-The rumor quickly spread that Kei Kazama ruled Kyrko High School. He had already fought students from the first to third year. Some refrained from challenging him, but his dominance was absolute.
The 40,000-yen fee he earned was undoubtedly a blessing for Kei. With a few cleaning and fighting jobs, he paid for the first few months of little Runna's kindergarten. He was close to covering the year's tuition, but the second installment of 40,000 yen was necessary.
He kept 15,000 yen in his hand while depositing the rest in his bank account.
The 15,000 yen was for two things: one, to go to the pachinko parlors or city casinos to find James Shiba. There were rumors from Nijima about a one-eyed boxing master. He had appeared a few weeks ago. The rumor was that he had swindled large mafia groups out of money.
Kei had been searching for weeks, asking various owners if Shiba frequented their establishments. There was only one place he regularly visited: Same Street, a street full of pachinko parlors.
Suddenly, after searching, Kei entertained himself with some machines. He spent an hour there, and then he saw him, with a prosthetic leg, an eye patch, the common posture of a fighter, a mustache, and a cigarette in his mouth, glaring disdainfully at everyone around him. His arms were thick.
Without hesitation, Kei recognized James Shiba, a true boxing master. Even now, he could say that Takemoto had not reached that level based on his conversations with Hiyo Kure, who had guided him through some errors in his basic Kempo techniques: the tiger stance. Hiyo had taught him that the tiger technique had three additional forms, forgotten over time, which he had known for a long time.
-Master Shiba –said Kei.
James's face scrutinized him. –Do I owe you money?
-Not at all –said Kei.
-Then don't bother me.
-Sir, you are the god of destruction in boxing, the one who pushed boxing to its limits, the best boxer in the world –said Kei.
James's ears perked up like two rings. –Ha, bold words. Better get your ears cleaned, kid –said Shiba.
-I have money. I can give you 10,000 yen if you listen to me –said Kei.
James Shiba stopped and raised his hand. –Alright, you have until I spend your money playing pachinko.
Taking a seat at a pachinko machine.
-¡Ajajajja, you idiot! –said Shiba, grabbing the money and walking towards a pachinko machine in a busy area with lots of drinking and smoking around him.
-So, kid, what do you want? –said Shiba.
-I want you to train me –said Kei.
-Unlikely –said Shiba.
-I think I have a method that can make you a lot of money if you train me. Think about it, Shiba Sensei. You can be my manager in competitive fights. As long as I'm your disciple, you can keep all the money while I receive your teachings. If I'm trained by you, we'll make a lot of money; you can keep it all –said Kei.
-What's your goal? –asked Shiba.
-I have several goals, but I owe a lot of debt. One of them is my participation in the Kengan fight as Master Takemoto's substitute. He has helped me improve, but his boxing style is weak. I'll start fighting when I turn sixteen, in six months. If I don't improve, I might die. The fights there are to the death, with the best fighters practicing all kinds of martial arts, and the only rule is no weapons... –said Kei.
-I know the place –said Shiba, somewhat serious. Of course, he knows it! He fought there. He was undefeated before he was crippled three years ago by Saiga Furinji.
Kei stepped closer. What he was about to say was very sensitive and one of the reasons he had abandoned all contact with his brother Hiroshi.
-It's good, and although you might not believe it, master, that's just part of my problems. My older brother sold me to the Kure clan when I was ten years old for some money. Unfortunately, only strength can keep me alive. Now I have no use. When I grew up, they could no longer use me as a pack mule. Now I'm just a small member of the food chain –said Kei. Although he wasn't the lowest, his strength in the organization placed him 7th among all fighters. But they didn't have a slavery contract. His brother owed 4,000,000 yen to the Kure clan and sold him. When Kei started working for the Kure clan, they transferred the debt. Now he can only pay the interest with the jobs he does, but the debt has increased to 6,000,000 yen.-
-I'm not here to listen to sob stories, –said James Shiba.
-I understand, but I need this with all my heart. It's not easy for me to face the future. If things continue as they are, my situation is at the limit. Train me, even if I have to die trying; it's better than living my whole life bowed down, –said Kei.
-I'm not a charity organization, –said Shiba, standing up as the 10,000 yen had run out.
-You're not, but you are a fighter. You lost your eye and left leg. I can see it. Let me be your legacy. I'll take boxing beyond what normal people can dream of, –said Kei.
-Not interested, –said Shiba, almost losing his composure but not reacting to Kei's words.
Kei just followed him in silence to the Pallui streets, an industrial area of the region. There, he saw James Shiba's wooden house with some simple construction touches under the bridge.
-I'll stay here. I'll wait as long as it takes, –said Kei. He took his phone and called Hiyo Kure. -Hiyo, send everything to the underground bridge at Pallui Bridge.-
Hiyo grunted over the phone.
-Tell them to build it in front of the house under the bridge, –said Kei.
-Okay.-
-Yeah.-
-Good luck, Hiyo, –said Kei.
He then began shadowboxing, followed by the tiger dance, without rest. He would have to do about a thousand repetitions without stopping near James Shiba's house. He would have to go home in the afternoon but for the next few days...
-Mr. Shiba, I'll be back tomorrow after school. I hope you know I won't give up, –said Kei.
Receiving no response, Kei continued to his destination, an underground biker fight zone. They paid 5,000 to 10,000 yen per fight. Even though they were novice fights, some training was enough for Kei. He fought two battles in one night. At the end of each month, there was a special tournament.
-Kazama. -
-What's up, Rohito? –said Kei.
-Not good. I didn't think you'd come today. I'll put you on hold. Are you betting on yourself again? There's a new fighter with skills. He's won ten fights in a row. Do you want to try? –said Rohito.
-Sure, bet 500 on me. I'm sure I'll win, –said Kei confidently.
The next steps led to a crushing victory for Kei Kazama, who broke the bar. The fighter only had size, but unfortunately, that was his biggest weakness. Quick and precise strikes to specific areas are deadly: the eyes, heart, chin, and ears. You just have to know where to aim.
...