Chapter 64: The Pier and the Cruise Ship
Two weeks later, on the day of the "Kengan Challenge Match."
Shiraki Kei got up early as usual, running a long lap around the city.
On the way, he bought groceries, went home, made breakfast for himself and Arisa, and packed Arisa's bento for lunch.
By the time he was done, the sun was just rising. The day had truly begun.
In an open corner of the yard stood a massive, brand-new punching bag, weighing 150kg. It was a high-spec model recommended by Kureishi Mitsuyo.
It was expensive, but practical. The feedback from hitting it felt great.
BANG!
Swish—THUD!
Heavy punch, quick shuffle, rapid jabs, finishing with a heavy kick.
It had Ryu's steadiness and Jamie's fluidity.
This sequence wasn't a specific move, but a daily routine to familiarize his body with the feeling of striking.
After about half an hour, Kei was drenched in sweat and stopped.
"Hoo..."
Kei leaned against the bag, exhaling a hot breath.
Checking the time, Arisa was just getting up and eating breakfast.
Kei sat down to stretch, waiting for his body to cool down before taking a shower. It felt refreshing.
Splash...
Hot water washed away the sweat.
In the mirror, Kei checked his body.
The bone injuries wouldn't heal so quickly, but they were mending fast enough not to hinder movement.
The skin wounds—mostly cuts from glass and metal—had healed early, leaving a few scars in the worse spots.
His right leg was also recovering well.
Looking at his overall physique, daily training was clearly important.
After this period of rest, diet, and exercise, Kei's strength had increased effectively.
Under Kureishi's guidance, he ensured proper stretching after training, balancing his muscles and making his lines smoother.
Although not fully recovered, his condition was much better than when he fought [Nioh] Komada. His control over his body was deepening daily.
By the time Kei finished showering, Arisa had left for school.
He ate breakfast alone, let it digest, and remembering Zangief's teachings, picked up a book to read.
In fact, regarding daily life and training, his three visible masters—Ryu, Zangief, and Jamie—each had their own distinct theories.
But they didn't force them on Kei. They expressed their ideas, leaving Kei to decide for himself.
They knew that only in this way could their disciple—their foolish apprentice—go further on the path of "strength."
After resting, it was time for morning training.
The training content these days was interesting: demolition.
The ordered construction materials needed time to arrive, and designing the venue required specialists.
Before that, Kei planned to try demolishing the dilapidated dojo by himself. Using simple tools or bare hands was good training for explosive power (Fa Jin), and moving materials built strength.
After these days of effort, half the massive dojo was gone, making the yard look much more open.
In the afternoon, another batch of ordered equipment arrived, mostly MMA necessities recommended by Kureishi.
Having a "peer" who ran a dojo was indeed helpful for gaining experience.
Just as Kei unpacked a few boxes, an old acquaintance arrived.
"Yo, Shiraki-chin! Is your match today?"
Kure Fusu came to watch the fun, as usual.
Although the Kengan Challenge Match wasn't as prestigious as an official Kengan Match, it was a good way to kill time, and there might be surprises.
"Yeah. Perfect timing."
Kei nodded, tossing Fusu two focus mitts. "Spar with me."
"Sure!"
Fusu put on the mitts and smacked them together. "Mm, brand new. Should feel good to hit."
Kei sighed. "You get what you pay for. Kureishi-bro recommends expensive brands."
"Kureishi?" Fusu recalled the barbecue party. "Ah, the pervert who likes breaking bones?"
Kei nodded. "But how did you guys tell?"
"He has that unsatisfied smell about him. Even in the Kure Clan, he'd be considered dangerous."
Fusu took her stance, raising the mitts. "Come on!"
SWOOSH!
Kei dashed forward, fast as ever. Even Fusu had to focus to keep up.
She recognized it instantly—[Aura Burst]!
Kei's dash was powerful, but it had a flaw: it was easy to predict from the startup.
Like a cracking whip, no matter how fast the tip moves, the "source" is stationary. A true master could read it.
So Fusu was confused. Kei wasn't aiming for the predicted impact point of [Aura Burst].
What was going on?
As she wondered, Kei suddenly changed his move. Using [Aura Burst] only for the dash, he closed in and switched tactics.
BANG! BANG!
Two uppercuts hit the mitts. Not powerful, but sudden, utilizing explosive speed.
"!"
Fusu was surprised. Stabilizing the mitts, she asked, "What was that?"
"[Drive Rush]."
Kei bounced on his feet, recalling the feeling. "Still testing it. Thanks for the practice. The new mitts feel great."
Fusu joked, "Where did the old ones go?"
Kei replied, "Threw 'em away."
SWOOSH—BANG BANG!
By the time Kei finished practicing, another person had been waiting.
Nogi Group Secretary—Akimiya Kaede.
She was here to inform Kei of the location, carrying a briefcase with one hundred million yen—the entry fee for the challenge match.
Akimiya looked at Kei, noticing the new injuries.
"Shiraki-san, it seems your recent days haven't been peaceful. Do you want to postpone?"
BANG!
Kei threw a final punch, knocking the mitt off Fusu's hand.
"No need. I feel great today. Awesome!"
He thanked Fusu and went to rinse off, asking Akimiya, "What's the plan for tonight?"
"The match is on a cruise ship at the pier."
Akimiya explained, "Since it's an unofficial match, there's no fixed venue. I don't know the details, but I'll be going with you."
"In short, please take care of me tonight."
"..."
Akimiya drove Kei and Fusu to the pier.
By the time they arrived, it was completely dark. The pier was unlit, so they had to fumble their way forward.
Akimiya was displeased with the arrangement but helpless.
"The one betting their membership is a third-rate company president, a sycophant and an idiot. So his manners are terrible. But rumor has it he found a new fighter who's very strong."
Akimiya explained as they walked.
Suddenly, Kei and Fusu noticed movement behind them.
"Who?"
They turned to see a young man with messy long hair, wearing old work clothes, panting heavily and looking around in panic.
"Are... are you looking for that ship too?"
The young man was out of breath. "Let's look together! There's no time! If it sails, we're in trouble!"
Seeing them freeze, the young man introduced himself. "I'm Itou Kaiji. You're going to the cruise ship Espoir too, right?"