CHAPTER 382: CHAPTER 380: THE ONE WHO PERSISTS TO THE END IS THE WINNER_1

The morning sun was already a bit scorching as Takahashi Saeko returned to the group with a Black Card, a beaming smile on her face. "Iroha, remember to treat me to milk tea," she said.

Ayatsuki Ayaka wiped the sweat from her forehead, her expression full of shock.

She didn’t know how to express her thoughts. Was Saeko’s charm that overwhelming? Or was Peter simply too rich? Two billion Yen, just like that, in less than a minute’s conversation. When could she ever be so carefree? As Ayatsuki Ayaka fantasized about what she would do with such wealth, she realized the most extravagant scenario she could imagine was taking Aozawa to the finest restaurant and eating whatever they wanted, with no idea how to spend two billion Yen. Poverty limited her imagination.

"Damn, when can I become rich too?"

"All it takes is one decision," said Miyahara Kaoru, putting her hands on Ayatsuki Ayaka’s shoulders with a smile. "Take a brave step, and you could come into a great fortune."

"I don’t do illegal things," Ayatsuki Ayaka said petulantly.

"It’s not illegal at all."

"So what should I do?"

Upon hearing that she could gain a lot of money without breaking the law, Ayatsuki Ayaka’s heart fluttered with curiosity.

"Secret~"

Miyahara Kaoru smiled but did not rush to explain. It wasn’t time to reveal it yet.

Takahashi Saeko patted Ayatsuki Ayaka’s shoulder and said, "No more chit-chat here. Let’s hurry and buy the tickets before they sell out."

"Are there so many rich people in Tokyo?"

Ayatsuki Ayaka felt once again that she was living in a different world from those people.

She quickly walked forward, leaving the onlookers behind, and entered the VIP ticketing channel.

There was a blogger in front.

"It hurts, folks, five hundred million Yen for a ticket," the blogger lamented. "If you really want me to bleed for this, then I’ve got no choice but to try."

Upon hearing this, Ayatsuki Ayaka suddenly realized that she was a fashion blogger. At times like this, it seemed fashion bloggers did not care much about leveraging such events for exposure.

"Saeko, can I livestream?" she asked.

"No problem, I don’t mind being on camera," said Takahashi Saeko, shrugging her shoulders.

After thinking for a moment, Ayatsuki Ayaka shook her head and responded, "Never mind."

She didn’t like livestreaming her face and didn’t want them to be on camera just for the sake of gaining more exposure. If it would cause unnecessary trouble, that wouldn’t be good.

"Iroha, you don’t need to overthink it," said Tama Chan, pinching her cheek.

Takahashi Saeko took out the Black Card, swiped it to purchase four tickets, and they smoothly entered the Tokyo Dojo.

Ayatsuki Ayaka was once again captivated by the interior, excitedly saying, "This is my first time here."

"Not my first time," Tama Chan said with a grin. "I think I was here with someone before... His name was something like..."

After a brief pause, Tama Chan couldn’t recall the man’s name and shrugged it off, saying, "Ah well, I completely forgot him."

"Wow, that’s such a Maru thing to say," Iroha complimented, then while looking over the crowd entering, she whispered, "There are so many foreigners."

Takahashi Saeko nodded. "Hmm," she agreed, guessing that these foreigners were probably the staff of foreign ambassadors. Introducing such a tournament in the current climate of Tokyo was bound to draw the attention of other countries, curious about what Japan was doing.

They proceeded into the lower level of the dojo. The seats were arranged in rows around the arena, split into an upper and lower section, and the octagonal dome above gave the space an exceptionally open feeling. The lights were bright.

Ayatsuki Ayaka sat down with her ticket and noticed that the people sitting opposite seemed different.

"That’s strange, why does everyone over there sit so neatly?" she asked.

"That must be the exclusive area for ultra-wealthy people. Look, those of us who bought tickets are all sitting on the east side," explained Takahashi Saeko.

Hearing this, Ayatsuki Ayaka looked around and confirmed she was right. The scattered few were seated on the east side. Outside, it appeared as though there were many ticket buyers, but once inside, it became clear that those who could afford five hundred million Yen were the minority. Just the east side couldn’t fill up, let alone the other three sides.

Ayatsuki Ayaka looked towards the front, where almost every person was in a suit and sunglasses, save for one casually dressed man with blonde hair.

A foreigner?

Ayatsuki Ayaka blinked. She suddenly found the man somewhat familiar. "Hey, doesn’t that guy look familiar?" she exclaimed.

Following her gaze, Takahashi Saeko fixed her eyes on the blonde across the way and after a careful look said, "That’s Phoenix Academy Maggie."

"Eh, so she really is a young lady?" Ayatsuki Ayaka was astounded.

Previously, in class, she had thought that person only seemed like a young lady with a bit of money at home. But to think that outside of school, she was also a young lady in society! The distance between them seemed even greater than in the classroom, as though Maggie were a larger-than-life figure, someone you’d only see on television. Wait, by that logic, the Police Director must be some big shot as well. Damn, after this round of comparison, she realized that she was the weakest among them. It wasn’t the first time she had thought this, yet it was the first time she truly felt the huge gap between their statuses. It wasn’t just a matter of more or fewer words; it was a real disparity.

Takahashi Saeko could tell how discouraged she was from her expression and reached out to pat her head. "There, there, it’s not like you didn’t know about this. Keep your spirits up.

"And besides, sometimes a disparity in status can turn into your advantage. Think about it, how could Phoenix Academy Maggie’s mom possibly allow Aozawa to play the field, right? The Police Director would surely not allow it either. Just hold on and you can win."

"It doesn’t matter if you give up either," Tama Chan added.

Ayatsuki Ayaka clenched her fists with determination. "No, Saeko is right. I want to be Sima Yi!"

Saeko’s analysis made her realize she had a great advantage in her position, similar to Sima Yi in the era of the Three Kingdoms, whose talent wasn’t quite a match for the likes of Cao Cao or Zhuge Liang. But as long as she could last until the end, she would be the winner.

「In the western section, on the second tier of the seats.」

Phoenix Academy Maggie was reviewing documents related to the competition.

The organization of this Earth’s Strongest Martial Arts Tournament was rushed, but the higher-ups were very concerned. When it was time to decide who would take charge, Kochou recommended her. It was a sign of trust from her mother. Phoenix Academy Maggie didn’t want to disappoint her mother’s trust. In the shortest time possible, she arranged everything—the venue setup, competition rules, medical equipment, and more—all without any mishaps. Even she felt tired.

Anyone with management experience knows that overseeing just a dozen people can be frustrating, to the point where one might wish they’d all just disappear. And Phoenix Academy Maggie wasn’t overseeing a dozen people, but tens of thousands. Especially considering the crowds gathered outside, security couldn’t be taken lightly, nor could the crowds be allowed to disperse. Reputation was also a factor in attracting martial artists to the competition; the champion needed the cheers of the people.

Phoenix Academy Maggie let out a breath and flipped through the combatant list on her phone.

To organize the matches quickly, the old methods couldn’t be employed, as they took too much time. There were a total of one hundred and eighty-two martial artists registered. With such a number, it wasn’t just martial artists; there were also agents from various countries, presumably trying to figure out why Japan was hosting this Earth’s Strongest Martial Arts Tournament. The competition was divided into eight zones, from A to H. Considering the time, the top eight competitors would be decided today; fighters in each zone would continuously battle it out until the last one advanced to tomorrow’s matches. In other words, starting now, one hundred and seventy-four people would be eliminated.

Although the competition allowed fighting to the death with minimal restrictions, there still had to be rules for determining victory. One was forfeiture. The other was if an opponent was down and couldn’t get up. Not everyone would necessarily be killed, so the medical teams also needed to be ready.

"Have the medical supplies arrived?"

"Miss, everything is in place."

"Good. Let’s start the first round of matches."

Phoenix Academy Maggie announced, then noticed a familiar name on the list. Her usually composed face showed a hint of shock.

"Miss, is there a problem?"

"No, not at all."

Phoenix Academy Maggie shook her head. Why was Hojo Tetsuji here? Wasn’t that fool struggling with how to draw his manga?

With some concern in her heart, she continued, "Miwa, I’m still not at ease about the medical equipment. Go and supervise to make sure there are no errors."

"Yes, Miss."

Miwa Kazuki nodded. He was well aware that running the event smoothly wouldn’t be easy; too many fatalities could attract external suspicion. He went off to supervise.

Without her butler by her side, Phoenix Academy Maggie exited the group chat and found Hojo Tetsuji’s contact. "Tetsuji, why are you competing?"

「Each zone’s competitors had their own large rest area.」

In the C Zone rest area, Hojo Tetsuji sat in a chair contemplating the next part of his manga plot when his phone rang. He picked it up and replied, "Miss, how did you know I was competing?"

"Cut the crap. I’m right here at the venue. What are you up to?"

"A man’s inspiration is born from blood and sweat."

"You’re an idiot. Look, if you can’t keep up, just forfeit. Don’t be reckless. If you die, Little Sayuri will have to marry someone else and have children."

"Don’t say such depressing things!"

Hojo Tetsuji quickly replied, feeling underestimated. When it came to fighting, he’d never been afraid of anyone.

"Amat dos Santos and Komatsu Toda, please come to the C1 and C2 exits to prepare for the second match," a staff member called out, list in hand.

"Hmph."

A sound like a minor earthquake rumbled through the rest area. Hojo Tetsuji looked up and saw it emanated from one person. Amat dos Santos towered over two meters tall. His waist looked as wide as a bathtub, yet he didn’t appear fat, merely incredibly sturdy. He wore a Beast Fang Necklace. His head was shaved clean except for a fringe of golden dreadlocks, and his jaw was covered in stubble. His massive hands looked capable of crushing a human head like a tomato. Beside his towering and robust frame, even Komatsu Toda seemed small.

GULP. The staff member’s casual expression suddenly turned to fear as he realized that everyone in this large rest area was a monster.