Hunter x Hunter: War of the Anime Worlds

A few days later, the semifinalists of this year's KOF were finally decided.

They were the Team Flying Brigands, the Team Japan led by Kyo Kusanagi, Terry's Team Fatal Fury, and the Team Ikari Warriors under Heidern's command.

Xiang Nan's trio were the only contestants who were actual "players," making them the dark horse of the tournament and the focus of a great deal of attention.

After the match, reporters surrounded Xiang Nan—undeniably the Flying Brigands' key contributor—.

Displaying extreme "modesty," he showered every opponent with praise, especially Mai Shiranui's team, saying their win had been pure luck compounded by Mai's squad performing below par that day.

In short, he made sure everyone could save face.

That statement also fit neatly with what the other KOF players already thought of him.

Among the contestants were a handful of players whose Extinction had reached 7—or even 8—meaning they were among the KOF world's absolute elite.

For Xiang Nan to pass himself off as a "main‑world" player, the strength he revealed had to look comparable, or people would grow suspicious.

Otherwise, as an interloper, he might have faced the collective hostility of all KOF players.

If teammates Wang and Mao Wei hadn't been unable to beat story characters on their own, Xiang Nan wouldn't have shown off at all; he'd have coasted quietly.

But to secure a berth on Rugal's cruise ship, he had to flash some ability.

Even though he deliberately held back, the performance still looked flashy to the other players.

They didn't quite buy his "lucky break" story. To them, Xiang Nan had to be the Flying Brigands' ace fighter—perhaps even one of the strongest players in the entire KOF world—clearly a very high level, or he could never have beaten story characters twice in a row.

True, defeating two story characters back‑to‑back bordered on outrageous. Luck alone could not explain it, though Mai's team being off their game was at least partly true—otherwise the players would never have accepted the result.

Players enter KOF not for a system quest but to mine story‑line resources. Unless they are long‑time comrades, the temporary squads can hide their personal data and backgrounds from one another.

Wang and Mao Wei were both Rank 6. After reaching the semifinals, they treated Xiang Nan very differently; Captain Wang even suspected he might be Rank 8—or 9. (The highest anyone had reached here was Extinction 9.)

But Xiang Nan brushed all their probing questions aside. His goal was accomplished; his mind was no longer on the tournament.

According to the plot, once a team makes the final four it receives a special invitation—the venue shifts, and every contestant boards a luxury liner, where the championship bout will be held.

All eight quarterfinal teams may ride the ship to watch and witness the crowning of this year's champions—part of the grand plan of the true mastermind, Rugal, who intends to turn every story character present into stone statues for his private collection.

Only six players in total were invited aboard. Judging from earlier matches, most players simply weren't strong enough compared to the story squads and thus held no interest for Rugal.

One other player team that had made the top eight did receive an invitation.

Xiang Nan's trio met them by chance while boarding under cover of night.

This was also the final day of his system time limit. The system's tracker confirmed his target—Vice, wielder of the Power of Death—was indeed on the ship.

Whether the hidden quest succeeded would be decided tonight.

During the KOF tournament Xiang Nan had run across Geese Howard's subordinates, especially Billy Kane with the red‑striped bandanna and long staff, but never Geese himself.

This KOF was sponsored by the Howard Group, and Billy, as the organizer's representative, had been involved from the start.

Yet partway through the tournament, the Howard Group's tower—South Town's landmark—blew up one night, causing a sensation covered in countless news reports.

It appeared Terry, Andy and Joe had fought Geese Howard and, with Heidern's aid, defeated him. In the story Geese falls from a high floor, wounded; his life or death is unknown.

Terry also learned of Rugal's existence from Heidern.

Thus, once everyone was aboard this huge ocean‑going liner, not only the six player characters but also Heidern, Terry and several other story figures realized Rugal's scheme.

They kept competing only to bring down the mastermind behind it all—Heidern, of course, driven by revenge.

The players, fully aware of the danger, still boarded because they knew that if the plot proceeded normally, Rugal would ultimately lose to Kyo Kusanagi and everyone would be saved.

The process would look perilous, but there was no real threat; the players could simply tread water until the story unfolded, meanwhile mingling with other characters to build relationships.

Why fight hard when you can win effortlessly, after all?

Once on board, Xiang Nan deliberately found an excuse to separate from Wang and Mao Wei and wandered alone onto the deck.

All the story characters sensed something amiss immediately:

For such a major event, there were no reporters or ordinary spectators—nothing that looked like a live broadcast.

It felt as if this massive ship existed solely for the handful invited.

Every passageway and public area was locked down. They could only move forward, never back.

Of course, such petty measures could not confine Xiang Nan.

Standing alone on deck, he waited…waited for the clash between the story characters and Rugal's forces. On the ship, many fighters would be lured by a serpent‑like energy, lose their senses, go berserk and slaughter one another.

Few would remain clear‑headed. That mental energy was not entirely Rugal's doing; although he carried Riot of the Blood, most of it was orchestrated in secret by Goenitz of the Hakkesshu, using Mature and Vice.

"Good thing I had Beishi explain this KOF plot in detail," Xiang Nan muttered, sea breeze on his face as he stood at the bow, hands in pockets, watching the surrounding waters.

Before the great battle started, secretaries Vice and Mature would slip away first, because once Rugal lost, the entire ship would explode; for safety they would of course escape early, and they could not allow Kyo—one of the Three Sacred Treasures—to spot them.

"It's starting?"

After a moment Xiang Nan's expression shifted. He glanced back at the sealed cabin, acutely sensing a wave of psychic intent.

"Evil? Not exactly…just pure malice toward humans—so this is Orochi's will?"

He felt the wave; the pressure on him was weak. He could block such intrusion easily—far less intense than On Nen. It was probably only a sliver of Orochi's consciousness.

Suddenly the red dot on his system screen began to move—Vice.

According to Beishi's intel, Vice would leave the ship first to prepare to pick up the later‑arriving Mature.

In other words, Vice was alone right now; neither Rugal nor Mature was with her.

For Xiang Nan, it was the perfect moment to strike.

Whoosh!

Without a second thought he flickered and vanished from the deck.

This was the moment he had been waiting for!

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!