I am a female swordsman.

Too weak!!

The old man hadn't used much power at all; he'd only revealed the bare essentials of the Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist, yet the woman was already sitting there, resigned to her fate. If it were him, three punches—no! Just one punch would be enough to easily obliterate this laughable clown-like martial artist!

Hopefully, this way, the old man won't say he'll give that spot to her...

The moment the confident Garou had this idea in his mind, he heard Bang's encouragement and expectations for Mado Yomi. Anyone who wasn't blind could see the deep admiration in Bang's eyes.

The implication in his words was that he would give away the spot!

"..."

The humiliated Garou almost jumped out and loudly questioned Bang about his actions. But just as he was about to do so, another bold idea popped into his head: he wouldn't give up his spot, but he also wouldn't be so foolish as to engage in a powerless argument.

He will use his own hands to reclaim the spot that is rightfully his!

Chapter Eight: The Masked Man

A visit conducted according to procedure, a friendly meeting, and a fruitful exchange of ideas.

Basically, Huang Quan has achieved all his goals for this trip.

Especially within the martial arts world, with Bang as the introducer, it's believed that Mado Yomi, the successor of the [Scattered Cherry Blossom Sword Style], will be able to secure a place in the martial arts community in the future. This also facilitates Yomi's subsequent plans. Unveiling the mystery behind the martial arts of this world's power is something to look forward to immensely.

Most importantly...

It's still about the news of the Hero Association's formation!

Before leaving, Yomi said something very interesting to Bang. "I personally believe that the existence of professional heroes is not a symbol of power or saving people from disasters... but rather that their existence tells people that even in a terrible era, people can understand where the right direction is, so as not to lose their way."

The purpose of establishing Shinra also had this kind of consideration in it.

It is an undeniable fact that where Shinra exists, people's lives have improved. Through various projects undertaken in conjunction with local governments, Shinra has not only grown stronger but also created numerous jobs, and many cities gradually under Shinra's control are showing signs of recovery after the initial impact.

On the way back.

Walking along the mountain path, listening to the sounds of insects, birds, flowers, and trees, Huang Quan, whether enjoying the beautiful scenery or contemplating something, suddenly stopped.

"who?"

Suddenly, the black-rimmed glasses began to flash with bursts of reflected white light. Mado Yomi, who was still pushing up her glasses, turned her head slightly to look at the steep mountain cliff.

A figure stood with his back to the sun, arms crossed, looking down at the tiny woman below. In the instant their eyes met, the howling mountain wind seemed to cease its roar, avoiding being drawn into the space between these two formidable martial artists. As one of the most dangerous groups in the world, martial artists have a particularly pronounced impact on the natural environment.

"Humph!"

He leaped from the steep, backlit mountain peak, kicking up a cloud of dust the moment he landed. The figure shrouded in the swirling dust blocked the only path down the mountain to the underworld.

"Hehehe, how did you find me?" The masked man in black casually stirred up a strong gust of air to clear away the dust, and his thick aura of killing intent locked onto Huang Quan.

"Even the insects by the roadside have fallen silent; your tracking skills are absolutely terrible."

With keen interest, Huang Quan compared the masked man's appearance with the life force he had encountered in his memories, and used the instant analysis from the Shinra Database. Within two seconds of meeting, he completed the comparison and immediately identified the masked man: that disciple named Garou…

"Say as much as you can now, because you won't be able to say anything later."

He cracked his knuckles forcefully, his masked face radiating a chilling aura. He was going to beat this woman to a pulp and, incidentally, snatch the spot the old man had given her. As for the consequences, that was no longer his concern; he only knew that he was currently extremely annoyed with Mado Yomi!

"Hiding its head and showing its tail, a mere scoundrel."

This perfectly fits the persona of the successor of the [Scattered Cherry Blossom Sword Style]. Huang Quan's gentle smile conceals a chilling intent to unleash murderous intent. Taking lives is as fleeting as cherry blossoms falling in the wind.

"Before I break your legs, hand over the spot card Bang gave you. I was planning to take it without anyone noticing, but now that you're serving me and waiting to leave the dojo, it's saved me a lot of trouble." After all, it was his first time doing something like this, and even though he was lying with his face covered, the young wolf couldn't help but feel a little hot-faced.

They're still too inexperienced; their lies are full of holes.

A ruthless character like Huang Quan, who had never been involved in scheming and brutal battles, saw through the wolf's lies at a glance.

"You mean this?" Huang Quan casually pulled out a card representing a spot in the martial arts tournament from his chest, maintaining his cunning smile. "If you want it, come and get it yourself."

call--!

Almost as soon as Huang Quan finished speaking, the ravenous wolf, its figure blurring into a blur, arrived beside her with a powerful gust of wind! Its arm, moving with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, swiftly reached for Huang Quan's hand! Having observed the match between Mado Huang Quan and the old man, he had already figured out this woman's reaction speed and movements!

Before her, her life was like a candle flickering in the wind!

Just as expected, his fingers caught the quota card, and a smug smile appeared on his face behind the Hungry Wolf mask. However, his brain sent a warning signal that something was wrong.

'What……?'

Before the smug smile on the wolf's face could fade, the simple figure in front of him vanished, and then that gentle and harmless voice came from above him.

"You dare to be a thief with such slow speed? Aren't you afraid the dojo will break your legs first?"

Sitting among the branches of an ancient tree, Huang Quan still had the quota card between his fingers. His calm and composed demeanor made him look nothing like someone who had been attacked.

'When did she...!'

Only then did Garou realize that Mado Yomi's true strength was nothing like what he had displayed in the dojo. He had thought she was a rabbit waiting to be hunted, but upon closer inspection, he discovered she was a ferocious lion lying prone on the ground! Garou's entire body tensed completely; realizing his target's strength was unknown, he was determined to use all his strength to probe her depths!

Where are you looking?

Once again, he vanished from sight without warning. The voice from behind the hungry wolf froze his movements. For a fleeting moment, he sensed that if he turned around, his body, with multiple vital points locked, would be mercilessly met with a sword that could pierce through iron!

This moment of pause was seized by Yomi Mado, whose fair, jade-like palm silently pressed against his back. The palm, containing both hard and soft forces powerful enough to pulverize a human body, intertwined. If he couldn't dodge it, his heart would be shattered by the penetrating internal force.

Are you kidding me?!

Flowing Water Rock Crushing Fist!

The hairs on his body stood on end. The killing move, devoid of any murderous intent, was all the more terrifying! It felt as if he were crushing an insect or slaughtering livestock without a second thought!

boom!!!!

Concentric cracks appeared beneath their feet, radiating outwards in all directions! Garou and Yomi, having unleashed a full-force attack, shattered numerous rocks and shot off in opposite directions! Garou embedded himself directly into the rock face, while Yomi crashed into several towering ancient trees before finally coming to a stop, carving a deep furrow in the ground.

Chapter Nine: Death

"That's interesting."

Huang Quan, who was almost pushed off the cliff, steadied herself. The moment the hungry wolf retaliated, she clearly felt the force returning many times over hit her.

The Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist is a clever application of force that uses the opponent's momentum against them.

The force returned to the attacker many times over; nearly half of the Four Symbols Pulling Force that Huang Quan had generated in an instant was blasted back onto her own body. Otherwise, with the strength of the Hungry Wolf, it would have been impossible to knock her back so far. Even so, Huang Quan's slightly serious internal force still managed to slam the Hungry Wolf into the mountain rocks.

"Well……!"

Having struggled free from the rock formation, the hungry wolf clutched his chest, panting slightly. The violent impact had nearly caused him to faint on the spot. He hadn't been able to unleash the Water-Shattering Rock technique in time, and in his haste, he had taken almost all the damage from the impact.

This force was still mostly deflected by the Flowing Water Rock-Shattering Fist!

Does this woman harbor a Tyrannosaurus Rex within her body? No! It should be said that the internal energy of the [Scattered Cherry Blossom Sword Style] is unexpectedly aggressive, as if it were a type of internal energy specifically created for combat!

"To be able to transfer my power in the blink of an eye, your skill is truly remarkable..." Treading on the broken ancient wood scattered on the ground, Huang Quan walked step by step back onto the mountain path through the plowed-out passage. He didn't appear injured at all; his dark red eyes were like ancient wells devoid of light, deep and extremely oppressive!

"...But compared to the Shinra Special Forces who have undergone rigorous training, you are far inferior to many in the second tier, let alone that monster who is ranked first."

Unfortunately, standing in front of Garou at this moment is Shinra's top combat force.

In this world, Yomi's record is equally impressive, but most of it goes unobserved. Ancient species, terrifying attacks from the sky, underwater evil gods and contaminants, and so on. Without Yomi acting as the line of defense against so many obstacles, how could Shinra Corporation have so smoothly developed into the behemoth it is today?

"Pooh!"

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the ravenous wolf glared menacingly at Mado Yomi. "You think you've already won? Someone like you, someone who calls themselves a Shinra Warrior, someone like me—a genius! While you're eating, sleeping, even breathing, I'll catch up to you! And twist your head off!!"

As he spoke, Garou deliberately made a throat-cutting gesture, intending to provoke Mado Yomi so that he could see through her movements and then defeat her!

"A genius who dies is no longer a genius."

With a touch of humor, Huang Quan flicked his wrist, sending the quota card flying! The sound of it cutting through the air flashed by, and then it pierced deep into the ancient tree on one side! In order to avoid accidentally ruining Master Bangu's good intentions, Huang Quan had to keep it away from this battlefield that was about to turn into a purgatory for the time being.

"You think you can kill me? You'll have to wait another hundred years!!"

The wolf's eyes, stained with blood, appeared particularly sharp and fierce despite his masked face. He often entered a strange state, as if his restrictions had been lifted, when he was practicing martial arts.

In this state, he could see all movements clearly and capture the most subtle fluctuations! With this special state, he easily learned all the secrets of the Flowing Rock Smash Fist from his master Bang, and also mastered many martial arts techniques from other schools, including the Whirlwind Iron Slash Fist!

He's already in that state, so getting used to the movements is a piece of cake!

Suddenly, she smiled gently, and Mado Yomi lowered her eyes as if sighing with emotion.

"Like cherry blossoms falling, it's just a matter of a moment."

For the first time, Garou clearly saw Yomi Mado's actions; he saw a sword. A single-edged sword, which did not exist in reality, suddenly appeared in Yomi's right hand, ethereal and elusive. Holding this sword, Yomi seemingly casually made a simple gesture towards Garou.

He swung his sword from a distance, the blade pointing directly at the hungry wolf.

cut!!!

Is it real or fake? At this moment, Hungry Wolf stopped thinking. The instant Huang Quan swung his sword, he immediately made a dodging motion and instantly closed in on Huang Quan.

Seeing Yomi's body riddled with weaknesses, foolishly swinging her sword, the Hungry Wolf grinned maliciously, aiming for Yomi's vulnerable spots on her upper body. He intended to end the battle the moment he had seen through every move Yomi made!

however……

His rapid sprint slowed, the seemingly insurmountable distance now appearing like an insurmountable chasm. No matter how fast Garou accelerated, he couldn't take another step forward; this desperate and bizarre fact filled him with a profound unease. Mado Yomi continued her sword-wielding motion, not even bringing it down yet.

Suddenly, the hungry wolf sensed something and instinctively looked back.

He saw himself.

An incomprehensible scene unfolded before him: in this peculiar state, he saw his own body still standing in the same spot, motionless and stunned.

If Yomi Mado's sword were to fall completely, she would die!

For no apparent reason, the hungry wolf's intuition suddenly gave rise to an extremely terrifying premonition. This was an attack method that was extremely rare in the martial arts world. Only a very few Wu martial arts masters, under very rare and special circumstances, would enter the realm of intention through their skills honed day and night.

Once inside this realm, the warriors' attacks will be imbued with a mysterious power.

The power of the mind!

Guided by instinct, Garou desperately tried to bring his mind back to his body. If he couldn't escape the sword that had pierced his soul, he would be mentally destroyed and would believe he was dead in the real world! The Tyrannosaurus Rex, its fangs bared, opened its abyss-like maw, watching Garou fall with glee.

So heavy that it was difficult to move.

Yet, his consciousness remained perfectly clear as he watched the single blade, gleaming with a deathly cold light, draw ever closer. Never before had Garou felt his body so cumbersome, completely unable to keep pace with the speed of his thoughts. As if sealed in cement, his pupils, following the imagined fall of the sword, began to slowly dilate…

"Die, you scoundrel!"

Just before the blade struck, Mado Yomi's slightly mocking, arrogant voice flashed like lightning across Garou's body. A tingling sensation! Liberation! Power! From gravitational pull to weightlessness, everything felt so light! Consciousness and body were unified once more! Garou instinctively reached for the sword aimed at him!

However, they missed.

When Garou looked up again, he realized it was already sunset, and Yomi Mado was nowhere to be found. It was as if it had all been a hazy, illusory dream. Garou stared blankly at the shattered mountain path, realizing that it was not a dream.