Another one-hit knockout.
An'un had executed the second member of the Ikari Warriors with almost contemptuous ease.
His power. His cruelty. His complete absence of fair play.
Every fighter in the arena felt an existential chill seep into their bones.
"And now..."
An'un slowly turned.
Those shadowed, tyrannical eyes fixed upon the last remaining figure—the soldier with ice-blue hair.
Leona.
"Your turn... the King's plaything."
That cruel, perverse smile stretched wider.
He had no intention of finishing her quickly.
Like a hunter savoring a wounded animal, he toyed with her.
His phantom-like movement allowed him to appear before her again and again, each time leaving another shallow, painful wound on her snow-white skin—never enough to kill, always enough to hurt.
He was dismantling her piece by piece.
He wanted the man in the VIP booth to witness his woman being defiled before his very eyes!
Leona screamed her fury and channeled every drop of her newly-awakened power!
Absolute Domain 35%!
"V-Slasher!"
A crescent of lethal energy arced toward him—
But against 60%, it was like throwing a pebble at a tank.
An'un caught her by the throat and squeezed.
"Worthless."
He watched her face turn red, then purple, yet those defiant ice-blue eyes still refused to submit—and something twisted in his expression. Excitement. Anticipation.
His grip tightened.
"Drown in pain and despair... and die."
...
"STOP IT, YOU MONSTER!"
"THIS IS BEYOND LOW!"
From the stands, righteous fighters screamed their outrage.
And in the sponsor's section...
Cloud's eyes had transformed.
Golden irises shot through with veins of purple chaos. The temperature around him plummeted. The air itself whimpered.
"An'un."
The name emerged like a death sentence.
"I've marked you."
"I pray you survive until the finals."
"Because when you do..."
"I will personally demonstrate..."
"What it means to beg for death and be denied."
The verdict was absolute.
...
Amidst a storm of jeers and curses, the first quarterfinal concluded with the Iron Fist Team's victory.
Up next was the match everyone had been waiting for—
[Psycho Soldiers VS Women Fighters Team]!
This bout was box office gold from the start.
On one side: the immensely popular "Psychic Idol" Athena Asamiya!
On the other: the equally beloved "Sexy Goddess" Mai Shiranui!
And let's be real—these two were rivals. In more ways than one.
"ATHENA! YOU CAN DO IT!"
"MAI! I LOVE YOU!"
Fans on both sides howled their lungs out, nearly shaking the dome off its foundations.
On stage, the tension was equally electric.
"Mai-nee-san!" Athena smiled sweetly at the bombshell across from her—whose figure was somehow even more devastating than last year. "It's been a while! You look... even prettier."
"Right back at you, Athena-chan." Mai returned the smile, her sharp eyes scanning Athena's combat outfit. "Though... isn't that outfit a little conservative for battle?"
This exchange of "compliments"—dripping with hidden barbs—sent the crowd into a frenzy.
The match began!
Round One: The Women's Team newcomer, Kasumi Todoh, faced the Psycho Soldiers' "eternal backup," Sie Kensou.
Kasumi, heir to the Todoh-style Kobujutsu, came out swinging with impressive technique!
Her seemingly gentle movements concealed the martial principle of "yielding to overcome force"!
Poor Kensou found himself getting tossed around like a ragdoll, and ultimately got "gently" escorted off the stage with a beautiful "Super White Blade Catch."
Round Two: Chin Gentsai hiccupped loudly and announced—
"Hic... Old man's too drunk. Forfeit."
Which dumped all the pressure squarely onto their last fighter—Athena Asamiya.
She now faced the Women Fighters Team captain herself—Mai Shiranui, current master of the Shiranui Style!
"Let's do this, Athena."
Mai walked to the center of the stage.
Confidence and fighting spirit blazed in her eyes as she faced the psychic idol radiating telekinetic energy.
"Let me see for myself... just how much that idiot has taught you!"
VWOOOOM!!!
The instant she finished speaking—
A wave of power saturated with seduction and scorching heat erupted from her voluptuous body like an awakening volcano!
Absolute Domain 50%!!!
"Wh-WHAT?!"
"Mai Shiranui's power... how did it grow so fast?!"
Shocked gasps swept through the crowd—though by now, even their amazement was starting to feel routine.
But what really made jaws drop and noses bleed was—
Under the crimson glow of her Domain, Mai's already revealing Shiranui combat outfit transformed in a burst of cherry blossoms and foxfire into something else entirely!
It was a skin-tight ensemble of black and crimson silk, embroidered with elegant flourishes, hugging every impossible curve of her figure. And behind her... nine tails of pure flame swayed hypnotically.
She looked like a fox spirit straight out of mythology!
Devastating. Lethal. Irresistible.
"What... what IS that?!" Athena gaped at her rival's dramatic costume change.
"A special gift... from that idiot." Mai's smile carried unmistakable triumph—the smile of a victor. "Jealous?"
Then she moved.
"Crimson Hornet!"
"Dragon Flame Dance!"
She danced like a true nine-tailed fox wreathed in flames!
Her movements were even more unpredictable, more ethereal than before!
Her fire burned even hotter, carrying an almost hypnotic quality!
Athena pushed her Absolute Domain 40% to the absolute limit—
But against the "enchantress" with her power-amplifying skin, she was completely overwhelmed!
In the end, a dazzling "Super Crimson Hornet" blasted the unwilling idol out of the ring!
Women Fighters Team—VICTORY!
Mai had proven her point with a decisive, territory-marking battle.
She was telling the world:
I, Mai Shiranui, am the female lead standing beside Cloud!
...
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