Chapter 143 Third Round— Three-Way Fight IV

Well, the inevitable soon happened.

Although Grior and Oculus teamed up against Satoshi, he just defeated them as if it was child's play. No matter how much experience Grior and Oculus had in terms of hand-to-hand combat, it was clear that Satoshi is the most formidable out of the three. After all, he had been relying on his physical strength ever since he knew that his powers won't manifest. He would be even more surprised if someone his age was physically more capable than him.

"AND THE FIRST ROUND GOES TO... THE UNITED SUPERHEROES ACADEMY!" Tuxedo waved his hands, causing the audience to raise their hands as well as scream, pleased with the result of the first round. Upon witnessing a unique battle incomparable to previous battles in the Inter-High Tournament, the spectators couldn't ask for more. Tuxedo was thrown off his feet as well as if someone pulled the rug under him. In his eyes, he didn't witness a couple of teenagers engaging in a street fight, but rather, three superheroes who could adjust to any given situation. "Truly, the future generation of superheroes is bright if we have these kids." He continued.

Back in his days, the reformation was just getting started so there was a lot of chaos. Tuxedo saw firsthand how chaotic a country can be with its laws abolished, and taken over by a different system that suddenly existed. It was up to everyone to fend for themselves and some even took the event as a chance to harass other people. Tuxedo grew up in a world where the fine line between superheroes and villains didn't exist... it was nonexistent at all.

However, that didn't stop him from pursuing his childhood dream, of becoming a superhero. He started as your friendly neighborhood superhero who fights common thugs and stops common criminals who were running about the place. Thieves, bullies, and everything in between were all on his watchlist and pretty soon, he earned the nickname Tuxedo since the first time he was featured in the news, he wore a Tuxedo. Of course, the choice of outfit wasn't his at all. It was his mom who gave him the Tuxedo since she heard that her son will be appearing on the news.

p Even though Tuxedo only had his looks, he was diligent enough to earn enough points and be ranked high enough in the SAO Rankings. He started doing hero work at a young age, and that's why he climbed through the ranks much smoother than the others.

That's the reason why he felt nostalgic while seeing these teenagers fight in front of him. He had come so far, even ranking first in the Popularity Rankings in the Male Division. Back then, he remembered that no one actually taught him how to fight. Everything he knew was self-taught. He never had a master.

But now, with all the superhero agencies taking in internships, and a lot of training centers existing all over the country, not to mention the many superhero schools that contributed greatly to the growth of a superhero, he could tell that the next generation of superheroes had already surpassed the previous. And as someone who grew up learning the ropes, he could tell that the next generation had been very blessed.

"Right! Now let's proceed to the second round... oh, it seems like the United Superheroes Academy wants to keep their First Pick the same for the second round. Of course, strike the iron while it's hot, or so the saying goes. With this, they can still net the maximum amount of points... but could Satoshi survive another round?"

"We'll be sending in Vulcan as our second pick!" Aljier from the Great Mountain Academy called out.

"We'll be sending out"Oversight!"

"Hmm, let's pull out some files here. It seems like Vulcan has the power to take control over someone's mind, kind of like telepathy. And then there's Oversight who's got superspeed... and foresight? Whoa, what a solid candidate! These youngsters never fail to surprise me." Tuxedo commented.

"Based on the results of the previous fights. It's quite obvious that the Great Mountain Academy and the Flowing Wave Academy will still work together to bring down a common enemy... I mean, that's the ideal approach, of course, they've already thought that through." Tuxedo cleared his throat. "Now, what kind of fight are we going to see in the Second Round?"

Meanwhile, Satoshi glanced back at his teammates with a panicked expression. "Why are you doing these?"

"Just have fun, Satoshi! Clear your head a little bit!" Midori shouted from the sidelines.

"Yeah, we know you have a lot of things on your mind! Don't let it get to you! Just have fun!" Sassu cheered with a squeal while she bobbed up and down like the happiest girl on earth.

"Yeah, if you lose, we'll never forgive you!" Shidou called out.

"Hey, that was uncalled for," Fuuka hissed at Shidou. "What if he feels pressured?"

As usual, Satoshi didn't know what they were thinking. But if they relied on him that much, that means there's only one thing he could do. With a smirk, he stepped forward.

"HEEEEY!" Satoshi screamed at the top of his lungs, causing Tuxedo and everyone in the audience to look at him. Garnering everyone's attention, he smiled, then glanced at Hiroshi and the others.

"If you want me in here, then might as well put on a good show." Satoshi continued. At first, he didn't want to do this but the situation called for it. Besides, he remembered a saying that his father always told him.

And no, this wasn't about smiling when a camera's pointed at him. It was another saying.

"Remember, Satoshi, a superhero is not a superhero when he doesn't put on a good show. So, if ever you're fighting someone, always remember to put on a good show... unless of course, you're having a hard time fighting him. In that case, you should prioritize surviving more than anything else. Don't forget though... a superhero... ?"

"Always puts on a good show," Satoshi repeated.

"It seems like the FIrst Pick of United Superheroes Academy is up to something. Did I hear something about putting on a good show?" Tuxedo asked with a grin on his face. Of course, he heard it. He just wanted to confirm so everyone else would be more hyped.

Satoshi nodded.

"RIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! LET'S SEE WHAT THIS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT, SATOSHI! ROUND TWO, STAAAAAAAAAAAART!" Tuxedo screamed at the top of his lungs after taking in a lungful of air.

Needless to say, Vulcan and Oversight felt a bit insulted at what Satoshi said. But knowing their enemy, they knew that he could actually pull off a good show while fighting them. He did it in the first round, there's no way he could do it again in the second. Besides, it was plain that Satoshi was much stronger than them. The reason why they were sent out was mainly to tire him out. Everything will be known in the Third Round.

As soon as the commencement of the second round was announced, Oversight didn't waste any time peering through Satoshi's movements. Since he could see at least three moves into the future, he planned to use every opportunity of that on Satoshi so he could anticipate every movement, giving him more time to prepare a counter. He didn't really mind the other presence on the stage, Vulcan. Vulcan can do his own thing.

"I will try to make him lose his composure. As soon as I take over his mind. I'll trap him in a dream. This is easier than normal. Just launch a surprise attack and I'll attack his mind at the opportune moment." Vulcan said in a calm tone. "If we can pull this off, then we can win."

"There goes my plan out the window. I'll see what I can do. I'll leave the mind attack on you." Oversight said before disappearing.

Well, he didn't really disappear, he just traveled faster than sight to attack Satoshi. While doing so, he tried to anticipate every move Satoshi will make if he does a certain action. He knew that he just had to surprise Satoshi by doing something uncanny. At that moment, Vulcan can attack his mind and trap him in a dream. "Easier said than done." He told himself, gritting his teeth as the whiplash almost got the better of him.

To his bewilderment though, no matter what he did, the future showed him the same response from Satoshi.

He didn't move from his place. Not a step, not even a glance towards Oversight. "Is he throwing this fight? No way," Oversight asked himself. "Why would he throw this fight when he just said he'll be putting on a good show? Was it a bluff? What is he thinking?"

This was when Oversight, well, made the wrong first move. Had he looked a second later into the future, he would've seen that Satoshi had in fact moved... well, only his lips did.

"Gabriel," Satoshi muttered.