First Match: Daigo Umehara's Kusanagi Kyo versus Kitachen Genichiro's Choi Bounge.
Kitachen Genichiro's fighting style was unlike anyone else's.
His Choi Bounge lacked the raw aggression of Daigo's, but instead operated like a spiderweb—delicate yet resilient, gradually constricting Kyo Kusanagi's movement and forcing him into mistakes.
"He's targeting Daigo's offensive habits!" Shirano's palms grew sweaty as he watched. "He's predicting every jump, every move Daigo makes!"
In the end, Kyo Kusanagi fell, but he managed to swap out Kitachen's Choi Bounge at the last moment.
One-for-one.
Second Match: Daigo Umehara's Goro Daimon versus Kitachen Genichiro's Chang Koehan.
This should have been a battle of raw power, but Kitachen turned it into a contest of finesse. He maneuvered the clumsy Chang Koehan with impossible positioning and extreme range on his iron ball, relentlessly wearing down Goro Daimon's patience.
It was a grueling psychological torment.
During an intense exchange, Goro Daimon's guard was broken, his health bar emptied. But Kitachen's Chang Koehan had also paid a steep price, left with only a sliver of health remaining.
The situation looked extremely unfavorable for Daigo Umehara.
He only had one character left, while Beichen still had Goro Daimon, nearly at full health, and Chang Koehan, with barely any health remaining.
In the audience, Boss Sato's lips trembled. Umehara Masao's hands, resting on his knees, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
The match began. Beichen first sent out the low-health Chang Koehan, attempting to whittle down Eri Kasamoto's health. However, Daigo Umehara's precise opening move instantly took him out.
The final battle began.
Daigo Umehara's Eri Kasamoto versus Kitachen Genichiro's Goro Daimon.
Agility versus brute force.
True to his reputation as a veteran champion, Beichen quickly adjusted his strategy, leveraging Goro Daimon's massive attack range and powerful throw mechanics to construct an impenetrable defensive barrier.
Every time Eri Kasamoto charged forward, it was like dancing on a knife's edge.
In a single misstep, Eri Kasamoto was caught by Goro, and a combo instantly depleted a third of her health bar!
Again, "Hell's Paradise Drop"! Eri Kasamoto was lifted off the ground once more, her health bar dwindling to a thin sliver of remaining health!
The Budokan fell into a deathly silence.
"It's over..." Boss Sato slumped in his chair.
Just one more touch, even the slightest punch, would end the match.
On the screen, Eri Kasamoto retreated desperately, pacing back and forth along the edge of the ring like a cornered leopard.
Goro Daimon pressed forward relentlessly, his massive frame looming like a mountain as he sought the opportunity for the final strike.
Kitachen Genichiro chose the safest approach. He threw a heavy kick from his stationary position, aiming to chip away at Eri Kasamoto's remaining health with the aftereffects of the attack.
Now!
The moment Kitachen's kick landed, Daigo Umehara's pupils contracted sharply.
On the screen, the leopard teetering on the brink of death sprang into action.
Instead of retreating, she charged forward, meeting Goro Daimon's advancing foot with a sudden surge of speed!
A burst of green light exploded from Eri Kasamoto's body!
Super Special Move!
She transformed into a streak of emerald lightning, soaring skyward and carving a sharp "V" through the air before plunging down with thunderous force toward Goro Daimon, who was still recovering from his attack.
V-Slash!
Boom!
The massive letters "K.O.!" consumed the entire screen.
Time froze.
After a three-second-long silence, a deafening roar erupted, nearly lifting the roof of the Budokan arena.
"We won! We won!" Boss Sato leaped from his seat, embracing Umehara Masao and bouncing up and down, crying like a three-hundred-pound child. "Uncle! We're champions! National champions!"
Umehara Masao didn't push him away. On his perpetually impassive face, muscles twitched slightly. He watched the small figure in the spotlight, stepping down from a beer crate in the distance, and nodded firmly.
Mrs. Umehara was already sobbing uncontrollably, covering her mouth as she struggled to hold back her proud tears.
Under the spotlight, Daigo Umehara silently stared at the giant "WINNER" displayed on the screen. His tightly clenched fists finally relaxed.
He turned around, and through the cacophony of cheers and screams, his gaze pierced through the crowd and locked onto a specific corner of the audience.
He looked at his father and mother, and at the game shop owner wildly celebrating for him.
The boy the media called "The Beast" finally showed a hint of warmth on his usually icy face.
He grinned, a somewhat awkward but utterly genuine smile.
The clamor of the Budokan would eventually subside.
The title of national champion had not brought the life-changing upheaval Daigo Umehara had imagined.
The next day, Sega Corporation hastily convened a small press conference at their headquarters.
This time, the focus of the cameras was not Daigo Umehara, but his father, Umehara Masao.
Facing the sea of reporters and their equipment, Umehara Masao wore the same work jacket he would normally wear to the construction site, though it was clean.
He neither looked at the reporters nor at the prepared statement Sega had provided. He simply sat there, like a silent stone statue.
"Mr. Umehara, what are your thoughts on Daigo becoming the national champion? Will this lead him to pursue a professional career?" a reporter asked, seizing the opportunity.
Umehara Masao lifted his gaze, glancing at the reporter. His voice was quiet but carried clearly throughout the hall.
"He's going to school."
The terse, decisive statement cut off all follow-up questions the reporters had prepared.
Undeterred, another reporter pressed, "What about the massive prize money? And potential commercial endorsements? How do you plan to handle that?"
"I'm holding the money for him. I'll return it when he finishes middle school, or even high school, when he truly enters society."
Umehara Masao stood up and bowed slightly to all the cameras. "Daigo's primary role is a student. Playing games is a part of his life, but it's not his main occupation yet. As for commercial activities, he'll start participating in those only after he truly enters society, to avoid interfering with his daily life and studies. Thank you for your concern. That's all for now."
With that, he left the room, escorted by Sega public relations staff, leaving the journalists staring at each other in the now-empty room.
This clumsy yet sincere statement, skillfully spun by the media, reignited public opinion.
The image of a rigid, inflexible father and a self-disciplined prodigy perfectly matched the public's ideal of an "A-student."
The tone in the newspapers completely shifted. Worry and skepticism vanished, replaced by praise and admiration for the "Umehara Family Education Method."
Meanwhile, at the center of this storm, Daigo Umehara, had already returned to his true home.
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 30+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon