Chapter 45: A Sense of Rhythm
Iori Ichika's intentions were obvious.
Since Shiraki Kei had money, and they had connections, they should make a good impression now. If Kei started an underground business later, they might get a piece of the action.
But Kei really didn't have any good ideas.
Or maybe, based on his memories, he should invest in the "Women's Underground Fighting" league that Tenma Nozomi might start in the future?
[Book released by 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞, first on the whole network]
That was an option, but it felt a bit one-sided.
Kei wanted more than just money. How could he combine the Kengan Association with his own needs?
"..."
Thinking it over, he had no clue. So, it was drinking time again.
Since Yuzuha was there, and he had nothing better to do, Kei started discussing martial arts techniques and various move concepts with her.
Yuzuha was a little surprised. "There aren't many people in the underground fighting world who can patiently discuss technique."
It was understandable. The fighters active in the underground—especially in the men's division—were mostly impulsive and wild, refusing to acknowledge anyone else's skill.
But Kei thought differently.
"When two people fight, the seemingly weaker side can win through conviction and technique. The loser then refines their skills and can win again."
Kei analyzed, "Through this, the level of combat rises, and one has a chance to reach the peak."
As a "martial artist," Yuzuha agreed with this. After all, she was a beneficiary of technique.
Physically, Yuzuha was 160cm tall and weighed 45kg. Not top-tier.
To become a champion in the underground ring, technique was essential.
Yuzuha used Kenyi Liuhe Quan (Rare Intent Six Harmony Fist), which emphasized internal force (Fa Jin) and breath control.
One of her winning strategies was to attack the opponent's eyes first, blinding them, and then finish them off in one go.
"..."
Kei thought as expected. Just as he had observed, when facing a physically stronger opponent, the core was to disrupt their rhythm and firmly control your own.
Yuzuha enjoyed the chat, and since she owed Kei a favor, she handed him her business card.
"Here. If you're interested, I'm up for sparring or exchanging pointers. Just treat me to a good meal."
...
...
Everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and they were all a bit tipsy.
Especially Kei and Nozomi. This was their "second round," so they'd had twice the beer. Even with their strong constitutions, they were feeling light-headed.
"Ugh..."
The group left the restaurant together, planning to get some fresh air on the street.
Hana and Ichika were still brainstorming for Nozomi, discussing what kind of work she could do if she was really short on cash.
Unfortunately, Hana and Ichika weren't exactly "good people." The jobs they could find weren't exactly legitimate—mostly hostessing, sex work, smuggling, transporting goods, and the like.
"You guys are gonna get arrested sooner or later..."
Nozomi sighed, then looked at Kei.
By comparison, a business run by a fellow underground fighter—Shiraki Kei—should fit her needs better. It was just a shame he clearly had no ideas right now.
"Just have to wait and see."
Nozomi checked the time on her phone. She was about to say goodbye and go home when a commotion erupted on the street nearby.
Their attention was drawn to it.
On a street corner not far away, two groups of female delinquents had clashed. The shouting match turned into a brawl, and they started smashing bottles over each other's heads.
"I'll kill you!"
"Bitch... die!"
The two groups—about a dozen female delinquents—were tangled together, tearing at each other.
"..."
Yuzuha stood on tiptoe to look. "What are they doing?"
Ichika, cigarette in her mouth, explained helplessly, "Just the local brats who like to hang out in groups—not yakuza, just bored punks."
Nozomi tilted her head. "Speaking of, Ichika, the 'Juvenile Division' you're in now was set up to deal with exactly this kind of thing, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
Ichika nodded. "But they're completely uncontrollable. Normal methods don't work. They're way harder to deal with than yakuza who follow rules. Bunch of trash, they should just die..."
Yuzuha leaned in, whispering, "This cop is rotten to the core."
"Huh?"
Ichika jutted her chin out, staring provocatively at Yuzuha. "You're an underground fighter. Your training grounds and medical treatments—those are all illegal, right? Want me to lock you up for a couple of days?"
Yuzuha knew she was joking, but it was a distinct possibility, so she sighed. "The more you say that, the more rotten you seem..."
Hana laughed and put her arms around them. "Alright, alright. Are we going home? Or round three? I know a beautiful bar in the 5-Chome!"
Nozomi was about to answer when she looked up, puzzled. "Hey, is someone coming towards us?"
"Hm?"
They all turned to look. Four or five punks were walking straight at them. Some had things hidden under their clothes, likely bats or pipes.
"Messing with a cop? You have a death wish?"
Ichika waved her hand dismissively, telling the others not to panic, but then her face fell. "Ah, sorry. Left my badge at the station."
Hana was more optimistic. "It's fine, it's fine. Maybe they're not looking for us?"
Unfortunately, the punks' target was clear. They headed straight for the group—specifically, for Shiraki Kei.
Only then did they see that one of the punks had his arm in a sling.
"Boss, that's him!"
The injured punk pointed at Kei. "He's the one who twisted my arm!"
"..."
Kei, feeling the alcohol, tried to lift his eyes to look, but he felt lethargic.
The others were the same, all tipsy.
The most sober one was probably Yuzuha, but she had eaten too much and was clutching her stomach, digesting.
"Haha, unlucky. Enemies on a narrow road..."
Nozomi understood the situation instantly.
The injured punk must have tried to extort Kei earlier, gotten beaten up, and now brought backup for revenge.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. She could fight, Ichika was even better with weapons, and they had Kei and Yuzuha.
But right now...
They weren't afraid of a fight, but there were a lot of them, and they wouldn't hold back. Getting accidentally injured would be a loss. It was a buzzkill.
Nozomi turned and whispered, "Let's not bother. Should we run?"
"..."
Before anyone could answer, Kei bumped into Nozomi's shoulder, swaying as he stepped forward.
"Let's... try it..."
Kei faced the punks, his footing unsteady, his arms hanging limply.
After watching the match and talking with Yuzuha, a lot of messy ideas had popped into his head. These punks looking for trouble were perfect punching bags.
"—Come!"
Kei beckoned to the leader.
The punks didn't hold back. Two or three pulled out concealed baseball bats. The others just clenched their fists—they weren't yakuza, so they didn't dare use knives yet.
"Teach him a lesson!"
Swish!
Two punks couldn't wait. They swung their bats at Kei, but hit nothing but air.
"?!"
They stared wide-eyed. Kei was gone.
Looking closely, they realized Kei had just... flopped onto the ground, as if he'd passed out drunk.
"Eh?"
Before the punks could react, Kei pushed off the ground with both hands, launching himself into a Thomas flare, his legs sweeping out and kicking two punks in the chest as he rose.
BANG! BANG!
The two punks went flying. The leader was about to call for more attacks when he saw Kei lunge forward, ducking out of his line of sight, and then suddenly appear right in front of his face.
"Ha..."
The leader had no time to react. Kei focused his qi, throwing alternating jabs with his left and right hands, targeting the philtrum, the chest, and the solar plexus. Three hits in rapid succession.
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
In an instant, the leader's face bloomed with blood. He spat out teeth and collapsed.
Seeing this, the rest fled in panic, not daring to say a word.
"..."
Kei watched their backs, uninterested in chasing. They were just amateurs, no different from the fighting girls. Fighting them wouldn't teach him anything more.
Besides, Kei had vaguely grasped an idea—about the "rhythm" of combat.
In Kei's vision, in the distance, he could see another phantom.
A lithe figure with defined muscles, long hair tied back, a lock of bangs hanging over his forehead, and a wine gourd at his waist.
"..."
The phantom beckoned to Kei.
Disrupting the opponent's rhythm feels pretty good, doesn't it?
"...Nice. That's awesome!"
Kei swayed drunkenly, finally caught by Yuzuha, but he couldn't hide his smile.
He had clarified two ideas. One was "how to disrupt the opponent's rhythm." The second was the direction for his investment.
"..."
At the same time, Tenma Nozomi also thought of something.
"That's right, Shiraki-bro! That solves everything! You must be thinking the same thing as me!"
Nozomi looked at Kei, enlightenment dawning on her face.
"Since there are so many energetic punks on the streets these days, why don't we start an underground fighting organization? We'll gather up the delinquents! We can start with the 'Women's Division,' since there's less competition!"
Hearing this, Ichika and Hana's eyes lit up, sensing the potential in the idea.
But they never expected... Kei's idea was completely different. He hadn't even heard Nozomi. He was muttering to himself.
"The current underground scene is too scattered. Let's use the ten million to rebuild the dojo and open a 'Fighting Center' for martial artists!"
"Training, logistics, exchange matches, even teaching newcomers..."
"As long as there are enough members, the 'Fighting Center' can keep running, and it'll attract a lot of masters!"
"As for helpers... Maruko. Maruko doesn't have a job! There might be more later."
"...Hm?"
Kei finished his muttering and finally noticed the others behind him. "What were you guys saying?"