The Pursuit of Strength

Letting his consciousness run wild was convenient, but doing it too often gave him a headache.

Besides, this was no emergency. Shiraki Uke had plenty of time to sort through the memories in his head.

His younger sister, Sakurai Arisa, had come home with two classmates—

Kozue Matsumoto and Kure Karura.

The former wore her hair in a ponytail, with a slight curl at the end. She had the quiet air of a girl next door. She was the heroine of the world of "Baki," and Hanma Baki's girlfriend.

I wonder what point in time this is. Have they confessed their feelings to each other yet?

The other girl had an unusual appearance. She wore her long black hair straight, and her body was well-proportioned and toned, with a vitality unlike that of ordinary people.

Her eyes were especially unusual. Not only was her gaze sharp, but the colors of her pupils and the whites of her eyes were reversed—her eyes were black, with white pupils.

She was the great-granddaughter of the leader of the Kure clan, a family specializing in assassination in "Kengan Ashura." She was also one of the clan's most gifted members, with fighting prowess on par with professional assassins.

Even professional assassins had to go to school.

Drawing on the memories in his head, Shiraki Uke quickly understood that.

After all, his sister attended Imperial Sakura Girls' Academy, and Kure Karura was far from the only "monster" at that girls' high school!

Years ago, the old man had scraped together every penny to save up enough for Arisa's high school and college tuition, all so she could get a proper education.

After they fell into debt to loan sharks, Arisa had wanted to use her tuition money to pay it off. But by the time she came to her senses, that little bit of money was already a drop in the bucket.

Although Arisa never showed it to her sick brother, she couldn't hide how down she felt at school. Her two good friends, Sakō and Kure Karura, had noticed, which was why they had gone to the dessert shop today to take her mind off things.

"Sorry to intrude!"

Kure Karura waved to Shiraki Uke, while Sakō smiled and nodded beside her.

Arisa had already told the two of them about Shiraki Uke's illness, and both had expressed concern about their classmate's brother.

But when they saw Shiraki Uke in person, there seemed to be nothing particularly unusual about him...

No.

Kure Karura narrowed her eyes.

She came from a family of martial artists, after all, and could see more than an ordinary person.

Shiraki Uke was supposed to be suffering from a serious chronic illness, yet he was brimming with vigor. He was no worse than a professional athlete—or even a professional assassin of the Kure clan.

The only thing that could attest to his illness was his posture.

A formidable expert's centerline—that is, their center of gravity—was usually straight and steady.

But Shiraki Uke's centerline was unsteady, even crooked. It was clear from his sluggishness that he had gone a long time without exercise while recuperating.

Arisa's brother seems more interesting than I expected...

"Huh?"

Kure Karura glanced around and noticed that Sakō's expression hadn't changed. She couldn't help feeling a little surprised.

After all, Shiraki Uke's physique and looks were both quite impressive. Even if an ordinary high school girl wasn't interested, she should at least have made a few remarks of admiration.

But judging by Sakō's expression, she seemed entirely used to it.

"Sakō?" Kure Karura tilted her head and heard Sakō murmuring to herself.

"They're alike. They're both single-mindedly pursuing 'strength'..."

Sakō looked at Shiraki Uke and sighed helplessly. "Just like 'him,' the guy renting a room at my house. He starts running before it's even light out, then starts making a racket working out in the evening. He's drenched in sweat every day, and sometimes he comes home covered in injuries."

"He—Baki told me before that he wants to become the strongest creature on earth."

"But my mom often says that he'll die if he keeps that up."

"..."

Looking helpless, Sakō bowed goodbye to everyone, then gradually disappeared at the end of the street.

Kure Karura, meanwhile, took out her phone and checked it. "Um, I might have to trouble you a little longer. I arranged for my older cousin to pick me up here, but she hasn't arrived yet."

Shiraki Uke and Arisa, of course, welcomed her to stay.

But as Arisa went to fetch a stool for Kure Karura, she suddenly noticed that Shiraki Uke's hand was no longer shaking as he gripped it.

"Huh? Bro, is your illness getting better?"

Arisa noticed sweat stains on Shiraki Uke's shirt and grew even more astonished. "Wait, you even worked out?!"

"Yeah, I moved around a little."

Shiraki Uke tapped the bandage on his head and explained, "I felt a lot better today. Even my head was much clearer. My punch-drunk syndrome seems to be getting better."

"This..."

Arisa could hardly believe it.

She still remembered visiting more than a dozen hospitals in Tokyo, only to receive the same answer at every one: "There's no specific treatment for chronic brain damage." Who would have thought things would take a turn for the better today?

Arisa was so excited that it took her a while to squeeze out a question. "But... why?"

"Maybe it's because of the human body. It's a remarkable thing."

Kure Karura suddenly chimed in from the side, speculating, "Take my family, for example. For years, we've taken in the 'seed' and 'techniques' of outstanding martial artists. Eventually, we became able to break through the brain's restraints and 'release' greater strength."

"Arisa's brother's case is probably an accident—something triggered his body's efficient recovery mechanism, like a recent injury to his head, maybe?"

At that, Kure Karura and Arisa both looked up at the bandage on Shiraki Uke's head, having found the most reasonable explanation.

Arisa was overjoyed. "Is this what they mean when they say blessings and misfortunes go hand in hand?"

Shiraki Uke wasn't sure either. "Maybe?"

Arisa reached toward her brother's head. "Then let me touch it!"

Karura hurriedly stopped her. "...Maybe you shouldn't. It'll still hurt."

"..."

Vroom—vroom! Vroom...

As they spoke, a roar came from farther down the street, and a sleek, lightweight motorcycle came speeding toward them.

The motorcycle was eye-catching—and not just because of its design.

There was also the person riding it: a short-haired girl with a shapely figure, both well-proportioned and powerful. She wore a black sleeveless top and shorts, with the toned lines of her abdomen faintly visible.

Screech—!

The short-haired girl drifted, bringing the motorcycle to a steady stop right in front of the open space's main entrance.

She took off her sunglasses, revealing eyes like Kure Karura's—the same black eyes and white pupils.

"Cousin!"

Kure Karura waved to the girl, then introduced her to the siblings. "This is my older cousin. She's three years older than me."

"Kure Fusui."

The girl introduced herself, waving her sunglasses in an easy, casual greeting to the siblings.

At the same time, Kure Fusui was sizing up Shiraki Uke.

Compared with Kure Karura, a "genius" who excelled in every area, Kure Fusui was more skilled with firearms and tracking. As a result, she could pick out more details at a glance.

Height, 187 centimeters. Weight, around 93... 94 kilograms. Those are some impressive physical stats!

This seems to be a karate dojo? Did it go out of business? I haven't heard of any experts around here...

As she pondered, Kure Fusui suddenly raised her right hand, extending her slender thumb and index finger in the shape of a "pistol" and aiming it at Shiraki Uke.

It felt like an ordinary girl joking around, but for Kure Fusui, who specialized in sniping, it meant something entirely different.

"Bang!"

Kure Fusui made the sound, and Shiraki Uke didn't react, because there was no killing intent.

"Bang!"

She made the sound a second time, and Shiraki Uke still didn't move, because she wasn't aiming at him.

"Bang—"

The third sound had barely left her lips, before it had even finished, when Shiraki Uke bent forward, arched his waist, and stepped ahead with his right leg. All the strength in his body erupted in an instant.

Whoosh!

The forward thrust was so fast that it distorted the air, leaving an afterimage as he closed the distance between them in an instant.

Kure Fusui almost failed to react. Her white pupils contracted slightly, and all she felt was a fierce gust against her face.

At the same time, she heard Shiraki Uke's heavy breathing.

"Phew... phew..."

Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, some cold and some hot. The cold sweat came from Kure Fusui's sudden burst of killing intent, while the hot sweat came from the strain the sudden advance had put on his body.

"What incredible footwork!"

Kure Fusui couldn't help exclaiming, then added, "Though your body isn't quite coordinated. Are you still recovering?"

"I'll tell you the details on the way. Don't disturb his rest!" Kure Karura hopped onto the back of the motorcycle and waved to Arisa and Shiraki Uke. "Thanks for having me! See you at school tomorrow!"

Only after the motorcycle turned down the street did Kure Karura complain to Kure Fusui from the back seat.

"Wasn't it a little rude to 'shoot' at him to test him the first time you met?"