Until a few years ago, the speed of sound was something that could not be reached by human hands without the aid of tools or vehicles specifically designed to withstand such pressure. In fact, this was still true for any normal person.
But for fighters, a human being reaching that speed with their own body wasn't all that surprising.
Attacks so fast they could break the sound barrier, bursts that would propel them to unimaginable speeds. This wasn't very rare for those at the top.
The Mikazuchi Clan was the main record-breaker when it came to this. During his fight against Yuji in the annihilation tournament, Rei Mikazuchi easily exceeded the speed of sound with his movements, which caused a powerful sound that resembled thunder.
His greatest achievement in this fight? Something like 2,200 kilometers per hour.
But this wasn't the tournament's record. Rei might come from a clan of speedsters, but none of his attacks compared to the speed of the attack that broke all records.
The devastating punch that declared the defeat of Kuroki Gensai.
Reaching a speed of 3,822 kilometers per hour, Mach 3, Yuji delivered the fastest attack ever witnessed in the Kengan Association, besides being considered the fastest when using the [Fallen Angel].
These were known facts in the underworld, not too difficult to obtain with the right contacts.
It was with access to this information that Katsumi Orochi based the results he could achieve.
His most powerful technique, Mach Punch, allowed his punch to reach a speed of 1,800 kilometers per hour, around Mach 1.4, but he knew that wasn't enough to defeat the beast Pickle.
He needed to go further, and with the help of Retsu Kaioh, he refined his technique, reaching a milestone of 2,000 kilometers per hour.
But that still wasn't enough, and both he and Retsu knew it.
It was with the arrival of Kakuh Kaioh that his hopes of reaching a new level were kindled. A demonstration of the perfect technique was what he needed to understand that it wasn't impossible for him.
Unfortunately, the practical part was the most challenging of all.
And that was due to a single factor: Imagination.
He had to imagine his bone structure, believing it was completely different from what it actually was, and that was... Ridiculous.
It was in this way, trapped by his inability to believe, that he spent the entire night.
Hours upon hours, he stayed there, just staring at that egg held by a small string, while he tried to imagine the best structure for his bones that would maximize his attack speed.
But after countless broken eggs, he bit his lip and set out to think.
Why the hell was the egg protected by a shell?
To protect its vulnerable body, of course.
But how did evolution come to the conclusion that the egg should be protected? The answer to that was: Nothing more than pure evolutionary desire.
When giraffes needed to reach the leaves of tall trees, evolution heard their desires and stretched their necks.
The tiger's stripes, the insect's mimicry, the bird's wings, the snake's venom. All of this came from the purest desire to survive.
Evolution, noticing the tenacity of these beings, simply did its job by listening to them.
How humble did humans seem when it came to battles compared to these beings? Unconcerned with survival, humanity gradually slowed the evolution of their bodies.
But did that mean evolution had stopped listening to their desires?
No, of course not.
Because for that small man who had been trying for hours to surpass his limits, evolution decided to lend a hand.
!
And imagining his bones covered by joints at every centimeter of his structure, his eyes opened in recognition, his attack flying like a bullet and cutting through the eggshell in a perfect slice.
Once again, evolution had done its job... But Katsumi was not finished yet.
Boom!
And with an explosion echoing through part of the city, the Karate Dojo building shook, the rising sun illuminating the shattered windows of a Karateka proudly standing.
Katsumi had perfected and set new records...
With an attack that reached 6,242 kilometers per hour, Mach 5.
"..."
Not far from the Karate Dojo, Yuji observed the shattered windows of the building with an interested look, a small smile forming on his lips.
He felt he was witnessing something very interesting.
"That was more than just breaking the sound barrier." Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, he changed his course, turning to walk toward the building. "Katsumi Orochi... It seems you've achieved something great."
And disappearing into the crowd of people walking the streets, Yuji moved toward the building, entering unnoticed and calmly making his way to the top.
'What a fool I'd be to miss the chance to see this with my own eyes?' Passing by numerous Karatekas who seemed to be returning after checking the cause of the tremor, Yuji easily entered the room where Katsumi was...
Only to see the Karateka watching the sunrise with a satisfied look.
"Breathtaking, isn't it?"
Alerting him to his presence, Yuji watched Katsumi turn in surprise, only to be replaced by confusion.
"Mastering a technique, I mean." He said with a small smile, approaching with relaxed steps. "What was that? A punch? A kick?"
Blinking to shake off his confusion, Katsumi narrowed his eyes at the presence of the boy, the sense of familiarity making him hesitate to question Yuji.
"A punch."
The answer elicited a nod of understanding from Yuji, but before Katsumi could say more, a serious look caught him off guard.
"If you intend to use that against Pickle, I can tell you it's not a good idea...
Your arm would explode."
It seemed that Katsumi still had room for improvement.