Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Victor

In karate, the straight punch is a fundamental technique, often regarded as a spiritual symbol for beginners. Yet, if one were to speak of the core that runs through an entire lifetime of practice, it would surely be—the forward thrust!

Though the forward thrust, where the hand and foot move in tandem, may not flow as naturally as the reverse thrust, which places the heavy fist behind, as all martial arts advocate, the more effective yet uncomfortable a technique is, the more it must be drilled relentlessly. Train until it feels effortless!

Such is the forward thrust in karate. It appears to be an awkward motion where the same hand and foot strike together, but in truth, this style not only unleashes the full force of the body, it also brings the weight to bear.

And for Takashi Wakatsuki, who has spent decades training in full-contact karate, the technique compressed and released by muscles fifty-two times denser than ordinary people transcends the boundaries of “forward thrust” and “reverse thrust.”

[Core Burst—Forward Thrust]!

A simple punch.

Yet it delivered the greatest destructive power since the match began!

The fist’s edge stirred ripples in the air. The ground beneath both fighters’ feet cracked as if it were blocks of tofu!

It was a ferocious punch—yet a calculated one.

By executing [Core Burst] entirely in the stance of a reverse thrust, Wakatsuki made his opponent believe it was an imperfect technique only triggered under certain conditions. Then, when he gained the upper hand, he unveiled grappling—a hidden move.

Normally, the opponent would relax his guard at this point. After all, the trump card of grappling had already been revealed. To the opponent, it should seem that the threat had passed.

But in truth, at the final moment, it is still the technique with the most outrageous destructive power—[Core Burst]—that decides the outcome!

Step by step, layer upon layer, Wakatsuki eroded his opponent’s vigilance, constructing a habitual way of thinking. This was the strategy the seasoned veteran with the most victories prepared for the debuting Kengan Association’s Shirodo Kyo!

But… can the fangs of the “Tiger” truly reach the domain of the “Monster”?

The young man faced Wakatsuki’s ultra-heavy blow, more terrifying than any he’d unleashed before.

Yet he merely placed his arm gently over Wakatsuki’s, and with his unrestrained foot, stepped on the advancing bend of the opponent’s leg.

Wakatsuki’s eyes, blazing with fighting spirit and desire to win, suddenly froze.

A look of disbelief crossed his face.

“The flow of power… stopped?!”

The youth’s upper body rested against Wakatsuki’s striking fist, while his lower body, in the signature style of Wing Chun, pressed his foot against Wakatsuki’s knee, letting out a soft laugh.

“It seems you forgot—I started with Jeet Kune Do.”

“And now, there’s no time limit.”

As he spoke, a sickening crack echoed from Wakatsuki’s knee. Even the steadfast Wakatsuki could not help but let out a cry of pain squeezed through gritted teeth.

The super-powered blow was indeed formidable, but according to the principles of Jeet Kune Do, interception is key. As long as one employs skillful moves to intercept and suppress the opponent before their power is fully realized, it doesn’t matter how strong the enemy is—if the force cannot be unleashed, it is as good as nonexistent.

“It’s Jeet Kune Do!” Compared to the sharp-eyed Chikahara Sayaka, Jerry, with his professional perspective, widened his already round eyes in excitement. “Shirodo Kyo has used the signature intercepting technique of Jeet Kune Do!”

“Wakatsuki’s unbelievable heavy punch—was stopped!”

“And not only that!” Chikahara Sayaka immediately chimed in, “Jeet Kune Do’s joint-destroying technique took advantage of this attack, crushing Wakatsuki’s knee from the side!”

“Less than ten seconds!”

“It’s been less than ten seconds since Shirodo Kyo unlocked his technique!”

The tiger’s cry of broken claws echoed throughout the arena!

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the youth’s unleashed Jeet Kune Do barrage had begun.

“Clench your teeth, old man,” Shirodo Kyo said to Wakatsuki, tightening his fist and flashing a brilliant smile. “Now, the outcome is decided.”

As the founder Bruce Lee once said:

“When the enemy is at a disadvantage, my fists will naturally, like flowing water, topple him.”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A knee strike crashed into Wakatsuki’s jaw as he staggered, losing balance. The opponent’s flailing arm was suppressed midway, and the restraining fist did not withdraw, but instead turned into a knife hand, slicing down onto Wakatsuki’s carotid artery.

The knife hand on the neck transformed into a palm, hooked behind the neck and yanked hard, breaking Wakatsuki’s attempt to regain balance.

Meanwhile, the other elbow was ready, striking upward beneath the jaw.

The skyward elbow strike even briefly lifted the 193-kilogram body from the ground!

...

Wakatsuki gritted his teeth. Driven by powerful will and desire to win, even with one arm and one leg temporarily crippled, he did not give up struggling. Again and again, he attempted to regain his footing.

But the relentless barrage of Jeet Kune Do, full of momentum and pressure, shattered every attempt before it could take effect.

The force was so great it penetrated his dense body, with each punch creating an explosive shockwave behind his back!

Even the blood and sweat on his skin were shattered and scattered into the air.

“...So… terrifying!”

“Gulp… such overwhelming presence, it’s suffocating.”

In the audience, even those dozens or hundreds of meters away, watching only through the deathmatch arena’s giant screen, were dazed by the oppressive force of the relentless barrage, murmuring in awe.

In the fighters’ special seats, opinions were even more professional.

“The level of technique… is astonishing!”

Rei Himuro, himself a practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, stared in a daze at the arena, unconsciously mimicking the movements with his plastered right hand.

“Not just the execution—the seamless transitions between moves are beyond human!”

Naoya Okubo, the “King of Combat” famed for his ability to connect the four pillars of fighting—group, throw, choke, and joint lock—seamlessly, was sweating profusely, as if he’d seen a ghost.

And sitting closest to Saeko, Masuyoshi Kaneda wiped his brow and, maintaining a polite expression, glanced at the purple-haired beauty beside him.

“I remember Shirodo is only sixteen, right? To have such skills at that age… Would you care to share his daily training regimen?”

“After all, even for a prodigy, reaching this level of martial arts must take…”

“No,” Saeko answered naturally, seemingly accustomed to Kaneda’s question.

“Uh… ‘No’ meaning?” Kaneda’s lips twitched; he had a vague sense he’d asked a question he didn’t want answered.

“Each day, aside from basic physical training during the day and meditation at night, there’s only occasional underground combat practice. That’s all.”

Saeko replied with dignity and warmth.

Like the quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko, she offered a gentle, spring-like kindness.

But Kaneda, barely maintaining a polite smile, was sure—this was not the answer he’d hoped for.

...

Finally, when that solid, heavy body collapsed onto the sand, raising a cloud of dust…

The referee, Yamamoto Koishi, already as skittish as a startled bird from the two fighters’ battle, approached with cold sweat pouring down his brow.

“The… the winner is… representing Shirodo Logistics! Shirodo Kyo!!”