Chapter 7: Deep-seated Error
Kure Fusu studied the man before her.
He was only in his thirties, but his hair was silver-white—it was probably natural.
Despite being a middle-aged man, his eyes were remarkably clean and pure, hiding an unfathomable, immense talent.
This was, perhaps, what one would call an extraordinary individual.
And from what Kure Fusu had heard, he was a legend on the "same level" as Katahara Metsudo!
Among the yakuza, there was a method of using "mahjong wagers" to settle debts or resolve disputes, and among them, there was one man who was always undefeated.
Akagi Shigeru—
He dominated the underground mahjong scene, experiencing countless gambles over several decades without a single loss. He was known as the "Man of the Divine Realm"!
"..."
Although Karura didn't know much about the underground mahjong scene, she felt the same way.
"He's definitely a formidable person. And compared to Grandpa and Grandpa Metsudo, this Mister Akagi is a completely different 'type'..."
Seeing that both girls were completely captivated by Akagi Shigeru, Katahara Metsudo looked on as if this was only natural. "Hoh hoh, my drinking buddy is certainly popular!"
Kure Fusu and Karura finally snapped back to reality.
Metsudo's tone changed as he asked, "Speaking of which, what are two members of the Kure Clan doing here? Is there someone you need to kill?"
"Don't tease us, old man."
Kure Fusu waved her hand helplessly.
She knew Metsudo was the restless, unpredictable type. So, before he could probe any further, she simply explained Shiraki Kei's situation.
"...I see."
"Forced to stand in the ring and face an active Kengan Association fighter, all for his family's land?"
Metsudo turned his head to look at Arisa, his expression suddenly sinking. He said in a low voice, "Little girl, your big brother will most likely die..."
Before his words even finished, an inexplicable aura radiated from him.
Katahara Metsudo—this man, over ninety years old and seemingly withered as deadwood, suddenly erupted with energy like an active volcano, his overwhelming presence surging.
Even the president of a major corporation would be scared into a cold sweat, or even frozen in place, when facing Metsudo's aura!
But the other two mahjong players—who were also Metsudo's bodyguards—were shocked. The four people in front of them, including Karura, Kure Fusu, Akagi Shigeru, and even Arisa, were completely unfazed!
The first three were one thing, but how was that ordinary high school girl so calm?!
"My, my! The little girl's mental fortitude is quite good~!"
Metsudo happily tapped his cane, his aura retracting until he was just a small, withered old man again. He chuckled. "Youth is a wonderful thing. But speaking of which, little girl, are you truly not worried about your big brother?"
Arisa sighed. "Of course—I'm worried to death."
Metsudo was puzzled. "But you had no reaction to my words?"
"My brother told me that if you can't change the situation, you shouldn't let yourself be led around by other people's emotions."
Arisa answered seriously. "Besides, Fusu-san and Karura both know you, grandpa, and you're even speaking up for my brother. Why should I be afraid of you?"
"..."
This response left the two bodyguards stunned.
At first, it sounded logical. But they were facing the Katahara Metsudo. How many people could think so clearly with such absolute normalcy in his presence?
When Metsudo heard this, he clapped his hands. "HOHOHO! What an interesting thing to say! I'm very much looking forward to your brother's performance!"
With that, his gaze shifted to Kure Fusu, and he murmured softly, "I do very much enjoy a pure match, one with no 'inside story'..."
Hearing this, Kure Fusu instantly understood.
The reason Grandpa Metsudo had snuck into this small casino was likely because he had also sensed some kind of "inside story" related to the Kengan Association!
As for why he came in person? Perhaps he had another motive, or perhaps he was just bored. After all, the old man's mind was unpredictable; sometimes, not even the Kure Clan patriarch could figure him out.
"...Ah, in that case."
Kure Fusu suddenly had an idea. She pulled out the piece of paper she had planned to sell to Shiraki Kei and pitched it to Metsudo. "Do you need the intel I dug up? It might fill in some gaps. Special discount for you!"
Metsudo knew, of course, that Fusu was joking. If he wanted intel, he could just ask for it. But humoring the young ones for a while was also fun.
"Little Fusu, this old man is a bit short on allowance money lately. Give me a discount~!" Metsudo began to haggle. "I'll buy you all drinks, how about that?"
...
...
With the arrival of [Nioh] Komada, the underground casino's atmosphere grew even more feverish.
The instant that fever pitch reached its peak—
Fsh!
Everything seemed to fall silent. The noise died, and even the lights dimmed.
With a clack, a spotlight switched on, illuminating the ring in the center of the casino. It was an octagon fenced in by waist-high wooden planks, with a smooth, packed-dirt floor.
This was an underground fight, after all. There was no entrance ceremony. The fighters hadn't even changed their clothes. There was only one amateur referee in the ring to maintain order.
Shiraki Kei versus [Nioh] Komada.
The two stood on opposite sides, warming up.
Every eye in the underground casino was drawn to them. After a brief, silent observation, the chatter and shouting started up again.
"Hey, is that the Nogi Group's Komada? He's huge!"
"How is a pretty boy like that allowed to fight?"
"Quick, place another bet! Put it all on Komada! This is a sure win tonight!"
"[Nioh], go smash that guy to a pulp!"
"..."
It was obvious. As a Kengan rookie with a 3-0 record, the cheers for [Nioh] were several times louder than those for Shiraki Kei.
Outside the ring, Arisa, Kure Fusu, and the others stood on Shiraki Kei's side, their occasional shouts serving as sparse support.
"Are you ready? Fighters, step forward, face to face!"
The referee signaled in the center of the ring.
As Shiraki Kei and Komada stood firm, the referee raised his right hand, took a deep breath, and swung it down.
"Ready—"
"BEGIN!"
SWOOSH!
The moment the word was spoken, Shiraki Kei's core muscles exploded. He lunged forward, his speed so fast it nearly distorted the air.
[Aura Burst]!
In a single instant, he dashed two steps, appearing right in front of Komada, his right straight-punch slamming into Komada's face.
BANG!
Komada staggered, forced to take half a step back—but only half a step.
An unbelievable chill shot through Shiraki Kei's body, forcing him to scramble backward, hopping to create a safe distance.
He looked up. Komada had already clenched his fist, which had been just about to fall.
"...Fast. But that's all."
Komada's voice sounded strange. It turned out the punch had broken his nose, knocking it clean to one side. Blood dripped from it.
He relaxed his fist, then... reached up, grabbed his own nose, and twisted it back into place!
This scene made many of the punks in the crowd stare wide-eyed, knowing in their hearts they could never do such a thing.
The ferocity of a professional fighter was on a completely different level from that of a bluffing street thug!
The next instant—
Shuff-shuff!
Komada stepped forward, throwing two left hooks. They were just feints, meant to force Shiraki Kei's footwork.
The real follow-up was a heavy, powerful right straight.
BOOM!
Despite his size, the big man's combination was extremely fast.
In a flash, the wind whistled as the punch flew straight at Shiraki Kei's face.
Shiraki Kei was about to dodge, but a current seemed to flash through his brain. The Komada in front of him began to twist and blur, and in the same spot, the phantom of Ryu appeared.
But this time, Shiraki Kei's mind didn't go into overdrive. He had less than half a second to react, forced to face the straight punches of both Ryu and Komada at the same time.
In terms of realm and technique, Ryu was on a level infinitely higher than Komada, but Komada's punch still had enough power to end a Kengan match!
Shiraki Kei couldn't avoid it. He could only roll his neck with the impact, trying to mitigate the force of Komada's punch as much as possible.
BANG!
Shiraki Kei was sent staggering, stumbling back several steps before he finally stabilized, his head down, trembling.
"Pfft..."
He ran his tongue over his teeth, then turned and spat out a mouthful of blood, his voice hoarse.
"So I can't win if I can't dodge?!"
He snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes staring death at the space in front of him—at both the phantom of Ryu and the advancing Komada!
"This feeling... it's wrong. Something's missing..."
Shiraki Kei felt an awkwardness in his movements—it wasn't just the sluggishness from lack of training, but some other, more fatal, "deep-seated error"!
The dizziness in his head, the doubt in his heart, and the sharp pain from the heavy blow all mixed, erupting into a powerful agitation.
"COME ON!"
He let out a beast-like roar, tasting blood, and glared forward. "Again! Show me where I'm wrong!"