THIRTEEN YEARS AGO
Sen Hatsumi, 28 years old.
Whoa. What a huge mansion.
Thank you for coming all this way.
I'm guessing your boss must be rich as hell.
Hatsumi had been scouted
to join Metsudo Katahara's private army as one of his bodyguards.
The job of a bodyguard is to serve as a shield.
Groups of new recruits go through basic training together.
This is how the process normally starts.
Those who make it through basic training start training individually next.
From among that class of recruits,
only the top few are considered
as eligible candidates to become the next Fang of Metsudo.
So I was chosen as one of those whatever candidates?
No, thanks. I'm close to 30, you know?
I'm too old to be going around shouting "Hah!" with the youngsters.
Our master is very interested in you.
He knows that you're involved
in underground combat sports all around the globe.
I see. So he's taken a liking to me.
As a candidate to become the next Fang, we want you to be one of his bodyguards.
We have several other candidates as well.
When the current Fang steps down,
we're going to choose the next Fang from among those candidates.
All right. I'll do it.
I'd been thinking about getting a steady job anyway.
This fang thing will be it.
Less than one week later,
he just quit, saying he was bored.
Never would I have imagined he'd end up becoming a fighter.
I didn't know that you two had a past.
You made the right choice in not making him the Fang.
His fickleness has given me much trouble.
I can't say whether it was good or not.
If Hatsumi hadn't dropped out,
I know he would've been chosen to be the fifth Fang.
THE FLOATING CLOUD
Just look at this!
The tide has turned!
Kanoh's in a pinch!
LIHITO, GENSAI KUROKI
SHION SORYUIN
MINORU TAKAYAMA MASAMICHI OHMORI
OHMA TOKITA KAZUO YAMASHITA
The match… is as good as done.
It's only a matter of time before Kanoh's joints are destroyed!
If he tries to escape, Hatsumi will leave himself vulnerable.
Ohma's Indestructible can only harden his muscles.
The Fang's move probably works the same way.
If he can't deflect Hatsumi's attacks and a body part he can't harden is hit,
not even the Fang will come out unscathed.
A roundhouse kick from that position?!
He let go of his right hand!
Sorry, Kanoh.
You did exactly what I wanted you to do.
With one move, Hatsumi strikes three critical points in a row.
HATSUMI-STYLE AIKIDO
GATHERING CLOUDS: TRIPLE STRIKE
What?!
Was that the ancient Finger Break technique?
His counterattack worked.
Hatsumi has no choice but to back away!
He decided that being up close was too dangerous!
However, the Fang's not letting Hatsumi get away!
H-His elbow?!
It was an elbow attack from Muay Thai. The same move I use.
Whoa! This time, it's a middle kick!
An elbow move to back him up, followed by a kick.
Kanoh would never have used such a strategy before.
But for some reason, I think his chances have improved…
It's no mystery.
Hatsumi used to outrank Kanoh by a lot.
But Hatsumi keeps getting hit from above,
and blocking isn't helping much.
Every single one of Kanoh's attacks is packed with power!
I-It's turning into a one-sided fight!
Hatsumi should be at his best, but Kanoh's pushing him around like a kid!
You've found the answer.
Until now, your fighting style has always been incomplete,
a work in progress.
The time has come for you to emerge from your cocoon.
It's not over yet.
Sen's still got that move!
Give me a break. I'm getting sick of this.
He broke my finger,
and he keeps himself at an uncomfortable distance.
How pathetic. It's enough to hate myself.
You're going on a journey?
Yeah.
This time, I'm going to be gone for a while.
You're going now?
We must win the Kengan matches
for the Kengan Life-or-Death Tournament to be held.
You understand that, right?
Just use Komada the Deva King.
Or why not hire a new fighter?
Sen.
You must have a reason for doing this.
You know me well, old man.
I'm the type of guy who gets restless easily.
I was born this way. I can't help it.
With the way I feel now, I'm just going to get worse and worse.
At this rate, there's no way I can win in the tournament.
So this is an "adjustment"?
It's no big deal.
I'm just going to relax a bit.
I was thinking of a mountain retreat.
But I'll tell you this, it's not for training.
Three meals a day, nap time… I'm going to enjoy the slow life.
I've had my sights set on this day for a long time.
I had to work hard, which ain't my style.
But I had no choice.
I'll do anything to beat that bastard.
That's what I decided that day.
That's right.
I entered this tournament
because I thought I could beat this guy and win!
It'd be lame not to hurry up and finish this.
-What?! -He stopped running away?
No.
He was waiting for this moment.
Splendid! He outsmarted the Fang!
All right!
I'm not going to let you break your fall.
HATSUMI-STYLE AIKIDO
STARDROP
He blocked it!
But that was Sen Hatsumi's ultimate move!
Wh-What did he do?!
An attack from such a close range shouldn't inflict that much damage!
That attack…
Could it be?
H-Hatsumi has Kanoh in a clinch!
But I'm worried about all that blood he coughed up!
What just happened?!
That's what I want to know!
I feel like I was stabbed by a spear!
What the hell did he do to me?
Sen Hatsumi.
I need to thank you.
Your sacrifice helped me evolve.
You get it now, don't you?
Your fighting style, Formless, can handle any opponent.
However, it comes with its own risks.
Having more options is not always an advantage.
Picking from such a long list slows your decision time.
That tiny delay can even be fatal,
especially against opponents who specialize in a single technique.
To face them, you've got to eliminate some of your options.
Limit your choices.
You must sacrifice Formless's biggest advantage, its flexibility,
but in turn, you'll eliminate that delay.
In tournaments, your body accumulates more and more damage as time goes on.
As you get more tired, the delay in your reactions grows even bigger.
That means
Formless is not good for consecutive fights.
With this fighting style,
you should be able to use that move more effectively than ever.
For the master and for the sake of victory,
swallow your pride.
That move?
I need to thank you.
Your sacrifice helped me evolve.
You've played your part well.
That's impossible!
He countered Stardrop?!
It can't be!
Did he make his move at the same time as Hatsumi?
No, it's not like he became faster.
That must mean…
Jeez, how lame can I be?
Getting desperate like this.
Oh! He gave up on the elbow attack!
Sen Hatsumi, you're quite the clever man.
Is it his back?
That's right.
He's holding Agito Kanoh's back.
It looks like he's in a weak position, but it's actually not that bad.
His center of gravity can change,
which means that when Kanoh attacks, Hatsumi can respond instantaneously.
That old man's impressive.
He won't go down without a fight.
Oh, I see…
The fight might stay in a deadlock for a bit.
Agito Kanoh can't fight carelessly now.
Now!
S-So that's it…
This move…
One-Inch Punch.
ONE-INCH PUNCH
Another attack?! Bring it on!
I'll handle whatever he throws at me!
What the hell?
Just now, he--
I won't tolerate this.
I'll beat this guy one day if it's the last thing I do…
Hatsu--
What a man.
I can't believe he's ascended to "that realm…"
I have arrived.
Match over!
The winner is Agito Kanoh!
-Fang! -Fang!
A landslide victory!
Nogi Group's ultimate weapon, Sen Hatsumi, had no chance!
Who could have predicted it would be such a decisive victory?!
The Fang of Metsudo, Agito Kanoh,
will advance to the semifinals!
That second One-Inch Punch was what gave him the win.
Fa jin isn't magic.
It's a way to transfer force.
One-Inch Punch is used
from a short distance with the smallest movement possible.
Someone as good as Kanoh
can launch a powerful attack even from a distance that amounts to zero.
Normally, this attack could kill the opponent with a single strike.
Sen Hatsumi must have moved subconsciously to deflect its power.
He, too, is a master.
However, even a master like him ended up like that.
Kanoh has now obtained power on a whole different dimension.
Hatsumi…
Kanoh's even more trouble than I expected.
From up close or far away, every attack of his is just as powerful as the next.
He also has no blind spots at any range,
and he can launch combinations following any technique he employs.
That's not all.
He's got another weapon.
It's astonishing…
I can't believe he's learned how to use that technique.
Counterattacking your opponent is Post-Initiative.
Predicting when your opponent moves and moving at the same time to hit first
is Counter-Initiative.
But predicting when your opponent will move and striking before that
is Pre-Initiative.
He exchanged the flexibility of Formless
for an increased reaction speed,
making his fighting style more practical for real fights.
I know that different fighting styles can be interpreted in different ways,
but one thing I can say for sure.
Agito Kanoh has obtained ultimate strength.
Sen Hatsumi was good.
He only lost because he was up against the wrong opponent.
Sen! Don't die!
Hatsumi! Hang in there! Dr. Hanafusa will be here any moment now!
I don't care.
Give me a smoke.
I'm not going to die.
I just need a little rest.
Oh! A cigarette!
I-I can't believe it!
He's fine without any permanent damage?
He got hit by a high kick!
It was powerful enough to kill him!
Wait, did Kanoh…
How insulting.
He held back on me.
With his full strength, he could've split my head in two like a watermelon.
It means the fight was so easy for him, he took pity on me.
Now that I've fought against him,
I can see the difference in our skill levels.
I give up.
Apologies to the old man, but it's impossible.
He's gonna have to get one of his other pawns do it instead.
Good work.
Rest up until the semifinals.
I can finally say that I deserve my title.
Two to go.
I'll take down anyone who wrongs the master.
I am the Fang of Metsudo.
Subtitle translation by: Arisa Nitta
Oh, Setsuna Kiryu, you wretched and cursed angel.
You are no longer sane.
He's after Niko Tokita, the one he hates.
But into his clutches stumbles…
Kazuo Yamashita?!
Next episode: "Predicament."