CHAPTER 66: THE VIBRANT UPPER DECK
That middle-aged man—his name was Yukio Tonegawa.
The Number Two of the Teiai Group.
Not long ago, he had been the one to settle the dispute between Ren Shiroki and the Zanshi-gumi. Ever since that bottom-tier syndicate had offended the Kengan Association, Tonegawa had been working overtime to smooth over the relationship between the Association and the Teiai Group.
It had been an exhausting few weeks.
Just as he was finally looking forward to a quiet weekend of golf, a thunderbolt of a request struck his desk. A trial had been placed before him.
The "Tyrant" of the Teiai Group—Chairman Kazutaka Hyodo—had suddenly developed a fascination with the Kengan Matches. He demanded to see one in person. Normally, this would be easy to arrange; they'd just buy a VIP box at an official event. But Hyodo was a man of petty, grand gestures. He insisted on hosting a "Guest" of his own on his personal turf and providing a private "Show."
Faced with such an unreasonable demand, Tonegawa did what any elite middle manager would do: he made it happen.
The plan was set:
On board the Teiai Group's luxury cruise ship, the Espoir, they would simultaneously host a Kengan Challenger Match and a specialized high-stakes gamble for the ship's debtors called Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors.
Two spectacular programs to entertain Chairman Hyodo and his guest.
Tonegawa and his team of black-suited enforcers had gone days without sleep to coordinate the logistics. Everything was ready. Or so he thought.
He never expected that, while scanning the "Trash" in the lower decks, he would find one—no, two—familiar faces.
Ren Shiroki and Kaede Akiyama.
Ren, the man Tonegawa had come to personally respect, and Kaede, the elite secretary of the Nogi Group whom he had encountered across a dozen boardroom tables.
Why are they on this ship? Did the Nogi Group go bankrupt overnight?!
A second later, reality snapped into place.
They weren't here for the Rock-Paper-Scissors. They were the participants for the Kengan Match on the upper deck! His subordinates, worked into a stupor, had failed to distinguish between the "Debtors" and the "Kengan VIPs."
This was more than a mistake; it was a catastrophic insult to high-level associates.
Zawazawa... zawazawa...
Tonegawa felt a migraine forming behind his eyes. He swallowed his pride and hurried over to the two guests, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Ren Shiroki was acting as if being herded into a dark room with a hundred desperate men was a minor inconvenience. He raised a hand in a casual wave.
"Yo, Tonegawa-san!"
Ren reached into his pocket and pulled out a fresh business card—the custom-designed Soul Combat Hub card—and pressed it into Tonegawa's hand.
"Haha... I see you've been busy," Tonegawa said, genuinely impressed.
In the brief time since they last met, the youth had already incorporated. While Ren's loud personal style made him a "Terrible Employee" for a firm like Teiai, Tonegawa couldn't help but admire the kid's drive.
"A Martial Arts Hub? Interesting. I'll be sure to drop by for a tour," Tonegawa said, tucking the card into his breast pocket. He then turned to Kaede, offering a sincere, formal bow. "The reception was handled poorly. You have my deepest apologies."
Seeing the legendary No. 2 of Teiai so humbled, Kaede's anger dissipated. As fellow corporate warriors, she understood the weight of dealing with an eccentric Chairman.
"And a third?" Tonegawa noted Fusui Kure, pausing as he saw her black-and-white eyes. "Very well. Please follow me. The arena on the upper deck is prepared."
As the trio followed Tonegawa toward the VIP elevators, Kaiji Itou tried to scramble after them. "Wait! Ren-kun! Take me with you!"
A Teiai enforcer stepped in front of him, his hand firm on Kaiji's chest. "Itou-san, your game is on this floor. The upper deck is off-limits to 'Merchandise.'"
Kaiji pleaded, but the enforcer remained unmovable. Defeated, Kaiji slumped back into the corner of the lower deck room.
What are they doing up there? What is waiting for me down here?
As he wallowed in his anxiety, two men approached him from the shadows. One was a massive, hulking man; the other was a lean youth with wild, curly white hair.
"Hey there, little brother. First time on a boat?"
The white-haired youth gave a friendly, predatory grin. "My name is Baku. The big guy is Marco. You look like you're having a rough night. Want to 'Team Up' for the game?"
Kaiji blinked. "...Team Up?"
"Think of it as an insurance policy," Baku explained, his eyes sparkling with a dark intelligence. "In a den of wolves, it's better to be part of a pack. What do you say?"
The Upper Deck.
Tonegawa led Ren, Kaede, and Fusui through the mahogany-lined stairwells and into the Grand Ballroom.
It was a vast, opulently decorated space. The crystal chandeliers were blazing, and a buffet of high-end catering and open bars lined the walls. In the center of the ballroom sat a raised, professional-grade fighting ring. It was a palace compared to the dungeon below.
"Oh...!"
Ren scanned the room. There were several figures gathered near the ring. His eyes locked onto a few familiar faces.
Shigeru Akagi, the Man of the Divine Realm. Yagyo Hikoichi, the Number Two Referee. And beside them, Kaji Takaomi.
"Incredible," Ren muttered. "It's a reunion!"
"Look over there," Kaede whispered, nudging Ren.
In a high-backed traditional chair sat an old man wearing a formal men's kimono. He looked like a dried-up husk, but his eyes were filled with a terrifying, malicious mirth.
"That is the Chairman of the Teiai Group—Kazutaka Hyodo."
"The man groveling beside him is the CEO of your opponent's company, Bull-Boy Dining Group—Mikio Nabemi."
Ren followed her gaze. Beside the two executives stood another "Trio." A stern man in glasses, a powerful-looking bald man, and a Kakerou Referee with a dark, ominous aura. They stood opposite Akagi and Yagyo, the tension between the two groups so thick it was physically palpable.
Tonegawa stepped forward to report. Chairman Hyodo turned his gaze toward Ren.
"Ka-ka-ka! The final guest has arrived!"
Hyodo's laugh was a dry, rattling sound. "Since everyone is here, let us feast! It's boring to watch a execution on an empty stomach!"
He gestured to the Bull-Boy CEO. "Oi, Nabemi-kun. Your challenger is here. Where is that 'Beast' you've been bragging about?"
"Of course, Chairman! Right away!"
Mikio Nabemi bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the floor. He turned toward the shadows behind the ring with a proud, fawning grin.
"He reached out to me personally. He wanted to use the Kengan Association as a sharpening stone for his own path. He is an elite from Japan's largest martial arts organization!"
"With a single strike—one single punch—he dismantled my previous fighter, a veteran with a 42-4 record."
"Chairman Hyodo! Allow me to introduce the Third-Dan Master of the Shinshinkai Karate school..."
"THE DESTROYER... ATSUSHI SUEDO!"
A massive wall of muscle stepped into the light. He stood well over two meters tall, his skin stretched tight over dense, blocky muscle. He gave a sharp, disciplined nod to the room.
"Phew~!"
Fusui whistled, leaning closer to Ren. "Height: 205cm (6'8"). Weight: 131kg (288 lbs). And he's a ranking master from the Shinshinkai. Ren-chin... what's the verdict?"
Ren looked at Atsushi Suedo. He didn't look at the giant's mass or his height. He looked at the "Rhythm" of the man's breath.
Ren let out a confident, hungry laugh.
"Good. This is perfect. I can finish this before the main course is served."