Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Maria was somewhat worried because her opponent was no ordinary person.

"100,000 fans, a million-dollar net worth"—this isn't just a saying. Perhaps some knights who gain millions of fans simply by singing and dancing are quite weak, but as far as Maria knows, this plastic knight, who is the vanguard of the Howling Knights, did not ascend to the knight stage through those useless skills.

Maria had watched Seljak's matches and found his steady, defensive counter-attacking style to be similar to her own, which is why she understood that this tactic required very solid skills to master.

"call--"

Are you watching me, sister?

However, after taking a deep breath, Maria immediately adjusted her mindset and prepared to fight back.

Whether it was just her imagination or not, she felt that her armor was emitting a familiar and comforting scent today.

It must be my sister supporting me!

On the other hand, Serkiak's face beneath his helmet could hardly be described as composed.

His previous relaxed demeanor was just for show for his son. As a father, he must not let his anxiety spread to his child.

The source of his unease was precisely this new armor that had been praised as stylish—the Howling Guardian MK3.

"Those guys... just assigned me this kind of task without my permission..."

Needless to say, this equipment was also ordered by the Business Alliance—more precisely, by the Howling Guard Company, the sponsor of the Howling Knights.

Don your new armor, defeat the currently trending Sister of the Radiant Knight, and achieve a brilliant victory; this will give them free advertising.

The reward wouldn't be small, but Serchiak accepted it not for the reward.

He simply couldn't refuse, nor could he allow himself to fail.

However, no matter how much he dissatisfaction he had, he still had to participate in the competition as instructed.

This is the glamorous knight with "100,000 fans".

"...Ugh."

No one could hear the sigh beneath Serchiak's helmet.

[The match has begun!!!!]

The moment the start was announced, Serkiak nocked an arrow for his crossbow, then swiftly aimed at Maria and fired.

They then charged forward while continuing to reload their crossbows.

Maria did not choose to block, but instead took advantage of the distance to dodge in advance and launched a charge.

But within those first few seconds, Maria sensed something was off.

—The reason I choose to charge and get close to the enemy is because my weapon is designed for close combat.

But why did Sergeak also choose to approach him?

Even if his crossbow was equipped with a bayonet, it should only be used as a last resort. As a crossbow user, shouldn't his fighting style be to wear down the opponent by shooting from a distance?

Defend against the enemy's offensive, then harass and wear down the opponent from a distance.

Although each match lasts a long time, the simple tactics make them very reliable, which is why they have become the distinctive style of Sergeyak.

He actually abandoned his original playing style today?

[Unbelievable!!! The Plastic Knight, known for its defensive counter-attacks and protracted battles, actually approached Maria, who is clearly more adept at close combat!!!]

How will this unprecedented strategy change the course of the game? Ladies and gentlemen! It's not too late to place your bets now!!!

"Tsk, do you think I want to?"

As Sergeyak closed in on Maria, he silently echoed Mob's commentary in his mind.

He didn't want to use that style of play at all.

And doing this is simply following the company's instructions.

Because the armor he was wearing was a new type of armor that used the latest technology but was still in the testing phase. It was a new product that Howling Guardian had devoted all its efforts to researching, with the aim of competing with Raytheon Heavy Industries for market share.

Of course, because this armor was hastily made, it was far from being ready for actual combat. If the protective components were to be used for an extended period of time, they would overheat.

In cases of overheating, not only will the wearer have to endure terrifying temperatures, but the armor itself may also cease to function.

Therefore, they need more attention and investment to further improve the performance of this armor.

This requires Serkiak to fully utilize the advantages of his armor on the field—meaning he needs to end the match before overload and only let those people see his strengths.

If you don't want to overload the system, you have to finish quickly.

However, a quick victory would not suit Sergey's fighting style and habits.

But so what?

Serchiak could not refuse.

This job inherently involves both risks and rewards.

If he wins, he will receive a reward exceeding his total pre-tax income from last year. His points and market value will also increase significantly due to defeating the sister of the Radiant Knight. The Knights Association may even promise him a spot in the next round—and then he will be less constrained by his current situation.

But if I lose... No! I won't lose! My opponent is just a greenhorn!

The moves I saw during the competition were barely passable, and she was no match for my battle-hardened opponent!

Serchiak cast aside his worries about defeat.

Even if he wasn't forced by others, he would still strive to win in order to fulfill his promise to his child.

"Little girl of the Linguang family! Be the cornerstone of my victory!"

The crossbow's bayonet struck Maria's shield.

However, his purpose was not to launch an attack.

He approached Maria to demonstrate the armor's capabilities to outsiders.

In other words, it means deliberately coming within the opponent's combat range in order to get hit by a sword.

He had witnessed the performance of the MK3; it provided very reliable protection before overheating.

At least it will not be harmed by the attack of this little girl in front of it.

Therefore, Sergeak confidently exposed his weakness, waiting for the opponent's strike.

The bayonet made a crisp sound as it pierced the shield—its tip broke off against the old-fashioned white shield.

Immediately afterwards, a white light slashed towards Sergey's left shoulder.

"Snap!!!"

"...what?"

"Ah! Are you...are you alright!?"

The sound of metal being cut rang out.

This was followed by incredulous, confused exclamations, and then slightly panicked shouts.

Serkiak looked down at his shoulder.

Maria's blade had penetrated most of her shoulder, piercing through her armor and collarbone.

The broken surface of the armor crackled with electricity, and where flesh and bone burst open, blood gushed forth like a fountain.

Both of them stopped moving at the same time, somewhat at a loss about what to do in the current situation.

The blade was shattered by the shield?

The armor that was in operation was cut in half with a single blow?

This was all unexpected.

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 live celebration is over; there was a lot of content. Whether it will improve public opinion depends on YJ's own actions.

All I can say is, "I don't care."

Taking a slightly conservative approach to writing a book is a good thing, at least it avoids any backstabbing from the authorities.

The voice of the doctor in the official animation is also neutral, so it wouldn't matter if you called her a female doctor.

[Main Text] Terra's World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. Debate Chapter: Chapter Seventy-Three: Special Physique

[The game is over! Call the medical staff immediately!]

People could see that Serkiak was trying to stand up, but he eventually collapsed into a pool of blood under Maria's horrified gaze.

Before falling, Sergeak's blood-stained gauntlet touched Maria's face, who was too panicked to back away.

The youthful face and the white armor were stained with scarlet.

"Ah...ah!!!! Are you...are you alright!? Mr. Surgeyak!?"

Her first thought upon regaining her senses was to check on her opponent's injuries.

However, Sergeak, who had lost consciousness, was unable to respond.

She could only helplessly cover the other person's wound and try to stop the bleeding with crude Originium Arts.

But medical staff arrived quickly and separated Maria from him.

Mob the Big Mouth declared the winner.

The match was decided at an astonishing speed.

However, the victor, covered in his opponent's blood and standing blankly on the field, didn't seem to feel like a winner at all.

The excited or surprised screams of the audience went unheard; everything around her seemed to have nothing to do with her.

Lin Guang, dressed in sportswear, was watching the live broadcast of the competition on the training platform while wiping away sweat.

Her expression was calm, showing little concern for Maria, whose face was shown in close-up on the screen.

"This wound is bad; it's probably a major artery. That guy was unlucky—but I've heard that such serious injuries are not uncommon during matches, and more often than not, they're deliberately tolerated rather than like this... It's because of an 'accident,' right?"

The other operators training here are not preparing for an exercise that has not yet been definitively canceled.

They were just conducting their routine training as usual, and they had become accustomed to doing things on the expanded training platform that they had previously thought were useless and impossible.

During a break, one of the operators watched the entire match with the instructors and others and asked Nearl a question.