Chapter 68: Shinshinkai 3rd Dan!
The man who appeared before everyone had an exaggerated physique.
He wore sneakers and camouflage pants.
His black sleeveless shirt was stretched tight by his bulging deltoids, and veins popped on his exposed biceps, radiating power.
In terms of body mass, he was a size bigger than Maruko, and taller than Hanayama Kaoru!
His face was also extraordinary.
His short hair stood up like steel needles. The muscles on his square jaw were sharply defined. His brow ridge pressed low over his eyes, creating an aggressive, inverted-triangle gaze. His mouth was set in a cold, hard line.
His name: Suedo Atsushi!
A member of the "Shinshinkai" Karate Dojo—3rd Dan Black Belt.
Like the Rokushin Kaikan, the Shinshinkai wasn't just an educational or sports organization, but a massive martial arts group focused on practical combat.
Reaching 3rd Dan Black Belt in the Shinshinkai spoke volumes about Suedo Atsushi's skill!
"...This is bad."
Akimiya Kaede's expression shifted several times before she hid her inner turmoil and stepped forward to shake hands with "Nabemi Mikio," the president of Gyūmin Dining.
"Miss Akimiya of the Nogi Group? A pleasure."
Nabemi grinned slyly. "My, I didn't expect the famous 'President Nogi' to send someone to support a new company joining the Kengan Association. Is he planning something recently?"
This was clearly fishing for information. Akimiya gave an appropriate response. "Just business interests."
She glanced at Suedo Atsushi, then smiled. "A 3rd Dan Black Belt from the Shinshinkai—a fighter of this caliber would surely be invincible in Kengan matches."
"Haha, you flatter me."
Nabemi waved his hand, snickering. "However, I won't be participating in official Kengan matches. The risk is too high."
"But using the Kengan membership card as bait for 'Challenge Matches' reels in plenty of suckers. It's a great way to earn pocket money~!"
Nabemi made no secret of his intentions.
After all, he wasn't the only one doing this. There were always arrogant fools who wanted to reach the top in one step and become Kengan members.
Those guys didn't think about how hard it was to find strong fighters.
Although the challenger had the Nogi Group's support this time, in the end, he was just an unknown kid. Nabemi had never even heard of him.
Besides, even [Nioh] Komada might not be able to beat Gyūmin Dining's "New Ace"!
"Heh. You're as frank as ever."
Akimiya smiled, hinting, "But have you considered whether a fighter from the Shinshinkai would be willing to stay in a 'second-rate' arena with you?"
Hearing this, Nabemi gave a fake smile. "Miss Akimiya certainly knows how to sow discord. But regardless, 'Suedo Atsushi' will fight tonight."
...
Both sides refused to back down, trading sarcastic barbs.
Akimiya then retreated to Kei's side, frowning. "This is bad. That guy, Suedo Atsushi—"
She recalled, "It's said that a few years ago, he achieved a 'Four-Time Championship' in the National Full-Contact Karate Tournament. He's an incredibly skilled karateka."
"A guy like that must be planning to use Gyūmin Dining as a stepping stone to make a name for himself in the Kengan Association. I didn't expect us to run into him."
Akimiya's mind raced.
President Nogi's plan was to get Kei into the Kengan Association to add another "ally" to the membership.
She thought that with the strength to defeat [Nioh] Komada, winning this challenge match wouldn't be hard. But tonight's plan couldn't keep up with the changes. What should she do?
"Miss Akimiya..."
What can I do?
"Miss Akimiya."
Kei suddenly put a hand on Akimiya's shoulder, smiling as he gestured. "Please step aside. Someone's looking for me."
"!?"
Akimiya froze, realizing the light in front of her was blocked.
Looking up, she saw Suedo Atsushi standing right in front of her, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes locked onto Kei.
"Ehh?!"
Startled by the sudden pressure, Akimiya scrambled aside, nearly falling if Fusu hadn't caught her.
Thus, only Kei and Suedo were left, face to face.
"You..."
Suedo "looked down" at Kei, his voice low and raspy. "What did you say about me just now?"
Kei smiled faintly. "I said you're not bad."
Suedo raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Kei's smile widened.
"—We can finish this fight before dinner!"
"...Hahahaha!"
Hearing this, Suedo suddenly burst out laughing, even slapping Kei on the shoulder, like two old friends reuniting.
After laughing until tears came to his eyes, Suedo wiped them away and waved goodbye to Kei.
However, the moment Suedo turned to leave, his smiling face twisted into the extreme. Veins popped on his forehead and neck, his expression becoming as terrifying as an Asura!
I'll kill you.
The muscles at the corner of Suedo's mouth twitched, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth grinding loudly.
I! Will! Absolutely! Kill! You!
Anyone could feel that Suedo was genuinely enraged, and he wasn't hiding it.
But Kei didn't care.
He rubbed his stomach, which hurt from laughing, and walked straight into the hall to find his other three friends.
"Akagi-bro, Yako-san, and Kaji-kun—long time no see."
Kei greeted them one by one.
Kaji Takaomi was still the slightly nervous young man, but a bit more mature than before. At least he wasn't panicking.
Yako Hikoichi, the old gentleman, was as refined as ever.
As for the white-haired middle-aged man—Akagi Shigeru—he was sitting casually in a chair, smoking a cigarette with ease.
"Kei-kun. It's been a while."
Akagi raised a hand in greeting.
Seeing Kei's confusion about why they were here, Akagi smiled. "Baku-kun said there would be an interesting gamble, so I came."
He flicked his ash. "But I didn't expect to see Kei-kun fight tonight. A pleasant surprise."
Kei smiled. "So Akagi-bro is interested in fighting now?"
Akagi nodded frankly. "Because I discovered that gambling and fighting are both 'struggles.' There is no fundamental difference."
"—So, I really like it."
With that, Akagi gestured to the other side, where another trio was gathered.
The leader was a tough-looking man with glasses, a stern face, and a serious expression.
"His name is Sadakuni, a self-proclaimed 'Revolutionary.' He's my opponent tonight."
Akagi introduced him casually. "Both he and that Hyodo Kazutaka from the Teiai Group are interesting people. Tonight is not bad."
Kei nodded. "Ha, indeed. Awesome!"
He chatted with Akagi for a while, then handed out his Soul Combat Dojo business cards to the three of them.
Soon, the Kengan referee was ready and signaled Kei and Suedo to wait outside the ring.
But just as the referee was about to introduce the fighters, Nabemi Mikio of Gyūmin Dining suddenly took the stage, grabbing the microphone.
"Ahem... Esteemed Chairman Hyodo, and everyone else, although it's a waste of time to say more now—"
Nabemi couldn't suppress the smirk on his face. He loved occasions where he could show off.
"However, I would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce—"
"This rookie fighter named 'Suedo Atsushi,' and his terrifying Karate!"
Nabemi waved his hand dramatically.
"Bring out the thick training pads!"