Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Winter, on the other hand, was more taken aback.

The two men, who had previously fought with Tomat, reacted differently, but both touched the weapons they carried.

Although they had considered including practical elements, neither of them expected it to start so soon.

It has been several months since their last encounter.

They are unsure whether their own growth or the lessons learned during this period will be able to narrow the gap between them in reality.

At least hopefully the gap is one that can be detected.

"...Is it a real-world test?"

Melantha reverted to her previous soft voice and politely raised her hand to ask a question.

“That’s right. Let me see where your limits are. Offense, defense, mobility. Go all out against me.”

Thomas casually issued instructions to the group that were more like a challenge than a test, emphasizing:

"After that, it will be a one-on-one battle. If it's a team fight, you'll just interfere with each other, and I won't be able to clearly judge your strength at all."

His words seemed to imply that he was not involved in the battle as an opponent.

Instead, it is like a machine that has "no testing limit and cannot be destroyed".

The reason for not letting Winter and other participants join in was out of concern for error, not because they were worried about whether they would be knocked down.

"That's really infuriating talk~" Lappland stepped forward, looked up at Tomat who didn't seem to mind her words, and drew her sword as she walked toward the testing room. "This is a test, not a battle, because to you, even if we all attacked together, we wouldn't be worthy of being 'opponents'?"

"Or else?"

Thomas followed closely behind into the room, leaving behind a remark that, aside from the snake-slaughtering box who wouldn't think too much about it, left everyone with a slight unease.

[Main Text] Terra's World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. Training Chapter: Chapter Eight: Because You Can Only Use Weapons!

Most races in Terra share similar physiological habits with their corresponding beast relatives.

For example, the Liberians give feathers to show their willingness to develop a deeper relationship, many Safra people can freely move their two eyeballs with their eyes open, or the Felin are very sensitive to moving objects—please don't believe the rumor that "Kuranta people get excited when their butts are patted," doing such a thing to them will most likely only get you kicked dozens of meters away.

The Rupo people retain a strong habit of licking their wounds, as do the Pero people. To suppress this habit, some Rupo people wear a neck accessory called a "shame ring" after receiving treatment for external injuries. This is a large ring around the neck that makes them realize they are doing something unhygienic when they subconsciously lick their wounds.

However, this kind of decoration looks silly, so no one would wear it out, hence the name "circle of shame".

This is what Lapland looks like now—covered in dust and wearing a "shame ring" made of cement around its neck.

However, she herself did not feel too ashamed, and the other onlookers present did not laugh.

This is because it was stuck in her neck when Lappland pulled her head off the floor of the training room.

As for the person who got her stuck, it was of course Tomat.

The second showdown, several months apart, ended with a replay of their first encounter.

"His explosiveness, speed, and basic strength are all better than before. I think I understand. I'll just wait on the sidelines for now."

This time, however, Texas didn't help Lappland pull his head out. Instead, he stood up on his own, with a whole concrete slab stuck in his neck. He then gave Tomat, who was giving his evaluation, a meaningful look, and then very consciously found a small corner of the training room and squatted down with his knees drawn up to his chest.

It's as if you can see a torrential downpour raining down on Lappland's head right now.

Why is that cheerful older sister suddenly silent?

Snake Slaughter, innocent and naive, tugged at Melantha's sleeve and looked up at her with curiosity, asking.

"Perhaps he suffered a huge blow..."

Melantha adjusted the blade at her waist, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down.

The instructors who had been teaching him combat skills and training him all along were indeed able to defeat him with an overwhelming advantage.

However, they usually gain an advantage through their understanding of tactics, their skill, or their strategic prowess, rather than by overwhelming force in a head-on confrontation.

The only one who could do this is probably Instructor Lin Guang.

The education I received also taught me not to rely on individual strength, but to cooperate more as a team and skillfully arrange the correct tactics, so as to gain an advantage in practice or even on the battlefield.

However, this prominent figure on Rhodes Island, who was not an instructor, repeatedly emphasized "giving you great power" when Winter approached her to promote her.

This is completely contrary to what Melanie has always accepted.

However, her presence here shows that she is not uninterested in such unrealistic claims; in fact, it could be said that this is exactly what Melantha wanted.

Teamwork is certainly important.

The right kind of collaboration can produce a result that is greater than the sum of its parts.

But as the team leader, wouldn't I also like to have personal combat skills to protect my teammates when teamwork fails?

One plus one can be transformed into three or five through a wonderful combination.

But the opponents are "hundreds" or "thousands".

So what should we do?

Tomat's solution to this predicament was insane.

But it's worth a try.

"Okay, next one."

In the brief moment Melantha was distracted, Winter's test was already over.

She swung the axe and hacked away, then lay flat on the ground, a huge, smoking bump swollen on the back of her head.

"...Are you upset with me? Why did you hit her so lightly?"

"She's not as tough as you, do you want me to kill her?"

Lappland's protest, however, elicited a slightly smug response: So that's how it is, it's because she's too strong that she gets beaten so badly.

After feeling smug, he then continued to squat down and enter a somber mood.

Melantha walked ahead of the snake-slaying box that was eagerly preparing to jump onto the platform.

"I'll go first..."

Either way, she was going to get a beating, and injuries were common even in other daily training sessions. Melantha was fully prepared for this, took a deep breath, and approached Tomat with her blade in hand.

"Um..."

But this time, Thomas didn't rush to announce the start. Instead, he kept looking at Melantha, making her wonder if she had done something wrong. She asked in a flustered whisper:

"Excuse me... what's wrong?"

"Although it might be somewhat disadvantageous for you, could you fight me without a sword?"

"Huh?"

Tomat proposed a rather unexpected condition.

And the reason could never be that he thought he would get hurt.

In the previous battle, neither Lappland nor Winter's armed attacks, nor even the Originium Arts slashing waves used by Lappland, could touch Tomat's clothes.

Facing the harsh winter, Melantha felt she didn't lack much of a chance of winning, but it was clear that Lappland's swordsmanship was far superior to her own.

Therefore, Tomat had no reason to be afraid of the sword in her hand.

This request also caught Lappland's attention, but she also didn't think that Melantha, who wielded the sword, was too powerful to harm Tomat.

Under the puzzled gazes of the two, Tomat casually scratched his head and offered his explanation:

"After fighting the first two people, I realized that if you were fighting me with weapons, it meant that you could only use weapons, so you might as well fight bare-handed."

When Tomat uttered those outrageous remarks that seemed to come from a madman, both Lappland and Melantha were stunned.

People who use swords or guns are not scary!

Because that's all they know how to use!

There's absolutely no logic to it.

But it seems to make some sense and is quite convincing.

"Boxing, kicking, don't tell me you won't even do these things once you put down your weapons."

They certainly understand basic hand-to-hand combat, but for them, using weapons is the better option to gain a combat advantage.

He uses weapons because "he becomes stronger by using weapons."

Tomat disagreed, arguing that "using weapons would only get in the way."

Their strength was so great that even weapons became a burden—this was the kind of person they would learn from from now on.

"...yes."

Perhaps it's too early for me.

However, after realizing this, Melantha sheathed her sword and placed it outside the arena, then faced Tomat bare-handed.

[Main Text] Terra's World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. Training Chapter: Chapter Nine: Panties Seen (Gesture)

Many of Rhodes Island's operators actually perform combat or assault duties during missions.

It's easy to see from the division of professions that everyone has a special skill in their own combat.

However, among these, the number of operators who rely solely on their physical abilities or fighting skills to serve as guards is not large.

Fortunately, the training program designed by Dubin as the head instructor was well-balanced, and even in areas where each person was good at weapons or combat, there were also courses in hand-to-hand combat.

However, Dobermann often told them this: when you have to fight, even if all you have is a sharp stone, don't leave yourself unarmed.

Because there is an insurmountable barrier between unarmed and armed combat.

"But he completely disregarded this principle..."

Melanza hesitated for a moment, but still adopted a fairly standard starting stance in Bolivarian military combat.

She bent over, tiptoed, and her petite body poised to strike.

This was given to the operatives by Professor Dubin, who has extensive military experience in Bolívar.

In that country, which was constantly plagued by internal strife and battles of all sizes, the soldiers learned the most refined battlefield combat techniques.

The Pero people, who make up the largest proportion of the indigenous population, do not have a significant advantage in average height and size compared to other races. Therefore, they do not rely on a conservative, foot-based fighting style. Instead, they make the most of their small size to maximize their mobility, close in unexpectedly, and then use joints such as elbows and knees to deliver powerful, explosive attacks.