"Kaguya-sama, Ryo Himura is most likely not going to help you."
Standing beside Shinomiya Kaguya was her personal attendant, Hayasaka Ai.
At school, she appeared to be a jushitsu-the kind of girl who was naturally popular without effort. Here, however, she spoke with a calm, professional expression, her tone flat and direct as she delivered the assessment.
"I know that."
Shinomiya Kaguya looked straight ahead.
The passage before them was long, narrow, and unlit. The further they walked, the deeper they sank into darkness, until there was no sign of light ahead or behind. Her eyes had already adjusted, allowing her to vaguely make out the shape of the tunnel.
"But the current situation leaves me no choice," she continued. "I must contact talented rookies, pay attention to those with potential, and if veteran fighters are willing to help, that would be acceptable as well."
She paused.
"This is my last option, Hayasaka."
Hayasaka Ai sighed inwardly when she heard those words, even though her expression did not change in the slightest.
She understood Kaguya-sama's situation better than anyone.
The internal struggle within the Shinomiya family had already reached an extremely intense stage. Kaguya-sama, positioned as relatively weak within the family hierarchy, was gradually being molded into a political tool for marriage alliances.
Within the Shinomiya family, Kaguya-sama had no allies.
Not even herself.
Thinking that far, Hayasaka Ai slowly closed her eyes.
Then she opened them again.
The two of them emerged from the tunnel and stepped into the audience seating of the underground fighting arena belonging to the O-uchu. The arena lights were still off, leaving the surroundings dim. They found their designated seats and sat down quietly.
"But don't worry too much, Hayasaka," Shinomiya Kaguya said. "Obtaining a membership in the Kengan Association is already a crucial step. A temporary setback doesn't count for anything."
Her tone remained steady.
"As long as the long-term result ends in our victory, then it's the same as always winning."
Hayasaka Ai nodded.
She understood very clearly that Kengan was Kaguya-sama's only remaining hope.
"I understand, Kaguya-sama."
...
Erina leaned against the wall of the fighters' tunnel.
She looked at Jaden, who had already changed into clothing suitable for combat, and let out a quiet sigh.
"Thinking back on it," she said, "when I was paired with you during the training camp assessment, I never imagined things would progress to this point in just a few days."
Jaden listened without interrupting.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"So," he said, "are you here to try and talk me out of it?"
"No."
Erina crossed her arms.
"That last time was my final warning."
She lifted her chin slightly, her gaze firm and forceful, exactly in line with her usual demeanor.
"Even if you regret it now, there's nothing you can do. If you lose, you'll be badly beaten. So if you want to come back here looking presentable, you have no choice but to win."
She paused.
"I'll be waiting for you here. Good luck."
Jaden was briefly surprised by that.
"I thought you specifically waited here before my match just to curse me to die on the spot."
"...What kind of person do you think I am!?"
What kind of person?
Jaden thought about it.
-Probably a spoiled, ill-tempered rich girl.
He didn't say it out loud.
Instead, he turned and walked toward the exit of the tunnel.
"Nakiri."
"Hm?"
"See you later~"
He waved his hand casually without turning back.
Erina froze for a moment.
Then she smiled faintly and shook her head.
"See you later."
...
Swish-
The moment both fighters stepped into the arena, the lights snapped on.
Flames shot upward from mechanisms around the ring, roaring toward the ceiling. The sudden heat ignited the air inside the not-so-large underground arena, making the atmosphere instantly oppressive.
Jaden and Ryo Himura walked to the center of the ring.
They faced each other.
This was Jaden's first time participating in a match like this.
And yet-
The feeling was completely different from when he first heard about Kengan matches.
Back then, it had just been information.
Now, he could feel the heat.
He could see the opponent standing in front of him.
The current Jaden-
Was far more excited than he had expected.
-Maybe I really am a fighting maniac.
As that thought crossed his mind, Ryo Himura met his gaze. Sensing the burning fighting spirit in Jaden's eyes, Ryo immediately adjusted his stance and prepared for combat.
At that moment, Ohya Ken walked out from behind the judge's table.
He took the microphone into his own hand and spoke loudly.
"Welcome, everyone~"
"The fighters for today's Kengan match are as follows!"
He turned slightly.
"Representing Ginokuniya Bookstore-'The Icy Emperor,' Ryo Himura!"
The Kengan Association members seated in the darkness did not cheer loudly, but a wave of applause spread through the stands.
Many of them had come specifically to watch Ryo Himura.
A super rookie.
Four wins in four matches.
Already evaluated as having top-tier potential after only a handful of bouts.
Ohya Ken nodded with satisfaction before continuing.
"And now, the representative fighter sent by the Nakiri family, uh..."
He paused.
His gaze lingered on the information in front of him.
Then he blinked.
And laughed.
"'The Wild Tiger'..."
Huh!?
The moment that title was spoken, the Kengan Association members were visibly stunned.
The Wild Tiger.
That was a legendary fighter who had only lost two matches out of hundreds.
They hadn't expected the Nakiri family-after losing Floating Cloud-to suddenly hire the Wild Tiger.
Just as that thought spread through the stands, Ohya Ken let out a drunken hiccup.
Then he finished the announcement.
"-'The Wild Tiger' Jaden Yuki!"
Ah.
That cleared things up.
The audience members exchanged looks.
They weren't stupid.
After thinking about it for a moment, they remembered that the Kengan Association had no rule prohibiting fighters from using the same title.
And then-
Their thoughts aligned with Erina's from earlier.
-Using that nickname is definitely going to anger the real Wild Tiger.
Still, it had nothing to do with them.
No one voiced any objections.
Those who had already begun clapping could only continue.
-At the very least, out of respect for the real Wild Tiger.
As a result, Jaden received applause that was noticeably more enthusiastic than expected.
This was despite the fact that this was Ryo Himura's home field.
"As expected," Jaden muttered, "choosing this nickname was the right call."
Ryo Himura's lips twitched.
"I hope you'll still be saying that when you meet the real Wild Tiger."
"You don't need to worry about that."
Ryo Himura assumed a Jeet Kune Do stance.
Jaden rolled his shoulders loosely.
Ohya Ken raised his voice once more, louder than before.
"The match-BEGINS!"
The instant his words fell-
Ryo Himura took a small step forward.
Jaden's straight punch came in.
Ryo raised his right hand from guard and blocked the punch directly. His other hand pressed down on Jaden's elbow, redirecting the force. He stepped forward again, and his free right fist shot toward Jaden's chin, which had been exposed by the straight punch.
A classic Jeet Kune Do pattern.
Using the opponent's attack to break their defense.
Striking at maximum speed.
At the same time his fist moved, his footwork advanced. Anyone who focused solely on the punch would be forced into a disadvantage by the follow-up positioning.
And-
-This couldn't be preemptively stopped.
Jeet Kune Do was an unstructured style.
Those who practiced it were more imaginative than most fighters.
Eye pokes.
Groin attacks.
Joint strikes.
Everything was allowed.
The movements were simple.
Fast.
Direct.
Matches involving Jeet Kune Do users often ended in mere seconds.
That was why Ryo Himura was confident.
But-
The moment his fist landed on Jaden's chin-
Jaden's fist also landed on Ryo Himura's face.
The exchange itself was already beyond Ryo's expectations.
His punch had clearly connected.
And yet Jaden didn't retreat.
Not even half a step.
There was no pause.
No hesitation.
Jaden's left hand had twisted around Ryo's left elbow and smashed into his face from an awkward angle.
Even so-
The force was overwhelming.
Ryo Himura was lifted cleanly off his feet.
-What kind of monster physique is this!?
And then-
The instant Jaden's fist landed, the Curse he had applied earlier silently erupted.
"Ah-!"
A tragic scream was forced out between Ryo Himura's clenched teeth as he hit the ground.
His body convulsed violently.
He hadn't lost consciousness.
But standing up was no longer an option.
-Even if he could stand, it wouldn't matter.
If this had been a standard martial art, enduring full-body muscle spasms might still allow some techniques to function.
But Jeet Kune Do-
Modern Jeet Kune Do relied too heavily on speed, reaction, and improvisation.
When those were disrupted-
The result was devastating.
The Full Body Muscle Spasms Curse was a perfect counter.
Its effect exceeded even Jaden's expectations.
Ryo Himura couldn't crawl.
When the Kengan Association inspectors rushed into the ring, they checked Ryo's condition.
Then they checked Jaden for weapons.
After confirming everything, they reached a conclusion.
Jaden-
-Won.
From the announcement to the result, Jaden's Kengan debut match lasted less than three seconds.
With a single punch-
He knocked out the Kengan match super rookie, Ryo Himura.
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