Chapter Fifty-Two: Pre-Match Warm-Up

There was no need for words anymore.

The atmosphere permeating the entire corridor already said everything.

The young man, hair falling loosely around his face, still wore a gentle smile.

But in his eyes, a colossal killing intent was spreading!

Yet this murderous aura, enough to give ordinary people nightmares, was as harmless as a breeze to the three figures facing him.

“Well—it seems we can’t reach an agreement after all, but that was expected...” The man in the cheongsam, responsible for negotiations, let out a sigh. Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly sprang forward toward Bai Tangjing. “So let’s do it!”

His intact right hand formed a crane's beak, thrusting at the boy's eye with a sharp, whistling sound.

In an instant, those tense fingers seemed about to pierce the full, moist eyeball and stab into the brain!

This was not a fighting technique; this was a killing move!

And just as the fingertip was barely a centimeter from the target, the dragon-blood energy in Bai Tangjing’s veins finally roared to life.

A sharp crack as his sleeve sliced through the air, even louder than the cheongsam man’s fist.

With absolute speed, Bai Tangjing’s elbow was raised from behind and deflected the murderous fingers before they could reach him.

But it wasn’t over!

His upraised elbow, moving with perfect precision, caused the attacker’s fingertips to brush harmlessly against his hair. Then, pivoting from the elbow joint, his forearm traced a smooth arc through the air, suddenly shifting direction to bring down a fierce chop on the advancing enemy!

Imitating the snapping force at the tip of a whip, Bai Tangjing’s forearm cracked through the air with a resounding “snap.”

To be fair, Bai Tangjing’s counter seemed rather ordinary.

But even the most basic move, when executed at such overwhelming speed, became an unbreakable technique!

Nikaido Ren, dressed in a cheongsam, pupils contracting, was so startled his hair nearly stood on end!

If his left hand were intact, he could have blocked the attack. But now, with his left arm in a cast, his balance was so compromised he couldn’t even dodge.

If that whistling hand chop landed on him—even on a relatively protected area like the shoulder—even then, he was certain his bones would shatter instantly and he’d lose all ability to fight!

Fortunately, out of caution, the boss had sent three people to deal with Bai Tangjing this time.

One of them, a young man in a judo gi with a beast-like, twisted face, immediately followed Nikaido Ren’s lead, hoping to coordinate an attack. Laughing wildly, he moved on all fours like an animal, using the wall for leverage as he advanced.

Drool even spilled from his lips.

Bai Tangjing recognized this registered combatant—Meguro Masaki.

Because Bai Tangjing’s speed was completely beyond expectation, Meguro’s original plan to team up with Nikaido Ren and disable him instantly had fallen apart.

Now, he could only rely on his bizarre wall-running to attack Bai Tangjing’s flank.

With a demented chuckle, his muscular, calloused hands reached for the boy’s attacking arm. Those thick, veined hands were proof of grueling training.

In the hands of a judo expert, such limbs became the perfect killing tools.

Separating joints, breaking bones, even the simplest, most brutal grip—all could easily take a life.

The so-called god-given hands of the “Viper”—the top fighter of the Bishamon stable—would be no stronger than a cracker in front of these hands!

And now, these hands were only a centimeter away from gripping the boy’s arm!

Wait... a centimeter?

Again, “a centimeter”?

A flicker of horror crossed Nikaido Ren’s eyes.

“Meguro Masaki! Dodge—”

“Bang!”

Just as Nikaido Ren screamed his warning, a whip-like leg, moving in a way that defied human anatomy, exploded out without any assistance from the upper body.

Meguro’s outstretched arm met the incoming shin first.

The terrifying force compressed his shoulder and neck, even crushing his face.

His heavy, solid body, momentum unchecked, slammed into Nikaido Ren, raising a cloud of dust before crashing them both into the corridor wall.

With a thunderous crash, they left a web-shaped crater the size of two people.

Meguro’s muscular arm and face were instantly swollen and bruised, the swelling so severe it impeded movement in his shoulder.

Nikaido Ren, comparatively slender, had only the secondary misfortune of being struck by his teammate and suffered no new injuries—just added humiliation. But the cast on his left arm had inevitably shattered, revealing the mangled limb beneath, as if it had been crushed by hydraulic pliers.

Judging by the degree of distortion, his recovery time would likely double after this.

Throughout it all, Bai Tangjing had remained exactly where he started, having thrown only one punch and one kick.

His smile never faded as he lightly brushed nonexistent dust from his trousers.

Then, in a sudden leap, he left the spot where, even under two-on-one assault, he hadn’t budged an inch.

The very next moment—

“Boom!”

A fist the size of a grown man’s head smashed—no, blasted—into the floor where Bai Tangjing had just been standing!

That enormous, veined fist struck like a living cannonball.

The tough floor tiles, which would normally withstand even a heavy hammer, crumpled like cheap plastic under the blow, the underlying soil torn into a deep, twisted pit.

Two meters and five centimeters tall, weighing two hundred and ten kilos, all muscle, not an ounce of fat.

—Julius Reinhardt!

A bald, musclebound giant in a bodybuilding trunks yanked his fist from the floor!

“I told the boss long ago—there’s no need for dirty tricks. Nothing can harm my muscles.” Julius glanced at Bai Tangjing with calm eyes that didn’t match his fearsome appearance.

“This punch, and their injuries, will be my explanation to the boss. See you in the arena. I hope you walk away in one piece.”

With that, the giant, oddly courteous despite his size, gave a polite wave before striding into the darkness of the corridor.

He was probably headed for his designated entrance.

And Bai Tangjing, for his part, showed no sign of ever having been under siege.

Wearing a radiant smile, the boy waved cheerfully after Julius.

“See you in the ring, big guy!”

Despite his terrifying physique, could he really be so gentle and earnest? The fighters of the Kengan Association truly were fascinating.

~~~~~~

With high-tech projection and stage effects working in tandem, a stunning, dark-skinned beauty with an awe-inspiring chest roared with excitement.

“Everyone! Thank you for waiting!”

“The next contender—born of German life science, forged ever stronger by a storm of pharmaceuticals, the very embodiment of muscle—The Monster: Julius Reinhardt!”

Spinning in her dazzling evening gown, she pointed to the other side of the arena.

“And his opponent—a newcomer of obscure origins, but who, on his first appearance aboard the Death Ship, destroyed his fellow fighters’ bodies and even their fighting spirit like a monster crushing playthings! The first ever to combine the roles of fighter and corporate representative—Bai Tangjing!”

Ignoring commentator Jerry Tyson’s grumbling that he “wasn’t scared at all,” Katanasaya Kaori took a deep breath.

“Now, esteemed guests, please look forward to it!

—The clash between Monster and Beast!”