Chapter 78: Born of Nature
Swish!
The instant Mekama threw his jacket, Kei's consciousness went into overdrive.
He could feel it—
Standing beside him was a muscular soldier with a flat-top haircut, raising his powerful arms in a defensive stance, his gaze calm and fearless.
An ink-wash phantom outlined his form.
His name was Guile!
Originating from the Air Force, he studied martial arts and military combat. He possessed a shocking defensive range and used various striking techniques to control opponents at close range.
In terms of defensive counters, he was a well-deserved "professional"!
Guile's gaze was fixed forward, sharp and unwavering.
Kei mimicked Guile's stance. His movements were a bit unrefined, so Guile continued to guide him.
Watch your body's habits.
Don't look away! The chance to counter exists for only an instant. You must calmly see that moment!
Kei's stance gradually stabilized, becoming more concise and efficient.
Guile's phantom nodded slightly, looking at Mekama ahead, then up at the knife blade Kei had kicked into the ceiling.
Not bad. Real combat teaches you faster. Attack boldly.
There are no rules on the battlefield. The situation changes in an instant. Adapt to everything, fear no change—that is what it means to be a professional!
Flump...
Mekama's black jacket landed softly.
The people on the lower deck looked up at the blade stuck in the ceiling, whispering. "Hey, that guy pulled a knife just now, right? He threw it, but it got kicked away?"
The people on the upper deck realized it too.
Akimiya frowned. "That Mekama guy deliberately blocked the camera? He cheated!"
However, the Kengan referee remained silent.
Akimiya said urgently, "Shiraki-san kicked something away. It should be stuck in the ceiling, out of the camera's view!"
"Please don't treat me like an amateur, Miss Akimiya. I can tell."
The referee paused, looking back to explain seriously. "But if I declare the verdict now, wouldn't I be letting off someone who insulted a Kengan match? Besides, our 'new member' wouldn't be satisfied."
"Shiraki-san isn't done fighting. I won't call a stop."
The referee grinned slyly. "I've been doing this for years. I won't ruin the fun."
Mekama Kirō was still reeling from the failure of his sneak attack.
He had made up his mind, even discarded his pride, sinking to become a despicable villain for that one strike—and Kei had kicked it away!
"Mekama-bro, you seemed very determined, but in the end, it was just 'one move'."
"If one move misses, throw another punch. That is combat."
Kei stared ahead. "Why wait for everything to be ready? That way of fighting won't work."
"...Now, I'm going to move."
The next second—
Kei leaned forward and stepped in.
SWOOSH!
[Drive Rush]!
The speed was ghostly. Mekama couldn't react before Kei closed the distance instantly.
Following it was an extremely fast mid-level straight punch.
[Guile • Burning Straight]!
BANG!
Mekama took the hit square in the face. His nose shattered, and several teeth flew out.
"...?!"
He instinctively threw a hook, but hit nothing but air.
Kei ducked first, sweeping Mekama's ankle, then stood up with a mid-level straight punch to Mekama's chest.
[Guile • Dragon Suplex] (Strike Version)!
Mekama's chest caved in. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, could only stare wide-eyed.
In his vision, he clearly saw Kei clench his fists, pull his arms back, contract his back muscles to the limit, bending his upper and lower arms at right angles.
In that instant, Mekama had an illusion.
On either side of Kei's shoulders weren't arms, but two sharp curved blades!
The feeling was similar to Mekama's special fist grip, but taken a step further, completely turning the fists into blades.
"I can't be as 'fast' as my master, but I've learned a thing or two—"
Kei shouted low.
"Mekama, stand firm!"
SWISH!
Kei's chest muscles fired, pulling his arms, crossing them rapidly.
[Guile • Sonic Boom]!
The tips of his fists slashed past.
SPLAT!
Mekama's shirt was torn open at the chest. Two gashes appeared on his skin, the tissue parting to reveal dark red muscle fibers, two streams of blood spraying out!
Agony shot to his brain. Mekama opened his mouth wide but didn't even have time to scream.
Kei pushed off the ground again, backflipping just like when he kicked the knife, launching a powerful upward kick.
[Guile • Somersault Kick] (Flash Kick)!
SLASH!
The blade of his foot traveled up from Mekama's abdomen, vertically slicing his chest, then connecting with his chin, launching him upward with a BANG.
...Thud!
Mekama traced a parabola in the air before crashing heavily onto his back. His jaw was nearly shattered, the three wounds on his chest clearly visible, blood flowing ceaselessly.
Seeing this, the people on the lower deck stared wide-eyed, never expecting Mekama to lose so decisively.
The silence was finally broken by the referee's broadcast.
"Vic... Victory decided! The winner is—Shiraki Kei!"
Kei rotated his arms, then found a curtain to wipe off the blood splattered on him.
But just then, the fallen Mekama struggled to rise, his heavily injured body trembling as he stood. "Not... not over yet..."
Kei's interest piqued.
Mekama continued, "Master Sadakuni... will not... lose..."
Kei was disappointed.
He ignored Mekama, but suddenly sensed a strange presence and instinctively jumped back to dodge.
In the next instant—
BOOM!
The main doors of the hall shattered. A figure flew through, smashing into the already teetering Mekama along with flying wood chips and door panels.
Clatter...
Mekama was buried under the door, completely hidden from view.
The one who had crashed through the door was a burly, muscular young man. He had taken a heavy blow to the stomach and was clutching it, dry heaving.
It was Maruko!
Kei had noticed earlier that Maruko had slipped away in the chaos. Baku and Kaiji were also gone.
So now, who had "beaten" Maruko back here?
Kei looked at the main doors.
From there, a tall man slowly walked in. He wore a suit that outlined a robust physique, had a short afro, wide, tiger-like eyes, and a distinct chemical burn scar around his left eye socket.
"Not bad moves, kid. And you're [Usogui]'s lackey—so you're the killer [Demon] Rodem?"
"But in the end, just a sheep to be slaughtered. Such fragile force."
The man wore a savage grin, scanning the lower hall.
"All trash... hm?"
His gaze finally landed on Kei, and he smiled playfully. "There's one worth looking at. Want to play with me?"
Kei remained silent, flexing his fingers.
The man understood Kei's intention and was about to step forward when a figure stood up, blocking the path between him and Kei.
"No—what you said is wrong!"
Maruko clutched his stomach, blood and saliva still at the corner of his mouth. He stared at the man, gritting his teeth as he panted. "Maruko is Maruko, not Rodem!"
"And, Maruko is not Big Brother's lackey! Friend!"
Maruko had clearly taken a beating from the man. He was bruised all over, and a layer of skin had been scraped off his chin, blood beading up.
But he still stood before the man. "Maruko wants to atone for what Rodem did! Maruko wants to help his friend!"
"Maruko won't kill again, but Maruko doesn't want to lose!"
Maruko took a deep breath, swallowing the blood in his mouth. He looked back at Kei, his expression childish but determined. "So—Brother Kei, this is Maruko's fight!"
"..."
Hearing this, the man suddenly found it very interesting.
"Says he won't kill, but his 'killing intent' hasn't faded at all. But he's not lying. He seems to be trying to bear the guilt, accepting the killing intent step by step, thus generating a 'fighting spirit' born of nature."
"Hmm, that Rodem... no, 'Maruko,' to change like this... who did he learn from?"
The man rubbed his chin, more and more intrigued.
"[Usogui] has good intellect, but he only makes bad Fist of the North Star jokes. His 'force' couldn't reach this level."
"So—"
The man's senses were keen. He looked behind Maruko, sizing up "Brother Kei."
"Was it because of you?"