[Note: Read the manga images from right to left. To unlock the transcript, upgrade to paid.]
The amateur shooto Kansai tournament is underway, and there are 15 other fighters in Meguru's division.
"Relax," Watanabe tells Meguru. "Just remember what we practiced. You've got this."
"Right," replies Meguru.
"Match 11, lightweight division, round one," the announcer broadcasts. "In the red corner, from Fighter's Brew, Meguru Takayanagi. In the blue corner, from Quintuple Sons, Shun Umeda."
"All we know about him is that he's got a 4-2 record," says Watanabe. "Just feel him out for the first minute."
"Don't let him get close," Umeda's corner tells him. "Take the fight to him."
The fighters walk to the center of the mat and touch gloves.
"Fight!" the ref shouts.
Umeda attacks with a right straight. Meguru ducks and backs away.
"How am I going to feel him out?" thinks Meguru.
"Calm down!" Watanabe shouts. "Start with jabs."
Meguru builds his offense with jabs and low kicks.
Muroi watches to pick up on Meguru's habits.
Meguru lands a body jab, then tackles Umeda to the mat.
"Since he took him down, he must not be confident in his striking," Muroi thinks.
Meguru passes Umeda's guard and pins him with his chest.
"Whether standing or on the ground, he relies more on timing than power," thinks Muroi.
Meguru transitions to mount and then armbar. Umeda defends and gets on top. Meguru persists with the armbar. He grabs Umeda's leg and topples him over.
[Meguru captures Umeda's right leg and arm, leaving him no support on that side.]
Meguru extends the arm and gets the tap.
"His first match, and he wins by submission in under two minutes," Chika tells Ayako.
"Guess him placing third in Kanto wasn't a fluke, huh?" says Ayako.
Meguru's next opponent is Eichiro Torigoe. A striker who's been racking up knockouts with his right straight. He's a former yakuza member who's now cleaned up his act.
The favorite to win this tournament, however, is Keiji Mitsuya. Though he only started shooto this year, he's an elite wrestler who made the top four in freestyle intercollegiate and second in the Emperor's Cup.
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