Attack after attack, pouring all his strength into every move.
Satan went all out to show off, performing beyond his usual capabilities, which for a moment filled him with such fervor that he felt he had inexhaustible strength.
But Talot stood there like an immovable pillar, not budging an inch.
To a layman, it looked as if Satan had the upper hand, which sent the crowd into a frenzy, cheering nonstop.
Outside the massive arena, the blond-haired referee wasn't the kind to misread the situation, but out of professionalism, he could only commentate on the match in his own way.
A long time passed, and Talot still didn't fight back; he just faced Satan like that.
All in all, it was a way to give the so-called future world savior from the original work some face.
Someone like Satan, if he hadn't gotten involved with the Z Fighters, if his daughter hadn't married the main character's son, would never have made it onto this stage.
In other words, Satan's future role was really just to help take some of the financial burden off the Son family.
Say he isn't bad? That's impossible, otherwise he'd never be able to sit securely in the seat of the world champion or even savior.
But if you say he's good, Satan really is a swindler through and through.
Of course, everyone talks about Satan, and everyone wants to be Satan.
After a round of frenzied attacks, Satan finally started showing signs of exhaustion. After throwing one last punch, he put several meters of distance between them with a series of backflips, his hair slightly ruffled and his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"H-how was that?" Satan's exaggerated act felt strangely familiar to Talot.
People who didn't know any better would really think he was something special.
Talot wasn't impressed. He still didn't react, nor did he say anything.
This left the Z Fighters in the backstage waiting area completely puzzled.
By all logic, someone like that should be nothing to Talot.
But Talot hadn't knocked him out of the arena right away.
"Could it be that this guy is special in some way?" Goku poked his head out in curiosity, but his Ki Sense told him. There was nothing special at all.
No one answered him, but the other ordinary contestants were busy giving their own opinions, convinced that Satan had clearly been dominating from the very start, and that he would inevitably win in the end.
How could they know there's always someone better out there?
Living in the world of ordinary people, even if they get a chance to meet those at the top, all they see is what they're able to see.
…
At the very top level of the backstage waiting area.
This was the best spot to watch the matches, a super VIP room that Bulma had designed for herself.
At this moment, Bulma was here with her family and friends, watching the tournament.
It's worth mentioning that Whis was also here.
Starting about a year and a half ago, Whis had frequently come to Earth to enjoy its delicacies, so over time he'd become quite familiar.
This martial arts tournament was also made possible thanks to Whis, as Talot had asked him for help. To ensure the matches went smoothly, Whis had set up powerful protective barriers around the arena, allowing the fighters to go all out without worrying about the damage spreading too far and having to hold back.
"Really, why isn't he fighting back? Even if the opponent's just a normal person, can't he just end it already?" Bulma, as always, was impatient; especially now that she was pregnant, her mood would swing easily and she couldn't help but shout.
Talot not fighting back or even retorting on the arena was making his wife anxious.
Bulma was pregnant?
That's right!
Just a few months ago, Bulma had finally gotten pregnant with Talot's child, and in just over three months, the baby would be born.
"Mrs. Bulma, you should try to calm your emotions. Too much excitement isn't good for the baby's development. I'm sure Talot has his reasons for this, or perhaps that contestant called Satan is someone Talot cares about," Whis said.
"But he's never mentioned this Satan guy to me," Bulma said, suspicious.
"All right, all right, in any case, Talot is definitely going to win, so let's just watch quietly. Whatever happens, we'll know the outcome in the end." Gine, holding Talora in her arms, also tried to persuade Bulma not to let her mind run wild.
"Speaking of which, Lord Champa and my elder sister have come as well. That's quite unexpected," Whis suddenly changed the subject.
His words startled everyone present.
They all knew who Champa was, and they also knew who Whis's elder sister was.
Following Whis's gaze, sure enough, Champa and Vados were sitting in a corner of the audience, watching the match while eating desserts.
"Should we invite Lord Champa and your sister over here?" Bulma asked.
She had always been good at reading people, and as she matured, she became even more composed in dealing with others.
Whis shook his head and said, "Since my sister hasn't come to find me, she probably doesn't want me to bother her. I believe she'll come looking for me after the match is over."
Hearing this, Bulma nodded slightly.
Since Whis put it that way, forcing an invitation would only have the opposite effect.
…
In the arena.
After Satan finished catching his breath, Talot finally spoke for the first time.
"I've already seen the extent of your strength. You should also be aware of the gap between us. If you don't want to embarrass yourself by losing too badly, I think you can surrender now."
After speaking, Talot waited for Satan's response.
Satan was momentarily stunned when he heard this.
Then, the look in his eyes changed, and his expression turned to one of anger and unwillingness.
"What kind of joke is this? From start to finish, I've been the one with the upper hand. You think you can get me to forfeit with just a few words, who do you think you…."
Before he could finish saying "are," Satan suddenly gasped sharply.
Because Talot had crossed the distance between them in an instant and was now standing right in front of him.
Though Talot hadn't attacked, the sudden movement startled Satan and made him stumble back.
"Get down. You can come back for the next World Martial Arts Tournament, maybe you'll be the champion then," Talot said, then lifted his hand and flicked his finger.
The reason he said this, of course, was that none of them would be competing in the next tournament.
An invisible burst of aura shot out like a bullet, striking Satan and pushing him all the way out of the arena.
Satan wasn't really hurt, but falling out of the arena meant he had lost.
"Was… was that a trick? No, that's not right! What did you do to me?" Satan asked in confusion.
Talot ignored him and glanced at the referee.
"In the first match, Satan is eliminated and Talot wins, becoming the first to qualify for the top 16 of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament."
With the result announced, Talot smiled, turned, and walked off the arena, ignoring the audience's jeers from those who couldn't understand what had happened, and headed for the backstage waiting area.
Satan was still in a daze, and only after the blonde-haired referee asked him several times did he come to his senses and walk blankly toward the backstage waiting area.
Others might not know what happened, but having experienced it firsthand, how could he not?
That was definitely not a trick, it was a real air cannon. He'd been knocked out of the arena by an invisible attack.
...
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