Martial Arts Worlds - Chapter 771
Chapter 771: Masters and Hunter
“…And that is the end of the first day of the nationals. See you tomorrow with more exciting action!”
The television turned black.
“They made it to the second day. That is good.”
Kiernan leaned back, stretched his arms above his head, and let out a satisfied sigh.
He then stood up, looked out of the window, and saw that all of his students had already left home.
Renette was still in the yard cleaning things up, and it honestly looked like she enjoyed doing that.
After eight hundred years of imprisonment, she was content just doing that, enjoying the air of freedom, and relishing in the simple pleasures of life.
“…I should also try enjoying myself. I have felt stressed lately. Maybe I should take a visit to Tiamut and watch the nationals in person?”
Kiernan pulled out his phone, checked the plane tickets, and purchased an overnight flight to New Rakuya.
He smiled, as he had been missing New Rakuya greatly, and thought that this weekend could be used as a well-earned holiday.
…
At the first light of the next morning, a plane landed in Tiamut’s airport, and among the passengers, a gray-haired young man emerged with a black lower-half mask on his face.
He wasn’t carrying any bags like the rest of the passengers, and the only thing he brought with him was himself.
Kiernan left the airport, whistled for the taxi, and then climbed inside.
“Where to, young man?”
The taxi driver asked while looking at the tall, gray-haired young man through the front mirror.
“To the stadium, please.”
Kiernan said.
“Oh, you are here to watch the nationals? It sure is always an interesting weekend when the nationals happen. The tourism always spikes during this time of the year, and especially now.”
The taxi driver said, shifted gears, and rolled out into the road that was taking them straight to the heart of the city.
“Is that so? New Rakuya is flourishing, it seems.”
Kiernan said while watching the streets go by through the window.
He remembered walking these streets and even noticed that one hotel that he and the rest of Karuza High used during their first-year nationals.
“Haha, yeah. There have been rumors that New Rakuya is becoming Tier 3 at the start of the next year. You can smell in the air that it has improved greatly.
“With new Martial Champions appearing, it seems, every day at this point, it’s no wonder that the air quality is increasing.
“I read some interesting stuff about a week ago that New Rakuya’s government is expecting five new Martial Kings in the next ten years!”
The taxi driver said excitedly.
‘…He sure is talkative, but yeah, that’s pretty impressive if true.’
Kiernan thought to himself.
“The country’s future is looking bright. Before, there had been great talents appearing in New Rakuya, but no one wanted to stay in this small, insignificant country.
“Maybe this will inspire others to stay and make this country a better place!
“It feels like this country was blessed or something, as first Johan Yeager appeared, and immediately after Kiernan Hunter fellow, and now many others are following in their footsteps.”
The taxi driver said.
The taxi rolled into the parking lot of the stadium, and Kiernan paid for the ride before heading straight inside.
He had to take the long line, which alone took an hour, and instead of going to the stands, he found a bar to watch the nationals from.
The round of 32 of the nationals would only start in an hour, so he arrived early, but he didn’t mind.
Kiernan sat on the bar stool and looked around the place, with several tables filled with people drinking and eating.
There was an open view to the arena through wide panels of glass, and there were also televisions mounted on the walls.
It seemed like a sports bar.
“What can I get for you?”
The bartender, who was a pretty young lady with black ponytail hair and a friendly smile, asked.
“Something light.”
Kiernan said.
He was still sitting with the black mask on, which only really hid his mouth, nose, and chin but left his eyes, forehead, and ears visible.
With just his eyes, forehead, and ears, it was still easy to tell that he was a handsome young man.
“Okay~”
She said with a smile and got him a bottle of light alcohol.
When nobody was looking, Kiernan lifted the mask slightly and took a long sip.
In that moment, he noticed some framed photographs on the wall of the bar, and they showed pictures of previous nationals.
There was one picture of him going against Power Drug using Zachary. It looked like a tiny man going against a giant.
In that picture, he wasn’t using his High Human form, and even though he was tall without that, in that picture, Zachary was like three meters tall.
Nobody looking at that picture would think that he would actually win the match, but he did.
It was one of the most famous pictures in New Rakuya Nationals history, a true underdog story.
“Ah…”
In that moment, a big man—filled to the brim with muscles—sat beside him on a bar stool. He also had gray hair with some wrinkles in his face.
Despite looking like an elderly man, he sure had a lot of muscles.
“The most expensive drink you’ve got!”
He said with a grin.
The bartender looked over, and her eyes widened in shock, and she almost fell over in surprise.
“M-Mister Grand President, right away!”
She hurried to the back, and everyone in the bar looked over to the man in shock as they couldn’t believe his eyes.
They didn’t know what to do—whether they should leave or stand up now or just act like he wasn’t here.
‘Grand President?’
Kiernan side-glanced at the man beside him, and then he also turned to look at him with a smile on his face.
“Master Hunter, your presence here is a surprise, but a welcoming surprise, definitely.”
Robert Masters said with a smile.
“…You know who I am?”
Kiernan took off his mask, as it looked like there was no need for it, and when the bar’s customers saw him, a wave of excitement rippled through the bar.
“We received notification that someone with your name was coming here on a plane. We have security systems like that in place, which inform us of everybody above Martial King that is coming here.
“The same system is in place in every country.”
Robert Masters said.
“The drink will be on me then, Grand President, sir.”
Kiernan said.
“Haha, who am I to say no?”
Robert Masters laughed and then turned to him to ask.
“Shall we watch the nationals together then? I have my own personal bar over at my VIP room. Shall we go there? I am there with my family, and honestly, they are big fans of you!”
“…That would be my honor.”
Kiernan said with a smile.