Chapter 185: The Challengers
"Finally, things are getting interesting!"
"Man, today felt like it was dragging on forever..."
"Aha! Is that Gaolang guy going to fight in a grey-area boxing match too?"
"Too bad it's only boxing rules today. I doubt we'll get to see the 'God of War'
use his Muay Thai!"
The audience below the stage buzzed with excitement. Sayaka Katahara, the
vibrant and beautiful MC, was the perfect match for a boxing ring. With just a
few sharp words, she had already pushed the atmosphere to a fever pitch.
Below the stage, Rama XIII studied the announcer and turned to Metsudo Katahara
with a grin. "She looks a lot like you. Your granddaughter?"
"She's my daughter, born to one of my mistresses. Her name is Sayaka," Metsudo
replied, sounding a bit bashful as he waved his hand dismissively. "She's got a
great head for business and handles troublesome events well. She's currently in
charge of the Kengan Association's Events Division."
Rama leaned against the Mahjong table, resting his chin on his palm. "Her
hosting skills are top-tier—especially given these chaotic rules."
"It can't be helped. This is the warm-up for the Kengan Annihilation Street
Brawl, after all." Metsudo tugged at his beard. "Since the tournament was
announced, all sorts of people have been getting restless. Plenty of them are
mediocre fools who don't know their own limits."
"I don't want the quality of the 'Annihilation Brawl' to drop. It would hurt the
Kengan Association's reputation if we let in idiots who can't even break out of
a pair of handcuffs... Therefore, I decided to borrow your 'Sword,' Prince Rama.
I want him to show these fools with hidden agendas what it truly means to be a
Fighter."
Rama narrowed his eyes. "Was this your plan from the very beginning?"
Metsudo waved his hands frantically. "No, no! I'm just making it up as I go!"
"Heh..." Rama shook his head. "So, who is going to trade blows with My 'Sword'
in the ring? Is it Retsu Kaioh? Or Ren Shiroki?"
Metsudo looked at Tokugawa, who simply shrugged. "I don't know. I never gave it
much thought."
Rama blinked. "Hm?"
"I simply suggested we bring them all together to see what kind of sparks would
fly," Tokugawa said with a mischievous laugh. "That's why I had this Boxing Expo
organized—nothing more. However, to ensure things didn't get boring, I did
invite one challenger: a 'Heavyweight Champion' who reached out a few days ago
to volunteer."
"I see." Rama looked toward Gaolang, who was waiting backstage. "Fair enough. If
it were 'Boxing Rules Only,' you wouldn't be able to fight at full power anyway,
right? Today is just a warm-up..."
Up in the ring, Sayaka Katahara saw the timing was perfect and prepared to
introduce the challenger. "And now, please welcome..."
"His record: Nine fights, eight KOs! Except for his debut, he has put every
single opponent on the canvas!"
"The genuine active Heavyweight pro—Gary!!"
...
Silence.
Several seconds passed, and no one emerged. The challenger was a no-show? Where
was Gary?
As the atmosphere began to cool, Sayaka's expression didn't flicker. Her mind
raced at high speed, calculating a backup plan. The audience members were all
people of significance—boxers, gym owners, agents, and martial artists. Most
were connected to the underground world, and some were even Kengan members. You
couldn't just bluff them.
Her professional instincts kicked in. She had noticed a few individuals in the
crowd who seemed to be itching for a fight. This was the perfect time for a
"save."
"Gary is nowhere to be found! Is he avoiding the fight? Or did an accident
occur?" Sayaka's voice projected clearly. "But no matter what, this ring will
never lack for challengers! There are surely powerhouses here who wish to
experience the 'God of War' firsthand!"
"Come! Step onto the ring!"
Sayaka made this bold call based entirely on her trust and understanding of her
father, Metsudo, and the old man Tokugawa. Those two would never show up
"empty-handed."
She was right.
Once it was confirmed that the original challenger had vanished, several figures
began to move. One by one, they stepped up onto the canvas.
Sayaka breathed a sigh of relief as people came to save the show. However, she
didn't expect four people to step up at once.
"What is this...?"
Sayaka's gaze swept over the four men. First, she saw Ren Shiroki and Retsu
Kaioh.
The third was a familiar face—a registered Kengan fighter, Lihito.
The fourth was a bit more mysterious: a man in a hoodie, slightly hunched over,
with no intention of revealing his face just yet.
Seeing the four men on stage, Tokugawa couldn't stop laughing. "Hee-hee! How
will they handle a boxing ring, I wonder?"
Beside him, Metsudo clapped his hands. "What a hot-blooded stage this has
become!"
Rama XIII played with the ends of his hair. "I truly do like straightforward
powerhouses."
Next to them, Arisa was jumping up and down, waving her arms. "Whoo-hoo! Go, Big
Bro! Smash 'em!"
Behind the three titans, their bodyguards looked at Arisa with a mix of
confusion and awe. What a terrifying little girl! She was sitting at the same
table as the three most powerful men in the room, and she had nearly wiped them
all out at the gambling table. Who exactly was this girl?
The tension in the ring had shifted from a "no-show" lull to a powder keg. The
four challengers locked eyes, none willing to back down. Before Sayaka could
even try to coordinate them, Lihito lost his patience.
With his arrogant personality and the confidence boost from beating a pro boxer
earlier, he wasn't about to wait.
"Hey, the chance to challenge the God of War should be mine, right? I've already
won a match today!"
The 188cm-tall Lihito scanned the group. His eyes passed over the 187cm Ren
Shiroki and the lanky hooded man before finally settling on the 176cm Retsu
Kaioh. Because of his loose training clothes, Retsu's explosive musculature
wasn't immediately obvious.
"I'm talking to you, pal." Lihito stepped close to Retsu. "Based on the order we
got on stage, I'm the first challenger, right?"
Retsu narrowed his eyes, remaining silent. Lihito didn't bother with the hooded
man and turned to Ren Shiroki. "And you, man. You think I'm making sense?"
Ren didn't respond to the provocation. Instead, he reached into his pocket,
pulled out a business card, and held it out while extending his other hand for a
handshake. "Lihito-kun, have you heard of the Soul Combat Hub?"
Lihito: "..."
Lihito: "...Huh?"
The sudden, professional gesture acted like a bucket of cold water on the heated
tension. Lihito stood frozen for a moment before turning back to Sayaka in
confusion. "Sayaka-chan, what do we do here? I should definitely be the one to
go first!"
Sayaka smiled helplessly. Having hosted countless Kengan matches, she knew that
including Lihito, none of these four would ever back out. They all wanted a
piece of Gaolang's boxing.
"In that case..."
Sayaka came up with a solution. "Since you've all made it up here, why don't we
have a quick 'Flash Tournament'? We'll settle it using 'One-Round Boxing'
rules!"
"Two sets of matches. The final winner gets the right to challenge Gaolang
Wongsawat!"
Hearing this, Lihito—in his usual over-familiar way—reached out and ruffled
Sayaka's hair. "Oh! Smart girl!"
The hooded man twitched slightly and whispered, "Fine."
Retsu Kaioh's eyes burned with intensity. "I do not mind!"
Ren Shiroki slammed his fists together. "Nice. That's perfect!"
With the rules set, they drew lots to decide the order of the matches.
"The first match is decided—"
Sayaka gestured to the two men beside her. "Ren Shiroki! Versus... Ichiro
Nakata!"
Lihito's face cramped up. "Sayaka-san, please don't use my real name..."
"Alright then, Ichiro Nakata-kun!" Sayaka said, smoothing out her ruffled hair
with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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