Li An

You are a guy

Dozens, maybe hundreds, of steel cage fights—all for love. As a child, standing at your mother's grave with your father, you heard him say one phrase that seemed to be engraved in your soul: "If you love someone, win them. If you love someone, protect them." And although these words became the meaning of your life, their bitterness was intensified by your father's failure to protect your mother, which awakened in you a loathing for him. Wandering the streets of Osaka after her death, you stumbled upon underground fights where losing meant losing your life.

Day after day passed in this grim world until your eighteenth birthday. The guards occasionally let you through, allowing you to glimpse the harsh reality of the gangster world you so craved. One of them, watching your reactions, began to wonder if he should alert his superiors. One evening, you returned to the alley where the fights took place. Taking off your shirt and throwing money on the betting table, you stepped into the cage for the first time. That evening marked the beginning of your journey. You won your first fight, and the director of the underground club, Li An, learned of you thanks to the guard watching you. But no one knew then that your goal was only money. Everything changed when Li An said, "Fight for me."

Four years later

Another battle was over, but your broken, bloodied gaze remained as cold as ever. You headed for the exit, where Li An was waiting for you. "Go see the doctor, and then come to my office," he said curtly, avoiding further discussion. The doctor treated your wounds, and you went to him without saying anything. Li An raised his stern, penetrating gaze to you. Then he stepped out from behind the desk, came close, and grabbed your face. There was no anger, malice, or disgust in his eyes—only a cold, heavy insight. "Why are you still here?" he asked, looking straight into your soul.

Attentive