The Tournament Begins

Gen Chisaki looked over and realized there was a Street Fighter tournament being held in Akihabara called the World Martial Arts Tournament.

From the way Erii couldn't tear herself away, it was obvious she'd been drawn in.

Both the Street Fighter competition and the name World Martial Arts Tournament held an irresistible appeal for Erii.

Gen Chisaki had meant to refuse. What was the young lady of the Snake Eight Families doing entering a video game tournament?

But when he saw the look in Erii's eyes, a pang shot through his heart.

He had never seen her look like that before. She seemed both wistful and eager.

"Okay. Let's go sign up," Gen Chisaki agreed.

He glanced at Crow, who understood at once and immediately led the group toward the tournament venue.

The venue was packed with people. The promise of a million yen was a huge draw, attracting not only hordes of gaming enthusiasts but also plenty of tourists.

Gen Chisaki frowned slightly. There were too many people. He glanced at Erii, who was on tiptoe, trying to see the stage.

Well, with him here, nothing would happen.

Crow and Yaksha stationed family members throughout the crowd to keep watch.

Yabuki Sakura followed behind Gen Chisaki and Erii, acting as their assistant.

Gen Chisaki signed Erii up, entering her real name as her nickname.

Time was running short. At last, the appointed hour of two o'clock arrived.

Pop!

Fireworks bloomed. Even in broad daylight, they were enough to ignite the crowd's enthusiasm.

On the stage, a host in a black suit picked up the microphone and called out, "Welcome to the first World Martial Arts Tournament, hosted by us!"

"Today, we'll crown one of our competitors the King of Fighters! Are you ready?"

"We're ready!" all the competitors shouted.

Erii raised an arm and waved it gently, too.

The reason everyone shouted in such unison was that the organizers had instructed them to. When the host asked if they were ready, all they had to do was answer, "We're ready!"

Lu Mingfei didn't mind at all. In fact, he was pretty excited.

With so many competitors, they were brought onto the stage in batches. Winners received a numbered tag, while losers left the stage.

Lu Mingfei was in the first batch. His opponent was a red-haired high school student who looked to be in his teens.

The boy came out declaring that he would show everyone the skills he was so proud of at the arcades.

He was Yukihira Soufake, the top player at the arcade near Totsuki Academy.

The tournament was best two out of three. Yukihira Soufake picked his best character, Chun-Li, and faced Lu Mingfei with fighting spirit blazing in his eyes.

Lu Mingfei picked Ryu.

The match began. Yukihira Soufake attacked relentlessly, using the skills he'd honed at the arcade to press Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei's Ryu kept blocking. The instant Yukihira Soufake left an opening, he counterattacked.

It was over. Yukihira Soufake's face had turned ashen.

Lu Mingfei smiled at him. "Thanks for the match."

But the look on Lu Mingfei's face seemed demonic to Yukihira Soufake. He wore a wicked grin that felt unbearably oppressive.

"You demon!"

After shouting that, Yukihira Soufake ran off. The world outside was too deep for him. So this was what the real world was like?

Lu Mingfei was at a loss. He had no idea what was wrong with the boy. Had he played that well?

Thinking it over, Lu Mingfei took his numbered tag and moved to an open area. He had finished his match first, while the other competitors were still locked in fierce battles.

Before long, the first batch was cleared, and the second batch took the stage.

Erii was scheduled to compete in the third batch. She sat to one side, waiting eagerly.

An open space had been cleared around her. Whenever anyone tried to approach, Yaksha's fearsome expression scared them away.

When it was time for Erii's match, she stood and walked toward the stage. Everyone marveled at her beauty.

But when they saw her eyes, they felt an inexplicable, instinctive fear and couldn't bring themselves to meet her gaze.

Erii's eyes were sharp, her expression blank. She took her seat in the arena, facing a high school boy with glasses.

He didn't dare look at her face, as if something terrible would happen if he did.

The match began. Erii was completely serious. In her eyes, anyone who entered the World Martial Arts Tournament had to be among the strongest of the strong.

She absolutely couldn't let her guard down!

Erii chose Chun-Li, a character she played often. A moment later, she was bewildered.

Why had it ended so quickly? Had she already won?

The bespectacled boy across from her was in a daze. He had been the strongest player in his entire apartment building, after all.

How could he have lost so completely? Heartbroken, he decided to go home and keep honing his skills. He'd train for a year—no, three years—before coming back!

Erii stepped off the stage, still bewildered, and went over to Gen Chisaki.

She held up her notebook. "Brother, that guy was so weak. Why did he even enter the World Martial Arts Tournament?"

Gen Chisaki smiled. "It's not that he was too weak. You're just too strong. Maybe you'll win the championship this time, Erii."

Erii nodded, her gaze resolute. She was going to become the King of Fighters.

Several more rounds followed, and the first round was finally over. Next came the second.

Lu Mingfei won three more matches in a row, advancing to the top sixty-four without a single loss. Erii had also won all her matches.

These opponents were terrible—none of them were even as good as Old Tang. Lu Mingfei figured the championship was in the bag.

Once he got the million yen, he'd buy Asahina Mikuru's figurine first.

"Heh heh!"

Thinking about it, Lu Mingfei couldn't help laughing out loud.

"How are things going out there?" Su Enxi asked from the office of the company hosting the tournament.

"Everything's fine. No problems," Jiu De Mai replied from a high-rise beside the venue.

"As expected of Little White Rabbit and Little Monster. They advanced without breaking a sweat. Looks like the final match will be between them." Su Enxi listlessly crossed her legs and munched on potato chips.

"What do you think the boss wants by pitting these two monsters against each other?" Jiu De Mai asked.

Su Enxi thought for a moment. "The boss didn't say much. Just that since Lu Mingfei awakened so early, he wanted him to meet the bride from the script ahead of time? That way, Little White Rabbit wouldn't cut down Little Monster at the start of the story."

"Sigh. I'm just a ninja, anyway. I only have to follow orders."