Chapter 42: Should I Feel Guilty?
Before, the girl had her back to him. It was only now, as she lay on the ground, that Shiraki Kei finally got a good look at her face.
She wore a sleeveless red Chinese-style outfit, black pants, and cloth shoes, along with fighting gloves.
She looked to be around twenty years old, with her hair in messy buns and a touch of red makeup at the corners of her eyes.
"..."
Her face triggered a memory in Kei's mind.
Her name was Yuzuha Lee. A female underground fighter, specializing in Shaolin Kung Fu, famous for her incredibly powerful strikes.
In Kei's memory, Yuzuha was the champion of the women's division in a mid-tier underground fighting organization called "Death Fight." She was quite skilled and well-known in the underground scene.
Why would a fighter of her caliber be here, fighting in such a low-level match?
—And why was she losing?!
No, losing was understandable given her hunger, but why was she starving to that extent?!
...Wait.
Kei suddenly remembered something.
The organization that ran "Death Fight"—that old underground fighting group—was none other than the "Grisly Tooth Gang," with whom Kei had quite a history!
Previously, the Grisly Tooth boss, Inoue Kan'ya, had secretly accepted a commission from a mysterious client to arrange a "fixed" match with a Kengan fighter.
But in the end, Kei had defeated [Nioh] Komada.
As a result, the Grisly Tooth Gang offended both the Teiai Group and the Kengan Association. Their backers, the Jinwa-gumi, abandoned them, and they lost everything.
The gang dissolved, and Inoue Kan'ya, burdened with a twenty million yen debt, disappeared.
"..."
Following that logic...
Without the Grisly Tooth Gang operating it, "Death Fight" would naturally collapse. The members would scatter.
So, with Death Fight gone, Yuzuha was unemployed?
But that still didn't make sense!
As the champion of an established underground group, her appearance fees alone should have been substantial. Yuzuha should have plenty of savings.
Even if she hadn't found a new organization yet, there was no reason for her to be starving... right?
Kei was baffled.
Meanwhile, in the ring, Yuzuha was gasping for air, forcing herself to stand up.
"You're kidding, right? I'm the Genius Kung Fu Girl, Yuzuha..."
"Why? How can I be... this unlucky?"
Yuzuha tried to regulate her breathing.
In her daze, she couldn't help but grumble about her grievances.
"My secret stash... I saved for so long... I invested it all in my old company, Death Fight, waiting for the year-end dividends."
"Then the Grisly Tooth Gang and Death Fight both dissolved... and my investment went down the drain..."
"Unlucky... So unlucky..."
"..."
Hearing this, Kei's gaze shifted guiltily.
Was it really that bad?
But even if her investment failed, she should still have some savings left.
"I had a few hundred thousand yen left..."
Yuzuha's arms hung limp as she muttered, "But... I got a tip from that channel—a sure-win horse race! And it lost!"
"I'm so frustrated! I could have been a billionaire! Instead, I lost my last savings..."
"Damn it! So unlucky..."
Hearing this, honestly, Kei didn't feel so guilty anymore.
"I have to... win..."
Yuzuha took a deep breath, steeling her resolve. "The horse race tip was wrong, but this time I'll definitely win! I'm going to bet all the prize money from this match!"
Shiraki Kei: "..."
His guilt vanished completely. He felt much better!
But no matter how determined she was, Yuzuha's situation hadn't changed. Hunger still limited her stamina and reaction speed.
"Hoo! Once I win, I'm going to eat..."
Thwack! Thwack!
Before Yuzuha could move, she took two jabs from Tojo Ran right in the face.
"ORA! There are no rules here! Why would I give you a chance?!"
Tojo Ran pressed forward, cornering Yuzuha. "Did you know? In a boxing ring, being cornered is a death sentence!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Fast punches rained down on Yuzuha, forcing her into a defensive shell.
Pain stimulated her nerves, giving her a spike of adrenaline and squeezing out a little more stamina, but she had no mental energy left to plan a counterattack.
This... ugly woman who only knows boxing... Normally... normally I could easily...
Yuzuha's consciousness began to fade.
Dimly, she heard someone speak from behind her—outside the ring.
"Duck."
Swish!
Yuzuha moved instinctively, dodging Tojo Ran's flurry of jabs and dropping low, out of a boxer's usual striking range.
"Tackle!"
Kei called out again.
Yuzuha opened her arms and wrapped them around Tojo Ran's waist.
Sensing danger, Tojo Ran elbowed Yuzuha's back repeatedly, but then she heard the voice again.
"Charge! Take her down!"
"HAAAH—!"
Yuzuha roared, driving off her back leg, flipping Tojo Ran onto her back and mounting her in one smooth motion.
Tojo Ran was a boxer. She specialized in striking. Although she had picked up some MMA, her second-rate grappling was no match for Yuzuha.
"Haff... haff..."
Yuzuha knelt on top of Tojo Ran, looking down at her.
"It's over, ugly!"
BANG!
Heavy punches rained down. Tojo Ran tried to block, but she couldn't break Yuzuha's mount. Defeat was only a matter of time.
...
...
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Shiraki Kei crossed his arms, watching silently.
Even though it was women's fighting, there was value in observing—both Tojo Ran and Yuzuha were speed-based technical fighters.
Kei's advice to Yuzuha was essentially: If I were in that situation, how would I counter?
It seemed effective.
With Kei's reminders, Yuzuha seized the opportunity, disrupting Tojo Ran's rhythm, suppressing her completely, and turning defeat into victory.
—Disrupting the rhythm.
Kei vaguely grasped the key, sensing a new concept, but it was still elusive. He needed time to ponder it.
The match in the ring was ending.
Just then, a hand tapped Kei's shoulder. He turned and saw a woman speaking to him.
She wore a simple tracksuit. Her figure was slender, her long black hair falling naturally, the ends curling slightly inward. Her eyes held a sense of decadence and exhaustion.
"Ah... um..."
The woman seemed to be struggling with her words, finally forcing out, "Bro, the boss of this place asked me to remind you: a true gentleman watches the game in silence. Don't coach from the sidelines..."
Kei understood immediately.
The woman was right to be awkward. After all, "watching in silence" applies to chess, not underground fighting. Since when were there rules against shouting advice?
Most likely, the "boss" wanted Yuzuha to lose so he could make more money, and Kei had ruined it.
But since the boss was in the wrong, he could only try to annoy Kei by sending this woman over.
And the woman... probably didn't have a good relationship with the boss either, or she wouldn't have been sent on such an offending errand.
"As long as you understand, bro. I'm in a tough spot, too..."
Seeing Kei wasn't angry, the woman sighed with relief and pressed her hands together.
"Thanks a million, bro. My 'former boss' said if I didn't make you leave, he wouldn't give me my severance pay..."
Since there were no other matches tonight, Kei didn't plan to stay. He followed the woman out, returning to the street.
The woman received a small packet of cash—presumably her severance. She was in a good mood and nodded to Kei.
"To thank you for understanding, let me treat you to a late-night snack. How about oden?"
The woman extended her hand to Kei.
"Tenma Nozomi. Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."