28 Chapter 28 - Rito's Nightmare
Rito was having trouble. He had been trying to confess to his crush, Haruna Sairenji but every time he did he froze and stuttered, getting flustered. He felt helpless and hoped it was easier. Not only that, his brother's life had changed into bizarre adventures where he was engaged with an alien princess and ruler of the milky way galaxy while also started to get into even more trouble. There was also his master who had animal figures and came from another world that had a fantasy setting. His brother and sister had treated it like a normal thing!
How can anyone not question happening to the world! This made him really stressed out and worried for his brother who had been training after school in a place called Ryozanpaku Dojo and returned with injuries all over his body. Rito doesn't like seeing him get hurt and tries to talk him out but refuses, making him frustrated.
"Why go this far?" Rito asked his brother while his brother placed his arms on his shoulder showing a reassuring smile that he always does when he keeps a promise. His brother never breaks them.
"Because I want you to face the challenges ahead like I do." He simply said those words and believed that Rito would be able to confess. Rito realized he was doing it for them and tried his best to spend time with Haruna building up confidence. But in the end he was too scared and failed every time. He saw his brother spend time with the girl who was his fiancee and wished he could experience the same thing.
Everything changed when he had a strange dream where he was holding hands with someone and noticed that his hand was more delicate and slimmer. Rito was confused by what he was dreaming that felt too real. He had realized that the reason why it felt different was because he was a girl in the dream then noticed someone else and saw her crush holding the other hand of the person beside them.
"So you decided to stay like this?" A familiar voice creeps in and makes Rito shudder thinking that this should be a nightmare yet strange calm stops him.
"Hmmm, though it was an accident but I have never been more happy being a girl than when I was a boy." His voice came out as feminine as Rito couldn't believe his eyes when he was finally able to see the person that they were none other than his brother and Rito was horrified when he leaned in to kiss him.
"Noooooo!!!" Rito screamed out, waking up sweating bullets and panting heavily, unable to accept the dream to be real and shuddering in fear.
"You alright, Rito?" A voice came in and saw his brother shirtless covered in sweat having finished his morning training with Ghislaine. Rito doesn't know what to feel looking at Haruto and after seeing the dream.
"I-It's nothing, Nii-san. I just had a bad dream, that's all." Rito said while Haruto looked unconvinced but decided not to force him.
"Okay, if you need anything tell me." Haruto said and left as Rito slumped back into the bed defeated and exhausted.
==========
After some time, Haruto, Lala and Rito headed to school where the latter looked defeated taking quick glances from his brother. Haruto was confused but decided not to think about it and arrived at their school where he sat down doing his usual thing and noticed Haruna looking at him then Rito.
'What the hell is going on?' Haruto sweated a bit seeing the awkward atmosphere and sighed as the two continued the class where he took a moment to go to the washroom and when he came out coincidentally came across the people who were looking for him. Ikki Takeda saw him and immediately recognized him.
'I need to fight and save Takeda from being misguided.' Haruto muttered hoping to help him since he was someone who lost hope and needed someone to pull him out. Though, he has no reason too but can't help it when he's capable of doing so. Not to mention, the reward might give him more.
The reward gave some Quest points and frankly didn't need to spend anything since there was no point getting more skills when he had many that hadn't been fully mastered.
"Are you Haruto Yuuki?" Takeda asked, trying to see if he was the real deal like the rumors told them about.
"And you're Takeda the puncher and that big guy is Ukita the thrower Ragnarok." Haruto said seeing the potential for them and knowing their story didn't change him since he wouldn't hate them and see them as misguided like him once.
"Then if you know us then follow us to the roof we have things to discuss with you." Takeda said and Haruto nodded following them to the roof.
As they reached the rooftop Ukita finally snapped and couldn't control himself as he was quite angry at Haruto since they were punished because of him.
"Haruto, although the order was to drag you back.... but since you have created such a headache for us like that... I won't be satisfied if we gave you the invitation for free, don't you think so" said Ukita and went to hold his collar to throw him down but was taken aback that he was unable to move.
"I heard you know Judo." Haruto said taking off his hands then Haruto pushes Ukita straight back, then places his right leg behind Ukita's left leg (at knee level) and sweeps Ukita's left leg off the floor to throw him down.
[ Judo - Ouchi-gari! ]
The swift motion had caused Ukita to fall and receive a precise jab that knocked him out where Takeda understood that he was rather skilled.
"But you must have forgotten that it was made for small builds." Haruto said, turning his attention to Takeda who smiled then he took out a chalk and a clock from his pocket and started drawing a square box on the rooftop.
"Alright done!" Takeda said after drawing the box which was supposedly a boxing ring.
"Are you going to box with me?" Haruto asked when he saw Takeda making a ring since he can understand Takeda still has a boxer spirit within him.
"Yes I am a former boxer you know, I will take you on just with my right fist" Takeda said.
"You know I came here to ask something so if you tell me what I want to know." Haruto said curious if it was true that the reason why he is like this is the same as the new memories he had.
"Oh what do you wanna know?" Takeda became curious what question he was going to ask.
"Well, how did you get your left arm injured like that?" said Haruto while pointing at his left arm. Takeda's face was incredulous.
"Is this the question you wanna ask? How did you even know about it." He looked mad bringing up old wound sthat had yet healed with his injury being the painful reminder.
"Well at first I wanted to ask why you left boxing, but after seeing your arm I got that answer. Hence I wanted to know how you got injured like that as I was able to see it just from a glance that you cannot move it let alone boxing" said Haruto as a matter of fact. Ukita was also listening from the side as he was not knocked out.
"Fine, then let me tell you the reason..." Takeda told Haruto the reason where it confirmed that some things are the same from the memories that he has.
"I was stupid right?" Takeda looked sad and broken thinking about the loss not because of his dream nor his arm but a friend.
"Yes you were stupid." Haruto as he entered the ring where Takeda thought he was referring to his decision to save his friend.
"You're stupid thinking you made the wrong choice." He stood proud when Takeda was shocked to hear his words.
"If you hadn't saved him then you'll surely still regret it." Haruto said taking a stance where Takeda saw something that he hadn't seen. An ocean. A vast sea of ocean that was still and serene reflecting the sky.
"Shut up! Let's just do this and show you that friendship and comradery is a Lie!" Takeda said as he also entered the ring and started the clock
"This is a ten-count three knock out fight, Kicking, throwing, and using whatever you want!" Haruto put his left hand in his pocket.
"I'll show you that simply because you face tragedy that you should drown in it?" He was rather annoyed that someone reminded him of his past. Time when he lost hope and confused about the world.
"Then bring it on!" Takeda stepped forward and his jab was quicker and more precise than Haruto anticipated. His dodging his attack and the former boxer was surprised by his speed
'If this were boxing then both of us would be in the same weight class yet why is he quicker than me?' He was confused where Haruto had no guard yet.
"You're a boxer but you forget what makes them powerful." Haruto said performing a straight jab hitting Takeda straight to the face.
'Shit! How is his jab so tough!' Takeda winced in face and was about to receive another jab only for the timer to stop.
"Let's take a break." He said turning his back on Takeda who looked at it wondering what he did. Haruto sat down while Takeda sat down.
"You…what did you say about boxers and what makes them powerful?" Takeda doesn't what he was even talk to him.
"Like every Martial art, it needs to condition the body to a ridiculous degree to get the result. People think it's about the person fist but that is not true. It's true power…." Haruto walked back into the ring as the clock rang telling them it was another round and Takeda did the same and took a stance.
"Is the whole body." He clenched his fist and showed the power of true boxing propelling himself with his legs then rotated his body. Haruto used his left hand and struck him in the side that had an explosive power that caused Takeda to pass out and fall into Haruto to catch him. Like how Zack Lee's punched from Lookism. He did release quite a bit of force since Takeda is quite tough.
After some time, Takeda and Ukita work up finding themselves somewhere else. He looked around and found himself in a clinic of sort.
"When I heard Haruto bringing a patient didn't expect it to be someone he fought." He turned to see a strange man, Akisame.
"Wait, where am I?" Takeda asked.
"You're in my clinic. Now you're awake, I want to know if you can move your other arm?" Akisame asked and Takeda was confused then finally noticed that he was holding his head with his left arm.
"What!? How!?"
"You got treated by a quack. He only managed to set the fracture in your arm!! But the reason why your arm doesn't move is because your spine is bent, putting pressure on your nerves!!" Akisame said showing his medical prowess and Takeda's eyes seemed to shine once again realizing his dream was now possible!
"By..... any chance, can my left arm be healed?" asked Takeda looking at Akisame with hope in his eyes.
"Ofcourse it can be healed! Naturally.... to me, it's a treatment with a low level of difficulty." said Akisame while his right hand was playing with his mustache.
"Uh..... but still boxing is too much right?" asked Takeda.
"Boxing? Don't joke around!!" shouted Akisame that somewhat made him sad only for it to disappear.
"You can even aim to become a world champion arm wrestler," Akisame said walking to Takeda.
"Now, why don't we continue?!" Akisame Said
"Yes!" said Takeda while wiping his tears.
"This treatment method I created myself so it hurts a little best to divide it into a bunch of smaller sessions." Akisame said and Takeda began to scream in pain realizing it was going to be torturous but it was worth it. Soon after, Haruto came to check on him and Takeda seemed to notice him.
"Glad you're fine now. Can you move your other arm now? If it's Akisame-sensei then it would be easy for him." Haruto said and Takeda looked at him unsure what to say but received a hand on the shoulder.
"I know what you're going to say. There's no reason for me to hate you. Simply judging someone purely because they are misguided is a slothful fool." He said and Takeda was confused.
"But we're enemies!? We tried to harm you yet help us instead, why?" Takeda couldn't believe that his willing to help them and could have left letting the two of them.
"I have no grudge against you even if I did, simple beating is enough. From the start…" Haruto let go of his holder where Takeda saw it once again a light. The vast ocean of freedom and liberation.
"...I have no enemies." He said having no grudges against them. Sure it would be easy to give them their own medicine but only someone immature who hates the world is the one who would do such a thing.
