I am a female swordsman.

Sakura Yosen spoke eloquently, and her words made Iaian seem thoughtful.

That's true.

In martial arts, it is common for the strong to bully the weak, but it is also not uncommon for the weak to defeat the strong. As Yomi Mado said, there are too many factors that can influence the outcome of a match: off the field, during the match, the opponent, oneself, the environment, and so on. If someone could really calculate all of these, then that person would probably be invincible.

"Could a werewolf do that?"

"I can't guess that."

Sakura Yomi looked at the martial artist wearing a werewolf mask on the stage, a rare look of confusion on her face.

This person is one of the few in the entire arena that Sakura Yomi hasn't fully figured out. Winning against him wouldn't be difficult, in fact, it wouldn't be a particularly challenging task. But if she were to kill him, she had a feeling that it would trigger something uncontrollable.

"However, beating him within the rules should be easy for you."

Suddenly turning to Iai-an with a slightly playful look, Sakura Yomi was curious whether Iai-an's swordsmanship could still be as invincible as in the previous matches. However, that was something for the semi-finals.

"Ten breaths are enough."

Armed combat and unarmed combat are two completely different concepts. Unless you're a combat maniac who turns your body into a weapon and fights to the bitter end regardless of physical injury, armed combat is always more advantageous than unarmed combat.

………………

On the ring, the sounds of fists and feet clashing were dull and powerful. The martial artist wearing the werewolf mask showed no mercy, stomping and breaking his opponent's calf. A loud whip kick sent him flying out of the ring!

After doing all this, he slowly lowered his raised leg, enjoying the cheers that seemed to lift the roof off the stadium! As long as he could fight, he was the strongest!

He will cripple his opponents one by one!

then……

Perhaps sensing Iaian's cold, arrogant gaze, the werewolf made a throat-slitting gesture at him below the arena. "You sword-wielding brat, keep your smugness going. In the semifinals, I'll step over your corpse to challenge that woman! She's the one worth fighting for in this tournament!!"

"Hmph, arrogant!"

Iai-an, provoked, snorted coldly, his expression turning icy.

"A cowardly rat hiding his head and tail." He thought the martial artist wearing the werewolf mask was also a fraud, possessing some skill but with a wicked heart. Initially, he didn't take the man seriously, but faced with this provocative action, Iaian resolved that if he ever encountered this guy, he would teach him a lesson.

The second round of the competition ended very quickly.

The rest period was only twenty-four hours, and according to the schedule, the time would become increasingly tight as the competition progressed. Because the time intervals were relatively short, Huang Quan, who had already arranged things and relinquished control of her body, did not ask to take back her body, but instead allowed Ying Huang Quan to continue to control it.

Despite Sakura Yomi growing stronger, Yomi and the demons maintained a close connection deep within her consciousness.

The ultimate battleground will inevitably be consciousness.

Huang Quan herself might not be able to handle a wandering samurai with all the experience from her past life, but if a large group of demons joins the battlefield from behind, to put it bluntly, someone like Sakura Huang Quan could take on ten of them! Even if you had lofty ambitions but a fragile life in your past life, when it comes to a simple contest of soul will, the [Demon Contractor] profession is fearless!

However, doing so is somewhat of a shortcut.

The night before the start of the third round of the competition, Huang Quan received an unexpected invitation in the rest area provided by the organizers.

"An invitation from Mr. Haojie."

Iai-an also received an invitation, and he seemed somewhat tempted. After all, he was the champion of the first martial arts tournament, a time of truly unrestricted combat where even dying in the ring was permitted! To win the championship under such conditions proved the strength of a hero!

"Forming cliques?"

Sakura Yomi wasn't particularly interested in the invitation, but she didn't show it outwardly. Sometimes it's better to see through something than to say it; otherwise, being too direct would become boring over time.

"Probably not. Mr. Gouketsu is still highly respected." There's a certain respect for the strong, unlike the unrestrained and dissolute Sakura Yomi. Iai-an carefully recalled the recent events that had stirred up the martial arts world, and began to speculate about the purpose of Gouketsu's invitation.

"It must be about the Hero Association."

"Oh? Tell me more." Sakura Yomi, with an air of naiveté and a desire for more detail, demanded that Iaian elaborate. After all, this world, how should I put it, is still a world, where things are interconnected and influence each other. To think that everything is isolated would be far too presumptuous.

The problem still stems from the Hero Association.

As the saying goes, interests move people's hearts. The establishment of the Hero Association has made a fortune, with most of the taxpayers' money flowing into the pockets of conglomerates and politicians through various means and disguises.

It's easy to imagine that it was definitely not a small amount!

The martial arts world, having supported private armed forces, has always been quite content with the funding from government foundations. However, the problem lies with the Hero Association. Since its establishment, with the emergence of professional heroes, this support for private armed forces has gradually diminished.

In the long run, this will inevitably harm the interests of the martial arts community.

Therefore, Haojie and his group of martial artists planned to take advantage of the World Martial Arts Tournament to have some of the more skilled martial artists challenge the monster, thus proving that they were no less capable than professional heroes.

Well, that's pretty much it—just flexing your muscles to get your protection money.

The martial arts world is rife with factions, and certainly not everyone supports this approach. Therefore, in martial arts tournaments—arenas for newcomers seeking fame and fortune—it's easier to entice some young and talented martial artists to join them. The plan is to establish an association similar to the Hero Association, but belonging to martial artists, to rival the Hero Association.

Chapter Ninety-Five: They Came to the Door

Such despicable acts, this mixture of human depravity and greatness, are truly speechless.

Sakura Yomi eventually managed to send Iaian away.

As for the invitation, she had absolutely no interest in it. Moreover, after receiving a certain message, Sakura Yomi also had to figure out how to deal with an uninvited nuisance. As the assistant of [One-Winged Angel], she had skipped many workdays because of the martial arts tournament. She originally thought that Sephiroth, that aloof and expressionless man, wouldn't care much about such a minor character as herself. Who would have thought that Sephiroth would actually chase after his assistant for silently skipping work?

This is...

Well, Sakura Yomi doesn't possess Yomi's subtle, wicked sense of humor, nor does she know Sephiroth's true identity. She merely judges Sephiroth's importance based on some superficial observations and thus keeps her distance.

"..."

The silver-haired boy carrying the Masamune sword quietly watched his assistant who had skipped work. The woman reflected in his blue-green eyes rubbed her temples a couple of times, looking like she had a headache.

"You should be going back by now." Facing Sephiroth's silent gaze, Sakura Yozumi subconsciously revealed a hint of distance.

Sephiroth's handsome, aloof face stiffened slightly.

"I'm looking for you."

It's unclear what Sephiroth was feeling when he said those words, but a strange, almost detached fear welled up within him, a heart that so couldn't comprehend humanity. He was afraid to hear certain things from the woman who had tried so hard to teach him to be a true hero. At that moment, Sephiroth seemed more like a child afraid of rejection than a perfect Shinra warrior.

However, for Sakura Yomi, this kind of person who likes to speak in half-truths is really hard to deal with.

"I just can't do anything with you..."

Sakura Yomi adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, and surprisingly, she could detect a hint of nervousness on Sephiroth's calm face. After all, he was just a child; there was no need to be so harsh.

"Now that you've found me, shouldn't you go back? The company has rules that warriors like you have to clock in on time. I don't think you want to be soaked in Mako, do you?"

Mentioning Mako immersion, even the resolute Sephiroth couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly. The experience of being completely submerged in a viscous, icy liquid, with every blood vessel throbbing and muscles spasming, was unpleasant; it was a means of enhancing strength, but also a form of punishment.

"I've thought about what I'm about to say for a long time."

With that same unhurried, aloof tone, Sephiroth's godlike, handsome face drew slightly closer to Mado Yomi. He no longer wanted to be led by the nose like before; the divinity etched into his genes made him want to actively obtain everything he desired.

What I said?

Sakura Yomi was stunned for a moment. What did she say?

"I want to be a hero."

“For you, that’s still…” Sakura Yomi shook her head slightly, instinctively wanting to say the word “difficult” based on her memory, but was interrupted by Sephiroth.

"I will become a hero."

The confusion and bewilderment of the past, when questioning what a true hero should be like, are gone. Having understood Shinra's will and witnessed the diverse lives of professional heroes, Sephiroth has his own goal. And then, a rare opportunity presents itself—a chance to become a hero.

"The company has an overseas assignment, requiring a trip to a distant place." There are always some places that oppose Shinra's Mako Reactor promotion purely for the sake of resistance. In such cases, Shinra will often contact the local government and use legal force to persuade these stubborn people to be more flexible.

Heaven has mercy on this. In this era, even signal base stations are being dismantled by ignorant idiots under the pretext of harming health, let alone something as unappealing as the Mako Reactor.

Some individuals attempting to cause trouble for the Shinra (Shinra Empire) are trying to manipulate public opinion, but this will likely lead to further complications. For the Shinra, which has already established its strategic objectives, those who previously tried to sabotage it but couldn't be dealt with will now be crushed with overwhelming force if they dare to cause trouble again!

"With you here, it should be over soon."

Sakura Yomi had some idea of ​​Sephiroth's strength. On the surface, he didn't seem to have anything remarkable about him, but he was a terrifying guy inside.

"Ah."

After the event, Sephiroth will be recognized as a hero by Shinra.

Someone with the right power at the right time will be promoted as a company hero by Shinra and used for publicity. Sakura Yomi believes that would be an excellent choice for Sephiroth.

"Mado, do you want me to become a hero?"

After nodding, Sephiroth paused for a moment before turning to his assistant and asking about the woman's explicit desire for him to become a hero. However, this wasn't an expectation of his subordinate becoming a hero and being revered by thousands; rather, it was a profound sentiment that Sephiroth couldn't comprehend.

As time went on, Sephiroth's growing self-awareness led him to wonder if others also expected him to be a hero.

"Whether I say yes or no won't change anything for you." Sakura Yomi sighed. In her eyes, this handsome, god-like boy was just an immature child.

"But I still have to tell you... what is a hero? A hero is a statue cast in gold, magnificent and precious, so that people only look at it from afar and don't want to touch it. No one cares what's inside the cold statue; people only see the hero they want. Right now, you are being tainted by the mortal nature of a hero, and your precious qualities are slowly fading away. Give up, Sephiroth, give up being a hero."

Perhaps it was her overly keen intuition that made Sakura Yomi sense something, and she earnestly tried to dissuade Sephiroth.

Don't try to be a hero.

It's more suitable to follow one's original self, the strongest version of oneself. Otherwise, once bound by the shackles of the name of a hero, a shattered belief could destroy everything.

"Thank you for the advice."

Sephiroth was proud, and he would never abandon his goals because of his assistant's warning. After all, in this proud man's heart, no one except Yomi, the Chairman of the Shinra Council, could influence him.

Looking at Sephiroth, Sakura Yomi realized that her persuasion was ineffective.

"Never mind~~ I'm afraid I'll have to skip work again. I hope the pro hero [One-Winged Angel] can just pretend she didn't see me~~" With a change of expression, Sakura Yomi once again revealed that gentle and free smile. She has always been a selfish person, showing very little concern for others.

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Two Elements Technique

War broke out, or rather, war has never stopped.

The organization opposing Shinra is called "Avalanche." The intention behind its name is obvious: just as Shinra has rapidly grown into a behemoth, they are capable of causing Shinra's skyscrapers to collapse like an avalanche. The government conglomerate that secretly supports Avalanche also aims to contain Shinra.

Faced with the overwhelming pressure from Shinra, they need to take some action to alleviate the pressure.

But who cares?

Shinra doesn't care; they have their own goals. When the time comes, the world will inevitably enter a new chapter, and those old and decaying things that refuse to move forward will be crushed. At that time, the world will surely be exceptionally beautiful.

Sephiroth went on a long trip.

He was going to go to a very, very far place to carry out a mission, to crush those ungrateful reactionaries on the ground like ants.

"What? You can't bear to part with the girl at home?"

A veteran sitting on the plane looked at Sephiroth's lingering gaze and chuckled jokingly.

girl?