CHAPTER 137: VISITORS FROM THE APEX
"I knew it..."
Nozomi Tenma let out a weary sigh, rubbing her temples.
A man like Doppo Orochi lived for the drama. Even if he knew every detail of the "Big Event" coming to Tokyo, he wouldn't reveal a single word. He wanted to see the look of absolute shock on everyone's face when the curtain finally rose.
Ren tried to bribe him with a high-end Wagyu dinner. He tried logic. He tried appealing to the Grandmaster's sense of mentorship. Doppo just smiled and picked his teeth.
Whenever Ren asked, the answer was always: "I have no idea!"
Ren eventually gave up, but he wasn't annoyed. He understood the "Flavor" of the Old Man. Besides, Doppo was right—if Ren couldn't beat the Super-Surgeon, he wouldn't be relevant enough to participate in whatever war was coming anyway.
"Nice! Simply perfect!"
Ren grinned, turning back to the group. "Since the Boss is keeping secrets, we'll just have to settle for lunch. You staying, Doppo-oji-san?"
"Eh~?"
Doppo pouted. "Didn't you say you were treating me to BBQ?"
Ren mimicked Doppo's earlier mischievous expression, his eyes twinkling. "Well, since you're holding out on the info, it looks like that steak dinner just became 'Irrelevant' to your future! Sorry, Oji-san!"
Doppo: "..."
Doppo: "That's cold, kid! Stone cold!"
It was a school day, so Arisa was away. Marco had taken his job as her bodyguard seriously; he spent his days wandering the perimeter of Koyo Academy.
Initially, the school's security had called the police on the "suspicious giant," but after Ichika Iori explained that he was a registered security specialist (and after the girls realized he had the personality of a golden retriever), he became a local celebrity. He was currently being fed bento scraps and sweets by half the sophomore class.
The Hub was quiet. Ren and Doppo decided to settle for a different kind of feast. They ordered a massive delivery from a legendary traditional confectionery shop—daifuku, yokan, and mochi of every variety.
Ryu had once noted: [A fighter's caloric output is immense. Perhaps that is why so many masters possess a legendary sweet tooth.]
Ren preferred the light, fruit-filled treats, while Doppo was a traditionalist, devouring bean-paste yokan by the brick. At home, his wife, Natsue, kept him on a strict diet, so he was using the Shiroki yard as a "Sugar Sanctuary."
As the picnic mats were laid out, Yuzuha Li and Fusui Kure finished their training cycle.
They had been trading mitt-work and defensive drills for an hour. Both were panting, their skin steaming with a healthy, vibrant sweat.
"Thanks for the rounds!"
"Good work, Yuzuha-chan!"
They wiped themselves down and headed over to the porch, only to spot the one-eyed visitor.
Yuzuha raised a hand. "Yo! Morning, Bald-and-Scruffy-Too-Oji-san!"
Doppo: "..."
Doppo: "!?!"
Doppo: "It's just 'Bald' now! I shaved the scruff this morning! This old man values his grooming standards, thank you very much!"
The girls giggled and headed for the showers. Doppo sat back down, taking a sip of tea, and looked at Nozomi.
"Say, Nozomi-chan. That little circuit of yours, Valkyrie... the police were sniffing around, weren't they? I heard 'That Group' stepped in to clear the air."
Nozomi nodded. "Yes. The Rokushin Kaikan elders provided the mediation. They're old friends of my senior, Kureishi-san."
"I thought so," Doppo mused. "The Rokushin and the Shinshinkai are the two titans of the Karate world. But while the Old Man at the Rokushin used to forbid his students from touching the 'Underworld,' the current head, Kenji Seiken, is a pragmatist. He knows how to play the 'Grey Zone' to protect his own."
Doppo took a slow sip of tea. "That's the benefit of a massive organization. You have the 'White' for the public and the 'Black' for the shadow wars. It makes you flexible."
"By the way, Nozomi-chan... the Shinshinkai has a female division, too. If any of our girls get too restless for the tournament circuit, I might send them your way. Keep a slot open for us."
Nozomi beamed. "Of course, Master. I'd be honored."
Valkyrie was growing. Ren's Hub was rising.
As Nozomi and Doppo talked, Ren leaned back against the porch pillar, closing his eyes. In his vision, the ink-wash lines of his mind were active. The yard was crowded with the phantoms of his Masters.
Ryu sat in a meditative trance on the grass, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Doppo's bean-paste snacks with a look of quiet longing.
Zangief was in the center of the yard, performing high-tension "Neck Bridges"—supporting his entire massive frame on his heels and the back of his head to strengthen his cervical muscles.
Jamie was lounged across a crate of Wild Turkey, enjoying the breeze with a confident smirk.
Luke was shadow-boxing near the construction fence, his movements high-energy and "lit."
Guile was performing a clinical inspection of the Hub's new equipment, his expression as serious as an audit.
The yard was a sanctuary of "Might." Ren felt a profound sense of peace. He didn't need fame or a billion yen. He just wanted this—a place where the spirit of the fight was the only language that mattered.
Nozomi checked her phone. "Kureishi-senpai should be here soon. I need to thank him properly for the Rokushin connection."
Speak of the devil.
Mitsuyo Kureishi popped his head over the perimeter wall, startling everyone on the mats.
"Hey! Looks like a party! Sorry to crash, Ren-kun!"
The pink-haired MMA star and part-time bone-setter strolled through the gate. He snatched a piece of mochi from the box and looked at the one-eyed pair—Nozomi and Doppo—both wearing patches.
Kureishi blinked. "Wait... is this some new idol group? The Cyclops Trio?"
Nozomi threw a cushion at him. "Shut up, Senpai! It's a medical patch!"
Kureishi laughed, then turned to Ren, his expression becoming professional. "Ren-kun. I brought a friend. He's... 'Interested.'"
Ren stood up. "Interested in what?"
"The Hub? You? The 'Logic' of your fist? I don't know," Kureishi shrugged. "But he helped Nozomi with the Rokushin paperwork, so he's good people."
"Actually... he should be at the gate now."
A man stepped through the entrance.
He was powerfully built, with short-cropped blonde hair and a rugged beard. He had a solid, immovable presence. He wore a simple tracksuit, but the "Might" radiating from him was like a physical heat.
Doppo's single eye narrowed. He recognized the "Scent."
This was the exclusive fighter for Furumi Pharmaceuticals. The man with the longest winning streak in Association history.
The "Wild Tiger," Takeshi Wakatsuki.
Ren and Wakatsuki had met briefly at the gym during the Akoya fight, but this was their first face-to-face as peers.
Wakatsuki stepped forward, extending a hand. "Ren-kun. A pleasure."
Ren shook his hand. The grip was like shaking a block of solid iron. "I heard you had questions about my 'Style'?"
"I did," Wakatsuki nodded, a small, respectful smile on his face. "I thought you were like the Fang of Metsudo—a fighter who 'Evolves' by adapting to the opponent's rhythm. But seeing you finish Akoya... I realized you're the opposite. You don't adapt. You Overwrite."
Wakatsuki looked at the construction site. "My employer told me you're opening a 'Combat Hub.' I'm a veteran, and my body is a collection of old injuries. I'm curious, and my hands are itching for a new perspective."
"Would you mind giving me a tour?"
Yuzuha and Fusui returned from the showers, drying their hair. They saw the "Wild Tiger" standing in the yard and let out a collective whistle.
"Straight to the point, isn't he?" Yuzuha noted, popping a daifuku into her mouth.
Fusui grinned at Ren. "It works in this yard, doesn't it?"
Ren laughed, clapping Wakatsuki on the shoulder. "Of course. Any friend of Kureishi-san is a VIP here."
Ren gestured toward the newly leveled sandpit.
"The medical lab isn't finished, and the weights are still in crates. But if you want to see the 'Soul' of the Hub... how about we start with the ring?"
☆☆☆
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