Kapitel 22: Sin of Pride II

Toji got up from the edge of the pool, water cascading off his chiseled frame as he walked toward the girl who stood frozen, nearly having a nosebleed just watching him. His uniform black pants clung to his legs, while his upper body remained bare, droplets of water tracing down his toned muscles. He ran a hand through his wet hair, slicking it back effortlessly.

As he reached for the towel, his expression soured, his sharp ears having already picked up the sounds from down below. "Twerps can't even handle a single guy... Division, my ass." He muttered in annoyance, wiping his face with the towel.

For Toji, Division was never something he truly cared about. It was just a means to an end. Everything he did, he did for himself. Division simply existed to keep the peace in his world, to make sure he didn't have to deal with things he didn't want to. The No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 handled all the nonsense that came with it—that's why he even bothered to name them.

Letting out a sigh, he tossed the towel aside, his mind drifting to how pointless this all felt.

His annoyance lingered, but the thought of someone giving his underlings a hard time piqued his interest just a little. Maybe, just maybe, this guy was worth noticing.

"Oh, here you are!" A blond-haired guy appeared at the entrance, striding toward the girl and snatching up the shirt that had been left behind—Toji's shirt—to wipe the sweat from his face. As he walked closer, it became clear that despite his 190 cm height, he was still shorter than Toji, who towered at 195 cm.

"I'm Goo Kim," he said, a playful grin stretching across his face as he extended his pinky toward Toji. "Want to be my secret friend?" His glassy eyes watched Toji intently, gauging his reaction.

Toji felt a wave of annoyance wash over him. He hated guys who talked too much, especially those who acted so arrogant while flaunting dirty clothes. This kid was clearly one of those.

He rubbed the back of his head, closing his eyes momentarily as he muttered under his breath, "What's with these little shits here, annoying—"

But he didn't get the chance to finish his thought. Before he knew it, a powerful kick slammed into his ribs, sending him flying across the spacious room. He skidded to a halt, the impact echoing through the air.

"You took my kick! You're definitely interesting," Goo exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Toji pushed himself off the ground, a smirk forming on his lips as he locked eyes with the man. "If this is all you can do... you're gonna die today." His tone was casual, but there was a sharp edge beneath it. This guy was strong—stronger than he initially seemed.

Maybe this was the fight he had been looking for, the one where he brushed past death. Lately, he had been missing those feelings from his previous life as a solo assassin who had taken on multiple special-grade sorcerers alone.

Goo's grin widened, the thrill of the fight igniting a fire within him. "Oh, I'm just getting started!"

The air was thick with tension as Goo Kim and Toji Park faced each other in the top floor of H-high, the faint sound of dripping water from tojis body echoing around them. Goo's heart raced, excitement bubbling beneath the surface as he stared down the towering figure of Toji. He had always been drawn to a challenge, but this—this was different.

Goo felt the thrill of the fight coursing through his veins, blinding him to the danger he faced. Toji's aura was palpable, exuding a kind of power that felt primal, as if he were a predator sizing up his prey.

"Are you ready to get serious?" Toji taunted, a smirk playing on his lips.

Goo responded with a fierce glare, lunging forward with a powerful right hook aimed directly at Toji's jaw. The punch connected with a resounding thunderous sound *Boom*, and for a fleeting moment, Goo felt a rush of victory. But then he watched in shock as Toji barely flinched, the impact absorbing into the air around him.

"Is that all you've got?" Toji's voice was calm, almost amused, as he retaliated with a swift uppercut that caught Goo off guard, sending him sprawling back.

Heavenly Restriction granted Toji a suite of abilities that set him apart from others, His physique was a canvas of sculpted muscle, honed from countless battles, Toji thrived in blood and battles. his fists could literally punch through a ordinary person's chest, sending them crashing to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.

Goo hit the ground hard, the impact jarring his bones, but he rolled back to his feet almost instinctively. The spot where Toji's punch connected throbbed, now turning a nasty black and blue. He shook off the disorientation, his adrenaline surging as anger coursed through him like fire, throwing a flurry of punches.

Each strike was fueled by adrenaline, but Toji moved with supernatural grace, dodging and blocking with ease. It was like fighting a shadow—Toji was everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Then came the blow that sent pain rippling through Goo's side. Toji had sidestepped and delivered a powerful knee to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. Goo gasped for breath, but anger surged within him, igniting his determination. He pushed forward again, his fists flying in a desperate attempt to land a hit.

"Come on, you arrogant fool! Show me what you've got!" Toji taunted, his smirk never wavering. He thrived on crushing the arrogance of others; it gave him a twisted pleasure that was hard to resist.

In a burst of fury, Goo feinted to the left, delivering a swift kick to Toji's ribs. Toji grunted at the contact, but to Goo's horror, he watched as the wound closed before his eyes, as if the flesh were stitching itself back together. Goo's eyes widened in disbelief.

What kind of monster was he fighting?

Heavenly Restriction—an ability that made Toji not just a fighter but a god among men. He could heal from injuries at a speed that defied logic, rendering him nearly invincible.

The realization sunk deep within Goo, igniting a fierce determination that surged through him. He saw Toji's ability and was not that impressive —there were guys who could demolish buildings with a single punch, whose eyes seemed to defy the very laws of science and logic.

Goo lunged again, adrenaline fueling his movements. With a quick step forward, he landed a punch that sliced across Toji's cheek, the skin parting just enough to open a small cut, Toji's skin seemed like hot iron under a spotlight, and the cut began to close almost instantly. It was as if his body had adapted to the strike, absorbing the impact and shrugging it off like a mere annoyance.

"Impressive, but you're just wasting your energy," Toji mocked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Goo pressed on, throwing a flurry of jabs that Toji effortlessly deflected. Yet with each punch, Goo felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through him. He was a fighter—he wouldn't back down, no matter how formidable the opponent. He ducked under a wild swing from Toji, springing back up and delivering a swift kick to Toji's chest. This time, the impact forced Toji back a step.

"Yes! Keep going!" Goo shouted, his excitement escalating. But as he advanced, Toji seemed to come alive, his movements becoming more feral.

Toji charged forward, his fist a blur as he delivered a crushing blow to Goo's ribs, sending him crashing into the wall. Goo grunted in pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he was quick to regain his footing.

"Get up!" Goo shouted at himself, shaking off the pain.

The arrogance that had once fueled his bravado faded away. Now, he was acutely aware that Toji was not on the same level as others of this generation. The disparity in their strengths struck him like a cold wave, making it clear that he was contending with someone who possessed the raw power of a first-generation fighter, or perhaps even beyond that, the legendary zero-generation.

It was the kind of strength he had only seen in rare instances, like the certain redhead he knew who ended the first generation single-handedly.

Toji lunged again, but this time, Goo managed to sidestep the attack, grabbing Toji's arm and twisting it in a desperate bid to gain the upper hand. But Toji countered, grabbing a handful of Goo's back with a vice-like grip. The pain was excruciating, and Goo felt something tear as Toji yanked him forward, ripping flesh and sending a shockwave of agony through his body.

Goo stumbled, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down his back, a stark reminder of the toll the fight was taking on him. Pain radiated from the wounds, but he couldn't stop now—not when he was so close to proving himself. He turned to face Toji again, fury igniting in his chest. The anger mingled with the bitter taste of inferiority, fueling a fierce determination that burned brighter than ever.

"It doesn't make sense," Goo shouted, charging forward with renewed vigor. "Someone of this generation possesses this strength? Is your dad some one from the 0th generation?"

As Goo launched himself into the air, delivering a spinning kick, he felt exhilarated. The power of the fight consumed him. But Toji barely moved, his arm shooting out to catch Goo's leg mid-kick. The impact echoed through the warehouse, and Goo found himself flipped onto the ground, pain radiating through his body.

The fight continued in a brutal dance, Toji's strikes landing with devastating force. Goo sustained injuries, each hit leaving him more battered than before, but his excitement only grew. With each roundhouse kick, each uppercut, he pushed himself further, refusing to let pain dictate his actions.

Toji's laughter echoed through the room, sharp and cold, vibrating with excitement. "HAHAHA! That's right—get serious, or you'll die!" he shouted, his voice carrying a thrill that mirrored the intensity of the battle. His eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger.

Toji lunged again, this time using a series of rapid-fire punches that left Goo reeling. He dodged, barely avoiding a devastating blow that would have knocked him out cold. But the moment of respite was short-lived as Toji pivoted, his fist swinging back around with a sickening thud.

Goo felt the world spin as the punch connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling. He struggled to stand, the blood pooling in his mouth, but there was no way he would back down. The thrill of the fight coursed through him, igniting a fierce determination to prove himself.

"Get up, Goo! You can't let him win!" he shouted to himself, shaking off the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. At this moment, it wasn't just a fight against Toji; it was a battle against his own weaknesses. The anger coursing through him morphed into an intense self-loathing, igniting a fire deep within his chest. Smoke began to rise from his body, fueled by the suffocating intensity of his self-hatred.

more desperate than the last. The two of them were locked in a brutal dance of close-quarters combat, their fists meeting with bone-crunching force. Goo threw everything he had into each strike, refusing to give in to the pain.

Toji slipped one punch, then another, but Goo was relentless. He sidestepped and pivoted, landing a quick jab to Toji's jaw that made his head snap back for a moment. The thrill surged through Goo; this was the opening he needed! He pressed forward, throwing a combination of lefts and rights, each punch landing with increasing precision. Toji's expression shifted slightly, showing a flicker of surprise as Goo began to find his rhythm, landing blows that made Toji's head recoil less and less with each hit.

Goo could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his determination building as he finally started to gain the upper hand. "Come on, Toji! Is this all you've got?" he taunted, the words fueled by the heat of battle. He ducked under a retaliatory swing and delivered a powerful uppercut that connected cleanly with Toji's chin, sending a jolt of satisfaction through him.

"Fight back!" Toji urged, his voice low and taunting. Goo twisted and turned, breaking free just enough to throw a weak kick that landed on Toji's knee.

Then, in a moment that felt like a shift in the very air around them, Toji looked into Goo's eyes. The playful arrogance was gone, replaced by a cold intensity that sent shivers down Goo's spine. "My turn," Toji said, his voice low and steady, sending a ripple of anticipation through Goo.

Toji's expression darkened as he twisted his body, throwing Goo back against the wall with a sickening crack.

"That's not enough to kill me," Toji said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice steady despite the destruction surrounding them. The room was a battleground, with cracks spreading across the walls and blood staining the floor. Toji's body bore small injuries—scrapes and bruises—but his physique was adapting. It was as if each blow only made him tougher, stronger.