Capítulo 6: Match Scheduled
The fight was far shorter than Vincent initially anticipated. After the advent of another helper making himself present, even when the thugs started pulling out knives and brass knuckles, they were forced to flee from being outmatched by two men.
"What a shame," Vincent sighed.
"A shame?"
"Yeah, I wanted to fight more. By the way, who are you?" Vincent's buddy for the impromptu match gave a questioning look of curiosity to Vincent's words, attempting to figure out his general mindset before responding.
"I'm Kaburagi Koji. I only helped you because I'm a relatively good fighter and I had to do something when I saw you getting assaulted." Vincent hummed.
He made sure to go deep into the alleyways. People normally wouldn't come here, so this Kaburagi was either taking a shortcut, or he had a reason for taking this obscure route. Vincent can see the muscles concealed by fat and he did notice that he seems like a relatively decent fighter if less mobile than the usual ones.
He felt there was something off, yet he held his tongue and readjusted his glasses. Fortunately, they weren't damaged in the fight.
"Thanks then. See ya."
Vincent walked off without saying another word, intent on continuing his little walk until he felt hungry.
"Oh," he said and paused.
He turned his head to Kaburagi who was staring at him with an odd look and spoke words that revealed the not yet sated battle lust hidden beneath his easy expression.
"You wanna fight too?"
Those four simple words made the possibly opponent stammer slightly while he put his hands up in a waving motion. He seemed keen on not wanting a fight between the two sadly. "No, no, all I did was offer to help! I don't think I'd be a good match against you."
Kaburagi bowed at the neck in a servile manner, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile plastered on his face.
"Oh." Vincent walked away. "That's disappointing."
After leaving the alleyway and the shady man who helped him out, he pulled out his phone impatiently and stared at the screen. There's an analogy here that Vincent can think of that appropriately sums up his current situation.
If a man is hungry and he only eats enough to fill half that hunger, it is worse than not eating at all. His stomach is triggered from having food fill the hunger, yet when it's not completely filled, the sensation of hunger intensifies drastically. In short, it's annoying as hell and he wants a real good fight soon.
The week is almost halfway over. He clicked his tongue.
"It can't take that long to get a match, right? There has to be a good amount of fighters in the matches and I doubt they're not all doing nothing."
Which leads Vincent to one thing: his boss wants to schedule a match that he believes that he can get a good deal out of and one that he believes Vincent can win. At least, that's what the foreigner himself believes.
However, he won't begrudge his boss for that. It'd be more selfish than he can be as a person for Vincent to make his boss pick fights regardless of the possible deal he can get out of it. So, he'll stuff his impatience in a box and lock it up.
As an adult, he knows that patience is a virtue. The Survivor will wait for the next match with bated breath.
To reward his patience, a serendipitous wave blew through the area caught between buildings. Vincent's phone began buzzing. The person calling was his boss who was the only person on his contacts.
'Wow I need to at least fill this up a little more.'
He picked up on the second ring and spoke with a hint of excitement in his voice. "You found a match for me already?"
"That's right. The enemy company this time is Iwami Heavy Industries. They specialize in arms manufacturing, but they also dabble in other fields." Vincent doesn't care about that.
"And how is the opponent?"
That was all he cared about. The last man was a powerful individual who focused on sheer power and speed over any true skill, so he couldn't make maximum use of his body. However, the fight was still excellent and Vincent can't say that the fighter didn't put up a good fight. He hopes that the next opponent is even better than Murobuchi Gozo.
"...He's very strong. He's participated in thirty-four matches and only lost one of them." Oh? "The man he lost to was the emperor of the Kengan Matches, the Fang. And out of all the fights against that monster of a fighter, he came out without being incapacitated."
Vincent's smile loosened, his demeanor changing into something that seemed ethereal. An onlooker would say he's on the verge of becoming a ghost or floating away like a simple cloud, yet the gleam in his eyes told a different story. The expression he held back from his face went to the light in his eyes.
Inside, he was smiling like a savage. He clenched the hand that wasn't holding his phone into a fist. "Thank you boss. You won't hear another peep out of me talking about leaving your services. You have me for good now."
Vincent hung up without hearing a response. He stuffed his hands down his pockets and made his way back to the mansion to talk face-to-face with the CEO. "Wait, I didn't ask when the match would be scheduled."
'Well, as long as it's before the week is up.'
Vincent took a leisurely walk back, his pace slower than before. He was weighed down by positive emotions and he even showed a genuine smile to all those he passed by. When he reached the gates, the man realized he didn't actually know how to get in, so he leapt over.
If there's security protocols, then that would be exciting for the foreigner.
Fortunately or unfortunately, there was nothing like that as Vincent strode to his boss's personal office space in the mansion. He was currently looking over records when you walked in. His head snapped up.
"Ah, you're here! I was about to tell you more information, but then you suddenly hung up on me." He looked nervous, so Vincent responded accordingly.
"Sorry about that. I was just so excited that I came back to hear it in person." Vincent pulled a seat right across from the overweight man and let gravity drag him down to the seat lazily.
Ohta steepled his fingers together, giving himself the poise of a true businessman who climbed his way up to the position of a CEO. Vincent's yawn obliterated the solemn aura that was beginning to build. The CEO sighed, knowing that he didn't really climb to his position under his own strength, so what he's doing would never work.
He pulled out a folder with a name written on it. "This is your opponent."
"Hong Xiao-Hu?" Vincent queried. "I'm fighting a Chinaman huh..."
The stereotype of Chinese being good at martial arts came to mind and it seems to be holding true here. He saw a picture of him, which showed the body he cultivated, defined, wiry muscles that were not made for endurance.
"He seems to be a speed fighter. Okay, I can beat him."
"Don't underestimate him. His record has only been tainted by a match against the Fang." Vincent sighed.
"Fang this, Fang that...I've been hearing quite a bit about him even though I haven't been a part of the Kengan Matches for a week. You've beaten knowledge about him into my head, so how about you schedule a match with him for me, so I can see it for myself?"
To put it frankly, Ohta looked like he shat himself and vomited at the same time on the spot. His eyes struggled to perceive what was in front, his hearing was buffeted by the sound of the air conditioner that seemed louder than it ever was, and his mouth tasted of ash. "...We can go visit the next match he gets, so you can see for yourself how powerful he is."
Vincent nodded in acceptance, relieving his boss greatly.
'Why did Kenzo make rehire such a reckless fool! He's going to be a death of me; I swear I almost pissed myself!'
"Huuu..." Ohta exhaled a breath of air he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Your match will be in three days, so prepare yourself."
"Thanks boss!"
The employer looked like he was counting the last of his days. The employee was ecstatic, like he just got a large bonus in his paycheck. The countenances on these two people should be reversed in a normal circumstance, yet these two people aren't normal.
Ohta didn't reach the position of a CEO on his own and Vincent is an unconventional person who doesn't let fear or pain stop him from anything. It's because of fear that he can be so reckless as it's an emotion right next to anxiety and excitement. Arousal even.
It's because of pain that he can feel so alive.
"After I win this, let's go out for drinks."
Ohta sighed and donned a tired smile. "That sounds good."
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