"Coward! I thought he was so much stronger!"
"Exactly! He almost made it to the semi-finals, but then he chickened out at the last minute!"
In the stands, jeers and curses for Ghost Dragon rose from all directions.
People always admire the strong and despise cowards, even if they don't know the heroic belief behind the 'coward's' actions.
The subsequent matches almost became a two-man show between Saitama and Suiryu.
Perhaps it was a deliberate arrangement by the organizers, but their duels were always staggered.
Saitama almost always knocked out his opponents with a single punch in every match, and Suiryu, intentionally imitating Saitama, also defeated his opponents with one move.
Thus, the semi-finals quickly concluded, and the finals were imminent.
After a brief rest, amidst the host's hoarse shouts, the finals finally began.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Now, let us welcome our last two finalists with the most enthusiastic cheers!"
"First to enter is the once-in-a-century genius of Nether Body Fist! The king who has crushed all opponents with his unparalleled strength and magnificent technique, all the way to this point—Contestant Suiryu!!!"
Amidst thunderous cheers, Suiryu once again stepped onto the ring.
He took a deep breath, suppressing all negative emotions from before, his eyes now only filled with the desire for battle and the obsession with victory.
"And his opponent! Is the most incredible dark horse of this tournament! He is unassuming in appearance, yet with a single blow, he sent the two-time champion, Bakuzan, out of our sight!"
"Who exactly is he? What are his limits? Let us wait and see! Welcome 'Water Polo Carbonated Fist'—Contestant Charanko!!!"
Unlike the enthusiastic reception for Suiryu's entrance, when Saitama slowly walked out of the contestant's passage, sparse applause echoed throughout the arena.
People looked at the man in the white martial arts uniform, their hearts a mix of emotions.
On one hand, they had witnessed his terrifying strength firsthand when he sent Bakuzan flying with a single punch;
On the other hand, his lazy demeanor was far from the image of a 'strong person' in people's minds.
Saitama still looked sleepy, yawning, but he was still somewhat interested in the final match.
Perhaps this opponent could let him experience the charm of martial arts.
"Are you Charanko?"
Suiryu stared at him, speaking in a deep voice with a hint of scrutiny, "I watched your match with Bakuzan, a very interesting punch."
"Oh."
Saitama picked his nose, "It was alright."
Suiryu's brows furrowed; the other party's nonchalant attitude made him extremely displeased.
"I hope your strength lives up to your arrogance. Come on, let me see what qualifications you have to stand here!"
Before he finished speaking, the referee's gong announcing the start of the match suddenly rang out!
"Dong—!!!"
Almost at the same time, Suiryu moved!
His body became a blur, and the stone floor of the ring cracked the moment he pushed off.
He instantly closed in on Saitama with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye!
"Nether Body Chain Palms!"
Suiryu's hands danced, creating countless palm shadows that enveloped all of Saitama's vital points.
Each palm strike contained terrifying force, and the palm winds whistled, emitting sharp sounds!
However, the scene in the ring once again left everyone stunned.
Facing the rain-like attack, Saitama merely stood still, not even assuming a defensive stance.
Suiryu's powerful palm strikes landed squarely on him.
Saitama remained motionless, even showing a somewhat troubled expression, as if complaining that the massage wasn't strong enough.
"What?!"
Suiryu's pupils suddenly contracted.
His attacks, they were... completely ineffective?
"Hey, are these all your moves?" Saitama asked impatiently, "They feel soft and weak, without much power."
These words, like a heavy hammer, struck hard at Suiryu's proud self-esteem!
"You… don't underestimate me!!!"
Suiryu roared, suddenly stepping back half a pace, his legs slightly bent, and his muscles instantly swelled.
A powerful aura, far surpassing before, erupted from his body!
"Take this! Nether Body Fist Ultimate Secret — Nether Body Rising Dragon Fist!!!"
He gathered all his strength into his right fist, launched himself skyward, and then punched towards Saitama's head!
This punch was his ultimate technique, one he was confident could defeat any opponent!
However, the anticipated scene of Saitama being defeated did not occur.
Saitama merely tilted his head casually, easily dodging the fatal blow.
Suiryu's pupils suddenly constricted.
He dodged it?
No, that's not right! My attack was seen through by him from the very beginning!
He didn't pause at all, his offensive becoming even more rapid, punches and kicks raining down on Saitama's body.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Heavy impact sounds echoed throughout the arena, the ring's floor cracking inch by inch under Suiryu's stomps, kicking up clouds of dust.
The audience could no longer clearly see the two's movements, only a blurred shadow and constantly erupting air currents.
"So... so powerful! Is this Suiryu's true strength?"
"That Charanko must be getting beaten without being able to retaliate!"
In the dust, Suiryu's expression grew even more solemn, finally turning into utter shock.
Every one of his attacks felt like striking a huge mountain.
No, it was even more solid than a mountain!
The opponent hadn't even moved a single step, just stood there, letting him attack.
"You... who exactly are you?" Suiryu panted, suddenly leaping back to create distance.
"Me?" Saitama picked his nose, "Just a hero for fun."
He felt a bit bored.
This person's fist techniques were flashy and looked impressive, but the power was just so-so.
Ultimately, he still couldn't make him experience the charm of martial arts.
"It's about time to end this."
Saitama muttered to himself, then struck a pose he had just learned from Suiryu, stepped forward, and casually threw a hand chop.
However, this casual strike generated terrifying wind pressure!
"Wh...?!"
The color drained from Suiryu's face instantly, and the shadow of death completely enveloped him.
Facing that strike directly, his entire world seemed to vanish, leaving only the word "Death" constantly magnifying in his mind!
"Boom—!!!"
A terrifying shockwave erupted from the center of the ring, and the sturdy ring instantly shattered into pieces!
Saitama's hand chop stopped steadily above Suiryu's shoulder, less than ten centimeters away from him.
However, the mere escaping air current instantly shattered Suiryu's upper martial arts uniform!
"Ah, sorry, sorry," Saitama withdrew his hand, scratching his head with an apologetic expression, "I almost used too much force again."
The entire arena once again fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone's mouths were agape, pupils dilated, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
However, amidst this eerie silence, something unexpected happened.
The gust of wind from that strike was simply too powerful.
The brown wig on Saitama's head was gently lifted by this wind pressure, spinning and lightly falling to the ground.
A shiny, bald head reflected dazzling light under the stadium lights.
"..."