Chapter 192: This Kid's Mother Must Be Beautiful

By now, eight people had already failed in the challenge matches. Only two groups—four people—remained.

And up next, another three-on-one challenge.

"Whoa… this is getting scary. Maybe we should just bail."

"You always say that, but would you really run away if you had the chance?"

"Of course not. I'm in great shape today."

In the lounge, Hatsumi Sen and Wakatsuki Takashi were preparing for their upcoming match.

Wakatsuki knew exactly what Hatsume meant by "great shape."

This guy, when out of form, could struggle against someone much weaker. But when in top condition, he could even defeat Wakatsuki himself.

And defeating Wakatsuki wasn't something just anyone could do. He was a strong contender to win the entire Kengan Annihilation Tournament and was seen as a rival to Kanoh Agito. With a terrifying record of 302 wins and only 2 losses—one to Kanoh Agito, and the other to Hatsumi Sen.

Despite Hatsumi's usual slacker attitude, his strength was monstrous. He had even served briefly as Metsudo's Fang, though he quit a week later, calling the job "too much hassle," which only underscored how strong he truly was.

Both Wakatsuki and Hatsumi were among the top-tier fighters in this tournament, and this time, they were teaming up to challenge a single opponent.

"What about that guy from Yamashita Trading Co.? Isn't he here yet?"

"Apparently, he's already at the arena."

"Impatient, isn't he?" Hatsumi scratched his head as he watched the screen showing Rinji still standing calmly in the arena.

"Man, with a face like that, if his hair were a bit longer, I might've flirted with him."

"He's a guy."

"Someone that pretty must have a beautiful mom. Judging by his age, his mother's probably around my age… damn it, why didn't I meet her back then?"

"And if that freakish strength of his is inherited from her, you'd have been beaten half to death."

"Haha, yeah, fair enough."

Their conversation lightened the mood.

But now, it was time for their match.

---

"…You shouldn't have come."

"But I want to challenge you."

"Can't you see the gap between us?"

In the arena, Rinji stood face-to-face with Tokita Ohma.

Rinji honestly didn't want Ohma to step into the ring. He had placed a bet on him.

If he seriously injured Ohma now, and the guy lost his future matches, Rinji would be the one losing money.

Originally, he thought Yamashita Trading Co, a company funded by loans, couldn't afford much. So he'd casually demanded a 100 billion yen challenge fee.

But they paid. It was Nogi Hideki who covered the cost for them.

'Fine. I'll go easy on him.'

Just then, Sayaka picked up the mic and announced loudly, "Here they come! All members of this match are present!"

At her voice, Wakatsuki and Hatsumi entered the ring from the entrance tunnel.

Both were stars in Kengan fights, and the crowd roared even louder than before.

"It's Wakatsuki Takeshi!!"

"Go, Wakatsuki!!"

"Crush it!!"

Wakatsuki had tons of fans and supporters, and Hatsumi also got a lot of attention.

"Shit! Hatsumi Sen's here!"

"That bastard made me lose money!"

"Takamine Rinji! Kill that son of a bitch!!"

"Beat him to death!!"

Hatsumi was long used to this sort of thing. He casually picked at his ear with his pinky and ignored it.

Due to his extremely laid-back attitude, he had often missed matches due to lateness or forgetfulness, which explained his less impressive record—fifteen losses in total.

But there was no doubt: both he and Wakatsuki were top-tier fighters. The crowd was hyped for this bout.

Once everyone was in place, the referee called out:

"Begin!!"

Boom!

This time, Rinji took the initiative.

He dashed straight toward Ohma and delivered a brutal kick to his abdomen.

Ohma's stomach twisted, and he was sent flying over ten meters, crashing into the wall at the edge of the arena.

With one fighter down at the very start, Hatsumi and Wakatsuki suddenly grew serious.

Hatsumi was still watching cautiously, but Wakatsuki was already charging in.

His fighting style was simple and direct, relying purely on his overwhelming strength.

He threw a punch toward Rinji's face—but it was caught with one hand.

"What!?"

Wakatsuki was shocked to see his punch stopped so easily. He never imagined losing in a pure strength contest.

Rinji was equally surprised. The moment he grabbed Wakatsuki's fist, he sensed something unusual.

That strength was way beyond what a normal human should possess.

Wakatsuki's power was indeed something to be proud of. His body had been abnormal since birth, with muscle density through the roof. As a kid, he could already shatter concrete walls with a punch.

Now, he stood 193 cm tall and weighed 193 kg. His muscle density was 54 times that of a normal person.

Physically, he was a monster among humans.

But Rinji had only used 5% of his power to block that punch.

For a match like this, 5% was enough. That's what Rinji thought—and he had finally found someone whose strength matched even that tiny fraction.

Rinji twisted Wakatsuki's fist with one hand, then brought his other hand down like an axe onto his elbow.

Crack!

The right arm dislocated on the spot.

"Ugh…"

Wakatsuki staggered back, clutching his arm. That blow had really hurt.

Rinji didn't miss the opportunity. He followed up with a punch straight at him.

But Wakatsuki had been waiting for that.

The instant Rinji struck, Wakatsuki took a deep breath and gathered all his strength into his other hand. As they closed the gap, he let out a roar and hammered his fist down on Rinji's head.

BANG!!!

Like a compressed spring, he released his power all at once. This was his special technique—compressing his strength into a single point and then releasing it in a burst.

Originally, this was a trump card meant for Kanoh Agito. But now he had to use it early.

Anyone—even someone with Wakatsuki's monstrous body—would be severely injured from this attack.

But he had miscalculated one thing: he didn't know Rinji had been suppressing his strength.

You could hold back your power—but not your body's natural durability.

His punch landed squarely on Rinji's head, but Rinji didn't even flinch. Instead, Wakatsuki's knuckles shattered on impact.