Chapter 58: This is a Killer Move—
[Jamie • Breakdance]!
—A fusion of Drunken Fist and breakdancing, a series of lightning-fast spinning kicks!
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Hanayama's iron fist missed, leaving his chest and abdomen wide open. He took a dozen kicks in just a few seconds!
BANG—!
The final kick sent Hanayama stumbling back two or three steps.
Shiraki Kei pushed off the ground with one hand, springing back to his feet, though he swayed unsteadily, still dizzy from the spin.
"...Mmph!"
Kei puffed out his cheeks, tilted his head back, and spat out a mouthful of cloudy liquid with a splat.
It was blood, beer, and scattered bits of teeth and glass.
The messy spray fell like rain, washing over his body like a cold shower, refreshing his mind and body.
"Pu-haa—! That feels good!"
Kei's eyelids drooped like a drunkard's. He looked at Hanayama, saw the giant's face was also flushed, and burst out laughing, slapping his thigh.
"Hanayama-bro, I told you that liquor was too strong. It tastes bad..."
"..."
Hanayama grinned, steam rising from his mouth. Even though his nose and mouth were bleeding, he felt an indescribable exhilaration.
Just when the spectators thought Hanayama would throw another punch, the next second—
BANG!
Hanayama suddenly leaped, throwing his entire body weight into a flying spinning kick!
Kei's face took the full force of the heel. He was flipped over and smashed into the ground, blood spraying like a flower blooming. The brutality was terrifying!
...
...
"Is that guy a monster?!!"
Tenma Nozomi bit her lip. "It's unarmed combat, but the weight difference between Hanayama Kaoru and Shiraki-bro is nearly 150 jin (approx. 75kg/165lbs)! Even in the underground world, that's completely out of bounds!"
"Even if Shiraki-bro is faster and more skilled, the essence of a 'fight' is mutual destruction. In the end, 'stamina' decides the winner!"
"A 75kg difference is like wearing a full suit of armor! How can he fight that?!"
"..."
Hearing Nozomi's outburst, Kizaki chuckled.
"If this were four years ago, I might already be downstairs celebrating the Boss's victory."
"But now, I don't dare."
"Is it... a lack of confidence in the Boss?"
Kizaki's tone dropped, his voice heavy. "Wrong! Even though the Boss tasted defeat four years ago, and lost to Shinshinkai's Orochi Katsumi that night, he is still the Hanayama Kaoru!"
"He is the World's Strongest Brawler. That will never change!"
"But, Miss Tenma, the Boss's two defeats proved to me that in a duel, it's not over until the very last moment!"
"..."
Hearing Kizaki's words, Nozomi's gaze trembled.
She was shocked by Kizaki's resolve, but also surprised by his implication.
Is there really a "person" in this world who can beat Hanayama Kaoru?!
THUD! THUD! THUD...
Downstairs, Hanayama had flipped Kei onto the ground and was brutally stomping on him. Everyone watching felt a chill in their hearts.
Iori Ichika's eye twitched. She asked her friends, "Hey! Someone's gonna die! Should I call the MPD?"
Nozomi, steadied by Kizaki's words, squinted again and suddenly said, "Wait... Shiraki-bro is still defending!"
...
...
Swish!
With another spinning kick, Kei knocked Hanayama back and stood up again.
He grabbed another beer bottle from the ground, chugged it, then smashed the bottle on the ground, exhaling a hot breath.
"That's the third cup..."
"Hanayama!"
Agony shot through his body. Kei could feel his heart pounding.
The intense personal will he sought was crystal clear in this moment, making him laugh involuntarily.
This was fighting. As long as you wanted to fight, you could keep fighting!
"Come on!" Kei roared.
Hanayama accepted the challenge gladly. He rotated his right wrist, stomped forward with a whoosh, and shouted as he threw a punch.
"?!"
Kei's focus sharpened to the limit. Blood sprayed from the corner of his eye as his burning gaze traced a jagged line in the air.
Swish!
Kei suddenly threw a low kick, used the momentum to duck and spin back, retreating a step. Relying on precise spacing, he dodged Hanayama's heavy punch, breaking his rhythm.
[Jamie • Free Flow Strikes] (Modified Evasion)!
Hanayama's punch missed, leaving him briefly stiff.
Kei slid forward on his knees, landing a right uppercut to Hanayama's gut, then swept his left leg across the ground, tripping the giant.
"He's down! A chance!"
A shout came from the second floor. It was spot on.
But contrary to everyone's expectations, Kei didn't pursue. He just stood in front of Hanayama, picked up a beer bottle, and reset his stance.
It seemed he was waiting for Hanayama to recover, planning to face him head-on at close range!
"..."
Hanayama said nothing. He picked up another bottle of hard liquor from the ground.
At Kei's signal, Hanayama extended his left hand, placing it vertically alongside Kei's, their palms touching back-to-back.
With their other hands, they opened their bottles and took a huge swig.
Crash!
Both bottles smashed on the ground simultaneously.
Hanayama swung his right fist first, but Kei slapped it away with his left hand. Then, aiming for Hanayama's face, Kei unleashed a left-right-left combo, followed by a wide hook to the gut.
While Hanayama was off-balance, Kei flipped into a handstand, coiled like a spring, gathered all his strength, and kicked upward with explosive force.
This is a killer move—
[Jamie • Getsuga Saiho]!
BOOM!
Both feet slammed into Hanayama's face.
The massive giant was launched into the air, blood and broken teeth spraying, before crashing back down with his huge body.
CRASH!
This time, it was finally Hanayama's turn to hit the dirt, crushing the metal rack beneath him, lying on his back in a mess of spilled alcohol.
Yet, no one who had witnessed the fight thought this scene was pathetic. No one looked away.
Sure enough—Hanayama stood up again!
Blood flowed from his nose and mouth, but his breathing remained steady.
He kicked off his leather shoes, loosened his tie, and grabbed his collar.
RIIIP!
The expensive white suit and shirt were torn apart by Hanayama. Even his pants were ripped away, leaving him in nothing but a white yakuza loincloth (fundoshi).
The exposed body was exaggerated to the extreme. Muscles were evenly distributed and incredibly developed, the skin covered in scars from knives and bullets.
It was impossible to imagine this body belonged to a nineteen-year-old boy!
But what shocked the spectators most was Hanayama's back—
A massive, full-back tattoo!
The design depicted a strong man carrying a bronze bell. His posture was fierce, his expression like a demon reborn, treading through wind and waves, desperately protecting the bell on his back.
If that were all, it would just be a very good tattoo.
But Hanayama's back was covered in knife scars. Slash after slash cut through the skin, disjointing the image, making it look particularly savage.
The spectators were horrified.
"What is up with that tattoo?! It looks like a Picasso painting!!"