I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 593 The Bonds of the Strong
"You mean"

"Yu-kun's office building has been transformed into sparkling glass?"

"Yes, Director."

After listening to the secretary's report, Director Zhuya stood by the window, gazing in the direction of the 'High School of Curses', lost in thought.

Almost all the superhumans in the island nation sensed that beam of light shooting straight into the sky; and that 'familiar' power fluctuation was none other than the attack method used by the 'heavens' created by the false gods of the 'divine demi-plane'—

Ugh, I can't even think about it, I can't even think about it.

The director extinguished the rebellious thought that had crossed his mind.

Regardless of the truth, even he, the island nation's 'weightlifting king,' is unwilling to touch upon it.

“There is another important development,”

The secretary bowed respectfully.

"Good news has come from Miss Nao's family: Miss Nao is pregnant and has invited relatives and friends to come over."

???

"No, what about Miss Nao?"

Director Zhu Ya was surprised. How dare they make such a big show of it?
The island nation's government was naturally aware of Nao's pregnancy long ago.

After all, they weren't just sitting idly by. Although Nao was secretly "nurturing her pregnancy," the traces left by the government, including food, supplies, and even search engines, were enough to deduce the truth. Besides, anyone who wasn't blind could see the change in her figure.

Not long ago, Nao went to the Jujutsu High School.

"It seems that Yu-kun has already acknowledged the child, and—"

Think about it for a moment,

Director Zhu Ya then received the answer.

The attack just now was indeed the work of that 'Qiong'.

It's quite normal to think about it; it would be strange if that 'Sora' didn't react at all. As for the good news from the Nao family, it's no doubt that Yu-kun nodded in approval.

"No, I'll go there myself, instead of the cabinet."

Since the Nao family is hosting a grand banquet, Takeya Haru, as the face of the government, naturally has to attend and offer his congratulations.

what?
Why is only the woman present, and where is the child's 'father'?
Anyone who asks this question is clearly not a Tokyo 'native'; Yu-kun's romantic escapades are already a secret known to all Tokyoites, but one that can never be spoken aloud, and are proof of being a Tokyo native.

"A mother's status rises with her son's, but it's unclear whether she qualifies as the legitimate heir."

Shaking her head slightly, Director Zhuya decided not to consider this complicated issue; this was a joyous occasion, a joyous occasion not only for the island nation, but even for the whole world.

A powerful being like You cannot be bound by any law or morality; when he is happy, all flowers bloom; when he is angry, thousands of corpses lie in wait.

This is why no one is willing to take over the position of Director Zhuya.

The old saying goes, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger."
However, how can a mere monarch compare to a top-tier powerhouse who embodies immense strength?
No, the kings of the mythological era should have been quite capable fighters. In any case, Yu-jun's admission of his bloodline and descendants will surely put many people at ease: even if it's just to leave a legacy for his children, he wouldn't suddenly abandon them or act recklessly.

This is truly a joyous occasion!
Even Susanoo, the most violent and domineering character in mythology, became much more restrained and composed after having offspring.

"Inform the Prime Minister to come with me to offer our congratulations."

"Yes!"

I believe it will happen soon.

The Nao family will be welcoming countless important figures.

That Yu-kun's bloodline must be born standing at the finish line that countless people look up to.

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.

The King of Fighters universe

"Super Special Move: Battle Aura Storm!"

With a slap of his hands on the ground, crimson 'qi' condensed into sharp blades that suddenly pierced out from under the arena, resembling a real mountain of knives; yet, they were not physical entities, but rather the condensation of Geese Howard's killing intent, fighting spirit, and will, leaving no room for escape.

That is to say, the arena is made of extraordinary alloy; otherwise, it would have been smashed to pieces by numerous masters long ago.

"So, it turns out that you still need more skill and have to make up for it with spiritual power?"

A hint of disappointment flashed in Hina Hongo's eyes as she gracefully retreated.
Faced with her "first of the first," the underground king of Nanzhen ultimately chose to respond with a wide-ranging, all-encompassing attack, using this move—

"Hongo is out of the ring! Geese Howard wins!"

The match ended with the referee raising his hand and shouting.

"Huff, huff, huff,"

Standing up, Geese Howard, his chest heaving, stared intently at Hina Hongo, who, after her 'defeat,' turned and walked toward her teammates.

Tough guy.

If it weren't for the rules that forced his opponent off the ring, Geese Howard wouldn't know how he could have won.

Any fighter would have a headache if they faced an opponent they couldn't hit.

Hongo Hime's "Saki no Saki" is just too cheesy!
Being able to predict the opponent's next move,
In close combat, this is practically like having a cheat code.

That is, the limitations of the arena, and the fact that Ji Nai has only just returned to the Tiger level; her spiritual power is not strong enough, otherwise the entire King of Fighters tournament would have become her personal show.

"Sorry, I lost~~ Mai, Kasumi."

The girl returned with her hands clasped together in a sincere apology, which was met with comfort from Mai Shiranui and Kasumi Todo.

"You're already very strong,"

Mai Shiranui's words were not entirely comforting: in most cases, the 'Women's Fighters Team' was just a group of guests to liven up the atmosphere; the real champions were the Dragon Tiger Team, the Garou Team, and the teams of Iori Yagami and Kyo Kusanagi.

According to Hongo Himeko's observation, the captains of these four teams all possessed the skill level of a weak demon.

No, I can't quite figure out those two teammates of Iori Yagami.
"Yeah, Hina, you beat that bald guy!"

Kasumi Todo, who was participating in the competition for the first time, was surprised by the number of strong competitors. As a fledgling genius, she originally thought that the Todo-ryu ancient martial arts were unparalleled in the world and that her father was the best in the world. However, she realized that there are always people more powerful than her.

For example, the bald guy that Hina defeated, Kasumi felt she couldn't beat him.

?

the other side,
The 'big bald head' in Todo Kasumi's mouth,
Mr. Big turned his head and looked over, glaring angrily behind his sunglasses.

After all, he was once the king of Nanzhen. Last time he was beaten and fled in disarray, which could be attributed to his carelessness and being ambushed by two young men.
This time, he came back as a 'king' hoping to regain his former glory, but he was easily outmaneuvered by a young girl who took his ultimate attack head-on.
Am I really getting old?
Touching his bald head, the 33-year-old "Mr." couldn't help but question his life.

"Thank goodness Geese won,"

A relieved tone came from beside her.

"Otherwise, if I go up there, I'll just get beaten up."

"Isn't that brat from your 'world'?"

Mr. Big lowered his voice; he already knew that Hongo Hina wasn't from this world. Since she was from another world, it was understandable that her strength was a bit strange: Mr. Big, who had been on a losing streak lately, could only console himself with this thought.

"With your power"

"For the sake of my Tenma, I could ask Hina to let me win a round, but that kind of behavior—"

Yi Hua shook her head. It was true that she smoked, drank, and beat people every day, but she was still a 'master' and had the same composure as a master.

Once you're in the ring, it's time for a real fight.

"alright."

Regardless, thankfully Geese is there.
Just as he thought of this, Mr. Big was shocked. How could he have such a 'weak' idea?

Looks like I'm really getting 'old'~~
"Next up is Iori Yagami from Team Yagami!"

The King of Fighters tournament was a group stage, but because Geese was too exhausted, he requested a rest, so the other teams were allowed to compete first. As the host finished speaking, a tall, unruly figure suddenly appeared on the ring.

With a unique crimson hairstyle and unconventional attire, her top features the crest of the Yagami family, the 'moon ring,' painted in the center of the back.

The newcomer's gaze fell on the audience seats, he gave a thumbs-up in the direction of the 'Island Nation Team', and then—

It slid right past my throat!

Throat-slitting provocation

The Yagami family and the Kusanagi family are truly sworn enemies with a blood feud.

When the Yagami family joined Orochi, it immediately attracted the Kusanagi family's pursuit for hundreds of years.

Unlike the Kusanagi family, who lived in the sunlight and were respected by all forces, the Yagami family was constantly on the run and hated by everyone. Even Iori Yagami himself dared not look at his parents and sister, for fear of bringing disaster upon himself.

A noble young man, a vengeful man.

Faced with Iori Yagami's provocation, Kyo Kusanagi thought of that 'mysterious person'.

Compared to his defeated opponent—Kyo Kusanagi defeated Iori Yagami in the previous King of Fighters tournament—he is more important than the mysterious man who caught his finishing move with one hand.

Cluck,

Seeing his 'arch-nemesis' lost in thought,
They didn't even take him seriously, and Iori Yagami gritted his teeth.

A legend circulates within the Yagami family that only by wiping out the entire Kusanagi family can the negative effects of Orochi's blood (i.e., premature death) be cured. However, Iori's obsession with Kyo has nothing to do with this legend; it stems solely from Iori's arrogance. He believes only he can defeat Kyo, and he will not allow anyone else to interfere in their battle.

"And on the other side is Choi Bounge from the 'Gold Team'!"

"Hey, redhead, where are you looking?"

A short man wearing a bowler hat, small sunglasses, and claw gloves on all ten fingers stepped onto the ring.

"Now it's a competition with me, the great one—"

In a flash, a pair of hook-like fingers blazing with flames entered the pupils of the fighter named 'Cai Baojian'!
Puff puff puff puff,

The next second, he was suspended in mid-air, his entire body aching!

All I could hear was maniacal laughter:
"Hmph hmph hahaha!!"

"Could this guy be one of the Eight Heroes?"

As the red-haired 'Iori Yagami' unleashed a storm of claw attacks accompanied by streaks of purple flame, nearly tearing 'Cai Baojian', who hadn't even finished speaking, to shreds, Iori Kazuka was rescued from the scene by his captain, Kim Kaphwan. Iori Kazuka whispered to Geese beside him.

"no,"

Giss was able to confirm this.

"The Yagami family was once one of the Three Sacred Treasures families, but they later fell into depravity: the power of the Eight Orochi Warriors could not possibly appear in him."

Besides, Iori Yagami has been around for a long time, and his reckless and mad fighting style means that his blood has long been collected by those with ulterior motives; it has no other use except to create madmen.

What Geese wants is not madness, but powerful strength that can be used calmly!

As Iori Yagami, covered in blood, returned to the audience, two beautiful women greeted him. One had short, wine-red hair and exuded a wild aura; the other had blonde hair in a high ponytail and radiated an intellectual charm.

"Viss and Mature, Rugal's two secretaries."

Geese sneered at the two beauties who were fawning over Yagami.

"Both of them hold MBAs (Master of Business Administration), which makes them much more capable than the average pretty face, but that's about it."

It's just a toy, not something that can be taken seriously.

At least that's how Gis saw it; their previous reputation was built on Lucar.

Now, she's turned to Yagami Iori, woman.

"Is that so?"

Iori Ichika seemed to be deep in thought.
Despite her "bosozoku boss" persona, she was once an elite member of the "bosozoku" team; I always felt that the two women's attitude towards Iori Yagami was somewhat...
Respectful but not truly respectful?
"Don't worry about it, Iori Yagami is a heartless madman."

Giss, arms crossed, added,
“In the previous King of Fighters tournament, Iori Yagami blamed his teammates for losing the match and seriously injured two of them.”

"This time, it wouldn't be any different if it were a woman."

As numerous fighters took to the stage to hone their skills, fight for the championship trophy, strive to be the best in the world, and for their ambition and power, a woman was watching all of this from the command tower of the aircraft carrier.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, yet she possessed a composure and calmness befitting someone in a high position.

Her long black hair was pulled back by a headband; after all, she was a fighter, and the traditional 'Hime cut' would be too obstructive to her vision.

Wearing a white kung fu uniform and black kung fu pants, it looks a bit 'old-fashioned,' but it's the perfect outfit for showcasing the 'Yata-ryu Ancient Martial Arts.'

On the other hand, few people in this 'world' dare to criticize her attire, because she is none other than Chizuru Kagura, the head of the Yata family, who guards the seal of Orochi and changed her name to Kagura to avoid trouble.

"Sister, has 'he' arrived?"

Standing alone in the command room, the woman suddenly spoke.

"Just as we predicted, that guy will definitely attack at this time to break the seal on the giant serpent. Because—"

As she murmured to herself, the woman's gaze pierced through the glass of the command tower and landed on the tournament venue on the deck: Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, and herself—the descendants of the Three Sacred Treasures families were all gathered here.

By eliminating them, their deaths can loosen the seal on the 'Great Serpent'.

As long as the great serpent descends again—

This is not like a thousand years ago, when the three divine artifact families were at their strongest, both in terms of the 'divine artifact fragments' they possessed and their own bloodline power.

The fact that the three ancestors were able to seal the giant serpent does not mean that they can: at least the fact that the sister was killed by that man in one move proves that there is a huge gap between modern fighters and the descendants of ancient gods.

"The wind is picking up,"

The woman named Kagura Chizuru turned her head and looked at the layered sea.

This means that there was a man watching the battle from above the clouds.

It's time to make a move.

(End of this chapter)