Viktor: "Buck, I'm serious."
Buck snorted, "Viktor, this ain't the 'pure era' anymore. These days everyone wants the underground circuit — y'know? The kind where the crowd lays down eddies and the fighters beat each other half to death. Dirty tricks, cheap shots, chrome, stims… that's underground fighting. You get it now?"
His voice was tired — like he'd had the same argument a thousand times.
Underground fights were practically a Night City trademark. But the old-school boxing vets hated what it'd become — and they didn't have the leverage to change it.
"Back when I was in the ring, you weren't even qualified to share the canvas with me." Viktor snapped, "Don't lecture me like you're some sage. Listen — we're putting together a match. Underground is fine. Either way, we'll secure the venue, run the book, and you bring bodies in. We'll cut you in — referral fee, percentage, whatever works."
Buck looked him over, "Why not just stick to being a ripperdoc, Vik? Why go chasing thrills?"
"I know exactly how old I am." Viktor said flatly, "I'm just calling in favors. The ones throwing hands are the two behind me."
Only then did Buck finally look at Vash and Jackie. Jackie had the build, sure — but Vash looked way too lean for a boxer.
"They don't look like they've ever been in a ring." Buck said bluntly.
Vash spoke up from the back, "Whether it's our first time depends on whether you help us set it up."
Buck went quiet, then glanced at Viktor again, "Alright. You don't ask me for help often, Viktor. I'll do it — this once."
He packed up fast and climbed in with them, heading for the Caliburn.
The moment he saw the ride, Buck's face twisted with disbelief. Someone driving a Caliburn… wanted to run a boxing night in Rancho Coronado? That was surreal as hell.
But for Vash, the surreal part was Buck himself.
From the clothes, the food, the living conditions — he was barely scraping by. And if people had a real choice, who in their right mind would drift around Night City? It wasn't like they did it to "get closer to nature."
"I'll point you where to go." Buck said.
"Got it." Jackie said from the driver's seat, "Night City veteran driver — name the spot and I'll get us there."
Since Buck was the one they brought in to set things up, the prep and recruiting were on him; the others stayed out of it.
Buck's route was a loop of bars scattered around Rancho Coronado. Every time they pulled up, he went inside and negotiated for a while.
"Vik." Vash asked while they waited in the car, "Buck keeps picking bars — there a reason?"
"Because bars are where you see the whole city in miniature." Viktor said, "You never know what kind of person the one nursing a beer beside you really is. But booze, music, the vibe — those give people a brief illusion of equality. And in most joints, watching boxing — or a game — is standard programming. Back in the day, they could even throw together a simple ring right in the middle of a bar."
His eyes flashed with nostalgia.
"Drink a beer, scream for the fighter in the ring, watch the mind game of pure physical combat — blood up, adrenaline up. But boxing lost its shine. Some corps even tried to sell people on these awkward robot boxing shows. The old rings got squeezed out… and what was left became back-alley brawls and underground street fights."
Vash nodded. He'd been in Viktor's clinic enough times to know the routine. The guy loved watching real matches — sanctioned fights — not this mess.
Before long, Buck came back out of the bar.
"All set. Those owners are interested — they'll show tonight." He said. Then his tone sharpened, "But I'll say the ugly part upfront: not everyone misses old-school boxing. Some people want it fully underground — no rules, no mercy. You two should be ready for that."
Everyone's gaze slid to Vash without thinking.
Vash shrugged, "No problem. Old-school or gutter-fight — I'll play it however they want."
Jackie thumped his chest, "And there ain't no 'scared' in my dictionary."
The rest of the coordination for tonight was handled by Viktor and Buck. During the day, Vash and Jackie were free.
They cruised around Rancho Coronado for a bit, then Jackie called Misty.
"Misty, I'm boxing in Rancho Coronado today. You gonna come watch?"
Vash's mouth twitched. Jackie was getting more and more shameless about getting everyone to be the third wheel.
Beep Beep Beep!
Right then, another call came in.
「Incoming call: Judy Álvarez」
"Hey, Judy." Vash answered.
"V, you free? Come take a ride with me."
Vash said, "Rain check. Today we've got something fun — Jack and I are boxing in Rancho Coronado. Wanna come watch?"
"Boxing?" Judy said, "Never seen it live."
"Even better." Vash said, "Come get the full experience."
"Alright." Judy said, "Could use something to clear my head. Send me the pin."
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Night fell.
The match was set up on a street basketball court.
Thanks to Buck grinding all day, a decent crowd showed by evening. The mix was exactly what you'd expect: locals who'd heard the pitch while Buck worked the bars, and a few owners who came in person to sniff out profit.
Street underground fighting had two main setups.
First: before the bout, people place bets on the fighters; payouts depend on odds and results.
Second: the "signature" format — some rich gonk likes to keep fighters on a leash. Besides prize money, the fighter has to wear the sponsor's colors like walking product placement.
Street matches on this scale weren't common, so they even hired a host — one with a mouth built for dirty jokes and hype.
"Welcome, welcome, chooms, to this totally unknown boxing match hosted by your totally unknown host here in Rancho Coronado!" The MC shouted, "Now let's see who's stepping into the ring tonight… My god — it's V, the merc who's been making waves all over Night City lately, and Jackie Welles! Who would've thought two hot legends would come wade into the mud with the rest of us? Even I'm curious — are the two who pulled off that Konpeki Plaza madness gonna keep charging forward… or are they about to find out the street plays by different rules? Let's find out!"
The MC's patter was slick and filthy in the best way — pure street. A few lines in, the crowd was already whistling and yelling from every side.
Jackie ate that admiration up, "V, I'll go first."
Vash patted him and smirked, "Keep your eyes open. If you go up there and get folded, I'm turning around and leaving."
❖❖❖❖❖
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead, smut chapters or spicy images of this novel for just $5, or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
I'm currently translating another project (for $10) where the character goes to the world of Cyberpunk 2077, but!... mixed with Cyberpunk Edgerunners too! And he has the Roronoa Zoro Template, so expect a lot of sword slashes and girls in the bed! (Lucy has already "fallen"...)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)