Chapter 75: Referee Number 10
Upper deck of the cruise ship.
The Kakerou gamble in the reception hall was still ongoing.
The others were gathered in another hall on the upper deck, surrounded by walls of monitors.
The screens showed not only the reception hall but also the internal situation of the entire ship, including the lower decks invaded by mercenaries.
At this time, guests were present in the monitoring room, such as Nogi Group's Akimiya Kaede, Shinshinkai's Suedo Atsushi, and the Kengan referee. Although Hyodo Kazutaka was the "Tyrant" of the Teiai Group, he wouldn't disrespect these people.
"Kakaka, don't worry, everyone."
Hyodo let out a strange laugh, comforting them, "They're just 'smugglers.' As long as we have the corresponding force ready, they won't dare to act rashly."
As soon as he finished speaking, the "strange men in black" on the lower deck took action, pulling out SMGs one by one and starting a standoff with the mercenaries.
This actually calmed the situation down.
"Kakaka, exactly. No matter how many petty tricks you play, it's hard to shake me, the 'Emperor in the Fortress.' I just have to watch quietly—"
Hyodo's eyes rolled, looking at the live feed of the gamble in the reception hall, locking onto Sadakuni.
"So, Brother Sadakuni, when you can no longer take it by force, what will you do?"
...
Inside the reception hall.
Since the gamble revolved around the special cards located on the lower deck—Restricted Rock Paper Scissors cards—Sadakuni wore a headset to communicate with people outside.
Through internal comms, he learned what was happening below.
"Hyodo, that bastard, he hired mercenaries too—"
Sadakuni's expression was ironclad, unmoved. "But it doesn't matter. I'm only interested in money and the Kengan Association Membership."
"The money—I'll win that here. As for the Kengan Membership—"
He growled, "Mekama!"
"Yes."
The gloomy-faced Kakerou referee behind Sadakuni nodded in response.
Sadakuni ordered, "I'll leave the Kengan Membership to you."
"Yes."
Mekama nodded again, then turned to leave.
Seeing this, the Referee Number 2 standing behind Akagi Shigeru, "Yako Hikoichi," was slightly surprised.
The old gentleman asked curiously, "Oh? As Master Sadakuni's exclusive referee, are you leaving the venue?"
"There is no rule in this gamble stating the referee must be present. Or are you too old to handle the refereeing duties alone?"
Mekama had always disliked that old man Yako, so his tone wasn't polite. "From here on, I will act as an 'employee' of Master Sadakuni. Do not disturb me!"
Having said that, Yako had no reason to stop him, letting Mekama leave.
Lower deck, main hall.
The strange men in black pulled out SMGs, facing off against the invading mercenaries. Neither side gave an inch. The situation was deadlocked, and the surroundings were deathly silent.
Gradually, the thick smoke from the grenade dissipated.
Kei's figure was revealed, his left arm still choking the mercenary leader. The mercenary's temple was caved in from a knee strike, and he was foaming at the mouth, twitching uncontrollably.
Seeing the chaos subside, there was no need for a human shield anymore.
Plus, the guy was foaming at the mouth and making a mess, so Kei couldn't be bothered to hold him. He just propped him against the wall.
Thud!
The mercenary leader couldn't stand and slid limply down the wall. The sound was clearly audible in the quiet hall.
The men in black and the mercenaries stared at each other, not daring to look away.
"..."
Kei felt a little embarrassed, so he squatted down and propped the mercenary leader up again, making him sit against the wall.
The mercenary's head lolled to the side, and Kei straightened it again.
"..."
After doing all this, Kei returned to Tonegawa's side, seemingly waiting for something.
Tonegawa was confused.
Kei smiled and analyzed, "Sadakuni wants my Kengan Membership, but now that taking it by force isn't working, he can only rely on 'rules'."
Tonegawa blinked.
He understood the logic. The chaos was only due to a unilateral dominance of force. Once the force was balanced, "rules" would descend again.
But the key was, what "rules" would Sadakuni rely on?
Suddenly, a spark flashed in Tonegawa's mind. He realized, "A Kengan Challenge Match!"
"Correct!"
The one answering Tonegawa wasn't Kei, but another figure walking out of the corridor.
He wore the exquisite black suit of a Kakerou referee, had shoulder-length straight blond hair, a thin face, and a sinister expression.
"We meet again."
The man carried a briefcase and introduced himself. "I am Kakerou Referee Number 10, Mekama Kirō."
"But now, as Master Sadakuni's fighter, I challenge you—Shiraki Kei of Soul Combat Dojo—to a Kengan Challenge Match. The winner takes the Kengan Membership."
"Coincidentally, the Kengan referee is also on this ship. Our conversation can be transmitted to him, and he can referee via monitors and broadcasts. An extra match shouldn't be trouble."
True to his name ("Kirō" can mean "Demon Son"), Mekama Kirō stared at Kei with dead eyes, smiling sinisterly. "Besides, I advise you not to refuse, because—"
Before he could finish his threat, Kei started rotating his shoulders. "Nice. Awesome!"
Mekama: "—?"
He hadn't even finished his threat and was momentarily stunned.
Kei took it for granted. "I can't convince you to give up your plan, and you can't convince me to give up my membership. In that case, why explain so much?"
He flexed his ten fingers, slowly clenching them into fists, grinning.
"On one hand, as a new Kengan member, challenge matches are inevitable."
"On the other hand, a Kakerou referee—I haven't punched one yet. Wonder how it feels?"
"..."
Mekama stared at the cheerful smiling face of Kei not far away and suddenly shuddered for no reason.
Unlike the referees who "craved to witness," the man named Shiraki Kei was simply "seeking strength," so he never refused a challenge!
"—That's how it is."
While Mekama was still dazed, Kei waved at the surveillance camera overhead, asking, "Mr. Referee, can you hear me?"
"...Ah! Oh... Yes!"
The broadcast connected. After a brief sound check, the Kengan referee's voice came through.
He hadn't figured out what was going on yet, but he barely grasped the situation and asked in surprise, "Really? An extra match? The challenged party can refuse—"
Mekama was furious, afraid Kei would back out. "Cut the crap! Start it!"
Kei just nodded casually.
The referee paused for a moment, then said gravely, "Understood. Then, fighters, take your positions—"
"Challenger, Mekama Kirō!"
"Defender, Shiraki Kei!"
"Ready—"
The referee's voice came through the broadcast into the lower hall, followed by the final command: "BEGIN!!!"
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Mekama didn't make a combat move.
He seemed to suddenly remember something, hurriedly raising the briefcase and chuckling, "Almost forgot. This is the one hundred million yen challenge fee. Must follow the rules to prevent the loser from defaulting."
"Now, where should I put the fee..."
Swish!
Before he finished speaking, Mekama suddenly tossed the briefcase into the air to block Kei's vision. At the same time, he lowered his center of gravity, pushed off with his left leg, and slid toward Kei.
His left shoulder dropped sharply, driving his right arm in a semi-circle, smashing a right straight punch at Kei.
BANG!
A heavy punch launched.
But contrary to Mekama's expectation, facing such a rapid sneak attack, Kei only retreated two or three steps before stabilizing.
Looking closely, Kei had already raised his arms, curling his body to protect his head, blocking Mekama's heavy punch with his forearms!
"Is this boxing? Seems to have Fa Jin techniques from Kung Fu to increase power."
"...Nice. Awesome!"
Kei's eyes darted, staring calmly at Mekama through the "gap" between his arms, unable to hide the delight in his tone.
"But what's even better is—I can block it~!"