Martial Arts World, World Seas.

A small fishing boat was rocking back and forth in the unstable waters of the World Seas.

However, with the help of the Sea Steps, the fishermen were able to stay on their fleet, and currently, they were taking some pictures.

Click! Click! Click!

Their portable cameras were capturing the sight of the Dead World's cliffs.

Since the disappearance of the strange mist that had been hiding Dead World for a very long time now, Dead World's land had become visible to the outside world for the first time in millennia.

"…What an amazing view."

"…To think that there is actually another civilization living over there. I cannot believe it."

The fishermen spoke among themselves.

They weren't the only boat around, and there were actually hundreds of ships recording and taking pictures of Dead World.

Most of them were using nearby Rotaker Island as their base for exploration, where they got more supplies and rested between expeditions.

The news about Kiernan Hunter's experiences in Dead World had become public.

It had now come to the public's knowledge that Dead World wasn't as toxic as some people thought, and while it was a place plagued by Magical Beasts, they weren't the ones killing previous expedition parties.

There was actually a hostile civilization living there.

The families of deceased expedition parties finally got the closure that they had so desperately needed.

"…I wonder what the government is planning to do over there."

"…Maybe invade it and take it back to humans? That hostile civilization is hostile towards humans, so having them so close to our human race is dangerous!"

"…Dead World originally belonged to us either way. We should just go there and kill them all. In my opinion, they had already started war by killing an innocent group of humans!"

The fear that Mercedes had been spreading among Red Ones was that if humans found out about them, they would invade and try to kill them.

It was very far-fetched and crazy, but the Red Ones believed her because Mercedes made humans look like demons.

In the end, those things came true, as most of the humans wanted to destroy them now.

However.

It was because they were also afraid, and if the Red Ones didn't start killing them first, they could've easily gotten along.

Now, it was too late.

Mercedes didn't want peace. The war was what she wanted. And she was very much going to get it.

"…Huh? Is someone coming from Dead World?"

One of the fishermen said in surprise as he was able to see with the help of the zoom option in the camera that a small boat was coming from Dead World.

The person sitting on the boat was using the oar to row towards them.

"…Who is that?"

"…Did someone crazy really go all the way to Dead World? Didn't the government forbid that since it was so dangerous?"

"…Some people really are just crazy."

The fishermen said.

In that moment, the person tipped his wide-brimmed hat and revealed his blind eyes and short silver hair.

He was wearing a full-body black cloak and had a sword dangling from his waist.

"…A welcoming committee? Heh."

Metsudo smiled, and he then stood up on the boat.

He tapped his feet on the boat. He suddenly teleported and appeared on the deck of one of the fishing boats.

"Ah!"

"Who the hell are you?!"

"How did you get here?!"

The fishermen pointed their tridents and hooks at the person.

Metsudo looked just like them. A human. He didn't have the same red skin as the others of his race.

Yet, the fishermen could tell that something was eerily wrong about him.

"I want Kiernan Hunter."

Metsudo said with a smirk, and he only tapped his finger on the hilt of his sword, and suddenly the heads of the fishermen rolled to the ground.

They all died instantly.

"…Ah… Ah… Ah…"

At the deck of one of the nearby boats, a frightened-looking young man happened to just look over there with a spyglass.

He saw everything that happened.

"M-Murder… Murder… MURDER!"

"Shh…"

At that moment, Metsudo appeared right in front of him in less time than it took him to blink his eyes.

"…Gulp!"

The young man looked frightened and gulped.

In that moment, Metsudo tapped his finger on the hilt of his sword, and everyone's heads again rolled off their shoulders.

"Hehe~"

…

Heavens, the Feast Hall.

"Come on!"

"You can do it!"

"FIGHT HARDER!"

The fights went on in the Battle of the Champions, and gods kept devouring their food like gluttonous beasts.

The goddesses were more graceful in that department, and they weren't acting like other gods were—like pigs.

The rounds flew by.

Prisoner's fights ended just like the first one. In dominant fashion. He still hadn't revealed his arms from the bonds of the straitjacket.

Meanwhile, Kiernan cruised through his opponents with just the help of his martial arts.

He didn't need to use his Martial Ability. Nor Flow State. Nor any of the Supermoves of the Iron Style.

All he relied on were the basic techniques, and that was more than enough for him to crush everyone under his fist.

And with the night turning ever so deeper, the final match of the A-Block of the Battle of the Champions concluded.

One of the finalists of the Battle of the Champion was already clear, but there was one more final left to decide the other one.

The final of the B-Block.

Prisoner vs. Kiernan Hunter.

"…"

The gods and goddesses quieted down.

The tension grew significantly in the Feast Hall, as this was the fight that everyone had been waiting for.

It was basically Kiernan going against Death!

"…You better win."

Death whispered to his champion.

"I will. I don't want to go back to that prison cell ever again."

Prisoner said with a serious look and slowly made his way to the stage, but even now, he again put the straitjacket on.

He bound his arms!

"…Good luck."

The Fair One said with a nervous tone.

This was easily the hardest match so far, and even if Kiernan won, he wouldn't be able to get through this match without severe injuries.

They all agree that Prisoner was extremely strong, and no one had seen even a glimpse of his true strength yet.

However.

So was Kiernan.

He hadn't shown his full potential either.

"I don't need luck."

Kiernan stood up, made his way to the stage, and faced Prisoner with a tight-lipped look, as he wasn't going to smile.

Everyone looked at them nervously.

"…What realm are you from?"

Kiernan asked curiously.

"I don't remember. I've been trapped in Hell for so long that I don't remember any of that. I've been in Hell longer than most realms have existed."

Prisoner said.

"Is it bad over there?"

Kiernan asked.

"...the worst thing you could imagine. And then some. You'll get to experience it soon enough, and knowing Death, what you'll experience will be even worse than mine."

Prisoner said.

"I better not die then."

Kiernan moved to his Iron Style stance.

However, every god and goddess had strange expressions on their faces as they noticed something odd.

They had kept a good eye on Kiernan, and so far, he had always used the same defensive stance since the beginning of the tournament.

Now.

He was using the offensive stance!

"…"

Kiernan's eyes looked serious.

If anybody from his dojo saw him use the offensive stance, they would be even more shocked than them.

They knew that Kiernan didn't like using an offensive stance that much to start his fights, as he preferred defense.

However, there was a reason why he was doing this.

He wanted to get this stupid tournament out of the way and get back to Aoi and Ellie as soon as possible.

He couldn't see them for ten years, and then he was pulled into this tournament.

With an offensive stance, he was going straight to offense and was going to crush his opponent as soon as possible.

"Are the two of you ready?"

The winged angel asked.

"Yes."

Kiernan said.

"…Yeah."

Prisoner said.

With that, the winged angel's arm slowly came down, and from his mouth, a shout came.

"FIGHT!"

Void Step! Iron Smash!

In that moment, Kiernan appeared in front of the Prisoner, and punched straight into his bound arms.

Prisoner was basically blocking the punch with his bound arms, but in that moment, his straitjacket got ripped apart by the force of the punch.

"…Ah?"

Prisoner's arms got freed.

'He wanted to free my arms? Is he saying, 'You're going to need those arms to fight me, or you're going to regret it?' How confident of him…'

Prisoner narrowed his eyes, and then he smiled and whispered, "Fine," and he reeled back his fist in preparation to punch.

"…He is going to punch!"

"…At last!"

He punched forward, and Kiernan met his punch with his Iron Smash, and the two fists collided in the middle in a burst of energy.

Boooooooooooooooooooom!

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