Some time later~
…
Ryu slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling for several seconds before his memories began returning: ‘…I lost.’
There wasn’t much doubt about it.
The last thing he remembered was Gonzo charging toward him, and after that…
nothing.
Ryu let out a quiet sigh, slowly pushing himself upright: ‘Still, I lasted a pretty damn long time against him…’
His body was exhausted, but surprisingly, the pain wasn’t what caught his attention…
It was his stomach.
Gruuumbllee~
Ryu froze…
His eyes widened as an almost unbearable sensation suddenly erupted from his abdomen.
He clutched his stomach, his expression twisting as weakness washed over him: ‘What the hell…?’
This wasn’t any ordinary hunger.
It felt like his entire body was demanding something from him, as though every ounce of energy inside him had been drained dry.
“G-Gonzo…!” Ryu muttered weakly…
The door opened almost immediately, with Gonzo walking into the room and noticing Ryu hunched over: “Huh?
Ryu!
What’s wrong?”
“I…n-need food.” Ryu’s voice was unusually desperate.
“Food?”
“Yeah.” Ryu clutched his stomach tighter: “I really need food.”
Gonzo stared at him for a moment before nodding: “Give me a moment.”
…
He quickly left the room.
Ryu leaned back against the bed, breathing heavily as he tried to endure the sensation: ‘This hunger is insane…’
His stomach growled again: ‘At this rate, I might actually die of hunger.’
It was an absurd thought, but considering everything he’d experienced with Overcome, Ryu wasn’t entirely willing to dismiss it.
Fortunately, Gonzo returned not long afterward.
Behind him came several people carrying large trays of food.
Ryu’s eyes widened as the smell reached him;
“Eat up.”
Gonzo barely finished speaking before Ryu was already moving.
He practically rushed toward the food, abandoning every shred of table manners as he began eating.
He didn’t bother with conversation, barely even pausing between bites as he consumed everything placed in front of him.
‘Food…’
His body practically rejoiced with every mouthful.
‘Finally…’
The weakness gradually began disappearing.
The terrible sensation in his stomach faded, and the trembling in his muscles slowly subsided as his body absorbed the nutrients it desperately needed. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Half an hour later, several trays had been completely emptied.
Gonzo stared at the aftermath with a raised eyebrow.
Ryu finally leaned back, rubbing his stomach with a satisfied expression: “I’m full…”
He let out a content sigh: “That was delicious!”
“I’m glad.” Gonzo looked over the empty trays: “Considering the amount of blood and energy you expended during our fight, I imagine your body was quite hungry.”
Ryu nodded before looking toward Gonzo: “Seriously, though…
thanks.
I’ll have to pay you back for all this eventually.
It might take me a while, but I’ll definitely do it.”
“You need not worry about it.” Gonzo shook his head: “Consider it payment for giving me such an enjoyable spar.”
Ryu smiled faintly: “Thanks…
again.”
He eventually returned to the bed, allowing himself to rest against the mattress.
After a moment, he glanced around the familiar room: “You know…
this is the second time I’ve ended up in this bed.”
Gonzo chuckled: “It could happen much more often if you joined my gym…”
Ryu looked toward him.
Thinking that he isn’t slick enough…
“You possess extraordinary talent, Ryu.
Your grappling ability is developing at an absurd rate, and your senses are exceptional.” Gonzo paused briefly: “If you were to fight someone who matched you equally in pure physical ability, you would be their worst nightmare.”
Ryu smiled awkwardly: “…I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is.” Gonzo added.
Ryu remained quiet for a moment before remembering something he’d wanted to ask: “Gonzo…”
“Hm?”
“Do you think you could beat Kisame?”
“…” The smile disappeared from Gonzo’s face: “…It would be best in your best interest to think about Kisame for the time being.”
Ryu blinked.
“Even I cannot properly fathom his progress.” Gonzo’s expression became unusually serious: “You are certainly a monster, Ryu.
But Kisame is also one.”
‘That’s surprising.’ Ryu thought back to their previous encounters.
Gonzo had seemed so overwhelmingly powerful when they’d fought, yet the way he spoke about Kisame made it sound as though there was still a considerable distance between them.
‘So Kisame is still leagues ahead of even Gonzo…’ Ryu thought sighing inwardly: ‘Looks like I’ve still got a long way to go…’
“Not necessarily…” Gonzo suddenly said.
Ryu then looked at him.
“You have progressed astonishingly quickly in only a few days.
I cannot even imagine what you will become after a year.”
Gonzo folded his arms: “However, I believe your growth seems to occur primarily through conflict.
Kisame is different.
When he encounters opponents who would normally force someone to improve, his own growth becomes even more pronounced.”
Ryu’s eyes narrowed: “So even now…”
“Yes.” Gonzo nodded: “Kisame is becoming stronger.”
Ryu leaned back, staring at the ceiling: ‘Damn…
I thought I was the anomaly…’ Apparently, there were people in this world who could keep pace with his absurd rate of growth.
“Well…” Ryu eventually smiled.
“That was a good fight.”
He paused before looking toward Gonzo again.
“But there’s something else you said earlier.”
Gonzo raised an eyebrow…
“During our fight, you mentioned that I reminded you of someone.
Who were you talking about?”
Gonzo’s expression became thoughtful, before finally saying: “The Yamazakis.”
“Yamazakis?” Ryu repeated.
“Yes…
They are a family said to be born with extraordinary endurance, along with other abilities that most fighters would envy.” Gonzo explained: “I’ve heard they possess something called an unconscious state.
If I remember what my father taught me correctly, it is an ability their bloodline developed through generations of selective breeding.”
Ryu listened carefully: “Unconscious state…?”
“The Reverse Eyes, as they call it, supposedly allows them to feel little to no pain while fighting and utilize their physical capabilities far more completely.”
Gonzo continued: “A normal human being can typically exert only a portion, being 30% of their body’s true potential without risking injury.
The Yamazakis, however, are said to possess constitutions capable of handling considerably more, up to even 100%.”
He paused, choosing his next words carefully.
“I have heard they are controlled and uncontrolled variants as well, but that is a story for another day.”
Ryu remained silent, processing everything.
“What I was eluding to, was that your endurance is extremely high, Ryu.
Far beyond what I would expect from someone your age.” Gonzo studied him carefully: “For a moment, I wondered if you might have been related to them.”
Ryu shook his head, adding: “Actually no…
I’m not too sure.” He looked away slightly: “I’m an orphan you see, so I don’t really know anything about my family history to be honest with you.”
Gonzo’s expression softened: “I see…
I should not have brought it up.”
“It’s fine.” Ryu said before sighing, closing his eyes for a moment.
He didn’t know what to make of any of it…
Other than having heard what he heard as being interesting.
For now, there was only one thing he could do.
Ryu opened his eyes and focused inward: ‘Status.’
The panel appeared before him…
.
.
.
End