Chapter 40: Personal Will
The discussion with Akimiya Kaede went smoothly and didn't take much time.
It was just evening now. The afterglow of the sunset had just appeared, painting the horizon a faint golden yellow.
Arisa had taken Maruko to a nearby park to play.
The Shiraki family's yard quieted down.
Having nothing better to do, Shiraki Kei treated Kure Fusu to a soda. Each holding a can of cola, they sat on the yard's wall, watching the sunset.
Fusu swung her legs, tilting her head to ask, "Shiraki-chin, what are your plans now?"
Kei didn't think much, answering casually, "Wait for the Nogi Group to contact me, daily training, repair the dojo, wander around, look for more ideas..."
He rambled on, and Fusu listened quietly.
As he spoke, Kei suddenly paused, digging deeper into his thoughts. He unconsciously clenched his fist.
"I want to know 'what is strength.' And then—I want to become the strongest."
Fusu had expected this answer.
After all, true "fighters" often harbored the same dream.
It might sound foolish, but even if only once in their lives, they all dreamed of becoming the strongest on earth!
"'What is strength,' huh..."
Fusu sighed. "If you ask my big brother, Kure Raian, that lunatic would probably say something like: 'If I kill you, I'm stronger.' Or something like that."
"If you ask others? Like Karura, her grandpa, other Kure members, or other fighters in the world, you'd get different answers."
"I once heard the Patriarch mention a monster nicknamed [Ogre]. He said strength is strength, and anything else is impure."
"Shiraki-chin, what do you think?"
"..."
Kei sipped his cold cola, his thoughts drifting. He muttered, "Will..."
Fusu blinked. "Hm?"
"I feel like... my 'will' is important to me."
Kei tapped the space between his eyebrows. "If I had to describe it—if I lost my 'personal will' and was forced to change, I think I would have lost."
Fusu was slightly confused. "You prefer to stick to one path until the end?"
"No. It's not about 'not changing myself,' and certainly not about 'not accepting change'."
Kei shook his head. "But if I must do this, or must do that, I feel like I've lost."
"I want to move—based on my will. Move with all my might, experience things, not cling to some 'correct life' or 'correct way of living'."
"I want to determine 'myself' with my own will. To become someone who stands on their own feet."
Kei smiled. "If I wanted to make money and live a wealthy life, I should have plenty of opportunities now, right?"
"Do the right thing, make the most efficient choices, maximize all profits—does living like that really have my 'will' in it?"
"...In the end, what is 'strength'?"
Kei squinted, feeling the evening breeze. It was indescribably comfortable.
Fusu liked the feeling right now, too.
Since they were chatting, the conversation naturally drifted from topic to topic.
"The Nogi Group probably won't contact you for a few days."
Fusu turned and asked, "Shiraki-chin, any plans for the immediate future?"
Kei thought for a moment and spat out two words: "...Spending money."
Fusu blinked. "Huh?"
"Thinking about how to spend the ten million I have."
Kei gestured behind him—to the dilapidated dojo, and the tin sheds where the siblings were currently living.
"Since I have money, I should at least fix up the house so Arisa can live more comfortably."
Kei rubbed his chin. "The main structure of the dojo is failing. We have to tear it all down and rebuild. But rebuild it into what?"
Fusu thought about it. "Why not just restore it? You need space to train, right?"
"If it's just me, I don't need that much space. Rebuilding a whole dojo feels wasteful. It'd be best to utilize the space properly."
Kei looked down in thought.
There was a reason the Teiai Group coveted their land.
Unlike the remote, worthless Kokonoe Building, the Shiraki family's land was a treasure trove. Convenient transportation, surrounded by all kinds of infrastructure.
Although ten million was a drop in the bucket for real estate development, if he chose the right direction, he could reap a steady stream of funds later.
Even in ancient times, top warriors didn't train in isolation. They needed the support of wealthy families. Poor families couldn't afford to produce a "general."
Modern fighters also needed significant funds to support their daily lives and training.
So, how should he spend this ten million?
"..."
Seeing Kei ponder for a long time, Fusu waved her hand and suggested, "Actually, it doesn't have to be that complicated. If you don't want to worry about money, just marry into the Kure Clan!"
Shiraki Kei: "Hahahaha!"
Kure Fusu: "Hahahaha!"
Laughter filled the air again.
...
Since the chat had run its course, and they had nothing better to do, they started another round of sparring.
Having lost badly before, Fusu learned from her experience. Instead of engaging head-on, she stuck close to Kei, trying to use her agility to drag him into a ground fight.
At such close range, Ryu's techniques were hard to use, so Kei leaned more toward Zangief's style.
"Shiraki-chin's wrestling isn't weak..."
"But wrestling is centered on throwing the target. It has no 'ground game'!"
Fusu lowered her body as much as possible, seizing the chance to lock one of Kei's legs. "If I drag you to the ground—in terms of grappling (Newaza), wrestling techniques won't work!"
Indeed.
Kei's right leg was locked by Fusu. An armbar (Juji-gatame) was about to form.
However, to Fusu's surprise, Kei powered through her weight, forcibly lifting his right leg high, poised to stomp.
Swish!
Fusu let go decisively, retreating to a safe distance, looking a little shaken.
"Haha, is the 'physique' difference too big?"
"..."
Feeling the lingering pressure on his right leg, Kei couldn't help but praise her. "Impressive!"
In fighting matches, physique difference is a key factor. But if one uses technique skillfully, they can bridge that gap to an extent, just as Kei defeated [Nioh] Komada.
If Fusu's armbar had been completed, she might have turned the tables!
How to deal with such agile attacks?
Ryu's style was balanced and steady. Zangief's was heavy and powerful. Against extremely agile moves, they were mostly forced into defensive counters.
Could he try lighter, faster techniques?
"..."
The thought popped into Kei's head, and the more he thought about it, the more interesting it became. He couldn't stop pondering.
Seeing this, Fusu didn't disturb him. She said a casual goodbye and left.
...
...
Kei sat quietly for a while, feeling a bit stifled.
Arisa and Maruko were still at the park. The house was empty, and it was quiet around him.
In a daze, Kei decided to go for a walk. He planned to go somewhere lively to look for inspiration. Maybe an idea for a new style would pop up.
He walked and walked, losing track of time. The sky had turned completely dark.
Kei arrived at a bustling street corner.
Neon lights flashed, colorful signs were everywhere, and noise spilled from the roadside shops.
Kei was lost in thought when two punks walked toward him.
Seeing Kei alone and looking like a big, dumb oaf, the punks got ideas. They approached, wanting to extort some pocket money.
One blocked Kei's path, while the other slung an arm around Kei's shoulder, whispering a threat.
"Hey, bro. Lend us some cash, yeah? We'll pay you back later!"
"..."
Kei just happened to have an idea. He grabbed the taller punk's wrist and hooked his right leg to the side.
Swish!
The tall punk lost his balance, spinning 360 degrees like an acrobat before landing back on his feet.
"...!?"
The two punks were dumbfounded, having no idea what just happened.
Before they could react, they saw Kei walking away, muttering "Still not right," without saying another word to them.
Only then did the tall punk scream "Ah!" realizing his wrist had been twisted out of its socket.
"..."
Kei continued to follow his feelings. Unknowingly, he turned into a secluded street, walked down a set of stairs, and entered a deserted bar.
"...Hm?"
Kei suddenly heard a commotion.
Following the sound, he walked into the warehouse behind the bar. The space suddenly opened up.
Over a hundred people were gathered in the warehouse, surrounding a central ring, cheering and shouting.
Clearly, this was an underground fighting arena!
But what struck Kei as odd was the screaming from the ring. It was distinctively higher-pitched.
Drawing closer, Kei understood why—
This was a "Women's Underground Fighting" arena.