Chapter Sixty-One: The Victory of the Martial God and the Banquet

“The winner is—under the banner of White Night News! ‘Martial God’ Hisayasu Takemoto!”

As the referee announced the result, Kiryu Setsuna’s madly contorted body collapsed, steaming under the lights. His subsequent exchange with the burly old man resembled a helpless insect trapped in a spider’s web—the more he struggled, the deeper he became entangled. In the end, not only was every gap in his style exploited, he couldn’t even stop using his ‘Demon Subduing’ technique. His brain simply overheated and forced him into unconsciousness.

In the corridor behind the arena, Akano Tetsusaki—the employer—together with Kodo Kyo, Saeko, Mitsu Narushima, and Yuta Sawa, greeted Hisayasu Takemoto.

“Hey, sensei, did you enjoy the fight?” Kodo Kyo leaned against the wall with arms crossed, watching Mitsu and Yuta help the old man out of his tattered kimono sleeves.

The old man changed his clothes, replying, “It was satisfying, but there’s still regret.” He carefully flexed his injured arm. It seemed that if Kiryu Setsuna had held out a little longer, he’d have faced the ‘Martial God’ fighting with both hands.

“Because of your physical condition?”

“You already know.” The old man shot his smirking disciple a displeased glance. “First, he underestimated me, revealing his trump card too soon after the match started. Otherwise, even if I won, I wouldn’t have suffered these minor injuries.

Second, if I were twenty… No! Ten years younger! I wouldn’t need to exhaust my planned moves and then use words to shake him before defeating him. My consecutive attacks would have predicted and knocked him down directly!”

He sighed. “Both my mind and body are declining.”

Everyone fell silent for a moment; the waning of a strong fighter always evokes sorrow.

But Akano Tetsusaki, the employer, remained unfazed by the fighter’s dejected words, only raising an eyebrow.

What’s with the act, you old monster?

“In the end, wasn’t the match almost exactly as you predicted last night?” She emphasized.

“What?!” Mitsu and Yuta, previously solemn, were instantly astonished, “Seriously? Last night? Wasn’t that your first match with Kiryu Setsuna?”

“Well,” the old man said nonchalantly, “I hadn’t seen the young man’s technique, but with experience, just observing his build and movement gave me an idea.”

“That’s just—amazing!” The two young men crowded in, eyes shining. “That’s even scarier than planning moves in advance!”

“It’s nothing,” Hisayasu Takemoto basked in their praise but remained modest. “Age has its uses, after all.”

~~~~~~

The first day’s matches concluded.

The night’s banquet quickly took its place on the schedule.

For the business magnates and politicians present, the banquet might be more valuable than the Kengan Death Match itself.

Fighters and guests mingled in the island’s opulent hall, raising glasses and exchanging words. Kodo Kyo and Saeko, who hadn’t brought evening wear, were approached by attendants in the afternoon and had a set tailored urgently. One could only marvel at the power of money.

When Saeko finally wore her dress, Kodo Kyo had to lend her his jacket; otherwise, with her extraordinary figure clad in evening wear, no man at the banquet would be able to concentrate on socializing.

At the banquet, fighters who had battled fiercely during the day now feasted and reveled together. Just as Kodo Kyo had observed, their balance between combat and daily life was remarkable.

Even Julius, whose neck had been broken, appeared unfazed. Sporting only a neck brace and a pair of bodybuilding trunks, he sat at the fighters’ table, waving at Kodo Kyo from afar.

The boy rubbed his eyes in disbelief, confirming that the man who had been near death hours ago was now eating and drinking like nothing had happened.

He quickly dug through his pockets, and after pulling out Dr. Yingchu’s business card and checking it several times, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He couldn’t afford to lose this! This is what one calls a “miracle doctor!”

Chairman Katagiri Mettō took the opportunity to announce new competition rules via the hall’s screens—something about the poaching of fighters. But Kodo Kyo, carefully tucking away the business card, barely listened. He was both employer and his own fighter; who could poach him?

Unconcerned with the new rules, Kodo Kyo greeted Saeko, then stepped outside the hall and took out his phone.

“Hello.”

“This is Yagami.”

A magnetic male voice came through the receiver. Kodo Kyo didn’t need to listen closely to sense the weariness in it.

“Any good news?” Yagami sighed. “I need something to boost morale.”

“One good news, one bad,” the boy in evening wear watched the lavish crowd inside, his gaze turning from engaged to cold.

“The good news is, Masamasa Hayasui is right here on the island—I even had contact with his direct subordinate.”

“And the bad?”

“The bad is, there’s no sign of the so-called ‘Emperor Organization.’ And after today, Masamasa Hayasui has completely hidden himself! If I don’t want to break the rules, facing an entire island of opposition, I can’t openly search for him.”

“...Ah~”

Silence, then a sigh came through, tinged with powerless anger.

“Withdraw for now, Yagami. Bring all the evidence and data you’ve gathered,” Kodo Kyo pinched his brow. “I’ve sensed something ominous in the waters between Fukushima Prefecture and Tokyo Bay… something terrifying.”

“So terrifying, I question whether Masamasa Hayasui—or even Japan—has the capacity to create such a thing!”

“In short… Fukushima Prefecture is sitting on a powder keg! At least return to Tokyo first!”

“Alright, I’ll go back,” Yagami’s voice sounded resigned, but then shifted, “But Mr. Brody may have another view.”

“He has a death wish?”

“No, he’s made a new discovery.”

Kodo Kyo shook his head helplessly. “Does this discovery solve the problem? If not, it’s better to just leave.”

“Who knows?”

That made Kodo Kyo pay attention. “What do you mean?”

“According to his measurements, the waveform in Fukushima differs from that at the Zanjila nuclear plant. Hmm… by his ethological theory, the difference is like that between a normal dog and a dog with rabies.”

Kodo Kyo rolled his eyes.

“So it’s more dangerous?”

“...His exact words were ‘full of distortion, strangeness, and savagery.’” Yagami sounded embarrassed, clearly aware that this wasn’t a valid reason to stay in Fukushima.

Listening to Yagami’s voice, Kodo Kyo fell silent.

“In the end… you all just want to get involved, don’t you?”

“...”

“Fine, you reckless people! Stay a few more days. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to find Masamasa Hayasui and get to the bottom of this.”