33 YEARS AGO
Uncle, it feels kind of tense in here.
This place is heavily guarded.
I didn't know we had such a facility down here.
Only top executives know about this laboratory.
You're my successor.
So, you have the right to know everything about this company.
Right…
Now.
This entire facility was leased just to take care of him.
"Him?"
A child?
BLAST CORE
He is Takeshi Wakatsuki.
His parents asked us to manage his health and guide his lifestyle.
In return, we get to conduct research and gather data on him.
Research? Is he ill?
I'm sorry. I broke it again.
"Again?"
You get it now?
He has the strength to crush a custom made titanium controller with his hands.
And he's only seven years old.
If he continues to grow as he is, he'll have trouble living a normal life.
I want to help him somehow.
Uncle.
Can I talk to him for a bit?
Huh? You want me to punch you, uncle?
Uncle?
That's right, Takeshi. Punch me as hard as you can.
I don't think I should punch you as hard as I can.
Takeshi.
Could it be that you've never gone all out before?
Let me give you a word of advice.
It's a quote by a famous person.
"Know the enemy and know yourself, then you can win a hundred battles."
It means, if you know your enemies and allies,
you won't lose even if you fight them a hundred times.
Since you're always trying to suppress your strength,
maybe you're avoiding going all out.
You need to know how strong you really are yourself.
You can learn to control your strength after that.
How strong I really am…
Can I really punch you with everything I have?
Of course. Bring it on!
Takeshi Wakatsuki, seven years old.
This was the moment he punched someone with all he had for the first time.
It was like getting the hang of riding a bike.
I ended up repeating a year of college.
After that, I took over my uncle's position
and became the CEO of Furumi Pharma.
I continued to spend time with him
and he learned to control his strength.
Now, he's become a great fighter that we're proud of.
That great fighter was trembling.
I can't stop trembling.
The "stronger fighters" that Agito Kanoh mentioned.
I'm guessing one of them is Raian Kure.
And the other one is this man.
Julius Reinhold.
For the first time in my life,
I had the feeling that I may be weaker than someone.
Okay, stop being a coward.
Begin!
Damn! An incredible blow right from the start!
Their powers are equal.
They're both going to be battered no matter who wins this match.
What do you think, Kaolan?
Wakatsuki is a great fighter for sure.
But it's natural to assume that Julius will win.
He's too strong to be eliminated in the second round.
Huh? You want Julius to win?
I'm asking who's gonna win this match, you idiot!
Oh, come on. Don't be ridiculous.
I'm not a martial arts critic.
I don't know who is stronger.
But it's easier to kill Julius.
He's just a muscle ball with super strength.
There are million ways to hold them down.
After all, their physical abilities are top class in this tournament.
I want to fight whichever is easier.
ELENA ROBINSON, MOKICHI ROBINSON'S LITTLE SISTER
I've seen this before.
I used to watch them with my brother.
It's like one of those monster movies.
Wow! What a nasty fight!
Wakatsuki.
What an incredible slug fest!
Neither of them are backing down!
Wakatsuki is leading in terms of number of punches.
However…
he's like a rock!
It's the difference in their body frame.
If their strength is equal, what determines this fight is their size.
Body frame size, in particular, affects their physical resilience.
There's only one way for Wakatsuki to turn the table.
So, he has it.
This is not good. Kanoh saw it.
Blast Core.
This was my trump card for my match against the Fang of Metsudo.
It's like releasing a spring that has been compressed to its limit.
He compresses all his muscles to one point.
In another words, his core.
He accumulates his strength to the center of his body
and releases it all at once.
That move…
is very similar to a no-motion reverse punch used in traditional karate.
Wakatsuki calls this move, "Blast Core."
Takeshi Wakatsuki, who once lost to Agito Kanoh, the Fang of Metsudo,
created this fang to defeat the Fang!
This is the first time he's used Blast Core in an official match.
I guess the opponent is just that strong.
Julius Reinhold.
He was shuddering from an impact he'd never felt before.
I let my guard down.
If that punch had hit me in my vital spot…
Julius is being pushed!
That no-motion punch must have been effective!
Wow! He threw him off by making him lose his balance!
Julius backed off!
Are you watching out for that punch?
Don't be a wuss! Attack!
Takeshi Wakatsuki.
I misjudged him.
I didn't think he had such a weapon up his sleeve.
Don't go down yet, you bozo.
I need more info.
Damn.
One attack and this?
His pressure is still overwhelming.
It's straining my body.
So what?
Win this match without a scratch to fight Kanoh?
Yeah, right. I know that's not gonna happen.
I'd pay any price for a chance to fight Agito Kanoh,
the Fang of Metsudo!
BLAST CORE
I win, Takeshi Wakatsuki!
This guy…
He shifted the distance right before the impact.
A question came to mind when you missed my vital spot with that move.
When you attempted that move again, you stopped when I distanced myself.
That's when I speculated the effective range for that move.
Most likely, it's two fist lengths shorter than your normal punch.
That's why you couldn't hit my vital spot accurately.
Is it because of an old foot injury?
I just need to shift the distance at the moment of impact.
No matter how strong your attack is, you can't defeat me
unless you hit my vital spot!
What a fool.
Did you think he's just a guy with super strength?
Flesh is knowledge.
Julius is not some idiot with super strength.
He has studied
sports physiology, sports medicine, psychology and even physics
in order to strengthen his muscles.
When that intelligence and super strength comes together,
he can respond to any situation on the spot.
He has the strongest muscles in human history
and the intelligence to maximize his abilities.
Nothing will work on Julius.
This is a tough situation!
The disturbing sound of his bones creaking is echoing through the arena!
Can Wakatsuki free himself from the bear hug of hell?
What?
Takeshi Wakatsuki is shrinking!
BLAST CORE
What the…
THE FANG VERSUS WILD TIGER
This was boring, tiger cub.
Leg muscles are more than three times stronger than arm muscles.
He used his trump card, Blast Core, as bait
and gave him a kick from a very close range.
What decided the outcome of the match was the difference in their strategy.
We have a winner!
The winner is Takeshi Wakatsuki!
Chairman Hayami.
Oh, it's you guys.
I'm sorry about Julius.
Man, he was your precious tiger cub.
"How dare he betray my expectations!"
You thought I'd say such a thing?
It's fine as long as a fighter from our faction wins.
If not…
Well, that's something to look forward to in the end.
Right?
SANEMITSU YOROIZUKA, MAYOR OF VILLAGE OF DAWN
You're so mean.
MR. TAKESHI WAKATSUKI, FURUMI PHARMA
Are you sure you don't want to go to the infirmary?
Yes. I don't want to leak any more information.
We can use the artificial skin in stock for your face injuries.
It won't attach properly in one day, but it'll give you peace of mind.
The problem is my right foot.
The state of my ankle is worse than I thought.
It seems I've aggravated the injury during the match.
No, what's worse is that other fighters saw my Blast Core.
I can't use it as a trump card anymore.
GEN SHIKANO, CEO OF GANDAI
This is a weird turn of events, don't you think?
Yeah.
Toyo Electric Power Co. was eliminated in the second round.
President Hayami will definitely lose his influence.
I don't care what happens to that mustachioed geezer.
I'm talking about the winner.
Hm?
If Furumi Pharma wins the tournament,
he said he'll nominate Nogi as the Chairman.
They are in the same faction.
I'm sure they had some sort of secret agreement.
How can you be so carefree?
Even if Hayami falls, there's no point if someone else shows up to replace him!
I don't get it.
What are you trying to say?
Shikano, out of all the crappy Kengan Association members,
you're one of the better crap.
I don't mind letting you carry me to the top.
Back me up!
I'm honored.
Indeed, if we form a faction,
the power balance within the Association will change enormously.
But, you want me to back you up?
Aren't you being a little too conceited?
I knew you'd say that.
Then, it's settled.
Whoever that wins the next match will be the head of the faction.
Master!
I bought what you asked me.
Oh, thanks.
But what are you going to use this for?
Haruo, haven't you watched pro-wrestling before?
Um, no. Actually, I've never watched it.
I'm sorry.
Geez, what am I supposed to do with you?
If you're a man, at least keep up with pro-wrestling.
R-Right.
Oh, well.
Watch closely, Haruo.
I'll teach you what real pro-wrestling is.
The demon is here!
Humans, tremble in fear!
A demon summoned from hell will fill the arena with blood.
Heinous! Brutal! Marvelous!
Next episode: "The Clown."
Subtitle translation by: Aya Kudo