Chapter 49: Small Steel Cannon vs. Barbarian Mountain
By the time Akio left the police station, it was already 4:30 in the afternoon.
He stopped at a nearby sushi restaurant and ate a quick dinner.
Once he finished, he drove straight toward Shibuya.
There was an important match tonight, and he didn't want to miss it.
"Over here!"
The moment Akio stepped into the underground arena, he heard a familiar voice calling out.
It was Yudai, who had apparently arrived much earlier.
"Do you seriously have nothing better to do than watch fights every day?" Akio asked as he walked over.
Yudai shrugged.
"Of course. I don't work and I don't go to school."
Akio raised an eyebrow.
"Then where do you get money to eat?"
Yudai blinked.
"Aren't I waiting for you to treat me? Didn't you say that if you won before, you'd buy dinner?"
"Get lost," Akio said flatly. "Tell the truth."
Yudai scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Alright, alright. I set up a small stall here sometimes, selling medicinal herbs. My dad's a doctor, so I get some supplies that are hard to sell and bring them here."
"Otherwise," he added, "how do you think I've managed to survive this long?"
Akio chuckled.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you've lasted this long."
"Go to hell!" Yudai snapped.
Akio waved a hand dismissively.
"Forget it. When is Small Steel Cannon arriving?"
Yudai immediately looked around nervously.
"Keep your voice down. If he hears you calling him that, you're dead."
He checked the time.
"About an hour and a half. He usually shows up early to prepare."
Akio nodded.
"How strong is his opponent?"
"That's hard to say," Yudai replied thoughtfully.
"Most people believe Small Steel Cannon will win. But the challenger is new. No one knows his real strength yet."
Akio smiled faintly.
"So someone's challenging one of the Five Kings in their very first fight?"
"That takes guts."
"Or stupidity," Yudai muttered. "Most people think he's looking for death."
Akio glanced toward the betting board.
"What are the odds?"
"One to five."
Yudai grinned.
"What? Thinking about placing a bet?"
"Of course," Akio said.
"But I'll wait until I see both fighters."
For the next hour, they watched several matches.
One fighter after another stepped onto the ring.
Some won.
Some left badly injured.
And a few never left at all.
The crowd showed no sympathy whatsoever.
To them, it was simply entertainment.
Akio observed the fighters carefully.
Most of them were average at best.
If he stepped onto the ring himself, he could probably defeat them instantly.
These fighters were risking their lives for money.
But was it really worth it?
Akio shook his head.
Everyone chose their own path.
It wasn't his place to judge.
Suddenly Yudai shouted.
"He's here!"
Akio followed his gaze.
From the dark passageway leading to the arena, a man stepped out wearing a red cloak.
He wasn't particularly tall—around 170 centimeters—but his body was packed with dense muscle.
The crowd instantly erupted.
"SMALL STEEL CANNON!"
"SMALL STEEL CANNON!"
It was clear he was extremely popular here.
While watching the crowd, Akio noticed Himiko Toga standing among the spectators.
She wore her usual school uniform.
Her expression was calm, almost indifferent.
It was as if nothing happening here truly interested her.
Remembering what had happened between them before made Akio feel slightly uncomfortable.
Small Steel Cannon stepped onto the ring and glanced at the time.
Ten minutes remained before his opponent arrived.
Although he was one of the Five Kings, he ranked only fourth.
Because of that, challengers appeared frequently.
Unfortunately, the fighters ranked above him were monsters he couldn't defeat.
So he had no choice but to defend his position repeatedly.
Akio studied him closely.
But even after observing carefully, he still couldn't determine what the man's quirk was.
Ten minutes later, another figure emerged from the dark tunnel.
The moment Akio saw him, he already knew the outcome of the fight.
The challenger had arrived.
Barbarian Mountain.
The man stood nearly 190 centimeters tall.
His muscles weren't bulky, but his body fat was extremely low, and every muscle line was clearly defined.
More importantly—
Akio could sense danger coming from him.
"This must be Barbarian Mountain," Yudai said confidently.
"He's tall, sure. But I still don't think he's a match for Small Steel Cannon."
Akio shook his head.
"You're wrong."
"It won't be Barbarian Mountain who loses."
"It'll be Small Steel Cannon."
Yudai stared at him.
"Are you serious? You think I'm wrong?"
Akio ignored him and walked straight to the betting counter.
He placed 50,000 yen on Barbarian Mountain.
With odds of 1 to 5, he would win 250,000 yen if the bet paid off.
When he returned, Barbarian Mountain had already stepped onto the ring.
The arena itself covered roughly four hundred square meters, giving the fighters plenty of room.
The structure had been reinforced heavily.
In the past, powerful fighters had accidentally killed spectators during matches.
After that incident, the arena was strengthened and the crowd learned to keep their distance.
Akio, however, walked straight to the front row.
From there he could clearly see every movement on the stage.
He could even feel the pressure radiating from the fighters.
A moment later, Yudai joined him.
"You're not afraid of dying?" Akio asked.
In his eyes, Yudai was the type who valued his life quite a lot.
Yudai snorted.
"You think this ring is made of cardboard?"
"Besides, Small Steel Cannon's quirk is body tempering. Nothing dangerous is going to happen."
He grinned confidently.
"I put 100,000 yen on him."
"Looks like I'll be celebrating tonight."
Akio simply smiled.
Because he already knew—
Tonight's winner would not be Small Steel Cannon.
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