Chapter 416: Trying the Blindfold
Arisa's backpack was indeed stuffed with the homework assignments lent to her by
the top student, Akemi Soryuin.
Hearing that her older brother was temporarily blind, Arisa had initially been
all smiles, thinking she could coast through the week. Now, she was
"un-woo-hoo."
Ren Shiroki's massive hand was firmly planted on her head. She was squeezed so
hard tears nearly pricked her eyes, but she still tried to defend herself. "I
was just... verifying my answers with hers! Peer review, Aniki!"
"Right, right. I'm sure that's exactly what you told your teacher."
Ren delivered a classic "Big Bro" [KNIFE-HAND CHOP] to the top of her head,
reminding her that there were no shortcuts to the apex of education.
"Urgh..." Arisa's head wobbled. She acted dizzy, swaying on her feet. "I can't
do it! My brain is rattled! I can't possibly focus on math in this condition!"
Ren remained cross-legged on the porch, his hands resting on his knees. Knowing
his sister all too well, he took a deep breath and issued a calm warning.
"And don't think you can stand there making faces at me just because I can't see
you, either."
Arisa froze.
She was currently mid-grimace, using her fingers to stretch her mouth wide and
sticking her tongue out while gesturing rudely. Hearing that her brother had
"seen" right through her, she shivered, spun around, and sprinted back to her
room to behave.
Ren let it go. Arisa's grades were actually quite good, and she was a diligent
student; she was just occasionally "too smart" for her own good. A little
correction was all she needed.
The quiet, leisurely time continued.
Ren sat on the porch, his mind drifting through various technical "impurities."
He thought about his style and how to further investigate the meaning of
"Strength."
What is the next frame?
He could visualize a hundred different paths, but he felt no confusion. Instead,
he felt a deep, resonant joy. He had so many choices. For now, however, the
first step was recovery. He closed his eyes beneath the gauze and savored every
second.
The autumn sun rose higher, bathing the Hub in a golden, nurturing warmth. Arisa
emerged from her room after a few hours to catch her breath, bringing a fresh
pot of hot tea for her brother. Ren sat there, cradling the cup, the steam
rising to meet his bandaged face.
Later, Marco brought out a plate of yokan. By noon, the sunlight became too
intense for the gauze alone, so Fusui slid a pair of dark sunglasses over Ren's
blindfold.
Rustle... rustle...
The autumn wind stirred the trees in the courtyard, shaking loose a few yellowed
leaves.
Ren felt refreshed. He ate a light lunch on the porch and then, leaning against
a wooden pillar, drifted into a peaceful nap.
In the afternoon, the Hub's members began to arrive for their sets. First was
[RAZOR'S EDGE] Rihito.
Aside from the company the Nogi Group had "gifted" him, Rihito was still just a
brawler at heart with no professional facility of his own. Because the Hub had
Marco to act as a high-durability sparring partner, Rihito was a daily regular.
"Afternoon, Shiroki-kun!" Rihito called out. He stopped dead when he saw Ren's
face wrapped in gauze. He nearly panicked, and since Ren was asleep and didn't
respond, Rihito's imagination started running wild.
After Arisa gave a whispered explanation, Rihito finally calmed down. He grabbed
Marco, and the two headed to the equipment room for some heavy iron-work.
Next came the crew from Valkyrie. Nozomi Tenma led the way, with Dr. An Sakurai
in tow. They frequently brought their fighters by for physical benchmarks.
"Yo, Shiroki-kun!" Nozomi looked to be in great spirits; the Valkyrie circuit
was thriving. She, too, was startled by Ren's "blind" state.
Ren remained asleep, so Arisa performed the "recap" for the second time.
Hearing the story, Dr. An's eyes lit up with clinical mania. She tried to sneak
closer to peel back the bandages, dying to see the results of Kureha Shinogi's
"bare-handed surgery." It took Nozomi literally picking her childhood friend up
and hauling her away to prevent a medical malpractice incident. The girls didn't
disturb Ren further, moving to the training floor to handle their business.
An hour later, [HELL'S ANGEL] Jun Sekibayashi arrived, leading his new disciple,
[THE GOD OF DESTRUCTION] Haruo Kono. They had just finished a tour and were on a
week's leave.
At the gate, they bumped into Retsu Kaioh. The [FIST MASTER] had heard about
Ren's injury from Kureha and had brought a box of traditional sweets as a "get
well" gift.
This was technically the first time Sekibayashi and Retsu had met in person.
However, both were legends in their respective worlds. After a firm handshake
and a mutual look of respect, they were practically brothers.
Retsu updated the wrestlers on Ren's condition, and they agreed not to wake the
"comatose" host.
The Hub became rowdy and vibrant, just like any other day. Ren drifted in and
out of sleep, lost in the noise.
Perhaps it was because he'd had enough rest. Or perhaps he had been triggered by
the sheer volume of Combat Aura radiating from the courtyard.
He slowly woke up.
Though his eyes were sealed behind gauze and glass, his hearing and
skin-sensitivity were operating at 100%. He could hear the distinct sounds of
grappling in the yard and the rhythmic clanking of weights in the gym. He could
feel the warmth of the sun on his skin, a gentle heat that told him evening was
still a few hours away.
Who is here?
He couldn't see them. But the sensation gave him a profound sense of
"Integration." It felt as though everything—the fighters, the building, the air,
the history—had merged into a single, unbreakable entity.
Ren mused that perhaps this was his "Way."
He shifted into a lighter headspace. Ah... even if I can't see it, I bet this
scene looks beautiful right now.
"Nice. That's perfect."
Ren felt a deep sense of fulfillment.
As night fell, the Soul Combat Hub returned to a tranquil silence. The friends
departed one by one. Arisa and Marco headed to their respective rooms.
Ren was helped back to his bedroom by Fusui. The autumn night was quiet and
pleasant.
Tonight was different from the last. Fusui had taken a rest day, her stamina was
fully replenished, and her mood was... playful.
The girl suddenly made a suggestion: she wanted to try the "blindfold"
experience.
Ren: "..."
Fusui blinked her black-and-white eyes, a mischievous grin appearing. "I want to
see what it feels like to be 'you' right now."
Ren: "Am I the only one trying it?"
Fusui nodded, already reaching for the buckle of her tactical jacket. "Yes."
"Wait, safety first! Watch the—urgh!"
The experiment proved that in a state of total visual deprivation, one is at a
massive disadvantage against a Kure Clan member in [REMOVAL] state. Ren had zero
chance for a counter-assault.
[Three Days Later]
Ren's eyes had recovered significantly. As long as he avoided direct sunlight,
he could occasionally remove the bandages indoors, provided he wore dark
sunglasses to shield his sensitive nerves. His body had also benefited from the
forced rest, his muscles feeling tight and ready for action.
By mid-morning, the sound of rhythmic impacts echoed through the training hall.
BAM! BAM-BAM!!
Ren was back at the heavy bag, working his daily routine. Shadowboxing, kicks,
and high-frequency chains. He worked until a satisfying layer of sweat coated
his frame.
During a break, Fusui walked over with a stack of documents.
"Ren-chin. We've finished the preliminary analysis on the Secret Key Cards you
and Wakatsuki-san are holding. They were definitely manufactured by Sukizo Urita
of Penasonic."
"IDEAL and The Worm used some form of coercion to force Urita to create a batch
of these cards. Each one corresponds to a different checkpoint in The Inside."
"Specifically... they provide 'Master-Level Override Authority' for the gates."
Fusui stretched her arms.
"In short, the card in your pocket is the key that can manually lock down or
open the outer gates of the 'Three Wolves' district. Large-scale logistics and
troop movements require those gates."
"If someone masters all the keys and secures political backing, they can
effectively strangle the Ward. Combined with their superior numbers, they could
annex the districts one by one."
Fusui pulled out two surveillance photos: Sukizo Urita and Ryo Inaba.
"According to Kure Clan intel, these two seized the chance to escape during the
chaos, taking the majority of the keys with them. By distributing them to
fighters like you, they've temporarily paralyzed IDEAL's invasion plan. The Kure
are digging deeper into the specifics now."
Ren nodded. The board was becoming clearer.
That afternoon, the sky was overcast, sparing Ren from the glare of the sun.
Bored and feeling restless, he threw on his sunglasses and headed out to the
clinic for a fresh prescription of eye drops, using the trip as an excuse for a
stroll.
After finishing his business at the clinic, Ren decided to find a nearby cafe
for some sweets.
On the way, he bumped into two familiar faces.
[THE ASHURA] Ohma Tokita.
And his manager/friend, Kazuo Yamashita.
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you