"This is Sakaar's strongest fighter?"
Saitama looked up toward the Grandmaster, the boiled-egg face unusually serious.
"Uh—"
The Grandmaster choked on the reply. Before Saitama showed up, the Bruiser had been Sakaar's top draw—no question. Of course, those "hundred straight wins" had a bit of Grandmaster tinkering behind them. He just hadn't expected the guy to lose that cleanly.
"How about sending the ten-million one up?" the matronly secretary whispered.
The Grandmaster's mouth twitched. He'd already seen how strong Thor was—royal Asgardian blood and all that—but this was Sakaar. He didn't care about some Nine Realms ruler.
"Good idea. Send him."
He nodded and flashed Thor a smile from the high dais.
A smile that made your skin crawl. Thor's heart sank on the spot.
"Looks like it's your turn, Your Highness. You do look plenty strong," Valkyrie teased.
"You know who I am?" Thor blinked. She knew and still sold him?
"Didn't before. Found out just recently," Valkyrie said bluntly.
Sure enough, a few Sakaaran arena guards marched over and ordered Thor to enter the ring.
Thor was helpless. There was still that shocking collar on his neck, and after the fight with Hela his divine power was badly drained—he didn't have the strength to tear it off. The mighty God of Thunder—brought down by a taser. It was… embarrassing.
"Nice. The ten-million one looks stronger. Let's see if the fifty-million one can surprise me," the Grandmaster said, smiling with interest from the high seat.
Thor at least looked the part—perfectly carved muscles and a heavy warhammer in hand. He didn't look weak at all. The bald guy lounging around doing nothing looked more like the supposed weakling.
"Saitama… I need a favor. My sister's out. I can't beat her," Thor murmured as he stepped onto the sand.
"Congrats. You found your sister," Saitama said.
"Pfft—"
Thor almost spat blood. He had zero warm feelings for Hela. She was ruthless enough to kill Odin—already blinded by power and desire.
"She's a disaster for all Asgard. She took my eye—and my hammer!" Thor said.
"Sounds like a family matter," Saitama said.
Family matter? For crying out loud—why did other people having a sister sound happy, while his made him sweat bullets…
"I think he wants me to fight you," Saitama said, pointing up at the Grandmaster.
Saitama's demolition of the Bruiser had turned him into the hottest thing in the arena. The spectators were screaming themselves hoarse for him.
"Who do you think wins?"
"Do you even have to ask? The cueball flattened Bruiser with one punch—can't you tell who's stronger?"
"Yeah, but I heard that hammer cost the Grandmaster ten million—top-shelf stuff. Might be tough!"
"Ten million? I won't make that in ten lifetimes. That hammer's gotta be scary!"
…
While the crowd argued, the Grandmaster, quite pleased with himself after personally dissolving the unfortunate Bruiser and having the mess cleaned up, felt even more smug. Who'd have thought his eye was this sharp—two toys in one day.
"Who do you pick?" he asked the secretary, amused.
She glanced down, her gaze settling on Thor—good looks, and a few days ago he'd handled some trouble with other fighters in private.
"Same as me, then…" The Grandmaster smiled. Sure, he'd paid fifty million for Saitama—but that was just him showing off. Money on Sakaar was just numbers to its ruler. All money circulated on Sakaar—if it wasn't his, whose was it?
Fifty million, ten million—just words.
"I forfeit!"
Right as the Grandmaster was feeling himself, Thor's shout rang up from below.
Huh?!
The feverish betting chatter died at once. Even Valkyrie, mid-swig, stared blankly down at the ring.
Thor spread his arms, smiling like a victor basking in glory. "I forfeit! I'm no match for Saitama!!"
Clean. Decisive.
Just thinking about fighting that monster made Thor's scalp tingle. If he had to choose between Hela and Saitama as an opponent, he'd pick Hela without a second thought.
Hela was strong—strong enough to kill him—but at least he could trade a few blows and die as an Asgardian hero.
Against Saitama… Thor was sure he'd be rubbed into the floor like an idiot—rubbed until no dignity remained.
For a proud Asgardian prince, that was worse than death.
So Thor surrendered, and if anyone said he lost to Saitama, he'd feel… honored.
Why? Because he'd fought the cosmic boogeyman Saitama and lived to tell it!
"What did you say, Thor?!" The Grandmaster's smile froze, eyes turning dangerous.
The bettors' faces twisted too—annoyance, anger. They'd paid to see these trashy slaves fight to the death, not to hear someone quit before the bell.
"I said I forfeit. I'm definitely not Saitama's match—at least not right now," Thor grinned, all sunshine and teeth.
Valkyrie: "…"
This was the prince of Asgard? That was… something.
"Forfeit? Heh." The Grandmaster sneered and pressed a switch.
Bzzzzzz—
Electricity sizzled. Poor Thor hit the ground and convulsed again. Who knew how many shocks this made.
The God of Thunder—zap-stunned by a collar. What a joke.
Saitama: "…"
"In my house, there's no such thing as 'forfeit.' Only one of you leaves alive," the Grandmaster said, grinning at Saitama and Thor.
The crowd, silent for a beat, exploded again—howling with glee. Life-and-death brawls were their favorite.
Saitama stared up at the distant dais for a long moment, then sighed.
"Thor's a friend. I'm not fighting him."
"Not fighting? That's not up to you," the Grandmaster sneered.
Saitama's eyes sharpened, his voice calm and flat. "Aside from these fighters, the strongest on this planet is you, right? Grandmaster Gast… why don't you fight me?"
(End of Chapter)
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