The bomb beast-eared girl is currently being beaten.

“Hello, dear viewers, and welcome back to the preliminary round of the Grand Arena Tournament!” After a brief commercial break, the host, Flavii, reappeared on screen, striking an energetic pose with arms wide and legs crossed.

“The competition has officially begun—let’s see what our contestants are up to!”

The ten preliminary arenas were set within a sealed wasteland in the Iron Ridge District. High-voltage electric fences surrounded the battleground, making escape impossible. If any contestant dared to climb the walls, risking electrocution to flee, it would surely mean the presence of a contestant so brutal it would drive others to despair.

Ruined houses and scattered rubble, remnants of past explosions, provided ample cover throughout the arena. Dozens of drones circled overhead, tirelessly filming the unfolding battles below.

First to catch the viewers’ eye were several unremarkable “actor teams.” Each found shelter, methodically counting their ammunition and discussing tactics in earnest.

Noticing a dip in ratings, Flavii quickly signaled the director to switch scenes. “Ahem, let’s turn our attention to the most exciting team in this round—the Fist Gods! Let’s see what they’re doing!”

As the representatives of Xushi Corporation, they were essentially the preordained champions. The entertainment value of this match depended almost entirely on their performance.

The three members were seated amidst a heap of rubble, whispering together. To prevent accidental damage, drones had been instructed to maintain a minimum altitude of one hundred meters, leaving the audience unable to hear what the Fist Gods discussed.

Sensing the drone overhead, Torreson Jr. Ali crouched and flashed a confident smile at the camera. Then he lowered his head and resumed conversation with his teammates.

“As soon as the match starts, we need to eliminate that team first. The rest are all Xushi Corporation’s people—they won’t lay a finger on us.”

The ragged mercenary man nodded. “Even though it’ll be fourteen against one, we can’t let our guard down. That team wiped out the negotiation squad sent by the corporation—they’re definitely formidable.”

The female soldier pulled a communicator from her breast pocket. “I’ll contact the other thirteen squads and have them search for the enemy’s position.”

“Let’s do it!” Torreson squeezed his iron fist, sneering. “Victory is ours. Anyone who opposes Xushi Corporation is as good as dead!”

...

Elsewhere among the ruins, Chen Shang casually opened the book wrapped in sheet metal and murmured, “Let’s proceed with my plan.”

“Hey, are you sure you’re reliable?” White Fox, leaning against a stone pillar, asked in her raspy voice. “You really think this book is enough to deal with them?”

Her body trembled slightly, clearly enduring the pain from internal explosions. Truth be told, she hadn’t fully trusted this young man. The Radiation Bird Company had never announced the Grand Arena’s final prize; the so-called “Gene Repair Serum” was just an empty promise Chen Shang had tossed out.

But since she’d accepted the commission, she refused to let this opportunity slip away.

Chen Shang closed the book, smiling. “Actually, I had a more complicated plan for victory, but since we’ve got this item, we might as well make the most of it.”

This “Book of Curses” was a treasure. With it, their odds of winning improved dramatically.

“I never thought the preliminaries would turn out like this…” Greatsword Guy wiped his blade with a whetstone, his voice muffled within the helmet. “Will those teams really join forces against us?”

The night before the match, Chen Shang had called a strategy meeting and informed his teammates of Xushi Corporation’s moves. Both had grown solemn at the news, and even this morning, worry was etched on their faces.

“But the winner will still be us—that’s one fact that won’t change.” Chen Shang whistled and stood. “Let’s get to work!”

Compared to previous tournaments, this year featured a new rule: Every ten minutes, the drones overhead would shine location beacons marking all contestants’ positions.

This was to prevent a repeat of last year, when an underestimated mercenary team patiently camped in the grass for a day and night, ambushing weakened favorites to snatch victory. That season had been dubbed “the most boring ever,” as viewers sat glued to their screens, watching three mercenaries crouch in grass for an entire day, finishing their foes with sneak attacks.

To curb such “camping” and stalled progress, the producers had instituted this new rule.

Five minutes had passed since the match began, meaning the first wave of location beacons would fire in five more.

“If they find us, we’ll be attacked by all the others,” Greatsword Guy whispered. “If we’re going with your plan, we need to eliminate a team within the next five minutes.”

“That’s your cue, White Fox~” Chen Shang snapped his fingers. “You’re the bait—lure them out.”

“What? Me, bait?” White Fox’s voice rose.

“You’re immortal, aren’t you~” Chen Shang instructed. “Go for it—and don’t reveal your true abilities just yet!”

...

In front of the live broadcast, the flamboyant host Flavii held the microphone, attempting to warm up the crowd with solo comedy.

“My dear viewers, have you heard? Wallace Wellness Cuisine is holding a ‘Jet Day’ promotion tomorrow—half price on all dishes at every branch. Are you ready to feast… Oh, oh, oh, two teams have met!”

Through the drone feed, viewers saw two mercenary squads encounter one another while searching for enemies.

“Wonderful! Let’s see some action! Let our dear viewers catch a whiff of that sweet scent of blood!” Flavii nearly jumped for joy.

But unfortunately, neither team showed any intent to fight. They exchanged glances and withdrew in opposite directions.

“These two teams opted for a truce—looks like a temporary alliance,” Flavii explained, sounding a bit let down.

Temporary truces weren’t unusual in past tournaments. There was no rule saying teams had to fight to the death upon meeting; cooperation was allowed.

Besides, these were all actors hired by Xushi Corporation, and their only target was the lone wild team still in the running.

The teams moved on, and Flavii filled the air with more solo banter.

Soon, however, something shifted on the battlefield. A mercenary squad’s thermal scanner suddenly detected a humanoid figure, temperature soaring above one hundred, moving at high speed.

Moments later, a white-haired, fox-eared woman leaped from the rubble, drew her pistol, and fired repeatedly at them.

Unfortunately, White Fox’s marksmanship was poor; the bullets missed the three mercenaries, merely kicking up dust at their feet.

“We’ve found them!” One mercenary grabbed his radio, shouting urgently.

Immediately, all three mercenaries raised their automatic rifles and opened fire at White Fox midair.

Unable to dodge while airborne, she became an easy target. The mercenaries’ aim was superb, maintaining over sixty percent accuracy even under attack.

Before White Fox hit the ground, a dozen bullets struck her. Though her skintight suit prevented penetration, it left a series of shallow dents on her body.

“So painful… My body’s about to explode again…” White Fox landed supine, clutching her bullet-riddled abdomen.

The mercenaries quickly reloaded, preparing to finish her off with another volley.

Just then, one felt something cold and hard pressed to the back of his neck.

While their attention was on White Fox, Chen Shang had activated his pheromone inhibitor, sneaking up behind a mercenary and pressing his pistol to the man’s neck.

Regrettably, Chiyo hadn’t taught him proper marksmanship lately, so his accuracy remained laughably poor. Otherwise, he’d have sniped from afar instead of risking close-range combat.

“What the—” The mercenary barely reacted before a shot rang out behind his head.

Though his helmet was bulletproof, his neck was exposed. The bullet pierced the back of his neck at close range, snapping his cervical vertebrae.

Watching the mercenary slump lifelessly, Chen Shang grinned and blew the smoke from his pistol. “Now that’s precision~”

His attack exposed his presence. The remaining two mercenaries spun around, guns aimed squarely at Chen Shang.

At that moment, pounding footsteps thundered nearby, as if the earth itself trembled.

Greatsword Guy charged, wielding his enormous weapon with the momentum of a tank.

The two mercenaries froze in shock. Chen Shang seized the moment, firing a shot at each of their helmeted heads.

The bullets bounced harmlessly off their bulletproof helmets, but the impact sent them reeling, nearly off balance.

Greatsword Guy lunged forward, swinging his massive blade in a sweeping arc.

Crunch—!

Both mercenaries’ waists were cleaved simultaneously by the giant sword. With a sickening crack, their spines and innards shattered, their torsos severed cleanly in two.

“My goodness! A team has already been eliminated!” Flavii’s voice grew ever more excited, as if he’d taken a stimulant. “I never expected the team with the Fox Lady to show such overwhelming strength—I really underestimated them!”

“Wait, what’s their team called again?” Flavii stroked his flamboyant chin, thinking aloud. “Damn, I thought they’d die quickly, so I forgot to ask their team name!”