I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

And so, the finals of the arm wrestling tournament began.

Technically, this had nothing to do with the original purpose of the swimsuit contest, but the crowd was even more hyped for this than the main event.
They say the most entertaining things to watch are fires and fights—and I guess this fit right in.
Ryuji and I stood face to face on the stage.

The last time we’d ended up on opposing sides like this was when our class had been split into teams for dodgeball.
Thinking back, Ryuji had held his own against me pretty well during that game.
I had chalked it up to “protagonist buffs” at the time, but maybe he really had been training on his own.

"Let’s have a good match, Yu-seong."
"Yeah, you too, Ryuji."
We shook hands and leaned over the table.

Floating just behind Ryuji was that foreign ghost again, watching us curiously.
Then the MC, acting as referee, grabbed our joined hands and said:
"Ready—"

The moment he spoke, I felt pressure build in Ryuji’s grip.
Just from that alone, I could sense his burning competitive spirit.
I hadn’t intended to hold back, but this wouldn’t be easy.

"Start!"
With the signal, Ryuji’s grip clamped down hard.
I glanced at him, feeling the unexpected force he was exerting.

Physically, Ryuji was what you'd expect from a fit high schooler—nothing more.
There was a huge difference in size and mass between us, and yet he was pushing out absurd strength.
Was this one of those "condensed muscles" tropes from shounen manga?
Things that shouldn’t be physically possible were happening right in front of me.

No wonder Yoshida lost earlier—this strength clearly surpassed normal human limits.
And from the audience’s point of view, the scene spoke for itself.
"A close match! It’s a deadlock!! Just where is Sakamoto Ryuji pulling out that monstrous strength from that small frame?!"

We stayed locked in place.
A perfect stalemate.
Of course, I was holding back just a little.

If I used my full strength, Ryuji’s arm would probably snap back instantly.
But even accounting for that, his power was undeniably beyond the norm.
If I kept holding back, I might actually lose.
"Hup!"

I gradually began to ramp up my strength.
A thick vein popped on Ryuji’s forehead.
He was clearly going all out.

Meanwhile, I still had energy to spare.
Our very foundations were just on a different level.
"Rrrrrahhhhh!"

With a shout, he gave everything he had, pouring more strength into his right hand.
But once the balance had begun to tip, there was no way to restore it.
Ryuji’s arm slowly started tilting sideways.

"YAAAAHHHH!!"
The crowd roared as the momentum shifted.
Most people probably expected me to win from the start.

But Sakamoto Ryuji had already exceeded those expectations.
Even if he lost, no doubt people would say he "fought well."
"Contractor, you’re starting to hit your limit," said the ghost, patting Ryuji on the back.

But Ryuji was too focused to respond.
I was surprised by his obsession—he just wouldn’t give up.
Was Ryuji always this competitive?

Then—
The ghost looked down at me and shook his head, as if exasperated.
"I don’t know if you can hear me or not," he said, "but I’ll assume you can. Three seconds after I finish this sentence, I’m going to possess the contractor’s body. His physical abilities will increase drastically. But I don’t want a comeback win using that. Get ready. And if you’re a warrior, don’t run from this challenge between him and me."

What?
Caught off guard by his declaration, I didn’t have time to react before he started counting aloud.
"Three."

"Two."
"One."
I instinctively surged power into my arm.

And at that very moment—
"Now begins my time."
Ryuji’s presence changed completely.

***
As soon as I heard that line, I felt déjà vu.
Now that I thought about it—back during that dodgeball match, Ryuji had suddenly gotten way stronger after muttering some chuunibyou-style line.

I’d assumed he’d just been hiding his real skill, but looking at it now, he must’ve been possessed by the ghost even then.
CRACK!
Suddenly, Ryuji’s grip felt two—no, three times stronger.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling. His grip was actively increasing in real time.
I wouldn’t have noticed in the past, but now that I was used to manipulating energy, I could tell.
An orange aura was beginning to rise from Ryuji’s body—the same yang energy I used.

That ghost must be channeling it.
But according to what Fuma-senpai had told me, it was impossible for a ghost—a yin-based being—to wield yang energy.
And yet, this contradiction was happening right in front of me, forcing me to reconsider what I thought I knew.

Ryuji’s wrist, which had been tipping, started climbing back up, and the audience went wild.
The most notable reaction came from below the stage, where Satoru shouted:
"It’s Dark Mode Ryuji!"

And the ghost possessing Ryuji smirked.
"So you can see me, modern warrior."
I realized I could no longer stay silent in front of him.

The fact that I wasn’t instantly overpowered as soon as he possessed Ryuji was proof enough.
"What’s your goal?"
"Don’t be so wary. I have no intention of harming my contractor. My only aim is to fight the strongest warriors in the world."

Oh great… he’s one of those shounen manga ghosts.
Even as I listened to his nonsense, I didn’t lower my guard.
Despite his eccentric behavior, his skills were real.

That aura pouring off of Ryuji’s body wasn’t just for show—it was pushing against me, moment by moment.
He really did know how to control ki.
There was no way I was going to lose to that, so I awakened the senses in my own body.

A rippling orange light flared up from within me, spreading across my entire frame like a shimmering haze.
As my body became fully enveloped in ki, the ghost possessing Ryuji shouted:
"As expected! My eyes weren’t mistaken! Brilliant! To think a modern warrior could wield this level of Tut-Ra!"

I, meanwhile, stared at Ryuji’s crumbling dignity and shouted desperately:
"Please, shut up already!"
"Fwahahaha! Delightful!"

But he only burst out laughing even louder and unleashed an even stronger wave of aura than before.
"Tch!"
I had thought he was formidable before—but now he was on another level entirely.

If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve ended it quickly before he had a chance to possess Ryuji.
Grinding my teeth, I braced myself.
"Ooooooooh!!"

"Uwoooooooooh!!"
We clashed with full power, screaming at the top of our lungs as we each tried to force the other’s arm down.
This had started as just a mini-game, but now it was a pride-fueled showdown between warriors.

Then—
CRACK!
The table supporting our arms fractured.

The sudden imbalance shattered the stalemate.
I seized the opening and twisted Ryuji’s wrist.
"Kh!"

The ghost in Ryuji’s body glared and tried to hold out, but the shifted weight couldn’t be undone.
And then—
BANG!!

Ryuji’s arm slammed down on the far side of the table, and the MC, startled, quickly raised his hand.
"Match over!"
The murmuring of the stunned crowd was loud enough to reach the stage.

The MC glanced between the two of us, then raised my arm.
"The winner of this match is Kim Yu-seong from Korea!"
At that moment, the audience erupted in deafening cheers.

"Amazing!"
"Best arm wrestling match I’ve ever seen!"
"He lost, but he fought damn well!"

Cheers and praise poured down—not just for the winner, but for the loser too.
I reached out to Ryuji, who looked up at me with a blank expression.
The ghost in his body laughed heartily, took my hand, and pumped it up and down.

"Indeed! The priest was right—the world is vast, and full of strong warriors!"
He cackled like a lunatic, then, with a sudden seriousness, looked me in the eye.
"This time, it’s my loss. But next time—I won’t lose."

He really sounded like a shounen protagonist.
Moments later, the ghost exited Ryuji’s body.
As if waking from a dream, Ryuji looked pale as he turned to me.

"Wait—no one recorded that, right?"
I silently pointed to the camera still rolling backstage.