Chapter 179: Cheap Games
It had to be said—the Soul Combat Hub was a place that became "lively" very
easily.
The facility was spacious, catered to both the legal and underground worlds, and
had a great atmosphere. It was the perfect spot to hang out, kill time, or hold
a few casual sparring matches. This was exactly what Ren Shiroki had envisioned
when he first opened the SC Center.
In the courtyard, Nozomi Tenma shook hands with the sales rep from Furumi
Pharmaceuticals, officially sealing their partnership.
On the other side of the yard, Hina Hongo was busy challenging Marco to every
physical contest she could think of.
"I really wanted to find Karura from the Kure Clan, but too bad she isn't
here..."
Hina looked at Marco with her trademark starry-eyed gaze, looking entirely
disappointed. "Anyway, we've already done the sprints and the high jump. Just
fight me already!"
Marco shook his head vigorously. "Marco doesn't want to fight!"
"Eh?" Hina sighed, stepping closer. "Is it because you don't want to hit a girl?
You're so soft-hearted, Marco-kun."
"That's not it," Marco replied honestly and seriously. "It's because Marco
doesn't want to put his life on the line against a friend!"
"..."
Faced with a child-like personality that was immune to both threats and charms,
even Hina was at a loss. She eventually gave up and went back to pestering
Nozomi Tenma.
Her starry eyes blinked rapidly. "Nozomi-san, you fight me then! Your eye
surgery went well, right?"
Nozomi felt her scalp go numb. "I'm still in rehab, and I have a warm-up match
coming up. Give me some more time, please!"
Hina scanned the area again. "What about Fusui-san? She'd work."
Nozomi's eyelids drooped. "She just told me to tell you that if you really want
to fight, she'll come back with a submachine gun."
"..."
If the Convicts were the "unstable variables" of the male circuit, then Hina
"The Revolutionary Princess" Hongo was definitely a ticking time bomb for the
women's side.
Between her neurotic logic, monstrous combat power, and those missing chemical
weapons... it was a miracle Valkyrie was keeping her stable. This was exactly
why the Metropolitan Police Department was so grateful to Ichika Iori.
"Really? Man, what a drag..." Hina cracked her neck and gestured to Marco. "How
about you just hold the focus mitts for me?"
"That, I can do!"
Marco strapped on the boxing mitts, and the two began a training session in the
courtyard. The rhythmic thud-thud of heavy impacts echoed through the air, the
sheer force behind Hina's punches being nothing short of terrifying.
Hina grew more excited as she went, putting her full weight into a straight
punch that sent Marco skidding back several steps.
BOOM!!
That explosive sound of impact jolted Mr. Yamamoto awake.
The teacher slowly opened his eyes, blinking his tiny orbs as he realized he was
lying on a sofa in the lounge. He looked around, completely dazed.
What just happened?
He had a fuzzy memory of someone flying through the second-story window and
slamming into him. Was it a dream?
As his vision cleared, he saw his students relaxing all over the gym. Baki, the
boy he had intended to lecture, was sitting at a tea table, chatting happily
with Ren Shiroki and some other old man.
"What is the meaning of...?"
"..."
Metsudo Katahara was much like Mitsunari Tokugawa in one regard: he was
incredibly generous toward those he liked but couldn't be bothered with anyone
else. Seeing the teacher wake up, Metsudo didn't waste words. He simply signaled
one of his fierce-looking bodyguards to go over and conduct a "polite"
conversation.
"E-Eek!?"
The teacher was terrified. All his long-winded lectures vanished. After
stammering out a few sentences, he scrambled for the exit and disappeared.
Seeing their teacher flee, the other students—who had finished their workouts
and were resting—didn't want to overstay their welcome. They thanked Ren and
left one by one.
As for Baki Hanma, after thanking the siblings for their help, he also took his
leave, promising to return another day with a proper gift.
"..."
Even after Baki left, Metsudo Katahara was still wearing a wide grin.
"Is that so? So that's the Underground Arena Champion... Hanma Yujiro's boy.
Seeing him up close, he's clearly a cut above the rest!"
Ren looked at Metsudo. "So, Old Man, what are you really here for?"
Metsudo arched an eyebrow and chuckled, beckoning with his hand.
Following the cue, a bodyguard brought over a console and a mess of tangled
cables.
"Little Ren, you've got a TV in this place, right?"
Metsudo pulled out a game disc. "Come play some video games with this old man!
It's a fighting game—a very expensive launch edition. Tell me, are you
interested in old-school boxing games?"
Ren: "..."
Ren: "...?"
Eccentric legends always had unique quirks, and Metsudo's "jump-logic" was a
prime example. How did they go from underground champions to video games?
Under the resigned gazes of his bodyguards, Metsudo hopped and skipped around
like a restless child.
"Come on, come on! Little Arisa can play too! There's a prize if you can beat
me!"
"..."
Since there was still time before lunch, the siblings hauled out the TV and sat
down to play with the Chairman of the Kengan Association.
It was indeed a brand-new release, but the genre was niche and retro—very
similar to the classic Punch-Out!!. The player controlled a character from an
over-the-shoulder perspective, hitting opponents with lefts, rights, blocks, and
special moves, with scores tallied at the end.
"Ho-ho! I played the original version of this type of game decades ago! Back
when Nintendo was still quite interesting."
"It's a rare opportunity. Even I want to relax once in a while."
Metsudo fiddled with the controller and had his guards set out a tray of snacks
and a mountain of junk food.
"High-grade Yokan (sweet bean jelly), potato chips, and Cola. They go best with
cheap games."
"..."
The Chairman of the Kengan Association and a massive bank conglomerate was
eating bean jelly and playing retro games. It was a bizarre sight.
But it had to be said—Metsudo was a gaming god.
Ren lost several rounds in a row, nearly throwing the controller in frustration.
When Marco and Fusui Kure tried, they couldn't even clear the high-difficulty
levels. Their skills were even worse than Ren's half-baked attempts.
[...]
When the student can't win, the Master—or rather, the Coach—steps in.
Under the holographic guidance of Luke Sullivan, a self-proclaimed "hardcore
gamer," Ren finally began to grasp the nuances. He eventually managed to squeeze
out a victory over Metsudo by a razor-thin margin.
[Phew! Finally won. Or maybe the old man just got bored...]
Luke clenched his fist and bared his teeth: [Man, that game is actually garbage.
Total kusoge. I never want to touch that again. It was scarier than a horror
game.]
"..."
Regardless, Ren won, and Metsudo handed over the promised "prize."
It was a VIP invitation. The event was a Boxing Exhibition scheduled to be held
at a major stadium soon. It was a massive event that had been teased in the news
for days.
"After playing a cheap game, you must want to experience the real thing, right?
This is a very precious opportunity!"
Metsudo chuckled and stroked his beard. He turned to leave, but noticed Arisa
looking a bit envious, though she was too shy to speak up.
"Ho-ho! Can't be helped. Here's one for Little Arisa too."
Metsudo pulled out another ticket.
Seeing that Fusui Kure also looked interested, Metsudo pulled out yet another
one. "Here, Little Fusui can go too."
Fusui blinked. "I thought you said these were 'precious'?"
"No, no, the tickets aren't precious."
Metsudo waved his hand dismissively. "The 'precious opportunity' was finding
someone to play cheap games with me. That's what I meant."
Ren: "..."
Luke: [...]
"Oh, right. One more thing—"
Metsudo's tone suddenly shifted slightly. "Keep your eyes peeled when you're
there. Some real heavy hitters might be showing up to play!"
☆☆☆
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