The Competition / The Semifinals

If I didn't mishear, then I must be crazy.

"If you're really that good, I'll be really looking forward to it."

Lacking in substance.

Su Lin didn't want to explain anything; the specific results would be known in due time.

The three waited a while, and then the announcement that the competition was about to begin came.

They walked out of the main gate together, followed a corridor for a distance, and then met up with the other contestants before entering the venue together.

"Please welcome all the participants of the 22nd Super Fighting Competition to the stage."

The audience cheered as the host shouted their encouragement.

"First up is Max the Ultimate Karate, the A-Class hero ranked 19th in the capital's competition, a man known as Lightning MAX who is active in the streets and alleys!"

"A touch of green amidst a sea of flowers, Lightning Speed, Godspeed technique that can only be described as art. Fist, jingle, jingle!"

"A touch of green amidst a sea of flowers—what a strange description!"

Unexpectedly, Su Lin discovered that the girl named Lingling was quite cute, and couldn't help but make a comment.

The presentation is still ongoing.

It's worth noting that Snake Fist Snak, ranked 38th in A-Class and the last one, also came.

Well, I mentioned it casually during the introduction.

"Next up, the contestant who specifically asked not to hit my head, are you sure you're not here to be funny? Water Ball Carbonic Fist - Charanko."

A chorus of boos erupted.

The host smiled and continued the introduction.

"This man, hailed as the strongest in the history of fighting and a two-time champion, defeats all his opponents with a single blow, and he is not even using his full strength. Dark Hell Murder Technique - Bakuzan."

"And the next one, who is also very strong, is the young legend who has returned after a seven-year absence from the competition and once achieved a four-time consecutive championship - Water Dragon of the Underworld Fist."

"They're really popular."

Su Lin remained silent.

Water Dragon even said "Yay!" which made a large group of girls scream and go crazy.

The host then showered the person with praise before introducing the last person to join the group.

"The last one is truly unexpected. An S-Class hero has actually come to participate in this competition. Is he here to crush the weak? Let's welcome the S-Class hero... Oh, why are his rankings different in several records? Anyway, S-Class hero— Su Lin."

"Roar"

Some viewers seemed even more excited.

Su Lin had no idea when she suddenly had so many fans.

"It seems that the heroes' fame is bound to spread."

The presentation did not stop because of the cheers.

"This isn't S-Class hero, but a legend who rose from A-Class, achieving an incredibly rapid advancement in the shortest time and single-handedly defeating countless monsters. With such a powerful figure joining the fray, Bakuzan and Water Dragon will surely face a tough battle, right?"

"Hmph, they're quite formidable. This tournament has finally brought me some truly impressive figures. Bakuzan, and the seemingly powerful Su Lin —I hope they won't disappoint me." Water Dragon exuded confidence, as if he was certain of victory.

Well, most people don't really have a clear understanding of S-Class. And since A-Class doesn't seem very strong, they naturally don't know how big the difference is between the two.

Chapter 426 Competition

The opening ceremony has ended; the battle has begun.

Back in the preparation room.

"Su Lin, you have a lot of fans, and most of them are men."

"..."

Su Lin, who was drinking water next to him, suddenly coughed.

"No, the ratio is more or less 3:4, it's just that some people are making a lot of noise about it."

In any competition, any hero with a name or ranking of B-rank or higher will have supporters to some extent. But in reality, even ordinary martial artists would be embarrassed to participate in such a competition if they didn't have B-rank strength.

"No, I clearly heard only men."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Su Lin put down his water glass.

"It seems that the reason is the clones; everyone in the world is the same."

This has happened before.

Just as the two were talking, a blond man wearing glasses walked over with an unfriendly expression.

"Hey, you over there, I've never heard of the style you mentioned. I think you're an amateur. Don't underestimate Martial Arts. Withdraw from the competition, or don't blame me for being merciless. I'll beat you until you cry for your parents."

It's obvious they're after Saitama.

However, Saitama glanced at Su Lin and said, "I'm talking to you."

"No, it's about you." Su Lin patted Saitama on the shoulder, then said to the man, "Performance on the field is more effective than any harsh words. You know who will be crying for their parents when the time comes."

"You..." The other person was furious. "You're an S-Class hero, right? Hmph, you're just a guy who lives off others and waits to die. The hero profession..."

"This guy's acting weird, let's just ignore him." Saitama decisively, pointing at the blond man with one hand and tugging at Su Lin's hand, preparing to walk to a seat some distance away. At that Kugimaru was standing a dozen meters away, sweating profusely with tension.

"Okay, by the way," Su Lin glanced back, "Instead of just talking, you should perform on the field. Otherwise, losing will be more than just a loss of face."

The competition began quickly, with the first match being between Su Lin and Ling Ling.

"Are you my opponent?"

At this level, theoretically, the current form should be able to defeat the opponent.

Amidst the sounds of something starting, the beautiful girl immediately launched a rapid attack in their direction.

Fist.

"As expected, I can easily see through this technique now."

Although she is not as good as Yukino, and far from being as good, facing an opponent of this level seems to pose no difficulty.

Su Lin took a slight sidestep and gently patted Lingling's waist, pushing her off the stage with a soft force.

"Ah, what a gentleman! He had absolutely no intention of harming his opponent. S-Class heroes are indeed formidable, defeating their opponents with ease. I'm sure all the martial artists present could easily see the danger involved."

The host shouted excitedly, and the audience cheered.

"No, I didn't see it at all." Water Dragon, who was watching from a distance, chuckled and whispered, "However, it's certain that there's a huge gap between the two of them, but even so, it hasn't reached the point where it's shocking me."

After boasting for a while, Su Lin left the stage.

"It's my turn."

Saitama looked at the list and knew that it was his turn next, and he would have to face the blond man who had provoked him earlier.

"Both of them are underdogs, the kind who aren't favored at all," Kugimaru muttered.

"Huh, a reverse seed player?"

"Yes, for example, those who switched from the industry to the easier hero industry, or those who are not good enough. Anyway Charanko, you are one of them."

"..."

"Are heroes looked down upon by the martial arts community?" Su Lin asked.

"Yes, basically everyone who practices martial arts thinks that heroes are relatively weak, especially a considerable number of people. We all think that it's because they're not strong enough and can't make a living that they're forced to switch careers. Ah, of course, this doesn't include you, or Bang. After all, you're an S-Class hero, and many people have seen your strength. Bang is also an S-Class hero, and his reputation has been known to many martial artists for a long time."

The blond man, a guy Zax Zack, was a little annoyed.

After all, he's been labeled a reverse seed player, which is really unbearable.

His intense pride made his eyes twitch; he couldn't wait to beat Saitama up and prove his strength.

Not long after, the two stood on the field.

"The second match, Zax vs. Charanko, is about to begin."

Without a doubt, he was sent flying with a single punch.

Then the next match began.

The match unfolded as expected. Su Lin leaned against the wall, watching quietly. Due to certain circumstances, most of the weaker players encountered stronger opponents in the early rounds and were eliminated. Therefore, the final rounds of the competition saw the strong players battling it out.

Beep beep!

My phone suddenly rang.

Su Lin took it out and glanced at it.

"A mission from the Hero Association? Can't you see I'm in a match?"

Su Lin simply ignored it.

Now that he's S-Class powerhouse, the association won't be foolish enough to force him to do anything. After all, they desperately need his strength, so his capriciousness in such matters leaves the higher-ups helpless.

Genos, who was watching from the stands, immediately set off after receiving a similar message.

As expected, the Monster Association should have already begun its initial operations, with a large number of monsters appearing in different cities to cause trouble.

Although they are not as powerful as Boros back then, their strength is genuine.

"I'd better just focus on the competition... Uh, wait, it seems like Fubuki might run into trouble this time?"

Don't let Tatsumaki have the chance to save people and gain favor; immediately use your clones to set off.

It turns out that by getting close to someone's friends or family members, you can also gain their favor.

The match is still going on, and the next player to take the stage is Kugimaru.

He actually won.

Then...

After several elimination rounds, the competition entered the third round.

The opponent Su Lin encountered this time was one that would be quite troublesome for others.

Jozef is an absolute psychopath with immense strength who enjoys slowly torturing others.

"Su Lin, your next opponent is very dangerous, but you are an S-Class hero, so you should be able to defeat him," Kugimaru kindly reminded him.

"Um.

Su Lin nodded.

Kugimaru is actually a pretty good person. Although his tone can be harsh at times, he is very considerate of the people he knows.

"In addition, in my opinion, that person is the only dark horse in this competition."

"I know, watch me handle this easily." Su Lin chuckled and walked into the venue.

The host's voice quickly filled the entire venue.

"The next match will feature Jozef, who stubbornly destroys other people's bodies for his own amusement, against the incredibly powerful S-Class hero, Su Lin. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to it! Without further ado, let's begin!"

Chapter 427 Semifinals

"Heh, incredibly strong? That's just because you haven't met anyone truly powerful yet. So-called S-Class heroes are meaningless in the face of true power. My people are all elites, one in ten thousand, born from the powerful combination of excellent genes passed down from our ancestors. I am the greatest masterpiece among them, a completely different race from you ignorant masses. Let me slowly execute you, let you truly feel my power, and finally let everyone witness my unification of the world."

"Are you done talking?"

Looking at this freak named Jozef, Su Lin felt somewhat annoyed. There are many annoying people in this world, including those who become arrogant and disdainful of others once they gain a little strength.

The person in front of me is clearly one of the more perverted ones.

"Your strength seems so weak that it can be ignored."

As he said this, Su Lin's appearance slowly changed, and he appeared as Yukino.