Deep in the forest, towering buildings.
This was on the outskirts of Osaka Castle, where, in the mountains, stood a mountain house that seemed out of time.
As if stepping out of the Heian period, in front of the house was a mountain stream and an exquisite small bridge. Beautiful girls in kimonos greeted and sent off guests by the bridge. Samba dancers, adorned with flamingo feathers, swayed their chests to the beat of drums, while turbaned Indian servers bustled back and forth.
The chill of early spring hung in the air. Men, stepping out of various luxurious cars, embraced alluring women draped in furs. Their high heels clicked on the stone slabs, their movements as graceful as possible, their hips and thighs taut under tight dresses.
This was Gokurakukan, a place of extreme pleasure where only true dignitaries could visit.
Like a replica of the former Yoshiwara pleasure district, this mansion was filled with decadent joy. It was rumored to have stood on the outskirts of Osaka for over a decade, and people said it had ties to the underworld, as a large casino and entertainment complex always had dirty dealings behind it.
What made it special compared to ordinary casinos and brothels was its ability to fulfill any wish. Winning guests would be respectfully escorted to VIP rooms, offered aged vintage wine, and accompanied by young, beautiful female managers for drinks. After a slight intoxication, they would be asked about their heart's desires.
No matter how extravagant the wish, it could be fulfilled here. For example, spending a night with a popular Japanese drama actress, having dinner with the Prime Minister – or vice versa. As long as you had enough money, you could make any request.
This place was too arrogant. No entertainment venue in Tokyo dared to simultaneously provoke the bottom lines of all the underworld organizations. You could see everything here: the latest drugs, young virgins, deformed monsters. The end of human desire was the lowest point of human morality.
At the pinnacle of Gokurakukan, a woman as beautiful and cunning as a red fox rode a gold-leafed elevator into the topmost Japanese-style suite.
She had taken off her high heels in the elevator, so as not to make any sound on the tatami mats. This top suite was divided by simple white screens. Through the open windows, moonlight spilled in, and a hand, white as transparency, picked up an unbloomed spring peach from a vase, then swept up lustrous long hair.
"Weary, oh weary, the hairpin bears witness, bestowed by the Emperor himself in bygone years. A farewell to feelings, in return for his momentary, profound favor."
"The heart's plight of the hairpin is entrusted to Mount, three thousand weak waters flow east, clouds and mist turn red again."
"The moonlight has long melted away, the path ahead is fraught, the path behind is lost, looking back, it's all in vain."
The moon's shadow sang of old song. He wore a blood-red wide-sleeved kimono, embroidered with large clusters of spider lilies. These plants from the Amaryllidaceae family were as red as flowing blood.
He was the most beautiful kabuki actor, yet he was also a man. This was normal; Japan's most beautiful kabuki actors were always men.
The red fox-like girl was captivated by the man's unparalleled beauty. The guests of Gokurakukan considered her the most alluring flower in this city of desires, but the man before her truly was. Compared to him, women were simply redundant.
The man sighed softly. The girl kneeled behind him, massaging him, and whispered,
"'Cocktail' accidentally fell into the hands of the Executive Bureau. We now have to withdraw all our personnel. All evidence was erased on the train from Tokyo to Hokkaido."
"The drugs made by Ryuzo Koyama are unreliable. That pervert is better off dead than alive. Kill him," the man said indifferently.
"Understood," the girl said softly.
"Just that high school student from Chiyoda Ward, how do you plan to deal with him?"
"He's a very interesting person." The man's lips curled into a smile that could topple nations.
"I thought he was just a mixed-blood stray, a stray dog my brother saw. But I was wrong, that's not a dog, that's a venomous snake that hasn't woken up yet."
"I've never seen such an interesting nightmare: a blank, serene, boundless lake, him sinking into the lake, another him rising from the lake, and countless broken mirrors."
The man's voice carried a rhythm like music. The girl listened silently. Nowadays, it was rare to find anything that interested him.
"Do you need to send someone to bring him into your ranks?" the girl respectfully asked.
"Go, send two 'Oni' shadow warriors." The man played with his paper fan, smiling innocently and joyfully.
"Isn't that perhaps overestimating him?" the girl frowned, speaking cautiously.
"This is an order!" The man suddenly grabbed the girl's neck, suddenly fierce like a beast.
"If I can't have him, then try to destroy him!"
"No one gets the toy I can't have... especially him!"
...
"Look, here's a coin. Put it in your palm~~~ Poof, see, a chocolate bar~"
In the Katsura family mansion, a refined and luxurious villa, Shin was playing with a young little girl who looked quite similar to Kotohana .
"Brother is amazing! I totally couldn't tell you hid the chocolate bar in your sleeve!!!"
Kokoro Katsura 's eyes widened, clapping her hands, looking utterly adoring. Shin chuckled, lightly flicking her head.
"Stop with your sarcastic remarks. I don't know where you learned that; you're completely different from your sister."
"I learned it from you, brother."
The little girl pouted unhappily. Shin grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and lifted her up like a kitten.
This girl had a really mischievous personality. When he and Kotohana first arrived, as soon as the door opened, this brat yelled, "Sister brought a man home!"
He didn't know if it was just a difference in sisterly personalities, or if Kotohana 's mother realized her elite education had turned her elder daughter into a semi-hermit. Kokoro was outgoing and direct, and the kind of popular kid in school.
But what difference was a popular elementary school kid from a brat...
He had been staying at Kotohana 's house for five days now. Just as he had said before, it was an opportunity and a reason for Kotohana to repay him, and Shin indeed needed a place to recuperate.
The shoulder injury wasn't serious, but it wasn't something that would heal completely in a short time. The System did have miraculous fast-healing items, but the problem was he didn't have enough points to exchange for them.
Shin needed to be in his most complete state to face the 'assessment' a few days later, which would send him to the One Piece world. So, although it might be a little awkward, it wasn't a bad idea to just stay at Kotohana 's house for care and treatment.
"Alright, alright, I'm done playing with you. I'm going to exercise."
Shin casually put down Kokoro, rubbed his shoulder, and prepared to go to Kotohana 's home gym.
It was said that only Kotohana , her sister, and their mother, who occasionally returned home, lived in this house, yet it was equipped with a complete set of fitness equipment.
"Brother, your physique is already great, much better than those male celebrities on TV. Why do you still train so hard?"
Kokoro pouted, her cute little face looking sullen.
"Exercising isn't just for health and good looks... I have a more important goal."
Shin smiled, rubbed the little girl's head, left the room, and entered the gym. Looking at the two 100kg barbells in front of him, he took off his shirt and began to train.
As Kokoro said, his physique was now impeccable.
Eight defined abs, a lean waistline without any excess fat, well-developed pectoral muscles. When his back muscles flexed, they looked like ancient tree roots, and his leg muscles could explode with strength Shin had never even dared to imagine before.
And his physique was definitely not the bulky kind found in typical bodybuilders; it was the classic "looks slender in clothes, muscular when shirtless," like the fighter Garou from *One-Punch Man*, a physique that combined power with aesthetic beauty.
Undoubtedly, these were all results of genetic modification. The Coordinator modification surgery optimized the genes controlling muscle and fat distribution, allowing him to achieve results several times greater than ordinary people for the same amount of effort.
Coordinators were indeed comprehensively superior modified humans compared to Naturals. One could say that, aside from the difficulty of natural reproduction, most of them could become superhumans in certain fields.
But Coordinators also varied in strength. Expensive genetic modification technology also determined how many gene groups were specially modulated based on the subject's aptitude and the amount of money spent.
Shin didn't know what level of modification surgery he had received. After all, in *Gundam SEED*, the distinction between Coordinator strengths was based on their Gundam piloting skills, not muscle strength. He didn't have a Gundam to pilot now, so he naturally didn't know if he could "seed" or anything.
But his cognitive and physical abilities had indeed made significant strides, far surpassing his former self as a Natural.
His arms moved like a water-filled bamboo mechanism striking a stone, completing regular and mechanical lifting motions. His bulging biceps swelled like mountains, and sweat flowed down his engorged veins.
Shin was not someone who enjoyed exercising before, as he didn't have much time, and honestly, he couldn't quite endure the suffering required to build muscle.
But now, the excruciating soreness that came from muscle cells metabolizing glucose into lactic acid after exercise — he didn't feel any hardship at all. His movements showed no distortion, like a machine without feeling, completing all the movements.
Overhead press, deadlift, front squat, Pendlay row, weighted squat.
After completing the full barbell routine, the soreness in his arms didn't affect his movements in the slightest. After a twenty-second rest, he began burpees, his movements as precise as a machine.
This was a testament to willpower, a higher level of control of mind and brain over the physical body, unaffected by reflexive bodily responses to various situations, maintaining precise movement requirements.
Undoubtedly, having achieved such a level of control over his body, Shin didn't need any combat training; he could easily defeat many professional fighters on his own.
Technique was merely used to compensate for a lack of strength. His superior control over his body and muscle groups meant he didn't need those superfluous techniques for compensation – though having them would certainly be better.
Shin's current physical stats included a maximum grip strength of 172kg, a best bench press of 276kg, a deadlift of about 380kg, and a punching power of 700kg.
These weren't particularly astonishing figures. All data did not exceed current ordinary human world records. If Shin was a Coordinator specialized in physical fitness, these numbers weren't outstanding.
Or, perhaps, he hadn't yet reached the peak capabilities of this Coordinator body.
But it was more than enough to deal with ordinary people. With this physical fitness and control, if he were to get into a fight, as long as the number of opponents didn't exceed thirty, he could easily handle them bare-handed. It wouldn't even be difficult to punch someone to death.
But... was it strong enough?
No, it was still far too lacking. Compared to the monsters in the One Piece world, even just ordinary people, this physical fitness wasn't particularly outstanding.
One must know that the basic daily training requirements for Marine Headquarters soldiers in that world were monstrous – two thousand push-ups, one hundred repetitions of unassisted hundred-meter rope climbs, two hundred laps of an hour-long track run, with an additional hundred laps if not completed, and daily combat training requiring mutual beating until unconsciousness.
This meant that every one of these fodder who were knocked out by a single burst of Conqueror's Haki in the Marineford War could run at least 20 meters per second, completely outclassing Usain Bolt. Their physical capabilities were beyond human standards on Earth. You'd need at least the physical prowess of Kyogoku Makoto just to barely get by.
And this was merely the training standard for ordinary Marine Headquarters soldiers. The standards for high-ranking officers and pirates were undoubtedly several times higher. Shin didn't even feel confident fighting the fodder, let alone those true monsters – he'd probably be gone in one hit.
So, even though his physical capabilities had approached human limits in just over ten days, Shin felt no sense of ease.
He needed to be stronger, to reach a more transcendent level, just to barely survive.
After getting off the treadmill, Shin tilted his head back and chugged an entire bottle of water. He let out a long sigh, his bare upper body muscles subtly rippling, faintly emitting white steam.
His body was crying out under the extreme training, yet his mind was remarkably clear. Within five seconds, he slowed his breathing back to its normal rhythm and plunged into the next wave of training.
He was training so intensely that he only noticed Kotohana coming up behind him when she arrived. Kotohana , now in a fitted, elastic sports outfit, blinked her watery eyes, gazing somewhat idly at his perfect physique.
"Phew~~~~ Kotohana ? You're back."
Shin stepped down from the equipment, quickly put on his shirt, and, while wiping sweat, spoke to Kotohana who had just walked in behind him.
Kotohana , who had just returned from school, immediately changed into a pink fitted elastic sports outfit. The tight-fitting sports pants outlined her long legs and shapely buttocks. Her slender waist had healthy, beautiful mermaid lines and a sexy little belly button. The sports bra on her upper body was uplifted, and her black long hair was tied back in a high ponytail, revealing her sexy and cute fair nape.
Dressed in a tight sports outfit, Kotohana had less of her pure and cute charm, and more of a healthy and sexy allure.
"Perfect timing. Let's do a set of warm-up exercises, then start training," Shin said blandly, wiping the sweat from his head. Whenever Kotohana met Shin's indifferent gaze, she always felt an indescribable sense of frustration.
This devil-like physique was a source of her inferiority, but also her confidence. A good physique could attract aggressive gazes from the opposite sex, but for Shin, it seemed to have little effect.
"Mm." Kotohana nodded obediently and began her warm-up exercises.
It was Shin's idea to have Kotohana train with him. He hadn't forgotten how to help Kotohana 'improve her self-confidence.'
In fact, one of the best ways to improve self-confidence is through fitness. After all, exercise makes people happy, and the dopamine secreted by the brain after exercise not only makes people happy but also makes them more confident.
Although Kotohana basically had no need for fitness in terms of her physique, and her body itself seemed to have no needs.
Shin had only recently found out that Kotohana , despite looking frail, actually possessed an excellent *iaijutsu* (sword drawing technique), a level of swordsmanship that could be called 'master-class' in modern society, capable of easily slicing leaves falling into water.
Kotohana hadn't systematically studied kendo. According to her, this *iaijutsu* was her 'family martial art,' and she hadn't practiced it since junior high.
Shin hadn't studied swordsmanship, nor did he know if Kotohana counted as a 'swordsmanship genius,' but he just couldn't understand how such a beautiful girl—outstanding in appearance, excellent in academics, skilled, and from a prominent family—had become so withdrawn.
Anyway, the gym was free, and Shin would only be staying for a few days before he had to leave. Spending an hour a day exercising was also beneficial for his studies.
"Chest out, arms straight, don't shrug your shoulders!"
Shin pressed close behind Kotohana , one hand on her shoulder, the other holding her slender, pale hand, correcting her movements with a serious and earnest expression.
Kotohana 's cheeks flushed slightly. The warmth and scent emanating from Shin, who was pressed close behind her, immediately sent her mind racing.
Although the instinctive fear of male physical contact made her want to pull away, she wasn't controlled by that knee-jerk reflex.
Shin inhaled the subtle fragrance wafting from the girl. In truth, he was also a bit flustered, Kotohana 's skin had the smooth feel of high-quality silk. However, his rationality effectively suppressed all inappropriate thoughts.
"You two look like the people in mom's room from those adult movies."
Kokoro leaned against the gym doorframe, arms crossed, looking teasingly at them.
"You guys are so perverted~~~"
Kotohana 's pretty face instantly turned red like a cooked crab, but Shin unhurriedly let go, walked over to Kokoro, and picked her up.
"Randomly slandering elders, and watching those messy things—I think you're asking for a spanking."
"Sister, save me!!!"
Kokoro waved her small hands, begging for help from Kotohana , who was still caught in a state of shy embarrassment. However, Shin flipped the little girl into mid-air with a smirk.
"Did you finish today's three practice sheets? If not, you're getting double bell peppers for dinner tonight."
"No!!!"
-----
Support me with Powerstones, Reviews and comments