Chapter 26: "The Savage Man," Enjoy the Applause!

Chapter 26: "Violent Man," Enjoy the Applause!

Inside a hospital, the nurses and doctors looked nervous. Where do you go after a fight? Naturally, to a hospital. However, Yakuza usually head to underground clinics. But the Iwata gang was different this time. Cat, Fish, and Kiyoshi the Blond were not seriously injured; at most, they only needed a few stitches.

Iwata Takeshi himself wasn't injured. When he took off his suit jacket, which had its sleeves shredded to pieces, he revealed his bare arms, each strapped with a steel pipe. The secret was out.

Yet, this secret weapon was only one factor. In truth, Takeshi had made more than one plan, but resorting to violence was absolutely his last resort; he really didn't want to do it this way. For this reason, he had specifically used Fish’s car, a compact vehicle well-suited for maneuvering through narrow streets and alleys. But one must always have an ace up their sleeve, so Takeshi had put Cat, Fish, and Kiyoshi through special training.

The core of this training came from a fighting style known as "unrestricted combat." When we of later generations mock "Lightning Five-Chain Whips," we should not forget one man: Chen Hegao, a true master who advocated for unrestricted combat. There is no need to elaborate on who this master was; from his early days of kicking opponents in the groin at a park near his home, to later inventing the "mad dog" fighting style, and finally being hired by the police as a glorious combat instructor, his exploits are easily found on the internet.

Takeshi had no interest in being an instructor, but he did have an interest—a very great one—in kicking his opponents in the groin.

The "groin-crushing" tactic is a simple, easy-to-learn, and economical strategy for overcoming superior numbers. With the four of them, Cat, Fish, and Kiyoshi would use their own bodies to guard Takeshi's back. Once the boss blocked an opponent's weapon with the steel pipes on his arms, the enemy would inevitably be left wide open. Then, it was just: *bang, bang, bang...*

Furthermore, for the sake of their "hope," the three of them fought bravely, willing to sacrifice themselves to ensure the boss remained unharmed.

"Boss, go quickly!"
"We're fine!"
"There's still time, surely there's still time!"

Cat, Fish, and Kiyoshi, now covered in gauze, looked almost cute despite their naturally ugly and fierce appearances. Takeshi nodded, stood up, and prepared to leave the ward.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Hope!"

Takeshi turned his head and gave a heavy nod. Cat, Fish, and Kiyoshi were invigorated, cheering as if their injuries had suddenly vanished.

Coming out of the hospital, Takeshi climbed into Fish’s small car. His clothes were fine—his white shirt was untouched, and his trousers were okay. However, he didn't start the car immediately. There was a mole in the Iwata gang! He had felt it for a long time, and now he was certain. Cat, Fish, and Kiyoshi could be ruled out, so that left...

Takeshi shook his head. The priority now was *Violent Man*. Being late was a grave discourtesy. Takeshi gritted his teeth, determined that no matter what happened—even if the critics wanted to beat him up—he would endure it. Because this film was everyone's hope!

He started the little fish-selling car and sped off toward the Iwanami Hall.

...

Twenty-three slaps. Twenty-three!

Koki Mitani still hadn't emerged from that scene. No, it was also that ferocious face. The expression Ryosuke wore after Daisuke the drug dealer mentioned Iwata... Terrifying! Truly terrifying! If one were to describe that expression accurately, it was actually the absence of any particular expression. Takeshi simply placed his face in front of the camera, completely blank. Yet, that was precisely what made it so frightening. Hearing that his close friend was actually a supplier for drug dealers should have caused a massive shock, leading to a change in expression and demeanor. But on the face of Ryosuke, the violent cop, nothing could be seen.

That was the scary part. He was definitely suppressing his anger, likely to explode at any second. But Ryosuke never exploded. Where would he eventually erupt? Mitani couldn't help but ponder these things, even wondering why Takeshi chose to film it that way, using the simplest of cinematic techniques. Of course, the young screenwriter couldn't have known that Takeshi didn't have a professional cinematographer and had no choice but to film it that way.

...

He had overcomplicated things. But what would happen next? The answer came quickly. Iwata was found hanging under a bridge! Mitani was a screenwriter; he wrote plots for a living, and he had considered this possibility, but he never expected the film to be so direct. He was desperate, absolutely desperate to know what would happen next.

After Iwata died, Ryosuke’s partner, Kikuchi, asked him, "Was it suicide?" Ryosuke didn't answer, just smiled. Then, they found someone named Nito. He was Kiyohiro’s boss and Iwata’s partner, but now, facing Ryosuke, the violent cop, Nito—who was in the middle of hosting a banquet—chose to pay his way out of trouble. A thick envelope was shoved into Ryosuke’s pocket, and the man didn't even refuse.

"You will pay the price." Leaving only those words, he took Kikuchi and left. At that moment, his subordinate, Kiyohiro, was standing not far behind Nito, and there was no eye contact between him and Ryosuke. The actor playing Nito was Ittoku Kishibe, and his eyes were very distinctive. He turned around and slapped Kiyohiro, telling him not to provoke Ryosuke. But he didn't say anything about the others, did he?

Daisuke was targeted by Kiyohiro. Mitani was shocked again because he felt like he didn't recognize his friend, Yutaka Matsushige. Honestly, his friendship with Matsushige had been quite distant until last night. But in his memory, Matsushige was clearly a very gentle guy; how could he now be...

On the screen, Kiyohiro forced Daisuke to the edge of a rooftop. Daisuke gripped the edge tightly with both hands; he didn't want to fall to his death. Kiyohiro looked like a demon, a smile blooming on his ferocious face as he pulled out a small knife and slowly sliced at Daisuke’s fingers. Not much blood flowed, and the scene wasn't overtly gory, yet it made one feel terrified from the bottom of their heart. This guy was too vicious! Daisuke was already fierce, but who would have thought Kiyohiro was even worse?

Mitani felt a chill down his spine. Was his friend only gentle on the surface?

The subsequent developments made his heart tremble even more. Daisuke died, and so did his partner. This partner was naturally taken out by Kiyohiro, but before he was killed, he had met with Ryosuke and given him some information. After Ryosuke left him, he crossed paths with Kiyohiro. The two were wearing clothes of the same color. Ryosuke didn't think much of it at first, but as he walked, he felt a sudden intuition. He went back to find the guy, only to discover a corpse. But Ryosuke now had an impression of Kiyohiro.

He soon tracked Kiyohiro down, and this guy... he had a naked little brother at home. This unexpected development left Mitani speechless. But immediately after, Ryosuke pulled out a bag of white powder. Kiyohiro realized he had been framed and had no choice but to return to the police station with Ryosuke. Thus, an extremely violent and bloody interrogation took place.

Mitani had never felt anything like this... Was this a real event that had happened? It was too real; it was incredibly real. Even the moment when Ryosuke was about to shoot Kiyohiro, the way they locked eyes, that sense of needle-to-needle confrontation, was truly shocking.

Unfortunately, after this incident, Ryosuke was fired from the police force. Originally, being fired was just being fired—he was just idling about. But he didn't expect Kiyohiro to launch an attack. This killer had three subordinates... they kidnapped Ryosuke’s younger sister and injected her with drugs. Kiyohiro was even more direct, ambushing Ryosuke on the street.

The scene where Matsushige "evolved" had arrived! Mitani watched that ferocious, smiling face, certain he would have nightmares. And Ryosuke’s decisive counterattack was also superb: a headbutt! Ryosuke escaped while injured; the two fierce men hadn't decided the winner yet, but a true grand battle was about to unfold!

Watching all this, Mitani could feel his heartbeat accelerating. Honestly, there were quite a few flaws in this film, such as the constant shots of the protagonist walking. And some shots weren't polished enough. However, the film was gripping enough. There was no fluff; it was just direct violence!

Ryosuke was injured, but his counterattack was swift and direct. Using his old connections, he bought a handgun. The first thing he did was head straight to Nito.

*Bang, bang!*

He walked up to the boss behind the scenes, didn't say a word, and fired. Nito’s second-in-command was stunned, remaining motionless even after Ryosuke left. Afterward, he went to seek revenge on Kiyohiro. Of course, Kiyohiro already knew Nito had been taken out, so he began preparing for the final battle.

"That girl’s brother is a cop."

As soon as those words were spoken, the three subordinates clearly panicked. Kiyohiro tossed them three guns. "Help me kill that guy, or I'll kill you." His voice was calm, as if murder were an ordinary affair. But the subordinates opened fire instantly. Kiyohiro was knocked down... but he immediately got back up.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted everywhere. Two subordinates were killed by Kiyohiro, and the last one, having just escaped to Kiyohiro’s lair—the entrance of the warehouse... *Bang!* His head exploded, his body fell, revealing Ryosuke’s fierce face!

Inside the warehouse, Kiyohiro was injured, and Ryosuke’s previous stab wound hadn't healed. The two just looked at each other, not saying a word, not waiting a single second. *Bang! Bang! Bang...* Both men moved almost in unison, firing as they walked toward each other. When Kiyohiro finally collapsed, Ryosuke’s fierce face was revealed; he still had no expression. Having no expression was the best expression—the fiercest expression of all!

*Bang, bang!*

Even after Kiyohiro fell, Ryosuke fired two more shots. He didn't even blink while firing, even though he had blood holes in his own body, leaking blood. The battle between the two fierce men was over, and the winner was...

The sister appeared. She didn't care about her brother at all; she just searched Kiyohiro’s body for drugs. Ryosuke hadn't won; he had lost.

*Bang.*

Ryosuke was still expressionless, but everyone knew what he had done and how complex his inner world was. He turned and walked two steps. The warehouse door was open, just halfway. A beam of light shone in from outside, and Ryosuke was engulfed by this light. But then, he raised his gun to his own head.

*Bang!*

When Mitani saw this, he felt like he was going insane. His heart had been torn back and forth by this film. This direct, simple, almost brutal gunfight was better than many big-budget spectacles. And what shocked him most was definitely this final shot. The language of this shot was too rich. Why did Ryosuke commit suicide like this? Why didn't he walk out that door and embrace the light?

But it wasn't over yet!

Nito’s second-in-command arrived, looked at the pile of corpses, and muttered, "Crazy. They're all fucking crazy." Soon, he replaced Nito, and the newcomer, Kikuchi, followed in Ryosuke’s footsteps.

"Did you kill Iwata?"
"I did a pretty good job, didn't I?"

There was actually such a twist! Mitani couldn't help but run his fingers through his hair; he was afraid he might actually lose his mind. Just then, the door to the screening room was pushed open.

...

Takeshi pushed open the doors to the Iwanami Hall with the greatest of resolve. He was prepared to be scolded, reprimanded, or even...

*Clap, clap, clap...*

Although there weren't many people, the applause was very loud.

Is this for me?

I'm a bit late; I'm truly sorry. This chapter was a bit long and I wrote it a bit slowly. I hope everyone will forgive me.