Turning around from the ring, Jaden saw Erina standing at the tunnel entrance, watching him.
As he walked toward her, his thoughts were still on the Kengan match he had just fought.
From the outside, it probably looked like he had effortlessly knocked out Ryo Himuro with a single punch.
But in reality...
He had been even more relaxed than it appeared.
Cough.
Still, a brief summary was necessary.
After all, this had been his Kengan debut.
First, the Curse.
Originally, he had only intended for the full-body muscle spasms to severely weaken Ryo Himuro. The curse was meant to ensure his first match went smoothly.
But the actual effect far exceeded his expectations.
The strength of the curse was on an entirely different level.
A curse like this...
-He could structure his entire fighting style around it.
If other martial artists heard this, they would probably shout that this wasn't fighting at all.
But in Jaden's view, hiding such power would be disrespectful.
Using it was respect.
After all, no opponent would want to fight a version of him that wasn't going all out.
A fight should be fought with full strength.
If the opponent went down quickly, that only meant they were weak.
The curse was part of his strength.
If you don't like it, then curse me back.
Next was the Jack Hanma template.
To be honest, the left punch he threw while tanking Ryo Himuro's attack also went beyond what he had expected.
He had anticipated being able to withstand the punch and smash Ryo Himuro's chin.
After all, when Ryo Himuro rushed in, Jaden had deliberately stepped forward as well.
When the punch came, he had even moved his head forward slightly to find the best angle.
Then he used Jack Hanma's facial muscles-muscles strong enough to crush a coconut-to take the hit head-on.
Ryo Himuro's punch wasn't particularly heavy to begin with.
After that, it was even lighter.
On top of that, Jaden had applied some basic force-nullification techniques.
Taking the hit without injury had been completely feasible.
But-
The punch he delivered after slipping around the elbow that pinned his left hand...
That had truly surprised him.
-He hadn't expected it to be that powerful.
A Side Kick Punch, thrown with barely any room to generate force, had sent his opponent flying.
Is this the power of a "Hanma alien"?
"No wonder people joked in my last life that those with the Hanma bloodline were aliens..."
"With a body like this, that bloodline really might be alien."
And then-
If this was what he could do at just ten percent output, then peak-era Jack Hanma must be even more terrifying than he had imagined.
Technique was one thing.
But this physique...
It might really be what that scientist described as "comparable to the strongest creature, Yujiro Hanma's Ogre Back state," which Jack Hanma only achieved temporarily through drugs.
That scientist might not have understood Yujiro Hanma at all.
But comparing it to the Ogre Back still indirectly proved how monstrous the physique Jack Hanma could barely maintain was.
And Jack Hanma couldn't keep it for long.
For Jaden, though-
This was his normal state.
On top of that, he also possessed the Hanma bloodline.
So...
-Maybe he could even activate the Ogre Back.
Then fast-forward to Pickle opening Dragon Back and Ogre Back at the same time.
No.
No, no.
That scope was too small.
Maybe the next template would be a martial artist.
Kakarot.
One must firmly believe that Kakarot was also a martial artist.
If that didn't work, then Vegeta would do.
With these thoughts, Jaden reached Erina.
Seeing him return, Erina first stared at his chin-the spot Ryo Himuro had struck.
Then she looked him over once more.
"You... you're actually this strong?"
Before Jaden entered the match, Erina hadn't been certain.
But after he registered, she had regretted it.
Later, she learned that the newcomer Ryo Himuro was a so-called super rookie.
A first-rate fighter after only a few Kengan matches.
To encounter someone like that in a debut match was a complete nightmare.
By the time she realized it, it was already too late to stop Jaden.
There was nothing she could do.
But the outcome...
It completely shattered her expectations.
Jaden won.
And-
He knocked Ryo Himuro out with a single punch.
As that thought settled in, a distinct light appeared in Erina's eyes.
If he could represent Totsuki as a fighter...
Then maybe Totsuki could be saved.
While she was thinking this, Jaden-who was barely sweating-stretched and took his greatcoat from her hands.
"Stop spacing out."
"Go find Ohya Ken. Since the Kengan match is over, it's time for you to prepare."
He spoke calmly.
"After all, O-uchu is a bar. Even though the location is good, and your God Tongue reputation will attract customers and spectators..."
"If you don't prepare properly, surpassing the Totsuki Resort in sales will be nearly impossible."
Hearing this, Erina let out a small hmph.
He was right.
She specialized in high-end cuisine.
The kind that required reservations and sold at an extremely high price per table.
Now she had to prepare hastily, alone, and compete directly with the Totsuki Resort in total sales.
Even for her, this was a daunting task.
"I naturally have my own ideas."
She looked at him.
"But do you really understand what you did today?"
"I defeated the representative fighter of some place that's either a bookstore or a bar."
Jaden tilted his head slightly.
"Is there a problem with that?"
He genuinely didn't understand Kengan.
He only knew that Ryo Himuro was a newcomer.
He had no idea what that status actually meant.
To him, it felt like leaving the starter village and killing the elite monster at the entrance.
Nothing more.
Seeing his reaction, Erina gradually understood his mindset.
She led him through the fighter's tunnel, taking a small side path that led directly to the second floor of O-uchu.
This was to avoid being surrounded by members of the Kengan Association.
Once they were clear, Erina began explaining.
"Ryo Himuro may be a newcomer, but he's a super rookie."
"He was already called a first-rate fighter after only four Kengan matches."
"I don't know much about fighting, but before your match, many famous martial artists praised him highly."
In other words-
Erina looked at Jaden, who still seemed indifferent, with a complicated expression.
"You're famous now."
"Today's Kengan match was like dropping a bomb in the Kengan Association."
"I'm afraid that now, everyone in the Association knows about you... 'The Wild Tiger.'"
At this point, she hesitated.
Totsuki was facing an unavoidable Kengan match.
If she didn't explain this, maybe she could trick him into signing a contract and force him to help Totsuki through the crisis.
But after thinking for a moment, she sighed inwardly.
"So, Yuki."
"Your value among fighters has skyrocketed."
"You aren't contracted to any group. If you choose to become a professional fighter in the future, then with your strength, you could secure a very bright future just by joining a stable corporation."
Erina understood Totsuki's situation very well.
Although she had only known Jaden for a short time, she knew that despite his awful temperament, he wasn't a bad person.
Totsuki's problems were Totsuki's problems.
Jaden had already been expelled.
He didn't want to be a chef anymore.
And the one targeting Totsuki was Toyo Electric-a corporation that would never rely solely on Kengan matches or Shokugeki to achieve its goals.
No matter what, she couldn't drag someone who was already an outsider into this mess.
Jaden was an orphan from an orphanage.
If he got involved, Toyo Electric might even target the orphanage itself.
Totsuki could barely protect itself.
She had no way to guarantee his safety.
So...
She should forget it.
Erina looked at Jaden, gave a small hmph, and spoke.
"You helped me this time."
"If you decide not to be a chef in the future, and you're interested in fighting..."
"Would you like me to introduce you to a stable corporation?"
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