225 – The Underground Arena
It’s exactly one week since Ivan’s invitation.
I got out of the house late at night on the excuse of exercising and headed to the address written on the invitation he gave me.
I took the subway to Kabukicho in Shinjuku, where the entire street is a huge entertainment district.
It is often nicknamed ‘Adults’ Street’, and it was one of the streets where foreign gangs and yakuza fought over their rights because there were so many shops for adults such as taverns, kabakura, host bars, okama bars, pachinko, and custom shops.
There is Japan’s largest Koreatown, Shin-Okubo, nearby, so I’ve been here often during the day, but this is the first time I’ve been here at night.
“Brother! I’ll give it to you cheaply, so stop by!”
Drunken office workers walking around, yakuza smoking cigarettes in pachinko, black employees soliciting customers on the street, and pouting flyers.
For current high school students, Kabukicho at night was nothing short of an unfamiliar sight.
Took!
“Ahh? I can’t keep my eyes open… I’m sorry!”
While walking down the street blindly, a yakuza who bumped into my shoulder accidentally ran away without glancing at me.
Thanks to that, the hand I raised to apologize idly stirred in the air, and the attention of people passing by was instantly focused on me.
“…….”
Uncomfortable silence.
If I’m not mistaken, the passers-by on the street speeded up, and the touts around me slipped away avoiding me.
I unintentionally drew attention and hurriedly put the hood on my sweatpants over my head.
This doesn’t mean that the attention towards me disappears, but it does provide some comfort.
I quickly left the place before I got into another fight.
***
My final destination was a club in Kabukicho.
The name of the club was ‘Paradise’, but perhaps the year was quite old, the signboard with the flashy neon sign giving off a strangely romantic feeling was the trademark.
“This is prohibited except for those involved.”
As I was about to go downstairs to the store, a guard in a suit stood in front of me, blocking the way.
After hesitating for a moment, I took out the invitation from Ivan and showed it to him.
After confirming that, the guard showed an extremely polite appearance, bowing at the waist, putting the stiff attitude of the moment to shame.
“You can go down this way.”
Receiving his greeting, I carefully stepped down the iron stairs and soon saw a thick iron door.
When I opened the door and went inside, I saw a gorgeously decorated club unlike the shabby exterior.
A few people dancing to the frantic mirror ball and loud club music.
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A man dressed as a bartender who was walking around in the meantime approached with a tray of champagne and asked.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Oh, that’s fine.”
I politely declined the invitation and looked around to find a familiar face.
What I found was a familiar red hair.
“Hello!”
As I approached and spoke in a loud voice, Karen’s father, Mr. Naoto, who was talking with other people, recognized my face and waved his hand happily.
“Welcome! Yuseong-gun!”
It was none other than Karen’s father, Mr. Naoto, who prepared this place today.
At the request of Ivan, the eldest son of Russia, he arranged a place to fight, so I don’t know if that’s the case, but there were quite a few people in the club who seemed to be Naoto’s acquaintances.
When the man sitting next to Naoto looked at me with a curious expression, Naoto-san smiled and introduced me.
“This is my daughter’s friend Yuseong-kun! He recently became famous for defeating Hanzo Hattori in Kyoto!”
“Oh! The strongest in Japan that I’ve only heard about!”
“You look very reliable, just like I heard.”
To be honest, Karen’s father and I are not particularly close.
At most, when I went to Karen’s house to play, I only saw her two or three times, but somehow she was aware of my recent situation.
“hahahaha! Looking forward to today’s match!”
Pang! Phut!
At Naoto-san’s support, who smiled cheerfully and patted me on the shoulder, I smiled vaguely and nodded my head.
After getting a face stamp with Mr. Naoto, one of the organizers of this event, it was a breeze.
Befitting the person who provided a place where Ivan and I could fight to our heart’s content without worrying about the eyes of the public, Mr. Naoto kindly told us where we were fighting, such as the location of the waiting room.
A huge battle cage of about 30 pyeong located in the center of the club.
Originally, it is said to be an arena where illegal fighting tournaments are held every night, where fight money is wagered, but it seems that it has been cleaned cleanly for today’s fight between Ivan and I.
I felt a sense of alienation at the fact that such a place existed even though it was obviously Lubco’s worldview, but it seemed that I had come too far to be surprised.
In order to calm down before the start of the game, I headed to the contestant’s waiting room, where unexpected guests were waiting.
“Yoosung Kim!”
“Welcome.”
It was Fuma-senpai and Sasha.
“No, how are the two of you here?”
As I looked at him with a startled expression, the two made eye contact and shrugged.
“I followed my father.”
“Lee Ha-alumni.”
I looked back and forth at the two people who felt oddly similar.
It’s definitely an unfamiliar combination, but it feels kind of familiar.
“Did you two know each other?”
Then Fuma-senpai shook her head.
“We met for the first time today.”
Sasha continued.
“Originally strong people get along quickly.”
That’s an incredibly macho answer.
Though that was Sasha-like again.
“So, how did Kim Yu-seong and Nagi’s transmission go?”
“Oh, that thing.”
I avoided Fuma-senpai’s gaze with an ambiguous smile.
“Failed….”
Even so, learning a new skill in a week seems impossible.
I managed to barely feel the “Wind” Inside my body, but I failed to develop it and perfect the nagi, which is said to be Hayate’s final secret skill.
It was inevitable because the time given to me was so tight.
“Haa… if your father says so. I’d say instead, but take this.”
While saying that, Fuma-senpai handed me a red pill.
“This is the latest version of Ghost Hwan. I tried to reduce the side effects as much as possible for you.”
“What about reducing side effects?”
“It is said that even if the efficacy of the medicine has decreased, it will not spread immediately like before.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Since I saw the effect of this drug in every crisis situation, I bowed 90 degrees to express my gratitude and asked Sasha, who was looking at the ghost with a strange expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Kim Yoo-seong, doping is a foul.”
“…….”
I have nothing to say because it’s too theoretical.
When I awkwardly looked at the ghost ring and her face, Sasha smiled and said.
“Well- even Papa will do whatever it takes to win, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Wow, I thought my heart was dropping.”
“Whoops, opportunities to make fun of you aren’t common.”
Sasha, who smiled mischievously and patted me on the shoulder, asked Fuma-senpai next to her.
“So Fuma-senpai? The match is about to start. Would you like to go to the VIP seats with me?”
“…That’s how it should be.”
“Then look forward to it. Papa has invited special guests from around the world for this match.”
“A special guest?”
“You know what I mean when I say the Seven Fist of the Sword, right?”
“…!”
Me and Fuma-senpai were both shocked when they heard that.
Who are the Seven Powers?
The seven fighters who are said to be the strongest in the underworld.
Of course, it wouldn’t be strange if Ivan, the God of Destruction, and Kotaro Fuma, the Black Yakha, were in one place, but it wouldn’t be strange if another Seven Fist would come out.
“Isn’t the plate too big?”
Sasha shrugged her shoulders at Fuma-senpai’s question, who seemed to have the same thoughts as me.
“You underestimate yourself too much. Kim Yoo-seong. You have been a divinity that has been attracting attention from all fighters in the underworld for a long time. I can’t help but pay attention to the fact that such a man is once again fighting Ivan, the God of Destruction. . There must have been someone from the Japanese government.”
I didn’t have any particular memories of becoming famous, but I couldn’t be certain that it wasn’t because the rumors actually flowed regardless of the person concerned.
“…It will turn.”
I belatedly grasped the situation and muttered that while covering her forehead with the palm of my hand. Sasha patted me on the shoulder and said,
“It’s easier to give up.”
***
It was midnight, exactly 12 o’clock at night, when the event match with Ivan started.
While I was in the waiting room, the club was crowded with invited guests.
If earlier it was mostly Japanese, now there are foreigners of various races and nationalities.
‘I should have brought at least one cheongsimhwan.’
With belated regret, I rubbed my sore stomach and headed for the stadium, guided by the waitress who had come to pick me up, saying that it was time.
A large iron cage reminiscent of a cage in a zoo.
There was no room for people to set foot in the circular spectator seats surrounding it.
Walking around a noisy club, looking around.
Many eyes stared at me like licking me as I headed up the stage to fight Ivan.
‘Hattori Hanzo.’
Among them, I saw a familiar face.
This is Hattori Hanzo, the Iga ninja I defeated in Kyoto.
My daughter, Ayame, was standing next to her. When our eyes met, she winked slightly to show off her presence.
If you naturally raise your gaze upward, you will see a high place called the VIP room.
There were not only Fuma-senpai and Sasha, but also legends from the underworld called the Seven Powers.
I can’t see his face because of the shadows due to the lighting, but judging from the fact that the number of heads is smaller than expected, it seems that not all of the seven masters were present.
“I have arrived.”
“Oh, yes.”
Nodding my head reflexively, I slowly stepped into the iron door opened by the staff.
Waaa!!
At the same time, shouts erupted from all directions.
My skin felt tingly with the heat, reminiscent of a UFC fight.
“Are you here at last?”
Like me, Ivan entered the arena from the opposite entrance and smiled as he tilted his head left and right.
A ferocious spirit like that of a beast.
Despite his age, the world’s strongest man, who is still as good as he was in his prime, took off his leopard print coat and threw it off.
Underneath it, Yujiro, a former bodybuilder, showed up with a body that had been trained to the limit, to the extent that the director would be rude in the first meeting.
To face him, I was wearing my usual black sweatpants.
Dubuck-Dubuck-
Immediately, making a dull sound, Ivan walked towards the center of the battle cage and flicked his palm at me.
“I’ll take this opportunity to tell you what the real Strongest Is. Boy.”