Tokyo bustled in the afternoon; car horns, police sirens, and shouts from the streets blended into a noisy din.
Outside a ramen shop, two burly men stood motionless, staring at each other. It looked rather strange.
"Well, well, look at this incredible monkey."
Toji Fushiguro, who stood behind him, took no offense at that. He rubbed his chin and studied Igarashi Amaha's face for a while before saying uncertainly, "I remember the Six Eyes being blue."
As expected, Igarashi Amaha gave a faint smile. "The Six Eyes aren't the only ones that can see you from behind, Mr. Toji."
"Oh? Am I that famous already?" Toji Fushiguro said casually.
Igarashi Amaha paid the owner for another serving of ramen and walked inside without looking back.
"I just happen to pay particular attention to you. After all, you're the only monkey in this world who can fight me. I'm rather looking forward to it."
Watching Igarashi Amaha's back, which was full of openings, Toji Fushiguro curled his lips into a smile and followed him inside.
"Gentlemen, your ramen is ready!" the worker at the entrance called to Igarashi Amaha and Toji Fushiguro, who sat some distance away.
"Go get it," Igarashi Amaha told Toji Fushiguro without looking away from the television overhead.
"Reason?"
"I paid."
"Good enough reason." Toji Fushiguro nodded in agreement and got up to collect the ramen.
Once the noodles arrived, neither spoke again. They simply ate their own ramen while watching television.
The shop was quiet, with only bursts of cheering from the television and the constant slurping of noodles beside their ears.
After a while, they set down their bowls and chopsticks in unison, rubbed their stomachs without prompting, and let out a breath.
"Interested in going out to work off the meal?" Toji Fushiguro asked with interest, leaning back in his chair.
As expected, Igarashi Amaha smiled at that, picked up a chopstick, and flung it at a map of Tokyo on the wall beside him.
"Don't keep me waiting too long." As his words fell, he turned into an afterimage and vanished.
Toji Fushiguro paused, then smiled after another thought. Looking at the half of the chopstick embedded in the wall, he clicked his tongue. "Impressive speed."
He tilted his head back and finished the last mouthful of cola. The moment he set the can down, he too vanished from the shop.
Tokyo, in a park far from the city.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sonic booms rang out continuously through the air, whipping up gusts of hurricane-force wind that swept across the entire park.
Like streaks of light, the two men flashed through the air.
Boom!
The two figures plummeted from the sky together, smashing two deep, crack-riddled craters into the ground.
Dust filled the air. Standing in the haze, Toji Fushiguro stretched his arms and said, "Kid, you've got some interesting moves."
"Your body's the interesting part. Truly the ultimate physique," Igarashi Amaha said as he emerged from the thick smoke, lightly brushing dust from his shoulder.
The temperature around them began rising rapidly. Igarashi Amaha pressed a hand to his neck and gently loosened it, then took a deep breath and exhaled a wisp of white smoke. "Hah... Red, Owl!!"
Boom!!!
Purple-white flames soared into the sky. A half-mask of wing feathers covered the left side of his face, and fierce flames began burning across several parts of his body.
"That's enough appetizers. Time for the main course." Igarashi Amaha raised his chin and spoke haughtily to Toji Fushiguro.
"Yeah, I think so too, kid." Toji Fushiguro spat the Inventory Curse Worm from his mouth, pulled the Soul Liberation Blade out of him, and rested it on his shoulder as he grinned at Igarashi Amaha.
The Special Grade Cursed Tool, the Soul Liberation Blade, could ignore the hardness of all objects. Its record included cleaving Suguru Geto's Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Rainbow Dragon, in two with a single slash.
They watched each other's every move, their leg muscles contracting at the same time.
"Let's go!"
Bang!! Bang!!
They charged at each other simultaneously. Toji planted his blade in the ground, twisted his body, and launched himself into a sideways kick.
Seeing this, Igarashi Amaha planted one hand on the ground and bent backward to dodge. Their bodies crossed, and Toji, now behind Igarashi Amaha, swung the Soul Liberation Blade down without hesitation.
With one hand braced against the ground, Igarashi Amaha exerted his waist, twisted through the air, and thrust up a crane-beak hand to block Toji's downward slash.
Bang!
Then flames ignited around his wrist, and he jerked it upward.
"Shock!"
Holding his blade one-handed, Toji was jolted a step backward. Shocked though he was, he did not let it interrupt his rhythm. He quickly adjusted, gripped the Soul Liberation Blade, and charged in with a mighty horizontal sweep.
Igarashi Amaha flashed backward, then attacked with a jab.
Toji turned at the sight, lifting his blade in a one-handed flourish to block the blow. He then redirected the force with his blade, turned, and whipped a kick upward.
Bang!
Igarashi Amaha's eyes darted rapidly. Anticipating the kick, he raised his other hand and seized Toji's leg in a firm grip. Then the flames around his body surged, and he turned and hurled Toji away by the foot. Immediately afterward, he thrust both hands downward, launching countless energy balls made of fire from his body toward Toji.
Flung through the air, Toji did not hesitate. He reached toward his shoulder with his other hand and drew the Inverted Spear from the Inventory Curse Worm's mouth. His arms moved at blinding speed, slashing apart every incoming energy ball.
Igarashi Amaha launched himself forward, his arms wrapped in flames and transformed into two sharp blades. His body spun rapidly, turning into a blazing wheel of light that smashed toward Toji with tremendous force.
Seeing this, Toji Fushiguro held both blades before his chest to block, sending countless heart-stopping sparks flying.
The muscles in Toji's arms bulged. He thrust both blades forward, then turned into a flash of light and vanished.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Toji Fushiguro's expression was grave as he leaped back and forth between the trees. This kid's physique and technique are both exceptional, and he seems to know my fighting style very well. Where did he get such complete intel? What a frustrating fight. This is the first time I've fought like this, knowing nothing about my opponent. What a pain.
Igarashi Amaha was doing little better than the frustrated Toji Fushiguro. He really is the fucking Monkey King. This kind of strength...
He looked at his slightly trembling hands and cursed inwardly. I'm so jealous. Inborn strength-with a little training, he can slaughter Grade Ones with ease. A talent freak. What a pain.
Toji Fushiguro narrowed his eyes at the unscathed Igarashi Amaha ahead. All this effort for one bowl of ramen. Let's finish this quickly.
He slid the Soul Liberation Blade back into the Inventory Curse Worm's mouth, rolled his wrist, and tossed the Inverted Spear from his left hand to his right. The instant he caught the hilt, he vanished.
"Getting serious now...?" Igarashi Amaha narrowed his eyes, shifted his feet slightly, and likewise vanished in a flash.
Their figures flickered through the woods like phantoms, their eyes fixed firmly on each other as they searched for an opening.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly...