[What is life anyway? Just living as it goes]
[What is life anyway? Just living as it goes]
Hiei Hibiki. One of the three Master-class Force Users in East Asia, nicknamed [Shuten-doji]. Among the many Force Users with elemental attributes who breathe fire or hurl lightning, he is a purely melee-type Force User.
His Force traits are only three.
Enhancement, Acceleration, Emission.
Because they are simple and easy-to-understand traits, the way he uses them is also simple. He enhances his body with Enhancement, accelerates his speed with Acceleration, and attacks with Emission.
While the attack power of a pure emission-type Force User usually only takes effect after establishing other elemental traits, Hibiki has none of that. He condenses Force into his fists, emits it, and converts it into physical force, displaying a majesty that makes him second to none in close-quarters combat against any other Force User.
Furthermore, the physical enhancement he uses doesn't just boost his physical capabilities; it also reinforces his durability. His strength is top-class, and his durability is such that not only bullets but even missiles cannot penetrate him.
Because he is human, his Force capacity has limits, but if it comes down to a short-term battle, there is no opponent more terrifying than him.
"Hmm, I overdid it a bit."
Hibiki muttered while looking around at the rising dust. The building was already shaking and unstable, as if it would collapse at any moment, so he had to escape outside as soon as possible.
Choe-ak, who had been buried between the collapsed ground, broken concrete chunks, rebar, and piles of dirt, pushed himself up.
There wasn't a single scratch on his body. Even the plain clothes he had bought on sale in the neighborhood were not torn in the slightest.
Hibiki, who hadn't expected him to be completely uninjured after taking that hit, let out an exclamation with a surprised look on his face.
"Oh, impressive. I thought at least one bone would break."
"You threw it expecting it to break? What if it actually had?"
"You need at least that much injury to get the vibe of a fight."
"I think I've got a rough idea of what you're thinking. But are you sure about this?"
Choe-ak brought up the inner thoughts of Hibiki that he had already known.
"You were planning to have a go at me and use that opening to let me escape, weren't you?"
"How'd you know?"
"That's just how you think. You're the type to look after your own people more than any country or organization."
Hibiki had noticed that Raccoon Man was Choe-ak when they encountered each other at the scene. He had intended to let him go quietly from that moment on, but the problem arose because the man himself wouldn't have it.
"But are you sure about this? Treating someone you've only known for a day this well?"
"It's not about the time spent when making friends. It's about what kind of friend they are. In that regard, you're a good guy to have as a friend."
"Hmm."
Choe-ak had already stepped into the realm of a Transcendent, surpassing the limits of his species—that is, humanity—but he was still pursuing humanity himself.
Even though he is a murderous monster capable of killing every living thing on Earth alone, he blends into society, attends school, makes friends, and even gets married.
It's like a wolf wearing sheep's wool and acting like a sheep, but until his identity is revealed and his relationships fall apart, he can live as a sheep.
Of course, he was currently so pissed off that he couldn't see anything else.
"Asshole, thanks for the goodwill. By the way, I won that drinking bout back then. So, you should confess, right?"
".......Ah, um. That."
"Don't tell me you were just bullshitting?"
"What are you talking about! A man's word is worth its weight in gold. I keep my promises."
"Should I help you out with your love life, friend?"
"Hmm? How?"
Choe-ak's gaze turned upward. The unstable, shaking ceiling of the building caught his eye.
"Didn't you notice? Well, I suppose you wouldn't notice this type of ability unless you were the same type."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you really think a building whose basement has been completely crushed and whose underground floors have been smashed to pieces could stay standing without collapsing? No matter how well-designed it is for earthquakes, that's only because there's a foundation supporting it. And you're the one who smashed all of that."
Only then could Hibiki realize what Choe-ak was trying to say.
The entire basement floor was gone. Buildings usually have parking lots in the basement, and if you look around those open spaces, there are always pillars.
Those aren't just pillars supporting the ceiling; they are pillars bearing the load of the entire building. But those underground floors, including the pillars and the entire basement level, had been smashed and crushed, so it would be even stranger if the building didn't collapse and remained perfectly fine.
"You......!!"
"This much is easy."
"This is, really.......outside of common sense. I can't believe it even after seeing it."
Telekinesis-type Force Users who lift objects act as support, restraining the movements of Enemy Species from a distance.
However, no matter how hard they try, there is a limit to that telekinesis. A skilled Force User could lift an elephant, but lifting something like a blue whale would be impossible unless there were multiple telekinesis-type Force Users.
The weight of a single building varies depending on the type, but it is at least several thousand tons. That is a natural figure when you consider the amount of rebar and concrete that goes into constructing a building.
Yet, seeing Choe-ak holding up a high-rise building that would weigh more than several thousand tons with his ability so it wouldn't collapse, goosebumps rose on Hibiki's back.
"The situation should be dramatic, right?"
"Wait, you......!!"
"Crash!"
Urr-rung!!!
As the force supporting it vanished in an instant, what should have already happened finally took place.
The high-rise building, spanning dozens of stories, collapsed straight down.
If a high-rise building with a destroyed basement collapses straight down, it looks like stuffing a box into a hole.
Because of this, the debris from the crumbling building was scattered in all directions as if by an explosion due to the impact. It looked like a shotgun blast, and people in the immediate vicinity either evacuated or used Force to block the debris.
After some time, the dust settled. Watching the collapsed building wreckage with no visible changes, someone swallowed hard, feeling tense.
A clash between Master-class Force Users had never happened before. It had been 20 years since the appearance of Enemy Species, and the earliest appearance of a Master-class Force User was 10 years ago. It was rare for them to meet, and even if they did, the prestige of their nations was at stake. If rumors spread like children bragging about who is stronger, it would cause issues with national prestige, let alone anything else.
Therefore, in a reality where they couldn't even have a private sparring match, two Master-class Force Users were clashing.
And it just so happened to be the representative of Japan and a person presumed to be a Force User from Korea.
Kwa-a-a-ang!!!
Something burst out from the wreckage of the collapsed building, which must have weighed thousands of tons.
Those on the same team as Hibiki had expectations. To them, the strongest person is Hibiki. He is a man who stands alone to defeat even the most difficult enemies, always confident and reliable.
Sometimes he's a fool, but he's spirited; he seems rude, but he knows where to draw the line; he's accommodating and confident. He calls out what's wrong, fights with an indomitable will, and wins proudly in the end.
They never doubted that such a person could lose.
.......Or so they had thought.
The object that flew out soared through the air, slammed into the wall of another building, crushed a part of it, and fell to the ground. The appearance of that object was very familiar to them.
"Hibiki-ssi!"
His equipment for Force Users was a mess, and his forehead was torn, with blood flowing down to his chin. It didn't look like a good state to be in, let alone a light skirmish.
A female Force User ran to the staggering man and supported him.
"Are you okay? Hibiki-ssi!"
"Stay back, Mizuna. That guy is not normal."
"We will fight too!"
"If I'm not enough, you won't be either. Staying out of the way is helping."
A few thumping vibrations rang out. And then, the hollow space where Hibiki had flown out collapsed with a Urr-rung! and Choe-ak walked out.
Unlike the disheveled Hibiki, he stood there looking perfectly fine without a single tear in his clothes. Seeing that, the others were shocked and doubted their eyes.
Even so, they thought there would be traces of a fierce battle. If Hibiki was in that state, they thought the opponent would be in a near-death state or at least more injured. But the fact that he was clean, without a single trace of injury, was unbelievable.
Choe-ak looked at Hibiki and the woman supporting him and smirked.
"Move. I believe in gender equality, so I hit women just like I hit men."
"I cannot move!"
The woman Hibiki had called Mizuna stood in front of Choe-ak, clenching her fists. There was fear in her eyes, but no hesitation.
"I will apologize for your rudeness on your behalf. Please stop here!"
"Well, do you think it'll end nicely if I stop here?"
"If you make things bigger than this, you're ruining a chance to end this more amicably!"
"They started the fight, and now they want to end it because they're losing? Is that how you guys do things? Did you come out here on a suicide mission because you wanted to die?"
Choe-ak raised his fist. Although hidden by a mask, a fierce killing intent that could be felt even if it couldn't be seen was concentrated in his fist. His fist was imbued with enough power to send a Master-class Force User to the grave with just a swing.
Even for Hibiki, it would be impossible to block that blow. He could barely block it even in perfect condition, let alone now, when he was injured.
"I'll just grind everyone here, no witnesses means it's an assassination. Starting with you."
Choe-ak's fist was swung at the woman supporting Hibiki. Even though death was imminent, the woman did not dodge. She did not run away. She knew what she had to do, even knowing she would die.
At that moment, before Choe-ak's fist could reach the woman, Hibiki's fist grazed his arm and struck his chin.
A heavy blow. It was a fierce attack incomparable to before. The cross-counter, which seemed to have been struck by concentrating his anger into a single point, was enough to send Choe-ak flying.
"You asshole."
Hibiki glared at Choe-ak with an angry face. If the Hibiki from before had fought with a competitive spirit, what was moving him now was anger.
The greatest driving force and emotion that easily moves humans. Responding to such emotions, the Gaia Force began to flow and shake the atmosphere. It was like the engine sound of a car starting up.
"Where do you think you're putting your hands on 'my woman'?"
"........Yes?"
The woman Hibiki had declared as 'my woman'. Mizuna looked at Hibiki with a slightly dumbfounded expression. But there was no time to explain, and the two clashed again.
Choe-ak, who had been knocked away, quickly landed, kicked off the ground, and charged again. Once again, they exchanged blows, and a cross-counter like the one before exploded between them.
Kwa-a-ang!!!
This time, it was Hibiki who was knocked away. He had only been caught off guard before; in the first place, he couldn't beat Choe-ak with his skills.
"What, that was it for your side?"
With a cocky attitude, Choe-ak held up his pinky finger to Hibiki. Then, he chuckled and got into a stance.
"Not yet."
"I don't know if I'm counting my chickens before they hatch, but.......anyway, this is annoying, so let's finish this."
Koo-oong!
For a moment, the air felt heavy and sank. The suffocation, as if the atmosphere had turned into water and was being swallowed, pressed down on those around them.
Choe-ak had started to get just a little bit serious.
"I'm going to wipe you all out with this. I'll back off nicely if you can block it. Though that's assuming you can."
"Is that true?"
"I don't lie if you don't lie first."
Hibiki could feel that this blow would be on a different level. The atmosphere, which had been faintly loose, was now encroached upon by a fierce, airtight aura.
"Alright, come at me! I, Hiei Hibiki! Have never avoided a challenge or run away in my life!"
"I like your spirit, kid!"
Choe-ak's muscles began to move organically. From arm to shoulder, shoulder to waist, waist to legs. The interconnected muscles multiplied his power several times over, adding his body weight and strength, no, adding elasticity to it.
His center of gravity was concentrated on his legs in an instant. If he threw a blow, there would be an opening, but conversely, it was an attack that poured everything into the strike as much as that opening was created.
Crack!
Choe-ak's muscles and bones screamed for a moment. A kick that poured in all the elasticity, strength, and weight of his body scraped the floor and extended out.
"My ferocity, reach ten thousand miles away!!!!"
Hyungcheon-manli.
Ka-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!!!
The kick Choe-ak unleashed became a slash beyond a simple impact. The attack, compressed into a single point, was a definite linear attack, not a surface or a point, and whatever blocked that line revealed a sharp cross-section as if cut by a knife, regardless of its hardness.
The strike he unleashed was beyond a single technique; it had the power to affect this entire city. If not blocked, it had enough power and sharpness to split Akihabara in two in an instant.
Hibiki did not dodge, nor did he run away. If so, he would only block it.
He imbued all his remaining Gaia Force into his fist and compressed it. And he struck the incoming slash with a single blow.
A shockwave that sounded like it would tear the eardrums of those nearby rang out. The aftermath of the collision of different wills affected the surroundings, shattering the windows of the buildings, and the vibration traveled through the ground, shaking the earth like an earthquake.
"Hngggggg!!!!"
Japan's only Master-class Force User. And Hibiki, a melee fighter, was being pushed back in close combat. The ground, made of asphalt, began to crack, and the spot where he was standing was already deeply gouged.
The slash ignored the Gaia Force condensed in Hibiki's hand halfway and dug into his hand. A deep cut appeared from the back of his hand to his forearm, and a considerable amount of blood was splattered everywhere.
However, he did not take a single step back.
If it were off by even a little bit, the slash would touch Hibiki's body and slice him to pieces. But he was standing firm, never bending.
Hibiki clenched his left fist.
"Urrraaaaachaaaa!!!!"
With a loud shout, he struck his left fist upward. A heavy uppercut. A blow that, if it had hit a person, would have sent their head flying to the rooftop of a high-rise building in an instant, collided with the slash.
A linear attack will miss if the trajectory is changed even slightly. Just as parallel lines move away from each other if the angle is off by even 1 degree, the only thing Hibiki could do was to make it miss so that the damage wouldn't increase.
As his fist of firm will struck the slash, the trajectory shifted just a little bit. The slash, which would have split Akihabara in two through the ground, cut through three or four high-rise buildings next to it diagonally and sliced the clouds in the sky far away.
For a moment, silence flowed.
Hibiki, having poured everything out, breathed heavily and sat down, staggering. He had no Gaia Force or stamina left. He had risked his life just to make the blow miss, let alone block it.
It was a silence created by awe for Hibiki, who had endured the overwhelming power gap and created a miracle.
"Asshole."
Choe-ak laughed. The kind of person he liked was that style. A person who stands firm with upright convictions. Commonly known as a hero.
"I made a promise, so I'll keep it. Let's leave it at this. I'm leaving, so don't try to stop me."
Choe-ak waved his hand and greeted them lightly, as if the fight until now had been a joke. The Japanese Force Users, dumbfounded by his appearance, displayed various emotions such as anger and fear.
"I won't come to Japan next time. I'll just order what I need online."
"Wait a moment!!"
Hachida Torame, the Lieutenant Colonel of the Self-Defense Forces who had argued with Choe-ak, called him to a halt.
"Where do you think you're going after doing this! We will hold you nationally accountable for this incident!"
"Do you know who I am?"
"Th-that.......before that, do you think you can escape from Japan? If we block all ships and aircraft, there's no way to leave Japan for overseas!"
"Did you forget what I said earlier?"
Hachida Torame briefly recalled the conversation he had with him. At that time, clearly........
"If I swim, I can reach Busan in a day. Maybe I'll go for a swim for the first time in a while."
Ignoring everything else, Choe-ak was actually planning to swim from Japan to Korea.
Sometimes the most ignorant method can be the easiest method.
If your body is bad, your head suffers!