章節 16: Duel
Ryuuji, emerging from the debris of the ruined wall, slowly rose to his feet. Wiping the blood from his lip, he flashed a grin that was both impressed and defiant. "Not bad," he conceded, his voice steady despite the impact. "But may I suggest that we don't use teleportation in our first warm-up round? Our audience won't be able to see us well if we are zapping around." His proposal was strategic, looking to level the playing field while keeping the audience engaged.
Junta, standing confidently, flashed a smile of his own. "I'm fine with that," he replied, his voice laced with a casual confidence. "As long as you don't cheat." His stance was relaxed yet ready, a clear indication that he was comfortable fighting on equal terms, relying on his skills and reflexes.
The dungeon transformed into an electrifying arena as Junta and Ryuuji engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat, their movements a blur of speed and skill. Ryuuji, with his DNA imbued with the techniques of various martial arts – Karate's precision strikes, Jujutsu's grappling maneuvers, and Tae Kwon Do's agile kicks – was a formidable opponent. Each move he executed was a testament to his acquired prowess, a display of various styles seamlessly woven into his fighting.
Junta, on the other hand, countered with futuristic combat skills, honed under Karin's guidance and enhanced by advanced AI simulations. His style was unorthodox, unpredictable, and highly effective, a blend of swift dodges, rapid strikes, and tactical parries. The techniques he employed were not bound by traditional forms, making his moves difficult to anticipate.
SWISH! SWISH! Ryuuji's hands moved like lightning, a blur of Karate chops slicing through the air towards Junta. Each chop was a deadly whisper, but Junta, with cat-like agility, sidestepped. WHOOSH! WHOOSH! His response was a flurry of quick, sharp jabs, punctuating the air with each strike.
Switching gears, Ryuuji lunged with the grace of a panther, Jujutsu style. His arms wrapped around Junta, aiming to pin him to the ground. But Junta was a step ahead, a twist here, a turn there, slipping out of Ryuuji's grasp. SWOOP! With a deft judo throw, Junta sent Ryuuji tumbling, the floor meeting him with a thud.
Undeterred, Ryuuji sprang to his feet, his leg arcing in a majestic Tae Kwon Do high kick, targeting Junta's head. WHOOSH! Junta ducked, a hair's breadth away from the kick. In a heartbeat, he closed in, delivering a barrage of body blows, the sound of his fists THUD! THUD! THUD! resonating in the air.
The crowd was spellbound, eyes wide at the spectacle. Ryuuji's traditional martial arts prowess clashed with Junta's avant-garde style, a dance of old and new, a symphony of movement and power.
Then, the moment – BAAMMMM!!! Junta, channeling every ounce of his being, launched an earth-shattering uppercut. It was a bolt from the blue, striking Ryuuji's jaw with a force that defied gravity. Suspended in mid-air, Ryuuji seemed to float for an eternal second before plummeting back to the ground, a meteor crashing back to earth.
This was no ordinary duel; it was a masterpiece of combat, a testament to skill, spirit, and the unyielding will of two warriors.
Karin, watching from the corner where Junta had placed her, was a tumult of emotions. Pride swelled in her heart as she witnessed the fruits of their rigorous training. Junta's rapid improvement, his adaptability in combat, was a testament to their hard work and dedication. But her moment of pride was short-lived as she noticed Ryuuji's hand moving in a familiar, ominous circular motion.
Her heart pounded with dread. She knew what was coming – Ryuuji's devastating nuclear fusion skill, a power that had terrified her in the past. Gathering the last remnants of her strength, she shouted a warning to Junta, her voice cutting through the noise of the crowd. "Junta! Dodge it!" she cried, her voice strained with urgency.
Junta's attention split for a crucial moment, giving Ryuuji the opening he needed. With a sinister smirk, he unleashed his sun blast, a blinding orb of energy aimed directly at Junta. The dungeon lit up with its intensity, casting long, dancing shadows against the ancient walls.
Ryuuji's plan was clear: he had manipulated Junta into agreeing not to use teleportation, intending to catch him off-guard with his most powerful skill. But Junta, always one step ahead, defied expectations. In a blink, he teleported behind Ryuuji, betraying their agreement but ensuring his survival.
With a swift and forceful kick to Ryuuji's neck, a sound of bone breaking echoed in the hall. Ryuuji's body crumpled against a stone pillar, the impact sending a shockwave through the dungeon. The audience was stunned into silence, the atmosphere thick with disbelief and awe.
CRACK! Junta's heart pounded as he watched Ryuuji collapse. Confident that Ryuuji was out of the fight, he turned to Tomoko, his eyes softening. "It's over now, Saeki…" he assured her.
Tomoko's face lit up with relief, but her joy was short-lived.
"Don't you dare to touch her!" Ryuuji's voice thundered through the hall. He stood up, his head at an unnatural angle. With a grotesque SNAP, he realigned his neck. His shapeshifting ability was at play, rapidly healing his injury.
Ryuuji's body contorted with a primal scream, his right arm swelling to monstrous proportions – thrice the size of the left. The crowd gasped in horror at the sight.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Ryuuji's gigantic arm hammered down on Junta. Each blow was a thunderous crash, forcing Junta to retreat. His arms ached under the relentless assault.
In a blur, Junta teleported, launching a fierce kick at Ryuuji's stomach. But Ryuuji morphed again, his body ballooning into a sumo wrestler's form. Junta's foot sank into Ryuuji's fatty belly, absorbed by the mass.
BOOM! Ryuuji's enlarged arm sent Junta hurtling across the hall. In an instant, Ryuuji teleported ahead, his massive form blocking Junta's path. Junta crashed into the fleshy wall, caught in Ryuuji's crushing bear hug.
"I'll break every bone in your body!" Ryuuji roared, squeezing tighter. "Our powers cancel out, no escape for you!"
Junta's scream pierced the air, pain etched on his face. Tomoko and Karin watched, helpless and horrified.
But then, a sly grin spread across Junta's face. "Thanks for the lesson, Ryuuji." Gripping Ryuuji's massive arm, he declared, "Now there is no escape for you too, my turn!"
Junta's new skill came to life. Where Ryuuji sped up atoms, crashing them together to induce nuclear fusion; Junta did the reverse, chilling them to a standstill. Ryuuji's arm began to freeze rapidly, the icy grip of "Absolute Zero" taking hold.
Ryuuji's eyes widened in terror. Desperate, he pulled away with all his might. But Junta wouldn't relent. With a sickening RIP, the frozen arm tore off from Ryuuji's body. The crowd erupted in shock and awe. The battle had transcended into pure insanity.
Panic spread through the crowd as the girls tried to flee, only to find themselves trapped, the doors locked. They were unwilling spectators to a battle of epic proportions.
****
In the grand tapestry of Japan's elite, the Sugashita family reigned supreme. They were the shadow rulers, their influence weaving through corporations, banks, and governments. Their lineage, steeped in myth and power, traced back to the earliest gods, paralleling the divine heritage of the emperor's family.
Their wealth was limitless, their global network unassailable. And from this lineage, Ryuuji emerged – the brightest star, the epitome of perfection among his siblings. Brilliant, handsome, and destined to lead the family, he embodied the very essence of their legacy.
High school for Ryuuji was a kingdom he ruled effortlessly. Surrounded by over a thousand girlfriends, each a pinnacle of beauty, he lived every man's dream. His life was a seamless portrait of perfection... until Saeki Tomoko entered the frame. Unlike the others, who succumbed to his charm and status without a second thought, Tomoko stood apart.
Her unparalleled beauty was a given, but it was her essence, something intangible and unique, that set her apart from all the rest. Ryuuji, for once, treated someone as his equal, showering Tomoko with the adoration befitting a princess. Yet, she remained aloof, resisting his advances, keeping intimacy at bay.
Desperation crept into Ryuuji's perfect world. He resorted to petty tricks, flaunting other relationships to spark jealousy in Tomoko. But the question plagued him incessantly: WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? Why was she immune to his allure?
Tomoko had become an obsession, her image haunting his thoughts day and night. For the first time, Ryuuji felt the thrill of first love and the sting of its deterioration. She had reduced him to a mere mortal, capable of feeling the simplest joys and the deepest sorrows.
His inner circle urged him to move on. After all, he could have any girl he desired. But his heart, wracked with an unbearable pain, refused to heed their advice. The other girls, once the objects of his desire, now pale in comparison to Tomoko. They were shadows, while she was the blazing sun.
In his desperation, Ryuuji even went as far as copying Tomoko's DNA, hoping to embody her essence. But it was futile. He realized that being Tomoko or having her as an object was not what he truly desired.
Engulfed in inexplicable grief, Ryuuji found himself on the brink of madness. His heart, once a fortress of control and privilege, now lay in ruins, shattered by unrequited love. And there, in the depths of his anguish, stood one obstacle, one source of his torment – Momonari Junta.
***
Wanting to defeat Junta so badly, Ryuuji's DNA responded to his desperate will. His cells began to multiply at an incredible rate, his body morphing and expanding as he sought to become an unstoppable force. But he knew Junta wouldn't stand idly by while he transformed. In a tactical move, Ryuuji tapped into his telekinetic powers, targeting his former girlfriends.
WHOOSH! A girl from the balcony was suddenly lifted into the air, her body rigid with fear. With a flick of his finger, Ryuuji hurled her at Junta with terrifying speed. Junta reacted instantly, his energy surging as he teleported the girl to safety in the nick of time.
But Ryuuji didn't stop there. One after another, his ex-girlfriends became unwilling projectiles in his twisted game. SWOOSH! SWOOSH! Junta was like a goalkeeper, each save a testament to his agility and resolve. He teleported each girl to safety, his actions a blur of speed and precision.
Amidst the chaos, Tomoko's voice cut through the air, pleading with Ryuuji. "Stop, please stop!" But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Ryuuji was single-minded in his transformation, his body contorting and growing into what he envisioned as the ultimate battle form. His focus was unwavering, driven by a maddening blend of pain, love, and the desire for supremacy.
As Junta swiftly teleported Ryuuji's ex-girlfriends to safety, Karin observed with astonishment. Ryuuji's limitless shapeshifting, a rapid mutation and adaptation of his DNA, was unprecedented, even in her future knowledge. Despite the imminent danger, she couldn't help but recognize Ryuuji's genius in manipulating his genetic makeup.
With a swift punch, Junta blew the main entrance door away. "RUN! Everyone!" he commanded. The remaining girls, released from their shock, started to rush out of the Hall.
ROAR! A guttural scream tore through the dungeon, echoing off the walls as Ryuuji underwent a transformation unlike any other. His body contorted and expanded, growing into a monstrous form standing three meters tall. Horns spiraled from his head, claws extended from his hands, wings unfurled at his back, and a tail whipped behind him. In a dramatic metamorphosis, he became a creature of myth, a terrifying blend of demon and dragon.
Ryuuji's voice, now a deep, menacing growl, echoed through the hall. "My human form can't contain my true power," he declared, his eyes blazing with a feral intensity. "But in this form, I might never return to being human." It was a risk he hadn't planned to take, a testament to his desperation and the depths of his obsession.
Junta, gathering his strength, unleashed his Absolute Zero Cannon at the monstrous Ryuuji. But the beast was unphased, a swirl of hellfire rings emerging around him, repelling the icy assault with ease.
SWOOSH! Junta teleported in an attempt to gain the upper hand, but Ryuuji's tail lashed out, coiling around Junta's ankle with unyielding strength. His teleportation was thwarted, leaving him vulnerable to Ryuuji's savage onslaught.
SLASH! SLASH! Ryuuji's claws raked through the air, striking Junta with brutal force. Defenseless against the beast's might, Junta was thrown like a ragdoll, his body crashing into a pillar with a sickening thud. The impact was too much; darkness crept into his vision as he slipped into unconsciousness.
****
In the depths of Junta's unconscious mind, a surreal encounter unfolded between his two personas – Old Junta (OJ) and Mega-playboy (MP).
OJ: "Hey, do something! Will ya?"
MP: "Listen, in the original timeline, Karin wasn't there after that summer. Despite learning that Tomoko was just teasing, I couldn't stay away. My high school life was hell, constantly hurt by my feelings for her. Eventually, at 21, I became the Mega-playboy. I couldn't become serious with any girl, because, deep down, Saeki Tomoko was always there – the one and only."
OJ: "So, you're saying... Sa… Saeki is the root cause of the population crisis?" The Mega-playboy nods silently.
MP: "If history hadn't intervened, if our DNA hadn't been tampered with, you'd naturally become me. Our true nature is in our DNA."
OJ: remains silent, contemplating.
MP: "They're playing God, altering history, keeping us trapped in this female allergy, destined to be losers. I don't know about you, but I say, F them!"
OJ: "But… but aren't we supposed to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good?"
MP: "The future isn't certain. We need power, now, to save Tomoko, to take control."
OJ: "But... how? What can we do?"
MP: "Embrace your true nature, trust your instincts. Your doubts are what's holding you back."
OJ: "But… but the overpopulation crisis..."
MP lets out a heavy sigh: "It's up to you to decide what's right. But we need action, not hesitation."
****
In the heat of the battle, Karin, mustering her last reserves of strength, freed Tomoko from her bindings. She turned to Tomoko with a look of urgency. "You're the only one who can stop Ryuuji now," she implored.
Tomoko, her eyes wide with fear and determination, approached the monstrous Ryuuji. "Ryuji…" Her voice was a soft plea, echoing in the chaos. "Stop, please... I am the one you should hate." She reached out, her hands gently touching his grotesque form. "I'm sorry…"
Under the monstrous guise that Ryuuji now bore, he gazed down at Tomoko, whose form seemed minuscule compared to his towering, grotesque statue. In this surreal moment of chaos and transformation, his mind inexplicably drifted back to a memory as vivid as the present – the first time he laid eyes on her, not in person, but through a photograph that had changed everything for him.
****
It was April, the season of cherry blossoms and new beginnings. Ryuuji, drawn to Fukoma High School for its reputation as a haven for Tokyo's most beautiful schoolgirls, found himself amidst the pulsating heart of youth and beauty.
The school held a tradition, a celebration of charm and grace – the Miss Fukoma contest, akin to a beauty pageant, where the students crowned the most enchanting girl among them. And often, Miss Fukoma transcended the school's boundaries to claim victory in the nationwide Miss JK contests.
Despite being a first-year student, Ryuuji's influence, backed by his family's formidable legacy, quickly established him as the undisputed king of Fukoma. With a vision to elevate the Miss Fukoma event to unprecedented heights, he orchestrated a committee with a budget that could rival the extravagance of Miss Universe itself.
The school was abuzz, the air electrified with anticipation. Promotional materials, bold and glossy, adorned every wall and corner. The committee scoured the school, searching for candidates who could embody the essence of Fukoma's beauty. Photographs were collected, each potential Miss Fukoma captured in still life.
On that fateful day, amidst the stack of photographs, one face stood out, repeated in every frame – a new girl, her image echoing in a chorus of unanimous agreement from the committee. There was no contest, they said, she was the embodiment of Miss Fukoma, her allure unparalleled.
Ryuuji, intrigued, picked up her photograph from the pile. In that moment, as his eyes met the image of the girl from class 1-C, his heart experienced an unfamiliar leap, a sensation more intoxicating than anything he had ever known. Her visage, captured in simple print, held a magnetism that drew him in irrevocably.
Without a second thought, the decision was made – she would be the new Miss Fukoma. Yet, the show must go on. The event unfolded with grandeur, 23 candidates each celebrated in their photobooks and DVDs, produced by industry professionals. Voters were enticed with the allure of game consoles, and a renowned theme park set the stage for this spectacle.
But beneath the glitz and glamor, it was no real competition. It was Ryuuji's grand stratagem, a stage set not for the crown but as a means to draw closer to the girl who had unknowingly captivated his heart, the new girl from 1-C.
****
In the dimly lit confines of the underground dungeon, the atmosphere was heavy with a sense of ancient mystery and the recent tumult of battle. The walls, adorned with medieval statues and relics, cast imposing shadows over Tomoko and the monstrous Ryuuji, adding a gothic eeriness to their confrontation. The gold heart-shaped badges adorning Tomoko's school uniform caught the sparse rays, glinting softly near her chest.
At that moment, a profound realization dawned upon Tomoko, her eyes widening with a mixture of sorrow and disbelief. It was clear to her, as she stood before Ryuuji's monstrous form, that no man in the world would go to such lengths for a girl. His actions, though born from madness, resonated with a twisted, yet intense form of love. The knowledge of this sent a shiver down her spine, her body trembling slightly as she grappled with this unsettling truth.
Tears welled up in Tomoko's eyes, spilling over as she gazed up at Ryuuji, her vision blurred by the cascade of emotions. "I should have been more patient, should have listened to you... I wasn't a good girlfriend," she confessed, her voice breaking as she spoke. Each word was laced with regret, her lips quivering as she struggled to articulate her feelings.
As Ryuuji's monstrous façade momentarily softened, a single tear escaping his transformed visage, Tomoko's heart ached with a bittersweet pang. In that fleeting instant, his massive finger, grotesque and rough, reached out to hesitantly touch her long, wavy hair.
The stark contrast between the harsh texture of his monstrous skin and the silk-like smoothness of her hair was startling. Tomoko shuddered, a wave of involuntary tremors coursing through her as she felt the coarse touch slide over the delicate strands.
Her shoulders slumped forward, surrendering to the weight of her emotions and the finality of her impending confession. The gentle movement caused her hair to shift, the tendrils lightly brushing against Ryuuji's monstrous finger, a silent, heartbreaking dance of what was once human and what had become something else entirely.
Pausing, her voice barely more than a whisper, Tomoko delivered her heart-wrenching truth, "Kill me… even if you killed Momonari, your feelings won't subside." The statement hung in the air, a poignant acknowledgment of Ryuuji's tormented state and the futility of his obsession.
"But we can't be lovers... The feelings are gone," she continued, her voice barely audible. The words, laden with a heavy finality, emerged as a faint, sorrowful exhale. Her gaze, once fixed on Ryuuji, now fell to the ground, unable to bear the weight of the moment.
Ryuuji's expression, in response, turned cold and unyielding. His hand, massive and grotesque, lashed out in a swift, cruel motion. Tomoko, caught off-guard, could barely register the shift before she was knocked to the ground, her body collapsing under the force of his rejection.
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