Chapter Ninety-six: State of Mind

"Oh! One Punch Man delivers a vicious whip kick, utterly destroying the White Demon!" The commentator on the platform screamed wildly.

Inside the octagon, Tsukasa Aoki unleashed a savage barrage of whip kicks upon his opponent, a towering white man. Watching him limp, his face covered in blood yet still brimming with fighting spirit, Tsukasa's breaths grew rapid.

Strictly speaking, the system’s simulated primary training opponents were all significantly weaker than Tsukasa. At least, this so-called White Demon, aside from his height and build, lacked any outstanding skills in stand-up fighting. As for ground techniques? The White Demon couldn’t even get close. Whether throwing punches or kicks, Tsukasa easily dodged and countered.

After several whip kicks landed on the White Demon’s right leg, it was visibly swollen and bruised, and he limped with every step.

"Charge!"

"Finish him!"

"Destroy him!"

The cheers of the crowd and the commentator’s shouts stirred a strange excitement in Tsukasa. He bit down on his mouthguard, his expression fierce.

He wondered if, perhaps, there really was another bloodthirsty self hidden within him. Ever since he had slaughtered over a dozen people with a katana in the dream training room last night, he found himself increasingly at ease in situations like this. Just as when he battled Ueno Yo for supremacy atop Muyou, every punch landing on his enemy filled him with a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

How strange I am... Once, he had resisted such things fiercely, but now he almost enjoyed them.

Tsukasa gazed at his opponent, expressionless, continuing his assault. He moved quickly around the leg he had crippled, exploiting his foe’s inability to turn, unleashing punches and kicks with full force, holding nothing back.

"He's down!" The commentator shouted.

With a sudden change in trajectory, Tsukasa’s kick bypassed the White Demon’s defensive hands. Originally aimed at the waist, the kick shifted mid-air, smashing into the side of his face.

In the next moment, the White Demon collapsed like a fallen tree, hitting the ground with a thud, his body convulsing.

Tsukasa spat out his mouthguard, and as the referee approached to announce his victory, he spoke calmly: "Exit training."

Everything before him twisted once again, like an abstract oil painting, dissolving into pure white.

Sitting in the empty, pristine space, Tsukasa slowly lay down, taking deep breaths.

He felt he had changed. He used to be content with modest comfort; even after gaining the system, he simply wanted a carefree life, never harboring any grand ambitions. But for reasons unknown, he now found himself longing for more.

He stretched out his hands—once clean, white, and tender—now, even in the dream training room, he could see calluses forming along the joints. Tsukasa fell silent, closed his eyes, and pondered deeply.

"System, do you also feel I’ve changed so much?" Tsukasa’s voice carried a hint of dejection.

Today, Sora’s appearance had unsettled him, making him realize he truly had changed. The thrill he felt when punching, when landing blows on his opponent, filled him with fear.

[Have you ever truly known yourself?]

The system dropped its usual pretense, and its words plunged Tsukasa into thought.

The true self? In his mind, two different life experiences flashed by in rapid succession.

Once, in China, he studied diligently, burning the midnight oil countless times, striving for others’ hopes, only to end up a corporate drone. While others laughed and enjoyed their youth, he worried about what to eat tomorrow. He never argued, knowing he would gain nothing in the end.

He believed that patience and hard work would eventually bring freedom and happiness, but ultimately, he bowed under the weight of pressure, living as the person he despised most.

Nine to five, smiling at his superiors, laughing heartily at banquets as beer washed down his gut, then vomiting alone in corners, tears streaming from the pain of gastritis.

Tsukasa once loved a girl, but continually consoled himself, restrained and endured, believing he could barely care for himself, let alone another. In the end, he watched her marry someone else, his friends all forming families, while he comforted himself that his current life was enough. Eventually, he grew accustomed to loneliness and settled into his present existence.

Is that the real me? Tsukasa remained silent.

In his memories, another self who grew up in Japan never knew happiness either. A drunken father provided just enough to eat—that was his greatest fortune. He vividly recalled, in elementary school, ignorant children mocking him for being motherless.

But in this world, Tsukasa did not choose to endure. Instead, he raised his fists and struck at anyone who dared to ridicule him. Was he strong? No, the original Tsukasa of this world was not strong. In his memories, countless times he was beaten down, biting his lip in silence.

After his drunken father passed away, the battered Tsukasa, unwilling to struggle against this miserable reality, chose to end his life.

Was that Tsukasa's life his true self?

Was the Tsukasa who knocked down each enemy, feeling a surge of accomplishment with every victory, his true self?

He clutched his chest, the robust muscle giving him a sense of security neither life had ever afforded.

He hadn't been in this world long, but every scene, every person, was etched vividly in his memory.

Sora, smiling radiantly through tears; Maeda Tora, bold, fearless, and brash; Matsuyama Iwa, fierce in appearance yet kindly; Terakawa Shinmi, flawless in looks but always oddly eccentric; Busujima Saeko, wielding a wooden sword with elegance, her smile gentle; Akira, the red-haired boss from the TV drama; even the timid teacher Matsushita Kazuo...

All these images danced and flickered in his mind, finally merging into the reflection in the mirror: battered, cold-faced, supporting himself over the sink.

Tsukasa slowly opened his eyes. Before him, the space remained pristine and white.

"It truly is hard to understand oneself." Tsukasa sighed, sitting up.

The sudden surge of strength gave him, for the first time in his life, the ability to easily dominate others, and for the first time, he experienced what it meant to be a powerful man. The ambition that had flared up was merely the result of tasting power, enjoying being above others, and so his desire steadily increased.

He stretched out his hands, clenched them tightly before his eyes, his gaze resolute: "I am still myself. It’s just that, in this life, I have finally lived as I wished. Power has given me experiences I never had, but I will never be addicted to it."

"Even if I want to become the strongest delinquent, I never intend to act like a real delinquent. That’s enough!"

"Come on, system. Start another real combat training! I want to make every opponent in your primary MMA training arena search for their teeth!"

Tsukasa’s smile brimmed with confidence.

After all... I am no longer the person I was. That’s right, I am now standing atop Muyou, destined to be the strongest delinquent—Tsukasa Aoki!

I love this power, and I love the sense of security it brings! I love the respect and admiration from others, feelings I have never known. I love that this strength lets me protect my family and friends!

That’s enough!

That’s the Tsukasa Aoki I want to be!

That’s the life I desire!

Standing once more under the dazzling lights of the octagon, Tsukasa’s gaze was icy and eager, awaiting the next opponent’s arrival.

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(PS: Nowadays, people say that devoting effort to portraying the protagonist’s psychological growth is a thankless task—readers dislike it, and it’s difficult to write, so I’m hesitant. But I feel that if I don’t show these changes, it’s impossible to explain why the protagonist becomes so passionate in fights, especially since his original personality was so apathetic.

Some friends in the reader group may know that the village chief recently experienced some unfortunate events in real life. The updates you’ve seen over the past few days were written during that period, so perhaps the quality has indeed declined. But I’ve adjusted the upcoming plot quite a bit, so please be patient.

Recently, the pressure has been immense, and maintaining updates is not easy. I hope everyone can be more forgiving. Reading the reviews these days has been truly heartbreaking.)