Chapter 70: Member
The lights above the ring had just switched on, the bulbs barely warm.
The men in black were still clearing away the shattered concrete slab.
Nabemi Mikio was leaning close to Hyodo Kazutaka, inviting him to enjoy the spectacular Shinshinkai Karate, hoping to use this opportunity to rise in the world.
But the moment the referee announced the start of the match...
SWOOSH!
With the dull thud of a single punch, Suedo Atsushi collapsed, eyes unfocused, unable to rise.
"...Eh—? Huh???"
Even the experienced Kengan referee rarely encountered such a match. He almost didn't react in time.
He froze for several seconds before finally raising his hand.
"Vic... Victory decided!"
"The winner is—Shiraki Kei!"
Only after the referee announced the result did the people in the hall finally snap back to reality.
The Teiai men in black looked at each other, not quite understanding what had happened, only feeling that something amazing had occurred.
Kaji Takaomi stared wide-eyed, silently marveling that "Shiraki Kei" seemed even more formidable than he had been in the abandoned building.
Akagi Shigeru and Yako Hikoichi were slightly surprised, but soon smiled faintly, not finding the result unexpected.
The trio on the other side—led by the "Revolutionary" Sadakuni—remained stern and calm, letting out a cold snort without any change in expression.
But Suedo Atsushi's employer—Nabemi Mikio, President of Gyūmin Dining—was staring at the ring in disbelief, unable to stop the cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
W-W-What the hell just happened?!
A Shinshinkai 3rd Dan Black Belt... helpless before that guy?!
Now, he hadn't just lost a massive amount of side bets, but also the most important thing—his Kengan Association Membership, a privilege worth far more than money itself!
Miscalculation... A huge miscalculation!
Nabemi Mikio's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor, unable to recover.
Seeing this, Hyodo Kazutaka clapped his hands and burst into laughter.
"Kakaka!"
This Tyrant Chairman of the Teiai Group especially loved appreciating "real" things. Like the intrigues of fallen trash, the clashes of fighters in the ring... and of course, arrogant company presidents losing everything because of their own greed.
"That was a good show! Kengan matches... I'll watch more when I have the chance!"
Meanwhile, not far away, Akimiya Kaede couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, surprised by the result.
Shiraki Kei—although Chairman Nogi saw him as a strong fighter, his only actual record was the comeback win against [Nioh] Komada.
Moreover, Kei had clearly been injured recently and hadn't fully recovered. He might even have bone damage.
Being able to fight a second-rate fighter was reasonable.
But the opponent was a Shinshinkai 3rd Dan—at least on the same level as Komada. For Kei to achieve such an overwhelming victory now was something Akimiya hadn't expected.
Akimiya murmured, "Amazing..."
"Of course!"
Kure Fusu grinned, gently rubbing the corners of her eyes as the veins from her [Release] faded.
Thanks to her foresight, she had activated [Release] before the match started, greatly enhancing her vision, so she saw everything clearly.
"He's from the Shinshinkai, after all. That guy Suedo Atsushi has real skill. Practical full-contact karate is not to be underestimated."
Fusu blinked her black-and-white eyes, analyzing, "The key factor that decided the victory was the 'speed' of entering a combat state."
"...Speed?" Akimiya was confused.
Fusu explained further, "Suedo Atsushi—is clearly a 'slow starter.' He gets calmer as he fights, and the calmer he gets, the more dangerous he becomes."
"Therefore, Shiraki-chin chose a blitz attack, deciding the outcome before Suedo could get into his zone!"
Akimiya listened carefully.
As a secretary for a major corporation and a frequent spectator of Kengan matches, she had naturally heard of the "Kure Clan" in the underground world and knew of their distinctive eyes.
She hadn't expected Kei to have a friend from the Kure Clan.
After Fusu finished, Akagi Shigeru nodded with a smile. "I see. Thank you for the explanation."
On the other side, Yako Hikoichi also bowed slightly, teasing the girl. "Excellent eyes. The Kure Clan is truly fearsome."
"You still like to joke, Grandpa Yako," Fusu waved her hand casually. "With your level of 'force' as a Kakerou referee, surely you saw it too?"
The old gentleman smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.
But Akimiya Kaede acutely caught one word—Kakerou.
Kakerou?!
Looking at the underground world, there were countless secret organizations, but only a rare few could influence both business and politics.
The Kengan Association was one. Kakerou was on the same level, both dating back to the Warring States period.
Perhaps smaller in scale than the Kengan Association, rumor had it that Kakerou possessed numerous talents, with top-tier force and intellect.
Shiraki Kei has friends in Kakerou too?!
Once again, Akimiya had to admire Chairman Nogi Hideki's eye for talent.
A mere one hundred million yen entry fee was nothing compared to the value of this "person"!
The group chatted happily below the ring.
In the ring, as the fighter and owner of his own "Soul Combat Dojo," Kei received the "Kengan Association Membership Certificate" that originally belonged to Gyūmin Dining from the referee.
It was a specially made wooden plaque about the size of two palms, with the character for "Fist" (拳) written in ancient calligraphy.
"Congratulations, Shiraki-san. Please keep it safe."
The referee shook hands with Kei, unable to help marveling, "Being an owner and the fighter for your own company—that's rare even in Kengan history. I wish you martial fortune."
...
Kei thanked the referee and looked to the other side of the ring.
Suedo Atsushi was still unconscious.
He was a member of the "Shinshinkai" and a guest, so he couldn't be ignored.
Under Tonegawa's arrangement, several Teiai men in black brought a doctor forward to check Suedo's condition.
Seeing this, Kei stepped forward, asked the doctor to step aside, straddled Suedo, and slapped him hard on the face twice.
SMACK! SMACK!
Suedo was forcibly woken up. He sat up, struggling to open his blurry eyes.
Kei encouraged him from the side. "Nice. Tough guy!"
"...Tch!"
Hearing Kei's voice, Suedo grabbed his dislocated jaw and snapped it back into place with a crack. "Ah... mm..."
He tested his voice, looking extremely displeased, but resigned.
He could keep fighting if he wanted to, but a loss was a loss. If he pestered his opponent like a sore loser, he'd bring shame to the Shinshinkai. Suedo's pride wouldn't allow it.
He lost this time because his skills weren't refined enough. He just had to win next time!
But what annoyed Suedo even more was that while he wasn't making a fuss, Kei approached him proactively.
"Suedo-bro, the match is over, but we'll have chances to go again!"
Kei mimicked Suedo's earlier moves.
"Is this Orochi-style Karate? Nice. Awesome! How do you defend against those moves? I still want to try..."
Whether Suedo liked it or not, the two who had just fought walked out of the ring together like old friends.
Then, the high-spirited Hyodo Kazutaka ordered Tonegawa to prepare tonight's banquet to entertain the guests on the upper deck.
Tonegawa accepted the order, rallying the other men in black to get moving.
"Kakaka! The good show isn't over yet!"
Hyodo leaned on his cane, looking like an enthusiastic old man, but there was an indescribable hideousness and twist to him.
But for Kei, Suedo, Fusu, and the others, this was nothing.
Looking at the fighting arena or the underground world, twisted villains were countless. Even they themselves had "twisted" parts. Why overthink it?
The banquet was about to begin.
And after that would be the "Kakerou Gamble" between Akagi Shigeru and Sadakuni.
Akagi's side was lively, with Fusu, Akimiya, and even Suedo, who had been dragged over by Kei.
In contrast, Sadakuni's trio seemed a bit deserted.
Sadakuni—the tough middle-aged man with glasses, a beard, and short spiky hair—sat still as a steel statue.
His eyes, like a corpse's, stared straight ahead, filled with blood vessels, looking as if he wanted to destroy everything!
"Legendary gambler... [The Man of the Divine Realm] Akagi Shigeru. And the Kengan Association, Kakerou, martial arts groups, including the Teiai Group—"
"You are all pests rotting this country! I will exterminate every single one of you!"
"Tonight or in the future... none of you will escape..."
...
His muttering was loud enough for Kei's group to hear clearly.
But as mentioned before—no one cared.
Most of them were fighters, gamblers, or professional killers.
In other words, a group of "abnormalities" who frequently beat, destroyed, or even killed others. How could they be scared by such a "normal threat"?