Will and Faith
Kim Domino was confident in himself. As long as his opponent didn't pull out some cheating weapon like a gun, he could overwhelm them with the countless talismanic blessings protecting him and his superhuman physical strength. Even if it was a UFC world champion, it didn't matter. His body was made of things no ordinary person could even imagine.
For example, the triangular plate at the end of the solid gold chain necklace he wore had a black pearl eye embedded in its center. He'd bought this from a talisman dealer who had come from Egypt to Italy, shelling out a fortune for it. It was none other than the "Death Predictor," which warned the wearer in advance of impending threats. How many deaths had he dodged since putting it on? It was partly thanks to this necklace that a mere Easterner like him had survived in the mafia for over fifteen years.
It also served as a "ward" that offered some defense against minor curses, so it was a treasured item he never took off—not even when washing, having sex (or eating pizza).
Next was the golden tooth replacing one of his inner molars. When death came knocking, it would automatically shatter, releasing the life force condensed inside to spread through his entire body, allowing a temporary reversal from the brink of death. As long as it wasn't instant death from a destroyed brain or heart, the golden tooth would hold his life together long enough to get proper treatment at a hospital and cheat death.
With two such sacred artifacts guaranteeing his safety, and this perfectly maintained body at over forty years old, he was practically a human tank. No one could stop him. No one could stand against him. That's why no one had ever lasted even a minute in front of him.
Guys who strutted around after learning a bit of martial arts? He'd ignore their strikes, charge in, and turn them into pulp. Sword wielders mixing in weird techniques? No exceptions. In front of Steel Fist Kim Domino, they were all just soft lumps of meat.
And the same went for the punk right in front of him, who'd just taken a straight punch to the face.
It landed clean.
Even after he'd easily taken out dozens of underlings swarming in a pack, Domino had been on guard, thinking the kid must have some exceptional technique or special protection. But when he'd closed the five-meter gap in an instant, the brat hadn't even raised a proper guard.
The reason he hadn't guarded from the start? He couldn't even track Domino's movements.
No need to hold back against a moron like that. He'd slammed a clean face shot. The straight steel fist would have instantly crushed the kid's nasal bone, front teeth, and both eyes, caving them in. Not quite instant death from one blow, but he wouldn't be getting up again.
For the finisher, he'd stomp the kid's head as he fell back, just to make sure. But this was a million-dollar merchandise item, after all.
Hope they don't haggle the price down just because I caved in his face.
Anyway, those weirdos had said to bring him back breathing, so as long as he met the conditions, he was good.
As he waited for the punk to drop, something suddenly felt off.
Why isn't he falling?
"You're wondering right now why I haven't fallen, aren't you?"
"!"
He was shocked. Among those who'd taken his steel fist clean to the face, the ones who could even speak—let alone stand back up—could be counted on one hand.
Yet this guy wasn't falling and was speaking in a calm voice.
Did his punch land shallow? No way.
I definitely felt the bones and flesh crunching. No illusion about it!
"The reason I didn't fall to your punch is simple. The will infused in your fist was weaker than my will to reject death."
"...What?"
"Think about it. Human will is more incredible than you imagine. Take two people, A and B, both with the same fatal disease. One has a strong will to fight aggressively for treatment and survival, while the other gives up, thinking they're doomed anyway. Which one do you think has a higher chance of surviving?"
"That's sophistry. The doomed die no matter what. Humans can't escape their fated end."
"But that necklace of yours seems to have dodged plenty of those 'fated' futures, doesn't it?"
"......"
"Nothing can't be broken by human will. Even the Lord Jesus up there, showing all sorts of miracles and prophecies, couldn't turn human disbelief into faith."
Look at Moses in the Bible for the answer. Except for a tiny fraction of the people he led, they wandered the wilderness for years before entering Canaan—all because they never truly believed in the Lord Jesus. Despite all those miracles and prophecies.
That's why human will holds a freedom so powerful even divine power can't break it. The freedom to reject. The freedom to follow. It's not a freedom that's forced or bound.
That's why human will can't be broken by the power of gods.
"Human will can only be broken by another human's will. Can that soft fist of yours really break mine?"
"...Nothing's impossible!"
He'd kill him. All that million-dollar bullshit vanished from his mind. He'd just pulverize this smirking face in front of him without a trace.
His bulging muscles exploded with tremendous elasticity, power, and speed, like overstretched rubber bands. Even Kim Domino himself couldn't count how many punches flew in a single second. He just swung until his muscles tore, desperate to land one more hit.
In the process, he felt the soft flesh and hard bones at his fist's tip tearing and shattering without resistance.
This time, for sure. The opponent was definitely dead. Once this uncontrollable frenzy of punches ended, the guy would be splayed out like ground meat on display at a butcher shop.
"Why do you trust your fist instead of yourself?"
"......!"
His fist stopped. More precisely, the kid's shallow jab collided head-on with his massive fist, locking them in the middle.
Crrrrraaaacccckkk!!!!
An impact wave erupted that no one would believe came from human flesh colliding. His grotesquely hypertrophied muscles, which made even pro bodybuilders look like anchovies, trembled violently. Even so, he couldn't fully absorb the shock—capillaries in his arm burst one after another.
"You have to trust yourself swinging the fist, not the fist itself. The fist is just your tool. Not some pinch hitter fighting in your place."
"Bullshit...!"
"Or maybe you're trusting that necklace? Because it warns you of danger beforehand? Or is it that golden tooth you shoved in instead of a healthy one?"
How the hell does this guy know about me...!
"I can see people's sins. How many you've killed to get those treasures, how you paid with filthy money earned through crime, and how many more crimes you've committed using them—all of it."
"...So what! You're dying here anyway! I don't even care about the million dollars!"
He retracted the fist that had clashed with the golden knuckleduster, twisted his waist slightly to the side, and pulled his arm way back. Add the rotational power of his hips, and one more steel fist would smash in—the opponent wouldn't withstand it and would crumble. He had to make it happen.
"See? Even now, you're not trusting yourself—you're trusting your fist. Is your fist your 'god' or something?"
Kwaaaangggg!!!!
"Gaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!"
The fist that had never let him down, the steel fist that pulverized any enemy in one go, shattered like dry twigs the moment it touched the opponent.
Why? Why hadn't the necklace warned him of this danger? It always alerted him to threats!
"The answer's obvious. It wasn't your danger—it was your fist's. You treat yourself and your fist as completely separate, and the necklace has no obligation to warn you about that."
"Eeeeek... eek!"
"Keep going."
"...What?"
"I said keep going. It's a great chance to see how far your will goes. You've crushed so many people's wills with that fist—now it's my turn. Break me with your precious steel fist."
With this completely shattered fist? Impossible. From the fist to the arm, bones twisted and muscles torn—without expert hospital treatment, he couldn't even swing it properly.
"What's wrong? Weren't you going to pulverize me with your steel fist? Weren't you planning to drag me off and trade me for a million bucks? A million dollars is dangling right in front of you on a vine—gonna pass it up?"
"You bastard! Fine, I'll kill you like you want!"
Just then, he grabbed a rolling liquor bottle with his still-intact hand and smashed it. The thick whiskey bottle shattered into a jagged weapon full of sharp glass shards.
Just stab the opponent's gut, thigh, or nape, and it would cause massive bleeding. Unlike a clean knife stab, tiny glass fragments would burrow deep inside—even with treatment, any missed pieces would necrotize the body from within.
In this line of work, picking up a weapon like this meant you had the unbreakable will to kill the enemy even if it killed you too.
And right now, he had that will. Otherwise, a guy who'd swung fists his whole life wouldn't stoop to grabbing a tool like this.
If this hit, the bastard was done for!
Crashhh!
"Is that your will?"
"......"
"You picked up a weapon that happened to catch your eye, swung it with all your might hoping it'd stab me to death—that's all the 'will' you've got?"
"Why..."
"The moment you start doubting, you've proven your will is weaker than a candle in the wind. People who truly trust only themselves never doubt their own will."
"You're will-weak."
"...Ah, no! I...!!"
"Look at that weapon of yours that couldn't pierce a single lump of flesh. It's shattered and rolling around on the floor. Just like your broken will. It suits you perfectly, you bottom-feeder. Even identical twins couldn't tell you two apart."
"Ah, aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!"
"Trash like you has no right to set foot on this world. This isn't where you belong."
"Then... where... do I...?"
He grabbed the shoulder of Kim Domino, who lay trembling on the ground, and pointed up at the sky.
"There's a place perfect for scum like you—up there. Go to the realm where the god who couldn't even break human will resides. It's overflowing with people licking each other's wounds and jerking off together. You'll rest easy there too."
"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou"
Kim Domino smashed his own head against the ground again and again. Soon his skull cracked open, blood and brains spilling out, but he didn't care. He simply followed the words of the gracious guide who had freed him from the chains of his weak will.
No need to harbor any will of his own. He'd just go to that comfortable paradise where praising the great one was all it took.
If he didn't praise Him, that shining white place wouldn't await—instead, the pitch-black abyss. Grateful to the one who taught him that truth, he flapped his wings toward the heavens.
The glory of the angels coming to greet him was blinding. So this was true belief.
Jesus Heaven.
"Nonbelievers Hell."