"It really feels like you're treating Shiranui-ryuu as sothing totally weird," Mai muttered, clearly exasperated.
Ryuji, however, was perfectly calm about it.
To be fair, the Shiranui-ryu battle uniform was, from a practical standpoint... more like lingerie. Sure, it had its uses—seduction definitely worked on people like him. But against monsters, or lunatics from styles like the Kyokugenryu school? Yeah, not so much.
To Ryuji, the greatest strength of Shiranui-ryu was:
"It lets beautiful won wear sexy outfits out in the open—completely legitimately."
From that angle, it was a perfect martial art.
"Yeah. Pretty much," he admitted shalessly.
Ryuji's passion for learning Shiranui-ryu wasn't all that different from when he dabbled with breathing techniques—learn the basics, call it a day, no deep dives.
"You're way too honest! Listen up—Shiranui-ryu is a style that explores the limits of the human body! It delves into the mysteries within! A secret technique system combining fire and physical combat! It's not just for fighting humans, it has techniques ant for demons and monsters too!"
Mai explained with as much seriousness as she could muster... though part of her felt a bit guilty. After all, in the modern world, demons and monsters didn't exist. So really, most of her training was about fighting people—just like Ryuji learning the breathing techniques. She knew it, but wasn't going to admit it outright.
She pulled out her fans and demonstrated a formal Shiranui stance.
...Though to be fair, every martial art claims to "push human limits" and "explore inner mysteries," don't they?
Ryuji silently snarked in his head but didn't interrupt. He gave her a look that clearly said: Go on, show what you've got.
"Watch closely. This is the basic form of Shiranui-ryu."
Mai began her demonstration seriously, walking him through key concepts: how to direct strength efficiently, how to react during punches, how to circulate inner energy without disrupting the flow of battle—these were the real treasures, passed down by generations of Shiranui practitioners. Stuff that couldn't be put in manuals.
The actual moves weren't that special—just using inner energy to enhance attacks. What truly mattered were the systems behind them: timing, energy control, reflex paths.
Different schools had different solutions to the sa problem. Their uniqueness ca from these "software" components, not the "hardware" of the techniques themselves.
"So that's why masters train in multiple styles…"
As Ryuji watched Mai, it all clicked. Masters learned different schools because each style had blind spots—emphasizing different attributes.
Shiranui-ryu, to his eye, leaned pretty hard into the "technical gimmick" category. Lots of throws using leg strength, elbow and knee strikes, moves that relied on spins or body weight transfer for impact—it all scread compensating for physical strength.
His own style leaned much more toward raw power and high-pressure offense. In fact, the Shiranui thod looked like the kind of style that needed enemies to attack first, then counter using speed and misdirection—rolling, spinning, sudden changes in direction. Basically, a bait-and-counter attack.
Against humans, it'd work great. Against monsters? A lot more questionable.
Still, Ryuji's eyes glead when he noticed sothing...
Mid-air direction change. That was basically a double jump!
No matter how you sliced it, Mai was a speed-based fighter with so very lopsided stats. Soone with evenly distributed attributes—like Ryuji—would eventually beat her head-to-head.
"No wonder people call her second-rate or third rate… Shiranui-ryu has so pretty glaring flaws."
Just as he was about to stop her and ask about that double-jump trick, Mai suddenly inhaled deeply and shouted—
"Dance of the Nine Tails!"
In the very next mont, Mai's body launched forward with explosive speed, twisting mid-air with that signature aerial redirection technique of hers, before landing squarely atop a wooden post.
And just as she landed, she bent forward in a pose that made Ryuji's jaw twitch—a deep crouch with her butt high in the air, both hands pressed between her thighs. Her round, snow-white curves were fully on display, rippling from the force of her descent.
But Ryuji knew this wasn't just so lewd performance.
That lewd-looking pose? It was a practical stance for channeling and sealing a massive burst of fla-infused Qi into the wooden post. The injection required ti and focus, and the seemingly obscene posture allowed her to brace and avoid retaliation simultaneously.
Every move that followed was the sa—each bizarre pose served the sa purpose: focusing and injecting fla-Qi into the target.
By the final strike, Ryuji, watching with his Observation Haki, saw it clearly—the interior of the post was already saturated with fla-Qi. And just as Mai leapt back and cut off her output—
BOOM!
A towering column of fire shot upward from within the wood!
There it was. The ultimate core technique of Shiranui-ryu.
Everything the style had to offer—the rotation, the fla control, the explosive burst, the mid-air redirection—was all embodied in that one move.
Mai stood at the center of it, breathing heavily, sweat clinging to her skin, and her voluminous breasts bouncing uncontrollably with each heaving breath.
Ryuji honestly wanted to reach out and grab them just to stop them from bouncing.
"...Yeah. That was actually amazing," he muttered sincerely.
Without those three core techniques—the mid-air shift, the art of converting Qi into fla, and the thod of injecting that energy into a target to ignite from within—Shiranui-ryu would have just been another normal martial art, arguably even less versatile than ancient forms like Tai Chi, Jeet Kune Do, or Bajiquan.
But those three elents elevated it far above the norm.
It was a true supernatural martial art.
The mont you could cultivate "Qi," you were no longer playing by mortal rules.
Compared to Rias's family sword style, which was really just fancy magic-based fencing, Shiranui-ryu had depth—a real foundation.
"Hmph! Still think Shiranui-ryu is only good for seducing n now?!"
Mai puffed up proudly, hands on hips, chest out in satisfaction—
—which unfortunately caused another violent wave of jiggle to ripple through her chest, barely contained by her revealing ahem "traditional training uniform."
The generous expanse of exposed pale skin made it feel like, any mont now, sothing pink might escape from the straining cloth.
Yeah, this outfit was 100% designed for seduction.
Ryuji was now absolutely sure of it.
"Even if it's powerful," he said solemnly, "that doesn't change the fact that Shiranui-ryu is still the most effective 'technique' for teaching cute girls how to seduce."
Crunch.
Mai clenched her teeth hard enough to make an audible grinding sound.
"Ryuji…"
Her fists clenched. Her fingers twitched. She wanted so badly to strangle him.
"Hey, I'm just being honest!" he shrugged.
"Besides, the basic energy infusion technique? It's not exclusive to Shiranui-ryu. Lots of other fighting styles do sothing similar."
He crossed his arms, laying out the brutal truth.
Embedding energy inside a target and detonating it? Sure, he knew how. Just… not nearly as refined as Mai's version.
Naturally, the martial artists of that world were capable of similar feats.
The Shiranui-ryu style was a bit unique—it had so elents that Ryuji couldn't fully understand. Clearly, there were techniques he hadn't been taught yet, especially since Mai hadn't properly explained them.
Still, for fighters in the King of Fighters world, mid-air directional changes—while difficult—weren't unheard of. Transforming Qi into flas was rare, yes, but not entirely impossible either. It's just that no one did it quite like the Shiranui style.
In short, it had its unique flair, but nothing revolutionary. To Ryuji, it seed more like sothing that would surprise average fighters than overwhelm elites.
Mai opened her mouth, stunned into silence. She had no argunt—what Ryuji said was objectively true. And yet, looking at the smug expression on his face, she grew more and more irritated.
Her chest began to heave with growing intensity, visibly rising and falling. Naturally, Ryuji's eyes followed the motion, drawn in as if trying to glimpse the elusive pink beneath her outfit.
And Mai could clearly see where his gaze was focused—squarely on her chest. What's worse, he wasn't even trying to hide his lecherous grin!
"Ryuji, you pervert!"
Fuming with frustration, she clenched her fan tightly in her hand, trying to keep her anger in check.
"Co on, don't get mad. I'm just being honest," Ryuji said casually. "The Shiranui-ryu style focuses too much on agility and technique. I bet your physical conditioning thods aren't nearly as rigorous as other schools. Most of your moves rely on spinning to generate power. That's why the style gets labeled as third-rate—because those techniques can be copied, and spins and leaps leave a lot of openings. There's a ceiling to the strength they can generate. That's the fatal flaw of Shiranui-ryu. From a physiological standpoint, the style is more suited to won, don't you think?"
Ryuji rambled on, dissecting the flaws of her martial art in detail. Since Mai wanted him to fight in the tournant under the Shiranui-ryu banner, he felt obligated to point out its weaknesses so they could optimize the techniques.
After all, when it ca to body training thods and herbal formulas, he had access to incredible knowledge from the Arad world. He might genuinely be able to help her improve the style.
However…
Sotis patience only fuels frustration.
Mai had opened up to Ryuji in the middle of the night, revealing secrets she had guarded for years—and this was how he repaid her? Nitpicking every flaw in her treasured martial art, even after she generously showed him every technique? She couldn't take it anymore.
"…Still, I'll admit, there are so interesting—huh?"
Just as Ryuji was about to praise the Shiranui-ryuu's unique techniques, Mai snapped.
Her eyes burned red with fury. Clenching her fan between her teeth, she leapt high into the air and roared in a muffled voice, "I'm gonna kill you!!"
Golden energy flared around her body, her hair fluttering wildly as the force surged. The wind tugged at her outfit, making her top tremble as if on the verge of exposing sothing—but it never did.
Ryuji had studied her outfit before. There was nothing underneath holding it in place!
But this wasn't the ti to think about that. Facing an enraged Mai in full fury mode, he imdiately went on high alert.
Dance of the Nine Tails!
Mai launched herself at Ryuji, slamming her elbow toward his shoulder. Even though she was furious, she didn't intend to actually kill him—just teach him a painful lesson and remind him of the dignity of the Shiranui-ryu style.
But—
Ryuji was faster. Both his reflexes and his reaction speed outclassed hers.
In an instant, just as Mai launched her attack, Ryuji activated a blood energy technique. With a swift sidestep, he dodged the initial strike with ease.
Mai landed in a crouch, imdiately realizing her elbow had missed the mark. She had made a mistake—she still hadn't fully mastered this ultimate move.
She quickly tried to transition into the next phase of the Nine-Tail Dance, raising her hips to counter-attack…
But it was already too late.
Ryuji had turned and instinctively grabbed her arm, pulling it outward to prevent her from striking again.
As she thrust her hips backward to continue the move, her upper body lost montum due to Ryuji's grip—and her soft, bouncy butt slamd directly into Ryuji's crotch… where his dick had, unfortunately, already beco quite hard thanks to her earlier "demonstrations."
The mont the familiar firmness pressed against her butt, Mai's mind went blank. When she realized what she had just bumped into, her thoughts shut down entirely. Her entire body froze.
anwhile, Ryuji, now overwheld by the soft, springy sensation, couldn't help but recall how it had felt that one ti they did it.
Though it had only lasted a short while, the mory was burned into his mind—surpassed only by the few days and nights he had spent with Alexstrasza.
Why? Because it had felt amazing… and because it had ended all too quickly.
That short mont left a long-lasting impression.
Driven by that mory, he reflexively thrust forward twice—only then realizing they were both still clothed, and Mai hadn't agreed to anything intimate.
The fabric between them couldn't block the sensation of her soft curves and firm ass. It was enough to ignite desire—but not enough to fulfill it.
So close… yet still out of reach.
That mix of frustration and yearning was almost unbearable.
Ryuji froze, caught between temptation and reason. In that mont of hesitation, Mai finally snapped out of her daze. Her body trembled violently as the mories of that night returned.
That overwhelming pleasure…
That sha…
That mont that completely destroyed her relationship with Andy.
Sensing Mai's trembling, Ryuji spoke with sincerity.
"Uh… So… would you believe if I said that was a misunderstanding? I an…"
Before he could finish, he saw tears fall from Mai's face. He imdiately let go of her hand, but Mai didn't run away, didn't lash out, didn't attack him. Instead, she slowly sank to her knees, covering her face with her hands as she began to cry quietly on the spot.
"Uh…"
Ryuji crouched beside her, staring at the petal patterns on her outfit. After a brief pause, he said:
"Wanna stab ? Just once, though. Any more than that and I might actually die."
If it was just one stab, as long as it wasn't the head, even a wound to the heart wouldn't kill him—not with Dragon Fire and Life Return techniques to fall back on.
But Mai didn't raise her hand. She just looked at him, her teary eyes glowing with resentnt.
"You bastard! You bastard! You absolute bastard! Are you my nesis or sothing?! Why is it that every ti I et you, sothing awful happens to ?!"
Everything she had once cherished, everything she had once built—this man had destroyed it all. And the worst part was, he'd done it with an innocent smile, perfectly justified, effortlessly rational.
She couldn't even hate him.
And that made her even angrier.
"If it's too much… then fine, I'll take responsibility for all your misfortunes," Ryuji said with a shrug. "Didn't I tell you before? You can hate all you want—though it won't do you any good, since you can't beat anyway."
Ryuji was never good at persuasion.
He was only good at seduction.
"You bastard…"
Mai let out a laugh through her tears—not out of joy, but because she was furious.
"What gives you the right to take responsibility for ?! You didn't even do anything wrong! From the beginning to the end, it's been throwing tantrums at you! You didn't have to help revive the Shiranui style! None of this is your burden!"
She was truly angry now. Who was Ryuji to her anyway? What gave him the right to keep forgiving her like this? Did he think she was so helpless little princess in need of pampering?
"Well, see… pretty girls have special privileges with ."
Ryuji spoke his life philosophy with no sha.
To him, beautiful won did have privileges. And those who'd slept with him? Even more.
"You only fucked my ass once! Don't get ahead of yourself!" she shouted, shaking with anger. "Just because you had a good ti doesn't an you get to act like this forever!"
She was so mad she grabbed him by the collar.
"You're not my dad! You're not even really my friend! What gives you the right to tolerate all this from ?! Aren't you the one who believes in gender equality? Huh?! Hit , damn it! Hit like a man!"
Ryuji stared at her, baffled. Her fury made no logical sense, and yet… seeing her in such a state, he didn't have the heart to snap back. Even though punching her would be the fastest way to calm her down, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Still, this request… was insane.
"That might be the most ridiculous thing anyone's ever asked ."
Ryuji raised his arm, made a fist, and under her intense, nervous gaze—gently tapped her on the forehead.
"There. One punch. Feel better now? Or…"
His finger pointed toward her chest, which was rising and falling from her heavy breathing.
"...do you want to touch here instead? But let warn you, if you let touch them, things won't stop there. You'll get pregnant. I'm not kidding. Now co on, stop being mad. Isn't your biggest wish to revive the Shiranui-ryu? I'll help you do it."
Ryuji's voice was unusually serious.
He was even ready to stake his pride on this promise.
After all, Mai had fought beside him through thick and thin. She was soone he had once fantasized about. Even if they couldn't be lovers, he still wanted to be her friend.
After all, he really wants to visit the King of Fighters world, and it would be really good to have a good relationship with Mai.
And honestly…
Yeah, he was definitely attracted to her.
But looking at his still-joking expression, Mai suddenly felt like he was nothing but a shaless, irredeemable bastard—and she was the biggest fool in the world.
Her misfortune… was eting this hopeless pervert.
And worse yet, she couldn't even reject his kindness. She couldn't resist. She had no way to stop him from wrecking her life—her old life.
And yet...
Looking at Ryuji, and then down at her own hands, Mai realized sothing she didn't want to admit.
She needed soone to rely on.
She always had. As a child, she leaned on her grandfather. Then Andy. And even if she were to marry soday, what she truly wanted wasn't just a husband—it was soone who would help her restore the Shiranui-ryu, soone who loved her, soone she could love, and soone she could never leave.
This bastard…
Staring at Ryuji's face, she rembered how she had felt seeing him together with Shinobu… that strange, jealous unease.
And realizing that, she finally let go of his collar and sighed.
"…Forget it."
"Huh?"
Ryuji blinked, confused.
"I accept my fate. You can do whatever you want in the future..."
She shot him a look of disdain, then turned around and kicked him to the ground. Without another word, she strutted back into her room.
And Ryuji…
"Hey! What the hell was that for?! You just accept your fate and then kick ?! What part of that makes sense?! You think I've got infinite patience just 'cause I let you throw tantrums? Explain it! If you don't, I swear I'll crush your—!"
He shouted after her, outraged. He treated her like a comrade, and she treated him like so lovesick simp?
How could he let that slide?!
But Mai only looked back at him with a blank, wooden stare… and slamd the door shut.
Then, for the first ti in a long while, she lay down and peacefully fell asleep.
She thought to herself, Ryuji's not so bad, I guess.
Resigning herself didn't feel so awful.
And Ryuji?
Ryuji thought this woman was completely insane.
~~~~~~~~~~
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