Chapter 88: A Genius's Lie
That shocking Downward Punch (Gedan-zuki) threw the remaining mercenaries into disarray.
Once morale broke, it couldn't be recovered.
Without firearms, facing Orochi Katsumi's pursuit, they could only flee in panic. In the end, they were either kicked away or jumped into the sea.
Only two or three were left, circling back to stall for time, but defeat was only a matter of time.
Not far away, the group watched the battle wrap up.
Suddenly, Kei heard a message in his earpiece. Kure Fusu giggled, "Shiraki-chin, reach out and brace yourself!"
Kei assumed the position, bending his knees slightly and taking a deep breath.
The next second—Swish!
Fusu descended from the sky, jumping straight from the high observation deck. Carrying her backpack and sniper rifle, she landed steadily in Kei's arms.
Kei bent his knees further, absorbing the impact of the fall.
"Whew! I've always wanted to try that!"
Once Kei was steady, Fusu put a hand on his shoulder, about to get up, when she noticed his eye twitching, as if enduring pain.
"? No way... am I that heavy?"
Fusu felt a little embarrassed, thinking Kei's arm might be injured.
But Kei tilted his head, gesturing downward.
Fusu followed his gaze. The sniper rifle barrel was too long and was currently planted firmly on Kei's instep like a cane.
Fusu: "..."
Fusu: "...Oops, hehe!"
The girl stuck out her tongue, grabbed Kei's shoulders, and pushed off with her right arm, doing a one-handed handstand on his shoulder before flipping beautifully to land on the ground.
"It was getting boring up there, so I came down."
Fusu slung the rifle over her shoulder and updated Kei on the situation.
"The smuggling ship and the pier are swarming with Kakerou's men now. IDEAL's people have been forced back. The MPD probably won't interfere."
"So I figured, to prevent Kakerou from flipping the table, 'close range' is more convenient."
She said this openly, clearly intended for others to hear—a precautionary threat.
Hearing this, the "Sweeper" Yako Jouichi narrowed his eyes. Smelling the blood on Fusu and noting her eyes, he murmured, "Professional assassin... Kure Clan?"
"That's right, Grandpa."
Fusu's eyes rolled, her black sclera and white irises fixing on Yako Jouichi, then locking onto the Kakerou Leader beside him. "Speaking of which, Kakerou and the Kure Clan have collaborated, and clashed..."
"...As expected."
The Leader leaned against the wall, rubbing his chin.
"[Usogui] reeled in Kyara, and the Kengan Association has the Kure Clan. My earlier 'judgment' wasn't wrong. Accepting the Kengan match was correct."
"Luck accompanies correct judgments. And until now, I have never made a wrong judgment..."
The Leader looked at Kei. "In other words, my luck is excellent tonight. So, in this Kengan match—I will still win."
"My, seems you're very confident in your fighter!"
Fusu teased leisurely, but after turning her head, she whispered a warning to Kei. "Confidence is justified. That 'Orochi Katsumi' is definitely extraordinary..."
Veins bulged around her eyes. [Release] activated, revealing Katsumi's physical data at a glance.
"Height 185cm, Weight 115kg—such an excellent physique, combined with superb motor nerves. He's a born martial artist!"
Kei listened silently to Fusu's analysis.
Meanwhile, only one mercenary remained. Katsumi grabbed him by the collar, dangling him in the air.
"Haha! That was satisfying!"
Katsumi looked back at the crowd and noticed another beautiful girl had joined them. He whistled.
"Nice, Shiraki-bro! Does your dojo have a women's division? We should hold an exchange match with the Shinshinkai women's division sometime. It'd be lively!"
"Speaking of which, because I hit a pervert too hard last time, the girls in our division seem a bit afraid of me. Breaks my heart..."
Kei listened to Katsumi's complaint but didn't reply directly. Instead, he signaled Baku.
Baku understood immediately and tossed Kei a pickled plum (umeboshi).
Kei tore open the package and bit into the plum. It was salty and sour; he still couldn't get used to Baku's taste.
But one of Baku's catchphrases fit this moment perfectly.
Kei mimicked [Usogui]'s tone. "Katsumi-bro, you lied..."
"Hm?" Katsumi paused.
Kei grinned. "If the Shinshinkai really wanted a mixer, I'm sure the Kure Clan would be happy to participate—but actually, your attention isn't on that at all right now, is it?"
"You just want to act 'like you used to'."
Kei stared into Katsumi's eyes, combining his masters' teachings to analyze Katsumi's current state.
"You've had too many new insights recently, improving rapidly."
"But years of teaching told you that training requires gradual progress, so you forced yourself to calm down."
"That's why you're trying to act like before, being flippant, playing the playboy."
"But in reality—" Kei raised an eyebrow. "Your excitement is overflowing!"
"..."
Katsumi looked at Kei, then laughed helplessly, sighing long and hard.
"Is it that obvious?"
He tossed the mercenary into the sea and walked toward Kei, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
"Because I'm a genius... I used to think I was different from everyone else, that no one could keep up with me..."
"But just like now, besides my old man, there really are people who can see through my lies. This feeling isn't bad."
Katsumi stood in front of Kei.
Their heights were similar, their gazes level. Their eyes shone with a faint light.
Their auras mixed and intertwined. From the side, even the air seemed to blur and distort, obscuring the background.
Katsumi couldn't help but reminisce. "Not long ago, that night, I experienced a pyrrhic victory and a crushing defeat."
"Facing the World's Strongest Brawler—that 'Hanayama Kaoru'—I was knocked down three times. My teeth were broken, ribs shattered, legs crushed... only then did I finally snatch a victory."
"And facing that [Ken-Oh] Retsu Kaioh, I was knocked out in one hit. Lost cleanly."
Katsumi looked at his hand, his gaze profound.
"That's what fighting is. Using everything you have, against different opponents, to fight for that victory that hangs by a thread."
"It could be an ugly win where you barely survive, or a total loss from a single mistake."
"Unknown opponents, unknown outcomes, unknown territories—you can never be sure who wins or loses."
"Fighting is really awesome..."
Katsumi slowly clenched his fist, raising his forearm toward Kei. "Shiraki-bro, you think so too, right?"
Kei also clenched his fist, raising his right forearm to bump against Katsumi's. "Even the kids in my old dojo know that much."
"...Haha!"
Katsumi laughed, scratching his head helplessly. "Embarrassing. I only realized it recently."