Call for the Moon Tickets! Urgent call for Moon Tickets! Let’s see if we can break five hundred this month. If we hit five hundred, next month will see a massive explosion—ten thousand words? Nope, that’s just the regular update schedule!
...
The preliminary venue for the Mahoraba Martial Arts Tournament, which was formerly the Ryugu Shrine, was already packed before the competition even began. Any passionate young man, anyone whose heart burned for combat, simply could not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—the legendary Martial Arts Tournament, eagerly awaited by the masses.
“Students of Mahoraba Academy and guests from outside the school, welcome!” Kurasawa Kazumi of the third-year class, dressed in eye-catching attire, stood before the main gate of the Ryugu Shrine, guest-hosting this tournament. She addressed the audience and the numerous contestants with enthusiasm.
“Welcome, everyone, to the successfully revived Mahoraba Martial Arts Gathering! Although the announcement was sudden and we didn't have much time to prepare, we are truly grateful for so many people showing up!”
It must be said, this young woman was truly a talented host. Her words were met with thunderous applause. “As everyone knows, for the past few years, the Mahoraba Martial Arts Tournament has basically been spontaneously organized by the school’s fighting clubs. However, this time, both the scale and format are vastly different from before. The champion's prize money is ten million yen. We hope everyone will exert their utmost efforts in this long-standing tournament to seize the honor and the prize money of the championship.”
“Now, we invite the organizer of this event to say a few words to everyone.” Kurasawa Kazumi shifted slightly to the side, gesturing behind her. The main gate behind her swung open, and a Chinese young woman in a qipao bowed slightly as she stepped out. “This is the owner of the most popular stall in Academy City—Chao Baozi—Chao Rinne!”
“Classmate Chao?! How could it be her?!” Among the crowd were many third-year students, including Negi, Asuna, Setsuna, and Konoka. After learning that Kurasawa Kazumi was the host, they were already surprised enough, but discovering that Chao Rinne was the mastermind behind the scenes left them utterly stunned.
Of course, Chao Rinne was unaware of these reactions; even if she knew, she probably wouldn't care. She gave a slight nod to the crowd, a hint of detached grace in her smile—her every move exuded a commanding presence.
“My purpose in acquiring and reviving this competition is singular.” Chao Rinne pointed to the tournament banner beside her, winked, and smiled, “I simply want to see who is the strongest person in the campus, regardless of whether they hail from the 'Light World' or the 'Underground World.' That’s all.”
“Until twenty-something years ago, this tournament was traditionally held precisely so people from the Underground World could test their strengths against each other,” Chao Rinne continued. “But due to the advancement and proliferation of personal video recorders and other camera equipment, contestants became unwilling to use their ultimate techniques, causing the matches to become mere formalities. The scale gradually shrank until, eventually, it became a minor event only attended by a few martial arts clubs. I deeply regret this.”
Chao Rinne sighed softly. Her eloquence was undeniable; in just a few sentences, she had ignited the enthusiasm of the crowd, causing a stir among them.
Waving her hand to quiet the noise, Chao Rinne spread her arms wide and announced loudly: “But today, I will bring back the Mahoraba Martial Arts Tournament of its prime! In the matches, only the use of flying weapons and real swords is prohibited, as is the chanting of spells. Any other means and ultimate techniques are permitted…”
At this point, Chao Rinne tilted her head and smiled strangely, clearly addressing specific individuals. “Everyone need not worry. During the tournament, the Ryugu Shrine has implemented perfect electronic defense measures. All electrical equipment will be rendered unusable, so there will absolutely be no interference. Everyone can unleash their martial spirit freely and show off their strength to the fullest. That is all.”
With that, Chao Rinne stepped back, and Kurasawa Kazumi stepped forward again. “Now, I will explain the detailed precautions for the matches. Please listen carefully…”
“Oh! The Martial Arts Tournament is amazing!”
“I don’t care if it’s the Underground World or the Light World, I’m taking the championship!”
“This is getting exciting!”
...The crowd below was already surging with high spirits.
“Negi, we absolutely have to win the championship!” Standing next to Negi was a black-haired boy about his age named Inugami Taro. He was a beast-man from the magical world who had clashed with Negi and the others during their school trip, ultimately becoming firm friends—uh, no, good friends—after the fight.
Not long ago, he came to Mahoraba Academy and even trained under Lin Luo for a period. Hearing about the changes in the competition's scale now made him incredibly excited.
“Taro, this match seems a bit strange,” Negi frowned. The Underground World was basically the magical world—a world that ordinary people shouldn't know about. Chao Rinne’s actions made him feel that she intended to turn the Underground World into something like the Light World, which made him suspicious of her motives.
“Hehe, this tournament looks very interesting. If there’s ten million yen to be won, then I’ll join too. Don't you think so, Kaede?” As Negi and the others were discussing, a young woman’s voice drifted over from beside them.
Three of the Four Heavenly Kings of Mahoraba—Ryugu Mana, Nagase Kaede, and Kiri—were all present, clearly drawn by the excitement of the competition.
“Ugh!” Negi was startled speechless.
“Since you are all participating, I shall enter as well. It’s a perfect opportunity, Negi, to finally fulfill that promise we made back then,” the four-eyed teacher, Takahata Ryuudou, materialized seemingly out of thin air amidst the group, chuckling.
“If Teacher Takahata is joining, then I’ll join too!” Asuna immediately exclaimed. She still harbored a secret crush on Takahata Ryuudou and certainly wouldn’t miss this chance.
“Setsuna, you are very skilled; you should participate too.” Seeing everyone else preparing to join, Konoka looked expectantly at Setsuna.
“Uh, since Big Sis requests it, I suppose I’ll join,” Setsuna replied awkwardly.
“Being able to fight against so many strong opponents is truly exhilarating,” Yue gripped her fists, eager to start.
“Haha, I feel like going up for a try myself,” Nagase Kaede laughed heartily.
A fighting spirit ignited in Ryugu Mana’s eyes. She smiled, “It won't be easy to snatch ten million yen from me.”
“How can you know unless you fight?”
“Stop talking nonsense! Champions are mine!” Taro jumped up and shouted directly.
“No, Setsuna is the strongest!”
...The competition hadn't even started, and the group had already descended into bickering. Just then, another voice sounded from nearby: “Ten million yen for the championship? Then I won't be polite about taking it. I’ve spent quite a bit today, and as a volunteer teacher, I need to rake in some extra dough.”
Hearing this voice, everyone suddenly turned around. Lin Luo was standing near them, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. And he wasn't alone; Evangeline, Misaka Mikoto, and three dolls were with him too.
“Oh no! The Violent Teacher’s whole family!” Taro’s face immediately changed drastically. During the time he spent training under Lin Luo, he hadn't exactly had an easy time, and the trauma still lingered.
“Master, you… you guys are participating too?” Negi was stunned.
“Of course. How could I miss something this interesting?” Lin Luo laughed, then turned his gaze to Evangeline. “Eva, what about you?”
Evangeline bared her teeth in a smile. “I have no interest in the rest, but I have a promise with someone to have a good fight. There couldn’t be a better stage for it.”
“The legendary Martial Arts Tournament, I absolutely can’t miss this!” Mikoto said excitedly. Just as Lin Luo predicted, this battle-loving girl was 200% guaranteed to participate.
“If Father is participating, then I will participate too,” Shui Yin stated firmly.
“We’re… we’re doomed!” Hearing them say this, both Negi and Taro immediately dropped to their knees, their initial fervor vanishing without a trace. “It goes without saying for Master and Classmate Evangeline. We can’t possibly beat Misaka. And Ryuudou certainly can’t. Captain Ryugu, Classmate Setsuna, Classmate Kaede, and Classmate Yue are also incredibly strong. Forget the championship—we might die!”
In contrast to the despair of these two, the others were visibly excited. “Being able to fight Teacher Lin Luo—that’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.”
“Hehe, then I hope you last until then,” Lin Luo replied.
“I can’t speak for everything else, but we definitely won’t lose the preliminaries,” someone else chimed in confidently.
“That’s true,” another agreed.
...
Afterward, everyone went to register for the tournament. Negi, who had initially been dispirited, became resolute upon hearing Chao Rinne mention that his father, Nagi, had won the championship in this same tournament ten years ago. He signed up with Taro.
With that, almost all the powerful figures connected to the magical world group had entered.
Soon, after most of the registrations were complete, Kurasawa Kazumi announced again: “Now, participants, please come forward to draw lots. The preliminaries will be elimination rounds in groups of twenty, from Group A to Group H. The top two winners from each group will advance to the finals. This means the final sixteen will enter the finals. Furthermore, we will continue to accept registrations until the preliminaries conclude. There are no restrictions on age or qualifications—anyone confident in themselves can participate. The finals will be tomorrow morning at eight o’clock. And now… the preliminaries officially begin!”
Clang!!! As the massive bell sounded, the preliminaries for Group A commenced. The first twenty people to finish drawing lots already stood upon the fighting stage.
“I didn’t expect us to start first, Eva,” Lin Luo smiled at the young woman beside him on the stage.
“Hmph, hurry up and finish off these small fries; they’re an eyesore,” Evangeline said coldly, arms crossed, showing utter disdain for the eighteen opponents before them.
“You are right. Then, in an instant…”
Bang!
Lin Luo lightly stomped his foot on the ground. With a resounding boom, everyone except him and Evangeline was violently thrown clear off the stage—a one-hit knockout!