Chang Koehan...
KO!
At the same time, in the audience seats, the spectators were buzzing with discussion.
"No wonder he was in last year's Japanese Heterogeneous Tournament top three! That whole set of throws and grapples was truly a delight to watch."
"It's a pity that big fat guy's body is too huge, otherwise we could've seen the most classic joint locks and ground holds in judo."
"I wonder if that guy named Kim Kaphwan can beat him."
"Even if he beats Daimon Goro, it's useless. Kusanagi Kyo hasn't even taken the field yet. Don't forget, last year Kusanagi Kyo took the championship of the Japanese Heterogeneous Fighting Tournament in a totally overwhelming fashion."
"Looks like the first team entering the losers' bracket has been decided."
"By the way, which team do you all think is the most promising?"
"Isn't that obvious? Of course the Japanese team. I even bet on them to win."
"But I think the Psychic Warriors team should also be good. After all, they have Elder Chin Gentsai holding the fort."
"I'm betting on the Female Fighters team…"
"Then who do you think is the weakest?"
"The Kagura team, I guess. They're all a bunch of unknown characters, especially that guy from Z-country, he looks totally ordinary… And their opponents are the Art of Fighting team. Kyokugen-ryu isn't some small, unknown school, at the very least they have nearly a thousand disciples…"
Hearing the spectators around them chatting, Shermie and the other girls watching the match together also started talking.
"Shermie-sister, will, Sister Maki, and Sister Chizuru be able to win later?" Goenico, who currently understood nothing about fighting, felt a bit nervous hearing people badmouthing the Kagura team, and asked Shermie worriedly.
But before Shermie could speak, the Nyotengu cut in first, "I've experienced Aiden's strength before. Although we never truly fought, in my eyes, there is no one here who can be his opponent right now."
The Nyotengu was a demon who had lived for over a thousand years. Based on the stereotype that the longer you live, the stronger you are, her true strength was probably not inferior to the awakened Eight Hakkesshu.
"I think the same as you." Shermie glanced at the Nyotengu with a bit of annoyance, then remembered how Mature and Vice had described Aiden's strength when she went drinking with them last night.
Exceptionally terrifyingly strong, a fighter so strong even their leader Goenitz was surprised.
"Aiden is that powerful?"
Helena asked with some doubt. Last time, when they fought people at King's bar, she didn't feel Aiden was that strong.
Shermie looked at her in surprise and asked, "You've known him this long and didn't know?"
"I didn't." Helena shook her head first, then suddenly said joyfully, "But this time we should be able to see him show his real strength. Come to think of it… I'm really looking forward to it!"
As they were talking, the fourth round between the Japanese team and the Kim team had already begun.
When the announcer shouted for the match to start, the two grandmaster-level fighters, one Japanese and one Korean, each masters in their own fields, didn't move immediately. They took their fighting stance and stared fixedly at each other.
With the realm the two of them had reached, they clearly weren't on the same level as Choi Bounge and Chang Koehan. From the way their eyes met, both instantly understood the other's intention.
They were both waiting for the opponent to make the first move, so they could probe for flaws.
And with their level of skill, as long as someone caught the other's opening, the match could be decided in an instant.
Just like that, after a calm stare-down lasting quite a while, in the end it was Daimon Goro who chose to strike first.
Barefoot, Daimon Goro stepped onto the ground already cracked and covered with rubble from earlier battles, his speed not slowing at all. With a fierce momentum he charged toward Kim Kaphwan.
When he was still seven or eight meters away, he suddenly burst forward, taking one massive step that carried him directly in front of Kim Kaphwan, and smoothly raised his hand in a "Gyoku-kai" strike, his palm became a blade, chopping toward Kim.
When Kim saw Daimon Goro fight Chang Koehan earlier, he already knew he couldn't compete with him in strength. He immediately took a step back, dodging that hand-blade which was strong enough to split marble. Instinctively he twisted his body, leapt sideways, and raised his leg to kick Daimon Goro.
At this moment Daimon Goro hadn't withdrawn his attack yet, leaving a huge opening. With his body leaning forward, he completely exposed his head.
But the moment Kim raised his leg, he thought inwardly, Damn.
As a Taekwondo grandmaster, he was extremely clear about Taekwondo's strengths and weaknesses. Taekwondo, which focused mostly on leg techniques, was powerful and fast, but compared with judo, which focused mostly on hand techniques, it lacked flexibility.
If he didn't have absolute confidence in landing a decisive blow, jumping in rashly was a wrong choice. But he had trained so long that his skills had become instinct. Seeing such a good opportunity, his instincts drove him to lift his leg.
And then, when his kick landed on Daimon Goro's head, Daimon Goro's hand also grabbed his ankle tightly.
Without any hesitation, Daimon Goro released all the energy inside his body.
A brutal scene unfolded. Kim Kaphwan, caught by the ankle, was lifted straight into the air by Daimon Goro. Daimon's other hand, carrying violent ki, pressed onto Kim's chest, pinning down Kim, who had been about to burst out his own ki to counter.
BOOM!
On the ground, already full of dents and pits, a half-man-deep crater instantly formed where he was slammed.
After that, Kim, whose internal ki had been temporarily scattered, had no chance to resist. After a sequence of continuous throws and grapple techniques, the announcer's voice rang out, "KO! Kim Kaphwan has temporarily lost the ability to fight. The entire Kim team has been defeated and enters the losers' bracket."
"Gotta say, worthy of being Japan's number-one judo expert, his strength is terrifyingly strong."
"Alright, now let's congratulate the Japanese team on winning their first match, first to enter the winners' bracket."
———
Kim Kaphwan was also carried off, but someone known as the embodiment of justice wasn't too upset. At his level, a momentary win or loss didn't mean much. He was just annoyed he didn't get to show his true strength before being sent off.
Afterward, he and his two disciples, after a simple checkup and treatment, returned to the fighters' resting area.
And the fighters there didn't look down on them. Many thought that if they themselves had faced Daimon Goro, they probably wouldn't have done any better than Kim.
Meanwhile, the organizers were having the arena cleaned up, filling the big pits with sand and stones. And the Fatal Fury team and the Ikari Team also walked toward the ring as the announcer declared their turn.
Aiden looked at Andy and muttered, "Don't you dare get upset and get sent to the losers' bracket by the Ikari team."
But clearly, his worry was unnecessary. Although the Ikari team members were professional mercenaries, experts straight from tropical jungles, they cared less about winning or losing than any other team, because their captain this time was Colonel Heidern. His purpose in coming was the organizer's mastermind, Rugal, because his wife, child, and subordinates had all been killed by Rugal.
And really, the Fatal Fury team's strength should rank top three aside from Aiden's team. They were fighters who had survived life-and-death battles, and anyone who could survive South Town, such a dark place, was no simple character. So, facing the Ikari team who had little desire to fight, their match ended very quickly.
The Fatal Fury team only sent Andy into the ring, and he crushed all three Ikari members. Although the three Ikari fighters conceded before losing the ability to fight, an achievement of one beating three still sent the crowd into a frenzy, and Andy, who had a head of flowing blond hair and decent looks, gained a huge wave of female fans.
"Looks so pointless. Those Ikari guys obviously didn't want to fight at all. What's he so smug about? No wonder that woman… Miss Mai doesn't like him." Watching Andy on the ring waving at the crowd, then throwing a provocative look their way, Chizuru said indignantly.
Even though the grudge between Aiden and Andy was over a woman, her and her sister's love rival, Mai Shiranui, jealousy was jealousy, but at this time she would definitely take Aiden's… or rather Mai's… side.
"But next up is Miss Mai and the others. Their opponents are the Psychic Warriors team… Aiden, who do you think is more likely to win?" Maki ignored her sister's grumbling and asked Aiden.
But Aiden had no time to answer. Right now he was waving enthusiastically toward both teams about to go on stage.
For the Female Fighters team, of course he hoped they'd enter the winners' bracket, because of Wings and Feathers.
As for the Psychic Warriors team… honestly, although he hadn't known them long, aside from Sie Kensou, Chin Gentsai and Athena Asamiya had treated him really well.
One treated him like a pre-chosen disciple and even generously gave him a book of cultivation insights. The other already considered him her junior apprentice and had been calling him every day the past few days to check on him, her enthusiasm was comparable to Mai's.
So seeing the two teams step onstage to fight, Aiden was quite conflicted. Supporting either side felt wrong.
But after thinking about it, he still hoped Mai's team could enter the winners' bracket. After all… three versus one, of course he'd pick the side with more people.
After thinking a while, Aiden came back to his senses. Maki repeated the question she had asked earlier.
So he thought again and said, "If Elder Chin Gentsai doesn't go easy, then the Psychic Warriors team should win. But it's hard to say. After all, youth beats age, Mai and the others aren't weak."
The three girls on the Female Fighters team were definitely not pretty-face vases. Mai, King, and Yuri Sakazaki all had real combat experience… though the Psychic Warriors team was the same.
Hearing their conversation, Chizuru jumped in, "Ah forget them, let's think about ourselves instead. When they're done fighting, it'll be our turn. So, honored elder sister, will you go first or should I go first?"
"I'll go first. I'll try to finish it quickly." Maki said calmly, as if she didn't take the Art of Fighting team seriously at all, carrying a bit of blind confidence.
But that was understandable. Although in terms of fighting ability the Three Sacred Treasures families had the Kagura family as the weakest, since they specialized more in sealing arts, ordinary fighters still couldn't defeat them.
In the original story, after Maki died, Chizuru, who took on the shrine maiden role in an emergency, became strong enough after brief training to make other fighters unable to lift their heads. And now, with the original shrine maiden Maki fighting, there was only one outcome.
Crushing.
So her confidence wasn't blind.