Preliminary Assessment

"Is... is that weak?" Charanko stammered. "Would it be?"

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This was already the limit of martial arts he could imagine.

"Maybe you should imagine some more badass effects," Morien replied. "It's all fantasy anyway, so there's no need to hold back like that."

Charanko immediately wanted to argue.

"Charanko," Bang cut him off. "Morien is right. You're still too honest. You need to show a little more passion."

Bang turned back to Morien.

"If you want your tuition waived... that isn't impossible."

Ah, alien privileges too.

Bang extended a somewhat shriveled-looking hand.

"Then let's have a test before enrollment."

"If you truly have talent, reducing your tuition—or even waiving it altogether—is entirely possible."

"Since you call yourself a 'Melee Scholar,' then in scholarly terms, this would be called a 'scholarship.'"

"Huh? Right here?" Morien extended his hand as well and shook his.

"Whoa!"

The next instant, the world spun around him.

Morien felt himself flying as the ceiling and floor continuously spun past his eyes.

He had been flung away.

Watching the scene before him rotate endlessly, Morien seized an opportunity and pressed a hand against the ceiling as it happened to "sweep" past him, landing steadily on the floor some distance from the tea table.

At some point, Bang had already appeared behind him, almost back-to-back with him. Tilting his head, he said:

"Yes, right here."

"Oh..." Morien drew out the sound.

"Good!"

The moment the word left his mouth, Morien stepped back with his right leg, threading it between Bang's feet and hooking one of his legs.

At the same time, he twisted his upper body backward and drove his elbow at Bang's head.

Although Bang looked like a frail old man who could be toppled with a shove, Morien knew his sneak attack would definitely not work.

Sure enough.

Bang!

Morien's elbow collided with Bang's raised arm.

"Not bad strength," Bang commented, then reached a palm behind himself and struck backward.

Whoosh!

His palm struck empty air.

Morien instantly widened the distance between himself and Bang.

Just one second earlier, he had completed the process of converting all his energy into Cursed Energy, then using a Binding Vow to convert that Cursed Energy into physical power.

Unfortunately, the Morien of this One-Punch Man world had never inherited the memories of Fortune-Collecting and had never experienced a Black Flash. He still could not convert all his Cursed Energy into other forms of energy the instant a Binding Vow took effect.

Otherwise, he would be even stronger now.

"Oh?" Bang raised his brows. "That speed... no... Did you use that energy that suddenly appeared earlier to reinforce your body?"

"Yeah. Pretty great, right?" Morien raised both hands and assumed a boxing stance. "The next punches will hurt, so don't try catching them barehanded, old man."

"Hehehe." Bang chuckled and raised his hands as well. "All right. What a fine young man who respects the elderly and cares for the young."

His hands were not clenched. They resembled fists and palms at the same time, as though they could change at any moment.

"Then here I come."

Maintaining his boxing stance, Morien bounced lightly in place twice.

The next second, he appeared before Bang, swinging his arm and throwing a punch at the old man.

Whoosh! Slap!

Bang raised one hand, extended it, then slapped. Morien's hook was effortlessly deflected.

Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.

Morien's fist was knocked aside, but he did not lose heart.

Specks of starlight faintly glimmered in his eyes. Then he steadied himself, maintained his stance, and threw a rapid series of punches.

Bang remained where he was, calm and unhurried as he neutralized every incoming punch.

Bang's defenses were effortless, and every one of Morien's punches was easily dissolved. Whenever Bang caught a punch, Morien felt as though he were striking water.

He was clearly hitting something solid, but it felt as though his blows passed straight through it. There was none of the feedback one got from striking something like stone.

The sensation in Morien's hands was extremely unpleasant.

So, during one punch—

His thrown fist was once again pulled off course by Bang. Morien followed the motion, tipping his center of gravity forward and falling diagonally ahead.

Then he planted one hand on the floor and swung out a leg.

This kick was not a fighting technique. It was more commonly seen in breakdancing.

Bang raised a hand to catch it and was about to lift it upward when Morien seized the moment, sending his whole body flying backward through the air and punching Bang in the chest.

"So fast!" Charanko cried out from the side.

From the very beginning, he had been almost completely unable to see Morien and Bang's movements.

Morien, who had been constantly exchanging blows with Bang, understood it more deeply.

It feels... a little like Jeet Kune Do and Tai Chi.

Morien made his judgment.

He did not know any martial arts, but after becoming a "Melee Scholar," he had searched up instructional videos on the computer.

For a "Melee Scholar," watching a tutorial was basically equivalent to "completely mastering" it.

Although he was still a little short of true mastery, Morien was undoubtedly an expert in martial arts now.

The fist aimed at Bang's chest was caught by a palm.

This time, Bang did not choose to deflect it.

Over the past few seconds, he had noticed that Morien's stamina in this form seemed nearly inexhaustible. It did not rapidly drain from continuously throwing punches.

Thus, after catching Morien's punch, he suddenly borrowed Morien's force, turned with the motion, spun rapidly in a circle, and struck out with the back of his other hand, slapping Morien's side as he hung upside down.

Slap!

Morien maintained his upside-down punching posture and was sent flying several meters without moving. Only then did he swiftly force his body around and land on the ground.

The instant the back of Bang's hand collided with Morien's chest, every muscle in Morien's body tensed, turning him into a "block of iron."

"Your control over your body is incredible as well..." Bang gave his assessment once more.

Morien slid several meters before stabilizing himself and resuming his boxing stance.

Seeing Morien ready, Bang closed in and lunged before him.

Bang!

A winding, twisting fist struck Morien's palm—a palm that could even deflect bullets—making his entire arm go numb.

This time, Bang took the initiative to attack.

The specks of starlight in Morien's eyes grew brighter.

Eyes of Mystery Prying!

His mind rapidly analyzed the situation.

Old Man Bang was considered one of the more "materialistic" S-Class Heroes.

After all, more than half of his combat power came from martial arts.

Most other S-Class Heroes were much more idealistic.

Take Tanktop Master and Puri-Puri Prisoner, for example. Rather than coming from their own bodies, their abilities seemed more like they came from their unwavering belief in certain things.

Morien even suspected that Bang's firm belief in "martial arts" was one of the sources of his strength.

Still, that was only natural. This was an extremely idealistic world where someone might become a crab Monster just because they liked eating crabs. Many powerful heroes were less like humans and more like Monsters who considered themselves human.

Watchdog Man deserved special mention here.

No matter how one looked at him, he was a Monster called "watchdog." He seemed more like he had become a hero only because the concept of a "watchdog" had caused his sense of justice to explode.

Then, did Morien also need some kind of idealistic power?

Morien had never believed in gods. Even in a world where gods truly existed, he would not believe in them. So faith was not an option.

Then he could only start with faith in "things."

While thinking, Morien did not stop talking.

As he countered each move, he smiled and asked:

"Isn't your fist technique about using your opponent's force against them?"

"Why are you still so strong?"

Bang smiled as he threw punches.

"Oh, that?"

"After all, sometimes I worry that someone might not be willing to lend me their strength."