Will to Survive
By : CJDGOAT
...
V0 Chapter 3 - Stand Proud
"Yo, Kiyo, you sure you wanna do this?" Eiichiro called out to me from the other side of the mat. Henceforth, we're located in the indoor gym of the mansion.
It's a well-equipped facility with numerous exercise machines. If one aspired to train muscles such as their pectorals major and minor, gluteus maximus, quadriceps, biceps, triceps, and more. The gym holds every machine or equipment necessary to work out those muscles.
But Eiichiro and I are already done with our established workouts and moved on to a new aspect of our training regimen. Sparring.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You've taken martial art classes in the past, so you should be fine," I reassured the apprehensive Eiichiro.
"But your hand, it's all busted up," he pointed out, "I don't want to be responsible for making that situation worse."
"Well, as long as you don't aim for it, you should be fine. What's all the worry about?" We slowly started to approach each other. We bowed and took our fighting stances.
"Well, you know, it limits your options and I can easily exploit the lack an extra limb," he spoke with a swift jab from his left hand.
I effortlessly evaded the incoming attack by tilting my head to the right. Noticing my dodge, Eiichiro shifted his hips and swung his back leg at me with acuteness.
"Well, Eiichiro, you should know better than most that even with the lack of a limb, nobody can best me," I asserted. I returned his follow-up by jumping over his leg.
To most, a maneuver like that is impractical and ineffective. But Eiichiro severely lacks adequate footwork when it comes to high-power kicks.
Typically, after jumping over his attack, the force of the kick would spin him around so that his back would face me. This vulnerable position allows me to take advantage in a million ways.
This would be where the fight would end, but it seems that the future I'm seeing is a false one.
"That may be the case most of the time, but I can still make an attempt, you know?!" Eiichiro performed an unexpected move and planted his kicking leg flat on the floor. Using the momentum of the previous kick, he spun around and attempted to hit my face with the heel of his left leg.
Because I promised to hold back, his surprise attack would leave me no room to dodge safely without getting a heel to the face.
So, in response, I rotated my hands in a pattern that allowed me to position my right hand and utilize the momentum of the rotation to direct his kick above my head. Simultaneously, I tilted my head to the right.
"That was a nice move, Eiichiro," I complimented. "Your footwork has gotten leagues better."
"Your flattery isn't gonna distract me from this fight, Kiyo!" He exclaimed before swiftly rushing at me with a blistering right hook.
It looks like he's putting his all into this attack, so I must return with an appropriate move to at least respect his efforts.
I used my left forearm to block the attack, creating a perpendicular angle with his fast-approaching arm. I then grabbed onto his arm with my right before I promptly pulled him hard over my head and onto the ground.
"Augh!" Eiichiro now lay on his back with the wind knocked out of his lungs. He struggled to catch his breath for a moment. While he recovered, I exited the mat and prepared to return to my bedroom.
"It was a good match, Eiichiro, but strong, devastating blows like your kicks and punch are easy to read," I lectured as he started to lightly arise from his position on the ground.
Huffing, he shakily responded, "I-I see...But how can I win a f-fight without large blows like that?" Eiichiro inquired as he slowly started to exit the mat and prepare to leave.
"There are many ways to do that, the more you fight, the more experience you'll gain, and eventually, it'll come naturally," I extrapolated. "But you're likely not going to be getting into fights out of the blue constantly. Unless you wish to become a delinquent, this isn't an efficient way."
"So what are some other ways?"
"You can look for openings in your opponent's defenses or attacks. For example, when you did you first jab, I could've easily countered with a devastating uppercut or quick jab to the face."
"Additionally, you can look for weakspots. Common weakspots for every human are the solar plexus and anywhere but the front of the knee, just to name a few."
"I see..." He muttered. "I guess that makes sense, your knee only bends one way..."
"Lastly, don't be afraid to be ruthless towards an opponent, kick them while they're down. These tactics work especially if you're facing an apprehensive enemy."
"Y-yeah, but that's not really my style, hehe."
It's true. Eiichiro is the sun of Matsuo, and because Eiichiro idolizes his father, some of his character traits will inevitably rub off on his son.
In this case, it would be the overwhelming kindness that Matsuo passed down.
"Thanks for the tips, Kiyo. But how can I be sure these are legit, you do recall that my end goal is to surpass you."
"Of course. I remember when we first sparred, you were skeptical of what I claimed about my experiences in the White Room. You fought valiantly, but in the end, I moliwopped you," I decided to lightly tease.
"If I wasn't your friend, I would've taken that as an insult, but it seems that your lack of inflection is still there."
"Just like your lack of wins against me."
A vein started to pulsate on my friend's head. It seems that the provocation was getting to him.
"I'm gonna make you eat those words, Kiyotaka," he said through grit teeth.
"I'd appreciate it if you could, but that's just wishful thinking," I sighed.
"I can't wait to see the look on your face once that day comes, you bastard."
Another trait he inherited was his unyielding drive. Although Eiichiro's drive manifested differently from his father's, it still was obvious.
Matsuo never gave up because he abides by the 'anything's possible if you try hard enough' mentality.
Once he learned that conceiving a child would be near impossible for him and his wife, he pushed on and had his son. But the gift of Eiichiro 18 years after he got married came at the cost of his wife's life.
Once he met me, Matsuo vowed to help me in any possible way to assimilate into modern society. Even though my improvements are slow, he still hasn't forfeited yet. His ambition inspired the other maids and his son to assist me.
The way this drive is reflected in Eiichiro is his unending ambition to improve and surpass his peers. From a young age, he practiced martial arts and quickly surpassed his agemates.
He always studied twice as long as honor students to achieve high grades.
In his free time, he always reads. However, he mainly reads light novels and manga because most normal novels are ridiculously drab to him.
Today, his willpower centers around me. I was the first person in a long while to remain superior to Eiichiro for a prolonged period.
"Well, as long as you never give up, I'm confident you can go far."
"Alright, I'll go upstairs and shower. Afterward, I'll also stick around for dinner, Tsubasa-chan's cooking is awesome. You better treat her right once you two get married!" Eiichiro teased as he exited the indoor gym.
I waited about one minute to ensure nobody was near before calling out to this troublesome stalker.
"Chiaki, I know you're here."
I heard a door slam before I heard it open again, followed by the shuffling of feet.
"H-hey, Kiyotaka-kun," Chiaki bashfully greeted. She wore black leggings that fit her figure well. Additionally, she sported a pink crop top with a name brand printed on the chest.
"You know I'll always catch you, right?" I said.
"W-well, I know that already..."
"If you did, why did you slam the bathroom door in shock?"
She stayed silent, but her face extensively flushed crimson. I was confused by the response.
"Well, I need to use the bathroom, I'll see you later, Chiaki," I walked past her and approached the bathroom she was previously just in.
"H-hey! You can't go there!" She threw her body in front of mine in a desperate attempt to cut me off.
"Why not, Chiaki?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"B-because I clogged it..." Chiaki uttered a discernible lie.
"The door is open and the toilet isn't making a sound, it's not clogged."
I continued my trek to the bathroom while Chiaki gave up. Once I finally reached my destination, an odd puddle greeted me on the ground, alongside a weird aroma. Could this be...no, it couldn't, right?
"Chiaki, why's the floor wet?" I called out to no response. I looked back into the gym to find a flash of brown hair turning a corner out of the room.
Jeez, why are women so weird...
After I got cleaned up upstairs, I called Koenji Rokusuke.
"Yo, Koenji," I greeted amicably.
"Masterpiece-boy! How can my perfect existence grace you today!" Koenji bellowed with a hearty laugh. I extended my phone away from my ear.
"Do you need to yell?" I scolded while switching the output to the speaker setting and placing the phone about 3 feet away so he didn't blow out my eardrums.
"YAHAHAHA! You sure know how to tell a good joke, Masterpiece-kun!" He continued laughing like a wild hyena for about one more minute. "A Koenji always speaks with boldness and assertion!"
I deadpanned at his promulgation before ignoring it and cutting to the heart of the matter.
"Anyway, Koenji, why did you send me the address to a stadium?" The other day, Koenji arranged our fight and gave me the location of our battle.
To my utter confusion, the location he gave me was the local stadium in Tokyo. The stadium is mainly used for professional MMA matches.
"You must be living under a rock, Masterpiece-boy," the individualistic man answered vaguely.
"I guess so, I don't really use social media all to often. The day we met was the first time I'd ever heard of you. Outside of the business card the chairman gave me."
"Hm, is that so. Well, I, Koenji Rokusuke, don't cower from unleashing my perfection on the world! I'm well known for hosting big events on this level!" He explained before another round of laughter.
Clearly not well known enough. Tsubasa, Jun, or Chiaki never warned me about this aspect of his nature, so it can't be that popular.
"I see. How many people are expected to attend, Koenji?"
"Expect a number well into the thousands. An order of magnitude more are expected to tune in virtually as well."
"There's no changing this situation now, so I'm left no choice," I forfeited with a sigh. "Don't complain when I embarrass you, Koenji."
After another bout of laughter, Koenji cut the call while blabbering about something relating to deflowering some lady. Whatever that's supposed to mean.
All that's left for me is to continue training, sleeping, and eating well. Speaking of eating, I think Tsubasa's making dinner? I should head downstairs.
Knock knock
As I was about to turn my doorknob, I heard two knocks resound from the other side. Good timing, I suppose.
"Kiyotaka-sama, dinner is ready!" The voice of an older gentleman followed the knocks. The voice belonged to the kind butler, Matsuo.
I opened the door to face the visitor.
"Good evening, Matsuo," I greeted. I haven't seen him in a while. He used to be around more often in April and May, but once he found that the maids were great at taking care of me.
"Good evening. Sorry for the intrusion, but Tsubasa-chan asked me to fetch you for dinner."
"That's great timing, when you knocked on the door, I was about to head downstairs."
"Is that so? That is somewhat of a coincidence," he trailed off as we made our way to the dining area.
"Kiyotaka-sama, I need to ask you something." Matsuo suddenly stopped walking, as did I.
"What's the matter?" I glanced at him.
"It's about those girls. Jun-san, her sister, and especially Tsubasa-chan," he continued.
"What about them?"
"Those three care immensly for you. Although it's not generally accepted in the modern era, those 3 all hold more affection for yoy than normal friends," he pointed out the obvious.
"Even a blind man can see that, Matsuo."
"But that's the issue, these 3 care for you. Not to mention Aoi-san and Mai-san."
"I still don't understand your point," is he going senile? It makes sense as he is on the older end but still should be too young for such psychological ailments.
"The point I'm illustrating is that this fight you're engaging with is dangerous. You have a broken hand and your opponent is the renowned Koenji Rokusuke..."
"If this wasn't you fighting him, they might die in that ring after a single swing," Matsuo finally painted out the point for this talk.
"I see, but is there a reason to specify the women in my life? Are you and Eiichiro not worried?" It's clear they are, but the way Matsuo framed this talk drew a separation between those two.
"In my years of experience, I've figured that women tend to worry more than men. Especially in cases relating to their loved ones. My son and I are worried but at the end of the day, it's you, Kiyotaka-sama."
These words echoed in my head. For some reason, I can't control my thoughts surrounding this phrase.
Matsuo continued, "Because of their feelings for you, they'll forget all they've been told about your days in that white hell. All they'll see is the man they love is at a disadvantage due to his broken hand."
I pondered Matsuo's words of wisdom before absorbing the meaning behind his words.
"I think understand, Matsuo," Basically, from what I'm comprehending, that woman will worry. Even if they know you can't fail, they'll still worry for you.
With a curt nod, we began to walk again. Once we finally arrived at the dining room, Matsuo excused himself.
I sat to the left of Eiichiro. Opposite to him is Tsubasa, and opposite of me is Jun. Chiaki was nowhere to be found, but a plate sat at the end of the rectangular table.
Once I took my seat, Tsubasa eyed me up suspiciously. I pretended not to notice and tried to eat my food in peace.
"Kiyotaka..." Looks like Tsubasa saw through my feigned ignorance and interrogated me.
"I called Koenji after my shower. On my way here, Matsuo gave me some life advice as well," I blurted out before Tsubasa could continue her sentence.
At the mention of his father, Eiichiro started looking at me.
"Kiyotaka, what are you talking about? I was going to ask if you need help cutting your steak."
You've got to be kidding me. I ratted myself out just for it to go to waste?!
Why am I even frustrated that I ratted myself out? Perhaps I don't want to bring Koenji and, by proxy, our scuffle into the forefront of the girls' minds. But if this were the case, then that implies I'm starting to subconsciously care about those around me.
No, certainly not. I was just distracted by... by... what's up with me today? Was the thought of making them, no, making Tsubasa worry really messing me up?
"Kiyo, are you awright, bwo?" Eiichiro lightly tapped my right arm to get me back to reality? His speech was unclear because of the steak in his mouth.
Did I zone out because I was contemplating the feelings of others? I can't be changing so fast?
"I'm fine, Eiichiro. I'm just thinking about the fight," I responded.
"Kiyotaka-sama, don't ignore the sweet Tsu-chan, either," Jun drew my attention back to the blonde beside her.
"Yes, I'd appreciate your help cutting my steak, Tsubasa."
We dined peacefully for a few minutes before a blushing Chiaki meekly appeared.
"Oh, hey, Matsushita-san, everything alright?" Eiichiro was the first to call out to the brunette.
"Y-yeah, everything's alright, I think..." I think she's embarrassed about me discovering her actions during my spar with Eiichiro prior...
Tsubasa quickly placed a bite of the steak she cooked into my mouth before addressing Chiaki, "Your face is all flushed. Are you sure you're not sick?"
"I-I'm fine, I swear..."
"Well, it's obvious why she's blushing!" Jun declared, "it's because she was ma-"
Chiaki made a sudden movement and put her elder sister into a perfectly executed rear naked choke. It stopped Jun in her tracks, leaving me curious about what she had to say. Well, not super curious according to what she did earlier.
It seems entirely possible that she repeated her actions from earlier.
Eiichiro and Tsubasa were left confused but went back to eating. Chiaki pulled her elder sister to the next room and shut the door.
The remaining three of us enjoyed our dinner before it was time for Jun, Chiaki, Matsuo, and Eiichiro to leave.
The father and son duo were already on their way home while Jun was fetching her car from the garage. I talked to Chiaki while Tsubasa was in the kitchen washing dishes.
"Chiaki, I'm not mad about what happened, you know?"
"R-really? What I did was r-r-really perverted and gross, I shouldn't have done that."
"Don't worry about it. Your sister has done the same thing a few times, you know?"
"F-FOR REAL?!" Chiaki exclaimed. I only nodded in response. From my viewpoint, I could see Jun preparing to leave in her car. She honked the horn to alert Chiaki.
The younger sister looked at the car and looked at me again to descend the stairs.
I took hold of her wrist before she got too far away.
"Chiaki, is there anything else you'd like to say?" I probed.
"K-Kiyotaka-kun..." Her face turned a vibrant shade of red under the beautiful starry sky. Her blue marbles faintly glowed in this picture-esque atmosphere. Her natural beauty was exemplified as the contour of her body initiated feelings of lust to figuratively and literally go up...
"Y-you're right, Kiyotaka-kun... I do. For your fight, is there a way to cancel it?" She asked.
"Why would I cancel it, Chiaki? I'm sure you've seen the videos of my confrontation with Koenji. I'm in a corner now, I can't back out."
"Don't be stupid, Kiyotaka-kun, please! I know you're some genius superhuman, but so is Koenji-kun! The difference between you two is your broken hand! You can't go out there and harm yourself! I'm sure there's another way, there has to be..." Chiaki trailed off as tears started to well up and vacate her eyes. Small puddles form on the steps as a result.
"You should have no faith in me. Don't you remember what happened only a few days ago?" I pulled her into a hug, burying her head into my chest. I wrapped my arms tightly against her lower back.
"K-kiyotaka-kun..."
After around a minute of soft sobs, she finally continued speaking.
"I-if I w-wasn't there that day, I'm sure we wouldn't have ended up crossing that street... you wouldn't have ended up breaking your hand," she sniffled.
I then start to pat her head soothingly.
"Chiaki, I promise you, I'll win." She continued to sob into my chest for a few minutes before her sister honked her car horn, alerting Chiaki once more. She quickly wiped her tears and looked at me again.
"Kiyotaka-kun, there's something behind you," it's obvious she's lying, but I don't know where this is leading, so I'll play along.
I turned my head to the left, and as I did so, I felt a warm sensation envelop my cheek briefly. I turn back to find Chiaki running down the driveway at what I assumed to be her top speed.
[August] [Nanase Tsubasa PoV]
Eiichiro-kun, Matsushita-san, and I sat in a row at the best seats in the stadium. Matsushita-san's been avoiding me since our trio met up to come here.
I think she feels guilty for kissing Kiyotaka last night. Honestly, I don't mind what she did. Unlike her sister, she's a nice, innocent girl who's pretty intelligent from what I've seen. I should try to talk to her afterward.
But right now, it's all about Kiyotaka!
"I wasn't expecting so many people to be here. The loser'll be put through the wringer for sure!" Eiichiro-kun yelled out. Even though we were right next to each other, the stadium was so loud that this was necessary.
"Totally!" I replied.
Matsushita only nodded her head before bringing up a different topic. "Why'd you say 'the loser' and not Koenji?" She questioned.
I didn't even notice what his statement implied, but it ticked me off now that I'm thinking about it.
When Kiyotaka had a heart-to-heart with me regarding that place, he told me about his titles.
The perfect human was the one that caught my eye. I thought the idea of perfect humans was impossible. He agrees with this, but I'm starting to doubt that belief.
His training regiment is jaw-dropping, and his muscles are so perfect and... delicious...
Kiyotaka's brain is unlike any other! He can break down a situation instantly as if he were one of those supercomputers Aoi-nee mentioned a few times.
He even helps me with my homework. He's taught me how to study as well. When he taught me that, I almost didn't want to use the methods he taught me because I enjoyed our time together. He really is remarkable.
His 'second head' is also pretty sizeable. Thank goodness he has immaculate self-control. I almost couldn't control myself when we took that bath together. Nah, maybe I'm slightly gassing him up. He did end up groping my br—
"Tsubasa-chan~ You have that look on your face again~" Eiichiro-kun cut off my thoughts by poking me in the cheek.
"Nanase-san, are you alright? Your face is completely flushed!" Matsushita-san said with a face full of concern.
"I-I'm a-alright, don't worry," I attempted to dismiss their concerns... to no avail!
"Hey, hey, Tsubasa-chan, we know you're thinking of Kiyo~" At his accurate but infuriating provocation, I slammed my hands on the railing.
Eiichiro jumped back, causing some of his popcorn to spill out of his bucket.
"I said everything's alright, Eiichiro-kun!"
Matsushita-san lightly giggled at Eiichiro-kun's fear.
"J-jeez, alright, alright!" He finally lay off with his teasing.
"Matsuo-kun," Matsushita called toward Eiichiro.
"Hm, what's up?"
"Are you going to answer my question?"
That's a great question, honestly. I turned my head just as Eiichiro-kun answered.
As he spoke, he adopted a stoic expression, "as strong and skilled Kiyo is, the stories surrounding Koenji is insane."
He took a breath before continuing. "Derooting trees, an impecable record against even pro MMA fighters, kicking cars around like they're nothing. These are only a phew of the legends surrounding the name of 'Koenji Rokusuke.' In fact, amongst the pro-fighting world, his name is synonymous with strength, skill, and talent."
His accomplishments on a surface level may seem impressive, but those feats Eiichiro-kun listed off were things Kiyotaka accomplished at a young age in that hell he was raised in.
Assuming Koenji-kun didn't have a similar upbringing, the reality that he accomplished these things at 15 is a telling sign. He might be able to pose a threat to Kiyotaka.
"I see, Matsuo-kun," Chiaki-san responded, her voice trailing off at the end. Her gaze fixed upon the two fighters who had now entered the ring, signaling the impending bout. "But you had to be there, Matsuo-kun. If you witnessed the pure strength he displayed that day, you'll realise a crucial detail."
"The man known as Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, healthy or not, has no equal."
Of course, she was referring to that run-in I, she, Jun-san, and Kiyotaka had with that truck.
"I can only hope you're correct," Eiichiro-kun responded as he directed his attention at the fighters in the ring.
Shortly after, the fight began.
[Ayanokouji PoV]
The crowd roared around us as the bell rang for the fight to continue. Koenji set this up to be a one-rounder; we go until one of us is knocked out.
This arena is a new experience for me. I've never been surrounded by so many spectators.
Snapping me out of my thoughts, Koenji hollered at me.
"Ayanokouji-boy, surely you can't be spacing out? You haven't moved a muscle since stepping foot in here."
He's correct. In the time I've been thinking and observing, he's slowly approached me.
In response to his looming approach, I took a stance.
My opponent smirked before lunging at me with a ferocity I'd never witnessed before. The left hook he launched at me swinging at speeds well faster than an MLB baseball pitch.
I narrowly dodged the attack by ducking and attempting to plunge my right fist into my opponent's abdomen.
Unfortunately, he saw through this move and already began to move his right hand to grab mine.
After he launched the overhand grab, he switched his grip into an underhanded one. He then proceeded to pull my entire body into the air to slam me onto my back into the ground.
I felt the impact of his slam. Maybe he isn't just cannon fodder.
As I looked at him from my lying position, he met my gaze and eerily smirked. I could read his face clearly telling me to 'try harder.'
If he wishes me to do so, I shall.
I curl into a ball with my legs on top. My right hand is touching the floor next to my head to act as a propelling force for me to use. After swiftly taking this position, I lunged at Koenji.
Because of my position, I couldn't see him, but I felt him use his arms to block. I also felt his body flying away before a metallic sound followed. It must've been his body hitting the fence.
I stood up once more and faced him.
"Nice move, 'Masterpiece,' but that still won't be fast or strong enough to put me down!" He roared while lunging at me furthermore, now with a right fist.
I quickly adjusted my power and caught the fist so my body weight wouldn't get blown away like him earlier. If he can resist this much, I shall increase my power as the fight proceeds.
My opponent and I began to exchange and block blows, similar to how you see anime characters fight up close.
As I began to pick up speed, he did as well. I'm not sure if he was holding back or if he's adapting mid-fight. Either way, I need to end this quickly. I don't know the limits to his strength. I'm unaware of how much he can grow in a single fight. I have to end this now, just in case he can surpass my current, one-handed state.
We continued to exchange blows evenly for a while. Several seconds passed, and our moves only became faster. Our movements disappeared to the audience. Our blows became so strong that the sounds of our attacks landing on one another began to overpower the crowd's cheers.
As I felt my threshold was about to be met, my opponent's adaptation slowed down significantly. It seems he's reached the limit of his stamina.
"This is the end, Koenji."
I launched a feint at his head and planted a kick firmly into his unguarded abdomen, launching him into the fences. I approached Koenji's barely conscious body and spoke to him.
"Stand proud Koenji, you are strong."
I slammed my fist into his face again, knocking him out.
End of Chapter 3...