who suffer... and I inflict pain.
Hehehe!"
"Shut your nonsense,"
Raizen said in a cold voice, clenching his fists.
"You and I are nothing alike."
"Oh? How so?"
Akuro asked tauntingly.
"Because I'm not a coward like you who bullies others with a gang,"
Raizen narrowed his eyes.
"You don't fight alone."
Akuro's face stiffened slightly.
"I see... so that's how it is."
Without any further warning, Akuro dashed.
Closing the distance, he grabbed Raizen by the collar and attempted to execute his signature heavy Judo throw—the
O Uchi Gari (Inner Leg Trip).
But Raizen had a perfect grasp of ground control.
He strengthened his base with a low stance and blocked the throw completely.
And then... Raizen unleashed his fastest, most brutal Karate combo.
His hands tore through the air:
Gyaku-Zuki (Reverse Punch) → Uraken Uchi (Backfist) → Shuto Uchi (Knife Hand) → Nukite (Spear Hand) → and finally, an explosive Oi-Zuki Jodan (High Lunge Punch)!
But Akuro was no less skilled.
To defend against that lightning-fast combo, he brought out his entire arsenal of Kudo defense techniques.
He perfectly utilized Soto Uke, Jodan Uke, Shuto Uke, Kake Uke, and Jodan Age Uke in rapid succession to deflect every single attack.
The 'SMACK-SMACK' sound of their arms colliding echoed throughout the entire canteen.
The students screamed in fear:
"Whoa, he predicted the hoodie guy's impossible combo and completely defended it!"
The commentator, Kashi, was going crazy:
"Did you all see what just happened?!
Spam the chat, guys!
Akuro completely neutralized all 5 of Red Hoodie's deadly attacks!
This Kudo defense is god-tier!"
Raizen slid back to his position.
I didn't think he would defend my point-blank combo attack like this,
Raizen thought to himself.
I have to admit, he's one step ahead of me in defense.
Meanwhile, Akuro remained standing in his spot.
Impressive,
Akuro thought, his fingers slightly numb.
His combo was magnificent and incredibly heavy.
For a split second, I was actually scared.
Akuro brought that psycho smile back to his face.
"Very good, my friend.
You're amazing.
That was a spectacular combo...
but alas, you couldn't land a hit."
Even while talking, Akuro suddenly launched a fast, sneaky
Kudo Strike aimed right at Raizen's face.
Raizen managed to defend against it, but the sudden force caused his balance to slip slightly.
His foot skidded.
This was the opening. Wasting no time, Akuro landed a powerful Mae Geri (Front Kick) straight into Raizen's stomach.
WHAM!
Raizen couldn't completely defend it.
The kick's damage was heavy.
A normal guy would have passed out from that hit, but instead of falling, Raizen swallowed the pain, executed an acrobatic backflip, and landed perfectly on his feet.
He was panting slightly now, a drop of blood dripping from his mouth.
"To tell you the truth?"
Akuro smiled.
"You've got guts."
The commentary boy yelled:
"Look everyone! Akuro's terrifying kick really made Red Hoodie sweat!
But respect for Red Hoodie, he nimbly dodged and stood right back up!"
Raizen wiped the blood from his lips.
His cold eyes narrowed. With no warning, without even pulling his shoulder back, he dashed forward at super speed and launched his most dangerous, invisible move—The Zero Step Punch.
Akuro's eyes widened in shock.
Where did that come from?!
He instantly crossed his arms in an 'X' shape in front of him to brace for the impact.
BOOM!
The force of the punch was so terrifying and concentrated that, despite blocking it, Akuro dragged across the floor, sliding a full 5 feet backward.
His shoes left black skid marks on the tiles.
When Akuro stopped, he looked down and saw that the heavy impact of the punch had brutally torn the front sleeve of his prized white leather jacket.
Akuro's face suddenly went dead calm. His psycho laugh had completely vanished.
"Oh my... you ruined my jacket,"
Akuro's voice was now freezing cold and incredibly dangerous.
"How dare you lay your hands on my clothes?"
All the students' mouths were hanging wide open.
Lying on the floor, soaked in blood, Renjiro Hoshino watched all of this through his swollen eyes.
A strange sense of courage was suddenly awakening inside him as he watched this white-haired boy.
Staring right into Akuro's eyes, Raizen spoke without a shred of emotion:
"You only know how to talk, not how to fight.
Sometimes you laugh like a joker, and sometimes you just get angry.
Is your brain completely empty?
Or do you only know how to run your mouth?"
Akuro's eyes had now turned completely dark.
In a calm, yet extremely infuriated voice, he said:
"Shut your trash, little bird.
I'll break every bone in your body to crush your arrogance.
Your time is officially up.
You tore my jacket, right?
I'll tear you apart completely and hang you from the gates of this canteen, you bastard!"
Raizen's face remained as emotionless as ever.
"All you can do is talk."
Akuro clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.
"2 minutes...
in just 2 minutes,
you'll find out everything."
This single exchange of dialogue completely changed the atmosphere of the canteen.
The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
Meiko's eyes widened in amazement and extreme delight.
Her breathing quickened.
Toma watched them in silence, but his heart was racing.
Daizen gritted his teeth in anger.
"This little bird is flying too high..."
For the first time, an Angry Smirk (a furious, demonic smile) appeared on Akuro Yoshibe's face.
It wasn't his usual sweet, psycho laugh.
This was the face of a pure demon.
Kenta and his team broke out in a cold sweat.
"Bro... we're not going to survive this,"
Shoji said, crying.
Even Akuro's two 'dogs' were in bad shape.
"Did you see that?"
Toma Kagetsu asked, genuine fear in his voice for the first time.
"I have never seen Boss this angry before in my life."
"What are you talking about, Toma?"
Daizen Mori replied, though he too was shaken internally.
"Boss is still smiling."
Toma glared at him.
"Look closely at Boss's expression, you idiot.
He just flashed a slight angry smirk.
That means...
he is now going to brutally take this pigeon's life."
Spitting with arrogance, Daizen said,
"If I were in Boss's place, I would have finished him off from the start."
Even after getting beaten up, do you still not understand?
Toma thought to himself.
Daizen, this pigeon is an equal match for Boss... maybe even more dangerous.
The commentator boy Kashi yelled into the camera, his voice cracking:
"Did you all see that, friends!
How the Red Hoodie guy tore the sleeve of Akuro's jacket with an incredible secret punch technique!
You might have seen a clash like this in your life or not,
but I have never seen a fight like this at Hakuho Academy, bro!"
From the crowd, a terrified boy whispered:
"Nothing can be done now. This fight is going to get even more dangerous.
Today, only one of these two is walking out of this canteen alive on his own two feet."