Chapter 89: Unstable [Fighting Soul]
On the deck, the brief chaos ended.
The mercenaries, already fish out of water, were either beaten half to death or thrown back into the sea, daring not to cause more trouble.
Most of these mercenaries were terrorists from Sadakuni's side, but a few might have been associated with IDEAL.
To avoid trouble with the MPD, the Kakerou Leader made arrangements, sending people to clean up the mess and capture the mercenaries on the smuggling ship, waiting to deal with them later.
At the same time, the Kengan referee stepped forward to negotiate with Teiai's Tonegawa.
Since it was sudden and the Kengan Association was unprepared, the referee hoped Tonegawa could send people to clear the deck and use it as a Kengan match venue.
Tonegawa agreed, and the men in black immediately got to work.
Before long, the deck was cleared.
Various debris was piled aside, and even the bloodstains were wiped clean. The efficiency of the men in black was evident.
After finishing their work, with Tonegawa's tacit permission, the men in black also stopped to watch.
...
Orochi Katsumi greeted them and went to the other side to prepare for the match.
Kei, on this side, began shadowboxing, warming up his muscles, getting fired up again.
Kure Fusu watched Kei warm up, continuing her analysis.
"I don't know what happened on 'that night' he mentioned, but basically, if it were the Orochi Katsumi before 'that night,' he might not have been hard to deal with."
"Just like dealing with Suedo Atsushi—use a blitz attack to finish it before he gets into his zone."
Fusu changed her tone, looking into the distance.
"But now... it's just like you said, Shiraki-chin. That guy has a 'surging' fighting spirit, overflowing like it's going to burst out."
"Too many guys call themselves 'geniuses,' but too few actually deserve the title."
"If Orochi Katsumi can truly evolve during battle, then—he can indeed be called a genius..."
Hearing Fusu's words, Kei suddenly asked, "What about me?"
"You're different!"
Fusu waved her hand repeatedly. "You're not a genius, Shiraki-chin—at least not completely. You're a mix of all sorts of messy things."
"Talent, awareness, resilience, body, conviction—you give me a feeling of being 'Unstable'!"
"Anyway, it feels pretty light, and I quite like it—"
Fusu was a bit troubled, feeling she couldn't describe it accurately. "Anyway, this match won't be easy. Don't underestimate him."
"?"
Kei shrugged with a smile, saying nothing.
He took off his shirt, shoes, and socks, handing them all to Fusu for safekeeping, then walked forward barefoot and bare-chested.
On the other side, Orochi Katsumi, dressed in his Shinshinkai gi, had been waiting.
The two stood facing each other before the referee, only a step apart, their gazes meeting.
Everyone watched this scene.
Madarame Baku couldn't contain his curiosity and wanted to ask Kyara's opinion, but Kyara glared at him, almost earning Baku another kick.
Helpless, Baku turned to ask Yako Hikoichi.
Being the second choice, Yako was inevitably a bit salty. "Master, I'm just an old man who makes good coffee. Why ask me?"
"..." Baku's eye twitched.
Having enjoyed Baku's awkwardness, Yako finally spoke slowly. "In my opinion, Master Orochi has the upper hand."
Baku was confused. "Why?"
Yako glanced at Suedo. "Even against Master Suedo, who also uses Shinshinkai Karate, Master Shiraki needed a 'blitz' to seize the initiative. I imagine Master Orochi won't give him that chance."
...
Clearly, Yako Hikoichi wasn't the only strong fighter thinking this.
Whether it was Kyara, Yako Jouichi, or the Kakerou Leader playing with his Rubik's Cube, they all tacitly agreed with Yako's judgment.
Breathing in the sea breeze, the Leader sighed, "It will probably end quickly, right?"
Looking around, almost all those possessing "force," except Fusu and Maruko, held the same view, thinking the winner would be decided quickly.
Baku felt something was off but couldn't say exactly what.
Only Akagi Shigeru lit a cigarette leisurely, completely unhurried.
Baku asked, "Akagi-bro, do you think the outcome is uncertain?"
"Heh, perhaps..."
Akagi smiled and shook his head. "But at times like this, isn't it more interesting to guess 'another possibility'?"
"..."
The big shots were discussing.
On the scene, there was also a "small fry"—Itou Kaiji. He had seen even less of the world than Kaji Takaomi, so he had a simple worry.
"That guy Shiraki Kei... facing a monster who nearly smashed a shovel with one punch... is he really going to fight?"
"He'll die, right? Why fight..."
Looking from the side, it was clear.
In terms of height, Kei had a slight advantage, being a bit taller than Katsumi.
But in terms of physique, Kei at 97kg, even after gaining some weight, was still inferior to Katsumi's 115kg!
After a brief communication, the Kengan referee confirmed the status of both fighters.
"Alright, fighters, take your positions!"
The veteran referee took a deep breath, unleashing his third and loudest roar of the night.
"Representing Kakerou Club—[The Final Weapon] Orochi Katsumi!"
"Versus!"
"Representing Soul Combat Dojo—[Fighting Soul] Shiraki Kei!"
Kei and Katsumi walked away from each other, creating a distance of several meters, then stood still.
Coincidentally, the direction Kei faced was where most of the crowd was.
He looked at Fusu in the crowd and suddenly smiled. "We've had fun together for so long, have a little more faith in me!"
"...Eh!?" Fusu was stunned.
Immediately after, the referee raised his right hand high. "Ready—BEGIN!!!"
Swish!
Kei and Katsumi turned simultaneously.
Katsumi assumed his stance, legs spread front and back, right arm slightly bent forward, left arm guarding his body, facing the enemy sideways to minimize the target area.
This was the standard Shinshinkai Karate stance, perfectly blending attack radius, defensive coverage, and mobility!
However, to the surprise of Katsumi—and everyone present—Kei didn't choose any "stance."
Under everyone's gaze, Kei suddenly spread his arms wide, fingers curled into claws, and strode forward with his chest wide open.
"...?!"
Katsumi was startled, not understanding what Kei was doing.
Seeing the opponent step into his attack range, he threw a straight punch, smashing into Kei's face.
BANG!
Kei crouched slightly, barely blocking with his forehead. The skin broke, a gash opening on the side of his forehead, blood flowing freely.
Yet Kei's forward momentum didn't stop until he was right up against Katsumi.
"?!"
Extreme shock flooded Katsumi's heart.
He sensed danger, but it was too late to retreat. He could only throw a palm strike, hitting Kei's upper arm with the heel of his palm.
Visibly effective, Kei's upper arm swelled instantly.
However, what shocked Katsumi even more was that Kei gritted his teeth, his face twisting as he took the heavy blow, while simultaneously reaching down to wrap his arms around Katsumi's thighs.
He clamped his arms tight!
"HAAAH!"
The instant the "grab" was complete, Kei pushed off the ground and jumped, leaning backward, carrying Katsumi in a full rotation mid-air, finally slamming him back-first into the ground!
BOOM!
What a powerbomb!
[Zangief • Siberian Express]!!!