Chapter 191: An Interesting Match

Rinji remained standing in the center of the arena.

Kaolan lay motionless at his feet.

Kaolan had mastered striking techniques to the extreme and was considered a top-tier combatant in the Kengan matches. But against Rinji, he was utterly helpless.

"The victor—Takamine Rinji!!"

The audience was stunned.

All sixteen contestants in the tournament were elite fighters—some already legends in their own right.

Yet after just two matches, Rinji had taken on four more and still stood undefeated.

The stadium burst into deafening cheers.

A new king of the Kengan arena had been born.

"Shit… I didn't know he was this strong."

Adam, who had been sent flying in the first round by Rinji, watched the arena in shock.

Thinking back, the fact that he challenged someone who only looked scrawny in the first round—and lived—meant he was insanely lucky.

He turned to the young fighter who was originally supposed to be his opponent.

"I'd love to fight you sometime, but… are you seriously going to challenge that guy? You have zero chance."

"I know."

Imai Cosmo was stretching nearby, preparing for his next match.

He was guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals because his opponent, Akoya Sheishu, was still unconscious in the infirmary.

Getting into the top eight for free sounded great—but that's not what Cosmo wanted.

"If I don't challenge him, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

"Tch, I don't get what you guys see in charging into unwinnable fights."

"Alright."

Cosmo finished warming up, jumped a few times, and smiled.

"I'm heading over. Maybe I'll see a different world today."

---

"Takamine Rinji has now defeated six opponents in a row!! Is there truly no one who can stop his advance?!"

Sayaka continued her commentary as the audience's excitement stayed at a fever pitch.

They were eager to see just how many more opponents Rinji could crush.

And to this point, Rinji hadn't taken a single injury—he was still in peak, untouched condition.

"For the next match, we have the youngest fighter in the Kengan Association, 'King of Stranglers' Imai Cosmo, and the legendary wrestler, 'Hell's Angel' Sekibayashi Jun!!!"

Sparks flared from both entry gates as Sekibayashi and Cosmo entered the arena.

Both appeared relaxed, waving and smiling to the audience.

Sekibayashi stepped up to Rinji, stuck out his tongue, and made a silly face.

"Kid, this is going to be one hell of a show."

He didn't mind uneven matches. Pro wrestling had plenty of such bouts—two weaklings versus one strong man always made for great entertainment.

"Yeah… I guess."

Rinji's tone was flat.

After defeating six fighters, he was starting to feel bored.

That overwhelming strength, once exhilarating, now brought creeping emptiness.

Thankfully, he had a father he still couldn't beat. That gave him something to hold onto.

"All fighters ready."

The referee—who had probably shouted that line dozens of times—called it again.

"Begin!!"

Sekibayashi didn't move.

Cosmo lowered his stance and charged.

Neither of them expected to win. Cosmo was here to challenge his limits. Sekibayashi just wanted an exciting match.

Their companies had also approved the match because the price was low.

Cosmo's employer only had to pay a fee equal to 1% of its stock value. As for Sekibayashi's side—Rinji only asked for a limited edition collectible figure.

Rinji's challenge fees were entirely based on his mood.

"Since it's cheap, why not give it a shot?" That was the mindset they went in with.

Cosmo ducked in low and reached Rinji.

Just as Rinji prepared to punch, Cosmo twisted his waist, slipped under the blow, and wrapped around Rinji like a python—hooking his legs and locking Rinji's neck in a chokehold.

At that instant, Sekibayashi charged forward, grabbed Rinji and Cosmos together, and SLAMMED them backward.

BOOM!!!

Cosmos tucked his head in, positioning himself lower than Rinji. If the slam landed cleanly, Rinji's head would hit the ground carrying the weight of both men.

At the moment of impact, Cosmo kept the chokehold tight.

He didn't believe this would KO Rinji—but it might give him an edge.

And he was right.

Rinji's head hit the ground—but moments later, he rose.

So quickly and smoothly it was like Cosmo wasn't even wrapped around him.

"My turn."

Rinji flipped Cosmos over his shoulder and slammed him down.

Without pause, he punched Cosmo's head hard into the floor.

BAM!

A crater formed where Cosmo's skull hit.

But in that very instant, Cosmo's legs snapped around Rinji's neck, locking up his entire arm and torso.

Even after taking a knockout-level hit, the young fighter launched an immediate counter.

"You…"

"AAAHHHH!!"

Sekibayashi found his moment, opened his arms, and leapt into the air—his massive body hurtling toward Rinji from above.

"…"

Rinji yanked his entire arm out of the ground, pulling along the limp body of Cosmo. He hurled the unconscious man straight at Sekibayashi.

Bang!

Sekibayashi, who had leapt into the air, was hit squarely by the incoming body. With no time to defend, he instinctively caught Cosmo. But just then, Rinji appeared behind him.

The moment Sekibayashi landed while holding Cosmo, Rinji grabbed him from behind, locking his arms in a crossed position. Then he executed a suplex that slammed both their heads into the ground.

Boom!!!

Their skulls hit the floor at the same time. Instant knockout.

"The match is decided! The winner—Takamine Rinji!!!"

The crowd had seemingly expected this outcome, so there wasn't much excitement or applause.

However, a few people noticed something peculiar.

There was a faint smile on Rinji's face.