Chapter 51: Valkyrie
"Eeeh?! Wha—Wait a minute!?"
"The match is over! Instant kill! INSTANT KILL!! Fighter Hina ended the match in just two punches!!"
The announcer almost couldn't react in time.
Then came the waves of cheers from the audience, applauding Hina.
Clearly, such a "beautiful" yet "extremely violent" match was exactly the kind of women's underground fighting they appreciated, something you couldn't see in a legitimate ring.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Tenma Nozomi and the others were equally shocked by the scene.
Yuzuha stood straight, hands behind her back, eyes narrowed. "That Momose Miharu wasn't an opponent you could just casually knock down. You guys found a really powerful one."
"...Indeed, powerful."
Nozomi's pupils contracted as she murmured, "I knew Hina was different, but to be this strong... finding future opponents might be difficult..."
Yuzuha said confidently, "I don't mind—I can fight anytime!"
Clearly, this match had piqued her interest.
Nozomi breathed a sigh of relief. "Haha, I'll be counting on you then."
Ichika added, "Don't worry, I'll help recruit fighters too. The MPD files have plenty of dangerous characters."
"—And also!"
Ichika held up a few "prize tickets" between her fingers, waving them in front of everyone. "This match was quite profitable for us!"
Seeing Kei tilt his head in confusion, Ichika explained.
"Shiraki-bro, you've never played Pachinko, have you? Same principle."
"We made a batch of 'prize tickets' worth 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen. The name doesn't matter; let's call them 'V-Coins' for now."
"We have the audience buy V-Coins and use them to bet."
"Since they're just tickets, these V-Coins have no value—so it's not cash gambling."
"But, we also arrange a 'second-hand dealer.' The audience can go to the dealer and sell the V-Coins as 'collectibles' to get cash back."
Ichika slung an arm around Kei's shoulder, grinning slyly. "Just like that, an illegal black-market business becomes a gray-market underground business."
"Plus, I've already smoothed things over at the MPD. The cops won't trouble us!"
Being a cop herself, yet calling the police "cops"—only Iori Ichika could pull that off.
"Anyway, tonight was a huge success~!"
Hana clapped, then looked around. "Strange. Where's Hina-chan? Hasn't she come down yet?"
"..."
They turned to look and saw Hongo Hina still in the ring. She had just taken the announcer's microphone.
What was she doing?
"...Testing! Testing?"
Hina tested the mic, then held it up, making a peace sign with her other hand.
"Yay—Revolution Success~!"
"I'm Hongo Hina! Did the audience enjoy the show?"
These few words reignited the crowd's emotions, and the venue heated up again.
Seeing this, Nozomi and the others were confused, wondering what kind of impromptu performance Hina was planning.
But in the next second—
Hina suddenly pulled a huge bundle of cash from her school bag, holding it high for the audience to see.
"Five million yen—this is my savings."
"If you can beat me, you get five million yen! Everyone is welcome to challenge me~☆!"
The entire venue fell silent for a split second, then erupted.
"Haha! She's got guts!"
"This new group's script is good, and the fighters have the skill to back it up. This is gonna be fun!"
"A rookie? Where'd she come from?"
"Can't wait!"
"..."
For a moment, the noise in the venue was deafening, the atmosphere boiling over, even drowning out the sound of the microphone.
Nozomi's scalp tingled. "What is that idiot doing?!"
Ichika facepalmed. "Ugh, I hope this doesn't cause trouble..."
Only Hana was optimistic, analyzing seriously, "This might actually be good? After all, in the underground fighting world, even big organizations might not offer a five million appearance fee."
"For a small group like ours, such a high prize should attract a lot of talent, right?"
"For example—"
Hana stepped aside, revealing Yuzuha, whose eyes were practically glowing. "Yuzuha-chan looks very excited!"
Yuzuha couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Of course. I really need 'money'..."
This sudden five-million-yen prize was a windfall for Yuzuha. She felt like she had come to the right place.
"Although it's just a newly established small group, it definitely has the potential to grow big and strong."
As a veteran of the scene, Yuzuha didn't hold back her praise.
"You have all the conditions to make big money."
"Hana is the 'Rule-Abiding Yakuza,' Ichika is the 'Rule-Breaking Cop,' and Nozomi-nee has the 'Rule-Studying Brain'."
"Shiraki-bro is just a backend partner, but he has the 'Strength to Influence and Set Rules'."
"Oh right, save a spot for me at your Fighting Center, Shiraki-bro. Although I don't have money for the membership fee right now..."
This breakdown clarified the team's advantages and made everyone a little embarrassed with the praise.
"By the way," Yuzuha tilted her head, "what are you going to name this underground fighting group?"
"Valkyrie."
Nozomi answered. "It means 'Battle Maiden.' We'll focus on women's underground fighting for now and grow from there."
Hana clapped her hands and smiled. "Haha, how exciting!"
"Alright, the crowd's clearing out. That's it for tonight!"
Ichika put her arm around Nozomi's neck, raising a hand. "To celebrate the founding of 'Valkyrie' and the successful opening show, let's have a party! Anyone who wants to join, come along!"
"Shiraki-bro, ask Arisa and Maruko if they want to come. Tomorrow's a holiday anyway. More people means more fun!"
"..."
Everyone was chatting and laughing, the atmosphere great.
Kei nodded, about to find a spot to call home, when he suddenly saw a yakuza member in a pinstripe suit walk slowly over to the sound system.
Click!
The man unplugged the power directly.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to him.
In a single glance, they reached a conclusion—
He wasn't here just to "start trouble."
Or rather, his aura was different from a common punk. He was a true "man of the life," and his backing was clearly much stronger than Mitani Hana's.
"Pleasure to meet you. Apologies for interrupting your fun."
The yakuza member walked forward slowly, introducing himself.
"My name is Kizaki. I'm a member of the Hanayama Group, under the Fujiki Group."
The man named Kizaki scratched his head, looking troubled. His tone was extremely polite, yet left no room for negotiation.
"I have a favor to ask of you all—"
"Times are turbulent right now. So could I trouble you to completely shut down these new groups of yours?"