Go All Out?

"Broly of Group 7 is the youngest contestant in this Martial Arts Tournament, but with sheer determination, he defeated his opponent and advanced to the Qualifying Round.

"The merchant association supporting him is the Rabbit Gathering Merchant Association from the Empire's south. Their silk fabrics are excellent.

"Uh, contestant Broly, in your condition, are you really going to keep competing?"

At the end of the introduction, the Tournament Host finally voiced the question on behalf of the audience. There was no other reason—Broly was the only contestant who had entered the arena battered and bruised, limping with every step.

Broly held a wooden stick he had picked up by the roadside. A strip of white cloth was tied to its upper end, bearing a hand-drawn rabbit head—the emblem of the Rabbit Gathering Merchant Association that had granted them the right to compete.

But in Broly's hands, paired with his bruised face and limping gait, it made him look exactly like the lead zombie heralding the arrival of a massive horde.

Compared to the confident style of the other contestants, who put on a strong front even when injured, his entrance was a downright mudslide amid the Western Martial Arts Tournament's long history.

"I'm fine. It only looks serious—these are just superficial wounds. I have to keep fighting for my family. If I don't fight, we'll go hungry. So I'll keep fighting."

Broly spoke those words with difficulty. Other than the superficial wounds being a lie, every word was true.

The audience fell somewhat silent. Fighting for one's family—after all this time, it was the first time the Martial Arts Tournament had heard such a reason.

The other contestants all looked at him, their expressions varied. But one thing was certain: most of them were dismissive.

Martial Artists respected strength above all else. Broly's wretched appearance was the very image of weakness.

They could pity him, but losing to him out of pity? That was absolutely impossible.

At such a young age, he had already reached the Top 16. Though this Martial Arts Tournament was rather watered down, if they recruited this child to train in Olborg, he might turn into a decent assassin...

Merraid thought this to herself. As the future successor to the Assassin's Guild's leader, it was necessary for her to gather a group of assassins loyal to her.

Though she disliked men, if she was merely training subordinates, she could accept that boy fighting for his family.

Survival of the fittest. The strong survive. She hoped he could go farther...

Esdeath thought of her mother, who had been eaten by a Danger Beast, and her father, who had been killed when the Different Race from the north invaded their village. Their deaths could all be attributed to their own weakness. This was the philosophy of survival her father had taught her since childhood.

There was no need to mourn the deaths of the weak. Becoming stronger and surviving this Cruel World more effectively—that was what the living should concern themselves with.

She did not pity the boy, nor did she mock his wretched state. She merely hoped that he would struggle onward and become strong.

Capture Target detected: Esdeath. Current Happiness Value: 0

The Crystal Palace's prompt made Broly glance at Esdeath a few more times. But he was currently Playing a contestant on the verge of collapse, with no chance of winning, so it was not the right time to approach the girl who would appear first.

Who am I?

Where am I?

"Did one of our merchant association's contestants just go on stage?"

In the Merchant Group Organizer Seats, Manager Norsen of the Rabbit Gathering Merchant Association fell into confusion. He had never imagined that this tournament would have anything to do with his merchant association.

Yet somehow, a contestant had appeared onstage, holding a flag bearing his merchant association's emblem in an utterly shabby fashion.

"Yes, Master."

The Old Servant beside him answered.

"Who was that?"

"He wasn't one of the Martial Artist contestants we hired at the last minute."

"So, he's the Big Brother of those children?"

"Probably..."

Even the Old Servant found it hard to believe, but the facts were right before them.

"What a pity."

Manager Norsen calmed down from his excitement.

"Indeed, what a pity."

The Old Servant echoed him.

If they had known someone could make it into the Top 16, they would have helped prepare a proper flag made by the Rabbit Gathering Merchant Association.

Instead, he had taken the stage with a broken branch, a hand-drawn rabbit-head pattern on white cloth, and the merchant association's name written incorrectly below it, crossed out, with the character for "rabbit" rewritten beside it.

The reason they found it regrettable was that Broly's entrance made him look utterly incapable of fighting his way through today's Round of 16.

In that miserable state, just how weak would a contestant have to be to lose to that child?

Manager Norsen and the Old Servant beside him did not think such a contestant existed. And it was not just them—most of the audience in the arena believed that the child no longer had the ability to advance.

"At the Betting House, Big Brother's Odds have already risen to 1-to-11."

"Good, but don't buy yet. What are the Odds on the organizer's side?"

"They've reached 1-to-16."

"Looks like more people are betting through the organizer, so they've raised Big Brother's Odds that high. Mm, we'll wait until the second match is over before buying. Let's see if Big Brother's Odds can go up any further."

The matches in the arena had already begun, and Nahash and the other children had begun moving as well. They watched Broly's Odds at every betting point, intending to go All-in on their Big Brother's victory at whichever point offered the highest Odds when the third match began.

The matches in the arena had been fairly exciting, but this was already the second bout.

As for the first bout, Esdeath of Group 1 had faced the advancing contestant from Group 2. The Group 2 contestant had lasted only three minutes before the Northern Fighter girl, whose fighting style was exceptionally fierce, kicked them off the stage.

If the occasion had been more suitable, Broly would have wanted to stand up from the contestants' area and cheer for this wife he had yet to meet, raising the Happiness Value of this newly discovered wife. Well, if cheering actually worked.

The two Martial Artists in the second bout engaged in a Clash of Weaklings for half an hour before it finally ended when one of them was struck in the back of the head and knocked unconscious.

The third match began. Merraid, the advancing contestant from the Fifth Group, stepped onto the stage. Relying on her nimble footwork and exquisite Acupoint Striking Technique, she effortlessly defeated her somewhat clumsy opponent in seven minutes.

"Hey, Little One, you'd better Go All Out in battle. If you perform well enough, I can consider taking you and your family in."

As she passed by Broly, who was preparing to take the stage, Merraid suddenly said this to him.

Broly: "?!"

He turned to look at the back of the Bun-haired Girl as she walked away.

She wanted him to Go All Out?

Was she trying to make him destroy this world?