Martial Arts Encyclopedia - Chapter 11

Goal for the future (7)

The irregular creature stares at me with that demented grin while we slowly circle each other. I have my guard up and the monster clumsily mimics my stance, waving its arms back and forth like a little kid play fighting after watching a boxing match.

I take the initiative and rush after my opponent with a Flashing Steel, closing the distance between us in an instant -

Blam

“Ugh!”

I quickly put up my guard and sidestep as fast as I can, trying to figure out what happened.

My face is bloodied, my side hurt like hell, and I swear a few seconds are missing from my memory! The monster assault doesn’t stop, and it steps forward into my guard and throws a half-uppercut, half-hook punch after me. The little shit used a picture-perfect Smash Punch against me!

My memory of the last few seconds returns, and it fills me with dread: when I approach with the Flashing Steel the creature predicted my attack, sidestepping the blow and countering with a powerful jab to my face, and when the pain of the impact robbed me of my sight the evolved monster hit my liver with a strong hook, forcing me to black out for an instant.

This monster knows how to fight.

The level of refinement for this creature technique is several magnitudes above the few monsters that fought strategically. I throw a quick one-two-three combination of jab, straight and hook after the creature who dodges the attacks by weaving and ducking the attacks. With a quick charge the evolved monster throws another Smash, however I dodge it with my Ghost Step to gain even more distance from it and catch my breath. Instead of coming after me the creature grins, making a clear “come hither” gesture to me. On this first exchange of blows the creature clearly had the upper hand, yet it deliberately lets me gain some distance to regain my bearings.

The monster is enjoying this.

I calm my breathing and relax my body in preparation, sharpening my Touki, focusing my goal, and narrowing my perception to the enemy in front of me. I change from a warrior braving the battlefield to a duelist fighting against an exceptional opponent like this black devil, the Kuro Oni in front of me.

The demon notices my change in demeanor and tilts its head in confusion, but I’m already on the move. My footwork turns light and fast, weaving and dancing like a flame while using Flashfire. The Oni is confused by my movements, trying to keep me on its sights, however I found my opening.

I charge at it from its side, but Kuro Oni anticipates my move and counters with a left straight, meaning it has fallen on my trap. Much like Okubo Naoya and later Kanoh Agito from the manga Kengan Ashura, I already incorporated the strategy of switching between holds, throws, locks, and strikes to throw off my opponent's rhythm. Combining Flame and Water Katas, with Fire Water my charge turns into a tackle, and I bring the fight to the ground, mounting my opponent with ease.

I start nailing at it from above, tightening my muscles to continuously hit with Ironbreaker enhanced punches, the monster hastily put defense quickly crumbling under my assault, until one of my strikes bypass its guard and nails it on the face. The ground cracks as my attack crushes the monster cranium, and the creature’s body twitch below me before going limp.

I try to return my labored breaths back into control when I suddenly tense my body for the Indestructible.

Wham

“Ugh!”

Despite bracing for it, the blow to my left side still extracted a grunt of pain from me, the impact strong enough to throw me away from the creature. I break my fall by rolling away, and I’m greeted by the horrifying sight of the monster head regenerating at a fast rate, with the destroyed remains falling off like a black sludge as a pristine skull grows back to replace lost tissue.

We both stand up and resume our fight, but this time it is Kuro Oni that charges at me, coming with a low tackle after my legs, however I anticipate the move by backstepping and nailing its jaw with a knee strike. The creature blocks the attack at the last second, and I use the opponent’s momentum to grab its neck with both hands, flipping myself over into Kuro Oni’s back to fall into the Niko style Guillotine with my hands pulling down its neck and the creature’s body being lifted from my back.

The Oni doesn’t stay idle and struggles from its current position until it kicks off my back to flip back once more, and I follow its movements with the Redirection Kata to slam it back into the ground using Weeping Willow. I grab one of the Oni’s arms and twist it behind its back into a high armbar with Screw Cutter Jizo hoping to hear the creature’s arm and shoulder popping off, when the creature’s joints rotate almost three hundred sixty degrees, and Kuro’s greater brute force throws me away.

My opponent sweeps my legs from its prone position, twisting its body back for a hammer kick to the ground in a move like those from Capoeira. I roll away from the initial attack and more kicks land in my previous position as Kuro performs a series of flips and stomps where my head was previously. Eventually we both gain distance from each other, yet I feel like I’m earning less and less from those exchanges while my opponent visibly improves its technique as we fight.

I rush after the monster with a series of fast punches from different directions using Swimming Bird – Swallow, but to my surprise they’re all blocked until Kuro catches my last attack on its hand firmly, giving me one of its wide grins in response. A powerful kick hits me on the stomach that I barely put up Indestructible to defend myself, however instead of the attack sending me away with its strength, the monster reaches for my armor and throws it on the ground, quickly mounting me in a reversal of our previous situation.

The strikes raining down are heavy and relentless, picking up speed as I defend myself. However, it made a mistake thinking it can simply attack me recklessly like this, as the monster sloppy technique can’t control its advantageous position very well, and as I squirm under it, I see my chance and bump my opponent away with my hips, the creature stumbling away while I quickly stand back up.

With a quick turn Kuro finds me ready to tackle it and prepares to counter the attack, and it is caught by surprise by my uppercut, however it quickly back steps to gain some breathing room. I follow it with a series of fast strikes to press the advantages, yet the monster quickly retaliates as it gets used to my attacks.

It throws a right straight punch that I catch, jumping on its arm to form the characteristic flying arm lock of the Bind of Pisces. The creature is too strong to fall to the ground with the weight of my body alone, and while I could break its arm from this position, the monster quickly tries to take a large bite out of my leg while it holds on to my leg with an iron grip. Without hesitation I twist and escape Kuro’s grip while leaving a bloody trail on the ground, and I force my opponent's arm into a shoulder lock. With one hand on the monster head, I sweep its leg with my free hand making us both crash into the ground. Thanks to the fall and the pressure applied on the monster arm, I hear the bone snap under my legs. 

The monster's movements slow down while its broken bone visibly heals under me, and I use that opportunity to snap the Oni’s neck until the head dangles back, staring at me hatefully. I add to its hate by stabbing my last knife between its C2 and C3 vertebrae and breaking the blade inside. Against my initial expectation, the monster doesn’t stop immediately from the crippling blow, however the foreign object obstructing a vital area prevents the creature from restoring it to full strength.

With some extra breathing room, I untangle myself from Kuro Oni and stand up. I relax my body in preparation for a finishing blow when my instincts tell me to run!

Rushing several meters back I feel a large release of energy coming from that monster. The released energy is strong enough to push my body back and unbalance my stance. The monster body undergoes a metamorphosis as its ribcage expands unnaturally large until it settles into a bigger and wider form, sounds of bones breaking and muscles tearing fills the halls with their thunderous sounds and sinuous waves of flesh, until Kuro Oni’s transformation ends.

While before my opponent had a lithe muscular frame and similar height to mine, now the creature is a mountain of muscle that surpasses my constitution, and it is a full foot taller than me. Its expression changed from that previous demented grin with two rows of needle-like teeth, to a stoic, focused frown. It reaches behind its neck to pull the blade I lodged inside and throws it at me with incredible speed.

Rushing at the same speed as the thrown knife, the monster comes after me in a pincer attack with its improvised weapon: if I dodge the knife, the monster can course correct and attack me at the same time.

I extend my fist and deflect the incoming knife with the hard bone of my fist, the projectile flying past me and embedding its bloody blade on the wall. The monster fist comes crashing down on me, however, as I didn’t lose my composure from the attack, I’m able to dodge away from the hammerhead blow.

Kaboom

The ground of the Dungeon explodes into gravel as the creature breaks it with its fist, its stoic gaze remaining despite me escaping the trap.

I retaliate with Iron Breaker – Chain, a barrage of hardened punches at the monster.

Slap

“Gahk!”

Pieces of broken wall on the ground as I fall on the ground, dropping to a knee. I look up at Kuro Oni, who is slowly walking towards my position. When I try to stand up my eyes widen in shock, as I can’t move my legs from their position. At this sight, the creature's stoic facade breaks, the beast-like grin returning with the double row of needle-like teeth in prominent display.

My entire body relaxes, and in an instant, I jump out of the monster’s attack with desperate determination. Now that it knows it has the upper hand, Kuro Oni isn’t in a hurry to finish me off. Why should it? If I take too long to defeat the monster the Dungeon walls will regenerate and send more enemies at me, when that happens my fate will be sealed.

With a quick glance I note the position of the fallen adventurers, and rush towards the closest. While the monster had lost some of its fine dexterity, it is still nearly as fast as before, and quickly comes after me in hot pursuit. I feel Oni’s attack incoming, and in my attempt to deflect it away I’m thrown by the powerful impact.

“Guh!”

Thankfully, the monster is strong enough that I could redirect my flight trajectory towards another fallen adventurer, yet that doesn’t change that I whiffed the technique due to improper application of the Redirection Kata. Due to my advanced Water Kata most of the damage was dispersed, but that’s a poor comfort in the face of my opponent.

I quickly grab one of the fallen adventurers' still intact health potion from its holster, grateful for the standard adventurer equipment, and down the vial in a single go. I feel my body ache and pain fade away, the blood flow stopping on certain areas as my body mended itself. Most of the heavy lifting of my healing was done by my enhanced body, as the health potions simply boost the regeneration process with magic.

I jump away from the incoming monster, throwing the empty glass vial at Kuro Oni for distraction, but it barely slows it down. The creature chases after me until I have my back to the wall, and with an expression drunk on victory it unleashes a powerful Smash Punch at me.

Kaboom

“Tsk.”

This time, it is the monster on its knees as I backstep away from it towards the other adventurer looking for more health potions.

I managed to land on the creature a powerful counter, finally inflicting enough damage to it after its transformation, and more importantly I felt through its body where the magic stone is located: it had completely replaced the heart, even mimicking its slightly left leaning on the body.

The only way for me to defeat this monster is by landing the Niko Style Secret Technique: Demonsbane, but that’s easier said than done. I need to combine all four Katas into one to unleash a powerful counter, yet I missed twice already. The first attempt I failed to redirect the direction of the attack and took the brunt of it, while the second attempt failed because of improper positioning.

Kuro Oni turns to face me, its movements cautious compared with before until it quickly glances down. With a single motion it grabs one of the fallen adventurer’s body and hurls towards me, and much like the previous knife I embedded into its neck, it rushes after the improvised projectile to grab me in a pincer attack.

Judging the trajectory of the attack, I step to the side to meet the vicious attack of Kuro Oni, however this time I’m prepared.

The large fist comes crashing after my head.

The essence of the secret technique is to use all four Katas in conjunction.

The Redirection Kata changes the flow of energy.

The Water Kata allows for the energy to pass through your body harmlessly.

Check your positioning with the Fire Kata.

Return the accumulated damage with your own strength with the Adamantine Kata.

The incoming fist stops midair revealing itself as a bluff, and another slap assaults me, much like the ones the Kuro Oni successfully used against me.

Blam

..

.

Crack

The right side of my face is one giant bruise, my ears are still ringing from the impact, my nose broke from the attack, and I think I have a contusion with how much my head hurts.

And yet, I’m the one still standing.

Kuro Oni lay on the ground, on the opposite side of the wall with a caved-in chest.

The only technique that incorporates elements of all four Katas, the one technique that I considered more important than Advance and Fallen Demon.

Nike Style Secret Technique – Demonsbane! 

Demonsbane is a formless counter, so when I took that slap I spun with the blow and hit back with a spinning back kick, nailing the monster straight into the chest.

My whole body relaxes in relief at seeing the monster down. Honestly, I don’t think I have another one of those in me.

Sadly, almost as if mocking me, the monster sits up. Granted, it slowly gets back to its feet, and the inflicted damage doesn’t instantly heal.

“GYAAAAAAHHHH!!!”

Without missing a beat, I’m right in front of the creature, unleashing my strongest attack born from a fully relaxed body.

“ORAAAAAA!”

My fist flies up, feet firmly planted on the ground to provide leverage as I punch with the intention to pierce, turning my whole body into a spear as I clench my muscles to its limits, and beyond!

Ironbreaker – Spear!

Bone, muscle, and sinew breaks apart as my fist reaches the magic stone, and without stopping it smashes the magic stone of my opponent. Kuro Oni dusts in an instant, an expression of rage and hatred still in my memory.

I let out a relieved sigh after defeating such a powerful opponent, however, there is still something to address.

“This is the first and last time you will come close to defeating me through skill of combat.” I say out loud to the empty Dungeon corridors. “Maybe one day I will fall to fangs, claws, horns, and tallow. I will burn to death, freeze to death, or choke in vile poison. But I will never, ever, be bested by You in martial skill.”

“Stay in your fucking place!”

I roar my defiance against the Dungeon, almost expecting it to respond immediately, but only the common background noise of the Dungeon answers.

I sigh in relief and look around for more vials of Health potion that might have survived this clusterfuck.

Clack clack

My eyes widen and I turn towards the sound.

In front of me is a man wearing a shimmering cloak with a turban, tar-like black skin, and several rings on his fingers. He holds a binder book that made the sound I heard before, as he furiously writes on it without a care for the world.

On his face, he wears a cracked, sullied skull mask that was once pure white.

“Don’t flatter the Dungeon too much. That monster was a product made with the blessings of my Lord; however, I thank you for your help with collecting valuable data.”

I know without a doubt that being acknowledged by him means Death. My only chance of survival is to use one of the most forbidden, dangerous techniques known to man! I slowly inch away, and that movement wasn’t unnoticed by him.

“It’s not yet time for my Lord to reveal himself. I’m afraid your journey ends here.”

He extends a finger, and I feel a powerful impact hitting me and blood spraying everywhere as the attack enters and exits my body. I grab my side to keep my viscera in place, but the loss of blood and the fatigue of the day starts to catch up with me, as my body enters shock. 

My body goes limp and falls to the ground, as my vision darkens. 

I can feel my life slip away, as blood pools on the ground beneath me.

I lose all my strength, and by the time the man approaches me, there is only darkness.

…

…

…

..

..

.

.

At the entrance of the Guild a middle-aged werewolf lights a cigar, tasting the smoke of his favorite tobacco. According to ancient history, tobacco leaves used to be an expensive item, with cigars being a luxury reserved for the rich and powerful, however today thanks to the actions of certain deities, even a middle manager like him could enjoy this small luxury.

‘The fact that the same Familias that hold control of tobacco trade also have ties with the medicine industry selling cures for the diseases associated with excessive cigar consumption is a mere coincidence.’ Thought Cornell as he enjoyed his breaktime, pondering those trivial questions to distract himself and peacefully pass the time.

Unfortunately, that’s not to last.

“Mr. Cornell, please, come to the side rooms. We got another flower delivery.”

Cornell looked at his junior, a half-elf girl that also works as an advisor. Brown hair cut at the shoulders she keeps shorter whenever one of the assigned adventurers under her care dies.

“There’s no one here, Eina. You can say ‘died’; we just use code words to not disrupt the day-to-day operations of the Guild.”

When the Guild was young, some gods took hard the loss of their adopted children, and some of the adventurers also have families and dependents of their own, thus the Guild started to use code words when talking about certain sensitive matters. Nowadays it just became another jargon used by overworked employees.

She didn’t answer, instead falling behind Cornell.

The two walked through the corridors of the Guild towards the morgue. That section of the Guild is one of the oldest, but also the least used areas of the building. Usually when an adventurer falls in the Dungeon their bodies are lost forever, as their bodies are consumed by the resident monsters, and when a body is retrieved it usually goes directly to the Familia of the deceased.

Eventually, Eina broke the silence.

“Is it wrong to care about the adventurers that we help?”

Cornell didn’t answer immediately, simply looking back at the girl.

“We’re not their mother, Eina. It is not our job to conquer the Dungeon, risking our lives for elusive glory, fame, and wealth. We advise and provide information to those under us. We’re responsible for providing the best advice our charge will listen to, while it is the adventurer's responsibility to seek and use this knowledge to their advantage. Some take advantage of what we offer, while others don’t. That’s all there is to it.”

“Like how you just gave up on that boy from the Rhongomyniad Familia?”

“He’s older than you,” Cornell reminded his junior with a raised eyebrow.

“Don’t change the subject! I heard you just pointed to this newly blessed mortal to some books and then forgot about him! You’re always like that, it’s why some people accuse you of playing favorites!”

The older werewolf simply rolled his eyes. “If you’re going to throw rumors on my face, at least you should make yourself informed on who I’m allegedly favoring. Besides, we’re here.”

The room smelt of alcohol and medicine and had three tables where the bodies would be preserved or analyzed depending on the case. One of the tables had a body with a white sheet over it. Cornell reached for a clipboard containing the information of the body.

Tall, black hair, eastern features, human. Unidentified.

Taking off the sheet Cornell identified him as one of his adventurers.

“I know who he is, I will send a runner for his Familia.” Cornell shakes his head before leaving the room, swiftly followed by Eina.

Back at the lobby of the Guild, Cornell spotted a familiar face among the crowd.

The Goddess of Rhongomyniad, ‘whatever that means’ thought Cornell, a newly descended goddess that caused quite the commotion in Orario during her arrival, both due to her mysterious origins, and arriving on Orario outside the appointed schedule. Ouranos immediately sent his personal agents to retrieve her, and after a period of closed door negotiations, she was allowed to stay in the mortal world while the queue for descending gods remained unchanged.

“Artoria-sama,” Cornell greeted her, “what can the Guild do for you today?”

“… I admit, I don’t know. I suddenly had an uneasy feeling and decided to come here today.”

Eina's eyes widen, and she stares back and forth between the older man and the blonde goddess. She bites her lower lip in hesitation, before taking a deep breath.

“Artoria-sama…”

“Who the hell is that guy?”

The trio turned to the street where there was a commotion.

“By the gods, he’s drenched in blood!”

“He stinks! Did he fall into a sewer or something?”

Cornell eyes widen, as he recognizes that distinct smell: the smell of the battlefield, the smell of war, the smell of mortals killing mortals.

When he recomposes himself Artoria is already on the streets, and both he and Eina follow the desperate goddess.

Slowly, but steadily, walking on the middle of the street is a young man with far eastern features, taller than the average men of that region, skin lightly tanned from spending time outdoors, a strong body that’s noticeable even under the “Jack” brigandine armor worm, rare blue eyes for someone descended from the farm eastern lands, and once clear black hair now full of white roots. 

Around his waist there is another blood-soaked jacket that slowly dripped blood to the ground, which is what contributed to the trail of blood and refuse following him.

He smelt and looked like he just fought a war on his own.

No one had ever walked around like that before. Even the toughest, higher-level adventurers can’t just ignore the injuries they take, as the “state of looking injured” is one of the signs that whatever catastrophic damage they suffered bypassed their Falna granted blessing resistance and regeneration.

Yet this man is walking the streets without a care in the world!

Andrew stops in front of his goddess. Her expression runs through a gauntlet of emotions, between worried, furious, scared, forcefully neutral, until it settles into almost crying.

For his part Andrew simply smiles at his goddess.

“I told you I won’t fail you, didn’t I?”

Finally, his goddess settled into tears of relief.

“You did, Andrew. I will always wait for your safe return.”

Andrew turns and finds his guild advisor, excitedly waving at him despite being only a few paces away.

“Hey Cornell, you old man, can you spot me an elixir? I’m kind of dying over here!”

Cornell faces twitches, as he contemplates the pros and cons of finishing the job in the presence of the young man’s goddess.