Beatdown

-That night at Tokita Manor

"So she just found the dojo." Ohma laid his bed where his phone lay near his head.

"You know it was going happen sooner or later," AJ said, "You are going to have to deal with it."

Ohma sighed then changed the subject, "I saw your text, you wanted to tell me something?"

"That was two days ago," AJ yelled.

"You know I don't check texts, like my e-mails," Ohma said, "just call me if it's important."

AJ sighed from the other side, "I wanted to tell you about this upcoming martial art near your town."

"I am not going to fight in some rule restrictions-filled pussy karate tournament, AJ," Ohma said.

"This is not some Karate tournament," AJ said, "this is an underground battle royale."

Underground battle royal, that got Ohma's attention.

AJ continued, "The rules are simple: Several martial artists enter the ring and fight, supposedly it originated as a battle royale organised by the yakuza, but it has evolved into something more contemporary and violent event. It's like an MMA battle royale at this point. The winner is the last one standing in the ring."

"I am getting interested," Ohma muttered.

AJ continued, "This event is risky for obvious reasons, but apparently the prize makes it worthwhile. The ones who enter this aren't amateur, many of them are pro grapplers, and some are even well known. If you are interested I am going to text you the details. Fucking read them."

With that, the call turned silent. Ohma sighed and let his body drift into sleep and his mind into the image training. He opened his eyes and found himself in the Kengan stadium with another figure. A teen of average height in standard MMA gear, possessing a well-defined build like Ohma. With blond hair styled as a bob cut.

"Time for some grappling practise." Ohma said turning towards him, "Imai Cosmo."

********************

-Next day

-Ryozanpaku

Ohma sat with Akisame back in the training room, eyes closed, in meditation.

"Sei Ki and Dou Ki are different so are the way to utilize them," Akisame said, "to use Dou Ki you put pressure on your tanden, with hard and rapid breaths while focusing on the area where you want to send your inner energy. Sei Ki is different, in this instead needs slow and gentle breaths, making ki flow through your meridians and sharpen your senses. You cannot ever properly control Sei Ki without a calm mind and you cannot ever properly control Dou Ki without a wave of rage."

"So the mind of a Sei Ki user should be like a calm like a while mind of Dou Ki user should be like a raging river," Ohma said opening his eyes.

"That's one way to put it," Akisame said, "but your assessment is correct. Today you will learn a skill that every Sei Ki user must have, but they don't, this skill is not going to help you in fighting but it will help you in training."

Then Akisame asked, "Do you feel pain now anywhere?"

"My upper arms..." Ohma answered. "Did some conditioning before going to sleep yesterday. What does that have to with this?"

"Excellent," Akisame said, "then you will be able to notice the effect of this. Take a deep breath, then slowly exhale and start breathing with your abdomen more than your lungs."

Ohma followed the instructions as Akisame continued.

"Slowly slow down your abdominal breathing, doing this will drop your blood pressure and your autonomic nerves will reach equilibrium. After achieving this, cross yours and place your hands just on your injured parts."

After a while, Akisame asked, "Do you feel anything?"

"Yeah, I don't feel the pain anymore," Ohma replied, "It's replaced by something strangely warm."

"Just by placing your hands like this is enough to create a sedative-like effect that any doctor of neurology would be able to discern. A true martial artist can locate his injuries received during a fight better than any doctor could do."

Akisame continued, "Originally medical skills were an important part of martial arts, but then started to specialise, on fighting or sports, with time martial arts became synonymous with grappling and fisticuffs. But the core martial arts it's not just fighting but a Ways of Life."

With that Akisame got up and left for the door, but not before saying, "I'll wait for Kenichi to get back for the grappling training."

Ohma sighed, "I'll just run and get him, it would be a nice warm-up."

*************************

Kenichi's head hung low as he walked back to the Dojo with Miu beside him.

"Advance training... sounds it's going to be harder than my current training," Kenichi groaned.

"You are strange," Miu remarked, "I thought you'd be happy graduating from basic training to advance training."

"Honestly though, it's not that I am only afraid of hard training sessions," Kenichi said, "I don't have any talent you know."

"Uh... so?" She asked.

"Hmm... so I gave it my all to train until now. But I keep thinking to myself, what if don't become stronger even after I learn advance techniques... how disappointed masters would be... that's what I am afraid of."

"Jeez, stop being a pessimist." A voice said from behind.

Kenichi turned to see Ohma approaching them.

"Where are you coming from?" Kenichi asked.

"From a run for warmup," Kenichi said, "Also, Akisame is waiting for you back in the Dojo. It's grappling day remember."

"I remember." Kenichi groaned.

"What what talking about? Being a disappointment... not getting stronger." Ohma said. "Just look at yourself, just see how far have you come since you started."

"I agree," Miu said, "I don't think they'd do anything like getting disappointed. After disappointment is when you give up. They don't know the words 'give up.' Even If you don't get stronger, they'll just train harder."

Kenichi felt a bit silly at that moment. " You guys are right!"

At that moment as he reached the corner of the street, suddenly a face popped out from behind the wall. "Turn right, Kenichi."

Kenichi jumped back. "WHAT THE FUCK, HARUO?!"

"Good afternoon, Haruo," Miu greeted with a smile.

Then Haruo fully came into view and said, "You shouldn't go down this road, turn right."

"What the hell?" Kenichi shouted. "Just back to your planet, I am not going to be part of any of your plans."

"No, you might want to be part of this plan. Sinnosuke Tsuji is waiting for you at the end of this street!" Haruo said. "Go the other way."

Kenichi: "The mophead!"

Haruo: "Yes, him. That bastard is really pissed about how he was attacked from behind by Kenichi Siharahma."

Kenichi: "I was only trying to help a girl."

"To top it off," Haruo said as he pulled out a newspaper from under his shirt, "To top it off, I exaggerated your victory in the school's newspaper."

He opened the newspaper with a picture of Kenichi standing over the mophead with the title: Ragnarok's Tsuji, even after using cowardly tactics of 30 against 1, still loses.

Kenichi lunged and grabbed Haruo by his collar. "Just what have you done?! You evil bastard!"

"Praise me more," Haruo said as Kenichi shook him.

Kenichi growled and pushed Haruo away. "I'll talk to Haruo and sort this matter out, myself."

"You moron! After everything, I did for you!" Haruo shouted as he grabbed Kenichi from under his arms, "Are you fucking retarded!"

Just then Ohma grabbed Haruo and pulled him away from Kenichi before throwing him away.

"Let's go, it's about time you get your rematch!" Ohma said.

Kenichi nodded and walked forward, followed by Miu.

"You'll die! You hear me! Don't ruin my plans! He'll chew you alive!"

********************

By the end of the street, there was a small fenced clear ground with one entrance, it was a playing ground for local kids most of the time, but currently, it was taken over by Tsuji and his last two remaining thugs.

"Boss, it's him!" One of the thugs said as Kenichi enter the ground along with Miu and Ohma.

"So you are finally here, you coward." Tsuji's face turned towards Kenichi, then Ohma, "You too!"

"Been some time!" Ohma smiled.

Tsuji gritted his teeth. "After I am done with him, it's your turn." Then he looked back at Kenichi. "It's payback time, you liar."

"I am sorry about that sneak attack, I thought you were ganging up on some random girl, Mophead," Kenichi said.

"SHE WASN'T SOME RANDOM GIRL, YOU RETARD! AND WHO THE FUCK IS MOPHEAD?!" Tsuji shouted but the claimed down, "Enough talk, now let's fight."

Kenichi nodded and stepped closer to him before taking a front stable, Zenkutsu Daichi.

Tsuji lunged forward with a straight which Kenichi effortlessly parried to the side with his forearm before slamming his fist on Tsuji's face with a quick punch.

[ Karate: Seiken ]

Tsuji lurched back and dropped to the ground. Kenichi just stood there, amazed as Miu approached him and grabbed his arm.

"See, you are skilled enough to take on advance training," She remarked.

Kenichi just stood there dazed at his own strength.

"Boss." One of the thugs tried to wake up Tsuji who was knocked out on the floor. "Captain Tsuji!"

Tsuji groaned as he opened his eyes. "What the fuck happened? What am I doing here?" Then his eyes moved towards Kenichi and the realisation hit him like a truck. 'I lost... I lost... There are no excuses, I lost.'

He got up as he stabilized himself. "You all just get out here and join some other gang. This is the end of the Tsuji army."

"We are your personal guards, captain," One of the thugs said.

"My worth was determined by my troops... now I have nothing left."

With that he turned then Kenichi shouted. "What are you crying about?!"

Tsuji turned towards him as Kenichi continued, "You have loyal friends who are worth more than even a hundred troops."

"Kenichi!" Just then Haruo entered the ground. "I knew you would win."

"And this bastard is my friend," Kenichi stated

"That's right boss, you still have us," One of the thugs said,

"Yeah, let's start from the bottom again," the other thug added, "make a new gang."

"You bastards..." Tsuji muttered with a bit of tear in his eyes, "alright, Tsuji army quits Ragnarok from now on."

Then he turned to Kenichi. "A little advice for you, watch out for your other friend, that boxer, his lynch will happen soon."

"What do you mean?" Kenichi asked. "You are still going after him."

"I will not be part of it, not will be my army," Tsuji said. "It will be Kisara's gang and another member will also attend, the so-called Hermit. You should be careful of him. Kisara could be beaten easily if you play it right, but Hermit, you have no chance against him."

"The Hermit, that guy is strong," Haruo said.

"You know him, Haruo?" Kenichi asked turning towards him.

"Yes, I did, he was with the Fight Fist league members. I saw three of them beating fifty members of a rival gang on their own."

Kenichi's face turned serious as Ohma placed his hand on his shoulder. "Just focus on your advance training, you can do it."

*********************

-10 pm

Most of the town was asleep, under the dark sky but in an old building downtown, the mood was the opposite. A crowd of a hundred hummed on the concrete floor, surrounding a four-cornered ring, with steam and barbed wires of spore. Inside of which two men were beating each other to a bloody pulp. Ohma stood among the surrounding crowd which was screaming, with their hands up in the air, cheering and betting, but Ohma was not.

"Hey, pretty boy, you want to get in there too?"

A middle-aged voice said from the side. Ohma looked to see a short bald in a Hawaiian shirt looking at him.

"I am Kei, the booker," He shouted said introducing himself then signalled with his hand as he said, "If ya want to fight, follow me."

Ohma nodded and followed Kei as they walked away from the loud crowd.

"There is only one rule around here," He said as they walked away, "never bring unauthorised weapons into the ring and that's about it. Ya may bite, gouge out eyes, crush someone's balls, it's all fine 'n fair. But if ya bring a weapon ya'll be immediately disqualified on the spot. Also, ya'll get a nasty penalty to boot."

"What's the penalty?" Ohma asked.

Ken answered, "Yea, a fine of 5 million yen-"

Ken stopped for a moment as they reached away from the crowd towards an area closed by black curtains.

"-but don'tcha worry. Folks who ain't got that kind of cash can get them from the loan sharks - at quite reasonable rates."

Then he opened the curtains.

"Prize money in amateur rank's 500,000 yen per match and 1 million in the pro one. Tax-free of course, since ya're a newcomer I say amateur rank is good for ya, pretty boy."

Then they stepped behind the curtains to an area with more than a dozen men, some were standing around, some were sitting, but they had one thing in common.

'They are all amateur fighters.'

"Frankly speaking, most of the amateurs ain't got no cash or brain. Just run-of-mill blocker heads who rely on muscles and brawling skills." Kei whispered as they approached the men.

"Then I'd like to enter the pro ranks," Ohma said.

"Wait, the pro ranks are those who are already used to fighting underground," Ken said. "Can't drop any name, also many of them are famous fighters outside."

"I came here you fight strong opponents," Ohma said. "Not to waste my time with amateurs who ain't got no cash or brain. Just run-of-mill lowlife scums who rely on muscles and brawling skills."

There was a slight ruffle among the men then.

"Hey, I didn't call them scums," Ken said as a few fighters approached them.

"Don't get picky with your words," Ohma said. "No matter how to phrase it, they are nothing but morons."

"Hey, boy," A large bald man in a tank top said approaching them, "Who do you mean by lowlife scums?"

"Look in some mirror," Ohma replied, "maybe you'll find someone matching the description."

With that, the man growled, "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

He swung his fist which Ohma effortlessly dodged and rammed a gnarled fist into his face, there was an explosion of blood and teeth and the man dropped down hard.

Then Ohma looked at Ken's shocked face and asked, "Where can I register?"

Ken grinned, "Welcome to the Beatdown."