Chapter 0026: Kyōgoku Mamoru—Father of Kyōgoku Makoto
Yukiko spoke about the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, which was being held in Kyoto's high school division. Teitan High School served as the karate venue, while the other six disciplines were hosted at various high schools in Kyoto. Champions for the six other martial arts had already been determined, leaving only the final karate match this afternoon.
After the seven martial arts champions were crowned, they would compete in the finals on Sunday at Beika University to determine the strongest youth martial artist.
Kogoro Mouri, Eri Kisaki, and Yukiko Fujimine arrived at the martial arts hall, which was the karate club's activity space repurposed for the competition.
When Kogoro's club members saw him, they shouted excitedly, "Boss!" and seemed ready to rush toward him. However, a cold gleam flashed in Eri's eyes, and the group immediately froze, their faces turning pale with fear. The title of "Queen of Teitan" was well deserved.
The martial arts hall was already filled with students. Female high schoolers waved colorful pompoms, cheering enthusiastically:
"Teitan's pride, the righteous knight,
Mouri, Mouri, the world's best!"
Seeing the beautiful young girls from years ago idolizing him, Kogoro couldn't help but grin broadly.
Behind him, Eri rubbed her forehead in exasperation.
Yukiko smirked and said, "I didn't realize this guy was so popular."
Suddenly, a male voice rang out, "Long live Teitan's Princess Yukiko!"
Yukiko immediately beamed with delight and waved energetically at the boys who had called out.
One student tried to shout, "Teitan's Queen…" but froze under Eri's icy glare, quickly covering his mouth and refusing to utter another word.
Kogoro soon changed into a karate uniform. His tall and sturdy physique radiated power. Feeling the lively atmosphere of the martial arts hall, his youthful heart began to stir with excitement. He stepped onto the stage with confidence.
On the opposite side of the competition ring stood a man whose skin was dark as coal. His name was Kyōgoku Mamoru, the heir to the Kyōgoku Dojo in Kyoto. His karate skills were reputed to be among the strongest in Japan.
'Could this guy be Kyōgoku Makoto's father? It certainly seems possible. They're both ridiculously dark-skinned and share the same surname,' Kogoro thought.
The referee had already taken his position. Kyōgoku Mamoru rose slowly, like an ancient pine tree. "Cheers and applause mean nothing. Strength alone determines victory. They say Kogoro Mouri is Teitan High School's karate ace. It seems his reputation is overblown."
Kogoro chuckled. "I hope you'll still be able to talk like that in a few minutes."
Kogoro's stats were incredibly high, even before. After acquiring advanced cosmic guidance techniques from Slant, his abilities had further improved, thanks to being bathed in cosmic energy.
Attributes:
- Physique: 28 (Vigorous energy; can stay awake for three days and nights; greatly enhanced resistance to poisons.)
- Strength: 35 (Be careful not to get too excited; a casual strike from you could be fatal.)
- Intelligence: 24 (With your IQ, you could become a scientist who benefits humanity.)
- Speed: 22 (Your speed rivals that of a cheetah; perhaps you'll be the next king of the jungle.)
These stats were superhuman. His immense strength and durability, combined with his master-level karate skills, left Kogoro confident that he could not lose.
Kyōgoku Mamoru appeared equally confident. As the referee signaled the start of the match, he moved swiftly, his martial arts uniform rustling loudly with each step.
Kogoro let him make the first move. Kyōgoku launched a powerful thrust punch, following it up with a forward lunge to get behind Kogoro and attempt a front leg sweep.
'Too slow,' Kogoro thought with a faint smile. His eyes glinted coldly as he seized Kyōgoku's thrust punch and executed a flawless over-the-shoulder throw. Kyōgoku flew through the air and landed heavily on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
The martial arts hall fell silent before erupting into thunderous cheers.
"Mouri, Mouri, the world's best!" The cheerleaders threw their colorful pompoms high into the air, and the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.
"Wait a minute! That wasn't karate. Over-the-shoulder throws are a judo technique. This victory is illegitimate; I should be declared the winner!" Kyōgoku Mamoru shouted as he struggled to his feet, addressing the referee.
While martial arts techniques often overlap, and many masters incorporate techniques from other disciplines, the over-the-shoulder throw is traditionally a signature move of judo. The referee hesitated, caught in a dilemma.
Hearing this, members of the Kyōgoku Dojo who had accompanied Mamoru began shouting, "Rigged! Rigged!"
Kogoro looked at Mamoru with disappointment. "Is this all you've got?"
His commanding tone silenced the hall.
"Martial arts are a convergence of disciplines. As you advance, you'll discover that techniques across martial arts often share similarities. My karate incorporates not only judo but also techniques from aikido and jiu-jitsu. I've even drawn inspiration from iaido and kendo.
"To me, martial arts are about finding strength in imperfection. Only by embracing different disciplines can one achieve mastery."
Mamoru's face lit up. "Very well. Since you've asked for it, let's fight again. Referee, you heard him."
The referee signaled the start of the rematch. This time, Kogoro also moved. In an instant, he became a blur. Before anyone could react, Mamoru's body was flung five meters into the air, crashing heavily onto the ground, unconscious.
It had been a simple karate thrust punch.
The back-to-back displays of overwhelming strength sent the crowd into a frenzy. Teitan High School's students rushed onto the stage, hoisting Kogoro high into the air. "Hooray! Hooray!"
Eri's cold expression softened into a faint smile, while Yukiko looked conflicted. 'I'm doomed. If this guy is really that strong, I'll lose the bet. What if he asks me to do something perverted?'
As she watched Kogoro being tossed into the air, Yukiko's cheeks flushed. 'Wait, why am I thinking this? How could I steal Eri's boyfriend?'
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