"The Martial Arts Tournant begins!"
As the Emperor’s command was amplified and broadcasted through the loudspeakers, the crowd’s excitent was instantly ignited. Cheers and cries of "Long live the Emperor!" filled the air, turning the Imperial Arena into a sea of exhilaration and applause.
Watching the elderly Emperor, who still held great sway over the Empire’s citizens, Selene was slightly surprised. Judging by the Empire’s current unity and vigor, there seed to be no signs of impending decline.
It was hard to believe that in just ten short years, by the year 1024 of the Imperial Calendar, the Empire would be on the brink of collapse.
After the Emperor’s sowhat weak voice faded, it was replaced by a loud, booming voice.
"According to the rules of the Royal Fist Temple Martial Arts Tournant, the first round will be an elimination round."
"This year, 3,244 contestants passed the registration screening. The competition will follow a points-based elimination format. The losers will be imdiately disqualified from the tournant, while the winners will earn a point and continue competing until all participants are eliminated except for the final champion. Rember! There are no draws in the official matches!"
"And now, the first match is about to begin. The contestants are Number 251 from the Empire’s four border regions and..."
...
As thousands of contestants on the waiting platform inside the Imperial Arena anxiously adjusted their conditions in anticipation of the start of the matches, Selene found herself growing a bit bored and closed her eyes to rest.
"What a dull place! Can’t I just fight everyone at once and get this over with?" Selene thought, frustrated by the tediousness of the matches, but she knew it was just wishful thinking.
"Patience. One step at a ti, like boiling a frog in warm water," she reminded herself, deciding to take things slowly.
It wasn’t long before one of the arena staff finally called out Selene’s number.
"Contestant Number 648, Contestant Number 648..."
The staff mber glanced at Selene, then checked the information on his list, lingering a bit on her striking crimson, diamond-shaped pupils before confirming her identity and allowing her to proceed to the stage.
Selene strode confidently onto the stage, noting how different it felt from watching below. The roar of the crowd, the electrifying atmosphere—being on the stage made it all feel much more intense, and even Selene couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitent.
This was her first ti fighting in front of such a large audience.
Then she overheard a conversation between two nearby spectators.
"Ugh, why is it a noble lady up there? We’re done for! I bet on Han to win!"
"Hey, I’m fine with it. Although Han struggled in the last match, I believe in him. He’ll keep winning for sure!"
Selene felt a pang of irritation. Are they really looking down on that much?!
But she understood. Despite her commanding presence, Selene’s noble and elegant appearance, like a snow lotus on a high mountain, didn’t exactly scream "fighter." And although she was clad in silver armor, her perfectly proportioned figure and porcelain-like skin didn’t suggest the physique of a warrior.
At that mont, a figure leaped onto the stage opposite her. This was clearly her opponent for the first match.
He was a young man, appearing to be around twenty years old, with a tall and well-built physique. Though not overly handso, he had a certain rugged charm and exuded a steady and composed aura. The thick calluses on his hands indicated a deep foundation in martial arts.
anwhile, on the central viewing platform, the Emperor, who had been watching the match with mild interest, suddenly made a soft sound of surprise.
"General Budo, who is she? Is she one of your military’s contestants?"
Hearing this, General Budo, who was standing by to maintain order and protect the Emperor, glanced at his list and then at Selene on the stage. "Your Majesty, I have never seen her before."
"Hmm? If she’s not from the military... she doesn’t seem like an ordinary person either," the Emperor remarked, intrigued.
After observing her for a mont, General Budo spoke seriously, "She’s not from our military, but this girl is no simple fighter. I felt a twinge of unease just watching her. If she doesn’t et an early end, her strength might one day surpass mine."
"Oh... such high praise? The match is about to begin; let’s see how it goes," the Emperor said, now watching Selene with keen interest. In his experience, General Budo was a strict and serious man, so anyone who earned such a high evaluation from him must be extraordinary.
...
"Begin!"
The mont the match started, the contestant nad Han swiftly bent low and charged forward, opening with a straight punch aid directly at Selene’s face, wasting no ti on words. But...
To Selene, his speed was no different from standing still. She responded with a straightforward punch of her own.
Crack!
"Ahh!!"
The sound of bones breaking and a heart-wrenching scream rang out. Before the audience could even process what had happened, Selene, without needing to accelerate, took advantage of Han’s mont of paralysis from the pain and used a single finger to strike directly at his throat.
After finishing the move, Selene dusted off her hands, yawned, and turned to leave.
anwhile, Han collapsed to his knees, clutching his throat, gasping for breath, before finally collapsing to the ground, unconscious.
At that mont, the audience finally realized what had happened. How did the match end so quickly?! We didn’t even see what happened!
"That’s it?!"
"Ah! My money!"
"Rigged! This has to be rigged!"
As the saying goes, so win, and so lose.
The audience erupted into chaos. While a few lucky individuals celebrated their winnings, the vast majority wore grim expressions. Though the bets hadn’t reached their peak amounts, it was still money lost.
Even a small amount is still sothing.
Those who had bet on Han were in disbelief. How could he lose so quickly? And to a noble lady, no less?!
Aren’t you a Royal Fist Temple elite? What happened to your martial arts? Where’s that endurance you showed in the last match? Did you take a bribe to throw the fight?!
If the unconscious Han knew what the audience was thinking, he’d probably spit in their faces.
Keep fighting?! Easier said than done. Why don’t you try it yourself!
Only Han, who had faced Selene directly, truly understood the vast gap in their abilities. It was like a chasm he couldn’t hope to cross.
The mont their fists t, Han felt his right arm go numb, followed by excruciating pain, and in the next instant, it was over!
Faced with this outco, even the referee was montarily stunned, having missed the critical mont of the match. But after checking Han’s condition, the result beca clear.
"Contestant Number 648 is the winner!"
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