"Next group of contestants, please prepare to take the stage!"
After receiving the Grand Kai's nod of confirmation, the attendant referee ascended the stage again and raised the microphone to his mouth to announce.
This announcement instantly pulled back the attention of the audience, both present and in the chat group, who had been immersed in the previous video.
However, whether they were dominant powerhouses or ordinary citizens under their rule, their expressions turned somewhat subtle upon hearing this call.
After just witnessing Lott's incredibly thrilling life story, watching this tournament felt a bit... how to put it... like eating something bland and tasteless.
But regardless, the inhabitants of planets whose fates were still undetermined felt their hearts tighten with fear again.
They had been so distracted by the group video they completely forgot their planet's survival was still up in the air!
Especially those from the Planet Yasha and the Planet Fantasy.
Their planets were already half gone.
If their remaining representatives, Sesshomaru and Tifa, also lost, then...
On the Planet Magic, the expressions of the gathered guild members also darkened.
Damn, so much happened in the last couple of chapters they forgot their own representative hadn't fought yet.
Although they were very confident in the strength of their planet's representative, Acnologia the Black Dragon, it still depended on who he faced.
If he faced Goku... Well, they were completely doomed!
At this moment, Mirajane held onto Lott's arm and said softly, "U-um, if the Black Dragon loses, c-could you plead with the Grand Kai on our behalf?"
Hearing Mirajane's words, Lucy and the others' eyes lit up.
They almost forgot they had this connection now!
'So it's true, the universe isn't about fighting and killing, but about connections and relationships.'
However, Lott's next sentence extinguished the fantasies of the entire Fairy Tail Guild:
"You're coming to Planet Terra with me, why bother with this?"
'Ah, this... So heartless?'
Mirajane's smile stiffened, and she said with difficulty, "B-but I still have my younger siblings..."
"Then you can bring them along." Lott remained unmoved, glancing at Mirajane's younger siblings. He remembered one was called Lisanna and... and what was the other one?
When he read the original Fairy Tail in his previous life, his attention was entirely on the big-sister types, and he completely forgot about the male characters.
These two weren't very strong, and in the Hero Association, they'd be mid-to-lower A-Class at best.
If they wanted to find work themselves, Lott couldn't be bothered.
He really didn't want to call in favors for such trivial matters.
After all, Lott hated owing favors the most.
Mirajane's pretty face showed stunned expression, and she looked tearfully at Makarov, Lucy, and the others, shaking her head as if to say, "Sorry, I tried my best."
Lucy turned her pleading gaze to Erza, as if hinting to her friend, "You try."
After all, with mother and daughter united, their strength could cut metal.
However, Erza was even more at a loss.
Not to mention she and her mother weren't of one mind at all, Erza simply couldn't bring herself to beg someone so sweetly and delicately like Mirajane.
At that moment, the guest referee in the center of the ring shouted:
"The next group of contestants are Bai Yuekui from the East Galaxy, and Tifa Lockhart from the West Galaxy."
Hearing these two names, the universal perverts who had just been listless suddenly got excited.
[Master Roshi: The best! This is a great draw! You drew a good one!]
[Miroku: To see such a match before I die, I have no regrets left.]
[Jiraiya: Alright~ I'm already itching with anticipation. Gathering material, gathering material! I've found the template for the heroine of my next work!]
[Zenitsu: Why are they both wearing shorts? Shouldn't they be wearing miniskirts or something at a time like this?]
Although the loudest were still the usual few, every male across the universe felt a bit restless, and the sense of anticipation instantly shot up.
The two long-legged beauties, one with black hair, one with brown, stepped onto the stage.
"Sorry, but I absolutely cannot lose." Tifa adjusted her sports gloves.
'Because of that useless guy Cloud, half our planet was already destroyed.'
'I'll protect the remaining half!'
"I'm sorry to say, but so can't I." Bai Yuekui placed one hand on her sheathed sword.
Although their planet was utterly rotten, there were still things there that Bai Yuekui wanted to protect.
"Then, on your marks... Begin!" The referee shouted and took large steps back.
Tifa stepped forward, her left foot planted, her right leg lifting high, aiming a high axe kick down at Bai Yuekui.
Bai Yuekui raised her arm, blocking with the back of her hand.
The heel of her boot struck Tifa's left ankle, causing her to lose balance, then followed up with a knife-hand strike to the back of Tifa's neck.
Fortunately, Tifa had anticipated this, and the moment her delicate body lost balance, she produced a Materia and threw it at her opponent.
The Materia ignited into flames mid-flight.
Although it couldn't compare to fire masters like Yamamoto, it was enough to deal with an opponent of Bai Yuekui's level.
Bai Yuekui pushed off with the soles of her boots, drawing her short sword and spinning it like a helicopter rotor to weaken the flame's power.
"Low-level combat. In our world, they'd be rated level 20 at most. Hmm, level 25, can't go higher." Ainz Ooal Gown commented from the ringside.
"Superficial! Is this about combat level?" Gintoki wiped the nosebleed trailing from his nostril and scolded:
"Look at those legs! The way they twist... Oh, sorry, I forgot you castrated yourself."
Ainz: ...
Beside the North King Kai, Goku's expression changed drastically.
Lott, still far away on the Planet Magic, showed the same expression.
"Hmm!?" The Grand Kai stood up abruptly from his seat.
The next instant, the ground in the center of the ring suddenly warped.
The entire ring was twisted into a concave shape from the middle, as if it were playdough.
Bai Yuekui and Tifa, who hadn't yet decided the outcome, had drastic changes in expression and halted their movements.
"What is this?" Bai Yuekui turned to look at the Grand Kai in the main seat, "Grand Kai-sama, what is the meaning of this?"
Before the Grand Kai could answer, an explanation appeared in the group chat.
[King Yemma: @Grand Kai, Grand Kai-sama, terrible news! The Soul Cleansing Device has malfunctioned! The accumulated evil energy has all leaked out and turned into a monster! The entire Spirit World is trapped by a strange barrier! The laws governing the Spirit World and the Living World will be thrown into chaos!]
King Yemma's message instantly drew the attention of all universal group members.
[Krillin: @King Yemma, The laws of the Living World and Spirit World in chaos... wh-what does that mean, Yemma-sama?]
[King Yemma: To put it simply, the Afterlife can no longer control the Spirit World! Sinners from Hell will return to the world of the living!]
Seeing King Yemma's words, the ordinary people across the universe stared wide-eyed.
'S-sinners from Hell returning to the world of the living... th-that means...'