Chapter 551: Bloodshed in the Arena

“Hanzō Ichirō!”

Facing each other, Hanzō let out a light laugh as he proudly introduced himself, finishing with a courteous bow.

This was the standard ritual before a Death Duel in the Japanese Battle Zone.

However, seeing Yenir frozen as if in a daze and utterly immobile, Hanzō couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation.

Given his rank and the backing of powerful allies, even Ye Ze Ming’s Third-Stage fighter was expected to show him respect.

Having reviewed Ye Ze Ming’s documents, he knew his opponent was no pushover—but his speed was surely no match for his own.

His earlier words to the camera had already laid bare his battle strategy.

He planned to toy with Yenir using his speed—treating him like a lapdog—and then finish him off with a dazzling backstab! Just the thought of that scene made him imagine the awed exclamations of the survivors watching the broadcast.

That would be… too cool!

“Kid, if you don’t know what it means to respect the strong, I’ll make sure you understand just how grave your error is!”

With a cold laugh and a battle-ready stance, Hanzō noticed that Yenir remained disconcertingly calm—a sight that sparked a hint of brutality in his eyes.

Yenir’s demeanor was either the result of being so unnerved he’d nearly lost consciousness or simply an act of cocky defiance.

Such a stance even caused the nearby judge to cast an astonished glance at Yenir.

Without further ado, as soon as the judge’s command rang out, the fight began.

Phantom Leap!

Almost the instant the judge gave the order, Hanzō activated his skill to create illusions, aiming to confound his opponent!

A swift blue ripple emerged, and in the blink of an eye, the airborne Hanzō split into three identical copies, all surging toward Yenir.

At the same time, the commentator hurriedly gathered his words, ready to sing praises.

“Everyone, watch closely! This is Hanzō’s most—”

“Boom!!!”

Before he could finish his sentence,

a tremendous crash echoed as Yenir—who had been standing his ground—suddenly vanished, leaving behind nothing but a splatter of blood and congealed mud on the floor.

Hanzō, who had been brutally kicked from mid-air and stomped to pieces, couldn’t even cry out as he was instantly crushed.

It all happened far too quickly!

The gruesome, brutal spectacle left both the commentator and the judge utterly stunned.

The commentator, still in a daze and subconsciously wiping the blood from his face, only recovered after several heart-stopping seconds.

Staring at the horrifying sight of leg bones jutting out like arrows from a thigh, she couldn’t help but shriek in terror.

Although she’d witnessed plenty of bloody battles before, this scene was just too savage to bear!

It wasn’t only her; even the judge, who had just regained his senses, shuddered violently.

So fast! Swift!

Such terrifying speed! Unbelievably fierce power!

That speed—could it be even faster than his own!?

Was he hiding a secret reservoir of power!?

Back in the arena, Yenir casually retracted his right foot—as if crushing an ant—and offhandedly explained to the judge.

“Skill.”

Without another word, he leapt off the platform, waiting for the next casualty to appear.

Too weak…

Although his opponent was hailed as a genius, he was merely a protégé selected from an unofficial faction within the Japanese Battle Zone’s Safe Zone. His caliber was tiresomely low.

He could even crush geniuses chosen from the Huaxia Battle Zone—a region of billions—how much more so these pathetic underdogs from minor nations?

The so-called genius was nothing more than a young Third-Stage fighter…

For him, there was no need to even refine his attributes; his raw power alone was enough to crush an opponent with a single kick.

Though his display of might might seem overwhelmingly terrifying to onlookers, it was of no concern to him.

After all, he was gunning for the reward reserved for Japan’s top Divine Warrior—and that demanded a demonstration of complete domination!

As he passed by the trembling, still visibly shaken female host, Yenir suddenly seemed to recall something and murmured softly:

“Next time, cut the chatter during the commentary.”

Barely brushing past her, although Yenir’s remark was meant as a friendly tip, it inexplicably sent the female host into tears with a startled shriek.

She was only a Second-Stage fighter—the weakest kind, in fact.

Yenir’s actions were unimaginably brutal and merciless.

Not only was she frightened, but a throng of Third-Stage fighters in the arena also abruptly took notice of the carnage.

Instinctively, everyone watched Yenir’s departing figure with wary apprehension.

What a ruthless bastard!

They claimed to fight to the death, yet up to this point not even one of these Third-Stage fighters had suffered a severe injury! After all, who among them doesn’t fear death?

………….

Half an hour later.

“Match 113!”

“The contenders are: Ye Ze Ming, the genius from the Dongyang Safe Zone, and Fujino, the genius from the Nagasaki Light Safe Zone!”

“I’m sure many have seen Ye Ze Ming’s performance last match and are still haunted by it! Let’s see if he can once again crush his opponent with overwhelming dominance!”

…

With a new host at the helm, who directed the camera squarely at Yenir, the fresh commentator looked nervously at the fighter on stage.

The previous match’s level of bloodshed had been so extreme that, as a man, he’d been assigned to host Yenir’s bout by the higher-ups.

Yet he was fearful too—dreading a repetition of the earlier scene.

But this time, his opponent was stronger. The previous Hanzō had been overly confident, opting for a showy technique that left him with no time to react before Ye Ze Ming obliterated him.

This time, it seemed unlikely the same would occur.

In the arena, Fujino, having witnessed Yenir’s earlier strike, took a deep, cautious breath. He crossed his Dual Blades over his chest defensively.

“Ye Ze Ming, come on! Let me see what you’ve got…”

“Boom!!!”

The explosive impact reverberated through the arena.

Almost as Fujino was speaking, the previously motionless Yenir replicated his earlier move.

A sickening crunch of flesh rang out, and to the onlookers who had gathered to watch, a burst of bloody spray—like a severed limb—suddenly flashed before their eyes.

It was clear that the Dual Blades Fujino had been relying on for defense were viciously driven into his chest by a single punch from Yenir.

As if executing a reversal strike, he was cleaved into six pieces.

Crossed like an X, his body was dismembered on the spot.

Chunks of flesh were blasted out of the arena, landing with a heavy thud outside.

In an instant, even those competitors who hadn’t been watching were stunned, their faces turning ashen.

At that moment, everyone realized that a death god had emerged in their selection round!

A strike that kills on contact!?

Wiping the blood from his hand, Yenir deliberately showcased the gash in his right hand—a wound inflicted by the Dual Blades.

There was nothing that could be done about it.

His display of speed and raw power was simply too overwhelming.

If his flesh could block an opponent’s weapon without harm, it would be far too unbelievable…

“Just leave a minor defensive flaw, lest it become too unbelievable…”

Shaking his head under the startled gazes of the onlookers, Yenir leapt off the platform once again, waiting for the next casualty to appear.

Glancing at the stupefied faces around him, he couldn’t help but internally shake his head.

What a bunch of…

useless wastrels…

If he could, he’d take them all on at once—no more wasting his time.