I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 227: Another Showdown with Esdeath

The order of the quarterfinal matches is arranged according to the participants' numbers.

Therefore, Uchiha Hikaru faced off against Goku, Brand faced off against Krillin, Yamato faced off against Akame, and Esdeath faced off against Namu.

Well...

Basically, just by looking at this roster, you can predict the outcome of every match.

Although Goku is a future candidate for Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan God, God of Destruction, and the strongest in Universe 7, he is currently only a thirteen-year-old boy. He is not even as good as Tao Pai Pai at the same age, let alone Uchiha Hikaru.

Klin and Namu are the same.

At this stage, Namu was actually stronger than Krillin, and even young Goku might not be able to defeat him reliably. Unfortunately, he faced Esdeath, who was like Piccolo Daimaō, and could only accept his bad luck.

The only remaining question is between Yamato and Akame.

However, considering that Akame's strength largely stems from her swordsmanship, Yamato would likely have a better chance of winning if neither of them used weapons.

As expected, things turned out just as predicted.

In the quarterfinals the following day.

First, after a "difficult" battle, Uchiha Hikaru won against Goku with a "slight advantage".

This precise control over her scores has almost become her trademark. Ordinary viewers might just think it's a coincidence, but some sharp-eyed Earth martial artists have already seen through it. After all, getting 60 points in every exam is no easier than getting 100.

the other side.

Esdeath, on the other hand, displayed a completely opposite fighting style, overwhelmingly defeating Namu in just a few moves.

"Speaking of which..."

"This guy named Namu, I think he came to participate in the competition because his hometown is short of water, right? Is it really a bad idea to just eliminate him like this?"

Off the field.

Bulma looked at Namu, who had a dejected expression, and said hesitantly.

"A little."

Uchiha Hikaru nodded.

Ultimately, they came to participate in the competition simply for fun, a kind of offline team-building activity. Namu, on the other hand, was doing it for the survival of his hometown.

If you don't know these things, then it's fine.

But now that you know, it's not easy to pretend you're completely at ease.

"...I'll go see him later and give him some supplies. Consider it a charitable donation from Capsule Corporation."

Bulma thought for a moment and came up with a solution.

In the original work, Master Roshi helped Namu in the same way, except he gave him a capsule instead of supplies. With Bulma's wealth, she could have done even more.

However, these are all temporary solutions; the most thorough approach should be...

"After the competition, Xiao Ai and I will go to his hometown together."

Uchiha Hikaru spoke softly.

Although I haven't tried that yet, with the power of a fully-formed Susanoo, it shouldn't be a big problem to create an artificial lake on the spot, right?

Then have Esdeath create some ice and fill the lake with it. Once the ice melts, it will become a natural reservoir...

The only problem is, I don't know if Esdeath will agree...

"...An artificial lake?"

Esdeath, who had just come off the field, frowned slightly when she heard Uchiha Hikaru's suggestion: "Boring."

"Forehead……"

Just as Uchiha Hikaru was pondering what to do and tried to persuade him...

Esdeath spoke again: "However, if that's what you want to do, I can oblige. But there's one condition... in the final match of the martial arts tournament, you must fight me with the determination to kill me, not just playing around. Me too."

"Um?"

Uchiha Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

She genuinely participated in this martial arts tournament with a casual, playful attitude.

Anyway, everyone here knows each other, and even if they don't, there's no deep-seated hatred between them. There's no need to fight tooth and nail for the empty title of "Number One Martial Artist in the World" and a mere 50 yen prize money. If Esdeath wanted the championship, she could even just forfeit it.

But now...

"You should still remember what you promised, right?"

Esdeath narrowed her eyes slightly, staring intently at Uchiha Hikaru: "As a condition of your employment, I can challenge you... The first time was back in the East Blue, and this is my second challenge. You shouldn't refuse, right?"

A brief silence.

Uchiha Hikaru raised his head again, revealing a gentle smile: "Alright. Since this is what you wish for... then I will fight you with all my might."

……

[Yongdaimei@Bulma: Miss Bulma, how did today's battle go?]

[Bulma: Hm, the Dragon Ball World Team has been completely wiped out. Hikaru defeated Mr. Brand, and the next match is Aiolia versus Yamato... If nothing unexpected happens, the One Piece World Team will also be eliminated.]

[Yongdaimei: Xiao Ai?]

[Bulma: It's that female general Esdeath, Hikari always calls her that, so I just go along with it.]

[Oni-hime: ...That guy is indeed very strong, but even you, Bulma-san, don't think I can win?]

[Bulma: Ahem, of course I support Yamato, but Esdeath is really strong; even Hikari has a hard time dealing with her… Anyway, my "Gravity Training Room" is almost finished. After the martial arts tournament, you can come and train anytime. The improvement will be very noticeable!]

in reality.

Uchiha Hikaru, who had just finished fighting Brand, was drinking an ice-cold cola while keeping an eye on the messages in the chat group.

Yamato has a certain obsession with Esdeath.

After all, she had challenged Esdeath once before in the world of Akame ga Kill!, but was defeated by her with ease. Now, several months later, Yamato's strength has improved, and she has defeated Master Roshi, so it's natural that she would want to compete with Esdeath again.

But...

The result this time will probably be about the same.

In a very short time.

The topics in the chat group have shifted from the martial arts tournament to the "gravity training room," and then to "making a wish with the Dragon Balls."

The existence of the Dragon Balls is no longer a secret.

Even those who joined in the second or third batches, such as Kikyo, Yamato, and Yotsuya Miko, who hadn't experienced the journey to find the Dragon Balls, already knew about its existence. Kikyo and the others were only slightly curious, but Itadori Yuujin tentatively asked, "Can the Dragon Balls make a wish to make a cursed spirit disappear?"

[Nameless: The disappearance of cursed spirits...that's probably difficult, because according to the background of your world, the essence of cursed spirits is the product of human resentment. Even if all existing cursed spirits disappear, as long as humans exist, new ones will be created. Completely eliminating them involves the yin and yang workings of the cursed world, which is beyond the scope of Dragon Ball.]

[Yotsuya Miko: That sounds a bit like what's happening here...]

[Nameless: Also, Tanjiro's wish might be a bit more urgent, since the revival of the Dragon Balls has a time limit. Bulma and I plan to try experimenting on Tanjiro first.]

[Iron-Headed Kid: Huh? Wouldn't that be too much trouble for everyone? I did think about using the Dragon Balls to revive people killed by demons, but Ms. Hikari has already used the Impure World Reincarnation technique, so I think that's fine too...]

[Nameless; People reborn through the Impure World Reincarnation are different from real living people. There might not be any problems in the short term, but in the long run, things might get complicated...]

Although he said that in the group chat, Uchiha Hikaru wasn't really sure whether the Dragon Balls could grant wishes from other worlds.

I can only wait until after the martial arts tournament is over before I can go ask the Cat Master.

The latter had previously said he would help contact the gods. So much time has passed, whether the gods have met him or not, the matter should have been resolved by now.

……

As time went on.

The martial arts tournament has finally reached its final day.

As expected, the final two contenders were Uchiha Hikaru and Esdeath.

Before the start of the match.

Uchiha Hikaru specifically entrusted the Blood Jade Coral to Kikyo, and then asked the latter to spend a day building a huge barrier that enveloped the audience seats.

—Since they've decided to get serious with Esdeath, this battle is bound to be big. If they don't take some precautions beforehand, the surrounding spectators will probably be almost all dead before their fight is even over.

A single Blood Jade Barrier has limited defensive strength, only a few times that of the "Four Purple Flame Array," and may not be able to withstand the onslaught from Uchiha Hikaru and Esdeath.

However, if you add Kikyo's own spiritual power and mastery of barrier techniques, it's a different story. Even if its strength isn't as great as the "Four Red Yang Formation," it's not far off.

even so.

Uchiha Hikaru still gave Bulma and the others some instructions, telling them that if they found anything amiss, they should immediately board the airship and flee to avoid being affected.

After all this was arranged...

Uchiha Mitsuaki and Esdeath walked onto the ring together, standing facing each other a hundred meters apart, and listened to the blond host and referee reading out the rules of the match from a distance.

"...Then, the competition shall officially begin!"

Almost at the same time the host finished speaking.

With a loud "bang," huge ice pillars, as tall as ancient trees, rose into the air around Esdeath and shot towards Uchiha Hikaru like sharp swords!

"Frozen Purgatory!"

the other side.

Uchiha Hikaru also got into the zone, forming a hand seal with one hand and then spitting out a jutsu!

"The great fire is extinguished!"

boom!!!

At this moment, crimson flames surged forward like a tidal wave, colliding with ice pillars in mid-air. Firelight and ice shards flew everywhere, and scorching hot steam billowed outwards like a monstrous wave. Even through a barrier, one could feel the astonishing heat, as if scorching one's face.

"What...what is this?!"

"What's with those flames...?"

Upon witnessing this scene, even Master Roshi stared wide-eyed in astonishment, his face filled with disbelief.

He had witnessed Esdeath's ice before, but... Uchiha Hikaru also possessed this ability? Moreover, those flames seemed to contain an aura of "ki"?

—This is inevitable.

Release techniques are essentially products of chakra, and Uchiha Hikaru's current chakra is "Chakira," which is fused with "ki." Release techniques released in this way will naturally bear the characteristics of the Dragon Ball world.

But at this moment.

Uchiha Hikaru had no time to spare, focusing all his attention on the battle before him.

Before the steam from the first wave of impact could dissipate, Esdeath's fierce attack followed.

One after another, sharp ice spikes, each over a hundred meters long, shot out from the mist with a piercing sonic boom, relentlessly chasing Uchiha Hikaru's nimble movements before landing at her feet. In just a few breaths, the arena, which had been repaired several times, shattered into pieces, countless fragments flying into the air, and dust filling the entire space.

The source of the ice cone launch.

Esdeath stood high in the air on a floating ice floe, and with a powerful stomp of her feet, she streaked across the sky like a blue lightning bolt, kicking out a foot encased in ice!

Clang—!

Faced with a murderous intent that felt almost tangible.

Uchiha Hikaru adjusted his breathing and threw a punch straight at him!

"Ten-Day Breathing Technique - Fist Thrusting!!"

The moment their fists collided with the soles of their boots, both Uchiha Hikaru and Esdeath shuddered.

Then, a tremendous force slid along Uchiha Hikari's body and into the ground, shattering the stone slab beneath her feet!

The next moment, Esdeath landed with a somersault, and Uchiha Hikari leaped out from her spot like a tiger cub released from its cage, her fists lashing out with a piercing sonic boom. Yet, despite the immense force, her figure moved like a slender butterfly, dodging each attack with the slightest movement.

In the blink of an eye, the two sides had exchanged blows nearly a hundred times.

Because the speed at which they attacked and countered was so fast, the two figures quickly became a blur. Those with weaker eyesight could only see two black and blue tornadoes colliding on the field, accompanied by sonic booms. Only a few strong individuals, such as Master Roshi and Yamato, could clearly see the movements of both sides.

"...Not bad, much better than last time."

Esdeath's voice rang out clearly from the sonic boom.

Uchiha Hikaru's lips curled slightly: "You too."

It seems that Esdeath has gained considerable inspiration from her recent trips to the Naruto and Dragon Ball worlds. Compared to when she first left the Akame ga Kill! world a few months ago, her progress is quite evident.

"So..."

"Try this trick again, I prepared it especially for you!"

After another exchange of blows, Esdeath created some distance and made a gesture of clasping her hands together.

call--

The sound of the wind exploded like ten thousand cannons firing simultaneously.

A fierce blizzard swept in.

Under the watchful eyes of Uchiha Hikaru and the spectators outside, Esdeath's body, enveloped in a layer of misty white frost, rose into the sky, hundreds of meters high. During this process, the ice and snow gradually solidified and became crystalline, eventually transforming into a fully-fledged ice and snow giant, standing majestically between heaven and earth!

"?!"

Uchiha Hikaru's eyelid twitched.

This move...

Is this the "Demon's Essence" version of Susanoo?!

(End of this chapter)