Chapter 11: That Small Handful of People
Kure Fusu was a junior, not a layman, so Metsudo had no intention of stopping her from investigating further.
"'IDEAL'... as in the diamond cut. A codename?"
Kure Fusu made a mental note and nodded her thanks to Metsudo.
"Mmm!"
Metsudo returned to his relaxed state. His gaze swept over to Arisa, who was trying to treat Shiraki Kei's wounds, but was clearly fumbling.
Arisa knew how to apply a normal bandage, but Shiraki Kei needed more professional-level care.
By now, however, the underground casino was almost empty. The event's host, the Grisly Tooth boss, was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, no one was left to care for Shiraki Kei.
[Remember the first-release website domain 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞]
"Well, this won't do."
Metsudo gestured to the bodyguard behind him, signaling him to go and bandage Kei.
As the current chairman of the Kengan Association, Metsudo was happy to look after a promising new fighter, especially one with as much talent as Shiraki Kei.
"This new generation—both the fighters and the entrepreneurs—has some very interesting people. This old man won't be bored for a while..."
Metsudo chuckled to himself. He waited a moment for the bodyguard to finish, then turned to say his farewells.
"I had a lot of fun tonight! Thanks for the show!"
The old man was as energetic as ever.
...
...
After Metsudo and his two bodyguards left, the underground casino grew even quieter.
Arisa was still looking after her brother, and the two Kure sisters, having nothing better to do, stayed to keep them company.
Once almost everyone was gone, the two men in black—the Teiai Group suits—who had been waiting in the shadows, stepped forward.
"Shiraki-san."
Their tone was extremely polite.
They were Teiai Group debt collectors, only in a cooperative relationship with the Grisly Tooth boss. They weren't under any yakuza pressure; they only cared about contracts and profits.
"Please rest assured, the contract you signed is valid. However, we cannot give you the exact details of the debt reduction at this time. Please forgive us."
One of the men in black handed over a business card and bowed slightly.
"It seems the Grisly Tooth Gang involved... other parties. We need to report back to the company... In short, we will contact you as soon as possible and will visit you at your home."
"..."
Shiraki Kei took the card and nodded.
Unlike the yakuza, the Teiai Group, despite being a black-hearted financial empire, was still a legitimate "company" at its core. These two were just salarymen.
Based on what Fusu and Metsudo had said, this underground fight involved some external force. The situation was complicated, and low-level employees naturally couldn't handle it on their own.
In that case, he might as well wait and see.
...
...
Late at night, the group left the underground casino.
Kure Fusu drove, taking Karura and Arisa, and also gave Shiraki Kei a lift. They drove out of the chaos and darkness of the underground world and back onto the bustling, bright city streets.
Staring at the neon lights outside the window, Arisa suddenly felt as if the night had been a dream.
She looked at her brother beside her...
He was fast asleep.
He was sprawled out on his back, snoring peacefully. If not for the bandages on his head and body, he didn't look at all like someone who had just survived a deathmatch.
The car hit a small bump, jolting Kei half-awake. He squinted, flashes of the night's fight playing in his mind, and a genuine thrill bubbled up from his chest.
"Nice... That was awesome..."
"..."
Hearing her brother's sleepy murmur, Arisa suddenly remembered. Before he got sick, this was exactly what her brother was like—a chaotic optimist.
Arisa was, of course, overjoyed that her brother was back to his old self, but when she remembered his excited, blood-streaked face, she couldn't help but worry.
"This is... a good thing... right?"
...
...
The car stopped in front of the Shiraki's open lot.
Kure Fusu woke the groggy Shiraki Kei. Before they left, she pulled out another business card and handed it to him.
"This has my number."
Kure Fusu blinked her black-and-white eyes, smiled, and made a "call me" gesture. "If you need someone killed, call me. I'll give you a discount!"
"..."
That was... one hell of a sales pitch.
The siblings stared at each other, speechless. Finally, Shiraki Kei took the card and returned a (somewhat unnatural) smile of thanks.
After Fusu and Karura left, the two siblings washed up and returned to their respective tin sheds.
Lying on his bed, Shiraki Kei thought about his next steps.
The Teiai Group debt wasn't fully resolved; their living situation desperately needed improvement; and perhaps there was a chance for future contact with the Kengan Association...
There was a lot to do, but he wasn't without a plan.
Clench!
Shiraki Kei tightened his right fist. He could vaguely see Ryu's phantom again, their fists lightly tapping.
"Nice."
Shiraki Kei closed his eyes, sleepiness washing over him. He muttered, "I want to fight again..."
...
...
The next morning.
Shiraki Kei got up, checked his injuries, and finding them minor, began his new day of training.
Whether it was the Kengan Association, the other clues from his memory, or even the mysterious organization behind last night's fight—to deal with any of it, he needed strength.
He couldn't do any high-intensity training today, so he took the opportunity to carefully study the memories in his head—Ryu, and the other phantoms behind him.
Swish! Swish!
In the open lot, Shiraki Kei shadowboxed, warming up.
His body slowly grew warm, and his mind grew sharper.
With each breath, Ryu's ink-wash phantom appeared before him, still in that flawless stance, showing no openings.
But this time, Ryu didn't punch him.
"Is it because I overcame the 'need to dodge' problem? So you're not reminding me anymore?"
No words were needed. Shiraki Kei understood.
He gave Ryu a slight nod. "Thank you."
"..."
Ryu's phantom nodded back, a trace of approval on his face. He then began to shuffle forward, showing a clear desire to attack.
"You're... going to spar with me?"
Shiraki Kei saw Ryu's intent. He glanced around and noticed the other phantoms watching, their forms varied and, for the most part, blurry.
"Are those... other masters? Will I have a chance to spar with them, too?!"
At this thought, Shiraki Kei's eyes lit up.
If he kept training, he could make those other phantoms solidify, and then he could learn from all the other Street Fighter masters!
"First step—"
Shiraki Kei took his stance, looking at the phantom of Ryu—his first "Master," who had taught him his fundamentals and pointed out his fatal flaw. He couldn't hide his wild joy.
Swish!
Shiraki Kei dashed forward, attacking with a middle straight punch, and the exchange of blows with Ryu began.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
...
...
The sparring with Ryu was intermittent.
Sometimes, Kei would be knocked to the ground, unable to get back up.
Other times, Ryu's phantom would signal for him to stop, and they would meditate cross-legged together, analyzing the details of their fight.
At noon, Shiraki Kei made lunch and asked the phantom if he wanted any. Ryu just shook his head, looking exasperated.
Most of the day passed in training.
...
In the afternoon, Arisa got home from school.
Kozue had left early to help her mom with groceries, so only Karura was with her. As they neared the house, they ran into Kure Fusu.
Fusu claimed she was "just wandering around." Arisa mostly believed her.
Since she was here, Fusu bought ice cream. The three girls sat in a row on the lot, eating and watching Shiraki Kei train.
"..."
Arisa looked at the bandages on her brother's head and sighed, hugging her knees. She sounded a little like she was complaining. "Why is he pushing so hard? I can help with the debt, too..."
But Fusu shook her head. "Maybe this is just what Shiraki-chin wants."
Arisa was confused. "Why?"
"The Kure Clan has guys like this, too."
Fusu reminisced. "The degree varies, but you can't deny it... everyone, at some point, has dreamed of becoming the 'Strongest on Earth'."
"But the vast majority of people give up on that dream."
"Maybe they lose a fight to their brother; or they meet the neighborhood bully; or they get punched by their dad and learn what pain is; or they get rapped on the knuckles by a teacher; or yelled at by their boss..."
"Countless people end up choosing other dreams. They become doctors, politicians, entrepreneurs, manga artists, teachers, salarymen..."
"But there's this one small handful of people... who, no matter what happens, or who they meet, still hold onto that original dream."
Kure Fusu grinned. "Heh, it's pretty cool to be that 'stupid,' right?"
"..." Arisa nodded, lost in thought.
...
...
After Fusu and Karura left, dusk began to fall.
It was Arisa's turn to cook tonight. She was just about to get started when she noticed a black sedan approaching, stopping in front of the open lot.
Shiraki Kei stopped his training, wiping his sweat with a towel. He told Arisa to go back to her room and do her homework; he would handle this.
At the same time, a middle-aged man with gray-white hair got out of the car.
He wore a khaki trench coat over a suit, his hair slicked back. His features were sharp, his expression severe.
From a distance, Arisa heard the man introduce himself to her brother.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
The man extended his hand to Shiraki Kei, his voice deep. "I am Tonegawa Yukio, here on behalf of the Teiai Group."