The stadium was just the bottom section of a huge entertainment center. This casino owned by yakuza offered a great array of shows and services, from club parties, dining, gambling, prostitution, all the way to drugs and illegal cage fighting. The concept of time in here was blurred, as they have built no windows or clocks. Music played 24/7, and the girls galore were serving free alcoholic drinks when they didn`t have customers in bed. The scale of this place could match that of famous places in Las Vegas or Macau.

Of course, the most extreme performance would attract people like moths to fire, and humans have long became bored of magic tricks or acrobatics displays. Illegal cage fighting gets the motherload from audiences placing bets on whichever fighter that would get relentlessly pummeled. The referee acted like a scarecrow, and there was no weight class or round limit. Dirty moves were banned, but only to prolong the time of each fight.

The casino stood tall and bright in the Tokyo night, proudly proclaiming its territory.

“Hey twerp! Fuck off to your moma`s basement already!”

“You freak! What kind of clothes is that?!”

“Why don`t you show your face, coward!?”

Angry audience retorted at the sight of Kyoya`s entrance. Such a mismatch would make the fight a short and uninteresting one.

“Take your stance!”

The two fighters got inside the ring, facing eachother. After a series of taunts from Rokudo, they backed off and got into their fighting stance. Kyoya used a front orthodox stance, while Rokudo stood square. The MC-referee looked at both, and yelled:

“HAJIME!”

Kyoya felt awkward trying to maneuver his bodyweight on the tip of his feet. This stance was something he had never used before. Rokudo stretched both arms sideways, smirking at his opponent.

A jab knocked on his chest, followed by a cross. He caught the fist in his palm, using the other hand to exaggerate a yawn. The mere force of his grip crumbled Kyoya`s fist, making the boy dash backwards.

Instantly, Rokudo changed level and charged. Kyoya gasped, as his back leg responded before his brain. Changing his direction by 90 degree, he slipped through the big fighter, but the movement dragged his balance way off.

Surprisingly fast for his size, Rokudo turned and assaulted his opponent with wide haymakers. The third strike smashed Kyoya`s torso through his guard, throwing him into the wall meters behind.

A right straight caved in the elastic metal fence a few inches away from Kyoya`s face. He dropped to the ground and had to roll away instantly to dodge a stomp. Rokudo chased, as Kyoya crawled on all fours to avoid the incoming hail of strikes. Running away from his opponent, he couldn`t help but hear disdainful shouts coming from the stands.

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After a while, he managed to get his center of gravity up straight. Using the pendulum step, Kyoya swiftly evaded multiple charges from Rokudo, chipping away his stamina. The heavier you are, the more energy you have to use to move around, and powerful attacks like charging consumes a lot. Still, Kyoya dared not to capitalize on the short moment Rokudo spent to change his direction, in fear of mistiming and getting knocked out.

“Stop running already, you little bitch!”

Kyoya didn`t falter. He was waiting for his opponent`s stamina to run out. The Taekwondo footwork enabled him to play around Rokudo`s range with ease. Rokudo saw the situation, and decided to slow down. Kyoya noticed this, thinking that he should begin countering with leg kicks.

They fiercely stared at eachother, taking slow and cautious steps. Kyoya brought his leg sideways, facing Rokudo, preparing a neutral stance for leg kicks. His pupils widened, as soon as he noticed a shift in the fighter`s center of gravity.

Rokudo stomp the mat, and charged once again. Kyoya drew an imaginary circle at D4 distance. His opponent breached the line, as he simultaneously switched his leg, jumping backwards. Uncoiling his body, Kyoya power leg sliced through air towards Rokudo`s thigh. Suddenly, the target disappeared from his sight.

A pair of feet clobbered Kyoya`s face and shoved his nape straight down against the mat. The mere layer of styrofoam did not absorb much of the impact, making a brutal “bang”. His eyes rolled upwards and Kyoya was out cold.

Standing up, Rokudo received the deafening applaud for his well-performed drop kick. People were satisfied at the sight of a fast and elusive creature receiving a proper beating. All hated how Kyoya ran around like a rabbit and loved Rokudo for punishing his opponent.

“AAAAAND WE HAVE A VICTOR… HUH?!”

“HOW THE FUCK DID HE GOT UP FROM THAT?!” Even the MC shouted.

Swaying like a bamboo in rough winds, Kyoya got into an orthodox side stance. The crowd became enraged, and demanded Kyoya dead. All but Kyoya followed the synergized cheering:

“Finish him! Finish him! Finish him! Finish him!”

Kyoya`s sense of balance was everywhere. Ignoring the pain on his face and the back of his head, his whole body was atill shaking. Yet he could still see the arrogance on Rokudo`s face. Disregarding that, Rokudo stepped back, ran, and jumped, with his arms cocked above his head. It was an obvious double hammerfist.

Kyoya`s leg stopped, before hopping forward. The lead leg chambered, aiming at Rokudo`s exposed ribcage. It didn`t strike with enough force for a knockout, however, the kick let Kyoya know the position of Rokudo`s liver on his right side. Violently twisting his torso, Kyoya`s hips switched in mid air, and the second hit of the ”Two-touch back kick” pierced his opponent`s liver. Rokudo`s path was blocked airborne, and crashed onto the ground like a stringless puppet.

The big man writhed, holding his right side. The mouth guard fell out of his mouth on the floor, bouncing a few times before touching Kyoya`s knees. The shock from Rokudo`s attack has started to take effect.

Around him, the audience exploded in an outburst of swearing. Some called Rokudo weak, some thought Kyoya got lucky, a minority realized Rokudo`s defeat was because he took his opponent lightly. Someone who can move like that couldn`t be considered an unskilled martial artist.

The sound of an ambulance gradually faded into the darkness in front. Kyoya ignored the MC and models, running all the way to the parking lot. Looking at the blinking light becoming fainter as the truck rushed away, Kyoya sighed and turned. Already waiting for him were Celestyna and Demitri.