Critical Hit!

-76 Hp

I grunted in pain from the impact. The fight had been going on for a whole 15 seconds and I was already in a bad spot. Geez she was fast! Not to mention her first hit just so happened to Crit.

The hell!?

It was a good hit, I'll admit, but a Crit? According to the System, only getting struck in a vital spot or performing a perfect counter could Crit. So how in the hell did she pull it off?

Was she using cheat codes? The gut punch hurt, but it definitely wasn't a vital spot nor was I countered, so what was going on?

I gained a bit of distance from her, as much as the sparring circle would allow. Checking my Health, I couldn't help but frown. It was down to nearly 200 from one hit. It didn't help that the injuries sapped 20% either. Actually, that's about how much her attack did.

Luckily I learned my lesson from the last time I was in a fight, and my Stamina was fine, over 100. I recovered quite a bit during practice, so I should be able to last. But I could only take about 3 or 4 more hits like that. After that, it was game over.

What was worse is that it seems Crits ignore all Defense, including from clothes, Stats, and even my Underdog Title. That was a real downer, especially the clothes. I just got ones with Defense damn it, and you're telling me it's useless?

"Giving up already?" taunted Tatsuki. She was waiting for me to get my shit together, how considerate. She also had this mocking smirk on her face.

"You wish," I taunted back, and slowly began to approach her. Her speed took me by surprise last time, it wouldn't happen again.

As I got closer, her guard tightened, and she pivoted her weight onto her left foot. It was a subtle thing, and if I hadn't been Observing her for the last hour or so, I might have missed it. She was winding up for a good kick when I was in range.

Knowing what was coming and doing something about it were two very different things, but it wasn't like I could back out now. I just had to take it head on.

Like I thought, as soon as I was within range she snapped a blindingly fast kick at my face. I managed to pull my head back just enough to avoid it being taken clean off, but I could still feel the wind from it.

Noticing her attack didn't connect, she spun around and aimed another kick at my stomach with her opposite foot. This one was harder to see coming, but I managed to cross my arms in front of me and tanked it. My Hp dropped a few points, but nowhere near as much as it would have if I hadn't managed to block in time.

I slid back a few feet with Tatsuki hot on my heels. Guess she didn't want me to recover, aren't I lucky? I kept my guard up as she landed punch after punch on me. I took it all, waiting for my chance to strike.

Too bad it would never come. She must have seen she wasn't doing much of anything to me, so she changed her tactics. She snapped a kick straight up, right into my guard and broke it.

My eyes widened comically as she gave a savage grin, and performed another spin kick. I couldn't guard or dodge, all I could do was take it.

Critical Hit!

-84 Hp

I grunted as I flew back and rolled onto one knee, one hand bracing against the ground, the other holding my stomach as I glared at her. She gave me a "come and get me" look, the kind I would rather her give me from the bedroom.

Damn, this wasn't going all that well. But so far, I've been playing it defensively, hoping to outlast a timer I couldn't see to beat a Quest. But that wasn't working out so well, so it was time to shift strategies. I would take the fight to her.

She seemed surprised as I charged at her. Good, that means I was more likely to get a hit in. Her guard was back up by the time I reached her, but she seemed unsure of what I would do.

Too bad she hadn't been Observing me for the last hour, like I'd been doing to her. That sounded more stalkery than I intended but, whatever.

I pulled my right arm back to deliver a strong front punch to her face, her arms crossed in front of her, and her legs bracing for the impact. Too bad it was a feint.

I didn't stop my punch, instead I intentionally missed, my punch going wide to the left. I used the momentum to spin myself and deliver a vertical backhand strike right into her guard, copying what she just did to me.

Her eyes widened as I broke her guard. She looked just as helpless as I did mere moments ago. Let's see how she likes getting kicked in the stomach. It wasn't a spin kick I delivered, but a strong front kick Spartan style.

It was her turn to be sent flying onto the mat. She landed hard on her perfect little ass and flipped onto her stomach. She stayed there for a few seconds, before making her way back to her feet much quicker than I was hoping.

Checking her Stats, it seems I managed to take out around 50 Hp with that attack. That's nice and all, but she still had about 4x my own health. Yeah, there was no way I was beating her at my current level.

Her hand was holding her stomach as she stood, "Ow, man that hurt. I can't believe you copied my move like that," she complained/complimented.

"Well you know what they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery," I said, watching as she retook her stance. I didn't mind the dialogue exchange, that just meant the ticker would rise even more, even though I wasn't entirely sure that's what was even going on. But just in case…

"Is that so? Well, thanks for the compliment," she snarked as she approached me for our next bout. I had a feeling this would be the last one.

Her hand snapped out like a snake, almost faster than the eye could see. But I didn't need to see it to dodge it. It whipped pat my cheek, nearly leaving a burn. But her attacks didn't stop there.

She brought her hand back and released a kick next, aiming for my head. I ducked under it and went for a punch of my own, but she bobbed her head out of the way. Her next punch came hard and fast, aiming for my kidney. I couldn't dodge, so I tried to block, only to realize too late that it was a feint.

My realization came in the form of a kick to the side of my knee. I wasn't prepared, and almost went down. It didn't do much damage, thankfully, but then again, it wasn't meant to. It was meant to knock me off balance, and it did that beautifully.

Before I could correct myself, I found a knee in my gut.

-22 Hp

Luckily it wasn't another Crit, but it did knock the wind out of me. I stumbled back a couple of feet, as Tastuki got into another stance. This one looked like it was all about power, her body was to the side and her right hand was pulled back, ready to deliver a devastating punch.

Looks like she wanted to end it here, but wasn't quite ready to throw in the towel just yet. I pulled my own arm back, ready to meet her blow for blow.

Tasuki took a step forward, and I could practically see the aura around her fist. Shit, was she using Reiryoku subconsciously? In that case, I better use my Ability, Power Punch, to even the odds, cause I still couldn't figure out how to use that stuff.

We thrust our hands out, both of us giving our all, releasing mighty yells as we did so. Our fists collided against each other. They stayed stalemated for a moment, as the class watched on in awe. But even if she was using her Reiryoku, she didn't know how to control it, and therefore, wasn't able to overcome my superior strength.

With a final push, I managed to fling her fist out of the way, leaving her vulnerable. Her eyes widened as she seemed to realize this as well, and I took that opportunity to tackle her to the ground. If this was a real Karate match, I'm sure that would have disqualified me, but since it wasn't, I would use everything in my arsenal to win.

Or at least, complete the Quest.

I straddled her, grabbing both of her arms and pinning her to the ground. "Hey! Let me go!" she shouted as she squirmed beneath me. But she couldn't get out, I was simply too strong.

Honestly, I'd prefer it if she were straddling me, and the squirming was for completely different reasons. No, I can't think like that right now, focus! Just hold her down until her Sensei calls the match.

Looking at the floating, translucent box above her head, I could confirm that she did indeed use Reiryoku.

Tatsuki Arisawa (Lv 18)

Health: 450/528

Stamina: 325/396

Reiryoku: 480/504

It wasn't much, and I'm pretty sure she wasn't conscious of the fact, but she did indeed use it. And if she could do it, I could do it. If I can't, then I join the other third string characters on the sideline.

Which will never happen. I'm clearly main character material.

After about 30 seconds of fruitless struggling, her Sensei eventually called the match. "Enough! The winner of this match is Ushio!"

Hearing this, Tatsuki ceased her struggle, and I rolled off of her, completely spent. That sounded dirtier than I intended. I still had plenty of Stamina, but the bout did drain me about 40 points. So while it wasn't low, losing that much in such a short time, about 2 minutes give or take, left me feeling fatigued. That wasn't even taking into consideration the mental fatigue.

The rest of the hall was completely silent. The only noise that could be heard was mine and Tasuki's labored breathing.

"Ah man! I can't believe I lost!" Tatsuki complained as she sat up. I remained laying right where I was, the ground feeling rather comfortable at the moment. I gave her a look, seeing her clench her fists in frustration, her jaw clenched so tight her dental bill could send her dentist to the Bahamas.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. If this was a Karate match, you would have won," I said, trying to console her. I'm not sure it worked, given the angry look she shot me.

"That just means if it was a real fight, I would have lost," she responded. Okay, fair enough, she had a point. I couldn't really argue against it without sounding patronizing, so I didn't.

"Why don't we call it a draw then?" I suggested. She gave me a look, ruminating on the suggestion, before sighing and standing up. She turned to me, and held out her hand, a soft smile on her face.

There was a real beauty behind all that tomboy.

+2 Affection to Tatsuki Arisawa (13/100)

"I can live with that," she said, as I grabbed her surprisingly soft hands and she hauled me to my feet. But she didn't let go of my hand, and instead, pulled herself in close, "But next time, I'm kicking your ass."

I stared into her cocky grin and gave her a confident look of my own, "Bring it on!"

"That was awesome!" shouted a familiar voice. Turning, the two of us saw the person who shouted, revealing herself to be none other that Karin. She approached with a big grin on her face.

"Hey Karin, you made it," greeted Tatsuki. She gave her little sister figure a matching smile, as they gave each other a hug.

"Yup, just in time," she said. I looked at the two of them confused. They seemed to notice my confusion, before giving me sheepish grins and explaining.

"You see, when you were changing I gave Karin a call and invited her to watch our spar. I thought she'd enjoy it, you know?" Tatsuki said. I raised my eyebrow at that.

"You thought she'd enjoy watching me get my teeth kicked in huh? Sure you weren't just trying to show off?" I asked with a bit of mirth.

"N-no, of course not," she said, looking away. I only chuckled at her embarrassed look, which only served to make her face even redder. Seems like I caught her red handed.

Karin even gave her a smarmy look as we teased her, until she had enough of it that is, "Alright that's enough! You want to go again right now!?" she growled at me.

I backed away, arms raised in a placating manner, "No I'm good, but thank you for the offer."

Karin chuckled, even as she gave us a slightly suspicious look, "Honestly, I didn't expect you to win," she said. The two of us turned our attention back to the young girl, which may have inadvertently saved me from a beating. Girl cannot take a jab to the ego.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"Gee, thank you for your honesty," I said with sarcasm. She must have picked up on my sarcasm as she responded with, "No problem." Cheeky little devil.

"Well, if we're being truthful, I didn't expect to win either. I'm just lucky this wasn't a Karate match, or I'd have been screwed."

+1 Affection to Tatsuki Arisawa (14/100)

Tatsuki gave a cute, embarrassed little blush at the praise. Karin gave another suspicious look, but before she could interrogate the older girl, Dojima Sensei made his way over.

"I must say young man, that was a rather impressive bout. I thought for sure our Tatsuki would emerge victorious, but it seems I have forgotten that there is no such thing as a certain outcome when it comes to battle," he said. Karin and Tatsuki gave him a respectful bow, while I gave him a nod of recognition.

It's not like I could blame him for thinking Tatsuki would win, considering I believed the same thing. It was nice to be able to prove the both of us wrong.

"I'm sorry I let you down Sensei. I promise, next time, I won't lose," Tatsuki said. Way to make a guy feel guilty. Not like I could have thrown the match, as I'm sure either her or Dojima Sensei would have figured it out, and then I would have been screwed. My sweet, sweet rewards would have gone by-by.

Speaking of rewards, I really hoped they hurried up so I can check exactly what it is I got. Not knowing was starting to make me feel antsy, but I couldn't exactly check with them right there. Last thing I need is for them to catch me staring off into space and pressing imaginary buttons. They'd probably have me committed.

"Nonsense, you didn't let me down in the slightest. This just shows a gap in your training, and that blame lies with me," he stated, stroking his beard in thought. Tatsuki tried to protest, but he would hear nothing of it.

"I had been preparing you solely for sport, and had not considered you may wish to learn techniques to properly defend yourself outside of the arena. For that, you have my apologies. If you wish, we can begin training in such techniques during our next session."

Tatsuki seemed thrilled by the prospect, and bowed her head even lower, "I promise, you won't regret it!" He gave her a soft, almost grandfatherly smile, before turning back to Karin and I.

"That goes for you two as well, should you so wish," he offered to us. Karin gave a bow similar to Tatsuki, accepting immediately, and even I gave a bow this time, thanking him for the offer.

"And for showing me the errors of my ways, I offer your lessons free of charge, young Ushio, so you have no excuses not to attend," he said to me. Guess that means I passed the Quest, and judging by the eager looks of the girls, I had no choice but to accept.

"Thank you for your generosity, Sensei. I look forward to your instruction," I said. He gave another smile, "As do I. Defeat can teach you many things, even if you are not personally defeated. Today, you have defeated my teachings, so it is only proper I thank you for the lesson."

With that he walked away, the three of us watching him go for a moment. "You know, he says it's to thank me, but I get the feeling he wants a bit of payback for beating you," I said with a sardonic look on my face.

Karin and Tastuki shared a look, before giggling. "Yeah, Sensei can be a bit prideful. I look forward to your misery," Tatsuki said with cheer.

"As do I," commented Karin with a grin.

I rolled my eyes at them, "Well, at least I'm in good company." No I did not say that with any sarcasm. I was being completely sincere.

+1 Affection to Tatsuki Arisawa (15/100)

+1 Affection to Karin Kurosaki (24/100)

Stupid tomboys and their desire to see me in pain. I'm not a masochist, damn it! If this keeps up, I might develop some weird tendencies.

"Hey, um, Ushio?" questioned a voice. I looked to see Karin looking nervous, a small blush on her face as she looked anywhere but at me.

"Yeah?" I responded with a raised eyebrow. She seemed to take a minute to gather her courage as Tatsuki and I watched her with confusion. She clenched her fists, before looking up at me with determination.

"W-would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I've been practicing my cooking, you know, and we can celebrate your shocking victory," she asked. Oh right, I had almost forgotten about that, but did she have to put it that way? I heard a snicker come from Tatsuki as she looked at my ashen face. Damn her.

And there was no way I could turn it down. Much like last time, she was giving me such a hopeful look that there was no way I could refuse. Not like I would anyway, since I already accepted the Quest.

So with a resigned smile, I agreed, "Sure, I did promise after all."

+2 Affection to Karin Kurosaki (26/100)

+1 Affection to Tatsuki Arisawa (16/100)

Karin's face lit up, "Great! I'm sure you'll love it!" Her happy, beaming smile did not make me feel better about my impending doom. I know for a fact I'm going to get poisoned from this, and I was not looking forward to the experience.

Not to mention, school started back up tomorrow as well. That was another thing I wasn't looking forward to. Oh well, grin and bear it. Remember, it's all about the grind.

"I'm sure I will too. Let me just go home and shower, and then I'll head right over."

"Ok, I'll let everyone else know. See you soon!" she said with a grin before running off. Nice to know my impending suffering brought her so much joy. Maybe I should pick up some medicine on the way home? But what's good for food poisoning…

"Somebody sure is smitten," Tatsuki teased me. "I can't remember the last time she was this excited."

I rolled my eyes at her, "Excited to see me suffer maybe."

Tatsuki chuckled as she listened to me grumble. "Come on, it won't be that bad you big baby. If it makes you feel better, I'll be there," she told me with a punch to the arm.

"Oh goody, another person to take joy in my pain. Is this because I beat you?" I asked, rubbing my arm.

"No, no of course not. Whatever gave you that idea?" she asked back. I might have believed her if it weren't for the shit eating grin on her face.

"It's a good thing you're cute," I said, before I started making my way toward the locker room.

+1 Affection to Tatsuki Arisawa (17/100)

"Hey, what do you mean by that!? You can't just say that and walk away! Get back here!" Tatsuki shouted with a blush as she ran after me. I ignored her completely as I walked down the hall, even when she put me in a chokehold.

Which wasn't the punishment I think she thought it was, considering the left side of my head was pressed against her chest. Her boobs might not have been super big, but they were a perfect combination of soft and firm. If it weren't for the noogie she was giving me, I might have started to doze off.

So all in all, it was totally worth it.

Thankfully by the time we made it to the locker rooms, there was no one left inside. Which meant I could finally check my Status without looking like a freak.

-Quest Complete-

Sparring Match

You have been challenged to show off your skills, however meager they might be. Do your best to impress Furin Hall's Sensei and Tatsuki Arisawa.

Rewards

-Gain 150 Exp

-Affection gain +5 to Tatsuki Arisawa

-Free Karate Lessons

-Unlock Karate Fighting Style

Hidden Objective

Defeat Tatsuki Arisawa

Rewards

-Gain 1 Level

-Gain 5 Levels to Streetfighter

-Unlock (True) Karate Fighting Style

-Gain 3 Stat points

Well isn't that something? This whole ordeal netted me two entire levels, sweet. And with a further +5 Levels to Streetfighter, that brings that Skill up to Level 11. I must have gained one from fighting Tatsuki as well.

Now, what was (True) Karate Fighting Style? I assume it had something to do with what Dojima Sensei was saying earlier, about how regular Karate was for competition, and not for real battle. But let's check.

(True) Karate Fighting Style (1/100)

A fighting style developed for the battlefield. Unlike its counterpart, Karate Fighting Style, this Fighting Style is meant to kill your opponent. Makes Critical Hits even easier to land and further increases Damage dealt by Criticals. Also reduces the Damage one takes from Critical Hits.

-Increase Critical Hit chance by 0.5%

-Increase Critical Hit Damage by 2%

-Reduce Damage from Critical Hits by 1%

My eyes widened at the skill, almost tripping over myself as I placed a foot inside the pants leg. I compared it to the normal Karate Fighting Style, which I still unlocked. The Crit Damage and Crit chance were both doubled, and it didn't even have the reduction ability.

Hang on, if the Skill worked like the rest, that means it reduced Crit Damage by 1% per level right? Doesn't that mean I'll be immune to Critical hits when it's maxed at? Talk about broken.

Its only real weakness is if the opponent is also immune to Critical hits, but even then, that reduction is sweet. Street Fighter might just become my back-up Fighting Style, just in case I do run into somebody I can't Crit.

Wait, doesn't that mean Tatsuki's fighting ability was about to double? And I have to spar with her some more? Shit.

Oh well, the Skill was worth the future pain I would be in. Especially since I'll be leveling it at the same time.

But more important than future pain, was current pain. I closed the locker door with a sense of dread, leaving my Karate gi inside. In just a few short hours I would probably experience the joys of dysentery, and I would have an audience to boot.

I quickly made my way outside, flinching slightly from the harsh light. I placed my hand in front of my face to block the rays of the sun as my eyes became accustomed to the brightness.

Looking around, I noticed that once again I was all alone. "If you're looking for young Tatsuki, she has left for home already."

I turned to the voice, only to be greeted by the sight of Dojima Sensei, watering a pot of flowers. Was he a damn ninja? I didn't notice him at all!

Wait, what was he saying about Tatsuki? She wasn't here? Darn, and here I was, hoping to see the tomboy in something other than a Karate gi. Oh well, I'll just have to wait until dinner I suppose.

"I see. Thanks Sensei, guess I don't need to wait for her then," I told him.

He nodded, not taking his eyes off his plant. "She said something similar. About how you must be washing your hair with how long you were taking in the locker room. Not sure what she meant by that though."

Well, obviously she was making a joke about me wanking it, because I belong to the No Hair Club For Men . And yes, the carpet matches the drapes.

"Did she now? How rude of me to keep her waiting," I said with grit teeth. Insinuating I was in the locker room beating my meat? Troublesome girl really does need a spanking. "Well then, I'm off. Until next time."

He waved me off as I left, heading directly for my crappy little apartment. Thankfully, it wasn't too far and I made it there after about twenty minutes of walking. I could have ran, but I figured I would need as much Stamina as I could get for what was to come.

I entered my shack and looked around at the barren room. Recently, I had been placing most of my things into my Inventory, especially my comfy bed. It was literally the nicest thing I owned and I didn't want some asshole to break in and steal it. Plus, I could use it to take a nap wherever I go.

It was definitely one of my smarter decisions, if I do say so myself.

Now before I hit the shower, I should pick an outfit for my upcoming Quest. Something nice, in case they have to bury me in it. If I end up going to the Soul Society today, then I need to style on the dead.

Unfortunately, I have zero clothing that would accomplish that. I sighed, once again lamenting my financial affairs. At least I wouldn't be eating ramen tonight, so that was something. Speaking of ramen, I'm pretty sure I have an infinite supply of the stuff. No matter how much of it I eat, there's always more. Guess the Game didn't want me to starve right off the bat.

You know, thinking about it, my situation was kind of weird. And not just because I'm in a whole new world inhabiting the body of my alternate self. That was only part of it. But I have yet to run into anybody who knew the previous me.

Didi he have a place of work? How else could he afford to live? What about family or friends? Nobody has been by to see me, not a one. Was this guy just a loner, or was there something else at play?

For asking the real questions you gain +1 Intelligence

Wow, it only took you one week to figure that out. I'm impressed, seriously. Good job. But to answer your question, it's a bit of both actually. The Ushio Tenma of this world had no family left that he knew about, and very few friends, so it was easy to remove him from their memory.

I wasn't sure what to think about that. Somebody's whole life was just erased on the whims of a higher power seeking amusement. Would that happen to me as well? Would I end up being forgotten by the few people I know?

Would that little girl I died to save forget about me as well?

That is a possibility, though it is an unlikely one. You are currently designated as entertainment. So long as you fulfill that role, you should be fine.

"You know, that's not as comforting as you may believe it is," I said out loud. With a tired sigh, I brought my bed out of the inventory and laid down, staring at the stains on the ceiling.

Entertainment huh? Fucking hell, how messed up is that? My whole life, usurped and turned into a spectacle. This had to be Karma for something, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what.

Whatever, as long as I win the game, everything should be fine. That's what I've convinced myself is the truth, if for no other reason than to hide the fear inside. The fear I don't want to admit exists for fear of it taking me over.

What was that old saying? The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself? How appropriate.

I know I need to take a shower, but I don't feel like getting up. So instead I decided to play with the map. Opening it up, I noticed there was a new Icon showing Tatsuki and where she lived.

Seriously, this thing is a stalker's best friend.

Clicking on the Icon, I was surprised to find out it pulled up her Scan data, as well as what she was currently doing, which was the thing I was supposed to be doing, bathing. Getting all soapy and wet, washing every last inch of her tight little body.

Great, now I want to take a shower for a whole different reason. I'm becoming Ichigo.

Clicking out of that before it could distract me even more, I decided to check some of the shopping features. Maybe there was some cheap clothing I could buy?

Clicking on the one for clothes a new menu popped up, kind of like the one for Amazon. Or any online store really. I decided to hit the brightly colored tab that said SALE. Figured that was a good place to start.

And it was. At a normal price, I could only afford a single pair of pants, at most, with my current funds. But looking at this, I could get a few things for the same price. How convenient.

Looking over the options, I went with a simple pair of jeans, a white undershirt, and a short-sleeved dress shirt that had the image of a goblin biker on the back. The whole thing cost me about 1,500 Yen, which left me with about 1,000.

But hey, at least I have some decent clothes now. And with the Infinite Ramen Cheat, I was good on food for a while. I'm sure if that's the only thing I eat there will be consequences, but for now, it will have to do.

And the best part was that it would be delivered in about 30 minutes. Perfect, I could take my shower and then change into some nice, clean clothes. I might be a cosmic joke at the moment, but I could still enjoy the little things.

Which did not include a lengthy shower scene. As much as I enjoyed the comforting embrace of the hot water, it only lasted about ten minutes. That's it, ten fucking minutes. What kind of shitty hot water tank did I have? God damn it, one more thing to have replaced.

At this point, maybe I should just think about moving. It might be cheaper than replacing everything in this dump. But then again, I wasn't paying rent here either. At least, as far as I know.

Did that make me a squatter? Was I stealing the power? Am I enabling the communist takeover?

*Sigh*

No, you are doing no such thing. The amenities of your home are paid for by beings beyond your comprehension. So don't worry about it. However, if you do decide to move, this will no longer be the case.

"You say that, but now I'm more worried than ever. I don't want to be in debt to something like that," I said. But I also didn't want to pay…

Hm…

Well, it's not like I could afford to move right now anyway.

"Hey, is there some way I can improve this place? Give it a much needed makeover," I asked. I know I could hire a carpenter and everything, but a simple menu would be nice.

The Home function is locked until you survive your first day of school. Using that, you can make basic improvements. For more exclusive enhancements, you need to find specialty shops and unique individuals. Once you do, their services will be available on the Map.

Sweet, so after tomorrow I'll finally be able to start upgrading this bitch. Sweet. But there was something about the wording that had me on edge.

"What did you mean by survive, exactly?"

Don't worry about it.

"That just makes me worry more!"