CHAPTER 69: THE MEMBER
The chandeliers above the ring had only just been switched on; the glass shades hadn't even reached their operating temperature.
The Teiai enforcers were still in the process of sweeping up the pulverized concrete from Suedo's demonstration.
Mikio Nabemi was still leaning into Chairman Hyodo's space, whispering about the glorious display of Shinshinkai Karate he was about to witness, hoping to use the "Destroyer" to secure his corporate future.
But the instant the Referee's hand dropped—
WHOOSH!
A heavy, sickening THUD of a single punch echoed through the Grand Ballroom. Atsushi Suedo's eyes went vacant, and he toppled like a statuesque ruin.
"Eh? ...Wha-??"
Even the Kengan Association Referee, a man who had officiated hundreds of deathmatches, stood paralyzed. The speed of the conclusion was unprecedented. It took several seconds for his brain to catch up with his eyes. He slowly raised his hand.
"Match... Match is decided!"
"The Winner—REN SHIROKI!"
Only then did the room breathe again.
The Teiai agents exchanged glances of pure confusion, unable to process how a national champion had been "one-shotted" by a youth who looked like he'd just walked out of a hospital. Kaji Takaomi stared at the ring, realizing that the Ren Shiroki he'd met at the Kujo Building was merely a fraction of the man standing there now.
Shigeru Akagi and Yagyo Hikoichi shared a small, knowing smile. For them, the result was a logical conclusion of spirits.
Across the room, the "Revolutionary" Sadakuni remained stone-faced, letting out a cold, sharp huff of breath.
But for Mikio Nabemi, the CEO of Bull-Boy Dining, the world had just ended. He stared at the ring, his face turning a ghostly shade of white as sweat poured down his neck.
How?!
The Third-Dan master of the Shinshinkai... defeated without even landing a finger?
Nabemi didn't just lose the "Challenge Fee"—the one hundred million yen. He had lost the single most valuable asset a company could own: Kengan Association Membership. It was a seat at the table of the gods, and he had gambled it away on a "sure thing."
Nabemi's legs gave out. He collapsed into a heap on the carpet, his mind a static-filled void of ruin.
Beside him, Chairman Kazutaka Hyodo erupted into a fit of hacking, manic laughter.
"Ka-ka-ka!"
The Tyrant of Teiai lived for "Truth." He loved to watch the desperate struggles of "trash," the collision of warriors, and—most of all—the sight of a greedy, arrogant CEO losing everything because of his own stupidity.
"A magnificent play! Simply magnificent!" Hyodo cackled. "Kengan combat... I'll have to watch more of this in the future!"
Nearby, Kaede Akiyama adjusted her glasses, her hand trembling slightly.
Ren Shiroki was a "Rising Star" in Nogi's eyes, but his official record was thin. Beating "Nioh" Komada was an upset, but Ren had been injured since then. She had expected a desperate, grinding struggle against a Shinshinkai master.
To see such an absolute, overwhelming victory was a variable she hadn't calculated.
"Incredible..." she whispered.
"Of course it was!"
Fusui Kure giggled, rubbing her eyes. The veins of her [Removal] were slowly receding from her temples. She had activated her clan's secret technique just before the bell, ensuring she didn't miss a single frame of the action.
"Suedo is a monster, but he's a traditionalist," Fusui analyzed, her black-and-white eyes shimmering. "He's a 'Diesel Engine' fighter. He gets stronger the longer the fight goes, building heat and rhythm until he's unstoppable."
"Speed?" Kaede asked.
"Exactly," Fusui nodded. "Ren-chin chose the lightning strike. He didn't give Suedo a second to find his breath. He finished the game before the opponent even knew they were playing."
Akagi Shigeru, having overheard, gave a slow nod of approval. "A wise discard. Why play a long game when a single tile can settle the debt?"
Yagyo Hikoichi bowed slightly toward Fusui. "Exquisite vision. The Kure Clan remains as terrifying as the legends say."
"You're one to talk, Yagyo-oji-san," Fusui waved a hand dismissively. "A Kakerou Referee of your rank... you saw the ending before the bell even rang, didn't you?"
The "Perfect Gentleman" smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
Kaede's ears pricked at the name: Kakerou.
Kakerou?!
She knew the lore. In the deep underworld, there were only a handful of organizations that could influence both the political and corporate giants of Japan. The Kengan Association was the public face of that power. Kakerou was the shadow.
Shiroki Ren has friends in the Kure Clan AND Kakerou?
Once again, Kaede felt a surge of respect for her Boss, Hideki Nogi. The one hundred million yen "investment" in Ren Shiroki was the bargain of the century. The "Value" of this man surpassed any currency.
On the ring, the Referee handed Ren a heavy, hand-carved wooden plaque. It was the size of two palms, with the ancient calligraphy for "FIST" (拳) etched deep into the grain.
The Kengan Member's License.
"Congratulations, Shiroki-san," the Referee said, shaking his hand. "A CEO who acts as his own Fighter... it's a rare sight in our history. I wish you fortune in the wars to come."
Ren thanked the official and turned toward the blue corner.
Atsushi Suedo was still out. He wasn't dead, but his "Computer" had been hard-reset.
Under Tonegawa's direction, several Teiai medics were checking his vitals. Ren hopped over the ropes and knelt beside the giant.
SLAP! SLAP!
Ren delivered two stinging slaps to Suedo's cheeks.
The giant's eyes fluttered open. He sat up with a groan, his hand going instinctively to his jaw.
CRACK.
Suedo reset his own mandible with a grimace, then looked up at Ren.
"Good spirit," Ren said, offering a hand to help the giant up. "You're a real powerhouse, Suedo-kun."
"Tch!" Suedo batted the hand away and stood up on his own. He was furious, but his pride as a Shinshinkai master wouldn't let him throw a tantrum. He had lost. He had been "one-shotted." The only thing to do was accept the shame and train until he could erase it.
"Don't get cocky, brat," Suedo rasped. "Next time, I won't let you set the pace."
"I'm counting on it," Ren grinned. "That Karate of yours is fascinating. Once the Soul Combat Hub is open, you're invited for a rematch. My treat."
Suedo grunted and walked away, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Ka-ka-ka! The appetizers were delicious!"
Chairman Hyodo stood up, leaning on his cane. He looked like a cheerful grandfather, yet his presence was a jagged, twisted thing. "Tonegawa! Prepare the banquet! Our guests of honor must be fed before the next game begins!"
Tonegawa bowed and barked orders to the staff.
The next event was the high-stakes gamble between Akagi Shigeru and Sadakuni.
The atmosphere around Akagi was warm and loud. Ren, Fusui, and Kaede gathered around him, and Ren even dragged a grumbling Suedo into the circle.
In contrast, Sadakuni's corner was a frozen tomb.
The "Revolutionary"—the man with the beard and the hard glasses—sat in a steel chair like a marble statue. His eyes were the eyes of a dead man, staring straight ahead with a bloodshot intensity that promised ruin.
"The legendary gambler... the Man of the Divine Realm," Sadakuni whispered, his voice carrying clearly to Ren's side. "And the Kengan Association... the Kakerou Club... the martial monsters... and the Teiai Tyrant..."
"You are all parasites. Pests that have caused this nation to rot into a den of sin."
"I will eliminate you. Every last one of you."
"Tonight is the beginning of the purge. No one leaves this ship untouched."
The threat was explicit. It was the declaration of a fanatic.
But as Ren and the others listened... no one reacted.
They were fighters. They were gamblers. They were assassins.
In other words, the room was filled with "Abnormalities"—people who beat, broke, and killed for a living. They were the wolves of the world. Why would a wolf be scared of a man shouting about the "Correctness" of the world?
Ren Shiroki just took a sip of his soda and looked at Akagi.
"He sounds a bit salty, doesn't he?"
Akagi flicked his cigarette. "He's playing a different game. Let's see if he has the 'Might' to back up his words."