"What? You want Luke’s corpse? Don’t push your luck. The technology you provided hasn’t even been proven viable yet!"
"You can have the corpses of the others in the arena, but what exactly do you want them for? It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with research."
After exchanging a few more words, Xavier hung up, his expression dark.
"Well?"
Edward Wu asked.
"That sneaky bastard wants Luke’s corpse. He says that as long as he sees Luke’s body, he’ll begin the procedure to split the Connector."
Xavier frowned. He did not trust the man called Fusion Monster, but the other party had indeed demonstrated an unusual ability.
Now that the Tiger’s Vessel was dead, if the Connector did not want to spend another few decades creating a new one, it seemed he could only consider that man’s proposal.
In Xavier’s view, if the Connector was displeased, the entire world could face destruction.
…………
Amid cheers crashing like ocean waves, Luke emerged from the tunnel and faced the man before him, whose age showed not in the slightest.
Today was the final day of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament. The semifinals had just concluded, and this was the tournament’s ultimate showdown.
As expected, Luke had defeated Raian Kure in the semifinals, while Kuroki Gensai, the Demon Lance, had defeated Wakatsuki Takeshi, the Wild Tiger.
Kuroki Gensai had displayed strength far beyond what he possessed in the original story. Under this world’s influence, he had improved even further—to the point that he had emerged from his battle against Wakatsuki Takeshi completely uninjured.
That match had been much like Luke’s fight with Raian Kure. The audience could sum up the entire affair in two words: total control.
Wakatsuki Takeshi possessed a superhuman physique. Even though Kuroki had evolved, his pure physical strength was still inferior to Wakatsuki’s. But Kuroki had never tried to compete with him in strength. Instead, he used extreme skill to leave Wakatsuki utterly helpless.
After the match, even Wakatsuki had to admit that this middle-aged man was terrifyingly strong.
Now, the many fighters Kuroki had defeated were seated in the stands, shouting and cheering him on. Because of people’s preconceptions, they had always believed the Fang of Metsudo would be the final boss—and the power Luke had displayed absolutely lived up to that impression.
The strength Luke had revealed in his previous battle with Fei Wangfang had chilled countless fighters to the bone. It was a fusion of power and martial skill. They simply could not find a weakness in him.
"You certainly made me wait, Senior Kuroki."
Luke stared into Kuroki’s eyes. At this moment, he could no longer hear Sayaka Katahara’s commentary, the audience’s cheers, or the fighters’ shouts of encouragement. In his eyes, only the opponent before him remained.
Kuroki Gensai assumed his stance. "You are strong. Stronger than I am..."
Kuroki’s words stunned both the audience and the fighters. No one had expected this invincible-looking master to openly admit that Luke was stronger the moment he spoke.
What did that mean? Was Kuroki about to surrender?
Just as surprise and confusion filled everyone’s minds, Kuroki continued. "But there is no absolute strength or weakness in this world. In the end, a martial artist’s victory or defeat is determined by the result."
Luke’s lips curled upward of their own accord, spreading into a grin that bared a row of stark white teeth. "Then let this junior witness the might of the Demon Lance."
The instant Luke finished speaking, both men moved almost simultaneously. Two figures collided.
Just as the spectators expected a brutal exchange to erupt, the referee closest to the action gaped.
"What is going on!? They’re both throwing punches at incredible speed, but not a single fist is landing!"
Host Sayaka Katahara cried out as well. Luke and Kuroki Gensai were continuously attacking, yet continuously evading each other’s fists.
"These two are terrifying. Both are masters of Pre-Initiative. They can see through each other’s attacks and evade beforehand, so every move misses!"
Inside the VIP room, Kanoh Agito stared intently at the two figures. Though he was unwilling to admit it, he realized that if the Fang of Metsudo had not been replaced, his benefactor, Chairman Katahara, truly would have lost today.
"Damn it! Was that bastard holding back the entire time he fought me!?"
Raian Kure roared angrily, his face full of frustration. Every time he felt he had drawn a little closer to Luke, he discovered that Luke was standing at an even greater height.
That man was like an abyss of martial arts, immeasurably deep.
"Luke, go for it!!!"
Karla Kure was cheering Luke on from the stands, much to Erioh Kure’s displeasure. He withdrew his gaze and turned to leave the arena.
Before the final had begun, Luke had warned him that the Worm might make a move.
Even without Luke’s warning, Katahara Metsudo’s private army had already noticed several suspicious signs. And Erioh’s instincts told him that some unpleasant people had come to the island.
"Edward Wu, it’s time to settle the score."
Erioh Kure’s expression was solemn. As he left his seat, he did not call Karla, but the Kure Clan’s experts—including Raian—quietly departed the arena with him.
The hunt had begun.
At that moment, a thunderous crash erupted in the arena. The evasion game between the two masters had finally ended. This time, it was a real collision.
Luke still held his punching posture, his fist gleaming with a dark black luster. Kuroki, meanwhile, had been blasted to the edge of the arena, smashing a massive crater into the wall.
Luke slowly withdrew his hand, feeling the sharp pain in his knuckles. He had found an opening and met Kuroki’s Demon Lance with his fist. Even with Armament Haki, his hand had nearly been wrecked.
"Harder than even the Niko Style’s Indestructible. This does not seem to be a technique that hardens the bones and muscles through control. Have you reached it...?"
Kuroki stepped out of the dust cloud. The fingers of his right hand—the hand that wielded the Demon Lance—had swollen noticeably. His fingers had been broken in that exchange, and he had forcibly set them back into place.
Yet the pain of his broken fingers did not move him in the least. His eyes blazed as he stared at Luke. "...The ultimate of martial arts!"
Luke grinned. "To borrow your words, Senior: the path of martial arts has no end. How could there be an ultimate?"
Their invisible auras clashed. Just as Luke was about to take the initiative, a deafening explosion that shook the entire venue interrupted both him and Kuroki.
Boom—boom—boom—
The thunderous blasts continued one after another. Dust rained down from the arena’s bowl-shaped walls, while the lights throughout the venue went out as the power failed.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, the audience descended into chaos. The fighters, too, wore expressions of alarm.
Inside the VIP room, Katahara Metsudo’s expression was terrifyingly grim. He had long expected Katsumasa Hayami of Toyo Electric Power Company to refuse to behave. After losing the tournament, the man would likely revolt.
He had also known that the Worm had its eyes on this place. But he had not expected them to bypass his excellent security force and plant bombs at critical points throughout the venue.
The force the Worm had mobilized this time far exceeded his expectations. Hayami was merely a clown and not worth worrying about. The real problem was that, because of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament’s importance, political leaders from nations around the world had come to watch. A number of spectators in the venue were people of immense importance.
If their security forces were breached, the world order itself could be thrown into turmoil!
"Looks like playtime is over..."
Luke’s voice carried both regret and reflection. He had thought he would be able to fight Kuroki for a little longer.
"Hahaha, kid, our friendly little sparring game is over. Now it’s my turn to play with you..."
From the tunnel behind Luke, a tall figure emerged through the spreading smoke. He held a broad-bladed machete in each hand, a savage grin on his face.
Kuroki frowned at the man emerging from the haze. "Lu Tian of Purgatory..."
Lu Tian wore a cruel smile. His skin turned violet-black, veins writhing beneath it like snakes. He had already activated Removal. "...A game called slaughter."
As he spoke, he burst forward. In his Removal state, both blades slashed toward Luke at extreme speed.
"Watch out!"
Kuroki was about to warn him, but what he saw next was beyond his comprehension.
Luke moved like drifting mist, slipping through the narrowest gap to evade Lu Tian’s slashes. As he flashed past, a cold gleam split the air, carving a crimson arc.
Lu Tian’s head spun through the air. Even when it hit the ground, his eyes still held that cruel excitement.
Luke flicked the blood from his blade and looked toward the several Worm operatives emerging from the tunnel. A smile appeared on his face.
"Just as you said. The killing game has begun."
————
I’ve seen a lot of people asking about a female lead, so let’s hold a vote. Leave your thoughts in this chapter’s comments: 1 for no female lead, 2 for a harem. I’d like to hear what you guys think.
The Kengan arc is about to wrap up. The next world is tentatively set to be Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
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