Commentator A picked up the topic and said, "So, fighters, the first failure isn't important. Maybe breaking out of the losers' bracket and then winning the championship will make people feel even more shocked."
"Alright, the rules have been explained. Now, would the first set of teams please get ready and decide the order of those going on stage." Commentator A's voice sounded again.
But at this time, Commentator B added, "Also, the arena will be using the defender-stays-on rule. Before completely losing fighting ability, the fighter who wins may choose to continue fighting. But the organizers asked me to specifically remind everyone, fighters, please act within your limits, don't let major casualties happen because of this."
Next, the two commentators spoke together, "Now, please have Team Japan and Team Kim come out and get ready on both sides of the arena."
And as the two commentators began introducing the team members of both teams, Team Japan and Team Kim entered the stadium amid the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators.
"Kyo, Goro, let me go first."
On Team Japan's side, Nikaido Benimaru, with a head of blond hair, gathered his upright hair with both hands in a very narcissistic manner as he spoke to Kusanagi Kyo and Daimon Goro.
"This is a match the whole world is watching. Only by going first in a show-off kind of match like this can I get more attention. Who knows, maybe with my outstanding performance, I'll gain even more female fans."
"If you're confident, I have no objections. But Benimaru, if you win, great. If you lose, you'll really lose face." Kusanagi Kyo shrugged indifferently. As last year's champion of Japan's Exotic Martial Arts Tournament, he didn't even take Team Kim seriously as an opponent.
Nikaido Benimaru said confidently, "Rest assured, Kyo. I already asked around. Aside from that guy named Kim Kaphwan, the other two are all small, no-name characters."
The other member of Team Japan, Daimon Goro, whose eyes were always narrowed, nodded. "Then you go first, Benimaru. I'm looking forward to seeing you take all three."
"Just watch." Benimaru chuckled, then leaped onto the nearly two-meter-high arena.
Then he very flashily flipped his hair, waving and blowing kisses nonstop to the stadium spectators and cameras.
At this moment, Commentator A's voice rang out, "Team Japan has chosen their first fighter, a member of the Nikaido Conglomerate, Nikaido Benimaru. As one of last year's top three in Japan's Exotic Martial Arts Tournament, his strength should not be underestimated."
Meanwhile, Commentator B's voice also came on, "Ha! Team Kim's first fighter is on stage too. Huh? It's actually Choi Bounge, the shortest of all the competitors. But don't let his small size fool you, he's not weak. He specializes in taekwondo and his self-created claw techniques. But speaking of that, there's no rule banning weapons in this tournament, is there…"
As the commentators spoke, Nikaido Benimaru and Choi Bounge slowly walked toward each other on the arena.
Seeing the short Choi Bounge, Benimaru frowned and said, "Hey, shorty, you should just surrender. If I defeat you, it'd feel like bullying."
"I want to surrender too, but my master definitely won't allow it. If I give up, he'll use the cruelest methods to train me." Choi Bounge looked miserable. He and Chang Koehan didn't want to enter this competition in the first place, but their master was extremely invested in it.
"How pitiful! In that case, I'll beat you as fast as possible so you can be freed early."
When Benimaru said this, his right hand was already raised high. When his voice fell, he pulled his hand back sharply to his chest and clenched it into a fist. Of course, this move was for show. And it worked. As a fighter with lightning abilities, the moment he made the move, a streak of lightning flashed across the sky and struck the ground in front of him.
This action instantly ignited the stadium atmosphere, and the cheers surged like a tidal wave.
"Lightning power, huh? Tch, I kinda regret not being on stage. I really want to see how strong this guy is."
In the spectator stands, Shermie stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth. As she chewed, she thought this, then her gaze fell on the fighters' rest area not far from the arena, where Aiden was quietly whispering with the Kagura sisters.
'If there's a second tournament, I need Aiden to bring me with him.' Shermie fiercely chewed the pastry in her mouth as she thought.
———
On the arena, the small talk between Nikaido Benimaru and Choi Bounge didn't last long.
When the countdown on the screen ended, the commentator shouted the classic opening lines, "Round one!"
"Ready!"
"Start!"
And the moment the commentator finished speaking, the two who had just been chatting leisurely instantly turned serious and moved at once.
Choi Bounge was small and light. Although he trained under Kim Kaphwan, his true specialty wasn't taekwondo but the self-created combat style focusing on speed.
So right when the match started, Choi powered up. His short legs stomped the ground hard, and he instantly appeared in front of Benimaru. The double claws on his hands crossed as he slashed fiercely toward Benimaru's chest.
Fighters' bodies are like steel, normal weapons can't hurt them. But weapons used by fighters are different. Realizing Choi's speed was this fast, Benimaru knew he couldn't rely on his eyes alone. Almost instinctively, relying on his fighter's battle instinct, he shifted to the side.
And he immediately became grateful for that instinct. In his powered-up state, Choi's twin claws actually released two crossing blades of energy, almost material in form, narrowly slicing past Benimaru's chest and carving cross-shaped marks in the marble floor more than ten meters away.
A glimmer of relief flashed in Benimaru's eyes. Then he began his counterattack. Taking advantage of Choi just landing with his back to him, he quickly closed the distance. Lightning surged around his right hand as violent electricity gathered.
This move was the special technique he created through his superpowers, Lightning-Resisting Fist.
The silver-white electricity radiated through a range of several dozen meters around Benimaru. Reporters surrounding the arena found the images in their cameras shaking, it was the interference from Benimaru's electricity.
Choi, who was closest, felt it even more intensely. Even in his powered-up state, his hair stood straight from the charge. But he had no time to care, because Benimaru's angry shout came from behind him.
"Lightning-Resisting Fist!"
It seemed fighters of this era loved shouting the names of their moves. Choi was no exception. He pressed his palms to the floor, exerted strength, and his body spiraled upward from the spot. Dodging Benimaru's Lightning-Resisting Fist, he shouted, "Tornado Gale Slash!"
With his slightly comical voice, scattered wind blades formed around him. This was his killing move, created by high-speed spinning combined with his inner ki.
Whoo-whoo-whoo!
The scattered wind blades sliced the air with a howling sound. Benimaru, who didn't have time to retreat, was cut with quite a few wounds.
"Damn it, my face!"
Benimaru's face was slashed several times. As a man extremely obsessed with his looks, his face was the most important part to him. Though scars are said to be a man's badge of honor, and with a fighter's physique the wounds would heal in a few days, he still grew furious.
Seeing Choi still spinning in midair, Benimaru did several backflips to escape the wind blades. On the final flip, he connected into a Super Lightning Kick.
Super Lightning Kick, when it hits, after a heavy spinning kick, it continues into a second lightning strike. The descending lightning leaves the opponent with nowhere to escape.
And at this moment, Choi was still in midair. Even though his movement was flexible and unpredictable, compared to lightning, he was far too slow.
BOOM!
Lightning fell from the sky, blasting Choi out of the air. Before he could stand, Benimaru dashed forward, pressed both hands on Choi's head, and slammed him hard into the floor.
Then, as he gathered his superpower into both hands, Benimaru shouted, "Thunder Generator!"
Violent electricity surged through Choi's entire body.
Just like in a movie, Choi trembled uncontrollably. His hair stood completely on end, even popping the hat off his head…
"So… so ugly."
In the fighter rest area, the Kagura sisters' expressions were unpleasant, and the female fighters nearby looked exactly the same.
"That guy… he actually electrocuted someone into looking that ugly…" Sayuri grimaced. "So ugly!"
King touched her hair and looked at Mai Shiranui. "I'm fine since my hair is short. But you, Mai…"
"I won't let him get near me." Mai said with a cold face.
Even though they were fighters, they were also women. If they imagined themselves being electrocuted until their hair stood straight up, none of them could accept it.
"Aiden… If we end up facing Team Japan, I'm not fighting him. If he shocks me even once, I'll look super ugly." Chizuru clung to Aiden's arm as she spoke.
Aiden frowned slightly and said, "Mainly, that guy Choi had his ki disrupted earlier. If not, he could've resisted using his ki and this wouldn't have happened."
His voice wasn't loud, but fighters had good hearing. After thinking about it, Mai and the others felt what he said made sense.
"Even if that's true, I still don't want to fight him." Chizuru still pouted.
"Then just let me go up when the time comes." Maki rubbed her younger sister's head.
While several people were talking, the outcome on the stage had already been decided. After the commentator's ten-second countdown ended, Nikaidou Benimaru secured his and Japan Team's first win in this tournament.
Although he was covered in blood, Nikaidou Benimaru's stamina consumption wasn't that big, and the superpower inside his body was also slowly recovering.
Not bothering to wipe off the blood on his body, Nikaidou Benimaru kept blowing kisses all around him, "Thank you! Thank you, everyone, my name is Nikaidou Benimaru, please remember me, okay, especially all the cute girls."
"I really can't stand this guy…"
Beside the ring, Kusanagi Kyo covered his face. He felt like he had no face left to show anyone.
The oldest among the three, Daimon Goro, didn't find it too embarrassing. He looked toward the Gold Team on the other side. When he saw that mountain-like strong man take the stage, he frowned.
"I wonder if Benimaru can still hold on?"
"That guy… looks pretty strong, but aside from superpowers, Benimaru's fighting skills and physical quality aren't bad at all. And beating that guy named Choi Bounge didn't use up much of his strength. He should be able to win." Kusanagi Kyo lifted his head and said lightly.
"The biggest threat in the Gold Team is that Kim Kaphwan. Of course, I mean for Benimaru. If it were me… hmph, ten moves!" Kusanagi Kyo said confidently.
Beating the Korean taekwondo master Kim Kaphwan in ten moves wasn't blind confidence for Kusanagi Kyo. Overwhelming fighting technique and physical ability, plus the Kusanagi family's flame power, there were few opponents in the world who could compare.
But in this round of the match he might not get a chance to appear. If Nikaidou Benimaru couldn't hold on, there was still the judo master Daimon Goro. As for him, he would be the one appearing as the final trump card.
Regardless of what the audience and fighters were saying, at this moment on the ring, the mountain-like Chang Koehan had already walked up to Nikaidou Benimaru.