Kevin watched his counterpart from a peaceful world sink into depression and helplessly shook his head.
Still, he was in no position to mock him.
Back then, Kevin had reacted even worse after suffering the same blows.
“Jailbird Kevin, what are you planning to do next?” Saku Hayashi asked with a smile.
“Return to the Sea of Quanta and continue serving your sentence?” “Once I recover some Honkai energy, I’ll meet the Seele you mentioned,” Kevin replied after some thought.
“If she’s willing, I can bring her back with me.” There was no possibility of Kevin returning to the Sea of Quanta to imprison himself again.
For now, he would remain patient and respond as circumstances changed.
With power from beyond his world, he could accomplish many things that had previously been impossible.
Project Stigma would remain as a final contingency.
“I don’t think you’ll be able to convince her,” Saku Hayashi said meaningfully.
After spending so many years inside the Sea of Quanta, Seele’s sensitivity was off the charts.
Aside from Bronya, practically anyone approaching her would trigger a frightened, defensive reaction.
Kevin nodded.
He merely intended to ask and would not force her.
Otherwise, with his strength, capturing Seele and bringing her back would be effortless.
Several days later, everyone prepared to return to their respective worlds beneath the reluctant gazes of Elysia and the other memory constructs.
“Don’t be sad, other me.
It isn’t as though we’ll never visit again.” The Golden Courtyard’s Elysia held her counterpart’s hands and smiled.
The chat group’s special protection isolated visitors from harmful environmental influences.
Even though Honkai energy capable of affecting their bodies existed in this world, it could not harm them.
“That’s right.
I still have so many stories left to tell.
I’m already looking forward to our next tea party,” the Elysian Realm’s Elysia replied with a smile.
Their previous visitors had also been interesting, but none had touched their hearts as deeply as these people.
“Brat, next time we’ll fight fairly,” the Elysian Realm’s Kalpas said irritably to Saku Hayashi.
“Don’t use that damned wooden club.” Being knocked unconscious like that was the ultimate humiliation for a warrior who had survived countless battles.
Kalpas would rather have been pounded into mincemeat.
“Understood.” Saku Hayashi shrugged.
This Kalpas certainly knew how to hold a grudge.
“Don’t let me catch you, or I’ll launch you into the sky!” Vill-V snarled at Tom.
Sensing her murderous intent, Tom immediately hid behind Saku Hayashi.
However, the threat of being launched into the sky did not frighten him.
He had been sent flying through the heavens and buried beneath the earth so many times that he had lost count.
…
Gourmet Town, Setsuno’s Diner.
“Little Saku Hayashi, Little Tsurara, what exactly is going on with this cat?” Setsuno opened her usually narrowed eyes and examined Tom in astonishment.
“Even Little Jiro’s Knocking had almost no effect on him.” Who was Jiro?
He was the Knocking Master.
If Jiro claimed second place in Knocking on this planet, no one would dare claim first.
Even the Gourmet God Acacia, who had originally taught Jiro Knocking, could no longer compare with him in that field.
However, Tom had only remained immobilized for an instant.
A moment later, he continued eating happily as though nothing had happened.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Jiro said slowly, rubbing his chin.
“When I used Knocking on this cat, it felt as though I was trying to move an unimaginably massive object that could not possibly be shaken.” Forget an ordinary cat—even a beast with a Capture Level in the hundreds would have remained completely immobilized for dozens of days after receiving that strike.
“Tom is special.
He’s completely unique in this world.” Saku Hayashi smiled and rubbed Tom’s head.
He had also attempted to use Knocking on Tom.
It only worked for an instant before Tom’s condition seemed to refresh and reset itself.
A gag character’s abilities were simply broken.
“Master Jiro, how much damage is still stored inside your body?” Saku Hayashi asked.
“I’ve released two-thirds of it, so only one-third remains.
My body feels much more relaxed now,” Jiro replied cheerfully.
When Jiro had taught Saku Hayashi Damage Knocking, Saku Hayashi had casually asked about the dangers of accumulating too much damage.
If all that damage were suddenly released inside Jiro’s body, would there still be any way to save him?
Even someone as powerful as Jiro had broken into a cold sweat upon hearing that question.
He had completely overlooked the possibility.
After all, in Jiro’s opinion, who could possibly undo his Knocking?
However, Saku Hayashi’s question had awakened him to the danger.
It was always better to prepare for the smallest possibility.
Jiro later researched a method of undoing Damage Knocking and releasing only a portion of the accumulated damage at a time.
With his physical strength, he could withstand each partial release without difficulty.
Afterward, he only needed to consume high-energy foods to recover.
“If all the damage stored inside Little Jiro were released at once, it would be enough to destroy Earth many times over,” Setsuno explained softly.
“Little Jiro himself would also die.” Even she felt lingering fear when imagining that possibility.
“Senior Jiro’s strength is truly terrifying.
To think such an enormous amount of damage was sealed inside his body…” This was the first time Tsurara had heard about it, and astonishment appeared on her beautiful face.
That slightly hunched body contained enough destructive energy to make one’s scalp go numb.
“Haha!
What you don’t know is that Little Jiro fought almost every top-tier beast in the Gourmet World when he was younger,” Setsuno said.
“Most of that astonishing accumulated damage came from the Eight Kings and the Blue Nitro.” Jiro helplessly shook his head.
As he sipped his alcohol, he looked no different from an ordinary old man.
He had certainly been reckless in his youth.
However, the largest portion of the damage still came from his adoptive father, Guinness the Battle Wolf.
Their battle had nearly destroyed an entire continent.
“Master Jiro, since you’ve fought the Eight Kings before, which one do you believe possesses the greatest overall combat strength?” Saku Hayashi asked.
Jiro considered the question before answering with a smile.
“In terms of single-target attacks, the Dragon King’s Extra-Dimensional Laser is monstrous.
Even being grazed by it would leave someone critically injured.” “However, when it comes to combat technique, the Monkey King’s fighting style using Enbu makes him the most capable fighter among the Eight Kings.” “If I had to rank them, Bambina after releasing his full strength would take first place.
The Dragon King’s ultimate attack requires far too much charging time and has a lengthy windup.
Without something restraining the target, it’s easy to evade.” “As for last place, the Horse King’s offensive methods are relatively ordinary.” Tsurara smiled as she listened to Jiro casually evaluate the Eight Kings.
“Only a powerhouse like Senior Jiro could say such things with any authority.
Every one of the Eight Kings is a monster with a Capture Level exceeding six thousand.” “If this old man removed all the Knocking placed upon his body and released his true strength, none of the Eight Kings would dare take one of my punches directly,” Jiro declared confidently.
Saku Hayashi naturally believed him.
After releasing his true power in the original story, Jiro had defeated Blue Nitro with one punch each, as effortlessly as if he were bullying children.
If the Blue Nitro had not possessed methods of preserving their lives, half of them would have died during their first exchange.
“By the way, the Puffer Whales are about to begin their spawning migration,” Jiro said.
“Would you like to go?” He wanted alcohol made from Puffer Whale fins.
Jiro visited whenever the migration occurred to replenish his supply, so he was thoroughly familiar with the location.
“The last time I went was ten years ago.
We can make another trip this time.” Saku Hayashi considered it briefly before nodding.
Puffer Whales returned to spawn once every ten years.
During the previous migration, Tsurara had taken him to Cave Beach.
“Master Jiro, are you also planning to test my current Knocking abilities?” Using Knocking on Puffer Whales without frightening them and causing their bodies to become poisonous required exceptionally precise technique.
“Since you’ve already mentioned it, I’ll test you when the time comes,” Jiro replied with a casual smile.
…
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