A New Masterpiece (COTE x OC)

Chapter 58 - Dread

"Show me something worth getting excited over, Ryuuen!" I yelled back.

Ryuuen adjusted his stance to be lower to the ground, then thrust his left fist toward Kiyotaka, aiming for his abdomen. Kiyotaka leaped back in anticipation, but Ryuuen continued his pressure by jabbing with his right arm.

"You won't lay a hit on me, Ryuuen," Kiyotaka told him.

Ryuuen seemed to be purely focused on Kiyotaka, using that as an opportunity, I reached out and grabbed Ryuuen by his hair. He instinctively reached back and pushed my arm away.

But that brief moment of distraction gave Kiyotaka ample amount of time to launch a hard kick to his side.

"Gah!"

Ryuuen let out a grunt of pain. But he didn't seem to back down. It was a serious hit to the side. I was honestly a little impressed at his determination to stay standing.

"You think I haven't had my share of mismatch opponents?! This is just starting to get fun!" Ryuuen laughed even louder now.

Once again, he charged Kiyotaka, holding nothing back. From my perspective, his movements weren't as refined as a trained fighter's. Clearly, a self-taught style shaped by his experience. No one could evade Ryuuen's attacks forever, just because of his sheer experience and relentlessness.

"Why don't you fight more often, eh, Ayanokouji?" Ryuuen asked.

"I have my reasons."

"After I beat ya, then you can tell me about them."

"Do you truly believe you are going to win?" Kiyotaka questioned.

"You two might win this time. But what about tomorrow? Or a week from now? Or when you're in the middle of a piss? I'll make both of your lives here a living hell! I'll come after you when you least expect it."

"Show me how much of a challenge you really are," I replied.

"Aren't you afraid of losing?" Kiyotaka asked his own question.

"I've never felt fear once in my life."

"No fear, huh?" Kiyotaka remarked.

"You understand once you know true pain," Ryuuen replied. "Pain gives way to fear for ordinary people."

"Teach me about pain, then."

"With pleasure!" Ryuuen said.

I delivered a swift, hard kick to Ryuuen's back as he spoke to Kiyotaka. He had lost focus on his opponent as he jousted with Kiyotaka.

The kick landed with a strong, thud, as it forced Ryuuen to stagger forward to Kiyotaka.

Instead of trying to regain his balance, Ryuuen used the momentum from the kick to grab onto Kiyotaka's shoulders and drive his knee into his stomach.

"Kiyotaka!" Karuizawa screamed out of concern.

"Understand now?"

"Unfortunately, I do not. This is merely pain," Kiyotaka replied.

"You say you're the same as me? You don't feel fear?" Ryuuen asked.

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then let's continue some more!" Ryuuen showered Kiyotaka with blows, concentrating on his abdomen.

I went to step in, but something strange caught my eye. While Ryuuen was relentless with his attacks, they were quite simple and repetitive ones. Anyone with some sort of intelligence could easily dodge his strikes. But Kiyotaka wasn't. Was he trying to incur psychological defeat on Ryuuen by demonstrating the sheer power difference between the two, or something else?