Where there are many words, time feels long; where there are few, time passes quickly.
In the blink of an eye, several days went by, and the much-anticipated Kengan Annihilation Tournament was finally about to begin.
Merchants and tycoons from all across Japan gathered at the harbor, boarding luxurious cruise ships bound for the arena on Kengan Island (a homophonic name).
Of course, some businessmen weren't quite high-status enough. They didn't qualify for a "direct pass" and had to win their way through the preliminaries to enter the official 32-man tournament.
Those people could only board another, dilapidated vessel—the Annihilation—where they would first fight it out for the final five remaining slots before challenging the elites above.
Thus, ambitious businessmen boarded the ships one after another, while fighters with their own agendas split paths—some stepping onto the luxurious Kengan, others heading for the Annihilation to fight for qualification.
Among them were the eleven Explorers still alive in this world.
Aside from one highly capable level-7 Explorer who had secured a fighter's position at Kōō Academy and thus earned a direct pass, all the other Explorers could only miserably board the Annihilation to fight for entry.
"Damn it, I really want to get on the Kengan too. I've never been on a luxury cruise ship before. Even if it's just in a mis—here, enjoying it once would be nice."
One Explorer boarding the Annihilation complained bitterly.
"Stop dreaming. Once we're back, you can enjoy whatever you want,"
Kurei said, patting him on the shoulder. His words were subtle, but his intent was clear.
"Focus on how to secure qualification. Want to cooperate?"
"Life's rough… no choice then. Let's team up for now. You look pretty strong too."
The Explorer, who went by the nickname Dog Saint, nodded.
After boarding, the Explorers quickly began forming temporary alliances. In their eyes, Explorers were both natural teammates and natural enemies—after all, only five spots were available.
Most of their mainline quests were tied to this Kengan Annihilation Tournament. Being eliminated here meant mainline failure. For the unlucky ones, the punishment could be erasure; even if not, stat reductions were just as unacceptable, amounting to a slow death.
So no one would hold back aboard the Annihilation. When the fighting started, it would be all-out.
The Kengan matches were unlike ordinary combat sports—they allowed killing. If a fighter failed to surrender and the opponent refused to stop, death was a very real possibility.
As the Explorers boarded the Annihilation, each with their own schemes, they couldn't help but look up at the neighboring Kengan. At that moment, one sharp-eyed Explorer noticed something strange.
"Who's that? Was that guy there before?"
He pointed toward the upper deck of the Kengan. Standing there were Chairman Katahara Metsudo and his entourage. Besides the familiar Metsudo's Fang, Kanoh Agito, and several key members of the bodyguard unit, there was one person who clearly didn't match their usual "aesthetic."
That man wasn't wearing the standard bodyguard suit. Instead, he was dressed casually, with a black trench coat draped over him, its hem fluttering in the sea breeze.
Judging by his features, he didn't look Japanese—more like someone from a major Eastern nation.
At that moment, he was chatting and laughing with Chairman Katahara, and when he glanced toward the Annihilation, there was a faint air of surveying the realm about him.
"Holy shit, I've never seen that guy before. Don't tell me he's like us?"
Other Explorers also noticed the anomaly and looked toward Kurosaki Rei's position.
"What's this about? Could he be here as a businessman instead? Maybe he has massive assets in this world, so he can chat freely with Chairman Katahara?"
"Probably. Look, even Metsudo's Fang is standing behind the two of them like a bodyguard. Guess he took a different route from us—maybe he's here to do business."
"Damn it all. I didn't expect our side to have cushy gigs like this. I want to be a big-shot businessman too, clapping cheeks with secretaries every day."
The Explorers chatted noisily, but one person didn't join the conversation. His expression shifted from surprise to something far more awkward.
He stared at Kurosaki Rei standing beside Katahara Metsudo and thought to himself:
Don't tell me Lord Prison Demon already speedran the annihilation tournament behind the scenes?!
He knew the powerful Explorer from Kōō Academy. That man's mission was to successfully participate in the Kengan Annihilation Tournament and, in the main event, directly face Metsudo's Fang—holding out for thirty seconds without losing.
Originally, he'd thought that Explorer had a decent chance of completing the quest.
But now…
Metsudo's Fang… didn't switch people, did it?!
...
Several hours later, the Kengan arrived at Chairman Katahara's private island, and the participants aboard the Annihilation were finalized.
Two of them were fighters Kurosaki Rei recognized from the original story:
The Superman Rihito, who specialized in razor-like attacks, and Sawada Keizaburō, the representative of Madarame Music, known for his kicking techniques.
The remaining three were all Explorers. Kurei was among them as well. Judging by his condition, he really did have some skill—after breaking through, he didn't appear to have suffered any serious injuries.
Kurosaki Rei disembarked from the cruise ship. Just as he stepped onto the island, a figure suddenly pounced toward him, clearly trying to latch onto his body.
But Kurosaki Rei's reaction speed was absurd. He instantly raised his hand and caught the person by the face midair, holding them suspended in place.
The result was a flailing girl, limbs waving about, looking downright comical.
"Kurosaki Rei—!"
A low voice called out his full name. Only then did Kurosaki Rei release his grip. Wu Erioh was approaching them, and judging by his expression, he didn't seem too pleased with Kurosaki Rei.
"Phew—"
Freed at last, Karura took a breath. She immediately perked up again, brimming with energy as she looked at Kurosaki Rei.
"Kurosaki Rei, let's make babies together!"
Kurosaki Rei pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed. He finally understood why Tokita Ohma had been scared into fleeing in the original story. You couldn't hit her, and it was incredibly hard to deal with—truly a nightmare situation.
Thinking of Tokita Ohma made Kurosaki Rei feel a deep sense of regret. Ohma had been a warrior with tremendous growth potential. If he hadn't died, in five or six years, he might have been a worthy opponent.
Unfortunately, Ohma had been killed by a Violator. According to the Wu clan's post-investigation, he'd been poisoned—not slain head-on. It was an extremely unjust death.
"Oh? Erioh, from the looks of it, you're not about to die of old age just yet."
Katahara Metsudo greeted Wu Erioh with a smile.
"Hah! I think you're the one close to dying—can't even straighten your hunched back anymore,"
Wu Erioh shot back with a grin, their auras clashing for a moment.
But Kurosaki Rei, who knew the truth, understood that the two old men were actually very close—comrades forged in hardship, sharing a revolutionary friendship. This was just long-overdue mutual ribbing.
Sure enough, after a brief standoff, both of them laughed and walked side by side toward the interior of the island.
After being "face-grabbed" by Kurosaki Rei once, Karura became a bit more "reserved." She stopped stripping or jumping on him at every turn and simply followed quietly at his side.
"Where's Raian?"
Kurosaki Rei asked, not seeing him in the crowd.
"Your representative should be him, right?"
"That guy thought the island was too boring,"
Karura replied.
"He dragged Uncle off to spar instead. Even though the beach here is great. Kurosaki Rei, let's go play in the water!"
Kurosaki Rei shook his head.
"I still have things to take care of. And Karura, don't wander off to secluded places. I've got a feeling this tournament is already being watched—it might not be safe."
Even though some of Karura's actions gave him headaches, he didn't dislike her. Besides, she'd taught him quite a few techniques related to Removal.
With Tokita Ohma dead, the storm brewing around this Kengan Annihilation Tournament was only growing stronger. In the worst-case scenario, the Worm and the Wu of the Westward Faction might both intervene. If that happened, there wouldn't be many safe places left on the island.
Karura was a genius—her Removal rate had already reached 85%—but she was too young and had never killed anyone. Her lack of real combat experience was severe. Against the Wu of the Westward Faction, she'd die instantly; even against elite members of the Worm, the outcome would be grim.
"With Grandpa and you around, everything will be fine,"
Karura said dismissively.
"Oh right—do you know which company the Wu are representing this time?"
Kurosaki Rei paused. He hadn't asked about that.
"Wasn't it UM Corporation that hired you?"
Karura shook her head.
"UM Corporation? Never heard of it. This time, we were hired by the Nogi Group. And they went through a whole bunch of twists just to have us represent Yamashita Trading."
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