Compared to this official Kengan match between Toyo Electric and Totsuki Corporation, all of Mutou Judai's previous fights could be described as small skirmishes.
After all, Toyo Electric hadn't sent any particularly valued fighters before, and while the opponent in the match against Yoshioka Bookstore had sent a representative fighter, the actual stakes weren't high, so although they fought, it wasn't that serious.
But this match was different.
If Totsuki Corporation lost this match, then Erina, the first heir of Totsuki Corporation, would become Toyo Electric's tool!
And if Toyo Electric lost, then Totsuki would gain single-digit percentage shares of Toyo Electric!
Kengan was an extension of business warfare, and compared to the previous Kengan matches Mutou Judai had participated in, this match truly embodied this point. This could be said to be Mutou Judai's true Kengan debut battle!
Toyo Electric was also taking this very seriously. Although they didn't send their representative fighter Julius, they used a favor to request external assistance.
That was the legendary fighter famous throughout the Kengan Association—Tiger Wakatsuki Takeshi!
...
"Is this data wrong?"
At the front desk of this Kengan match venue, two staff members were organizing intelligence sent by both Toyo Electric and Totsuki Corporation.
Then after seeing Tiger Wakatsuki Takeshi's data, one of the staff members asked in surprise.
Because the materials showed Wakatsuki Takeshi's physical information as: Height: 193cm, Weight: 193kg!
"His height and weight are the same!?"
Seeing this physical data that formed a perfect square, like a gas tank that had gained sentience, this staff member still thought there was an error in data entry.
After all, how could a human's height and weight be the same!
But the veteran employee beside him just glanced at it and shook his head.
"The data is correct."
"But..."
The newcomer wanted to say something more, but the veteran employee spoke first.
"Tiger Wakatsuki Takeshi, current record is—306 wins, 2 losses!"
"This guy is a real monster. The reason his physical data is like this is because he was born with muscle fiber density fifty-two times that of ordinary people! When he was born, he weighed 12,150 grams, more than four times the average! He's one of only dozens of cases worldwide with superhuman physique."
"And as he ages, his muscles don't degrade—his muscle strength continues to grow over time."
"They say when he was seven, he could easily crush specially-made titanium alloy, he could burst sandbags that ordinary fighters train on with a casual hit, and even reinforced concrete walls couldn't stop his punches!"
This...
This new employee felt like he had opened the door to a new world, then after being stunned for a moment, he reacted.
"This... Senior, how do you know all this... you're not fooling me, are you?"
Hearing him say this, the veteran employee shook his head.
"I can understand your reaction—after all, when I was a newcomer and heard such intelligence, I had the same reaction... but don't underestimate this world, newcomer."
"As for how I know this..."
The veteran employee looked at the newcomer meaningfully.
"That's because if you stay in the Kengan Association long enough, you'll definitely know these things... none of this is secret, and Tiger... didn't earn his reputation relying solely on this talent."
"I can assert that the winner will be Takeshi."
Before the match even started, while the arena was still being cleaned, someone in the audience said this.
After hearing this statement, the person sitting beside him instinctively wanted to question it. But when he turned around, he saw clearly what the guy beside him looked like.
—This guy wasn't an ordinary spectator, but a rather famous fighter in the Kengan Association, the super popular wrestler, Prison Angel Sekibayashi Jun!
At this moment, Sekibayashi Jun was holding his muscular, thick arms. Noticing the person beside him looking at him, he spoke again to explain.
"I don't mean to belittle that super rookie Mutou Judai. Although he's only fought a few matches, he definitely has first-class or even super first-class level."
"Mutou Judai is undoubtedly a talent who can bring waves to Kengan matches."
"But such people... Mutou isn't the only one."
Sekibayashi Jun looked at the arena very seriously, various memories flashing through his mind.
"Man-eaters, supernovas, reformers, saviors... many guys who were hyped to the heavens have appeared in the past."
"For example, a karateka who could kill polar bears with a single straight punch, called the possessor of god-slaying fists."
"For example, a man called someone who advanced modern fighting technique history by a hundred years, whose name is definitely mentioned when discussing the strongest men—a legendary mixed martial artist."
"For example, a man with the same superhuman physique that exists in only dozens of cases worldwide like Takeshi, called a Nordic monster possessing power that all humanity cannot match."
"Then there's the man who has always led South American underground fighting circles—people who fought him supposedly found themselves defeated when they came to their senses."
"There's also a jujitsu practitioner with 500 victories who has never been defeated, and even someone called a chosen one who surpassed the Fang of Metsudo, with a completely unknown past, using mysterious martial arts—a genius."
At this point, Sekibayashi Jun smiled.
"—But all these guys were defeated by Takeshi. And it was overwhelming victories—those confrontations couldn't even be called battles, they were simply beaten up by Takeshi!"
"In Takeshi's three hundred-plus battles, those who could truly fight him were only Hatsumi Sen the Cloud and Kanoh Agito the Fang of Metsudo."
"Takeshi has only lost to those two."
So...
"I feel like I've seen many matches like this one, I've seen people more arrogant than that Mutou Judai, more famous than that Mutou Judai, and more exaggerated in performance than that Mutou Judai... I've sat in this position many times wondering if Takeshi's legend would be ended, but the result is that I'm still sitting here this time, and I'm making this assertion with certainty."
"—The winner will be Takeshi!"
Sekibayashi Jun said this.
And while this active fighter was saying this, the venue had finished being cleaned.
Tiger Wakatsuki Takeshi and Tiger Mutou Judai now appeared from their respective contestant passages, and under countless lights, the previously quiet audience erupted in cheers like a heat wave.
However...
—All these cheers were for Wakatsuki Takeshi!
Even though this was a venue chosen by Totsuki, it felt like Wakatsuki Takeshi's home ground!
Mutou Judai looked at the man before him.
He didn't know if it was because of these cheers or some other reason, but anyway... when he saw this man covered in lean muscles who came on stage wearing only shorts, his blood burst with unprecedented fervor and excitement!
Every factor in his body was boiling, roaring!
Anticipating being able to fight this guy!
But Mutou Judai still used a curse.
However...
When the curse fell on Wakatsuki Takeshi, Mutou Judai saw a somewhat unexpected but completely reasonable symptom.
—Gastrointestinal dysfunction (non-fatal) (mild) (lasting one hour)
This...
This level was completely different from previous levels.
This was really very light, even with 'mild' written in the modifiers—but this was indeed a problem that curses could cause.
This would really only affect this guy at critical moments.
Phew—
So after seeing this status, Mutou Judai prepared to use this to affect the opponent's condition during their first clash, giving himself the first-move advantage.
As for after that...
Mutou Judai didn't notice his own expression, and there was no mirror in front of him.
But anyway, he was smiling now, more happily than ever before.
And while showing this smile, he thought to himself:
Since the curse status is like this, and I can't apply new curses to the opponent within the hour they have this curse status, then...
—Let me follow these battle-loving factors brought by either Hanma Blood or that Royal Blood, and have a proper fight with this opponent!