Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: How to Survive in Fusion Punk
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"It was thunder without a rain cloud,
the beast's roar tearing through the pure air."
— Excerpt from an ancient document of unknown origin, the Zahard passage
In an instant, the world lost its color.
A pure whiteout swallowed the arena whole.
The audience reflexively squeezed their eyes shut, unprepared for the thunderclap that followed.
Kwa-rung!
Too late, they plugged their ears—but what arrived was raw voltage laced with explosive force.
The power brushing their skin made every hair stand on end. To the spectators, the sensation bordered on pure chills.
In the midst of paralyzed sight and hearing, that prickling tremor etched itself indelibly into everyone's minds.
Having briefly tasted monk-like enlightenment amid the ringing in their ears, the audience lifted their eyelids at varying speeds.
"Ah."
And they saw it.
Two bolts of lightning clashing, the arena their inverted sky.
Jin threw his punch.
A straight packed tight with lightning power, like a country grandma stuffing rice cakes—brutal force.
Air rumbled along its straight, vigorous path.
Kendrick didn't dodge.
With amethyst eyes flashing, he thrust out his own sparking palm and snatched the fist aimed at his face.
Kwa-ang!
The world's most savage high-five.
Fist caught, now switch offense and defense.
Peoong!
Kendrick swung like it was his turn.
Jin met it head-on with his forehead.
His free hand fired a liver shot into the enemy's side!
Kendrick's brow twitched faintly, while Jin's eyes rolled back like he'd been possessed.
It was a trade where he'd aimed for flesh and given bone instead—more loss than gain. But that was fine.
His health bar refilled a bit faster than most, after all.
Right then, Jin's eyes snapped open. If this were a comic, sparkle! would've been the perfect sound effect.
Refocusing with a sparkle!, Jin grasped two facts.
First.
He was diving headfirst toward the ground, back of his head leading—the classic pre-knockout pose.
Second, five bolts were plummeting toward his falling form.
Third, I'm screwed!
With that unscripted third realization, Jin poured everything into his soles.
Kwang!
His back nearly kissed the floor. No fancy dodge possible, so he shot forward like a rocket at ground level, kicking up dust as he skidded.
Instantly, the five bolts slammed where he'd just been.
The ground shattered, chunks erupting in a flash.
Beyond them loomed Kendrick, fingers crooked like a beast's claws.
It wasn't hard to guess those five bolts extended from his fingertips.
Jin even knew what it was.
Lightning God's Claws—a flashy name for a technique he'd sealed away from real fights because it screamed Inuyasha ripoff. It just rattled around in his head as knowledge.
Pretty cool, actually.
Kendrick approached.
Lightning shaped like claws surged from his shoulders in reverse, billowing wildly. His forelocks whipped back by his own voltage. Jin rose using only core strength, clenching his fist.
Leading and trailing hands spread at shoulder width, angled, lightly tapping the ground in rhythm.
His footwork's fine beats synced with his heartbeat into a heavy rhythm only he could hear. Naturally, his lips curled up as he spoke.
"Not just the Cerebellum King for nothing."
"What, you think I got that title cheap?"
It was meant as acknowledgment, but Kendrick bit back sharply.
Still, Jin found it oddly endearing.
Touchy little shit.
Doesn't seem like a bad guy up close, so why so prickly?
Beats me.
Of course it did.
Jin had no idea how Kendrick saw him.
Our lost 20 years ride on you. Become the successor everyone acknowledges. You can do it. No—you must. Don't settle. Don't rest. Don't let comparisons touch you. Become perfect enough no one dares chase you.
Eyes closed, his father's voice echoed. His grandfather never looked him straight on—those hollow gazes always ended at his uncle's retreating back. Even after he left, the giant's shadow blanketed the family thick. Few knew the crushed child had grown into a recognition-starved young genius. Not even himself.
Kendrick spoke.
"I'm the one to carry on the Thunder Lord's legacy. That's what all those years were for."
"Who said otherwise?"
The next instant.
Both kicked off the ground simultaneously.
Thunder roared deafeningly; spectators' hair stood on end.
Bolts cracked in sequence, hot air currents lashed faces, the arena quaked.
At some point, the crowd realized.
This wasn't just direct vs. collateral line rivalry.
It was a historic clash unfit for appetizers or sideshows—never meant to be squandered that way.
Are we seeing a final-round showdown too early?
As late realizations dropped jaws.
Flash.
Beyond flickering gazes, Kendrick and Jin landed opposite each other.
Just a few blinks had passed, but they looked worlds apart from before.
Ptoo.
Jin spat blood with a broken tooth; Kendrick clutched his mangled side. After dozens of exchanges in seconds, their eyes locked again.
Kendrick spoke first.
"...I have to admit it. No wonder he took notice of you."
Lightning vanished from his straightening body in a blink.
"Saved this for Ryu卡d, but no choice."
Amethyst energy rippled outward like spreading waves. Jin narrowed his eyes.
This ain't good.
From the ominous line to the mana flow—everything screamed trump card.
Worst, he couldn't predict it.
No tells meant unknown technique.
Jin had finally been outdone in insight.
So he didn't just stand there.
Instantly kicked off—Blink.
Dropped from above, heel cocked skyward then smashed down. Pure, battle-honed audacity in a clean arc.
Kwa-ang!!
Kendrick crossed arms in an X-block. Burning eyes glared through solid defense. Fleeting eye contact. Then he spun counterclockwise massively.
Hwooooook!
Mana, calm as ripples before, swirled into him like a vortex.
Arena debris caught in the spiral, dragged to the center and pulverized to sand.
Whirlpool? No, typhoon?
Alarms blared in Jin's head.
Whatever it was, getting caught spelled doom—instinct screamed it.
Grasping the core, the path forward crystallized. Instinct followed his mental compass; soon, he stomped his right foot and spun.
To onlookers, both spun opposite ways.
Chwaaak!
Jin defied the pull. Immense force, but he gritted through. Fist whipped a half-circle into Kendrick's elbow, fueled by yield and you're done.
Jjeong!
Arm flung overhead. Grip numb, unsure if fist still clenched. No stopping.
Kung!
Pushed-back rear foot thrust forward; spin again.
Clash.
Flesh boomed like thunder. Hammer-dull impact shoved him back. Right arm numb to forearm, controlled by feel alone as he pivoted.
Kwa-ang!
Crossed fists hammered each other. Kendrick faster—Jin's chin lifted, blood arced. His own punch whiffed air.
Inevitable.
Kendrick was the storm's eye, directing flow. Jin fought against it.
No time for grudges—spin again.
Next, Kendrick's roundhouse heel grazed his temple.
Barely forearm-blocked, Jin countered point-blank to the side.
Lacked bite.
Body forged from childhood elixirs matched his toughness—Kendrick shrugged off all but the heaviest hits.
Kwa-rung!!
Typhoon now raining thunder, Jin spewed blood.
Brow, jaw, solar plexus, ribs, sternum—unblocked combo.
Brow worst: shattered socket swelled with ragged breaths.
Waver—body, clinging stubbornly, finally swept into the counterclockwise spin.
Kkuruk!
Molars cracking, Jin reversed his spin.
Not over yet!
Flames roared in his blood-spraying eyes.
Fighting spirit is fire.
Hard to extinguish till fully burned.
Thus hot.
Thus dangerous.
That's why Jin charging Kendrick now looked precarious yet radiant.
Kwa-ang!
Countless collisions shook joints. Body at limit screamed, but he swallowed pain on inhale. Eerily iron will. Could topple any second.
No grand reason.
Jin never bent by nature.
Break? Rebind. Ruin? Rebuild and rise.
Always had, always would.
Just that.
And now.
Jin erased all but Kendrick. World down to two. Mind held only victory—
How long endured the onslaught?
Found it.
Jin's eyes flashed. Superhuman senses sharpened in battle pinpointed the typhoon's flaw.
Answer in Kendrick's spin. Hands, elbows, knees, toes grazed spots birthing rotation.
Storm assaults hid the pattern—but no more.
Kwa-ang!
Fists collided; Jin twisted waist with all he had.
Seemingly flung arm swept a wide arc, smashing a key point. Pre-spotted: where Kendrick's hand should've passed, claimed first.
"Uaaah!!"
Veins bulging, fist followed.
Storm tore like paper along its path.
Sunlight poured through split winds.
"......!"
First time.
Kendrick backpedaled, staggering off-balance. Shadow draped his dismayed face. Jin closed in, sun at his back, fist raised.
Eight light trails converged at fist-tip toward sky.
Swinging wide at frowning Kendrick.
Kendrick swallowed backflowing blood, thrusting his own fist.
Peo-ek!
Perfectly honest impact.
Picturesque cross-counter; both crumpled to the ground.
Silence blanketed the arena.
Forgetting to breathe, spectators stared, etching the sprawled pair into memory.
Even Ryu卡d and Carlos, who rarely cared for others' fights.
But it wasn't over.
The woman's obsidian eyes on the arena drowned in unspeakable ecstasy—
"Aah......"
Her thrilled breath snapped the dazed announcer into counting.
"10! 9! 8!"
Someone twitched a hand.
Kendrick.
"Heok, heok—"
Like a newborn foal, he dragged limp legs to rise.
Muffled ears, as if underwater, heard the count.
"7! 6! 5!"
Get up!
Fall here, Father disappoints. Grandfather turns away. Uncle's shadow deepens.
"Kuhk!"
He spat dead blood, pounding unresponsive legs with fists.
Get up, get up!
Desperate will for naught—half-risen body slipped in gore.
Undoubtedly pathetic.
But no shame to spare. Suddenly, the family head stood before him.
"...G-Grandfather?"
No answer.
Indifferent gaze drifted past reach; back turned, Kendrick's face went blank with despair.
Thud.
Someone staggered up, dispelling the vision, looming before him.
Sunlit face beamed.
"That was fun."
Swollen-faced Jin extended his arm.
On knees, Kendrick stared blankly—then gripped instinctively.
"Heup!"
Jin yanked hard, shouldering under Kendrick's armpit to haul him up.
"Ah."
Eyes level with the victor, Kendrick gasped unwittingly.
The crowd, holding breath till now, erupted in cheers.
Louder than any thunder.