But even in a three-way battle, how could they determine first, second, and third place?
Would they tally attack points like other combat sports? To be honest, if that were the case, many spectators wouldn't be too pleased. The Tenkaichi Budokai, in their eyes, was already completely different from all other forms of fighting, combat, or competitive matches!
This was true martial arts! A battle of martial prowess!
The victor decided on this stage was the strongest person in the world!
One punch equals one point? What about attacks using ki? Some martial artists have a style that involves observing their opponent first—studying their attack patterns, their striking habits, their reaction style... and only after gathering enough information do they strike with a single, decisive blow! If the scoring system were based on points, then who would be declared the winner?
That would be nothing more than a joke…
The Tenkaichi Budokai.
The only way to win is to defeat your opponent! To fight in a way that convinces everyone! To claim victory beyond a shadow of a doubt!
Only then is one worthy of the title "The World's Best".
With the first round over and the second yet to begin, the fighters needed to rest, and naturally, so did the audience.
Although this venue was only built today, with Planet Company's near-unmatched global wealth—and Taro's magical assistance—the barren mountain landscape from a few months ago had completely transformed. Every kind of entertainment facility was available. The people from Sayuan City weren't fools either; many merchants had already gathered to capitalize on the event.
The mayor of Sayuan City had even pleaded multiple times with Planet Company to relocate future Tenkaichi Budokai finals inside the city itself.
The sheer volume of people this tournament had drawn and the economic boom it generated—let alone for a second-tier city like Sayuan—was enough to make even the five great metropolises of the East, West, South, North, and Central envious. However, Planet Company wasn't interested in the offers those city governments proposed. It seemed they had fallen in love with this remote wilderness outside Sayuan City instead.
This place had once been the old site of the Muten School Dojo, and now, it had been rebuilt by Planet Company.
As spectators left the venue to wander and take a break, they could also use their tournament tickets to visit the Muten School Dojo. Walking among the classically designed pavilions and towers, admiring the professional-looking martial arts training equipment, tourists eagerly pointed, chatted excitedly, and took pictures to commemorate the experience.
At the same time, many were discussing the upcoming second round of matches.
The format of the third round was still unknown and wouldn't take place until tomorrow, but the second round, set for the afternoon, was the main event.
Originally, these twelve fighters had emerged victorious from the qualifiers held across the five major cities—world-class martial artists. Now, having been filtered again in the global finals, only six remained. These were the best of the best.
Tens of thousands of spectators crowded the main thoroughfare, with the round arena of the tournament looming behind them. The air buzzed with excitement as people debated the strengths and weaknesses of fighters like Uru, Lanton, Monkey D., Fan, and Noah Robe. Sometimes, these discussions grew heated, even leading to arguments.
But the least controversial name, the one mentioned the most, was the fighter called "Taro"!
Many visitors, while touring the Muten School Dojo, asked the guides whether Taro was truly the founder of the Muten School. But the staff simply smiled mysteriously and remained silent. This evasive attitude only strengthened most people's belief—Taro-sensei must be the legendary Muten Master!
Then, the speculation shifted toward Taro's real age…
Some guessed he was over a hundred years old. Others said two hundred, three hundred, even four or five hundred. The most outrageous claim was that this unfathomable old master had already lived for over a thousand years—though few supported that theory.
---
The fighters' lunch was specially prepared by a team of world-class chefs and professional nutritionists.
Uru, Lanton, Monkey D., Fan, and Noah Robe ate heartily at the dining table. Martial artists generally had large appetites—at least compared to ordinary people—but even then, their consumption was nowhere near that of the true gluttonous champions: the Saiyans.
Meanwhile, at the table, the other five fighters occasionally glanced at Taro's meal with puzzled expressions.
A small red bird, from who-knows-where, had flown onto Taro's table and was boldly pecking at his food. The way Taro and the bird coexisted so naturally left everyone utterly bewildered!
Even more bizarre, this elderly Taro actually smiled and poured half a cup of wine for the red bird!
This scene left the other contestants stunned. They had heard that Taro was the legendary Muten School, but they never expected that even the bird by his side would be so strange.
The little red bird was not shy at all. It jabbed its beak into the cup, and with a whoosh, it drank the wine in one go!
While eating, Lanton and Monkey D. couldn't help but think: when would the master pour them a drink? That would truly be worth it! They couldn't help but envy that bird. As they were thinking this, the other contestants noticed the red bird, now finished with its drink, twisting its neck and glancing over at them.
That wasn't the look of a bird at all!
The little red bird spread its wings, and in its eyes, there seemed to be a provocative gleam.
The five contestants froze, their hairs standing on end, as if a terrifying monster was staring them down! Their survival instincts almost made them flip the table in preparation for an attack.
Fan, affected by the bird's frightening aura, instinctively reached for the white bandages wrapped around his head.
But at that moment, Taro, seated at the table, gave the bird's head a light tap with his chopsticks, dissipating its intimidating presence.
"Eat your meal!" Taro scolded. The bird turned its head away and obediently folded its wings.
The Immortal Bird clicked its beak, gazing at Taro. Taro shook his head and poured half a cup of wine for the bird again, saying, "Just half a cup! If Hathaway sees this, she'll…"
From behind, a little girl's voice chimed in: "Ha! Grandpa, you're giving little red bird wine again, aren't you?!"
The bird grabbed the cup, tilted its neck back, and drank the half cup of wine in one go. It innocently looked at Hathaway, who had just arrived with Ninn and Tam, before slowly placing the cup back. Hathaway shot the bird a glare before walking over to Taro's side. Taro reached out and placed his hand over Hathaway's, giving it a pat.
"Tired?" Hathaway asked.
Taro immediately smiled, and Hathaway couldn't help but smile as well.
Ninn glanced at the other contestants in the restaurant, shook his head, and said, "Grandma, are you joking?" Tam, sitting beside Taro, smiled helplessly, then paused before asking, "The martial arts association… the government hasn't agreed. Old man, what are you planning to do?"
"This small matter and you're asking me?" Taro shook his head calmly, then said slowly, "We shouldn't blame them. Their narrow perspective is a result of environmental limitations… Anyway, soon, I'll take a few government leaders and give them a tour of the universe."
"Hm." Tam was momentarily stunned by his father's words before imagining how amusing that would be. He suppressed a laugh and nodded.
"Grandpa, what are you going to do?" Ninn, holding an ice cream, sat down and started feeding the Immortal Bird.
Taro moved slightly to make room, allowing Hathaway to sit next to him. He held her hand and smiled. "Nothing, just letting a few people… watch some beautiful fireworks."
"Hm?" Ninn, with her spoon in her mouth, looked puzzled. Despite being eighteen, she was still adorably clueless.
---
Watching the warm interaction among Taro and the others, even Noah Robe, who usually didn't care much about external matters, couldn't help but glance over a few times… It seemed that this Muten Master and Tam, the founder of Planet Company, were really family.
Soon, the second round of the competition began.