"Welcome, contestants. Before the top 100 open competition battles, I would like to interview a few popular contestants. Actually, it's not just me, everyone wants to know what you're thinking." The pop diva approached Red-Haired Saul, handed him a magic loudspeaker, and asked with a smile, "Red-Haired Saul, as one of the few commoners' sons, do you think you can defeat all the knights and nobility's elites to win the honorable championship?"
"I think there's a good chance..." Red-Haired Saul laughed heartily and said, "It would be a bit troublesome if Gao and Rody were in my group, but as you know, I'm lucky."
"Do you mean that no one other than Ice Demon Gao and the miraculous kid Rody is your match?" the diva asked.
"Victory of glory, sometimes, besides strength, luck plays a part," Red-Haired Saul glanced at the people around him, clapped his hands, and said, "At least now I don't have to worry about getting out of the group stage, right?"
"Hahaha, this guy must have had the god of luck over his head during the draw!" Everyone laughed.
People didn't think Red-Haired Saul was stronger than Ice Demon Gao, but his odds of winning were slightly higher because he drew a lucky lot.
While Ice Demon Gao would struggle to emerge from the deadly group, Saul would wait effortlessly for his opponent.
Moreover, Red-Haired Saul was also a strong contender for the top three, so some guessed he might laugh last and win the overall championship of the Magic Martial Arts Competition. As for Ice Demon Gao, due to the strong contenders in his deadly group, his previous odds were slightly reduced. In fact, not just him, but also the other contestants in his group, including Rody, saw a drop in their winning odds.
Of course, these were still predictions for the top ten battles, and the actual champion odds would change significantly after the battles.
"After interviewing the lucky Red-Haired Saul, let's hear what the contestants representing the temple have to say," the pop diva moved to the temple contestants, ignoring Pompeius and Sariwen from the same group as Saul, and with no strong opponents in Group B. She circled around Demon Slayer Lot, Holy Spear Knight Holly, and Holy Mage Adelman, and finally settled on Knight Holly, asking, "Knight Holly, who do you think will be your greater enemy, Dragon Knight Nutidora or the Elf's Son Kris?"
"The greatest enemy in life should be oneself," Holy Spear Knight Holly gave a small knightly bow to the pop diva, saying humbly, "Dragon Knight Nutidora is a formidable opponent, of course, so are Elf's Son Kris and the other contestants. Miss Pop Diva, besides praying to the God of Light, I will do my best to bring everyone a more spectacular competition!"
"Knight Lot, if you were to battle Lieutenant Rody, what would you say to him?" the pop diva unexpectedly asked Lot.
"Ah, on the arena, I treat all opponents equally," Lot revealed a brilliant smile and said slowly, "Lieutenant Rody had a bit of a relationship with my family. I also hope my father can recognize his efforts and accept him again."
"Do you have anything to say now to Lieutenant Rody, who was expelled from his family?" the pop diva pressed on, not letting him off easily.
"I've always treated him as a brother, always like this," Lot's smile was as bright as the holy light.
Upon hearing his words, people couldn't help but applaud and cheer for him. Lot also bowed to the crowd, responding to their applause with extraordinary gentlemanly demeanor. Of course, those like Stanley, who knew the inside story, clenched their fists and cursed under their breath: "This son of a bitch, such an actor!"
"I hope he encounters the boss first and gets a good beating from him!" Lopeck was also grinding his teeth in hatred.
"Quiet, she's approaching the boss now. Be quiet, let's hear what she asks..." Everyone looked at the magic screen and hurriedly quieted the two men down.
The pop diva walked over to Rody and Kris, sizing up Rody from top to bottom. Rody also looked back at her, surveying the pop diva from head to toe, and a smile appeared on his face. As soon as the huge magic mirror broadcasted his charming smile, countless girls' screams erupted and lingered for a long time.
"What do you think I'm going to ask you, Lieutenant Rody?" the pop diva asked with a smile.
"I guess it's not about asking for an autograph..." As soon as Rody finished speaking, the whole audience burst into laughter.
"Actually, this question, I'm asking on behalf of everyone. As for what I want to ask, it depends on whether you're willing to give me an autograph, then I'll decide whether to ask or not," the pop diva said with a laugh, covering her mouth, and asked, "The one who defeated the orcs and demons, did you intentionally achieve a splendid record of zero casualties to inspire everyone, or were you just lucky not to encounter any real orc warriors?"
"We didn't have zero casualties..." Rody was taken aback, shaking his head, "We had injuries almost every day, and now Stanley and the others still scream at the sight of snakes and scorpions. In the Land of Evil, we would shake out snakes, scorpions, or toads from our tents every morning. Although their appearance provided us with a variety of breakfast options, we were never happy to see them. As for injuries and disabilities, many of our one-armed comrades left their limbs and blood forever in the Land of Evil... We weren't there on a trip! The only thing to be thankful for is that more than a hundred of us struggled and came back alive!"
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"Long live Sergeant Rody!"
"Long live the Human Justice Alliance... Long live!"
Rody's words reminded everyone of the past, and they couldn't help but stand up to applaud and cheer for the elite squad. At the same time, the magic screen showed footage shot by Big-Bearded Malu. It showed the elite squad trudging through pouring rain and mud, occasionally scraping blood-sucking leeches off their legs with daggers, and sometimes seen throwing poisonous snakes far away from the mud.
In another clip, the orc army passed by, with all members of the elite squad lying in the muddy water, not daring to move. A swamp crocodile appeared nearby, dragging one of them down, but Rody and Kris immediately dived in with daggers to help. Soon, blood was seen flowing out, and then three mud-covered figures were seen struggling to climb out with the help of their comrades' ropes. Besides their teeth being somewhat white, it was impossible to tell which one was Rody and which was Kris.
In several consecutive clips, the extremely arduous battles and life of the elite squad were shown, prompting another round of applause from the people.
Many people shed tears, realizing that behind the glorious victory lay a grueling battle.
"Lieutenant Rody, I know that the incident with the assassin has deeply hurt everyone's heart, but I still want to ask, if necessary, would you and your elite team be willing to escort food supplies to the uncertain existence of the vanguard army as you did before?" the pop diva asked.
"We are soldiers... It's a soldier's duty to obey orders," Rody nodded, "No matter what the Human Justice Alliance needs from us—blood, youth, or life—we will not hesitate. In fact, we are no different from other soldiers; we are all soldiers fighting for the Alliance. What other soldiers can do, we can do; what the Alliance needs us to do, we will do."
"Rody..."
"Miraculous kid, well done!"
"We love you, love you, love you, Rody, we will always love you!" The fan group's girls, overcome with emotion, jumped and screamed uncontrollably.
People couldn't help but stand up again to applaud and admire. Such soldiers were the warriors in everyone's hearts; such warriors were the heroes whom people trusted to protect their lives.
Not every person in the world needs the champion of the Magic Martial Arts Competition; that's a glory for the noble lords and knights.
But people need soldiers who make everyone feel secure and comforted, only their iron-like bodies can be the barrier protecting everyone's lives!
In the command room of the Saint Song Fortress, Marshal Fondsman was watching the magic image. Hearing Rody's words, he and General Quentin, among others, burst into laughter.
"This kid is just so popular, look how many people cheer for him? I dare say, this will greatly enhance the image of our soldiers," General Quentin applauded.
"That's not right," Marshal Fondsman suddenly frowned, pondered for a moment, and then lightly tapped the table, "This smart kid might have sensed some future threat, or else he wouldn't say that... His words must have a certain meaning. I can't figure it out now, General Quentin, go to Camalon. If anything unfavorable happens to that kid, use my Marshal's command to forcibly bring him back! I absolutely will not let tragedy happen again, no one will dare play tricks in front of me this time!"
"Your Excellency Marshal, please give me your command ring as a token," General Quentin nodded.
"Report..." A guard came in with a magic letter for the Marshal.
Upon reading it, Marshal Fondsman's breath surged with anger, and he became furious like a fire lion. He said 'good' three times, then fiercely smashed the table. Finally, his gaze lingered on Rody in the magic screen, filled with sorrow and guilt.
General Quentin and the other generals carefully glanced at the letter, instantly stunned.
"Your Excellency Marshal?" they asked softly.
"Don't go to pick up that kid for now, you guys prepare here first," the Marshal said, suppressing his rage, "You must wait for the most appropriate moment!"
"What if someone obstructs us? Those guys won’t let us do our job easily…" General Quentin said resentfully.
"Military order," the Marshal said with utmost seriousness. "If there comes a day when I, Fondsman, am no longer here, and the 'Life-or-Death' combat plan for humanity is initiated, then follow the one I have chosen as the commander. From today onwards, everyone present must enter first-level alert. If necessary, you are authorized to use force and wage war against any obstructing target."
"Yes," all the generals stood up straight and saluted.
"Your Excellency Marshal, actually, you could…" General Quentin's face showed pain, his voice trembling, wanting to persuade, but not daring to.
"What did that kid say just now? We are soldiers!" the Marshal said gravely. "Soldiers are warriors who don't engage in dirty politics, with obedience to orders as their sacred duty. Although there is no higher commander above me, I am also a soldier, equally bound to be faithful to my position and mission! Gentlemen, we are all soldiers!"
"Yes!" The generals saluted sharply, their voices thunderous.
"Quentin, I appoint you as deputy commander, temporarily in charge of the command ring and my sword," the Marshal unfastened the treasures from his waist and tossed a ring. Looking at Rody on the magic screen, he nodded and said, "Rest assured, everyone, we will get through this. We have the strength of the younger generation, everything will get better."
"Your Excellency Marshal, we..." General Quentin and the other generals knelt down, saying solemnly, "The Human Justice Alliance cannot be without you! You must come back alive! Those young people still need your support. They are like tiger cubs that haven’t shed their milk teeth yet. The growth of young people needs more time, please be sure to come back!"
"Of course, I still hope to see the splendid lives of those young people!" Marshal Fondsman laughed heartily and strode out the door.
"The dawn of humanity is still far from arriving," General Quentin sighed heavily.
In Camalon, in the coliseum seating a hundred thousand people with no vacant seats, the engaging conversation between the pop diva and Rody elicited cheers and applause from the crowd. They felt she not only voiced everyone's thoughts but also heard the bold words of soldiers they wanted to hear the most.
"To interview the miraculous kid Rody, everyone, especially the girls, would probably not have enough of it even after three days and nights. Regrettably, we need to hurry and ask more contestants!" The pop diva handed the magic loudspeaker to Kris and smiled, "I want to know, why, being as outstanding as you are, are you content with being Rody’s deputy?"
"Because it's simple, he's the miraculous kid!" Kris gracefully shrugged his shoulders, making all the girls swoon.
"Have you never thought about surpassing him? Although you cooperate well with him, have you ever thought about making him cooperate with you?" The pop diva’s questions were sharp and challenging, exactly what everyone wanted to hear.
"I wish he would listen to me, but he won't." Kris smiled slightly and counter-asked, "Do you have a way?"
"It looks like you'll have to figure it out slowly. I can't help you!" The conversation between the pop diva and Kris also made everyone laugh heartily. Finally, the pop diva approached Ice Demon Gao, looked him up and down, and quietly asked, "Can you speak?"
"Yes." Ice Demon Gao replied expressionlessly with a single word.
"I thought you were an ice sculpture..." the pop diva exclaimed in surprise, prompting the crowd to burst into laughter. After the laughter subsided, she asked, "Ice Man, just thawed from the glacier, what do you most want to say to everyone?"
"The champion will be either me or Rody," Ice Demon Gao coolly stated. "I want to tell everyone, if you want to bet, you'd better hurry."
"Hahaha..."
"My goodness, this guy actually has a sense of humor!"
"I'm so happy, I dare say, this is the most exciting competition I've ever seen in my life... even though it's just getting started! Haha!" Everyone was amused to find that he wasn't as unapproachable as they thought, actually quite funny.
"Next time I need to freeze mixed fruit ice, I'll look for you! Now, I need a bit of warmth, not ice cubes." The pop diva turned and walked away, leaving everyone laughing so hard they almost cried. Then, she interviewed several other popular contestants and even some lesser-known ones, but their bold statements lacked the fun of the earlier few.
"Everyone has been waiting, now, let's have the contestants from the four groups start battling simultaneously in the ABCD arenas!" Big-Bearded Malu exclaimed, "My God, the random selection result is out, the first battle in Group C is Demon Slayer Lot against the miraculous kid Rody..."
"The destined battle between brothers is about to begin, what will be the outcome?" the pop diva’s words instantly heightened everyone's excitement.
"The glory of justice, the light of God, unstoppable..." People from the temple stood up, fervently casting holy light magic to cheer for Lot.
"Spit, die already, god-stick!" Stanley jumped up, yelling, "Beat up that trash!"
"Rody will win, Rody will win!" The fan group's cheerleading motivated nearly ten thousand girls to join in unison, creating an immensely spectacular sight. The pop diva's voice echoed through the magic loudspeaker throughout the entire coliseum, "The brotherly battle between Demon Slayer Lot and the miraculous kid Rody, starts now..."
Amidst the intense music, magical spotlight shone on both Lot and Rody.
For a moment, they became the focus of everyone's attention.