Chapter 62: The Finale
Both Shiraki Kei and Hanayama Kaoru were covered in wounds, streaks of bright red blood marking their skin.
Kei's calf had exploded, and who knew how many bones were broken. Hanayama's throat had taken a critical hit, his neck stiff, unable to breathe.
The scene was so gruesome that some spectators felt physically ill.
"That guy's face is turning purple!"
"The other one's gonna die too! Enough! Stop already!"
The noise buzzed in their ears, but the "insiders"—Tenma Nozomi, Kizaki, Hina, Yuzuha, even Ichika and Hana—remained silent.
They could see, or feel... that despite being covered in blood and filth, Kei and Hanayama's eyes were still shining!
They were happy!
With each other, with this moment, with the next move they were about to make—they felt a genuine joy and thrill!
Here it comes!
SWISH!
The distance closed. Hanayama was about to throw his final, desperate heavy punch.
But in that instant—
SNAP!
Kei suddenly "chopped" forward with his right index finger, striking Hanayama's chin with lightning speed.
[Jamie • Tensei] (Dotting the Stars)!
With a crisp CRACK, Hanayama's jawbone took a heavy hit. The force transmitted to his head, causing it to shake violently in a short burst—like a giant hand grabbing his head and rattling it, causing the brain to collide with the skull. A concussion!
Affected by this, plus the suffocating lack of oxygen, Hanayama's punch paused for an instant.
Kei seized the chance, retreating half a step, charging his fist. He didn't even have the strength to aim anymore. He just held his breath and unleashed every last ounce of his remaining strength forward!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Fist, elbow, knee—strikes rained down on Hanayama like a storm.
Hanayama's brain was still rattling, his body starved of oxygen. His muscles visibly relaxed, yet he still maintained his fist-clenched stance, standing tall and unmoving!
Kei couldn't punch anymore. He gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and slammed his body into Hanayama!
CRASH!
Stumbling and entwined, the two fell backward, smashing through the first-floor glass window and tumbling inside.
With that crisp shattering sound, the people on the second floor could only see the mess outside. The two fighters had completely disappeared from view.
"Boss!"
"Shiraki-bro!"
Kizaki and Nozomi reacted first, turning and sprinting for the stairs.
The other spectators followed, rushing downstairs to witness the final outcome of this "super-scale" brawl.
Rounding the corner of the stairs, they looked into the first-floor lobby—
On two sofas on the outer edge of the lobby, Kei and Hanayama lay on opposite sides, facing each other.
They looked as if they had just fallen there, unable to move an inch.
And between them was a display table full of alcohol. All kinds of brands, and of course, beer and whiskey.
"..."
Kei reached out, his hand only finding a bottle of Wild Turkey.
Hanayama took a few seconds to recover enough to breathe, then reached out as well, but could only grab a bottle of light beer.
Holding their bottles, their eyes met.
Kei's voice was hoarse as he gave a helpless, bitter laugh. "Since it's right in front of us... we have to drink it..."
"..."
Hanayama's throat was severely damaged; he couldn't speak. But he also gave a slight smile.
They toasted with their eyes and chugged several large gulps.
Gulp... gulp...
"Koff—koff koff—!"
A few mouthfuls of whiskey went down, and Kei immediately started coughing, tears streaming from his eyes. "So spicy!"
Hanayama held the beer in his mouth for a moment before forcing it down, frowning in pain.
Looking at each other's sorry states, Kei suddenly burst out laughing with a pfft, and Hanayama grinned silently, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
"Haha—ha..."
Kei laughed until he went quiet, closing his eyes and passing out.
Hanayama watched him quietly. The alcohol and exhaustion hit him all at once, and he, too, drifted into unconsciousness.
The spectators at the stairwell witnessed this scene in silence, until the very end.
"Beautiful..."
Kizaki broke the silence first, starting to applaud. "That fight... was beautiful!"
Led by him, the other spectators clapped, praising them unreservedly.
"Evenly matched!"
"Both of them are monsters!"
"That was amazing—!"
Seeing the situation settled, Nozomi and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless of what "Valkyrie" did next, no one had died, which was good. The priority now was to call an ambulance for the two drunken, unconscious fighters!
Just as the ambulance left, police cars arrived.
It was understandable. The fight between Kei and Hanayama had been massive; it was only natural for passersby to call the cops.
But both Kizaki the yakuza and Ichika the cop were experts at handling this. They dealt with it easily.
"So much trouble!"
Ichika sent the officers away and looked at Nozomi, her face full of resignation.
"Just now, my top boss—the Superintendent General—contacted me. He wants to talk face-to-face about 'Hongo Hina'."
"I guess he wants me to keep an eye on her, watch out for the chemical weapons she hid... anyway, I'll handle it."
"Besides that, the Hanayama Group... will probably wait for Hanayama to wake up? I'll leave that to you and Hana."
"And the collaboration with Shiraki-bro, you'll have to worry about that too..."
Ichika rattled off a list of tasks.
Nozomi nodded, rubbing her throbbing temples.
For her, Ichika, and Hana—these three friends—whether it was Hongo Hina, Shiraki Kei, or Hanayama Kaoru, they were all unimaginable super-monsters.
Getting too involved with these people might lead to even worse trouble.
But just like a "fight," once you've thrown a punch, there's no turning back. You can only do everything possible to rise to the top!
The first step was to consolidate the "resources" at hand...
...
...
Four days had passed since the drunken brawl.
Hanayama and Kei were discharged from the hospital one after another, both covered in bandages and casts, returning home to recuperate.
On one hand, it was due to their amazing physical constitutions and recovery abilities.
On the other hand, it was thanks to Kizaki pulling strings to get the famous "Dr. Shinogi" to treat them.
During his hospital stay, Kei hadn't been idle. He started planning the "Fighting Center," ordering various construction materials via his phone.
On the day he was discharged, the first thing he ordered—the "standing signboard" for the Fighting Center—was delivered to his home.
SoulCombat.
Soul Combat Dojo, or SC Center.
Although it wasn't officially open yet, it had a name, so Kei technically had a "company."
As for business licenses and paperwork, he didn't need to worry. As long as he won the upcoming "Kengan Challenge Match" and became a member, specialists would handle everything.
"Hoo—!"
Kei planted the signboard in the ground, feeling refreshed, like taking his first step on the moon.
Good spirits made for good health. His brain pumped out hormones, seemingly speeding up the healing of his wounds.
Just then, Arisa called out, "Bro, guests!"
Kei turned to see three people walking down the street.
Two were familiar: "Valkyrie" boss Tenma Nozomi, and the starry-eyed Hongo Hina.
The last one was a well-built man—with long, sakura-pink hair tied back, long sideburns, and a handsome face marred by a prominent horizontal scar running from under his left eye, across the bridge of his nose, to under his right eye.
He looked sunny and cheerful, carrying a get-well gift for Kei.
"Yo, Shiraki-bro!"
Nozomi waved, smiling as she introduced him. "Lying in the hospital was tough, right? I brought you an excellent 'bone-setter'!"
"His name is Kureishi Mitsuyo. He's a senior from the dojo I used to frequent!"