The arena was packed to the rafters. Wave after wave of cheers surged through the stands like a roaring tide.
Light poured down from the towering arched ceiling, scattering across the dust-filled center of the arena as it awaited the fighters about to take the stage.
At the commentary desk, host Sayaka Katahara delivered an impassioned introduction, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
The audience was equally fired up. This was the fourth match of the first round, and the bout everyone had been looking forward to most on the tournament’s opening day: the Fang of Metsudo, Luke, versus Kouou Academy’s rookie, the Ghost-Killing King.
In every sense, this was a match packed with spectacle.
What the audience wanted to know most was why the Fang of Metsudo had been replaced—and just how strong this new Fang really was.
Then there was Kouou Girls’ Academy’s rookie fighter. She was a major attraction in her own right, because she was the first female fighter in Kengan match history.
The spectators were not necessarily looking down on her, but weight classes existed in many combat sports. Women were naturally smaller than men and generally less muscular, putting them at a disadvantage in a fight.
Besides, they had seen the officially released contestant photos. This Ghost-Killing King did not look like some hulking, musclebound Amazon. She looked like a slender, ordinary beauty. How exactly was she supposed to win?
"The next fighter to enter is a storm sweeping through the combat world! The first female fighter ever to appear in a Kengan match! A thorned enchantress from the mysterious East! Kouou Girls’ Academy’s hidden trump card! With a Kengan record of two wins and zero losses, and total assets acquired of 17.5 billion yen—the Ghost-Killing King, Lily!"
Sayaka Katahara introduced the incoming contestant in an excited voice. "Will she bring victory to Kouou Academy? Will she make Kengan history?!"
As she spoke, a woman emerged from the entrance tunnel, dressed in a high-slit cheongsam.
Her long hair was tied into a ponytail. She was tall and shapely, and the exposed skin of her arms and thighs was pale and lustrous. She did not look like a fighter who had trained since childhood. She looked more like the pampered daughter of a wealthy family.
Her expression was cold and aloof, though her dark eyes lent a lively edge to her beautiful face. She merely swept her gaze over the audience without waving or interacting with them. Once she reached the center of the arena, she stopped and made no further movement.
"That little thing wants to challenge the Fang of Metsudo? Go challenge him in bed!"
"Hahaha! Kouou Academy must really be out of candidates. Did they send a woman just because it’s a girls’ school?"
"Oh, what a pretty little lady. Come have a round with me after the match!"
……
Mocking voices rang out from the stands. Clearly, many of them looked down on the female fighter, and some shouted obscenities so unpleasant that even Sayaka Katahara frowned.
In the seating area, Shion Soryuin, the chairwoman of Kouou Girls’ Academy, listened to those jeering voices with veins bulging on her forehead. "Those monkeys who think with their crotches! How dare they underestimate Lily like this!"
Her assistant standing beside her was equally furious and shouted down at the arena, "Lily, show them what you can do! Beat that so-called Fang of Metsudo and let everyone see who the strongest really is!"
Shion did not shout. She lit a cigarette and watched Lily below. She knew better than anyone how strong the girl was.
After Kiryu Setsuna had been killed, Lily had volunteered to serve as their fighter. Though she had only fought in two Kengan matches so far, her monstrous strength, so utterly at odds with her appearance, along with her outstanding technique, had left them amazed.
Shion could not say whether Lily or Kiryu Setsuna was stronger, but she believed Lily was unquestionably first-rate among Kengan fighters. After all, in a previous asset-stakes match, Lily had defeated the super-pro wrestler Jun Sekibayashi.
To Shion, Lily was a breath of fresh air among fighters. Who said women could not stand above men? She did not expect Lily to defeat the new Fang of Metsudo, but she believed Lily would certainly put on an unforgettable performance.
"Come on. Let them see your power!"
Shion stared intently at the entrance tunnel opposite her, waiting for the legendary new Fang of Metsudo.
Sayaka Katahara began her next introduction. "And the fighter entering from the other side also comes from the mysterious East! A man who has inherited the essence of every ancient martial art! The man replacing the previous emperor of Kengan matches, Kanoh Agito! The representative fighter of Dai-Nippon Bank! The new emperor of Kengan matches! Making his first Kengan appearance, with a record of zero wins and zero losses—the Fang of Metsudo, Luke!"
With that introduction, Luke strolled casually out of the tunnel, looking utterly lazy.
Honestly, he considered this tournament little more than child’s play. The only opponent he was looking forward to facing was the Demon Lance, Kuroki Gensai.
When he reached the center of the arena, the woman opposite him suddenly went rigid.
The Ghost-Killing King, Lily, fixed her phoenix eyes on Luke. Her expression changed again and again, as if she had seen something utterly absurd.
She was a junior member cultivated by the Plant Garden adventure group, and she possessed an advanced scouting item. It allowed her not only to see an opponent’s attributes, but also, as long as their mental attribute did not exceed thirty points, to view some of their skills and combat specializations.
Armament Haki, Hadō, Kaidō, Binding Spell, Master-Level Swordsmanship Mastery, Master-Level Swordsmanship Mastery, Master-Level Martial Arts Mastery, Master-Level Force Dissipation Mastery, Master-Level Movement Mastery, Master-Level…
The endless string of Master-Level abilities left her completely stunned. She even raised a hand to rub her eyes, briefly wondering whether she had read it wrong.
Lily’s pretty little head was filled with question marks.
What the hell was this?
Other than his attributes, which were still somewhat normal, there was nothing normal about this man!
What the hell were all these Master-Level specializations? And there was more than one?
And seriously—bringing Haki and Soul Reaper supernatural abilities into a Kengan match? Wasn’t that a little unfair?
The fact that Lily had caught the attention of the famous Plant Garden in Endspace meant she was no ordinary genius herself. At only Explorer Level 7, she had already reached Expert-Level Martial Arts Mastery. Among first-tier Explorers, she was already one of the best.
But she could never have imagined that someone could grind a specialization to Master Level while still a first-tier Explorer—let alone multiple specializations!
What the hell. The final stage of her original main mission had been to obtain a fighter’s position, enter the tournament, fight the Fang of Metsudo there, and remain undefeated for thirty seconds.
She had been worried about running into an invincible monster like Kuroki during the eliminations, and even more afraid of encountering a freak like Raian. That was why she had put on the aloof air of a powerhouse and had Shion, whose draw had gone badly, choose the Fang of Metsudo as her very first opponent.
Originally, she had thought that would let her skip the hassle and take the fastest route to completing her mission.
Based on her understanding of her own strength and her estimate of this world’s fighters, she knew she was no match for the Fang of Metsudo—but lasting thirty seconds should not have been a problem.
That was why she had initially been confused by the mission’s difficulty range: ordinary to certain death.
Now she understood. Against the Kanoh Agito version of the Fang of Metsudo, she really could have endured long enough to complete the mission. But against the Luke version of the Fang of Metsudo, if she chose to face him head-on and he intended to kill her, he probably would not even need ten seconds.
She had indeed chosen a shortcut. It just looked like a shortcut through life.
Lily’s mind raced at high speed. In the end, a book flashed through her thoughts. It was a legendary manual circulated among low-level Explorers in Endspace: the Survival Handbook.
According to the seventeenth rule of the Survival Handbook, she had already found her answer.
"Will the unprecedented female fighter Lily make history, or will the new Fang of Metsudo display the majesty of an emperor? Who will emerge victorious in this battle? Let us wait and see!"
With Sayaka Katahara’s passionate commentary and the referee’s lowered hand, the match officially began.
Then, in the instant the match started, something happened that stunned everyone so badly their jaws nearly hit the floor. The cigarette fell from Shion Soryuin’s lips, and she was too furious to say a word.
Because the Ghost-Killing King had truly become the Kneeling King. She performed a textbook dogeza, dropping to her knees before Luke.
"Boss! Please don’t hit me yet!"
Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but it carried clearly to Luke’s ears.
Luke, who had been about to move and swiftly carry Lily out of the ring, froze as well. What the hell was this supposed to be?
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register