Chapter 304: The Martial Arts Tournament Officially Begins
Mrs. Yukinoshita and Haruno didn't stay long in the Saekano world. Not long after dinner, Eriri directly opened a world portal and sent them back to the OreGairu world.
However, Akino and Yukino didn't return with them. Yukino decided to stay and attend Yumenosaki Academy.
Since Yukino didn't have many friends at Sobu High School—aside from Yui Yuigahama, who occasionally reached out to her—she had always been somewhat isolated.
Thus, coming to the Saekano world was a good choice for her. At the very least, she would have more friends to interact with at school.
What's more, with Eriri and Akino able to open world portals at any time, Yukino's situation wasn't much different from simply transferring to another city's school.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a few more days had gone by. The first Chat Group Martial Arts Tournament, which Eriri had proposed, was about to officially begin.
Because of this, the chat group had been abuzz with excitement for the past two days, as everyone debated where the tournament would be held.
In the end, it was decided that Eriri would create a dedicated world specifically for the tournament.
It's worth noting that during this period, Eriri had finally reached the peak of the cosmic level—Level 8, Stage 9.
At this point, her body no longer actively absorbed external cosmic energy. Instead, the boundless energy within her body was undergoing its final transformation, remodeling her body to perfection.
This process occurred silently and would not affect Eriri's daily life or her ability to use her strength.
Once this final evolution was complete, Eriri would ascend to the pinnacle of all worlds: the Ninth Level.
The duration of this evolution could end quickly or take a long time, but Eriri didn't mind.
Since her birth, she had never actively cultivated a single day. As always, she simply waited for her strength to naturally advance when the time was right.
[Rias Gremory (Level 5, Stage 9): Since the location for the tournament has been decided, what will the power level restriction for participants be?]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): The main focus is on practical combat skills, so excessive power isn't necessary. Conveniently, everyone in the group except for the unmotivated little slacker Myne has reached at least the fourth level, so I've decided to cap the strength of all participants at Level 4, Stage 1.]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 5, Stage 9): Level 4, Stage 1, huh? I have no objections. I've been training hard in the chat group's sparring arena these days. Who will win tomorrow is still up in the air, hmph~]
[Luo Cuilian (Level 6, Stage 1): Chika, can I interpret that as a challenge? Very well, I accept it. I hope you don't disappoint me tomorrow. Smile.jpg]
[Jibril (Level 5, Stage 9): Oh my, Chika seems quite confident. Then tomorrow, I won't hold back. Smile.jpg]
[Erica (Level 6, Stage 2): If that's the case, I can't fall behind either. It looks like I'll have to give my all tomorrow against Chika. After all, my goal is also to win. Smile.jpg]
[Milim (Level 7, Stage 1): Wahaha! Chika, I'm also looking forward to fighting you!]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Looks like Chika-chan has quite a few challengers tomorrow. Laugh.jpg]
[Yuuki Asuna (Level 5, Stage 9): As expected, Chika is the braver one. I'll just be going through the motions tomorrow.]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 5, Stage 8): Good luck, Chika. Don't stop!]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 5, Stage 9): ...]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 5, Stage 9): Sorry, I was just casually talking. Please don't target me, everyone. I'm scared! Pitiful.jpg]
[Myne (Level 3, Stage 9): Eriri-nee, I'm about to reach the Fourth Level!]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): So you're feeling proud, huh?]
[Myne (Level 3, Stage 9): Not really, not really.]
[Arifureta (Level 6, Stage 2 / Group Leader): Myne, why are you chatting in the group today? Aren't you continuing your reading?]
[Myne (Level 3, Stage 9): I'm going to watch the tournament tomorrow.]
[Myne (Level 3, Stage 9): Oh, right, Eriri-nee, can I bring Tuuli with me to watch the tournament tomorrow?]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Of course, you can. No matter how many people you bring to watch, it's fine, but they must all be women.]
[Myne (Level 3, Stage 9): Mhm, mhm, I'll only bring Tuuli.]
[Ais (Level 4, Stage 9): Got it. Tomorrow, I'll bring the female members of my Familia.]
[Fubuki (Level 5, Sixth Stage): I'm planning to bring my sister tomorrow. I'll have a match with her to show her how strong I've become!]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): You've told Tatsumaki about the chat group?]
[Fubuki (Level 5, Stage 9): Not yet. I plan to tell her in a bit.]
[Fumino Furuhashi (Level 4, Stage 9): I don't have anyone who can come with me. Should I tell Kirisu-sensei and Ogata about the chat group?]
Although the storyline hadn't yet started, Fumino had already met several of the main heroines from the original work in advance. After spending some time together, they had more or less become good friends.
As for Mafuyu Kirisu, her teacher, although she was strict and opposed Fumino abandoning humanities for science, their relationship was still fairly good.
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): That's up to you. If you want to tell them, tell them. If you don't, then don't. It's not like we need to be afraid of the chat group being exposed.]
[Fumino Furuhashi (Level 4, Stage 9): Hmm… I'll think about it.]
Currently, there were a total of twenty-seven members in the chat group. With each member bringing along their friends and family, the scale of this martial arts tournament might be larger than expected.
Just counting the people in Eriri's household, there were already thirty or forty.
That meant food could become an issue, so Eriri directly reached out to Erina in the group.
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Erina, make sure to bring a few skilled female chefs with you. There might be a lot of spectators for this tournament, and Aoi-nee, Momo, and you three might not be able to handle it all. @Erina Nakiri (Level 5, Stage 2)]
[Erina Nakiri (Level 5, Stage 2): No problem. I'll make sure everything is arranged.]
...
In the One Punch Man world, Hellish Blizzard, the leader of the Blizzard Group, sat elegantly on a sofa with her legs crossed.
The current strength of the Blizzard Group was vastly different from what it had been a month ago. While most members hadn't seen much improvement in their abilities, their leader, Fubuki, had grown exceptionally strong.
Thanks to Fubuki's newfound power, the Blizzard Group's hero activities were thriving, and the group, once plagued by financial difficulties, had gradually become more affluent.
They had even relocated to a newer, larger headquarters with a much better environment.
Before long, a petite figure radiating a green glow appeared high above the Blizzard Group's headquarters.
The small figure wore a black, slit gown and had curly green hair. Her appearance resembled that of an 11- or 12-year-old girl, though her demeanor carried a sense of authority far beyond her youthful look.
She was Tornado of Terror, the second-ranked S-Class hero in the Hero Association and Fubuki's older sister by five years.
Tatsumaki had come to the Blizzard Group's headquarters because she received a phone call from her sister asking her to come.
Instead of landing on the ground, Tatsumaki floated directly through a second-floor window and entered the hall on the second floor.
Upon seeing Fubuki sitting on the sofa in the hall, Tatsumaki wasted no time flying over and sitting down beside her.
"Fubuki, what's so urgent that you had to call me here?" Tatsumaki crossed her arms and spoke with an air of superiority. "I heard your strength has improved a lot recently. Not bad."
"Sister, my strength is already far above yours now," Fubuki said flatly. But if one listened carefully, a hint of pride could be heard in her tone.
Through the chat group, she had already learned about Tatsumaki's strength. To her surprise, Tatsumaki's power exceeded her expectations.
While Fubuki had always known her sister was strong, she hadn't expected Tatsumaki to be at the peak of the Level 4.
Back when Fubuki joined the chat group, her strength was evaluated at just the Second-Level, Stage 5, a far cry from Tatsumaki's peak Level 4 strength.
Without the chat group, Fubuki might never have been able to catch up to Tatsumaki in her lifetime.
"Fubuki, you're really bold to say that. Don't think you can surpass me just because you've made a little progress," Tatsumaki said with a teasing smile.
As the ultimate siscon, Tatsumaki knew her sister Fubuki better than anyone else. She was well aware of Fubuki's strength.
Perhaps Fubuki had made some progress over the past month, but in Tatsumaki's eyes, it would only amount to a small improvement, nothing worth mentioning.
"Hmph, you'll find out tomorrow. I called you here today to talk about something," Fubuki said with a smile, choosing not to challenge Tatsumaki immediately. Their sparring would have to wait until tomorrow.
"I don't know what you're planning, acting all secretive. Just tell me what you want to say," Tatsumaki said haughtily, tilting her head up without pressing further about Fubuki's claims of strength.
Fubuki then explained the chat group and the martial arts tournament to Tatsumaki, providing her with a general overview.
While Tatsumaki trusted that Fubuki wasn't lying, the concept of a multiversal chat group was far too ridiculous for her to believe.
She had no interest in the martial arts tournament, either.
In her mind, aside from "Blast," who had once saved her when she was young, she was the strongest being in the world. To her, the so-called martial arts tournament was nothing more than a gathering of weaklings fighting amongst themselves.
"Sister, just come with me to watch the martial arts tournament tomorrow. You'll see for yourself whether I'm telling the truth."
"Fine, I'll go with you. I want to see just who has the audacity to deceive you."
"…"
This scene between Fubuki and Tatsumaki also occurred among several other group members. However, unlike Fubuki, who decided to leave the truth for the next day, the others proved the existence of the chat group and the martial arts tournament on the spot.
Haramura Nodoka told her mahjong club companions about the chat group and the martial arts tournament. Similarly, Chika Fujiwara shared the news with her sisters.
In the end, Fumino Furuhashi chose to tell Mafuyu Kirisu, Rizu Ogata, and Uruka Takemoto about the chat group as well.
At this moment, many people from different worlds were eagerly looking forward to the martial arts tournament the next day.
A single day quickly passed.
After breakfast on the second day, Eriri brought everyone in her household to an independent world.
This world had been created by Eriri the previous day. It wasn't particularly vast, but the most prominent feature was an enormous open-air arena.
Surrounding the arena were multiple tiers of spectator stands. However, these stands weren't simple stone steps but comfortable soft seats.
Behind the stands stood towering and majestic buildings, while further in the distance were bustling streets.
Several wide rivers flowed across the entire world, and lush forests grew beside the streets, making it a breathtakingly beautiful forest city.
The city itself spanned an area of 100,000 square kilometers and was the only city in this world.
Beyond the city was an endless expanse of blue ocean as far as the eye could see.
The enormous martial arts arena, like the centerpiece of a grand display, was located at the very center of this beautiful city and served as the focal point of the entire world.
Although this martial arts tournament required only a single arena and spaces for rest and dining, Eriri had intentionally created a visually stunning world for the occasion.
This world would not be discarded after a single use.
Future tournaments would also be held here, and this world had already been designated as a shared world for the chat group. Group members who wished to live here or explore could enter for free through the chat group at any time.
Perhaps, with the contributions of the group members in the future, this world would become even more magnificent.
Eriri's group consisted of nearly forty people, but they were not the first to arrive.
Everyone appeared on the martial arts arena as their initial entry point. At this moment, aside from Eriri's group, Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato were also present.
Standing beside the two of them was a beautiful girl with silver shoulder-length hair and red eyes.
She was none other than Erina's paternal cousin, Alice Nakiri, who carried traces of Nordic blood.
Behind the three of them stood three girls with confused expressions.
One was a tall red-haired girl, another was a petite purple-haired girl hugging a stuffed toy, and the third was a green-haired girl wearing round glasses with her hair styled in braided pigtails.
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