Fighter's Brew – S2: E5 (Audio + LMA Transcript) (Patreon)

• Fighter's Brew

[Note: Read the manga images from right to left.]

Maki has her foot on Meguru's face.

"Now, now, Maki-chan," Maria says as she tries to pull Maki away. "You can't always put things you just learned straight into practice."

"But I used the clinch!" Meguru protests.

"This is MMA," Maria says. "With so many options, that's just how it goes."

Take grabs Meguru as Maki sulks.

"Hey, Meguru!" Urasawa shouts. "The next match will decide who takes the last slot in the lightweight final four. Whoever wins this will be your opponent in the semi-finals."

"Takeshi Kagaya is the favorite to win the lightweight division," Urasawa continues. "23 years old. From Saitama. He did judo in high school and placed third in regionals."

"He's jacked," Meguru says. "Does he really only weigh 65 kg?"

"He's in great shape, and his technique is stellar," answers Urasawa. "He's got a left jab that he turns into an uppercut, and if his opponent backs away, he hits them with a right overhand."

Kagaya finishes the match with a knockout.

"He didn't even need to take him down," Urasawa says, "but if he catches you, his grappling is strong, too."

"If he's judo-based, does that mean his style is close to Yudai's?" Meguru asks.

"Yudai is what you'd call a technical type," Urasawa answers. "Kagaya has both technique and power. He's super aggressive and doesn't lay off the pressure. He's unlike anyone you've fought before. He's so good everyone assumes he'll win this tournament. He got injured last year, which is the only reason he hasn't already won this tournament."

"So," Meguru says, "how do I beat him?"

"It'll be a good learning experience," Urasawa says as he walks away.

Maki notices her former opponent, Kaoru Nobeoka, in the corner of Kagaya's opponent. Kagaya tries to shake her hand, but she walks away.

"What the hell. The rest of the final four are all in high school." Kagaya says to his teammate. "All the adult lightweights are pathetic. Let me look up this Takayanagi kid."

Kagaya looks at the competitor's list. There are two fighters in the final four from Fighter's Brew. The other being Yudai Kitamura.

"Where have I heard that name?" Kagaya says. "Oh!"

"You know him?" His teammate asks.

"Remember that kid from Saitama who caused some trouble in the high school circuit a few years ago?" Kagaya asks.

"Saidai Kitamura?!" His teammate says.

"I think that's his little brother," Kagaya answers.

Yudai moves his stuff to the other end of the gym.

"He said he wants to sit somewhere else for the rest of the tournament," Take tells Meguru.

"What? Why?" Meguru asks.

"Because you might go up against each other in the finals," answers Take. "But it's not like he hates you or anything. He's just invested in this."

Maki waits for Kaoru in the lobby. "Hey," Maki says.

"Kamiya-san!" says Kaoru.

"Long time no see," Maki continues. "Say, I wanted to ask you about that other guy, Kagaya."

"Kaoru!" Someone from her team calls. "Your division is about to start."

"See ya, Kamiya-san," Kaoru says as she runs off.

"It's not like you to approach people like that, Maki-chan," says Momoko.

"Call it a woman's intuition," Maki says as she looks at Yudai, Kagaya, and Meguru. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Furuya and Yudai are sitting at a table in the lobby.

"Yamabuki's finisher is the right high kick," Furuya says. "He often disguises it with a stance switch. Yamabuki caught his last opponent with it, and the same thing happened to Meguru. Yudai, you can't use your right for now, and you don't have to. Keep advancing with your left, and when he goes for the switch, take him down."

"Got it," answers Yudai.

Yudai walks away to prepare.

"Kenichiro-kun!" Maria shouts. "You're still going to let him fight with that injury?"

"Yep," he answers.

"Meguru-kun is wiped out, too," she says. "Even with the breaks, the exhaustion is adding up. They're still in high school. I can't condone pushing them this far."

"I felt the same way, too," Furuya says. "I just thought this would be a good experience for them, and we'd be done by now. But to be honest, I didn't expect either of them to make it this far. That's why I want them to keep winning."

"Don't forget," Maria says, "getting a fighter back home in one piece is an important part of coaching, too."

Furuya takes a moment to process Maria's reminder.

Momoko stares at Yudai. She remembers hearing about how Yudai hit a third-year at their judo club. But it wasn't fair how they were making Yudai pay for what his brother did. Some of the senior members thought Yudai should also quit judo like his brother.

Kagaya is talking to his team: "His brother Saidai was good enough to be chosen as a junior training fighter, but apparently, he broke his training opponent's neck."

"They weren't amateurs," Kagaya's teammate says. "How does something like that happen at their level?"

"I went to a different school, so I don't know the details," Kagaya says. "But apparently, there was no instructor at the time."

"Seriously? He could've been taken to court for that," his teammate says.

"I guess the school settled it internally," Kagaya says as he looks at Yudai. "But at any rate, it sounded like his brother was the only one with talent and that he was nothing special."

Meguru hits Yudai with a paper airplane. Yudai opens it up, and it reads: "Wanna get ramen on the way back?"

Yudai ignores Meguru. Meguru hits him with another airplane. It reads: "Would you rather stop at a diner?"

Meguru is writing another note when Yudai grabs him by the shirt.

"What the hell are you thinking?" shouts Yudai.

"You always go home alone right after, so I thought—"

"—That's not what I mean!" Yudai barks.

"Whoa, guys," Take says.

"Do you even get why I wanted to sit alone?" Yudai says as Take separates them.

"Easy," Take says. "Meguru is just trying to help. Probably."

"You shouldn't get so tense," Meguru says. "Maybe that's why you never won when you did judo."

Yudai leaves the gym.

"How dense can you be," Take says. "You know how he hates talking about his judo days."

"Wait, do you know why, Take-san?" Meguru asks.

"Nope. Anyway, apologize to him."

Outside the gym, Yudai accidentally bumps into Kagaya.

"Hey, you just gonna ignore me after bumping into me?" Kagaya says.

"My bad," says Yudai.

"Maybe you ought to forfeit, with your arm like that," Kagaya tells him.

"Mind your own business. Worry about your own fight!"

Meguru arrives in time to see the confrontation between Kagaya and Yudai.

"Well, excuse me, Kitamura's little brother. Quit fighting while you're ahead."

Yudai remembers his seniors telling him something similar at his old judo club. "Why don't you do something else? You're not welcome here," they said.

Yudai gets ready to fight Kagaya, but Meguru jumps in.

"Knock it off!" People shout. "Do you want to get thrown out?"

"Let's settle this on the mat," Kagaya says. "During the finals."

"Say that again," Yudai says, "after you've beaten him." Yudai points at Meguru.

Kagaya laughs.

"To this punk? Who got here on pure luck? Worry about not hurting yourself."

Yudai and Meguru are both livid.

Maki watches the incident from a distance. Kaoru notices the commotion.

"Kamiya-san" Kaoru says.

"What's up with that Kagaya guy?" Maki asks her.

"He didn't used to be like that," answers Kaoru.

Yudai is up next.

Meguru is getting his gloves taped. "He laughed at me," he tells Take.

"Yeah, yeah. I hear ya. Let's beat him, okay?" Take says.

Furuya helps Yudai with his headgear. He notices Yudai starting at Kagaya.

"Yudai," Furuya says.

"Yeah?" Yudai answers.

"Do you think there's any chance the throws and takedowns you picked up from judo won't work on a karate guy?" asks Furuya.

Yudai's eyes get intense. "No way!" he answers.

"Go get him then," Furuya says.

"Takashi," Tsukisada-sensei says. "Knock him out."

The semi-finals begin. Yudai Kitamura vs. Takashi Yamabuki.