'Did he manage to predict me?' Tokugawa thought, the ringing in his mind not calming down one bit. His mind was entirely focused on Ryu's body, and he visualized it all, not missing an inch of it. He tried to find the reason for how Ryu had been able to dodge his attacks, especially when Tokugawa was far faster.
And yet, no matter how much he analyzed Ryu's body, Tokugawa couldn't find an answer. He could read Ryu's body, and anticipate many of his next moves, but all of his predictions were wrong. Ryu seemed to know about Tokugawa's ability to 'see' his body and had been able to defend against it.
'Is his body abnormal, or does he just predict my actions?' Tokugawa thought of many possibilities, and those two were the most probable ones. However, his intuition told him that the latter was the most likely choice. After all, nothing seemed to point at Ryu having an abnormal body. Otherwise, Tokugawa would've been able to notice it with his hearing.
Ryu simply stood there, his body unscathed. From the beginning of the fight till now, he hadn't been injured or hit once. Rather, he dodged every attack Tokugawa threw, easily bypassing Tokugawa's predictions.
There was a maniacal light in Ryu's eyes as if he never wanted this fight to end. Slowly, he raised both of his arms, inhaled sharply, and--
--Ryu's sword and shield suddenly vanished into thin air!
Tokugawa's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. 'What kind of martial arts technique is this? I'm not seeing any storage ring on his hands, how did he manage to make them disappear?'
When Tokugawa noticed the disappearance of Ryu's weapons, his mind was utterly confused. He had initially thought it was a storage ring, a sort of ring that allows martial artists to store various items in it, locking it in a separate space. But, Tokugawa didn't notice any rings on Ryu's hands. Although Tokugawa mainly relied on his ability to hear Ryu's body, that wasn't the only thing he could hear. There were many other factors, such as airflow, wind speed, the direction of the wind, etc... As such, he was able to deduct if Ryu had a ring on him by hearing the flow of blood in Ryu's body, more specifically, his hand. Additionally, he was able to use the wind to properly visualize all the things on Ryu's body.
But really, those weren't that important right now. The bigger issue that Tokugawa thought about was;
'Why did this boy remove his weapons?'
Indeed, it seemed ridiculous. What kind of person would remove their weapons in the middle of a fight? It didn't make sense.
Even Ryu thought it was ridiculous if he saw someone do this, but there was a reason why he did this. He slowly opened his fists, and his eyes were entirely focused on Tokugawa's body. He analyzed every inch of Tokugawa's body and then recalled all of Tokugawa's attacks, their speed, and his habits. Then, he inhaled deeply, and... closed his eyes!
The reason why he had done this was simple, he wanted to hone his instincts, and maybe even increase the level of his state of instincts! Although Ryu felt like it was a bit too ridiculous to close his eyes, he wanted to experiment a bit. Ever since he had dodged Tokugawa's attacks via his instincts alone, he could feel like they were getting stronger, more precise.
Tokugawa immediately heard the sound of Ryu closing his eyes, and he felt even more confused. This boy... wasn't he simply inviting death? Is he... underestimating him? Tokugawa felt furious about that idea but managed to immediately suppress his anger.
Still, despite how much Tokugawa thought Ryu's actions were foolish, there was still a ringing sound in his mind, alarming him about Ryu.
Tokugawa carefully calculated every variable he could hear and visualize. After calculating everything, Tokugawa, with simply one step, closed a distance of over 10 meters and appeared right in front of Ryu, his punch already flying towards Ryu's face.
Ryu's instincts screamed at him, and just like before, he trusted them and his body moved according to his instincts. However-
*Bang!*
Although he managed to mitigate the damage a bit, the punch had still made contact, causing Ryu's body to recoil a single foot backward. Although his instincts were great, they still weren't so great to let him perfectly dodge every attack while not seeing. Still, Ryu had already predicted he would be hit, his mind not wavering one bit.
'9 times.' Ryu thought, his mind entirely focused on his instincts, willing to listen to every command. Tokugawa visualized everything that had happened, and, noticing that Ryu hadn't managed to dodge his attack, threw a kick at Ryu's face. The kick was even faster than his previous punch, and like lightning, it instantly reached Ryu's head.
*Bang!*
Another banging sound echoed throughout the arena, and just like before, Ryu managed to mitigate the attack a bit but was still hit. He managed to retain his balance, and dozens of thoughts appeared in his head.
'No... perhaps 10 times?'
*Bang!*
'No, that's still wrong. Based on how fast his punches arrive, and how fast he managed to close that 10-meter distance, it's a bit higher than that.'
*Bang!*
'11...?'
*Bang!*
'No- 13?'
*Bang!*
'Perhaps it's even 15 times. Shit, why does he keep changing his speed?'
*Bang!*
Even though Tokugawa threw tens of punches and kicks at Ryu, Ryu did not seem to be bothered by them. Despite the blood that covered his face, Ryu didn't even bat an eye towards them. Rather, he was still constantly thinking, about Tokugawa's movements, more specifically, his speed. Tokugawa was astonished by Ryu's endurance and stamina. Even though he had showered him with attacks, Ryu didn't care one bit.
'Just how high is this boy's endurance?' Tokugawa thought, his mind a bit startled. Despite the tens of attacks he threw, Ryu managed to endure all of them. This stamina far exceeded that of an average human, but even then, Tokugawa scoffed in his mind. Regardless of how high Ryu's endurance was, there was still a limit to it. Even if his stamina exceeded that of a human, in the end, he was still a human. Eventually, he'll grow tired, and the injuries on his body would accumulate.
'Your arrogance will be your downfall. It's your fault for underestimating me.'
*Bang!*
While Ryu was still a human, Tokugawa barely qualified as one. With the years of slaughtering martial artists and absorbing their vitality, Tokugawa's body had undergone a slow but steady transformation. His skin slowly turned red as the number of martial artists he killed rose, and small horns began to gradually form the more he killed. Ever since he embarked on the path of the asura, Tokugawa's vitality had reached a frightening degree. Even if he fought for several weeks on end, his body would barely be hindered by it.
This, was the path of the Asura.
*Bang!*
'15...'
*Bang!*
As Tokugawa threw hundreds of attacks, Ryu was analyzing everything about Tokugawa's movements. Every punch he took, he'd visualize where Tokugawa threw the punch, estimate the speed of the punch, and predicted where Tokugawa would have to be in order for the punch to reach him at that speed.
Slowly, Ryu's instincts were improving, and his movements gradually became more precise, smoother, and more experienced as the fight went on. He managed to mitigate more damage as time passed.
Tokugawa, of course, managed to immediately notice the subtle changes in Ryu's movements. His eyes slowly widened, as every attack he threw was only barely grazing Ryu now. He felt the ringing sound in his mind intensify, and beads of sweat started appearing on his head. He didn't want to believe it, but the more he visualized Ryu's moves, the more he was sure of it.
'This boy is actually improving?!' Tokugawa was utterly shocked. He had thought that Ryu was looking down on him, thinking that he wasn't worthy to even use his eyes. However, it turned out that wasn't the case.
It was even worse! This boy was actually using Tokugawa to improve himself!
Tokugawa felt furious at the thought of him- the soon-to-be asura- being used like a simple training dummy. With fury, Tokugawa immediately used his hearing to its full capability and visualized everything about Ryu, and his surroundings. With lightning speed, Tokugawa threw a jab at Ryu, his eyes-which were empty and lifeless- were now filled with furious killing intent. Although he thought that Ryu's adaptation was massively impressive, he felt in his mind that Ryu wouldn't be able to dodge this attack. After all, Ryu wasn't the only one analyzing his opponent.
Although he told himself that, Tokugawa was still, in truth, a bit fearful of Ryu's amazing adaptation. If this boy continued to grow, then his future would be filled with many achievements, and Tokugawa was sure that this boy would eventually surpass him if he continued to grow.
As such, Tokugawa decided to throw one last attack, one where he had used his hearing capability to the max. This was his final attack. If even this failed, then Tokugawa would have no choice but to use his last trick. Tokugawa didn't want to use his magical ability, as it not only drained his body of a massive amount of stamina, but it went even further beyond and drained him of his vitality, causing him to slowly lose his lifespan. Not only that, but it also intensified the demon in his heart, his... nephew.
Just as the punch approached Ryu's head, something suddenly clicked in Ryu's mind, causing his eyebrows to rise just a bit. He felt like his instincts were suddenly empowered as if they were enlightened. There was also a small, subtle 'ding!' sound that had appeared, but Ryu didn't pay attention to it.
With subtle, small movements, Ryu-
*Swish!*
-managed to easily evade the punch. Before Tokugawa could register what had happened, he heard Ryu's voice.
"...15.32 times." Ryu's voice was subtle, yet there was a slightly exciting tone to it. Tokugawa didn't know what he was saying, and, without a second thought, he immediately appeared 20 meters away from Ryu, his expression especially cold. Ryu had managed to perfectly evade that last move, and with his intuition, Tokugawa felt he would never be able to even touch Ryu now.
Ryu slowly straightened his back and opened his eyes, the maniacal light in them was far stronger compared to before. His smile turned into a full grin, and it had an equally maniacal feeling to it. If a normal person saw this, they would think Ryu was an insane person and immediately try not to cross him. However, Tokugawa thought differently, as that grin seemed awfully familiar...
"15.32 times," Ryu said once more, his eyes glued to Tokugawa's, "That is the speed difference between us."
Tokugawa took a moment to comprehend what Ryu had said, and he suddenly felt a chill in his heart when he understood what Ryu meant. This boy, this entire time, had been calculating Tokugawa's speed? Tokugawa felt utterly shocked! The boy had his eyes closed the entire time and was only getting hit, and yet he had managed to still accurately pinpoint the speed gap?
Tokugawa was a bit unconvinced, as he didn't think Ryu had the capability to do that. But, his intuition told him that what Ryu had said was indeed true, and he had truly managed to grasp Tokugawa's true speed.
'What a horrifying child,' Although Tokugawa was a bit fearful of Ryu's fascinating capabilities and adaptation, there was another emotion brewing up inside of him. For the first time in forever, Tokugawa felt like he had regained another sense, and he could swear he could feel his heart beating.
Excitement. That's what he had felt when he witnessed Ryu's adaptability and capability. He felt excited, and his heart, which was filled with hatred and vengeance, has now been jumping in excitement, almost as if it wanted to burst from his chest. Ryu was dangerous, and, if given enough time, will eventually suppress and surpass Tokugawa. Tokugawa knew that this situation was dangerous, and yet his heart raced in excitement.
Ryu, on the other hand, felt like he was going to die from this feeling. There was a feeling in his abdomen as if there were butterflies there. His palms were sweaty, and his entire body was shaking very slightly. He was excited, a bit too much perhaps. He had managed to finally dodge Tokugawa's attack while not seeing, and not only that but-
[The Skill
Ryu's grin widened even more as he read the notification. He was correct, in the end. He could indeed improve his state of instincts, causing it to be even stronger.
Ryu managed to reign in his emotions and focused on Tokugawa. He wanted to improve his instincts even more, but from the looks of it, it doesn't seem like Tokugawa would fight normally anymore. Ryu thought that Tokugawa would more than likely use his magical ability now.
'I suppose I have no choice, then.' Tokugawa finally settled on what to do next. He slowly inhaled, and his eyes had a sudden light shine within them, almost the exact same as Ryu's.
"You know," Tokugawa muttered, "I thought you looked like my nephew a lot. Your movement, the light in your eyes, your smile, and your desire to learn more, everything reminded me of him."
Ryu mentally prepared himself, this was it. Based on his recollections, Tokugawa should now start his monologue about how he turned out the way he was. Although his words were a bit different, that was to be expected. Ryu didn't think that he would say the exact same things just as before, but they should be similar.
Ryu glanced at his right hand and clenched it tightly. Now that his state of instincts had increased in level, he felt like his chance of victory was higher. Although he was still a bit alert about Tokugawa's ability, he wasn't as scared as before. This time, he would survive more than 2 attacks, and hopefully even inflict an injury on Tokugawa.
"But..." As Tokugawa muttered, Ryu suddenly felt the temperature of his surroundings drop by a few degrees. Ryu slowly widened his eyes, confusion appearing in his eyes. Then, just a moment later, there was a strong and violent air current, almost pushing Ryu in Tokugawa's direction. Ryu was instantly offset by the sudden wind strength. Although he had expected this, it... wasn't supposed to be this early!
However, what truly caused Ryu to panic was the notification that came up;
[The All-Hearing (Tokugawa) had used the magical ability
"...I realized I was wrong." Every word Tokugawa muttered made Ryu's heart panic. Something was wrong, this wasn't how it was supposed to go!
"That grin, that light in your eyes, they aren't like my nephew's. I was wrong. You don't remind me of my nephew, but..." Tokugawa's voice steadily increased, and his previous calm expression had become more and more excited. His eyes were now fully open, and like Ryu, its light shone brightly and had a maniacal feeling to it. There was a small smile on his face, but as he continued speaking, the smile slowly became bigger...
"You remind me... of myself!" Tokugawa suddenly shouted, his voice full of vigor. His smile had now turned into a wide grin, just like how Ryu previously was. There was a strong, violent tornado surrounding Tokugawa, this time even more violent than the last fight. Tokugawa slowly lifted his arm and pointed at Ryu, and his hand was shaped as if he was holding a sword.
All of Ryu's instincts screamed at once, and Ryu felt like his entire body was being pierced by needles. Yet, even then, Ryu wasn't that afraid. Although he was panicking a bit, there was something else that clouded his emotions.
Ryu's grin slowly returned to his face, slightly twitching. The maniacal light in his eyes began to shine more and more until he now looked like a person who was off of a substance.
"Shit..." Ryu muttered, as he lifted his hand to slowly scratch his neck, he was anxious, yet excited. He might very well die right now, yet he could barely contain his excitement for the fight. Ryu's mind began to rapidly spin, calculating how fast Tokugawa would be with his magical ability.
'With his magical ability, Tokugawa surpassed the speed of sound, by quite a large margin. Although I cannot be entirely sure, if we take into account how much faster he currently is than me, then...'
Ryu gulped as Tokugawa took a simple step forward, his aura bursting forward, and the air felt like knives as they made small cuts over Ryu's body.
"You are..." Tokugawa said slowly, the tornado around him growing larger by the second, and the wind current getting stronger as well. "...Just like me!"
[The skill
Just as Ryu saw a glimpse of the system, a sudden, vivid image appeared in Ryu's mind. It was just like before, that image showed him... being cut in half.
'Here it comes!' Ryu suddenly raised his focus to the max, and his instincts all screamed, commanded at once. The grin on Ryu's face never disappeared, even in the face of death. Rather, Ryu had a completely weird thought in his head;
'This... is fun!' It was completely different from what he had felt in the last fight.
Suddenly, Tokugawa's body twitched very slightly. Although it was an extremely slight twitching, Ryu's instincts told him otherwise. Ryu's body instinctively dodged a tiny bit to the side.
In that same fraction of a second, Tokugawa suddenly disappeared and appeared 20 meters behind Ryu.
Just like before, there was no sound for a split second, before the deafening sonic boom came soon after, causing Ryu's hair to flutter. However, unlike before, Ryu wasn't confused. Calmly, he glanced at Tokugawa, and noticed him 20 meters away. His mind ran many calculations and then glanced at his arm.
It was still intact. However, Tokugawa still managed to hit Ryu, causing a huge gash to appear on Ryu's arm. The wound was so deep that even the bone was showing. But, Ryu paid no attention to it. Although it hurt, he had more important things to think about. If he was even a millisecond off, then his death would soon arrive.
Tokugawa turned around calmly and was a bit surprised that Ryu had managed to somewhat dodge his attack. 'Even with my newfound speed, he had still managed to dodge?' Tokugawa thought, the fire in his eyes burning brighter by the second.
'Good, that's what I wanna see. You are truly worthy of me using my technique.' Tokugawa's aura burst forth once more, and just as he was about to unleash another attack, he heard Ryu's body. Based on the blood flow, the contractions of his muscles, and many other variables, he deducted that Ryu was about to talk.
"Don't bother to beg for mercy," Tokugawa immediately said before Ryu could mutter a single word, "That won't save you."
He had thought that Ryu might beg for mercy, as weird as that was. He had initially thought that Ryu was like him, someone who just wanted to fight and nothing else. He truly hoped that he wouldn't beg for mercy, otherwise, where was the fun of this fight?
"...43 times."
Tokugawa's mind froze when he heard what Ryu said, but he quickly managed to regain his composure. He instantly understood what Ryu meant, and he felt a bit astonished by Ryu's fast calculative and adaptive ability. Before he had activated his ability, Ryu managed to calculate the speed of Tokugawa, but that took many attacks, hundreds, even. But now, with a single exchange, Ryu was able to instantly deduct what Tokugawa's newfound speed was.
Still, Tokugawa didn't believe that this number was entirely accurate, nor did Ryu truly believe it either. It was still a bit off, but it was close. That was more than enough for Ryu.
Tokugawa didn't attack Ryu, even though he could unleash a flurry of attacks right now. He wanted to see what other tricks Ryu had, perhaps he had a hidden card, just like Tokugawa? Although this meant trouble for Tokugawa, he wasn't afraid. He wanted to fight his opponent while they were using their full power. Additionally, Ryu barely attacked Tokugawa during the entire duration of the fight, and even when Tokugawa was talking, Ryu didn't unleash a single attack.
This was the last shred of respect he could show to Ryu.
"You know," Ryu muttered as he stared at the wound on his arm, many emotions welling up inside of his eyes. "Although I didn't want to feel this way, I actually feel a bit embarrassed in front of you."
Tokugawa was startled. Out of the all things he had expected Ryu to say, this wasn't one of them. Tokugawa suddenly had a bad feeling about this.
"Compared to what you have gone through, I feel like everything that had happened to me before coming to this place was nothing. You have suffered a lot, and yet managed to move forward with your willpower."
'This boy,' Tokugawa's mind darkened as he heard Ryu speak, 'Does he know me?'
Ryu calmly turned around, his grin long gone. Instead, there was a self-deprecating smile on his face.
"Your willpower is truly amazing." Ryu slowly lifted his hand, and Tokugawa immediately caught that movement. He immediately wanted to throw another attack, but upon further visualizing with his new enhanced hearing, Tokugawa suddenly noticed that something was wrong.
Ryu... wasn't planning on attacking Tokugawa. As lifted his hand further, the ringing in Tokugawa's mind suddenly intensified. There was a sense of crisis in his mind, he felt as if a catastrophe was about to happen.
But even then, Tokugawa didn't attack. Due to his martial artist honor- how little of it that remained- he didn't attack Ryu. Besides, no matter how much he read Ryu's body, the move he was about to do was nonsensical.
"I..." Ryu muttered, his voice trembling a bit, "Want to be as strong-willed as you are."
*Bang!*
Tokugawa's eyes widened, a slight trace of surprise appearing in them. Although he had predicted this, it still was too stunning to visualize.
This boy has just hit his own jaw! Tokugawa thought that this boy was ridiculous. Did he want to appear pitiful in order to trick him, or perhaps in the hope that Tokugawa would spare him? Both of these thoughts enraged him, but he still didn't attack.
Ryu's eyes immediately rolled inside his head, as he began to waver, his body almost falling to the ground. Just as he was about to drop to the floor-
[Your consciousness is slipping, and your instincts are taking control of the majority of your body. You have entered the
-he suddenly managed to stop himself by pushing his foot forward. Just as he did this, Tokugawa mind suddenly became alarmed, and the ringing sound in his mind reached a new height. The aura that this boy emitted had entirely vanished, and it was instead replaced by something else, something faint.
Something incredibly dangerous.