Chapter 622: The Western Martial Arts Tournament Eight Years Later

"Broly, why don't you stay a few more days? The Martial Arts Tournament in Daxi City is about to start again. How about you leave after this grand event is over?"

Facing Main's persuasion, Broly looked at the other wives beside him, wearing thin sleepwear and looking at him expectantly, and did not refuse: "Alright, then I'll stay a few more days."

Akame and the others were very happy. After changing into casual clothes and eating breakfast, they took Broly to stroll the streets of Daxi City, which is now the capital of the Great Western Nation.

"Customer, have we met before?"

The owner of the Bursting Candy Shop, looking at Broly's appearance, had a constant feeling of déjà vu.

"I'm not sure."

Broly shook his head. For people he didn't care about, he usually had no memory.

"But I have participated in the Martial Arts Tournament here before. You might have seen me on the ring."

After Broly paid, he carried a bag of bursting candies in different colors and ran back into the midst of his wives.

The shop owner watched the receding backs of the group and suddenly remembered the reason for making his shop's signature Red Heart Fruit Blood Plasma Candy, and the matter of him stealing the other party's Martial Arts Tournament runner-up title back then to privately publicize his own candy stall.

"Eh, how could that be? It's been seven or eight years. A person can't possibly stay the same. Most likely, it's that person's child..."

As for the women holding that boy's hand, perhaps one of them is his mother.

"Boss, please give us a serving of this place's signature candy."

Just then, a few more customers arrived.

"Tatsumi, will candy in a big city be sold very expensively?"

Beside him, a girl tugged at the sleeve of the speaking boy.

"Rest assured, Sayu. With the abilities of the three of us, we can definitely place in the Martial Arts Tournament. The money for just a serving of candy is definitely more than enough."

Another boy following behind said in a carefree manner.

"Iyeas is right. And as long as we make the top thirty-two, we can get prize money. With the prize money, the folks in the village won't have to live so hard."

Three youths from a remote village in the former Empire's central region, carrying travel expenses pooled by the village, came to the Great Western Nation. Their purpose was to earn big money that would let everyone in the village live easily.

And at this current time, for people confident in their own strength, the easiest way to earn big money is to directly participate in the upcoming Martial Arts Tournament.

"Eh, why does registration cost money too?"

The three ate a serving of candy and arrived at the Martial Arts Tournament registration point, but upon learning that registration required a hefty fee, Iyeas immediately became dissatisfied.

"This is to screen out guys who aren't confident enough in their own strength. After all, losing means losing face and the registration fee, which will make many guys who lack confidence in their strength participate cautiously."

A tall figure came up behind the youths. A rough voice answered the youths' question.

"Ah, so tall..."

Iyeas raised his head, saw the burly man with a full beard, and hurriedly turned and stepped back a few paces.

"Of course, some participants don't need to pay the registration fee to participate."

The burly man walked up to the counter and reported his title to the registration lady behind the counter: "I am the Extreme Rabbit Chamber of Commerce player representative, Samba-san. Please register me."

"Ah, it's Samba-san. He's come out of seclusion again?!"

Hearing this, someone nearby exclaimed in surprise.

"Excuse me, who exactly is that bearded uncle?"

Tatsumi politely inquired the surrounding people for information.

"What? You don't even know Samba-san? You're from outside the Great Western Nation, right?"

"Uh, yes."

Tatsumi admitted it, and saw the speaker exuding a thick sense of local superiority.

"Sigh, another batch of country bumpkins planning to make a name for themselves at the Daxi City Martial Arts Tournament. Let me tell you, our Great Western Nation is different from your backwater little places. Martial Arts Experts are a dime a dozen here..."

After showing off a wave of superiority, this person finally introduced Samba-san to Tatsumi and the other two: "Samba-san is the consecutive champion of the previous Martial Arts Tournaments. Just three years ago, for some reason, he suddenly disappeared. Everyone thought he might have died in some unknown place, but didn't expect he's still alive. For this Martial Arts Tournament's championship, he is definitely the strongest contender!"

Samba-san's ears twitched. He heard the surrounding people discussing him, coughed lightly, and said to the surrounding people: "Three years. Do you know how I spent these three years? That's right. Three years ago, I felt my martial arts hit a bottleneck (contacted by the Imperial Assassination Unit to assassinate Assassin Alliance people), so I resolutely returned to the Gifnora Sea Tree Forest to temper my martial arts (turned around and sold the Imperial Assassination Unit's intel to the Assassin Alliance, then took the assassination hiring fee from the Imperial Assassination Unit and ran)."

"And now, my martial arts have made a new breakthrough (three months ago, he came out to purchase supplies, learned the Imperial regime had collapsed, felt the Empire shouldn't be able to trouble him anymore, the limelight passed, so he decided to come out of seclusion)."

"I, Samba-san, wearing this latest style Extreme Rabbit Chamber of Commerce full set Summer Hard Man Outfit sold for only 1888, will return to the Martial Arts Tournament championship stage, letting the world witness my efforts these three years!"

"Ah, why does he keep mentioning the Extreme Rabbit Chamber of Commerce?"

Iyeas looked at the bearded burly man striking poses over there, somewhat confused by the other party's behavior.

"Haha, you don't even know this, and you still want to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Extreme Rabbit Chamber of Commerce is the Gold Master behind him. Of course he has to help advertise. And speaking like this now, I'm afraid every word is worth over a thousand gold."

The three, Tatsumi and the others, were greatly shocked. They only felt city people were truly generous, actually willing to spend that much money to hire someone to say a few promotional lines.

"Tatsumi, let's go find a Merchant Group too."

Iyeas proposed. And just as the three were full of confidence, going to search for a Merchant Group willing to invest in them, a scantily clad girl also brushed past them and walked straight to the counter.

"My name is Matou. I am here to seize this Martial Arts Tournament championship, and then, with the champion's identity, apply to join the Assassin Alliance..."

The Imperial regime was overthrown. Matou, the Rakshasa Four Ghosts who hadn't found employment yet, directly announced unemployment. After leaving the Empire's central region with her father Gozuki, this pair of former Imperial Assassins father and daughter came to the Great Western Nation.

Her father told her the Empire was finished. They had to work for a new nation. But because of their former identities, they needed to produce sufficient value to join the Assassin Alliance, and not be dragged down by their past identities.

And the Great Western Nation Martial Arts Tournament is the best place to demonstrate one's value as a martial artist. The champion would undoubtedly receive olive branches thrown by multiple factions.

Quite a few champion martial artists thereby joined the Assassin Alliance, becoming part of the Great Western Nation's order-guarding force, or rather, Civil Servants with violence and adjudication privileges.

"General Najenda, are you really going to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament hosted by the Great Western Nation?"

In an old inn, Rabac asked the capable woman with twisted braids before him.

"Mm, I'm participating. If you're worried about danger, you can leave first."

"That's not what I mean. It's just that your identity is extremely sensitive."

The Empire's former Major General. One year ago, she betrayed the Empire, allowed the Southern Revolutionary Army to enter the Imperial Capital directly, becoming the key figure in overthrowing the Imperial regime.

But now, because her ideals clashed with the Revolutionary Army's upper echelons, and she had witnessed that some within the Southern Revolutionary Army were no different from the Imperial Army, this former Imperial general who had betrayed the Empire was preparing to betray the Southern Revolutionary Army — a name that did not live up to its reputation.

"This is the Great Western Nation; given that Ice Queen's methods, she definitely won't care about threats from various factions. My identity is somewhat sensitive, but here, it doesn't amount to much."

"But do you really think, Rabac, that just participating in a martial arts tournament can truly save the Empire?"

"Rabac, you've misunderstood one thing — I'm not with the Restoration Faction. I have no interest in saving the rotten Empire that once betrayed me.

There is only one thing I want to do: end this chaotic era and bring peace and light to more commoners. And the only force capable of that is the Great Western Nation.

It's just that the Great Western Nation has no intention of saving the outside world. My participation in the martial arts tournament is merely to get myself onto the Great Western Nation's political stage.

Win the championship, join the Assassin Alliance, become part of its upper echelons, then persuade the city lords of the Great Western Nation's city-states to expand the nation's territory outward.

Only then can I achieve my goal and bring peace and light to more commoners."

As Najenda spoke these words, her whole body radiated the light of humanity; Rabac stared at her, momentarily stunned.

But after reacting, he grew worried: "However, the Emperor currently ruling the Great Western Nation seems to be that Ice Queen, who is cruel by nature."

"Rabac, I need to remind you of one thing — the Great Western Nation has no Emperor. That Esdeath is just a battle maniac. As long as you satisfy her battle lust, she definitely won't mind other matters, and she'll let the outside world gain the same peace as here in the Great Western Nation."

Najenda, who had once met Esdeath, even crossed hands with her, and then been let go, was very certain of this.

"You have the potential to grow stronger. Take this and keep working hard. If this world has no opponents, it would be far too boring."

At that time, Esdeath had said exactly that to her, and even tossed her a manual similar to the Yellow Springs Temple's techniques, called the "Qi Refining Fist" by the other party.

Najenda had cultivated this manual for over half a year now, and her strength had improved considerably compared to half a year ago.

This time, the championship of the Great Western Nation's Martial Arts Tournament — she was determined to win it.

"The Martial Arts Tournament starts tomorrow. Even though it's just the Sea Selection, there'll definitely be a lot of people. We need to prepare more hamburgers and iced juice — tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, three days to make a killing!"

Chelsea, once the Governor's Mansion's little maid, lost her well-paid job after the Governor was assassinated by the Assassin Alliance.

Although she was later hired by the City Lord's Mansion, the salary was lower. And when she served the visiting Assassin young lady (Mio) at the City Lord's Mansion last year, she ate a food called a hamburger, and this girl sensed a business opportunity.

She researched how to make hamburgers, and opened the first hamburger shop here in Daxi City. Now, with the martial arts tournament imminent, she plans to promote simple-packaged, hand-held hamburgers at the tournament.

"As long as our hamburger shop's reputation gets out there and we secure investment from a Merchant Group, we can make it big and strong. Then we'll open chain stores, and we'll all be Store Managers!"

Chelsea spoke inspiring words, and the girls beside her who had quit their maid jobs at the City Lord's Mansion to go into the hamburger business were each fired up like they'd been injected with chicken blood — excited beyond measure.

Holding a martial arts tournament requires battle not only from the martial artists participating, but also from these restaurant operators preparing to earn the customers' money.

"Just because we have no fame, does that mean you can't believe in our potential?"

In the evening, Iyeas, who had been searching for a Gold Master but was rejected many times, roared out somewhat unwillingly.

"Forget it, Iyeas. We can only self-fund our participation. Only after we make a name for ourselves might we get investment from wealthy Merchant Groups."

Tatsumi helplessly slapped his companion's shoulder, and just before the registration deadline, paid the fee to register himself and the others.

"Eh? Weapons aren't allowed? That's not right — aren't weapons allowed?"

Having registered and learned the no-weapons rule, the country girl Sayu went blank.

"Weapons are allowed, but that's for the Top 32 matches. As for the Sea Selection, participants are not allowed to use weapons.

The Martial Arts Tournament is held every year, and every year some participants die. Fists and feet have no eyes, and weapons are prohibited because their killing power is greater than fists and feet, making it easier for participants to die. This is also for the participants' safety."

Hearing this explanation, Tatsumi and the other two looked at each other in dismay.

"But if you put it that way, doesn't the Top 32 mean participants are allowed to kill each other?"

Sayu asked.

"Not exactly. For the Top 32 matches, the tournament provides powerful medical guarantees for the Top 32 participants.

As long as the head isn't split vertically, even if the skull comes off, we have corresponding Teigu Users skilled in treating external injuries to help heal the wounds.

Hmm, at least injuries where the head is cut off — as long as it's not delayed too long — can all be saved."

God's Hand — this Teigu was not obtained by Broly through a Zero-Yuan Purchase eight years ago, but was snatched by Esdeath.

As for the reason for snatching this thing, it was simply that Esdeath felt the Western Martial Arts Tournament should be more exciting — that is, lifting the restrictions on weapon use.

God's Hand was to avoid the problem of heavy participant casualties that might result from lifting the weapon restrictions.

In other words, martial artists skilled with weapons, once they enter the Top 32, need not hold back and can unleash their full power on the ring.

As long as the head isn't smashed to pulp, pure cutting wounds can be completely saved through the ultra-precise surgery performed by God's Hand.

"Come on, let's break into the Top 32 together and earn enough money for everyone in the village!"

Two boys and one girl, palms stacked over palms at the registration entrance, shouted the slogan of breaking into the Top 32 and making big money.

But reality is cruel. The quality of martial artists participating in the Great Western Nation's Martial Arts Tournament now is stronger year by year.

After the second day's Sea Selection, only the boy named Tatsumi barely advanced; the other two were both eliminated.

"Sorry, Tatsumi. My opponent was just too strong."

The boy who ran into Matou in the preliminaries and was instant-killed in one move wore a face of shame.

"It's fine. I'll carry your share and work hard too!"

On the third day, the sunny boy carrying the village's last hope stepped onto the Main Stage of the Martial Arts Tournament's Top 32 matches.

Just like Broly eight years ago, all participants who emerged from the Sea Selection needed to make a collective appearance.

But the difference was, Broly today was not a participant standing on the ring, but a venerable figure sitting on the viewing platform representing the Assassin Alliance.

"Now, please welcome the runner-up of the Western Martial Arts Tournament eight years ago, the faith of the Kathisaya God Religion, the great Slave Liberator of Borsil City, the true mastermind behind the Assassin Alliance — Broli-sama — to give an address for this grand Martial Arts Tournament!"

(Chapter End)