Jaden knocked Muteba backward with two clean punches, forcing him into a relatively open position. Without hesitation, he followed up by casting a curse.
At the same time, Erina-having been pushed away by Jaden-turned and ran toward the rear.
She trusted Jaden.
But she also knew something else very clearly.
If she stayed here, she would become a burden.
They had agreed long ago.
They would fight side by side.
Just not on the same battlefield.
-Jaden, I'll leave this to you.
That thought passed through Erina's mind as Jaden's curse landed squarely on Muteba's bald head.
Then-
-Hair Loss (Non-fatal)
(Duration: 1 hour)
"...Seriously?"
Jaden stared at Muteba's already bald head and sighed.
"Forget it."
He shifted his focus.
The man in front of him was slowly raising his hands, as if preparing to make a move. Jaden ignored the curse's effect entirely and locked his gaze onto the opponent.
He didn't know who this man was.
That was precisely why he had chosen a non-fatal curse.
He wanted the man alive.
He wanted answers.
If this was Toyo Electric, he would remember it.
If it was someone else-someone who got ideas after he defeated Takeshi Wakatsuki-then he would respond accordingly.
As for the opponent's objective, there was no need to guess.
Kidnapping.
Why else would he be here?
It was just him and Erina.
There was no chance the target was Jaden himself.
That would be absurd.
He had just defeated Takeshi Wakatsuki.
Anyone with basic reasoning wouldn't be trying to hire someone to kidnap him right now.
As that thought crossed his mind-
The man moved.
Muteba Gizenga.
-If you were a mercenary, there was no way you hadn't heard this name.
Among mercenaries, it wasn't just a reputation.
It was a legend.
A myth.
The World's Strongest Mercenary.
That was Muteba.
A man who had charged alone into enemy territory armed with nothing but a small knife.
A man who had wiped out a fully equipped squad barehanded.
If someone like him entered a Kengan match-where weapons were forbidden-his strength would undoubtedly be restricted.
But this wasn't a Kengan arena.
There were no rules here.
Weapons were allowed.
Knives.
Guns.
Even bombs.
This was a battlefield where Muteba could unleash his full power.
Under Jaden's gaze, the world's strongest mercenary slowly raised both hands.
The smile on his face never faded.
His voice was calm.
Composed.
"I surrender."
"...Huh?"
For a moment, Jaden thought this was some kind of trick.
A tactic.
But when he narrowed his eyes and observed carefully, he saw it clearly.
The man's fighting spirit was gone.
His muscles had relaxed completely.
If Jaden attacked right now-
The other side wouldn't be able to react at all.
Even so, Jaden didn't lower his guard.
He waited.
Only after Erina returned with people, surrounding the area and restraining the man, did Jaden finally frown and tap his temple with a finger.
"Is something wrong with your head?"
The man had approached uninvited.
He had ruined the moment between him and Erina.
He had openly admitted to a kidnapping attempt.
And after taking two punches-
He surrendered.
That made no sense.
It was ridiculous.
Muteba smiled at Jaden's question and began to explain.
"There's nothing wrong with my head."
"I simply judged that continuing this would be extremely disadvantageous for me."
"The mission I accepted was kidnapping."
"Kidnapping generally pays more than assassination."
"But even at that price, the reward offered was far below what this mission actually requires."
"If the client wanted me to capture the little kitten next to you, the price would be reasonable."
"But capturing you alive?"
"Even assuming I use poison or tranquilizer weapons..."
"The price he offered is still absurdly low."
"So I judged that the client had already breached the contract unilaterally."
"In that case, the mission is no longer valid."
He continued without pause.
"The information provided was also flawed."
"And you, of course, want to know who is targeting you."
"The world's best chef."
"In that case..."
"Why should I continue fighting you?"
Muteba spoke casually.
Clearly.
The smile on his face deepened as he went on.
"My mercenary instincts tell me you're extremely dangerous."
"With the equipment I currently have on me, defeating you is unlikely."
"A sniper rifle... no."
"I'd need at least a rocket launcher to feel confident."
"In this situation, a direct confrontation gives me almost no chance of victory."
"And running away from you?"
"That alone would leave me severely injured."
"After that, I'd still need to deal with your bodyguards."
He shrugged slightly.
"Attempted kidnapping without success isn't a capital crime in this country."
"As for everything else..."
"There are ways to handle it."
"If surrendering allows me to stay alive and avoid excessive injury..."
"Then surrendering is the most logical choice."
"Even if you interrogate me or beat me afterward, I judge that to be far easier than escaping from you."
"So I surrender."
"What happens next is up to you."
For a moment-
Even Senzaemon Nakiri, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, didn't know what to say.
He had lived a long life.
But this was the first time he had encountered someone like Muteba.
Clear-headed.
Transparent.
Whether he should be called unconventional or simply too straightforward-
Just looking at him gave a strange sense of freedom.
He knew Jaden couldn't openly beat him in front of Erina after everything he had said.
He also knew that if he confessed honestly-and perhaps offered some cooperation afterward-Totsuki wouldn't make things difficult for him.
That was why he acted this way.
If the mission target had been Toyo Electric, Muteba would have chosen an entirely different approach.
But this was Totsuki.
So he adapted.
That left Jaden feeling strangely helpless.
Kure Fuki, however, looked genuinely surprised.
"Your employer asked you to kidnap Mr. Jaden..."
"What exactly were they thinking?"
At those words, Muteba's smile finally disappeared.
"I'd also like to know if there's something wrong with their head."
"If they don't have a personal grudge against me..."
"Then I can't understand their reasoning at all."
"So I'm willing to provide all information about the client."
"I'm even willing to guide you and assist."
"Just to prove that everything before this was, in fact, a misunderstanding."
Seeing his attitude, Jaden's fighting spirit completely drained away.
At this moment, he resembled Hanma Yujiro watching Kaku Kaioh die of old age in the ring.
Once the anger faded-
There was nothing left but indifference.
He curled his lip slightly.
"Do whatever you want."
...
Azami Nakiri was currently inside the same hotel as before.
He stood calmly, looking at the six people gathered in front of him, and slowly smiled.
If Erina were present, she would have been shocked.
Because every single one of them was familiar.
The people standing before Azami Nakiri were-
Members of the Totsuki Elite Ten Council.
First Seat - Eishi Tsukasa.
Second Seat - Rindou Kobayashi.
Third Seat - Tousuke Megishima.
Fourth Seat - Momo Akanekubo.
Fifth Seat - Soumei Saitou.
Sixth Seat - Nene Kinokuni.
Six out of the ten Elite Ten were here.
Originally, there should have been seven.
But Etsuya Eizan had been completely traumatized by the incident involving the Kure Clan.
He had since become nothing more than a tool-helping Jaden make money as atonement.
This time, when Azami tried to contact him, Eizan avoided him entirely.
-He no longer wanted to be involved in anything like this.
After that, Azami had used every method available to persuade Tousuke Megishima.
That effort led to the current situation.
"Very good."
Azami's voice was calm.
"As long as all of you agree, we can dismiss the current Director of Totsuki."
"I will then assume the position."
"I swear to change the current state of Totsuki."
"And through it, reshape the culinary world of this country..."
"...and eventually, the entire world."
He spread his arms slightly.
"And today, I called you all here..."
"To watch a good show."
As he said that, Azami thought of Muteba already taking action.
His smile widened.
Soon.
Very soon.
Jaden would be dragged in front of him, bound, wearing an expression of disbelief.
At that time-
He would demonstrate his methods.
Discipline the Elite Ten.
And remove the obstacle named Jaden.
Everything felt perfect.
Then-
The door was kicked open.
With a loud crash, Muteba stormed in alongside a team of bodyguards.
He walked straight up to Azami Nakiri, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
Like a chick.
The six Elite Ten members froze.
This-
Was the "good show" their prospective new Director had promised?
They weren't fools.
Or rather-
They weren't that foolish.
The moment they saw this scene, they all understood the same thing.
-They had followed the wrong person.
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