Rin was assigned to the second venue.
Once the venue was decided, the competition began immediately. Soon, Rin was taken to the edge of a large, circular stone arena, and without hesitation, he bent his knees slightly before launching himself onto it with a single leap.
Immediately afterward, one person after another jumped onto the battlefield.
Without exception, these people had well-developed physiques, their muscles bulging under tattered battle-worn clothes. Many bore scars—remnants of previous battles, possibly at sea or in underground arenas. From the looks of it, none of them were weaklings. Their presence alone radiated strength, akin to seasoned bounty hunters or rogue fighters from lawless regions like Jaya or the Sabaody Archipelago.
Soon, when all the participants were in place, the referee raised his hand and shouted, "Begin!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a shift occurred in the battlefield. The combatants instinctively turned their attention toward Rin.
It wasn't surprising—Rin was younger than most competitors, barely looking old enough to set sail as a pirate, let alone fight in a brutal contest. Naturally, he seemed like the easiest target, someone who could be eliminated quickly without much effort.
Looking at the greedy and cruel expressions of the surrounding warriors, Rin let out a sneer.
"If you're so eager to die, I won't disappoint you."
"Arrogant brat!"
Several fighters chuckled darkly, their eyes gleaming with amusement rather than anger. To them, Rin's words were nothing but the desperate bravado of a child trying to appear strong.
A towering man, nearly the size of a smaller giant like Hajrudin, cracked his knuckles. His exposed upper body rippled with muscle, and scars ran down his arms like battle decorations. His grin widened as he took a heavy step forward, the arena shaking slightly beneath his weight.
"Hah! What a joke." The brute's voice was a deep rumble. "You're the weakest one here, kid. That means you die first!"
Without further warning, he lunged at Rin, his massive fist hurtling toward him with enough force to shatter stone. The sheer speed of the attack caused the wind to howl through the air.
But Rin didn't flinch.
Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk as his body suddenly blurred.
"Soru."
A sharp gust of wind erupted from beneath Rin's feet, and in an instant, his form vanished from sight.
The behemoth's fist struck only empty air.
The momentary confusion on the giant man's face was quickly replaced by a look of pure shock as he realized the boy had disappeared.
"W-what? Where—"
Gasps echoed from the surrounding fighters as their eyes widened in disbelief.
Rin was already behind the brute, standing with an eerie calmness, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword—the Thunder Calamity Blade.
"I warned you," Rin murmured, his voice carrying a chilling finality.
Without another word, he swung his sword in a smooth arc.
"Ghost Slash."
Dark, ethereal energy coated the blade, crackling with malevolent force as it cleaved through the air. The spectral aura extended beyond the sword itself, forming a crescent-shaped slash that struck the giant man before he could even turn around.
A brief moment of silence followed.
Then—
Schlick.
A deep, jagged wound appeared on the brute's back. His breath hitched, and his eyes rolled back into his skull as blood erupted from the gash.
A second later, his body split apart.
He hit the ground in two separate pieces with a sickening thud.
The stench of blood spread rapidly, filling the air.
A collective gulp was heard from the other competitors. Fear rippled through the group like an electric current. The sheer brutality of the kill—the speed, precision, and power—left no doubt that Rin was far from an ordinary participant.
Those who had previously smirked at him now took cautious steps back.
Rin calmly flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it before turning to the rest of the fighters. His expression was unreadable, but his voice carried an undeniable threat.
"Fight amongst yourselves. I don't care who wins second place," he said casually. Then, his gaze darkened, and he gestured toward the corpse at his feet. "But if any of you try to attack me…"
A twisted smirk played on his lips.
"…You'll end up like him."
His words sent a visible shudder through the crowd.
One by one, the remaining fighters glanced at each other, silently coming to an unspoken agreement.
Stay away from Rin.
In their minds, the competition's true champion was already decided. No one here was foolish enough to challenge a swordsman capable of such an instant, effortless kill.
"Kill!"
Someone in the crowd roared, breaking the tense silence.
"Lao Tzu must be promoted! Die!"
"I won't lose here!"
With Rin effectively out of the equation, the remaining fighters turned their attention to each other. Weapons clashed, fists flew, and blood splattered against the stone arena floor as the true chaos of the battle royale began.
Rin simply leaned back against the arena wall, his sword resting casually in his hand.
His golden eyes flickered with amusement as he watched the slaughter unfold before him.
This tournament is starting to get interesting.
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