In the end, the one who became Duanmu Huai's partner for entering the Battle God Championship was Honoka.
Mm, this outcome really exceeded Duanmu Huai's expectations. After hearing Honoka explain what happened, he finally figured out what went down—
Apparently, from the very start of the duel, Olgis and Kula went straight for each other. Olgis had indeed held the upper hand at first, but Kula wasn't just some clueless little kid. Although she ultimately lost, she went all-out, destroying Olgis's army of puppets and even freezing her threads—completely locking down Olgis's combat power.
Under those conditions, any normal martial artist could've taken Olgis out.
"...…"
So the kid looks all cute and clueless, but she's got a black-bellied side after all. Probably wanted revenge for that last loss, huh? If she couldn't win, she made sure Olgis couldn't win either… mm, looks like my puppet girl lost to the treachery of the human heart.
Nothing to be done.
Duanmu Huai was speechless at their relationship. He could understand where they were coming from:
To Kula, Olgis was some stranger who suddenly appeared on her turf and showed hostility—of course she wouldn't give her a good face.
To Olgis, she had been with Duanmu Huai the whole time, and suddenly a stray cat popped out of nowhere—of course she would want to show her dominance.
Though it sounded bad, Duanmu Huai was honestly fine with it. It meant Olgis was gradually developing human emotions.
As for the two of them hurting each other… let them be. He couldn't control it anyway; he had barely interacted with girls in real life, so this kind of problem was completely beyond him.
Worst case, let Lorena handle it. Call it punishment for running away earlier.
Leaving the two glaring girls behind at home, Duanmu Huai took Honoka to the Battle God Championship registration site—since the address was conveniently written on the bottom of the rule sheet.
"Th-this is the place?"
Staring nervously at the pitch-black subway entrance, Honoka gulped and asked. Duanmu Huai took out the rule sheet and checked the address.
"That's what it says."
"Will they even let us in?"
"If they don't… we'll just bust in."
Duanmu Huai cracked his knuckles and snorted coldly. As an Inquisitor, he had done this kind of job plenty of times. Chaotic cults, shady hideouts, stupid rituals—most of the time when he got impatient, he just went 'bonk hammer to the skull' and turned infiltration into a one-man musou massacre.
He was very experienced.
"A-ahahaha…"
Honoka could only give a weak laugh. Duanmu Huai folded the rule sheet and strode down the stairs.
The subway station was abandoned long ago. The further they descended, the darker it became. At the station entrance, they found it boarded up with solid metal plates—save for one small iron door. Duanmu Huai approached and knocked.
A small sliding window opened, revealing a pair of beady eyes.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"We heard the Battle God Championship is held here. We're here to register."
The man inside was silent for a moment.
"Don't know what you're talking about."
The window slammed shut. Silence.
"Eh? Eh?? Why like this!!"
Honoka panicked, hopping anxiously. She hadn't expected such a blunt rejection.
"There must be some kind of password. A tournament like this clearly doesn't want random people joining."
Like them.
"Th-then what do we do?"
"Is that even a question?"
Duanmu Huai grinned.
"If Plan A doesn't work, we use Plan B."
"Plan B?? We have a Plan B, Mr. Duanmu?"
"Of course. It's simple—
we bust in and kill everyone who gets in our way!"
With a roar, Duanmu Huai slammed his fist into the metal barricade.
"BOOM!!"
The supposedly sealed metal wall exploded instantly, flying backward like cardboard. Duanmu Huai stepped through the opening. Inside, several men in black uniforms stared at him, stunned.
"Who are you?!"
"Don't waste my time. Bring whoever's in charge!"
Ignoring the small fry, Duanmu Huai roared and charged forward like a tiger into a flock of sheep.
Those thugs looked scary—but in front of Duanmu Huai, they were insects. Within seconds, they were all lying on the ground groaning.
Honoka was completely frozen stiff, shocked by his brutality.
Suddenly, a long staff shot out from the shadows, thrusting toward Duanmu Huai. He casually raised a hand and blocked it.
"Hey hey hey, what's the meaning of this, buddy? You looking to cause trouble here?"
A cocky voice drifted out. A man in a leather jacket and bandanna stepped from the darkness, grinning as he looked Duanmu Huai over.
"I'm here to register for the Battle God Championship. These guys wouldn't let me in."
Duanmu Huai narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Oh? You want to enter the Championship?"
The bandanna man let out a low chuckle.
"How interesting. Then let's see… whether you've got the skills!"
With a snap, the staff broke into three sections—a triple-staff—and he spun it, knocking Duanmu Huai's hand aside. The next moment, he reassembled it into a long staff and thrust straight at Duanmu Huai's head.
"Cheap tricks won't work on me!!"
Duanmu Huai stepped forward, fist swinging like a meteor. His punch collided with the staff—
CRACK!
The bandanna man's weapon exploded into fragments. The shock tore through his hand, forcing him backward with a grimace.
"...Not bad."
Seeing his destroyed weapon, his expression darkened.
"You've got guts, kid. Then how about we—"
"That's enough, Billy."
A calm voice cut in.
Both men turned. Not far away stood a blond man in a black suit, eyes cold.
"Boss! But—"
"That's an order."
The blond man waved for Billy to stand down, then glanced at Duanmu Huai. When he saw his face, his expression twitched slightly—but he quickly recovered.
"I don't know how you heard about the Battle God Championship, but registration is over. The tournament will begin soon. If you want to participate, wait for the next one."
"And if I don't want to wait?"
Duanmu Huai folded his arms, staring coldly.
"Oh? Then what do you plan to do?"
"Simple. I'll beat the location out of you and walk into the tournament myself."
He cracked his knuckles.
"A fighting tournament is just about one thing—whoever hits hardest wins. If I smash everyone in my way, the championship is mine regardless."
"...…"
Honoka was already stunned speechless.
The blond man stared at Duanmu Huai—then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Interesting! Kid, you're amusing… but let me warn you. This isn't some kiddie Duel Tournament. To win, you must kill your opponent, understand? Not a tap-out, not a knockout—real killing. Even so, you still want to enter?"
"Eh?!"
Honoka paled.
"B-but the rules said defeating the opponent or making them surrender—"
"Yes. Defeat or surrender counts."
The blond man grinned, revealing a predatory smile.
"But do you think it'll be that easy? This is the Battle God Championship—losers have no value. They die. If the winner refuses to kill them, the loser will be executed in front of everyone. One way or another, the loser dies."
"H-how could this be…!"
Honoka's face went white. She'd clearly never encountered such brutality.
But for Duanmu Huai—
This was ordinary Tuesday.
"I get it. So? Can I join, or do I need to beat my way in?"
"M-Mr. Duanmu…"
Honoka's eyes filled with gratitude. She never expected Duanmu Huai to risk his life for Mary. If he failed, her worst outcome was becoming someone's slave. But Duanmu Huai's worst outcome—according to the blond man—was death in the ring or public execution.
And yet he didn't hesitate at all.
If Duanmu knew what Honoka was thinking, he'd be sweating.
For Honoka living safely in Duel City, this seemed terrifying. But for Duanmu Huai, fights like this were daily occurrences. Killing a few people was routine.
In fact, in the domains of the God of Carnage or the God of Desire, tournaments like this were far bloodier and more disgusting… compared to that, this was nothing but drizzle. Child's play.
"…Good."
The blond man nodded.
"Follow me. Don't disappoint me."
(End of Chapter)