"Beast" Bares Its Fangs
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.
"Excellent! As expected of Nagai!"
But then, when Daigo Umehara's second character— Chang Koehan, the fat man wielding a giant iron ball—appeared, the applause abruptly stopped.
King's agility seemed somewhat powerless against Chang Koehan's unreasonable attack range and hit detection.
Nagai Kenta was having an exceptionally tough time; every close-quarters fight felt like dancing on a knife's edge.
Finally, during a back-and-forth exchange, King was caught in Chang Koehan's super special move "Iron Ball Rampage". The giant iron ball, like an out-of-control steamroller, instantly emptied King's health bar.
Nagai Kenta is left with only his last general, Goro Daimon.
As for Daigo Umehara, there's Chang Koehan, who still has at least a third of his health remaining, and the last general Goro Daimon.
The situation Nagai Kenta.
However, the moment Goro Daimon appeared, his aura changed abruptly.
Nagai Kenta's gaze became incredibly focused.
He controlled Goro Daimon, and with two precise aerial kicks, he pinned the clumsy Chang Koehan firmly to the edge of the board.
Daigo Umehara attempted to escape the suppression by rolling, but this move was caught by Nagai Kenta's eagle eyes.
The very instant Chang Koehan stood up!
"Hell to Paradise Drop!"
Nagai Kenta's Goro Daimon, with his late-mover advantage, grabbed Chang Koehan, who had just gotten up, and finished the behemoth off with three powerful throws!
K.0.!
The entire venue erupted in cheers!
"It's a comeback! Nagai has turned the tide!"
"That's incredible! Is this the power of a champion?!"
The final battle, Goro Daimon versus Goro Daimon!
This is a pure battle of skill, reflexes, and psychology.
Both sides fought with extreme caution. On the screen, the two burly men probed each other with punches and kicks, like two top masters competing in internal strength, neither daring to reveal a weakness first.
Time ticked by, and both sides' health bars slowly decreased.
Just when everyone thought the game was going to drag on to the final seconds, the situation suddenly changed!
Nagai Kenta a tentative leap, only to be caught by Daigo Umehara!
"Izumo Throw!"
Daigo Umehara's Goro Daimon, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, executed an incredibly precise airdrop, ripping Nagai Kenta right down from mid-air!
Immediately afterwards, he pressed forward and pinned his opponent firmly against the edge of the screen.
A dazzling array of edge control and selection caused Nagai Kenta's defense to collapse instantly.
K.0.!
Daigo Umehara wins the first match!
Nagai Kenta stared at the dim screen, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
He felt like he wasn't fighting an eleven-year-old, but rather a calm, precise,
And a heartless predatory machine.
Second game.
Daigo Umehara's playing style has suddenly changed!
If he was a cautious hunter in the first game, then in the second game he transformed into a raging beast.
Choi Bounge, starting in the first game, played with more aggression than in any previous match, as if he had completely figured out all of Nagai Kenta's habits.
Nagai Kenta's Kyo Kusanagi was repeatedly defeated and soon died on the spot.
King, who followed closely behind, also couldn't withstand the onslaught of this "mad monkey." After exhausting some of Choi Bounge's stamina, he too had no choice but to collapse.
Daigo Umehara, with just one character, defeated two of Nagai Kenta's top lieutenants!
"Monster—this is absolutely a monster!" The commentator's voice was completely distorted.
Finally, Nagai Kenta's half-health Goro Daimon faced off against Daigo Umehara's full-health Chang Koehan.
This was a battle with no suspense whatsoever.
Under the absolute pressure of Chang Koehan's iron ball, Nagai Kenta's Goro Daimon tragically fell to the sidelines of his own team.
The huge "K.0.!" signifies the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
The entire Building No. 1 fell into a deathly silence that lasted for several seconds.
Then came a deafening roar of cheers and applause that nearly lifted the roof off.
The arcade owner in Adachi Ward was crying like a baby in the audience, repeatedly chanting, "We won—we won—"
Under the spotlight, Daigo Umehara still stood on that beer crate, expressionless.
He just stared silently at the word "WINNER" on the screen, his clenched fist finally loosening slightly in a corner where no one could see it.
The host rushed onto the stage and roared at the top of his lungs, "The champion of the 6th Sega Esports Tournament, Tokyo Metropolis area, is none other than eleven-year-old Daigo Umehara!"
"At the same time, he will join the runners-up of this tournament, our respected first champions Nagai and Bai Ye, to represent Tokyo Metropolis at the Budokan and challenge for the national championship!"
Nagai Kenta stepped forward, looked at the child who only reached his chest, and extended his hand with a wry smile.
"Good job, kid."
Daigo Umehara looked up, glanced at him, and gently took his hand.
That very night, Tokyo's media machine sprang into action.
The next morning, the convenience store's newsstand was almost entirely filled with the same boy's face.
The front page of Nikkan Sports featured a shocking headline in bold black font. "Tokyo's Strongest Player is a Primary School Student! A Fighting Game Beast is Born!"
The accompanying photo shows Daigo Umehara standing on a beer crate, staring blankly at the camera. His composure, beyond his years, is particularly striking under the flash of the camera.
Turning to the inside pages, the comments in the social section are much sharper.
A columnist for the Yomiuri Shimbun asked in a somber tone, "When our children no longer chase baseball but are instead addicted to the smoke and noise of arcades, is this a tragedy for society? Behind every eleven-year-old champion, how many childhoods have been wasted by video games?"
Even more sensationalist tabloids, fueled by rumors, sent reporters to stake out Adachi Ward overnight in an attempt to uncover Daigo Umehara's family background, using headlines that were anything but ordinary—such as "Exclusive! The whereabouts of the million-dollar prize money remain a mystery! Unveiling the mysterious family behind the prodigy!"
In a short time, discussions about Daigo Umehara spread rapidly from the gaming community to the entire society.
Some expressed concern, some praised it, and many more questioned it.
Adachi Ward, that familiar game center.
Boss Sato was blocked at the door early in the morning by a TV station's interview van, with several reporters carrying cameras and shoving microphones to his mouth.
"Excuse me, does Umehara usually train here?"
As his mentor, what's your opinion on his addiction to games?
The boss was sweating profusely from the commotion; the suit he had bought specifically for the Akihabara match was now wrinkled like dried pickled vegetables.
His face flushed red, and he shouted at the camera, "What do you mean by 'addictive'! Daigo disciplined than anyone else!"
I come to play for an hour after school every day, and then go home for dinner on time. I'm more punctual than you guys who don't clock in at work!