The sun cut through the trees like fire that morning — warm, gold, and merciless. The forest’s air shimmered faintly from heat and aura pressure as Yumi and Kaizo faced off on a wide stretch of grass near the riverside clearing.

  Kaizo (arms crossed, his expression serious): “Alright, Grace. Yesterday, you learned to receive. Today, you’re going to believe.”

  Yumi (pulling her hair into a loose tie, smirking): “That’s your dramatic way of saying you’re going to hit me again, isn’t it?”

  Kaizo (cracks his neck): “Sure, if you want to put like that.”

  He steps forward, the energy around him shifting subtly — a quiet hum in the air. Yumi braces, exhaling through her nose. Kaizo’s palm flicks forward, faster this time. Her body stays still — no hesitation, no twitch of fear. The impact lands, but instead of stumbling, she absorbs it cleanly, her posture firm.

  Kaizo (nodding): “Good. That’s what I mean by precision. Confidence doesn’t mean recklessness. It’s knowing the result before it happens — trusting your stance, your skin, your energy.”

  They continue for hours — strikes, feints, pushes. Kaizo moves unpredictably now, blending real and fake hits. Yet Yumi begins responding before he even connects. Her focus sharpens. Sweat trickles down her temple, but her eyes are locked.

  Then, something new happens — faint gray patches appear across her forearms, shoulders, and ribs, right before Kaizo’s blows land.

  Yumi (noticing mid-motion): “Kaizo— my skin—”

  Kaizo (pauses, a slow grin spreading): “You’re doing it.”

  Yumi: “Doing what?”

  Kaizo: “Your skin’s reinforcing the areas you believe will be hit. That gray? That's the Pure Kakushin Manifestation. It’s a sign you’ve achieved body confidence. The strikes don’t just hurt less — they can’t break through.”

  (He steps back, crossing his arms as Yumi looks at her hands — her expression halfway between pride and disbelief.)

  Yumi (quietly): “So… I really did it?”

  Kaizo (smirking): “For the most part, yeah. You’re still not ready to take a truck head-on, but you’d walk away from a punch that’d crush a brick at the most. Expert level Kakushin is a bit different, but you’re officially at the advanced level.”

  Yumi (grinning tiredly): “You’re the worst motivator ever.”

  Kaizo (sarcastically): “What do you mean?”

  She laughs, collapsing onto the grass, chest heaving. Kaizo tosses her a canteen while Infinity slides out of a nearby bush, munching on a fruit like a newborn who just discovered milk.

  Infinity (smirking): “Nice show, muscle girl. You might actually survive Kaizo’s murderous intent.”

  Yumi (throws a pebble at him): “Go… eat somewhere else.”

  (As Yumi rests, Kaizo wipes sweat from his neck and glances toward a nearby ridge. A low rumble echoes through the valley — a sound too heavy to belong to thunder.)

  Kaizo (narrowing his eyes): “You feel that?”

  Infinity (tail flicking): “Oh yeah. That’s him.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  They climb the ridge — and there, under a massive shade tree, rests a PrimeBeast Gorilla. Its fur shimmered with streaks of silver-blue, its chest rising like a boulder with every breath. The creature lazily opens one eye to look at them.

  Infinity (grinning devilishly): “So, boss… you think you could take him on in a contest of strength?”

  Kaizo (without hesitation): “Yeah.”

  Infinity (surprised): “Well, well, well, look at who’s balls have grown.”

  Yumi (in disbelief): “Wait, what!?”

  Before she can protest, the two are already standing across from each other atop a nearby mountain shelf. Infinity floats beside them, tail twitching in excitement, placing boulders in each of their arms like a referee at the strangest competition ever held.

  Infinity: “Alright, rule’s simple! Lift until your arms screams for mercy. No cheating, no regeneration mid-lift!”

  Kaizo: “You sure the gorilla agreed to this?”

  Infinity (grins): “Oh, absolutely. He said you looked weaker than him. I might’ve exaggerated your strength.”

  Kaizo (groaning): “You’re gonna get me killed one day.”

  The contest begins. The PB Gorilla hoists a massive slab of rock above its head, veins pulsing across its chest. Kaizo matches him, his arms tightening as dust swirls around both competitors. One lift. Two. Ten. The ground starts to crack beneath them.

  Yumi (watching from below, eyes wide): “They’re insane.”

  Infinity: “Nah. Just guys being guys.”

  Infinity keeps stacking heavier boulders on their arms — ten tons, twenty, thirty. The air grows tense with the strain. Kaizo’s aura begins to shimmer faintly black, his veins standing out. The

  Gorilla bellows, pushing his limit — both refusing to yield.

  Kaizo (thinking to himself): “Alright, no more holding back…”

  His eyes flash red for a second — DNA sets syncing. He activates all three parts of the Strength Set, balancing them carefully to avoid internal backlash. His muscles harden, bones reinforcing, tendons vibrating with raw power.

  Kaizo (gritting his teeth): “Let’s end this.”

  He roars, blood beginning to rush out his mouth as he thrusts his arms upward with a final surge — the boulders cracking, splitting the mountain ridge in half from the pressure. The PB Gorilla’s strength finally falters. With a tired grunt, it lowers its stones and collapses backward into the dirt, panting heavily.

  Infinity (raising a paw): “And the winner… by absolute madness — Kaizo Nekodaira!”

  Yumi (staring in awe): “He… won? Against that thing?”

  Kaizo exhales, with his faint aura fading. He walks over to the fallen gorilla, kneeling beside it. The PrimeBeast watches him silently, then offers its arm. Kaizo gently touches the creature’s bicep, eyes closed, tracing the muscle’s shape with his fingers — slow, deliberate.

  Yumi (quietly): “What’s he doing?”

  Infinity (softly): “Gaining a better understanding of the Gorilla. The way their tendons layer, the flow of muscle — he’s learning. He doesn’t need eyes for it. Kaizo’s got a… natural sense for living things… I think.”

  The gorilla grunts approvingly, then slumps into sleep. Kaizo stands, flexing his own arm with a faint smile.

  Kaizo (to himself): “Efficient design. Dense fibers, minimal slack and insanely strong muscles.”

  Yumi just shakes her head in disbelief, half smiling. After asking Infinity what was so special about the gorilla, and receiving an extremely long exclamation about PrimeBeast animals, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing as Kaizo walked over to them.

  Yumi (flabbergasted): “So you're telling me all the animals in this forest are at higher evolution than normal ones?”

  Kaizo (nodding): “Mm-hmm.”

  Yumi (continuing): “And they’re abilities are tens of times more advanced from the originals?”

  Kaizo (nodding): “Mm-hmm.”

  Yumi: “And you were able to withstand that gorilla because of your DNA boosting abilities?”

  Kaizo (nodding): “Mm-hmm.”

  (Slight pause)

  Yumi: “You’re unbelievable.”

  Kaizo (shrugging): “You say that like that’s new information.”

  The day fades to dusk as the trio make their way down the ridge — Yumi’s confidence renewed, Kaizo’s understanding deepened, and Infinity, of course, bragging that he technically “organized” the strongest strength contest in the Jungle’s history.