["That's hard to say..." Stelle said with a mischievous laugh.]
["Don't... go easy on me, ah... forget it, I'm the one who caused this mess anyway. I'll leave my life to fate. Try not to beat me to death!" The Cloud Knight trembled with fear.]
[After discussing it, the two called over Green Hibiscus, and the duel began under his witness.]
[Without another word, Stelle pulled out her baseball bat, revealing an astonishing aura!]
["Rules are meant to be broken!"]
["Eh, wait!" The Cloud Knight was so frightened by her stance that he could barely hold onto his formation blade: "You're serious!? Don't... go easy on me, easy—"]
[Unfortunately, before he could finish, Stelle had already swung her bat. The poor Cloud Knight brother immediately began enjoying sleep as sound as a baby's.]
["Ho, truly impressive skills." Green Hibiscus praised endlessly. He crouched down to check the Cloud Knight's breathing and, finding none, became even more satisfied.]
["It's a good thing you won. This guy just showed up in a Cloud Knight uniform saying he wanted to join the cult, and he talks nonsense. If he had really won, I'd be a bit worried about whether he could be trusted."]
["Violet Chrysanthemum, Blue Peach, find a place to deal with this Cloud Knight."]
"This Green Hibiscus really has eight hundred cunning schemes! Even if the Cloud Knight brother had beaten Stelle, he probably still wouldn't have let him pass."
Arataki Itto was indignant on behalf of the Cloud Knight brother: "No wonder the Yaoshi Secret Transmission is an illegal faction? They use all their brains on dealing with their own members. With people like this around, even a legitimate faction would become a complete mess."
"Uh, boss..." Kuki Shinobu lowered her voice, "Actually, our Arataki Gang isn't a legitimate faction in the eyes of the Yashiro Commission either..."
"Shinobu, don't worry about such details."
Itto stared intently at the Celestial Screen, his expression unprecedentedly serious: "I'm very angry right now. They actually treat new gang members like this... I must witness with my own eyes how this Yaoshi Secret Transmission gets taken down by Stelle!"
["Let me handle it." Stelle volunteered.]
["You? Do you know how to handle it?" Green Hibiscus's face was full of doubt.]
[Stelle wore a perverted-looking smile: "I like collecting these..."]
["Uh... collecting?" Green Hibiscus was shocked, but soon expressed understanding: "It's fine, it's fine. A man without hobbies is not worth associating with."]
[Considering Stelle's thought process, which was completely different from normal people, it was normal to have some quirks. Anyway, Green Hibiscus still entrusted this task to Stelle and said he would report the matter truthfully to his superiors.]
[He also conveniently gave Stelle a code name within the organization—Grey Peony.]
["What a tacky name. Not even as cool as Galactic Baseballer..." Stelle muttered to herself, then took the Cloud Knight back to a safe place.]
["Whew!" The Cloud Knight, who had just lost his pulse and heartbeat, suddenly stood up from the ground, greedily gasping for fresh air: "So? My skill at playing dead is pretty good, right?"]
Baki-verse (Grappler Baki world).
"Indeed, it is a victory for martial arts!"
Watching the resurrected Cloud Knight soldier, Kaioh Kaku showed a relieved expression: "There is no better self-defense technique in the world than death. Although this Cloud Knight appears weak, he deeply understands the essence of martial arts."
"Does playing dead count as the essence of martial arts? How cunning..." Miyamoto Musashi could hardly conceal the scorn on his face, "I originally thought the essence of martial arts was more exquisite techniques?"
"Martial arts and technique are inherently cunning things. When insects or animals judge that they cannot win or encounter danger, they use mimicry techniques to feign death."
Kaioh Kaku said with a calm expression: "You can look down on it, you can say such things are cunning, it doesn't matter... but the result is that they get to continue living."
"That Cloud Knight was trapped in a desperate situation and even fought Stelle... and he came out alive. This is the victory of martial arts! If it were you, Miyamoto Musashi, could you do it!?"
These words were like the roar of a tiger or dragon, startling everyone present.
Miyamoto Musashi, in particular, seemed suppressed by this ironclad fact, lowering his head in deep thought.
Indeed, in that situation, besides playing dead, the only other option was to defeat Stelle head-on... but not only could that Cloud Knight not do it, even the martial artists present might not be able to!
"Very well, Kaioh Kaku, I acknowledge your answer." Miyamoto Musashi sighed deeply, then asked curiously: "Then about the essence of martial arts you mentioned... can you teach me?"
"You are still too young, Miyamoto Musashi."
Kaioh Kaku let out a "hehe" laugh, saying playfully: "Come ask me again in another hundred years?"
["You... how are you still alive?" Stelle looked horrified, as if she had seen a zombie.]
["Ah? You were really planning to kill me just now!?" The Cloud Knight was greatly alarmed.]
[He stared into Stelle's eyes for a long time before finally realizing it was just a joke.]
[This person is so mean... The Cloud Knight smiled wryly in resignation.]
[After confirming no one was following, the Cloud Knight returned to the Seat of Divine Foresight to report.]
[Soon after, Qingzu sent a message, expressing gratitude to Stelle while also hoping she would continue investigating within the Yaoshi Secret Transmission, focusing particularly on a Cloud Knight who went missing several months ago—Message Holder.]
[Putting down her phone, Stelle headed towards the meeting point agreed upon earlier with Green Hibiscus.]
[Upon arrival, however, Green Hibiscus was not there, only a letter addressed to "Grey Peony." Stelle realized it was left for her.]
[Opening it, the letter stated that a Disciple of Sanctus Medicus had defected and had sent an important piece of intelligence to the Seat of Divine Foresight. Stelle's mission was to intercept this intelligence. Upon success, he could continue to recommend Stelle to his superior.]
[Green Hibiscus indicated that as long as this superior of his gave the nod, Stelle would be able to "ascend the path of immortality" with them.]
One-Punch Man world.
Monster Association.
"This Green Hibiscus is quite cautious. If only the people our association sends to distribute cells could learn from him, there wouldn't be so few humans who transform into monsters."
"Their organizational structure... hmm, is also worth learning. As for their method of 'ascending the path of immortality,' it should be something similar to monster cells, right?"
Gyoro Gyoro looked at the monster cell in his hand, lost in thought.
If a human eats this thing, they immediately gain great power and a long lifespan—although their body will uncontrollably monsterize, overall it's a pretty good deal.
Every year, humans who can't resist the temptation eat the monster cells and become members of the association. But not only are the numbers small, the quality is uneven, and among them, very few can become "Dragon-level" monsters.
Since they are both "underground" organizations, Gyoro Gyoro is very curious about how the Yaoshi Secret Transmission developed. Similarly wanting to grow bigger and stronger, he must carefully study the successful experience of this Abundance faction...