After the incident with Yumi Fuyuzora, Ren Takeda's family decided to move out of the neighborhood. As they were driving away, Ren saw Ken Asanaga running after their car, shouting something. Ren leaned out the window and heard Ken yelling:
"Ren, you said only the strong can protect the people they love! One day, I'll become stronger than you, and when I beat you, I'll take the gloves keychain that should have been mine!"
Ren just gave him a thumbs-up, accepting his challenge with a calm smile, before the car sped up and left Ken behind.
When the Takeda family settled into their new home, Ren immediately resumed his training with even more dedication. His daily routine included 50 sit-ups, 50 push-ups, 50 crunches, 50 pull-ups, and a 5-kilometer run in both the morning and evening. Alongside physical training, he was also working on his energy control.
Now starting middle school, Ren had significantly increased his training. He had been wearing ankle weights, starting with 5 kg on each ankle, and now he was wearing 25 kg on each leg. His energy control had also improved, allowing him to coat any part of his body with energy whenever he wanted, though he hadn't needed to use it against anyone yet.
One morning, while heading to school, Ren noticed a strange student standing near the gate, observing people while typing on a tablet. The boy had an unsettling presence. This was Haru Nakashima.
Ren remembered hearing that Haru was part of the Newspaper Club and had a reputation for gathering information, sneaking around, and blackmailing people when needed. Despite not being a strong fighter, Haru was smart and could gather intelligence better than anyone else, making him more useful than many tough guys.
As Ren walked through the school gate, Haru's eyes lit up, and he quickly packed his things and ran after him.
"Hey, wait up!"
Ren turned around, "Yeah, what is it?"
Haru said, "You look like you practice martial arts. Do you go to a dojo by any chance?"
Ren shook his head, "No, I just do regular workouts to keep my body fit."
"What? But you look like someone who could be a great fighter," Haru said with a glint in his eyes.
Ren replied firmly, "I don't train to beat up people for fun."
"I'm Haru Nakashima, Newspaper Club. I can find any information you need, inside or outside of school."
"Oh, I'm Ren Takeda. You really can find any information, even outside school?"
"Yes, I can."
Later that week, Haru told Ren about an underground fight club where people placed bets on fighters. Ren, curious about testing his strength, signed up using the name "Black Ogre." His fight was scheduled as the first match of the night.
When betting opened, the odds were 1:1 for Ren's opponent, a fighter named J.Doe, and 1:10 for "Black Ogre," since no one knew him. Everyone bet on J.Doe, believing he would crush Ren easily.
Ren turned to Haru, "How much money do you have?"
"Uh, 2000 yen. Why?"
"I have 3000 yen. Bet all 5000 yen on me," Ren said calmly.
Haru was shocked, "Do you know why they call him J.Doe? He crushes people and afterwards they don't remember who they are!"
"If you don't want to bet, just bet my money," Ren replied without concern.
Seeing Ren's confidence, Haru ran to place the bet.
When the match started, people were shocked to see a teenager in the ring, wearing a mask. They started mocking him, calling him an ant facing an elephant.
As the referee announced the start, J.Doe charged at Ren with a heavy punch aimed at his face. Ren didn't dodge. Instead, he stepped forward and punched J.Doe in the stomach.
Ren's punch landed first, sending Boulder flying five meters back, crashing onto the floor. The entire crowd went silent, stunned by what had just happened.
Ren shook his head, "Tch, I still used too much force. I need to control it better."
The referee, clearly shaken, raised Ren's hand and announced, "The winner is Black Ogre!"
The crowd erupted, some cheering while others screamed that the match was rigged. Ren ignored them, stepping out of the ring with no interest in their opinions.
Outside, Haru was grinning, holding Fifty thousand yen in his hands, having turned the 5000 yen into a huge profit. Thirty thousand yen belonged to Ren, and the rest was Haru's share. Ren also received twenty thousand yen from the match organizers for winning.
Ren thought, "This is a good way to earn money while getting used to my strength."
Haru exclaimed, "With your strength, no one at school can mess with you!"
Ren replied coldly, "Don't even think about it. I'm not interested in fighting school bullies. If I fought them, they'd end up worse than J.Doe, who's going to be in the hospital for half a year. So, keep my strength a secret."
Haru gulped and nodded quickly, "Yeah, don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Ren smirked, "Good. Since you told me about this place, we're friends now. Come to me if you ever get into trouble."
Haru's eyes sparkled, realizing he had made a powerful ally.
Ren added, "I'll come here once a week. You can tag along if you want."
"Yes, of course! We're friends, so it's only natural I join you when you're fighting strong opponents," Haru replied eagerly.
Ren just smiled, and the two left the underground arena together, heading back to their homes as the city lights glowed quietly around them.