I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 578 The King of Fighters Tournament
"This plane,"

"It looks like a normal metropolis?"

Back in Yu's office, using his mirror, Sora secretly observes the new demiplane she obtained from 'Abe no Seimei'.

Qiong Mei is indeed a bit willful, but she cares a lot about her friends—well, provided they don't try to steal her brother.

Just as Qiong Mei said, this new demiplane looks like a normal port city: skyscrapers, yachts, beaches, and even an aircraft carrier docked in the open sea!

The city is a melting pot of people, including residents who are clearly from the island nation, as well as darker-skinned, curly-haired outsiders, and burly European men with high eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and blond hair and blue eyes. There are even quite a few Black people; it's truly a 'hodgepodge' of a city. Its name is:

Nanzhen!

"It doesn't seem dangerous?"

"That's hard to say—"

Yu casually swiped the screen at Qiongmei's judgment.

As the scene shifts, a church appears: inside the church, a priest wearing a sky-blue pastor's coat and a black shawl is devoutly praying with his hands clasped together.

"Ok?"

Qiong Mei let out a soft sigh.
The priest had a stylish short blond haircut and looked like a handsome, debonair middle-aged man.

Of course, this wasn't what attracted Qiong Mei; her aesthetic sense was well-known. What truly caught Qiong Mei's attention was that the priest's hidden spiritual energy fluctuations were actually at the dragon level!
"Is he the strongest in this world?"

According to the great Onmyoji Abe no Seimei, when the demiplane 'shattered' during the divine war, it took away a lot of spiritual power, and there was no situation of 'spiritual power depletion'.

Therefore, it is normal for extraordinary powerhouses to appear in these demi-planes: just like the Dog General in the 'Warring States Plane' and the 'Heaven' in the 'God Plane'.

In Qiongmei's view, this 'priest' is the strongest person in this world.

"Wrong,"

Yu smiled and shook her head.

"Why do you think that great Onmyoji 'Abe no Seimei' gave me these demiplane coordinates?"

"Because this plane is extremely 'troublesome,' the truly powerful—"

"Who?!"

The priest in the mirror suddenly turned around, a fierce wind raging around him!

The church instantly turned to ashes, and the whole person became blurred; however, with just a wave of his hand, the image in the mirror changed to another scene.

Inside a bar, a band is playing passionately: a burly white-haired guitarist strums his guitar while headbanging to the rhythm; a stunningly beautiful woman's fingers fly across the keyboard; and the lead singer is an innocent young man of Western descent.

All three of them were top-notch in both clothing and appearance;
The music and songs were incredibly energetic, causing countless people in the bar to twist their waists and wave their arms, having a blast.

"these people"

Seeing these three avant-garde band members, Qiong Mei couldn't help but squint her eyes.

Demon level!

And all three of them are at the Demon level!

It should be understood that a powerhouse of this level is already capable of single-handedly ruling an entire nation: a 'king'-like existence in any place.

However, this small bar was home to three Ghost-level powerhouses, who were even performing for ordinary people.

But these three people shouldn't be as good as that 'priest' from before, right?

"They are all from the same organization called the Eight Heroes."

?

Qiong Mei seemed to be deep in thought.

Why do island nations like to use the number 'eight' to refer to certain things?

That's definitely the Yamata no Orochi! So, all these powerful figures are connected to that great demon?

"They are the strongest in this world, but most of the time, these strong people have 'ordinary' jobs."

They formed bands to perform, listened to confessions from priests, and even included some school-aged martial artists.
Finally, Yu set the tone for this 'demiplane' that he had created himself.

"In short, this is a world where 'fighting' is very popular."

The world of King of Fighters!
This world has firearms, armed helicopters, and even aircraft carriers: yet in the face of a fighter, these technological creations are nothing more than oversized toys; only a fist with extraordinary power can decide everything.

Even those gang leaders and yakuza bosses; every single one of them, once they take off their clothes, has eight-pack abs and can tear apart warships with their bare hands!
There's no way around it; after all, even poor kids from the slums can be surprisingly good at boxing.

The leaders who had no fighting ability have all been killed.

"It's very similar to our world, isn't it?"

The career path is a bit too limited.

"Hey, don't underestimate fighters; if you were to be attacked head-on by Himeko, do you think you'd stand a chance?"

Faced with You's teasing smile, Qiong thought for a moment:

"It's hard."

Unless you use a 'self-destruct' ability immediately,
Otherwise, if she were to be suppressed in close combat, given Hina Hongo's fighting skills, Sora would be completely powerless to fight back.

Even a 'ninjutsu-type' master needs to hone their physical skills; otherwise, it would be ridiculous if they were beaten to death in close combat without even being able to unleash their ninjutsu.

Moreover, taijutsu is very difficult to 'counter': the five elements of ninjutsu counter each other, and there is also the special bloodline limit of 'Nether Release', which can directly absorb ninjutsu.

Momoshiki Otsutsuki's "Takamura no Riki" is capable of absorbing all ninjutsu and then returning it several times over;
As a result, during Boruto's era, the other four Kage were reduced to lowly soldiers on the spot.

Ultimately, physical skills are still the key to victory.

This 'King of Fighters Demi-Dimension' is specifically designed for training and improving physical skills.

"Physical skills are also very important, and the strong in this world have integrated 'spiritual power' into their fighting techniques, developing many unique moves."

As Yu was introducing this world, Hongo Hina appeared on the screen, pushing open the door of a bar.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Phantom Bar

This is the most unique bar in South Town because it is:
Ring ring,

The bar door was pushed open, and the ringing doorbell made the many burly men sitting in the lobby turn their heads.

?

The one who pushed open the door and entered...
She was a girl with long, flowing hair;

Wearing an expensive school uniform, she stood tall and graceful, neither too thin nor too plump, with an innocent smile on her face.

While she wasn't exactly 'skinny,' she was just the type who 'exercised' enough; and there wasn't a trace of 'exhaustion' about her, making her look like a true young lady from a wealthy family.

"Hey, little girl."

"This is a place for tough guys, no juice, no milk!"

A bald, bearded, muscular man raised an extra-large beer mug in his hand, showing off his well-defined muscles.

The meaning is obvious.

Young lady, you've come to the wrong place.

"Oh? What if I insist on coming in?"

Far from being afraid, the girl smiled and walked towards the burly man with her hands behind her back.

? ?
"Hahaha~~"

"Hey, old Santo, you can't even scare a little girl?"

"Is it because your muscles are too big that people think you're a fitness instructor?"

The other drinkers started to cheer, and upon closer inspection, it became clear that regardless of whether these guests were dressed in suits, loose sportswear, or hoodies and vests, they all had obvious muscle lines in their exposed areas, and their fingers were thick, clearly indicating that they were all skilled fighters.

That's right, this 'Phantom Bar' is a place open to fighters, although it doesn't explicitly prohibit ordinary people from entering. However—

What's the difference between an ordinary person and a fighter sharing a room, or being with a tiger—no, I mean a dinosaur?
A fighter's casual move can be a fatal attack to an ordinary person!

"Looks like I, Santos, am really getting old."

The burly man with the thick beard angrily slapped his bald head and stood up.

As he stood up, his over two-meter-tall figure suddenly cast a shadow, making him appear like a giant bear standing in front of a little white rabbit compared to the girl who walked in front of him.

"Let's go, kid."

He stretched out a finger as thick as a carrot and pointed it at the girl in front of him.

"Remember next time—?"

Thump,

His gaze suddenly shifted.
When Santos came to his senses, what he saw was the ceiling and the other fighters who had stood up in surprise.

"You're a fighter?!"

Suddenly scrambling to his feet, the bald man, as muscular as a black bear, came to his senses.

However, the girl who had somehow managed to knock him down was already walking straight towards the bar.

"Wait, I haven't done that yet."

The burly man named Santos wasn't about to let things go so easily.

He immediately extended his five paw-like fingers, channeling his strength into his fingertips, and grabbed at the girl's shoulder with a whooshing sound!

He was just careless just now; if it happened again, it wouldn't be so easy.

"lose!"

Thump,

???

Not to mention Santos, who once again slammed his face into the ground, his head hitting the floor and questioning his existence, even the other fighters in the bar were shocked!
If at first they also thought that the girl was just concealing her 'aura' and tricking Santos, then Santos's grab just now clearly showed that he had used 'qi', and even though they were watching closely, they couldn't figure out how he did it?
this.
"A very skillful technique for unloading force,"

Standing behind the bar, the bartender who was wiping the glasses put down the clean white cloth in her hand; without any visible effort, she simply flipped lightly out from behind the bar.

"Guest, this is a place for drinking, not a fighting ring."

"Feel sorry,"

The girl lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed slightly.

"But if I want to prove myself, this is the only way."

"Prove what?"

The bartender was a dashing blonde woman dressed in a white top and burgundy bottom, with a bow tie at the front; her figure was perfectly proportioned, and every step she took seemed to be measured mechanically, precise to the millimeter.

When asked by the bartender, the girl smiled and introduced herself.

"Let me introduce myself first,"

My name is Hongo Hina.

Never heard of it.

Not to mention the other customers in the bar, even the blonde bartender showed a hint of doubt.

She used to be the top henchman of 'Mr. BIG', the underworld boss of South Town. After leaving the underworld, she ran this bar. She knows everything about fighters and is a true 'insider', but she had never heard of this person before.

However, since it's an Eastern name, it probably belongs to some ancient family.

"My name is Joan,"

"Judging from your expression, you came here to see me, right?"

The female bartender loosened her bow tie and spread her legs, assuming a Muay Thai starting stance.

"And it seems this fight is unavoidable?"

"That's great!"

The other party's 'smooth response' made Hongo Hina clap her hands in delight.

"You've saved me a lot of trouble, so let's—"

He reached out and beckoned to the other person.

Hongo Himeya smiled with delight.

"Let's start playing."

?

These words caused the expressions of the surrounding guests to change.

"What an arrogant little girl!"

"Miss Qiong is a world Muay Thai champion and a participant in the KOF tournament!"

They are all fighters, yet they drink here in a very proper manner; this is because the bartender, who is also the owner, Miss Joan, is a strong woman!
The girl who came to "challenge" them simply stood there, as if she wanted Miss Qiong to attack first.

That's utterly arrogant!
"Watch out, Miss Hongo."

The short-haired, dashing 'Joan' didn't look down on the other party. Judging from the fact that this girl could take down Santos with just a touch, she was definitely a true master!

brush,

With a stomp of her foot, the female bartender had already flashed in front of Ji Nai.

A straight punch was aimed straight at Ji Nai's face. Her left foot paused almost imperceptibly, and her knee strike was already poised to strike. This is a common attack pattern in Muay Thai. The straight punch is used as a feint, and the knee strike is used to open up the situation. Once the advantage is gained, a storm of elbow strikes and knee strikes follows.

Hongo Hina simply tilted her head slightly and dodged the lightning-fast punch;
This dodge seemed to trigger a switch; the blonde bartender's right leg suddenly shot out, biting at Hongo Hina's upper body with a terrifying speed several times the speed of sound!
Viper Strike!
boom-----

Rings of white steam spread out.

Before the blonde bartender's kick could even pierce the air, its kinetic energy enough to penetrate the armor of a heavy tank! However—

Hongo Hina simply turned slightly to the side and dodged the attack: it was only a centimeter away from touching her shoulder, but that centimeter felt like an insurmountable chasm!
?

"It was my rudeness,"

The blonde bartender, 'Joan,' who had retracted her kick, took a step back, and the air around her began to distort.

This is a surge of energy, proving that she's gotten serious!

"Everyone, please leave now."

Joan's words were meant for the bar patrons.

Once she gets serious, she might accidentally hurt these people, but:
"Hahaha~~ How could I possibly leave when there are strong opponents fighting?"

"What kind of fighter would leave at this time?"

"This young lady has amazing agility; she actually managed to dodge Miss Qiong's kick."

The guests present all showed the joy of 'bloodthirsty spectators'. For these fighters, only through battle and strong enemies can they reach a higher level.

"Alright, then—watch out!"

When she got serious, the blonde bartender's eyes sharpened, and her right leg, which she kicked out, was like an invisible giant battle axe. The spiritual power that roared out instantly caused the bar to explode with a slash mark.

"Land strike!"

"So, you want to participate in 'KOF'?"

A few minutes later, in the bar that had been reduced to ruins, the female bartender Joan looked up and rubbed her forehead.

Yes, that's right.

"You're qualified to participate in KOF, let's team up~~"

Hina Hongo, with her hands behind her back, smiled and tilted her head to apologize.

"Sorry, I ruined your bar."

But if she doesn't demonstrate her abilities, how can the other party possibly team up with her?

"A bar is fine with me,"

The blonde bartender is also a fighter, so she's not a sore loser; it's just that:
"I'm sorry, but I don't plan to participate in this year's KOF tournament because of my brother's health issues."

?

"Is that so? Then..."

"and many more,"

As Hongo Hina was feeling down and disappointed, the bartender took out a photo and handed it to her.

"If you want to form a team, you can go to her."

"Let's see if she has any teammates."

When Hina Hongo took the photo, even the Kengan Association president, who had seen many storms, couldn't help but be taken aback.

"Is this person really a fighter?"

Not a prostitute
It's no wonder Hina Hongo thought that way; was the woman in the photo dressed too provocatively? Or perhaps too modestly?
The woman in the photo is wearing a red ninja outfit, but her upper body is reduced to just a bra, and her lower body is just a piece of fabric hanging down. Isn't this some kind of erotic clothing?

"cough,"

Joan, dressed in a women's suit, didn't know how to explain her friend's attire.

"It's true."

"In short, she is indeed a powerful fighter: Mai Shiranui."

(End of this chapter)