“Your saying you don’t remember anything for those past 2 weeks…?” Hiroki couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Ryu nodded: “Unfortunately, it’s true…
All I remember was just eating, resting, eating, resting, and that was my days with a rinse and repeat of what happened in at first.”
Hiroki’s expression became increasingly confused as he looked Ryu over.
The guy standing in front of him looked nothing like the skinny kid he’d left behind two weeks ago.
His body had filled out considerably, and even his height seemed noticeably different from before.
“So you seriously did nothing but eat and sleep?” Hiroki asked, raising a brow.
“Pretty much.” Ryu shrugged: “I don’t even remember going outside.
Hell, I barely remember much of what happened during those two weeks in the first place.”
‘That’s weird…’ Hiroki couldn’t help but continue staring at him.
He remembered exactly what Ryu had looked like when they’d last fought.
The difference wasn’t something that could simply be attributed to having a good meal or two.
Ryu genuinely looked healthier, stronger, and even slightly taller.
“Then how the hell did you end up looking like this?”
Ryu glanced down at himself, finally taking another proper look.
He hadn’t really paid much attention to his appearance since returning to school.
He’d noticed his clothes fitting differently, sure, but he hadn’t stopped to consider just how much his body had changed.
“…I honestly don’t know.” Ryu admitted: “I knew I’d changed, but I didn’t realize it was this obvious.”
Hiroki scoffed: “Obvious?
Dude, you’re practically a different person compared to two weeks ago.”
Ryu scratched his cheek awkwardly: “I guess my body just needed the time to recover.”
‘Recover…’ He thought once more…
Hiroki’s eyes had narrowed slightly.
That explanation didn’t sit right with him, but he couldn’t exactly argue against it when he had no idea what had actually happened.
Ryu, meanwhile, was thinking about something completely different: ‘If I really spent two weeks doing nothing but eating and resting…’
His eyes subtly shifted downward: ‘Then…
what the hell happened to my body?’
He remembered the intense hunger from before.
The way his body had practically demanded food after he’d exhausted himself fighting Hiroki.
Maybe that wasn’t simply recovery from a fight.
‘Could Overcome have been doing something while I was unconscious…?’ That thought made him uneasy.
Ryu had already learned that Overcome could push his body beyond its limits, but he’d never considered what happened after those limits had been reached…
Maybe those two weeks had been the aftermath.
His body had been rebuilding itself.
Adapting…
Changing…
And if that was really the case…
Ryu couldn’t help but feel a strange mixture of excitement, as well as little apprehension…
‘Then…
I’ve probably gotten a lot stronger?
I haven’t checked my stats in those weeks, but I should have fully recovered naturally…’ He looked back toward Hiroki, saying: “Anyway, I’m fine now.” Ryu smiled slightly: “That’s what matters, right?”
I guess.” However, he wasn’t convinced.
Not even close.
But there was one thing he knew for certain.
Whatever had happened to Ryu during those two weeks…
It had clearly changed Ryu.
Hiroki could feel it as well…
“Fight me, Ryu…” Hiroki said our of nowhere.
Causing Ryu to look at him oddly: “Why are you suddenly asking for a fight?” Ryu asked, truly curious.
“I’m just interested to see what changed…
I’m not gonna hit you or anything, it’s just a light spar…”
“…”
“Alright, but only 5 minutes.” Hiroki nodded, stepping away from the table before raising his hands into a loose stance: “That’s all I need.
Don’t worry, I’ll keep it light.”
…
Ryu had followed him, rolling his shoulders before settling into his own stance.
He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, but the position felt strangely natural.
The moment Hiroki moved, Ryu’s body reacted almost on its own, his feet shifting as he brought his guard up: ‘Here he comes!’
Hiroki suddenly stepped forward, throwing a quick jab toward Ryu’s face, but Ryu tilted his head away before throwing a punch of his own, only for Hiroki to effortlessly move out of its path.
‘…He’s slower.’ Ryu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he remembered Hiroki’s movements from their previous fights…
Back then, his punches had seemed impossibly fast, but now they weren’t nearly as overwhelming as they used to be.
He could actually see them coming, allowing him to react, instead of simply enduring them: ‘No…
It’s not that he’s slower.
Could it be that I’m just faster now…?’
Thar tiny realization had caught him off guard, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it as Hiroki continued pressing forward with another combination…
Ryu blocked one strike with his forearm, slipped beneath another and stepped back before the third could connect.
Something strange happened as he fought…
His body seemed to correct itself with every exchange: ‘My stance, it was too wide…
My guard was too low as well…
I’m putting too much weight on my front leg…’
One correction after another came naturally, as if his body was learning how to fight simply by experiencing the mistakes firsthand…
‘Wait…
How do I know all this?
Is this Combat Instincts…?
Or, is it my new skill?’ Ryu wondered, barely having time to think before Hiroki stepped in again.
He quickly blocked a hook and immediately countered with a straight punch, only for Hiroki to parry it and knock his arm aside.
Hiroki grinned slightly: “You’re getting better.” Ryu clicked his tongue: “You think so?” Hiroki chuckled: “Yeah, but you’re still sloppy.”
Ryu barely had time to respond before Hiroki’s expression changed.
His stance tightened, and the casual atmosphere he’d maintained disappeared: “Alright…
I’m gonna be coming a little harder now.”
Fwish~!!!
Ryu’s eyes narrowed as Hiroki suddenly accelerated, his punches coming faster and with considerably more precision.
Ryu blocked the first few, his arms being knocked aside by the force behind them, and as he stumbled back and regained his footing, that familiar sensation began stirring within him again.
‘…Oh, no.’ Ryu gritted his teeth as the feeling returned.
Something beneath his thoughts was starting to urge him forward, telling him to push harder, to keep going no matter what. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
‘Please…
Not now.’ He beckoned, forcing himself to remain conscious of his actions, refusing to let that strange state take over again, but the sensation continued growing as Hiroki pressed the attack.
Ryu weaved between another combination, blocking a hook before slipping to the side and throwing a counter, only for Hiroki to parry it and retaliate.
Ryu blocked again, then again, his body moving almost perfectly in response.
Every mistake was corrected almost immediately, and his movements became cleaner with every exchange: ‘He’s…
He’s actually challenging me…!’ Ryu realized, his eyes sharpening as he continued to fight anyways.
Hiroki wasn’t overwhelming him anymore; he was actually pushing him as well, and that was exactly what Overcome seemed to needed to activate…
‘This…
This ain’t good!’ Ryu could feel the familiar urge intensifying, but he continued fighting while consciously holding it back.
Across from him, Hiroki had begun noticing something else entirely.
‘What the heck…?
His fighting skills has improved…?’ Ryu still fought like a rookie, yes, but there was something abnormal about his instincts too.
Ryu’s movements weren’t polished, yet he was correcting his mistakes almost instantly, predicting attacks and responding to them far better than someone with his experience should have ever been able to…
Whish~
Blam~
Whoosh~
‘It’s like watching a rookie boxer level up right in front of me!’ Hiroki’s expression became increasingly serious.
Even with himself being slightly rusty from not training as much recently, Ryu was physically keeping up with him: ‘He’s gotten way stronger…
His physical abilities alone have improved by leaps and bounds.’
The two continued exchanging blows, neither managing to gain a decisive advantage as the minutes passed.
Ryu’s breathing grew heavier, and his body began feeling increasingly drained, but he refused to stop: ‘Keep going…’
‘Keep climbing…’ That familiar voice seemed to whisper from somewhere within him, it belowed him further: ‘Push…’ Ryu clenched his teeth and forced himself to slow down.
‘No.
I’m not doing that again.’
Eventually, the five minutes passed without either of them noticing.
They stood across from one another, both breathing heavily, with Ryu’s guard still raised.
At a glance, they appeared almost evenly matched, although Hiroki still held a slight physical edge.
Ryu eventually stepped back and lowered his hands: “That’s enough!”
Hiroki blinked: “H-Huh?” Hiroki stopped his punch mid swing, leaving him with a sense of disappointment…
Ryu only exhaled: “Five minutes ended a while ago.”
Hiroki glanced toward the time before realizing Ryu was right: “Oh…” He then lowered his own guard, his expression remaining strangely serious as he looked at Ryu: “Yeah…
I’m just glad you seem to be alright now.”
Ryu gave him a small smile: “Yeah…
Me too.” Still, something about Hiroki’s demeanor felt different, though Ryu couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was…
However he did have a strong sense that Hiroki didn’t want to stop their little scuffle: ‘Maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself…’
For now, Ryue ignored it, and quickly deiced to do the very thing he’s put off since this morning: ‘Status.’
The translucent panel appeared before him, and Ryu’s eyes immediately widened as he stared at the information displayed across it…
‘…What the hell?’
.
.
.
End