Chairman Hyodo led the important figures of the Black Emperor Society out of the restaurant.
They then arrived at a small gymnasium nearby. This was not their first visit, and they knew there was more to the place than met the eye.
The arena inside the gymnasium had been built to resemble the Colosseum of Ancient Rome. The elevated stands, three meters above the ground and separated from the arena by bulletproof glass, offered a commanding view of the life-and-death battles below.
Underground bare-knuckle fights to the death, free-for-alls between all kinds of wild beasts, and even armed humans battling lions as in the Colosseum of Ancient Rome-this gymnasium had hosted all these bloody spectacles.
Surrounded like a king, Chairman Hyodo took his seat on the throne at the very top. The other senior members of the Black Emperor Society seated themselves below him like his subjects.
Everyone fixed their eyes on the arena below.
Large stains were still faintly visible on the arena's packed yellow earth, traces left by dried blood.
Along the edge of the arena, racks neatly held all manner of blades, spears, swords, and halberds from across the world and throughout history.
"Bring those slaves out. I'm tired of waiting."
Chairman Hyodo turned and gave the order to a man in black.
The entrance at the other end of the arena opened. Before long, eight or nine shabby-looking men in disheveled clothes emerged, each staring in bewilderment and uncertainty at Chairman Hyodo above the arena.
A man in black carefully held a microphone to Chairman Hyodo's mouth.
He drew a breath and thundered:
"Scum! Useless trash! Garbage! Every single one of you here is irredeemable filth, pieces of shit that don't even qualify as human!"
Among those being freely abused by Chairman Hyodo down in the