Personal Will

Akiyama Kaede let out a long breath. Ever the consummate secretary, she opened the small bag she carried with her, intending to touch up her makeup before the discussion.

Among its contents was a shiny little mirror with an intricate design, which caught Maruk's attention.

"..."

Maruk stared at it without blinking. He rummaged through his pocket for a long while before finally pulling out a coin—his only spending money—and waving it in front of Akiyama Kaede.

"I have fifty yuan here. With this much, you can do whatever you want..."

Maruk spoke politely and earnestly. "May I trade it for your shiny little mirror?"

Akiyama Kaede: "..."

Akiyama Kaede: "Huh?"

Though... but... in any case, Akiyama Kaede couldn't bring herself to refuse such a "big" child, and ultimately agreed to the trade.

A dozen or so minutes later, Shiraki Uke and Kure Fusui finished rinsing off, one after the other, and sat down at the table.

Clearly, Shiraki Uke had also taken the time to organize his thoughts.

He looked at Akiyama Kaede with a smile and remarked, "The Nogi Group is certainly sincere..."

Akiyama Kaede calmly asked, "Is 'certainly sincere' a compliment, or are you being sarcastic?"

"..."

Shiraki Uke fell silent for a moment, then smiled openly. "A compliment."

Akiyama Kaede breathed a sigh of relief.

Arisa was puzzled by the exchange, so Kure Fusui patiently explained, "The Nogi Group's payment for the job is a 'chance to become a member of the Kengan Association' for Bai Mu, dear."

"There's a fundamental difference between a Kengan Association member and a Kengan Association fighter."

Kure Fusui gestured as she spoke. "Members with wealth and social standing hire fighters with martial prowess to compete in Kengan matches over wagers."

"In other words, only members can initiate Kengan matches. Fighters can only accept employment."

"..."

Arisa thought it over. "Isn't that a great reward? Big bro would like it. What's Miss Akiyama worried about?"

"Because the Kengan Association isn't easy to join, and the Nogi Group is only offering him a chance. It's nowhere near as straightforward as payment in money."

Kure Fusui asked Arisa for some snacks and continued as she ate, "Honestly, even this 'chance' is hard for me to understand. The Nogi Group doesn't call the shots in the Kengan Association, and Bai Mu, dear, isn't a business owner. Does he really have a chance of joining?"

"You're right."

Akiyama Kaede nodded. "To become a Kengan Association member, in addition to wealth and social standing, a business under your name must also be recognized by the Kengan Association."

"Until now, I also believed that was the only way to join."

Akiyama Kaede adjusted her glasses, then shifted the conversation. "But our chairman, Nogi Hideki, knows of a shortcut."

"It's called the Kengan Annihilation Challenge Match!"

Akiyama Kaede went on to explain:

"Being a Kengan Association member is proof that one is a first-rate businessperson. As such, there are countless people desperate to obtain membership."

"Quite a few members take advantage of the Kengan Association's authority and stake their membership in unofficial matches, with the aim of making money from the challenge fees."

"Although these unofficial matches are small fry compared to official matches, every now and then some small fry are tempted into staking their membership."

"As for the wager, there's no need to worry. The referee is still sent by the Kengan Association, and the result of the match is absolute."

At that point, Akiyama Kaede took out a document and looked at Shiraki Uke.

"The opportunity the Nogi Group is offering you consists of two main points."

"First, we'll make the introductions and find an opportunity to arrange a Kengan Annihilation Challenge Match between you and another member."

"Second, we'll provide you with an indefinite, interest-free loan to pay the challenge fee for the match: one hundred million yen."

One hundred million yen?!

The staggering sum gave Arisa quite a fright.

Shiraki Uke, on the other hand, had anticipated all of this, so he wasn't too surprised.

To be fair, the Nogi Group's reward was indeed quite sincere.

Compared with a perfunctory cash payment, the chance to become a Kengan Association member clearly had far greater potential. Its value far exceeded money itself!

There were three key factors in seizing this opportunity, and the Nogi Group had already taken care of two.

First, he needed to participate in a Kengan Annihilation Challenge Match, and the Nogi Group would help make the connection.

Second, he needed to pay the challenge fee of one hundred million yen. The Nogi Group had taken care of that too, providing Shiraki Uke with an indefinite, interest-free loan for the amount.

It was called a loan, but the words "indefinite" and "interest-free" practically told Shiraki Uke outright that the Nogi Group was paying for it. He only had to remember the favor; whether he paid it back didn't matter.

As for the last point, there was nothing the Nogi Group could do—

Shiraki Uke had to win the challenge match.

"..."

Shiraki Uke had to admit that the Nogi Group's chairman, Nogi Hideki, was a shrewd operator.

Judging by the current situation, Nogi Hideki should have been preparing to launch the Kengan Annihilation Tournament to challenge the Kengan Association's current chairman, Katahara Metsudo.

As the name suggested, it was an elimination tournament, so naturally, the more people on his side, the better. Nogi Hideki was therefore recruiting at present, winning over experts from all quarters to join his camp.

This opportunity for a challenge match and the indefinite, interest-free loan of a full one hundred million yen were both a sign of Nogi Hideki's sincerity in recruiting Shiraki Uke and a means of forcibly drawing the two sides closer.

"..."

Akiyama Kaede placed the loan contract in front of Shiraki Uke. "What do you think?"

Faced with such a fine opportunity, Shiraki Uke didn't hesitate. He picked up a pen and signed.

Akiyama Kaede put away her copy of the contract, rose, and took her leave.

"The date of the Kengan Annihilation Challenge Match has yet to be decided. Once there's definite news, I'll contact you in advance. Please make your preparations in the meantime."

"All right. Thanks for your hard work."

Shiraki Uke thanked her and saw Akiyama Kaede out with Arisa.

Akiyama Kaede left the Shiraki Family home and returned to the car at the intersection.

In the back seat, a middle-aged man in a suit with slicked-back hair—the Nogi Group's chairman, Nogi Hideki—had been waiting for some time.

Akiyama Kaede calmly gave her assessment. "That man, Shiraki Uke, isn't someone who can be controlled. Chairman, do you really intend to recruit him?"

"It doesn't matter!"

With a cigar between his lips, Nogi Hideki smiled and waved a hand. "What we need to do now is introduce a great many variables into the Kengan Association. Only with change will we have a chance of winning!"

"Oh, and be careful lately, Akiyama."

Nogi took a puff of his cigar. "According to Elder Metsudo's investigation, a foreign criminal organization called IDEAL seems to have set its sights on the Kengan Association. They may make a move against people connected to it."

Akiyama Kaede nodded.

Nogi leaned back in his seat and remarked quietly, "The business world is a battlefield! There might even be kidnappings and extortion. We'd better recruit more experts as soon as possible..."

Chapter 40: Personal Will

The discussion with Akiyama Kaede had gone smoothly and hadn't taken much time.

It was only evening. The afterglow of the setting sun had just appeared, casting a faint golden hue across the horizon.

Arisa had taken Maruk to play at a nearby park.

The Shiraki Family's courtyard fell quiet.

With nothing else to do, Shiraki Uke treated Kure Fusui to a drink. Each holding a can of cola, the two sat atop the courtyard wall and watched the sunset.

Kure Fusui swung her legs and tilted her head. "Bai Mu, dear, what are you planning to do next?"

Shiraki Uke answered offhand without giving it much thought. "Wait to hear from the Nogi Group, train as usual, repair the dojo, look around, and find a way to go further..."

He rambled on for quite a while, and Kure Fusui listened silently beside him.

As he spoke, Shiraki Uke suddenly paused. He dug up a deeper thought from within himself and unconsciously clenched his fist.

"I want to know what it means to be strong, and then—I want to become the strongest."

Kure Fusui had expected that answer.

After all, true fighters often shared the same dream.

Though it sounded a little foolish, they all dreamed of becoming the strongest person on earth, even if only once in their lives!

"'What it means to be strong,' huh..."

Kure Fusui sighed. "If you asked my big brother Kure Raian, that maniac would probably say something like, 'If I kill you, that means I'm stronger.'"

"If you asked other people—Kure Karura, her grandfather, the other members of the Kure Clan, or other fighters in the world—you'd probably get a different answer from each of them."

"I once heard the Elder Clan Head mention a fearsome fiend nicknamed Ogre. He said strength was simply strength, and everything else was impure."

"Bai Mu, dear, what do you think?"

"..."

Shiraki Uke drank his ice-cold cola, his thoughts wandering who knew where, and murmured, "Will..."

Kure Fusui blinked. "Hmm?"

"I have a feeling that 'will' is very important to me."