"I'll advise you one last time, Mutou Judai... If you're just planning to participate in Kengan because you think it's interesting, then it's still not too late to back out now."
"This isn't a children's game, nor is it the kind of fighting or combat scenes you see on the street or in TV dramas... This is real, potentially even deadly dangerous combat!"
Erina spoke to Mutou Judai with a serious expression.
Meanwhile, Mutou Judai stopped filling out the fighter information form and looked at Erina with a half-smile.
"What, are you worried about me?"
Hearing Mutou Judai say this, Erina's face turned red and she snorted lightly.
"Who would worry about you? It's just that this time you're not representing me, but representing the Nakiri family in battle. So if you lose too disgracefully, it will affect the Nakiri family's reputation!"
"If that's the case, then you don't need to worry about anything..."
Mutou Judai had basically filled out all the necessary parts of the fighter information form, finally looking at the only blank space—the fighter title section—and asked Erina.
"Erina, I can understand things like name and age, but what exactly is this fighter title?"
Hearing Mutou Judai ask this, Erina instinctively began explaining:
"Fighters generally have titles. Initially, they were mainly given by watching members or opponents based on the fighter's combat style, but later some fighters would give themselves nicknames when becoming fighters... Of course, if you find it troublesome, you don't have to have one. Anyway, if you really become a famous fighter, others will naturally give you a nickname."
I see.
Mutou Judai thought for a moment.
Such things seemed quite popular in his previous life, and even more so in this world. Erina also had the nickname God's Tongue, and her grandfather Nakiri Senzaemon, the Totsuki Director, also had the title Demon King of Food...
Thinking carefully, according to the memories from this side, the director of the orphanage that originally raised him, who was also the origin of Mutou Judai's surname "Mutou," that old man named Mutou Yugi seemed to call himself the Duel King when he had nothing else to do...
This fighter title was probably that kind of thing...
Thinking of this, Mutou Judai scratched his head.
He might be interested in such fighting techniques now, perhaps due to the Hanma blood or maybe he inherently had a hidden combative personality.
But while he was interested in fighting techniques, he had no interest in coming up with titles!
However, that said, if he let others come up with one, what if it was something he particularly hated?
So at this time, he should be more stable...
"Erina, do you know what nicknames the currently famous fighters go by?"
Erina thought Mutou Judai wanted to hear them for reference, so she instinctively had such names appear in her mind.
"Tiger... A monster whose natural physical abilities are dozens of times that of ordinary people, Tiger Wakatsuki Takeshi..."
When mentioning Tiger, Erina's eyes flickered with some uncertainty.
After hearing Erina say this, Mutou Judai nodded, then directly picked up his pen and filled in the blank fighter title column with this title—Tiger!
"Hey! I said the Tiger title is already taken by Wakatsuki Takeshi..."
"So does Kengan have rules against using the same nickname as someone else?"
"That's not the case... but..."
"What's there to 'but' about!"
Mutou Judai shrugged.
"Did Wakatsuki Takeshi patent the Tiger name?"
"That's not the case either..."
Hearing Erina say this, Mutou Judai smiled.
"Then I'll fill in Tiger, and after this fight is over, remember to apply for the Tiger patent for me! If that Wakatsuki Takeshi has anything to say about it, then make him change his name!"
Hiss—
Although Erina had long known that Mutou Judai was a guy with a terrible personality, she never imagined he could even do something like this!
"If you do this, that legendary fighter Wakatsuki Takeshi will definitely get angry!"
"Never mind him getting angry—even if he dies of anger, what does that have to do with me?"
Mutou Judai said this, then handed the fighting form to Erina.
"Anyway, just submit this... Don't worry about all those miscellaneous trivial matters. Constantly worrying about such things will accelerate aging."
Sigh.
In the brief time Erina had known Mutou Judai, the thing she understood most deeply was that—Mutou Judai rarely changed his mind once he made a decision.
If he said this, then it meant he had already decided.
However, thinking about what she had said to persuade him earlier, Erina felt she still needed to make things clear.
So Erina, holding Mutou Judai's application, spoke again:
"Mutou Judai... Maybe I didn't express myself clearly before, but Kengan really isn't a joke. Don't mind what I said about affecting the Nakiri family's reputation, but although Kengan prohibits killing, accidental deaths aren't impossible... You'll be facing real fighters, so..."
Although Erina felt it was somewhat embarrassing to speak so directly, she still used her most serious attitude to give Mutou Judai one final warning.
"—If you're really just acting on impulse, then I really don't recommend you participate in Kengan matches. The possibility of death... well, that possibility isn't high, but you'll get beaten badly."
Hearing Erina seriously warning him, Mutou Judai scratched his head.
Honestly.
Initially, when he heard about Kengan and such, his primary reason was that since he had decided to help Erina this time, he would help to the end—he had the curse skill, and had also merged with Jack Hanma's template, possessing Hanma blood and a fighter's techniques, reactions, physique, and experience. Fighting one Kengan match should definitely be no problem.
The secondary reason was that he became inexplicably interested after hearing about fighting techniques.
And now—the primary reason became even stronger after Erina was willing to abandon her somewhat tsundere attitude to seriously warn him.
As for the original secondary reason...
Mutou Judai couldn't be sure if it was related to Hanma blood.
He had never fought anyone in his previous life, and there were no experiences of fighting others in this life's memories either—but when he heard about fighting techniques as a project, when he decided he really wanted to participate...
—He became inexplicably excited!
Excited to the point of trembling!
So Mutou Judai wanted to fight this match no matter what.
Both as compensation to Erina.
And to understand this unknown situation about himself.
So...
"I've already decided..."
Just as Mutou Judai was about to continue speaking, from the position to their right against the wall, which was near the bathroom door of this Great Universe Bar, an angry roar came out.
"You two actually laid hands on big brother!"
This roar naturally interrupted Mutou Judai and Erina's conversation. When they looked over, they saw two girls standing somewhat awkwardly at the bathroom entrance.
Facing them, a man was now lying on the ground, unconscious, while another guy who looked like the fallen man's subordinate had pulled out a gun and was pointing it at the two girls.
"Hibiki, danger—"
The black-haired girl directly blocked in front of the blonde girl. The blonde girl with twin tails who looked like a gyaru immediately raised her hands when she saw the gun.
"Akemi, I... um... this... that..."
She was completely panicked.
Her eyes instinctively looked around, but after understanding the situation, everyone around hurriedly lowered their heads and didn't dare even look in this direction.
For a moment.
Sakura Hibiki, who had originally planned to check out this place called a bar that sounded cool, and Soryuin Akemi, whom she had brought along, felt somewhat desperate.