CHAPTER 68: THE PRE-MATCH EXHIBITION
The official Kengan Association Referee stood silently, watching Mikio Nabemi's "Performance."
To an experienced eye, the man's greed was leaking from his pores. It was obvious he was trying to use this opportunity to suck up to Chairman Hyodo of the Teiai Group, hoping that a flashy show would smooth the way for future business deals. It was a "low-class" maneuver, the hallmark of a third-rate executive who only knew how to trade on others' power.
Lucky bastard, the Referee thought.
Atsushi Suedo was a legitimate monster. A black belt from the Shinshinkai was a first-class warrior who had no business being in a "Challenger Match." If Nabemi played his cards right, he could make billions off this man's fists before Suedo eventually moved on to the main Kengan circuit.
"The Impact Shield is here!"
A Teiai enforcer dragged a heavy, reinforced industrial sponge mat onto the ring.
Nabemi shouted into his megaphone, "In a fight like this, props are essential! Right, Suedo-kun?"
"Hmph!"
Suedo adjusted his sleeveless shirt, hot vapor hissing from his nostrils. He looked at the massive mat. He couldn't hide a proud smirk.
"My master, Doppo Orochi, often performs demonstrations before major Karate tournaments. The fans love it."
"He can shatter bricks, cleave bottles, and snap timber like dry twigs—"
"Haha... I never thought I'd get to do the same on a stage like this."
Suedo looked at the man holding the mat. "Oi! Bring three more guys! Hold it steady!"
Three more Teiai enforcers climbed into the ring. The four of them braced their bodies against the thick padding, their faces pale with anxiety, wondering exactly what was about to happen.
Suedo rolled his shoulders. "Hold tight. Do not let go."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The four men leaned in, using every ounce of their strength to anchor the shield.
The next microsecond—
BOOM!
Suedo lunged. He unleashed a roundhouse kick that connected with the center of the mat with a sound like a grenade going off.
With a single strike, all four men were launched backward. They hit the deck in a chaotic heap of limbs and groans. The mat was thrown to the edge of the ring, folding over the corner post.
Suedo didn't stop. Ignoring the groaning enforcers, he marched toward the mat.
"SEI—YAH!"
He let out a guttural roar. His fists, elbows, hand-blades, knees, and feet became a blur of high-velocity destruction.
BANG! CRACK! THUD! WHAP!
Slowly, the industrial-grade padding—specifically designed to absorb high-impact trauma—began to disintegrate under his bare hands. Suedo was literally shredding the material.
They say "softness overcomes hardness," but tonight, the Hardness was tearing the Softness to pieces.
Only when the mat was reduced to a pile of yellow foam scraps did Suedo stop. He exhaled a long cloud of heat and turned his gaze toward the floor, looking for his opponent.
He spotted Ren Shiroki.
The youth was still chatting with his friends, looking entirely unbothered, as if he were at a summer festival rather than a death match. Ren's earlier comment—"I can finish this before the main course"—echoed in Suedo's mind, making his blood boil. The destruction of the mat hadn't been enough to vent his rage.
"Heh... HAHA!"
"Combat is truly the greatest! To find a cocky brat like this? Katou was right to recommend this place!"
Suedo's teeth ground together. He was starving for more.
"OI! BRING ME A CONCRETE SLAB!"
Nabemi frantically gestured for the enforcers to comply. Moments later, a heavy structural concrete slab was hauled into the ring and set on a steel frame.
Suedo faced the stone. He delivered a series of rapid-fire punches.
CRACK! SNAP! BOOM!
Spider-web fractures bloomed across the concrete. Faint outlines of knuckles were embossed into the stone.
"HNNNNGH—!"
Suedo took a deep breath, his neck muscles bulging like steel cables. He pulled his head back and launched a terminal Headbutt.
THOOM!
The structural slab exploded. It didn't just break; it was reduced to a pile of jagged rubble.
The spectators gasped, their eyes wide with terror. They couldn't find the words for this display of prehistoric violence.
Even Chairman Hyodo clapped his withered hands, cackling with delight. "Ka-ka-ka! Magnificent! Far more satisfying than those fake historical dramas on TV!"
This is it! Nabemi thought, his heart racing with greed. As long as I keep Hyodo entertained, the business contracts will flow! Who cares about the Kengan matches? Easy money is the best money!
Suedo finished his "Warm-up" and signaled the Referee.
The spotlight in the center of the ring flared to its maximum intensity. The Referee picked up the microphone.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ABOARD THE ESPOIR!"
"Let's get straight to the main event! The introduce our participants!"
"IN THE RED CORNER! THE CHALLENGER!"
"HEIGHT: 187cm! WEIGHT: 97kg!"
"FROM THE SOUL COMBAT HUB... REN SHIROKI!!"
Ren gave a wave to his squad and vaulted into the ring. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to Fusui.
"AND IN THE BLUE CORNER! THE DEFENDER!"
"THE THIRD-DAN MASTER OF THE SHINSHINKAI! THE DESTROYER OF BULL-BOY DINING!"
"ATSUSHI SUEDO!!"
Suedo was already in the center, rolling his shoulders with a predator's grace.
The Referee gave the final check. "Fighters, center!"
Before the start was called, Suedo settled into a perfect Karate stance. He began shadow-boxing, his limbs whistling through the air.
"Watch closely, brat! This is Orochi-style Karate!"
Suedo narrated his movements with a manic grin.
"Hand-blade strike. Solar plexus knee-drive. Mid-level roundhouse. Kidney-punch transition!"
"I am going to hit you from every angle until your spirit breaks! How do you plan on defending against that?!"
"..."
Ren went silent. His expression turned pained, his brow furrowing as if he were facing a mathematical equation he couldn't solve.
Suedo smirked. "Don't worry. I'll make sure the ambulance is waiting for you."
Ren didn't answer. He kept rubbing his chin, lost in thought.
Suedo's patience snapped. He barked at the Referee: "Oi! Time is money! START IT!"
"O-Oh! Right!"
The Referee raised his hand. "Are you ready?"
"READY... FIGHT!!"
WHOOSH!
The instant the hand dropped, Ren Shiroki exploded. He didn't step; he lunged like a projectile released from a railgun. He moved so fast his body left an afterimage in the spotlight.
[DRIVE RUSH]!
In a heartbeat, before Suedo could even register the movement, Ren was inside his guard. Ren's fist, tightened into a hammer, drove downward with the force of a falling anvil toward Suedo's jaw.
A heavy, downward-swinging hook.
[RYU: OVERHEAD CRACKER]!
BOOM!!!
The strike connected squarely with Suedo's jaw.
The giant's brain slammed against the interior of his skull. His eyes went vacant instantly. Vertigo flooded his system, and his massive 131kg frame toppled backward like a felled redwood.
As the darkness took him, Suedo heard Ren's voice—sincere, apologetic, and filled with a terrifying " Might."
"I really couldn't figure out a way to defend against all those moves, Suedo-kun. So I decided... I just had to hit you first."
"I hope we can spar again once you wake up."