43 Riku unleashed

Riku azami walked into the arena feeling shivers throughout his body, he joined this tournament for experience and to sharpen himself against people with killing intent. Most boxers lacked that but made up for it with desperation. After watching some of the fights here he can only describe them as... ludicrous. That word seems to fit this place and the people best.

The fighters can use their bodies in ways he previously thought were unimaginable, their techniques are deadly beyond compare and their personalities are aggressive as all hell. That's saying something considering Riku's background.

Once he saw Logan Lee enter the tournament forcefully a few days ago he got a wake up call. After watching him and the other fighters in action Riku came to a conclusion. Boxing isn't the only way to fight! Muhammad Ali jr was enlightening for him as he turned boxing into a martial art.

Boxing lacks kicks, so kick the ground. It lacks grappling, good because you don't need to grapple what you can beat in a punch. Riku saw people with Hulk like strength and bullet like speed. So during the course of the week, he touched upon that realm himself.

His coach took him to several people, some where boxers that elevated his skills within only a few hours of hell like training. Kamogawa boxing gym and a trip to James Shiba evolved his boxing but he still needed more. He needed other ways to strike!

He made a call to an opponent of his named Kaede Hyodo who at the time was recovering and training in a similar method to the one he was undertaking. He didn't enter this tournament because of who is teaching him. Carlos Medel! A famous boxer who began training in some more acrobatic styles as of late but still he went to train.

The man agreed to train Riku for the rest of his time as he wished for Riku to join something called Purgatory? He said he would consider it but mainly wishes to stick with boxing. Carlos nodded with an understanding look and began instructing him on other forms of striking he encountered in purgatory.

As the man was of a similar build to Riku his advice was worth its weight in gold. As he learned and trained he felt shackles breaking from himself. After one harsh training session he felt a heat leaking off him. He looked at his hands while Carlos clapped "congrats Niño, you got your fighting spirit unlocked. Let's get to work!"

Carlos made him do all forms of training that he never touched such as ground work for grappling, various forms of striking such as elbows and wrist strikes and even bizarre forms of footwork. The face training was confusing to him but it made Riku improve his hand eye coordination and made him more flexible. Another strange thing Carlos made him do was have sex?

When Carlos told him that losing his virginity could unleash more potential from him he was sceptical. He thought about going to one of the prostitutes near Baba's gym but decided not to. He went towards his girlfriend Yuki Naeshiro who he spent most of his life with. They live together but hadn't done the deed yet, so Riku followed some of the girls advice from the people he's met in the past. He wines and dines her before he carried her to the bedroom. The next morning he felt vitality oozing out of him like a damn had busted.

After completing his one week of training Riku stepped into the next rank of fighters and proudly walked towards his opponent who he hopes won't pinch his nipples. That isn't in the simulations and it will never be!

Riku could feel someone's gaze locked onto his back that felt very different from the other looks he's received in the past. It wasn't worry like Yuki, it wasn't disgust/malice like his classmates. It was like someone was shocked but not from horror like the viewers who see Riku's brutal fighting style, it was followed by hints of appreciation. Like someone was happy he grew as a fighter. He looked over his shoulder and saw Logan staring at him with a smile on his face. He read Logan's lips "Shonen Power up..... plot armour".

Riku didn't understand so he felt he would ask after this fight. He looked hack to his opponent, Baki hanma the strongest boy. Carlos talked about him and helped discuss strategies, baba hammered into him the importance of a strategy. As the gong sounded Riku watched as Baki liquified?!?

He felt the presence of death again so he jumped and through a downward punch like in karate. One of the new tricks he learned. He felt his taped knuckles grind off something moving fast followed by a *boom*. Riku landed and turned to see Baki's head buried into the sand like an ostrich. Tracing the path in the sand he saw Baki had attempted to tackle him at super speeds yet his punch changed the trajectory downwards slightly.

Riku felt an urge to finish him so his "fighting spirit" as Carlos called it flared, he employed some new footwork that Carlos taught him and blurred towards Baki who was removing his head. Baki turned and saw a gloved fist about to smash his face so he decided to lean back yet the punch didn't impact.

*spurt* Baki had a nose bleed, this was a trick that Carlos taught him. By stopping the punch the wind pressure would cause a nose bleed. He didn't fully understand the science right now but that's not important. Baki was shocked for a split instant as he tried to breath through his nose only to find it blocked.

Using that chance Riku jabbed Baki in the throat, it connected but he pain coming from his side. Riku retreated and saw Baki lowering his foot. He was kicked as he attacked, a counter fighter. Riku began executing new moves that he learned, it was called the flash fire footwork.

Baki saw after images of Riku circling him like a predator aiming to take a bite out of him. Baki gritted his teeth and stepped in towards the strongest looking after image. The force between his instep pushes him towards Riku. They both fired off one of the most basic yet refined moves they could. Their light speed jabs, their fists blurred so fast that the audience thought their arms fell off. Only the sound of cracks echoing out allowed them to see what happened. Both the high speed fists impacted each other with both taking cracked hands and knuckles away as a prize.

But pain was nothing new to these two fighters. Riku pushes forest employing a new type of jab he learned, Carlos called it Rakshasa Jab which he based on a martial art called Koei style. While leaving the palm open add a spiral rotation into the jab so it would leave cuts and punctures on the target.

Several of the audience members who are familiar with the kengan matches thought that Kiryuu Setsuna must have some involvement with the boy. Logan quickly came to the conclusion that Kiryu may be a purgatory member as he read the manga. Carlos must have developed differently because of watching Kiryu and he taught this to Riku. How did he know this? Carlos is currently in the audience slurping down energy drink cocktails and shouting out "Ese es mi Alumno!!!"

Baki was shocked as he saw a cut form on his pectorals after he thought he dodged Riku's strike. Riku rushes in and starts a barrage of similar strikes. Riku's pale skin and after image strikes made it seem like a phantom was attacking Baki.

Logan thought the move was similar to an Ora rush from JJBA but he knows it's "the mingling of the fox and tiger technique" that Kiryu made by mixing Koei and Niko style. Logan has to admit that style actually suits Riku a lot, the boy has a ghostly visage that could match Kiryu in some ways.

Baki tried tensing his muscles to brace the strikes but these weren't strikes meant to smash the opponent into the ground like he was used to. These were to wear the opponent down, the real attack was the hard right hook Riku threw into Baki's jaw.

Baki felt his brain rattled around in his head and the world began to distort. Riku moves into finish baki but the worlds strongest boy has amazing instincts. When Riku moves in and throws another strike Baki ducked it and managed to slip Riku into a headlock.

Baki was beginning to regain some clarity and felt the world stabilising. He put his impressive muscles to work and began squeezing Riku's head like he was going to pop a bottle of champagne. He made one fatal error though, he assumed Riku was still going to fight like a boxer.

Riku's fingers which weren't wearing his normal boxing gloves slithered down into a sensitive area. Before they snapped together and twisted harshly, Baki yet out a scream off pain as he had his thigh pinched.

His grip loosened so Riku did as Carlos taught him and drove an elbow into Baki's temple. Knocking Baki to the floor, riku then got atop Baki and began pummelling him again with the mingling of the fox and tiger.

The numerous cuts on Baki and his delirium from the two strikes to the head allowed Riku to go to town on Baki. Logan was processing the fight and began to understand how Riku was winning thus far. He had unlocked his Ki and was empowering the moves he used so his damage was leagues above what he could do before. Not to mention the fact that Baki made assumptions about Riku being only a boxer which allowed Riku to confuse his senses.

From what Logan can tell this Baki he's witnessing has only just came back from China after being healed. He hasn't fully developed to fight the ogre yet. Which means he still had the possibility *boom* of losing.

The crowd began cheering as Riku drove all of his energy into one more punch into Baki's face knocking him unconscious. The last thought on Baki's mind wasn't that he lost before he could face his father or how he let his guard down. It was how he was glad that Riku pinched his thigh and not his nipples, he plans to never experience that pain again. Maybe he should use it on his father?