Chapter 7 | The Challenge

There is an atmosphere of anticipation in the underground arena. The octagonal stage looms as a scene of exceptional feats. In one corner stands a human colossus, wearing metal boots decorated with blades and knuckles. Opposite him, an anthropomorphic lizard takes its position.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed participants and spectators of this evening! A fighter has dared to challenge Bruiser. Dear spectators, in the next minute you will have the opportunity to bet on the outcome of the upcoming fight. Will fortune favor the indomitable Bruiser, undefeated in his prowess, or will Reptus prevail by toppling his opponent from his throne and destroying his perfect record?"

Amidst the crowd, Kaito asked his companions, "Do you know who this is?"

Both shook their heads negatively. Hideo quickly turned to his phone, looking for information on Bruiser. After a moment, a look of amazement flashed across his face.

"So, who is he?" - Kaito inquired.

"A monster, he has 28 wins, 26 of which ended early, without a single loss. And he accomplished that in only 8 months," replied Hideo.

"Damn, that's almost three fights a month," Anthony remarked.

"Ha, apparently this lizard decided to get some glory by ending Bruiser's dominance," Kaito pondered.

"Quite likely," Hideo agreed.

As the gong sounded, heralding the start of the brutal duel, Reptus lunged forward, his tail swishing like a lightning-fast whiplash tearing through the air. Bruiser dodged the powerful blow with surprising agility for his size. The lizard man followed with a series of swift blows, his scaly fists flashing through the air. Bruiser took the blows but countered with a devastating uppercut that sent Lizard-Man reeling backward.

Reptus rose to his feet, his eyes narrowed. He lunged forward again, trying to grab Bruiser with his immense strength. However, Bruiser skillfully parried, using his strength and wrestling experience to parry the Lizard Man's attempts. With a powerful push, Bruiser managed to break free, and the Lizard Man crawled away.

Seizing the moment, Bruiser lunged forward, his iron boots clattering on the canvas. He delivered a hard kick with his right foot that the lizardman barely dodged, but the force of the blow was enough to graze his cheek and make him bleed. Reptus hissed in pain, and responded with a flurry of blows, each with a primal determination.

Bruiser, not the least bit embarrassed, took the blows with a wheeze. Then he grabbed his arm in mid-strike with unexpected force and twisted it with terrible force. The lizard man howled in agony, his tail fluttering wildly behind him. Without stopping, the man delivered a knee strike to the Lizard Man's stomach, knocking the spirit out of him.

Gasping, the Lizard Man backed away, trying to regain his composure. Bruiser, sensing that victory was at hand, rushed forward. With a ferocious expression on his face, he unleashed a barrage of heavy blows, each one echoing around the arena.

Reptus, though tough, could not withstand the onslaught. Bruiser's fists pounded him mercilessly until finally, from the last blow, the Lizard Man collapsed to the ground, but the Man decided to add one last blow - a straight kick to the jaw of his seated opponent. His incredible force of the blow with his massive iron boot did extremely deplorable damage to the guy. A tooth had fallen out and his entire cheek was torn open, pouring blood all over the floor.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Bruiser stood over his defeated opponent, breathing heavily but victoriously. Blood dripped from the kid's battered face, staining the canvas beneath him. Despite the brutality of the spectacle, the spectators roared with delight, enjoying the tension of the underground battle.

Kaito watched with a mixture of admiration and apprehension. The brutality of the duel left a deep impression. Anthony and Hideo exchanged glances, their faces a mixture of shock and awe.

As Bruiser savored his triumph, the crowd's cheering reached a crescendo. It was a moment of undeniable superiority but tinged with a disturbing ferocity that hung in the air.

"Damn, what a way to finish him off," Anthony remarked, his voice barely audible over the noise.

"Yeah, he's a real monster," Hideo agreed, not taking his eyes off the aftermath of the battle.

Kaito was silent, his thoughts darting through various corners of his mind. The appeal of combat was undeniable, but the consequences were obvious. He realized that success in this arena required strength skill and an unyielding determination to face the dangers that lurked within it.

Meanwhile, Bruiser addressed the crowd again, and his voice rumbled amidst the cacophony.

"Who is next? Will another brave man have the balls to stand against the king?" Bruiser's challenge echoed throughout the underground arena.

Tense anticipation gripped the audience, some whispering among themselves, others eagerly awaiting the next spectacle. Kaito, Anthony, and Hideo exchanged glances, silently contemplating the unfolding events.

"Who would even want to enter the arena after something like this?" - muttered Hideo. - Muttered Hideo, not taking his eyes off the crowd.

"I'd like to come out, but he's already pretty exhausted. I don't want to make my debut by defeating a fighter in that condition," replied Kaito.

Anthony turned to Kaito with a joking tone: "Yeah, sure."

Kaito paid no attention to his friend's mockery.

Hideo looked at Kaito's face and asked puzzled: "Are you seriously saying that after what you saw?"

Kaito, without taking his eyes off the octagon, replied, "Yep. I would like to fight him in a fair 1 on 1 fight. An opponent like that would give me some great experience."

"Come on, you're strong but 14 years old. It's not sparring, it's a no-holds-barred fight," Anthony warned.

Kaito met Anthony's gaze with a calm smile. "If you doubt me so much, let's make a bet."

"On what?" asked Anthony.

"One thousand dollars and the stipulation that I have to get an early victory over Bruiser before I enroll," Kaito offered.

Anthony's face reflected uncertainty. It was a large sum of money to him, and he wasn't really willing to bet on it, "It's too much."

"What if me and Anthony each contributed $500?" Hideo suggested.

"Sure," Kaito agreed and looked at Anthony.

Anthony was still showing uncertainty, he wrinkled his face slightly, but exhaled and agreed, "Okay, 500."

"Great," Kaito concluded. He then asked them: "If I've already decided to become a fighter, how do I register?"

"You need to find an administrator and ask him to make your record," Anthony replied.

"And where can I find him?" - Kaito asked.

"Usually somewhere near the octagon, if not, ask someone to see if anyone has seen him," explained Anthony.

"Got it," Kaito said, heading off to find the right person.

Making his way through the crowd, Kaito side-eyed the noise of the underground arena. He spotted a masked figure, a burly man cloaked in darkness, who gave off a commanding air amidst the commotion.

"Excuse me," Kaito began, "do you know where I can find the administrator?"

The man turned to Kaito, his eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Yeah, sure," he muttered, pointing a finger at the cluster of figures. "The one in the scarlet mask over there."

"Thank you," Kaito thanked, making his way through the crowd toward said figure.

Approaching the man surrounded by his conversing companions, Kaito addressed him. "Greetings, are you from the administration?"

"Yes, what do you want?" - The man asked, studying Kaito curiously.

"I want to become a fighter," Kaito stated confidently.

The man scrutinized him, then nodded. "Very well, what's your alias?"

"Alias?" Kaito interjected.

"We work with pseudonyms, not names. How do you want to be known?"

That moment knocked the floor out from under Kaito's feet: coming up with names and nicknames had always been his weakness.

"Hmm... Well..." Kaito thought deeply. "Striker?"

"Are you sure? It's a pretty common name," the man remarked. 

Kaito's gaze drifted off into the distance, pondering. "How about Invincible?"

"Invincible, not bad, but that nickname would be hard to keep, are you sure?" - The man asked.

"Yeah, so be it," Kaito replied. All his original ideas sounded like they were made up by a schoolboy for a superhero role-playing game. Instead, he decided to borrow a nickname from one of the superheroes stored in his memory.

"Very good," he said, tapping on his phone. "Open the app and show your QR."

Kaito complied and showed his time code. The man scanned it and tapped a button. "Done. Remember, four losses in a row and you're suspended for three years."

When Kaito entered his office, he noticed a new tab labeled "Fighter" among the usual tabs. It contained a wealth of information - his fight records, past battles, and his cherished nickname. Now only the last one remained. "Okay, thanks," he muttered, exiting the administrative interface.

Excitedly updating his fighter profile on the mobile app, Kaito went to the section dedicated to upcoming events. Scrolling through the list, he found that the fights were scheduled months in advance, each one a grand event. The entries were adorned with titles such as Clash of the Titans, Clash of the Beasts, and Night of Champions. These events were akin to professional spectacles that sold tickets, yet they fueled the underground world of fighting with unprecedented excitement.

Kaito's gaze settled on "FightNight", an upcoming event this Friday. The event description stated that it would be a stage for various fighters to showcase their skills. To some, it might have seemed like a routine event, but for Kaito, who didn't have an extensive fighting background, this was the best opportunity to showcase his talents at the moment. Kaito confirmed his participation.

Putting his name on the roster, Kaito turned around to Anthony and Hideo.

After signing the application, Kaito turned back to Anthony and Hideo. "It's done," he announced, blazing with determination.

Anthony chuckled. "You're really going to do it, aren't you?"

"Yes," Kaito confirmed unwaveringly.

Hideo nodded. "I hope you get lucky with your opponent.

Kaito nodded back, "Thanks...".

The subway was buzzing with anticipation. The boys watched one more fight before leaving the event.