This is the series finale of Fighter's Brew. If you haven't already figured it out, Fighter's Brew isn't a faithful recap show but a fanfic remix. What if Fighter's Brew gym was stumbling onto the Liberation Martial Arts philosophy? How would that affect the story? After this episode, you'll find out how it all led to this finale.
Fighter's Brew is dedicated to my boy Lex, with whom I started this project but never got to see what LMA has become. Hope I made you proud. Rest in grace and power. Miss you.
[Note: Read the manga images from right to left. To unlock the transcript, upgrade to paid.]
One day, while Takashi and Meguru were still young boys, they walked by a creek...
"Hey, Takashi," Meguru said. "Do you want to be strong, or do you want to be happy?"
"Aren't those basically the same?" Takashi asked.
"You think?" asked Meguru.
Today, as nearly adults, Meguru and Takashi are competing in the finals of the Shooto Nationals.
Takashi has found a new sensei whereas for Meguru, training has changed. It's no longer a relationship with a master but a relationship with a team.
"Listen, Meguru," says Furuya. "Takashi might have practiced his techniques to perfection, but that's nothing to be scared of. That's why you'll beat him. He's like the perfect recording of classical music. Beautiful to listen to, but it's exactly the same every time. Meguru, you're jazz. For Takashi, this is life or death. He's putting a lot of pressure on himself. But this is just an amateur MMA match. It's not life or death. If you win, great. If you lose, that sucks. But that's it. It's all the same. You're just a kid, and you're doing this because this is fun. Remember, have fun. And it's no fun unless you give it all you've got!"
Meguru smacks his gloves together. "Right!"
He steps into the ring. Takashi is already waiting on the other side.
"I used to envy Meguru," Takashi reflects. "He was always so free. Even when we competed. I hate losing and blamed myself. Meguru was a free spirit expressing himself regardless of the results. I wanted to be special. He wanted to be Meguru. I wanted to be perfect. He wanted to have fun. I wanted to be strong. He wanted to be happy. That's fine. We're different branches of the same tree. One thing's for sure, though. There's no way I'll let him be stronger than me."
Meguru takes a deep breath.
"Fight!" the ref yells. His voice echoes through the silent crowd. The lightweight final is underway. The tension is palpable.
Takashi starts with a high kick. Meguru blocks, but his arms go numb.
"I've sparred Takashi countless times in karate. It's not that he's changed. He's just a more refined version of who he was as a kid, pressuring with kicks and dictating the flow. But he has no idea who I am. I don't even know who I am. I'm still becoming."
