Chapter 406: The Smile of the Fang
Under the harsh construction floodlights, on the flat, fine sand of the cleared
lot.
Two silhouettes stood facing each other.
"—Smiling, you say?"
Agito's expression remained rigid as he stared at Alai Jr. "Are you asking me to
smile? Do you wish for me to duel you with a grin? Will that allow you to exert
your full power?"
Alai Jr.: "..."
Alai Jr.: "—?"
He looked completely helpless, his eyebrows arching so high they creased his
forehead.
What the hell is with this guy?
The [FANG OF METSUDO], a name that struck terror into the hearts of the
underground world, felt... socially inept. Almost dense.
Is he a 'natural airhead'? Alai Jr. wondered. He quickly reset his focus, his
feet beginning their weightless, rhythmic skip.
It didn't matter. The man in front of him was undoubtedly Kanoh Agito. His goal
had been achieved; he didn't need to understand the man's personality.
As Alai Jr. had requested, this was a Street Fight.
Therefore, even though Sayaka Katahara was present, she didn't step forward to
announce. She remained among the "passersby," a silent witness to the carnage.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Alai Jr. bounced on his toes. "No need for a bell or a referee."
Agito Kanoh muttered to himself, eyes fixed forward. "Indeed. The frames have
already begun—"
Hearing that, Alai Jr.'s eyes narrowed. A single bead of cold sweat rolled down
his cheek.
He had gathered significant intel lately. In the underground, a war to define
"Strength" had broken out—the Kengan Annihilation Street Brawl. The participants
were a nightmare cocktail of world-class martial artists, lethal convicts, Arena
champions, and Kengan legends.
No one knew when it would end, or how.
In this world, the boy named Baki Hanma was the [CHAMPION] of the Arena. And the
man nicknamed [THE FANG OF METSUDO], Kanoh Agito, was the [KING] of the Kengan
Association.
—The real deal, Alai Jr. thought, looking at Agito.
The man might not understand a joke or a taunt, but he radiated an almost
supernatural pressure. It felt as if his combat aura was a physical substance, a
rising pillar of fire that threatened to consume the surrounding space.
He was, without question, a "Final Boss" level threat.
Alai Jr. pivoted slightly, his hands curling into high-tension fists. His feet
maintained their constant, flickering rhythm. He was in his ideal combat state.
He was curious to see how the "King" of the Kengan Association would choose to
face him.
Agito Kanoh's choice was simple.
He pivoted slightly. His hands curled into high-tension fists. His feet began a
constant, flickering skip.
He had adopted a stance that was a frame-perfect mirror of Alai Jr.'s own!!
"—?!"
Alai Jr.'s eyes widened, his brow furrowing in confusion. "You... you're going
to try and out-box me?!"
He had never heard of Agito being a boxing specialist. He naturally assumed
Agito was mocking him.
Agito, however, had a different logic.
"I mean no disrespect," Agito said, staring at Alai's face. "I have studied the
recordings of every combat discipline in existence. I have watched the footage
of your father a thousand times."
"Mohammad Alai."
"If only for once... I wished to trade blows using that specific style. I wish
to test it against the source."
"Haha! He's quite the inquisitive young man, isn't he?"
Doppo Orochi's voice rumbled as he provided technical insight to the spectators.
"Boxing has evolved into its own unique ecosystem. Like Kenpo, it has branched
into numerous lethal schools."
"There is the Philly Shell used by the current four-belt champion, [THE GOD OF
WAR] Gaolang Wongsawat." "There is the Sting and Dance of the original Mohammad
Alai." "And one must not forget Iron Mike, whose trainer, Cus D'Amato, created
the Peek-A-Boo—the head-slotting, aggressive defensive style."
Doppo looked at Alai Jr.
"I heard the kid here evolved his father's sport into a true 'Alai Style Combat
Art.' I'm dying to see it in action!"
As he spoke, the match ignited.
Agito's feet blurred. He lunged at Alai Jr. with terrifying speed. Utilizing his
superior reach, he fired a heavy, driving left jab.
Whish!
In a flash of light and shadow, Alai Jr. faced a man with a longer reach and
didn't panic. His feet shifted, his torso swaying into a microscopic slip as he
raised his right arm to protect his line.
Agito's punch hissed past Alai's left shoulder.
Alai Jr. spotted the tactical gap. Relying on his "Butterfly" footwork, he
executed a high-speed "Slip-In" entry, pivoting his weight into a horizontal
left hook.
BAM—!
The fist slammed directly into Kanoh Agito's left temple.
The impact was heavy and resonant. Agito's eyes went vacant, his equilibrium
shattered by the shockwave. He dropped to one knee in the sand.
Even a casual boxing fan could see the sheer "Rank" of that counter. To execute
a Slip-In entry against a man with that much reach and mass was a feat of
staggering technical quality.
The spectators leaned in. From their angle, it looked like a potential
kill-shot. But Alai Jr., the man who threw the punch, felt the feedback through
his knuckles.
He rolled with it?
At the moment of impact, Agito had performed a subtle neck-rotation, bleeding
off a significant portion of the kinetic energy.
Zip!
Alai Jr. hopped back, resetting his distance to adjust his breathing.
Agito's head hung low for a second. Then, he slowly rose to his feet.
"Beautiful..."
A raspy, hollow murmur escaped his lips. He was praising the technique, but his
voice and aura had undergone a disturbing transformation.
When Agito finally looked up, Alai Jr. and the spectators felt a chill crawl up
their spines.
Agito's left eye was shot through with red; a single drop of bloody moisture
leaked from the corner of his socket. But he was wearing a smile.
It wasn't a normal smile. It was a wide, toothy grin that stretched his face
into a mask of pure, animalistic frenzy. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes
were rolled back slightly, showing the whites.
"Beautiful!"
Agito's laughter was jagged and predatory. His voice had shifted into a deeper,
more guttural register.
"My expectations were correct!! THIS IS GOING TO BE MAGNIFICENT!!"
The crowd was bewildered. They didn't understand the nature of the shift. Only a
few in the circle knew the truth.
Sayaka's eyes widened. She swallowed hard. "He's... he's flipped the switch..."
Katsumi looked confused. "A switch? Like a double personality?"
"No," Metsudo Katahara sighed.
As the group was made of veterans, the Chairman saw no reason to keep the
secret.
"Twenty-three years ago, I found a secret underground laboratory belonging to
The Worm."
"For some dark purpose, the Worm had sealed dozens of children inside a chamber,
forcing them to kill one another for survival. In the world of the occult, it is
known as a Gu Ritual—breeding a 'King' by forcing insects to devour each other."
"When I breached the doors, only one youth was left alive. That was my first
meeting with Kanoh Agito."
Metsudo's eyes turned somber. "Agito was the sole survivor of the 'Insect Pot.'
Emerging from that slaughterhouse, his mind had been consumed by the 'Beast'. I
took him in, providing him with an education and a role in society to keep the
Beast from drowning him."
"The result was the Agito you know—the cold, rational fighter."
"But the Beast was never destroyed. It was merely caged. Occasionally, that
suppressed instinct leaks out in the form of that 'Grisly Smile'."
"In other words... he has entered his Berserk State."
Metsudo looked toward the center of the clearing.
Agito's grin grew even more distorted as he began a slow, deliberate march
toward Alai Jr.
"Alai Jr. is something else," Metsudo mused. "That counter was so perfect it
forced Agito to release the Beast just to survive. The 'Real' fight starts now—"
☆☆☆
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