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The Kure style encompassed a variety of techniques, with assassination as its primary objective, but this didn't prevent clan members from having their own ways of using them.
It could be considered more of a collection of techniques than a proper style, which allowed family members the freedom to fight as they saw fit.
Karura preferred to use Muay Thai as the base of her style.
Raian simply used whatever caused the most damage, so it wasn't really possible to define his predominant style.
As for Hollis, he was a judoka. Using his throws and takedowns, he was feared in the underworld as one of the most dangerous assassins. By smashing his enemies to the ground, he was capable of destroying anyone.
Someone capable of winning a fight with just one chance to grab their opponent was indeed a formidable adversary. Many fighters felt pressured just standing face-to-face with someone of this level.
During the exchange of blows, the focus on attacking while being cautious not to be grabbed led to mental strain on the fighter, which caused abnormal fatigue.
Physical weariness is a predominant factor in a fight that drags on for long periods, but psychological weariness is by far the most significant factor that affects a fighter's performance in the end.
"..."
But unfortunately for Hollis, Yuji Shinakawa did not fear his grappling.
!
Hollis was surprised when a punch landed on his jaw, his vision flickering for a moment before he quickly backed up while raising his defense.
'What terrifying speed,' the Kure thought, his eyes cautiously observing the boy in front of him. 'He's gotten even faster since the tournament.'
Blocking a punch, Hollis immediately stepped back when Yuji tried to close the distance, preparing to grab his wrist.
'But it doesn't matter, I just need to grab him once.'
Sensing his intention, Yuji stopped his attempt to approach, Hollis narrowing his eyes at this.
'He's being cautious...' the Kure noted, his fists clenching as he seemed determined to initiate a direct confrontation. 'Fine, I just need to make him focus on my fists.'
Boom!
Caught by surprise the moment he stepped forward, Hollis was hit by a powerful hook to his ribs, his eyes widening as he instinctively raised his defense in time to block an elbow strike.
As experienced as he was, his mastery lay in grappling. In an exchange of punches, Hollis, unfortunately, could never match someone like Yuji.
Not letting the Kure recover, Yuji advanced, his fist piercing the assassin's defense and hitting his solar plexus squarely.
This knocked the wind out of him but didn't immobilize Hollis, who quickly retreated in an attempt to get out of the young fighter's range.
Seeing how the Kure seemed to want to recover, Yuji pressed on and threw a straight punch.
!
Expecting this, Hollis smiled when the fist came within his reach, quickly parrying and grabbing his wrist firmly.
'It's over!'
Just about to throw Yuji, the Kure's eyes widened when he couldn't pull his body, his eyes opening in astonishment as he saw Yuji with a slight, confident smile.
"You seemed happy for a moment." Yuji held the man's shoulder firmly, preventing him from moving. "Sorry to ruin that."
'Damn, I need to—' Hollis, about to try something to break free, felt his body tremble when a fist hit him squarely in the jaw, his legs trembling before giving out.
"What was that?" From afar, Fusui questioned with curiosity and amazement. No one before, even among clan members, had been able to resist a throw from Hollis, who was indisputably one of the most powerful family members. It was quite scary that Yuji had been capable of something like that when he had just entered adulthood.
"He manipulated his own power flow." Ohma explained, catching the girl's attention. "The moment Hollis was about to throw him, he manipulated his own power flow to act as a 'counterforce.' Hollis probably felt like he was trying to lift a building off the ground."
"I understand." Fusui nodded, rubbing her chin with an impressed expression. "Do you think you could beat him, Ohma?"
"..."
"Who knows?"
Boom!
Back in the fight, Yuji's eyes widened when he noticed an approach from his side, quickly raising his arm to block a punch from a furious Raian.
"You bastards think you'll take me down with just that?" the Kure snarled, and grabbing Yuji's forearm, he pulled while projecting his head forward in an attempt to hit him with a headbutt. "I'll kill you—"
But before Raian could complete the move, Yuji surprised him by grabbing his nape and pulling him into a knee strike, his head snapping back as blood gushed from his nose.
Raian laughed at this, not caring about the damage and simply hitting the young man's defense with a powerful punch that pushed him back.
"Is that all you've got?" Yuji shook his arm, turning to Raian with a disappointed look. "Brute force and pent-up rage?"
"Want to see what else I've got?" Raian flashed a toothy grin, the veins on his skin standing out as his muscles tightened.
But Yuji wasn't intimidated by this, his eyes narrowing as he took a stance. "Do you really think that will be enough for Pickle? Don't make me laugh."
In a single instant, Raian disappeared, reappearing in front of Yuji and sending a punch toward his face like a bullet.
Boom!
The ground shook when the impact occurred, the grass under their feet disappearing to leave only damp earth.
But while most believed Raian had landed a direct hit, he himself froze when he didn't feel the familiar sensation of flesh he was used to when punching some idiot.
Instead, he felt as if all his power had been dispersed.
"Damn, that hurt a little."
Raian's eyes widened when he heard a voice in front of him, the vapor caused by the punch dispersing to reveal a confident Yuji holding his fist firmly.
"Maybe if you had hit me, you might have even left a mark."
Raian frowned, his teeth clenching as he tried to free himself from the grip. "You bastard!"
About to punch with his free hand, Raian was unable to defend himself when an elbow struck his jaw, followed by a knee to his solar plexus, and a headbutt that knocked him to the ground.
"..."
Yuji watched as Raian showed no signs of moving, a disappointed sigh escaping his lips. "In the end, your stubbornness overshadows your potential. Maybe in two years, you'll be able to shake it off. Until then, you can't be considered the strongest in your clan."
Turning when he noticed a sound behind him, Yuji saw Hollis get up with irregular breathing.
"For now, that title goes to this man."
"Enough!" Erioh stepped between the two fighters, declaring with authority. "It's clear who deserves to represent the Kure clan."
"..."
The clan fell silent at this, clearly excited by the announcement, despite knowing that by the outcome, it should be Hollis.
Yuji crossed his arms as he waited for the old man to speak, his mind drifting back to moments from their brief fight.
'Hmm... I still have room to improve in some aspects.'
"Based on this fight, I've made my decision.
And even if it offends some of you, as patriarch, I believe this is the best decision.
The one who will represent the Kure clan in the fight against the beast Pickle..."
Erioh, raising his arm, surprised everyone when he pointed towards Yuji, who, distracted by his own thoughts, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Will be my granddaughter's fiancé, Yuji Shinakawa!"
"Huh?"