The destination this time was beneath a construction site. It was a bit of a hassle to get access because one had to park their car far away before walking a few miles. After that, there was either the route of taking the ladder down or taking stairs beneath the construction sight.
However, the arena possessed more grandeur than the usual locations because it was propped up on a stage. Naturally, if someone were to get knocked off the stage, the match would continue off or back on it, but it served its purpose as giving greater importance to a match than a common one would usually get.
On the concrete stage, Vincent was laying on his side with a simple expression on his face. He yawned periodically while resting his cheek on a fist, but it wasn't for the sake of showing his boredom.
He was content to laze like this, a cloud that moves slowly far above everyone else. It's laxness and egoism, but a type of inoffensive egoism that makes even strangers feel relaxed around him. Though, there are some personality types that would be incensed by Vincent's casualness.
The American has been sitting for thirty minutes, waiting for his opponent to come. According to Ohta, the other CEO hasn't come yet when they first got here.
'It'd be disappointing if it was a no show. Come on and live up to my expectations.'
Being kept in suspense for too long would have bad side-effects, such as blue balls and underperformance. Vincent desires neither, which is obvious from how his other hand is rhythmically tapping the ground.
His foreign eyes took in his populated surroundings and noted how there was a greater degree of people than before. Odd. It was over half of the amount that came to the Fang match.
"Am I already becoming so famous?" he questioned in a low tone. He lightly shook his head and chided himself internally. 'No, can't let myself get too carried away. Maybe there were more CEOs that were coincidentally free than usual.'
As more time passed and time inched ever so closer to when the match is supposed to begin, more and more people dressed in fancy suits came and increased the size of the circle. Eyes of non-fighters and fighters alike kept their eyes peeled. Among these people were two individuals Ohta recognized, one of them being a person who Vincent recognizes as well.
Kaburagi Koji, the person Vincent was supposed to fight, strolled alongside his employer with a smug grin on his face. The jacket over the wife beater combined with that expression increased the overall shadiness he was giving off, which finally felt right.
Though it's unlikely he'd do any real damage to the American, he'd still be interested in fighting him.
Vincent let out a calm breath before getting to his feet. He guessed the man next to Kaburagi to be the boss of Koyama Mart, meaning that his opponent should be near.
And as he expected, a muscular heavyweight walked up to the arena. Vincent put on a lazy smirk and moved his hands toward his pocket as he readied to greet his opponent. His lax nature that was about to take control again was halted by his brain being set aflame.
Vincent froze.
He was on fire. The air was cold.
He was thrown into the past. He's standing right here in the present.
He's seen those eyes before. It was on a terrifying opponent who made him fight for his life for the very first time. An uncontrollable murderous rampage that he had to face with nothing but his body and weather it until either he or Samato dropped.
'Ah~ that crazy battle was beautiful. It was the fucking best!'
Vincent was caught in a reminiscence. His arms fell to the side. He didn't even notice the referee take to the arena with a nervous expression. Sweat dripped from his brow as the referee resolved himself to see through a match that might result in death.
In the Kengan Matches, the Kure Clan possesses decent renown that there are more people that know of them than those that don't. Ironically enough, Vincent isn't all that familiar with the Kure Clan.
He only knew of the Evil Emperor, Hayakuwa Samato, who possessed the eyes of a real demon. Seeing another with those exact same eyes took the American back to a different time when things were far more dangerous for him.
He breathed out again. It was a shaky breath and the foreigner already began sweating, like he was in the process of fighting. The match still hadn't started yet. He couldn't regain his previous calm in this state.
He could only let himself be swayed by the atmosphere.
"Your name. Who are you?" Vincent wanted to know. He could sense that the man before him has a number of bodies under his name, so this fight should be excellent. A stronger body and superior skill. The obvious truth was in the way the obvious killer carried himself.
"Kure Reiichi. If you would like to not waste my valuable time, tell me in advance if you prefer a fight to the death or a regular, basic fight."
"Come on and try to kill me with all you got!" Vincent didn't even hesitate. His stance was the loosest its ever been since he started fighting in the Kengan Matches.
This was also the most careless he's ever been as shown by his next words."If you don't try, I might waste you too soon. I don't think I can hold back when looking at those eyes."
His laughter was shaky. He couldn't keep calm. The chemicals in his brain had to be chained down, lest their output explode with an extreme force.
"I'll give you the first attack. Hit me anywhere with any part of your body." He spread his arms wide as if inviting the larger Kure man for a hug.
Reiichi's eye twitched.
"It would do you well not to underestimate your betters." The blonde killer scoffed with derision. He was assigned to test this fighter, yet he was feeling more and more like it was a waste of time. Vincent fought basic fighters that don't even compare to him and he thinks he can look down on him?
He would pay dearly for such condescension.
'You think I'm looking down on you? I'm taking you seriously in the only way I know how. Let me get a taste of that murderous air you're trying to conceal.'
The referee began his role after having enough of the two fighters' posturing.
"Under Mount Inc.'s Affiliated Fighter, Vincent Walker!!" He heard some cheers for him, but it didn't even amount to half of the people here today. That confirmed they were here for this Kure Reiichi for whatever reason.
"Koyama Mart Inc.'s Affiliated Fighter, Kure Reiichi!!" A cacophony of shouts assailed the ears of both fighters, making them wince.
'Is he really that famous? They got good taste at least.'
Vincent shrugged his shoulders.
"Both fighters, take your stances." The referee calmed himself, the grave expressions on both of the fighters' faces making his volume drop. Their expressions didn't change, but the sentiment behind them made their pressure tangible.
Reiichi rose his fists and narrowed his eyes to his opponent's lack of a stance. He nodded his head and assumed that his offer of a free hit was a trap. He would plan accordingly for that then.
"Begin!"
Kure Reiichi kicked off the ground like a bullet, his figure a shimmering blur in Vincent's eyes and practically invisible to everyone else. He seemingly lowered his fist in preparation for an uppercut before executing a strange movement with his legs to vanish from the American's sight.
He sensed the man behind him, a gust of air nearing his neck. It was a a killing blow, something expected from a killer such as his opponent. He was surprised by the fake-out, but neglected to turn around.
A heavy elbow carrying the sharpness of a blade and the weight of a hammer banged hard on Vincent's cervical vertebrae. There was an audible crack.
It was only natural for even the toughest of necks to break against an attack one didn't guard against. The surprise factor meant that Vincent couldn't brace for it, thus he took the full weight of a Kure member's attack on a vital spot, his technique amplifying the potential amount of damage.
The result was Vincent predictably falling to the ground. Reiichi snorted.
Not even two seconds later, Vincent got right back up and stared at his attacker with a strange expression.
"I expected someone with those eyes to at least make me feel like I was going to pass out, but was that really all? That's just the bare minimum of what you should do."
Kure Reiichi's eyes flashed and he recalled what happened in the rest of Vincent's fights. He reviewed them and remembered the patriarch's words.
Vincent is a zombie that keeps coming back up even after the most powerful of attacks. The best way to defeat him is to neutralize him through robbing him of the ability to stay conscious or breathe, or killing him.
"I see." That was all the stoic and arrogant Reiichi said. If Vincent could take that, then he would hit harder and properly use Kure Clan techniques to kill. The patriarch said to test him, so he can't be blamed if the target dies in the test.
Those watching the fight felt a chill over their bodies. It was a feeling of anxious anticipation germinating within them that made them feel they were about to see something good.
A more wild Kengan Association member shouted: "Kill each other already!"
Reiichi responded by kicking off the ground with a force strong enough to crack it. He stopped just short of slamming his shoulder into Vincent and pivoted with a cross aiming for the shorter man's right eye. The gust of wind disturbed his hair, yet his expression was unruffled.
All he could do was smile because he's facing down these eyes again. Can this man go berserk too? That's what he wonders.
Vincent tilted his head out of the way of the attack, an evasive action that's rare for him. He looked deeper at his opponent and realized he was still holding back.
So, Vincent hit the man full force with a punch, nearly sending him flying off the arena. Surprisingly enough, the killer managed to place an arm in front of his face just in time to avoid a head injury.
Reiichi's arm was still vibrating from the blow. 'I see.'
That was the very first time in the Kengan Matches that Vincent Walker hit someone at full force.
"Only the first shot was free. Work for the rest." He settled into a middle stance, legs spread more than his shoulder's width. "Come on already!"
He managed to keep the shaking out of his voice. He managed to keep the laughter out as well. The one thing he couldn't hide was the nervous smile on his face.
If this is fear, then Vincent doesn't want to know what joy is.
There was a change in the air only perceptible to Vincent. A foul wind accompanied his opponent's before the man took methodical steps toward Vincent. His measured steps kept the audience on their toes as they waited for the conflict to start up again. So much so that they didn't even realize they were holding their breaths.
Vincent noticed Reiichi's eyes lacking any prior annoyance. There was only the composure of an emotionless machine. He could feel the dampness on the back of his neck.
At that instant, the sound of of the Kure's breath vanished along with the sound of his footsteps. Vincent had to rely on his eyes to keep track on him. His enemy's fists flew with an odd trajectory.
They darted with explosive force, like a lunging viper. They also had the ability to change their direction right before they made contact with Vincent's hand to block them. As a result, they slipped through the durable man's guard and hit him in several critical spots, nearly putting him on his knees.
The diaphragm, the kidney, the windpipe, the knee: these were the true targets of his deceptive fists while they gave the impression they were aiming straight for the heart, temple, stomach, and groin.
A great force was felt on both the inside and outside of Vincent's body. The skillfully executed strikes penetrated his tough skin and muscles to reach the vulnerable organs. Vincent couldn't tighten his defenses quick enough.
It was impossible to avoid internal bleeding. He coughed up blood, making this opponent the quickest person to deal this much damage in the Kengan Matches. Sweat and blood mixed as he switched from defense to offense on a dime and threw a careless punch.
"Too many wasted movements." Vincent recognized his motion. It was something out of aikido that the American had to praise even as he had his arm broken. His elbow was forced out of the socket and his arm was facing the wrong way just from a simple application of force on his straightened arm.
When Vincent tried to back away, Reiichi sent a front kick at his center to destroy his balance. It succeeded and he fell on the ground. Vincent noticed a growing shadow, prompting him to look up at Reiichi's leg.
'He's not giving me a chance to breathe!'
Vincent still had a working arm. He slammed his palm on the ground, twisting his body from the stomp and giving him the momentum to slam his shin into Reiichi's other foot. Striking straight on the Achilles heel, the man couldn't prevent himself from slipping.
Vincent was rising from the ground and Reiichi was falling; both of their eyes met each other in that moment. The American brawler had a nervous smile plastered on his face while the Japanese killer had no readable emotions in the slightest. They both backed away from each other, which gave Vincent a chance to finally breathe.
'What a rough rhythm.' He lost the use of an arm.
He snapped it back into place in front of everyone and bent it back and forth before deciding it was as good as new.
He regained the use of the arm.
Not even the emotionless kill-happy Kure member could keep the surprise off his face. He made sure to break it so cleanly, it would require surgery. He then realized that all the points he targeted with his murderous style should've had him down harder.
'His body is odd.'
There were more peculiarities during the exchange as well.
'This man shouldn't have been able to unbalance me after having his diaphragm struck by my elbow. More than that, he shouldn't have been able to back away in the first place so quickly after all my attacks.'
Reiichi hit the man with his full might. Even if he was coughing up blood and looking miserable, it wasn't enough to diminish Vincent's fighting capabilities. The killer got the impression that this opponent is the annoying type whose fighting ability doesn't decrease with additional injuries.
"Hehe," Vincent chuckled. He knew what he had to do. His opponent was extremely mobile, so he'd have to target the lower parts of the body. He didn't have a full read on his opponent's rhythm, but he has enough to predict his very next move.
'Rising kick to the groin.'
Reiichi moved like lightning and then his leg slammed on the ground with the force of a hammer. In his eyes was shock. His leg that was about to rise was stomped down straight on the knee, which Vincent used as a platform.
The American's heavy knee struck the Kure man's face, bloodying his nose and sending him back. He was about to press the advantage only for the distance between them to shorten faster than expected.
'Shoulder slam.'
It came extremely fast. The surprise factor was due to how quickly the man recovered. Could it be that Vincent's leaping knee did nothing more than superficial damage?
Vincent stood his ground and caught the man's charge, which made him bowl over. His feet left the ground, but not before he lifted the man over his head in the motion of a suplex. Reiichi was dropped on his head, the force shattering shattering a part of the arena.
Blood was pooling from the head wound, but Reiichi got up, undaunted by the injury. They were simple scratch wounds. Vincent's rhythm reading failed to predict his next move. He couldn't keep up with his recovery speed. As a result, the Kure man escaped from the American's line of sight until he felt the man behind him.
Vincent turned with prodigious speed, but Reiichi was stuck to his back, like his own shadow. When Vincent tried to dash forward, an impact struck him straight on the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel.
After that, a strike to the collarbone, broke his clavicle. Next was a a spinning elbow right to Vincent's left temple. His vision began tilting, but his legs refused to buckle. One final strike to the top of Vincent's head made his legs feel light.
He was like a tower that had the top part of its supports break, so it was going to collapse in on itself, yet Vincent refused to fall.
Reiichi had to begrudgingly praise the man. 'It's too hard to knock him out the normal way.'
His version of praise, however, is switching up his strategies. After using one of the Kure Clan techniques to stick to his body, he reached around Vincent's neck and pulled of a standard chokehold. He pulled as hard as he could to make Vincent lose the match faster, and if his neck snapped in the process...well, that wouldn't be a problem either. As oxygen was being prevented from reaching his brain, Vincent should pass out soon, yet there was only one thought running running through Vincent's mind.
Though oxygen couldn't access the brain, the brain was still functioning and it was incensed by a perceived contest of strength.
Vincent pulled with great vigor and loosened Reiichi's grip just enough for him to breathe. "You...really think you can challenge me in a strength contest?"
Vincent might have weaker strikes and his martial arts aren't nearly as practiced as Kure Reiichi, yet in terms of pure strength and durability, he'd refused to lose to a man that couldn't strengthen themselves. Skill improves strength, so normally, using strength on its own would be folly in a fight.
However, this is one of the few times — one of the few types of strangles — where Vincent could just use pure strength to pull himself free.
"I somewhat expected a surprise like this, though it doesn't make it any less irritating."
Kure Reiichi is a killer. He prefers death matches over regular fights that must have both parties survive. Being used to test a person means that his clan wants to see if a person can survive a true-blooded Kure member going for the kill.
And when going for the kill, neck snaps are far more efficient than depriving somebody of their ability to breathe. Vincent still didn't have a hold on Reiichi's rhythm, so he was delayed in figuring out what he was going to do.
The American could only widen his eyes in surprise before his vision tilted. He heard the crack and his consciousness switched off like a light. He crumpled like a sack of potatoes to the ground face-first.
The arena was damaged and Reiichi was bleeding from his nose and head, but he looked otherwise coherent enough to judge himself the winner. He wasn't really all that damaged. He wiped the blood from his face and stared at the judge.
If Vincent survives, then Reiichi guesses he's barely passable as a fighter.
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