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The first opponent of the Destroyer's Fang.
The number of fighters present, including those who fought at night, was no more than eight.
They breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the result.
At the same time, I felt a pang of pity for someone.
"...Himuro, your 'blessing' really works."
Okubo couldn't help but sigh.
"how so."
Himuro Ryo's face was full of confusion.
He was just saying it casually, but unexpectedly it actually came true.
While aiming for the championship inevitably means facing terrifying opponents like Metsudo no Kiba in the second half of the race, the problem is that one's personal form can fluctuate greatly between the first and second halves of the race.
Even the Fang of Destroyer, when facing strong opponents in the first two rounds, cannot defeat them without suffering any losses. On the other hand, if he encounters relatively weaker opponents in the first two rounds, he can win more easily.
It's the same as subtraction.
10-2-2=6.
8-1-1=6.
In this way, even if they clash in the second half of the race, the odds will be even at best.
This is the main reason why many fighters choose to participate even when they know they may not be a match for "Fang of Destruction".
"It's nothing, Himuro. I'm very satisfied with the result."
Yato knew that Kaguya did it 'on purpose'.
She didn't go first because she was 'gambling'.
I bet the person in front didn't hit d7.
Kaguya, with her intelligence, couldn't possibly be unaware that going first would give them a probabilistic advantage. However, they had already made a bet with Nogi Hideki, which meant that 'encountering 'Metsudō no Ki' as soon as possible and defeating him' was a higher priority than 'winning the championship'.
What if you fight so hard until the second half, only to have 'Fang of Destroyed Hall' defeated by a fighter from Nogi Hideki's camp?
According to the agreement... even if the Nogi Group loses, the three companies, including 'argus', Royal Sakura, and Golden Entertainment, which are the final winners, will still have to appoint Nogi Hideki as the next chairman.
It's like doing someone else's work for them.
Kaguya didn't want to see that happen, and she wouldn't allow even the slightest risk.
Therefore, while everyone else was trying to avoid the 'innocent Fang of Destruction', she did the opposite.
Let others take advantage of probability to choose the 'better' positions first, making it easier to hit your desired position from among the 'bad' positions.
That is—D7!
Although it is very difficult to do in practice, for Kaguya, the captain of the archery club, shooting the one she wants out of the five options is at least 60% certain, if not 100%, which is much better than relying on luck.
Group five was her bottom line.
After all, there are fewer and fewer numbers left, and the probability of being hit is getting higher and higher.
If we wait any longer, it's easy for others to make a mistake.
"Is it the company of that guy who broke through the preliminaries with us? Tsk tsk, I didn't expect the preliminary rounds to have such an intense clash that's at least as exciting as the semifinals. I'm so excited, Tokita! If it were me, as long as I could beat that guy in the preliminaries, I wouldn't care if I lost later!"
Li Ren clenched his fists, his eyes burning with passion, looking like he was on fire.
"You'd better forget it."
Wang Ma said calmly.
"They didn't meet by chance."
"What do you mean?"
"Perhaps they wanted to run into each other, so God gave them a hand."
Seeing Rihito's blank expression, Ohma grinned.
……
After Kaguya hit the number that the other company representatives considered a "landmine," the remaining people immediately felt relieved and efficiently concluded this unconventional lottery event, one after another.
Katahara Metsudou readily announced the 'disbandment'.
Everyone left the hall with their own thoughts.
"Haha, Himuro, you two really are friends, your 'blessings' are equally effective."
“Okubo, your luck has run out. I’m going to make you one of the sixteen ‘stepping stones’ to fall in the first round, right in front of audiences from all over the world. So… uh!”
"Oh, did you say something?"
"hateful!"
Seeing Okubo grab Himuro Ryo's neck and drag him away without any politeness, Yato, who was following behind and deliberately slowing down, shook his head slightly, feeling quite regretful.
Unfortunately, his own words came true.
His first opponent was Naoya Okubo.
This 'Ultimate Fighting King' has a status and reputation almost equal to Gaolang's in the world of mixed martial arts.
It seems that the plan to give Himuro Ryo a good performance on the field has failed.
Just then, someone walked by.
"I don't know what you guys are thinking, but I haven't gotten my revenge on you for that defeat yet. You can't afford to lose to anyone before that happens."
Suddenly, a voice, devoid of any kindness or malice, drifted over as lightly as the air.
The speaker continued walking forward without looking to the side or turning his head.
Yato glanced at it.
That figure was Tokita Ohma.
"This guy... is really confident."
A hint of anticipation flickered in Yato's eyes.
· ······Requesting flowers····· ····
Wang Ma is in Group B, so they won't be able to face him until at least the semi-finals.
But it would be more appropriate for him to say that.
The first-round opponent shouldn't be too difficult for Wang Ma to handle given his current strength, but the second round is a different story.
"What are you thinking?"
A cool, clear voice sounded from behind.
Without turning his head, Yato said, "I was wondering when you would come to me to claim credit."
"What? Isn't this all thanks to me?"
Kaguya raised an eyebrow and took two steps forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
"I didn't say it was bad, it's just... do you have enough financial reserves?"
"of course."
"That's good."
Yato revealed a smile, a smile as greedy and mad as a demon.
"This time, there must be countless people betting on Ghana."
"Yes."
Kaguya's lips curled slightly.
"After all, it was thanks to Chairman Katahara's approval of our proposal that the competition was opened to the public, and the introduction of media and online channels caused a great stir in the outside world."
"The amount of money involved in the betting must be astronomical. People who don't know Ghana will bet everything just by looking at the record. The odds will be unimaginably high. If you can win, our wealth will probably multiply several times in one go."
"That's really exciting... but is there a lot of commotion outside right now?"
Since setting sail, Yato has hardly used his phone to go online.
Kaguya snorted coldly: "Of course you don't know. These past few days you've been so busy playing with girls that you haven't even gone into the room the organizers arranged for you! If it weren't for your phone, I wouldn't know where to look for you."
"So? During these two or three days of 'vacation' for us, the Kengan Association took the opportunity to launch a massive publicity campaign?"
"That's right. With permission from various countries and the cooperation of official media, Chairman Katahara made the world aware of the existence of the 'Kengan Tournament' in just two days and two nights... However, part of the credit also goes to the professional fighting community's fans for cheering it on."
"Because the uproar was so intense, some international associations that advocate 'anti-violence' have jumped out to sing a different tune. Thanks to their arguments with fighting fanatics and corporate fans, the news has even reached the ears of groups that pay no attention to current events."
"That would have a very bad impact."
Yato asked in surprise.
“It’s terrible, but…” Kaguya smiled knowingly, as if she had just thought of something.
"After news broke that world leaders and numerous financial tycoons would also be attending the game, the dissenters immediately fell silent."
"……"wide.
Chapter 205
Go back one day.
Just before the 'Kengan' arrived at its destination.
Shuchiin Academy.
Inside the kendo club dojo.
Although it is summer vacation, more than a dozen people are still persisting in their daily training.
In preparation for the upcoming national competition.
His posture was upright and his demeanor imposing.
Even a layman who doesn't understand swordsmanship could recognize their extraordinary skill level upon seeing this.
The stance incorporates a more aggressive element.
Although he was holding a bamboo sword, he gave the impression of wielding a real sword.
Even so, their swinging sounds were often drowned out by the clearer 'sword cries'.
The sound came from deep within the temple grounds.
There was a designated area that stood out from the crowd.
It is a 'training ground' specifically prepared for one person.
Saeko Busujima adopted the Eight-Symbol Formation, which has long been obsolete in modern kendo.
Her body, clad in training clothes, seemed both relaxed and tense. Whenever she breathed, her body would 'breathe' as well, and power, like blood, would naturally spread throughout her body, flowing quietly between her muscles and bones.
Although it was never sharpened, the training tool she held could still be considered a 'real sword'.
The polished blade was less than ten centimeters from her cheek, reflecting a corner of her delicate and beautiful face like a mirror.
Suddenly, it was as if I had caught a fleeting glimpse of inspiration.
The blade slashed downwards at an angle, creating a dazzling display of light like a waterfall.
The air was cut off, producing a clear, sharp sound.
Before the force is exhausted, the wrist is flipped to change the shape of the dragging knife.
Using her original position as the center point, she moves her feet in a 180-degree circle, seemingly sliding and flashing. If there is an enemy in front of her, this single step can allow her to circle behind them and sneak into their blind spot.
However, the opponent will also notice and create distance in order to counterattack, therefore...
'Poison Island Style - Second Sword - Flying Fish'.
Saeko Busujima took a step forward with her sword, instantly appearing in front of her imaginary enemy. Her body obscured her vision, and she suddenly leaned back, the blade flashing from the lower right to the upper left, like a person on the shore looking down at the water when suddenly a fish breaks through the surface.
His body spun in response to the power of the sword, and then returned to the original 'Eight Phases' stance.