CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36

Suzune, Shuo, and Sakai, despite the bruises and blood staining their faces and uniforms, immediately rushed to Seijirou’s side, their breathing ragged yet their eyes filled with awe.

They could hardly believe what they had just witnessed.

Suzune, her voice trembling with both exhaustion and excitement said, "Seiji, you’re so awesome! You actually beat someone who was cheating with some magic power or something!"

Shuo laughed between heavy breaths, "Haha, boss, you’re a monster in human skin."

Sakai grinned, half in pain and half in admiration, "He is isn’t he? That’s why he’s the boss!"

"Let me see," Suzune observed him, "You’re not too injured are you? Let’s get you check in a hospital."

Seijirou shook his head, "No need. It’s just a scratch."

But before their relief could take root, the air around them shifted. The smell of iron and smoke thickened, and the sound of coughing broke the silence.

Ryuhei, blood streaming from his mouth, forced himself to stand once more.

His body trembled violently, yet the mark of Karyoku on his face began to glow brighter, like molten fire cracking through his skin.

His eyes burned red, wild with humiliation and rage.

"You..." he hissed, his voice breaking, "how dare you humiliate me like this?"

He staggered forward, clutching his chest, his body twitching with power that seemed to consume him. "I’ll kill you... I’ll kill you!"

Seijirou’s grip tightened on his metal bar. Suzune, Sakai, and Shuo immediately positioned themselves beside him, forming a loose semicircle.

Despite their exhaustion, their eyes sharpened, their fighting spirit reignited by the danger that once again loomed before them.

But before the clash could begin, a voice echoed through the air, calm and cold. "That’s enough."

A shadow flickered at the edge of their vision, and then, as if reality had simply folded, a man appeared out of nowhere.

He wore a uniform none of them recognized, clean and pressed, his presence quiet yet suffocating.

He looked young, maybe their age, with short black hair and cold brown eyes that carried a faint amusement.

Ryuhei froze the moment he saw him. His fury was replaced by terror, his pupils shrinking.

"You—" he started, but before he could even form another word, the man spoke, his tone heavy with disappointment.

"How disappointing," he said, shaking his head. "Even after the boss went through all that trouble to grant you a Karyoku, you still lose to an ordinary human. Pathetic."

And then he moved.

The man’s form blurred, his foot crashing into Ryuhei’s ribs with a sound like thunder.

Ryuhei gasped, blood flying from his mouth as he was lifted off his feet.

The man didn’t stop there, he struck again, a flurry of precise, brutal blows that broke through Ryuhei’s defense as if it didn’t exist.

A knee to the stomach, a punch to the jaw, a roundhouse that sent him crashing to the ground.

The Karyoku glow on Ryuhei’s face flickered weakly, and with one final, merciless punch to the gut, he coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing completely.

The man caught him by the collar before his body hit the ground, holding him up with ease.

His expression showed neither anger nor pity, only mild annoyance, as if dealing with a disobedient child.

He turned his head slowly toward Seijirou and the others, his gaze calm but heavy enough to make the air feel colder.

"You," he said, his voice steady, "Kageyama Seijirou, was it?"

He smiled faintly. "I have to admit, I didn’t expect this. To defeat someone with a Karyoku, even a weak one like his... that’s impressive. Very impressive."

He tilted his head slightly, studying Seijirou as though assessing a new weapon. "If there’s a chance, I’d love to fight you myself."

The words had barely left his mouth when Seijirou moved.

The sound of metal cutting through air broke the stillness. The man’s eyes widened in surprise—Seijirou’s metal bar was already inches from his face, the strike fast, sharp, and without hesitation.

In the next instant, the man’s arm came up, blocking the blow with his forearm.

The impact cracked the ground beneath their feet, a wave of pressure bursting outward.

The man’s expression changed for the first time, a glimmer of shock flashing in his eyes.

Seijirou’s face remained unreadable, his cold gaze locked onto the stranger. His voice, low and steady, carried the weight of iron.

"There’s no need to wait," he said, pushing against the block, the metal groaning between them. "We can fight now."

The man’s smile widened slightly, excitement flickering in his gaze as he pushed back with equal strength.

"Heh," he muttered, his tone almost gleeful. "Now that’s the kind of answer I like."

Seijirou jumped back and watched the man in silence, eyes narrowing, every muscle in his body tense.

Inside him, the arrogant and prideful voice that had always driven him screamed louder than ever, telling him to crush this smug bastard who strutted around like some untouchable mystery.

Maybe this guy had Karyoku too. Maybe he was stronger than Ryuhei. But so what? Who was Kageyama Seijirou?

He was the final boss of the first part of the series, the one whose name was still whispered with awe even in the later arcs, the one who the protagonist—at his absolute peak—once admitted he couldn’t match without using Ki.

That was the kind of man Seijirou was. A monster wrapped in human skin, arrogance carved into his soul.

And if there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was someone acting tough in front of him, like they were above him.

That was why he attacked. It wasn’t just instinct, it his soul screaming at him to teach that arrogant man a lesson.

His blood burned, his pride roared, and before he even realized it, his body had already moved to strike.

The man set Ryuhei down, like tossing away something unworthy, and began to unbutton his uniform, each motion slow and deliberate, his eyes locked on Seijirou.

He smirked. "Relax. There’s still time. I can play with you for a while."

The last word hadn’t even faded when Seijirou’s metal bar smashed into his shoulder with a sickening crack, forcing him down to one knee, pain flashing across his face.

Seijirou didn’t flinch. His eyes were cold and sharp as blades. "Then stop talking and play."

"Ack!?" The man screamed in pain, clutching his shoulder as he stumbled back, his breath ragged, his mind spinning.

What the hell is this strength? he thought, staring at Seijirou with a mixture of pain and disbelief.

Every instinct of his screamed danger.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to be the dominant one here, the predator, not the prey.

Seijirou rested the metal bar on his shoulder, his expression bored, eyes sharp and cold.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, voice low and cutting through the silence. "Aren’t you going to use it?"

The man blinked, "Wha?"

"Karyoku," Seijirou replied, the word laced with disdain. "You’re not planning on using it? I suggest you do. Because if you don’t..."

He tilted his head slightly, the hint of a cruelty flickering across his face. "...you’re going to die."

The man didn’t even have time to fully process the words before Seijirou vanished from sight.

The air cracked as a metallic blur cut through the space between them, and the man barely managed to cross his arms in defense before the impact sent shockwaves through his body.

CLANG!

The first hit made him skid back several meters, his feet digging into the ground.

Another strike came instantly after, then another, and another, each one faster, heavier, sharper than the last.

It was like standing in the middle of a thunderstorm made of steel.

The man blocked desperately, his arms screaming from the impact, sparks flying as metal met skin reinforced by energy.

He tried to counter, but Seijirou was already gone, his speed and precision absurd, every movement an act of domination.

A downward swing forced the man to his knees; a sudden upward strike nearly tore the air apart as it grazed his chin.

The man stumbled back, chest heaving, his vision swimming. He barely noticed Seijirou sidestepping, bar shifting from his right to left hand—a subtle feint.

Before he could adjust, the bar came down hard against the side of his head.

THUD!

Pain exploded through his skull, his vision flashing white. He staggered, clutching his head, warm blood trickling down the side of his face.

He felt the world tilting, spinning out of focus.

Seijirou stood there, unbothered, eyes cold as he rested the bar on his shoulder again.

"I warned you," he said flatly. "That you’re going to die, right?"

The man’s teeth clenched, rage swallowing the fear that had begun to creep in. He wiped the blood from his face, his hand trembling not from fear, but fury.

"You bastard... I’ll kill you."

A surge of crimson energy burst from his body, distorting the air around him. His aura flared violently, heat and power radiating outward as the ground cracked beneath his feet.

A horn tore through the skin of his forehead, his body shifting as his skin turned deep red. His sclera turned black, his irises blazing gold.

"This..." he growled, voice now deeper, reverberating with inhuman power. "...is the difference between me and that trash Ryuhei. I’ve mastered my Karyoku! This time, let me show you the true power of an Oni!"

The air quivered from the force of his presence. Suzune, Shuo, and Sakai instinctively stepped back, the sheer pressure making it hard to breathe.

Seijirou, however, didn’t move. His expression didn’t change. His grip on the metal bar tightened slightly, but his eyes stayed calm, steady, unreadable.

Just as the man took a step forward, ready to unleash his power, a sharp tone echoed—a phone ringing, absurdly mundane in the midst of the chaos.

The man froze. His aura vanished, his horn cracked and dissolved, his skin tone returning to normal as if nothing had happened.

He reached into his pocket, expression suddenly serious, and answered the call.

"Yes, sir." He listened in silence, eyes down, nodding respectfully even though no one could see him. "Understood."

When he hung up, he looked at Seijirou again, his face calm but his pride clearly wounded.

"You’re lucky," he said, forcing a thin smile as he walked over to Ryuhei’s unconscious body. He hoisted him up effortlessly onto his shoulder.

"My name is Godai Haruto," he said before turning away. "Remember it. Because next time... I’ll be the one ending this."

He started walking off into the distance, his presence fading with each step.

Seijirou watched him go, silent, unmoving, the metal bar still resting on his shoulder, his cold eyes following the man until he vanished completely.