Death

I walked closer, step by step to the man in front of me. 

He had always been so important to me, despite not knowing it himself.

My teacher, my mentor, and even my friend.

'He might not be my biological father, but he's shown me more care than any dad could have.'

He had been there for me.

Even when she had started falling into despair.

Even the pain had started to overcome my strength.

Even when I was deliberating, every day, every morning, to seize this pain.

Still, I held on, using his well of strength instead when my own well had long dried up.

'It helped me, in words that I can not express, it helped me, in bringing me back from that pit.'

He would never cry out in pain, why would he?

What could possibly make the man cry when he was above it all in the first place?

'He was strong.'

I continued my walk to the man as he waited patiently for me to reach him, his face full of deliberation, as if having a hard time making a decision.

'He never left.'

I reached him, finally, reaching my goal, ending the long journey that I had never stopped walking.

'I want to see it.'

'I want to see how he'd deal with it himself.'

[Phantom's Embrace] had been a 'skill' that I not had trained for combat. It was merely a 'spin' from my experience in Shadow Boxing, to communicate to him in a way that transcended mere words.

I wanted to see how he would react, how he would survive when that feeling of helplessness embraced him as well.

And just like I had always known.

'He smiled!'

For fulfilling this little request of mine, I would give him what he wanted most in the world as well.

'[Drill]'

My punch struth forth, my training in Karate allowing me to perform the perfect Musunkei strike into the man's gut.

However, that wouldn't be nearly enough to satisfy the demon's hunger.

[Narrator POV]

A centripetal force apparatus is used by physicists to investigate the relationship between centripetal force, angular velocity, mass, effectively able to measure and verify that centrifugal force varies with the square of the speed, the rotating mass, and the radius of gyration.

When mounted on a drill, the flexible side arms splay outwards in a demonstration of centrifugal force. This outward splay occurs because as the drill spins, each point on the rotating arms is subjected to centripetal force, which acts towards the centre of rotation to keep the arms in their circular path.

When drilling into a material, the spinning motion causes the drill bit to create a high-speed rotation. The edges of the drill bit apply a continuous centripetal force to the material, effectively cutting through it by concentrating force at the point of contact.

[Kuzan POV]

I had been able to derive a formula of my own, after my encounter with the great mathematician Mr. Kaoru Hanayama himself.

Mass X Radius x Velocity Squared = Centripetal Force

I rotated my arm, ever so slightly, with the greatest speed I could, drilling my punch into his stomach with all of the strength I could produce. My training in the Way of the Void, allowing me to produce the maximum effect of this technique further.

[Narrator POV]

When the drill bit is spinning freely in the air before its incision, the centripetal force is the dominant force acting on the bit, causing it to maintain its circular path.

The drill bit continues to spin without generating any significant linear force. It is only when the drill bit comes into contact with a material that a linear force is produced.

This contact forces the spinning motion to interact with the material, converting some of the rotational energy into linear force that drives the bit forward into the material.

[Kuzan POV]

'No.'

[Kaku POV]

'That man...'

I couldn't believe it, I had believed him to at least be a bit sensible, at least in this case.

'He's sadistic.'

[Kuzan POV]

He dodged.

He evaded my blow, as if it was the most natural thing to do, taking a few steps back so my punch couldn't reach him.

[Baki POV]

'He's a monster.'

I spoke in incredulity, despite having known it all my life.

Still, I could not help it while watching him refuse to give-in to the kid's simple request. It would have been so easy for him, to take the punch, to not be rude to the boy's gift.

'He'll never change.'

[Kuzan POV]

The man had no intention of fulfilling my request, acting like a spoiled child playing only for himself without the consideration of others, always hogging all of the fun.

I could see it, my body warning me of the greatest pain I could possibly face, a pain sharper than even taking on disease itself. At Least that was gradual.

'[Ultra Instinct]'

I was barely able to dodge his kick to my groyne, protecting my family jewels to be guarded for another day. 

Despite my advancement in my most favourite skill, I was in no celebrating mood, my fury at the man's selfish actions suppressing my joy.

Thankfully, I had finally figured out how to deal with my emotions after so long, letting them out of the bottle, drowning out my frustrations and cooling my head in the process.

'Parry this you bitch.'

'[Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist]'

It was the one of the only two martial arts techniques I had been able to master not of this world. Ofcourse, it was far different in strength to its original counterpart, which was able to smash building as if they were made of clay.

Still, it's maintained its original intent of allowing the user to tap into the flow of streaming water within their body. It was perhaps my favourite martial arts technique to date, despite my inexperience in it.

The feeling of leading enemies around by their nose, like a calm stream, only to finish them off with strength enough to smash great rocks like a raging river. 

It was similar to Tai-Chi and the praying mantis style in appearance, however its true essence was far more profound in depth, surpassing Xiaoli's title as the ultimate technique.

Unfortunately, I was currently only a beginner in it at best, having been able to briefly picture the true essence of the technique only after my evolution.

Still, I had to utilise its flow to prevent me from blowing my gasket at the man's heartless actions.

It seemed that the man was hell bent on infuriating me further, as he decided to begin his next while dodging my attacks, unable to get a strike of his own in the process.

"Boy, you should know by now that these cheap tricks don't work on me."

Still, I ignored his words, my every movement getting closer to reaching him, currently just his grazing his flesh. 

"Smash."

I was broken out of my flow by the momentum of a much larger body of water seeking to crush me further. His punch, seemingly coming out of nowhere, smashing into my head from the side.

It wasn't the pain caused by the blow, or the blood streaming down my face that catched my attention, no. It was his movement that was all too familiar.

'HAHAHA'

He fought fire with fire, water with water, seeming to learn the essence of the technique just from the few moves that he had all previously dodged.

Contrary to what he might think in his attempts to test me, I did not fall into despair while seeing my opponent being able to copy my movements, being able to devour my martial arts. 

'What goes around comes around.'

Instead of switching to a new style or technique I continued in my assault, of trying to overcome the pressure of the water that was being directed at me with some from within.

Eventually, we reached a balance, both of us 'copying' each other while taking on the problem together, improving from insights of the other.

Sharing, learning, growing...

We evolved together as any father and son should.

Unfortunately, he was not my dad, otherwise the process of obtaining his blood would have been a whole lot simpler than it needed to be.

[Purification Of Sample Initiated] 

Plus, I had been unable to cool down from my rage despite my best attempts.

The man threw his next blow before I could my own, seeming to have surpassed me in skill through his experience in life prior to our match, having a much richer base to nutrients to grow from.

Still, I had expected this much at least from the man hailed as having mastered all of the martial arts on Earth, even those considered lost and forgotten.

I had so much to learn from him, so much more I could devourer, but first...

I need to bring at least something to the table.

[Yujiro Hanma POV]

'Boring.'

Before I could end the kid's lesson for his good, he changed, wanting to dive deeper into a new topic.

'Fine, I'll indulge you a little longer boy.'

[Kuzan POV]

Instead of dodging his next attack, I switched gears pulling out the last trick that I had left.

I had foreseen it, his strength, his skill, his intellect, I always predicted it since the start of our match. Any martial arts technique I utilised would be played with by the demon like a new toy, before being thrown into the trash.

For that exact reason, I had spent the longest of time, trying to replicate my second and last martial arts technique as well. All for this moment...

It had been the greatest magic trick of my life, even surpassing my deception when collecting the demon's blood from the arena floor when saving Master Kaku from his wrath.

My krü-di-ˈtā...

'[Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist]'

I couldn't explain how helpful the Way of the Void had been in 'inventing' this martial art. My hands transformed swiftly from water into wind, manipulating the air. 

I had not utilised the martial art in the feeble attempt to cut the man into pieces through the razor-sharp whirlwind pressure I was currently generating. Even the great Miyamoto Musashi had been able to barely pierce the man with his swords.

"HAHAHAHA" it seemed that the demon finally caught my drift, finally considering my request for tutelage under him.

"Sorry Kuzan," he spoke while calling me by my name for the first time since the start of this battle, "I'm very busy you see."

"Liar!" I didn't take the man's refusal kindly, rushing forward while wanting to show the true strength of the duality of my new favourite techniques.

It would have been so perfect, showing the man my strength, getting accepted under his tutelage that only Baki had had the pleasure of experiencing.

'Such nepotism Yujiro, I didn't expect it from you.'

I had expected not being able to beat the man, not at first go at least, not without his very own 'help'. I had nothing to go off of when determining a possible 'solution' to the man, one that would finally satisfy him. Even Baki, in his fight, had been unable to bring down the beast.

No matter how much you want to disagree, at the end of the day, the man left standing with his head at a higher elevation than his opponent is the true winner.

And in this moment, it looked like I was in a disadvantageous position, my feet hovering above where my head should be, as I stared down at the arena floor while facing him.

I had been unable to follow his movement, unable to determine where and when he had suddenly been able to turn the table around, now suspening me in air by holding my legs, one with each of his hands. 

Still, I adapted, striking forward with the same punch that had eluded the man just a moment ago.

'[Drill]'

It had again been so close, as I was just about to strike him where it hurt the most, trying to destroy his family's precious jewels..

Unfortunately, just as I was about to save Baki from having any more brothers than he already did in the future, I was flung up before being slammed down to the arena.

'Copying me again huh?'

I could see it, the pavement of the arena getting ever closer, surely able to cause a severe concussion if not death if struck to the front of my head.

This feeling, of seemingly inescapable dread, of the sweet release of death drawing ever closer with each passing moment.

'Been there, done that.'

Before I could plummet to my doom, I punched forth, my fist reaching the floor much before my head.

It was fitting that the technique taught to me by Doctor Shinogi would be the one to save me from the brink of death. 

'Thanks doc.'

My fist drove into the concrete, literally smashing it in instead of piercing it like one would have grown to expect.

'[Goutaijutsu]'

It was the first technique I had ever learned since waking up in this world, taught to me by my first martial arts master. 

My body tensed up to the extreme, effectively ignoring the danger signs that were currently bombarding my brain.

'[Hokuha]'

The force of my punch spread forth into the concrete, like waves in water, causing it to break apart in rubble.

It was through the mastery and use of these two skills in tandem that had allowed me to defy my fate, being able to conjure up a comfortable cushion for me to fall upon.

"Wanna stop?"

The man growled out, conflicted about whether to continue considering the battered state of my left arm.

"Fuck you."

I would show the man having one arm was more than enough to continue this match, that I was far out of commission. 

I utilised my last card, saved strictly for later to purify this demon from this Earth, to let him see the light of God, my hand holding out in prayer, at the divine punishment he was about to receive.

'[Guanyin Bodhisattva]'