chapter 336

Chapter 336:

– Layla –

And there he was, my target—standing confidently amidst a small group of opponents. My eyes narrowed slightly as I examined him. He was on Jiren’s team, dressed in the same red and black Pride Trooper uniform. That was unexpected. Had he tricked them somehow into thinking he was one of the good guys?

Interesting.

As I looked him over more closely, I had to stifle a small laugh. This guy practically screamed "self-insert." He had bright pink skin that looked soft but firm, sharply defined muscles, wild spiky white hair, and a Saiyan tail wrapped casually around his waist. He looked exactly like a male version of Android 21 if she were part Saiyan.

[You’re one to talk…]

I rolled my eyes at my system's teasing jab. ‘Come on, I didn’t actually choose my new body. You know that.’

The Gamer down below was currently engaged in combat with three weaker fighters from another universe. He wore a cocky, heroic grin, showing perfectly white teeth as he easily dodged their strikes. He moved swiftly and fluidly, his expression smugly confident as he delivered a precise punch to the stomach of one fighter, sending the poor guy sprawling.

“You fought bravely,” he announced loudly, his voice dripping with fake sympathy. “But justice always prevails. It had to end this way—I’m sorry.”

He wasn't sorry. Not at all. I could hear the forced sincerity in his voice. Every word sounded rehearsed, as though he’d practiced delivering these cheesy lines in front of a mirror. The Gamer easily grabbed each stunned fighter by the collar of their uniforms and casually hurled them off the edge of the arena, smirking in satisfaction as their screams of despair faded.

I sighed. This guy was clearly enjoying himself. Something about his false humility and melodramatic manner made me itch to punch him.

After a brief glance around, I silently hopped down from my vantage point, landing softly a few feet behind him. He didn’t react. Strange—had he seriously not sensed me at all?

[He might still be new to this body and his powers. Maybe he hasn’t figured out how to properly sense energy yet.]

That was possible, but if so, he was even more of an idiot for joining a multiversal tournament.

I cleared my throat loudly.

Instantly, he spun around, and I caught a split-second glimpse of a snarl on his pink face before it was swiftly replaced by surprise—and then obvious appreciation—as his bright blue eyes looked me over from head to toe.

“Oh, shit. Hello there,” he said smoothly, his voice dropping to a deeper, flirtatious tone as he flashed me a winning smile. He winked obnoxiously, giving me another quick scan from head to toe, openly admiring my body. “And just what universe are you from, beautiful? I feel like I should’ve spotted you immediately.”

Gross. Was he seriously hitting on me mid-tournament?

I forced a polite smile onto my face, choosing to ignore his leering stare. “Universe 7,” I lied smoothly.

He flinched at that, his smug expression cracking immediately. “Universe… 7?” he muttered under his breath, clearly unsettled by the revelation. “That shouldn’t even be possible…”

I raised an eyebrow calmly. “What’s wrong?” I asked, playing innocent. “You seem nervous.”

The Gamer shook his head quickly, trying and failing to regain his composure. “N-no, not nervous at all. Just surprised! Thought I knew everyone from Universe 7 already.” He chuckled awkwardly, trying to mask his discomfort. “You must be new.”

“Something like that,” I replied easily, offering nothing more.

He stepped forward casually, arms crossed confidently over his chest. “Well, lucky me, then. Meeting someone like you is definitely the highlight of this tournament so far.”

I fought back a grimace. Was this guy serious? “You’re very flattering,” I replied dryly, studying his face closely. “What’s your name?”

He straightened proudly, puffing out his muscular chest and putting one hand dramatically on his hip. “You can call me Zaiko,” he announced proudly, clearly hoping for a reaction from me. When I gave none, he faltered a bit. “What’s yours, beautiful?”

“Layla,” I said simply. “Nice outfit, by the way. Pride Trooper?”

He looked down at himself quickly, nodding with a fake air of modesty. “Yeah, they took me in as one of their own. Recognized my strength and justice immediately.”

Justice again? Really? I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “That’s great,” I said lightly. “They seem like good people.”

“They are the best!” Zaiko agreed eagerly. “We’re definitely going to win, too. With me on their side, Universe 11’s victory is guaranteed.” He winked at me.

I tilted my head slightly. “You seem pretty confident about that.”

He grinned cockily, flexing his muscular arms. “Well, can you blame me?” he bragged. “I’m basically unstoppable.”

Wow. It took serious effort not to laugh in his face. The guy was so full of himself it was almost impressive.

Zaiko paused, tilting his head curiously as he studied me more closely. A flicker of doubt appeared in his eyes. “Hold up… How do you even know about Pride Troopers, anyway?”

I shrugged casually, feigning nonchalance. “Oh, I ran into Jiren a little earlier. Nice guy—pretty strong, too. Not quite up to my level, though.”

The cocky grin vanished from his face instantly. For the first time since I’d laid eyes on him, he actually looked uncertain. The muscles in his jaw visibly tightened, his tail twitching nervously around his waist. “Wait… what did you just say?” he asked carefully. His tone sounded strained, uncertain. “You fought Jiren… and won?”

“Well, it was just a quick spar,” I replied breezily. “But yeah, I definitely came out on top. Wouldn't mind a more serious fight with him later on.”

Zaiko blinked rapidly, disbelief flashing through his bright blue eyes. He bit down anxiously on his lower lip, turning his head away slightly. For a second, it seemed like he forgot I was even standing in front of him. He muttered something quietly under his breath, frustration creeping into his expression. “…That can’t be right. Someone named Layla doesn’t exist in canon…”

[Wow. This guy’s an idiot.]

I silently agreed with my system’s observation, watching the wheels turning inside Zaiko’s head. He was practically broadcasting his thoughts openly, completely oblivious that I was still there.

I cleared my throat sharply again. Zaiko jumped slightly, startled out of his internal monologue. Slowly, his gaze drifted back toward me. To make sure I had his full attention, I deliberately crossed my arms just beneath my chest, emphasizing my assets prominently.

His eyes dropped blatantly to my chest, unable to help himself. Good, I had him refocused.

“So,” I purred sweetly, enjoying his reaction, “what exactly are you planning on wishing for if you win?”

Zaiko visibly flinched at the question, clearly caught off guard. A conflicted look spread across his face, his eyes flickering nervously to the side as he scrambled for an answer. After a moment’s hesitation, he forced a heroic, earnest look onto his face. He squared his shoulders, puffing out his chest proudly again.

“Obviously, I’ll wish for all the erased universes to be restored,” he declared boldly, his voice thick with feigned sincerity. “As a hero, it’s the only right thing to do.”

“Oh, really?” I drawled slowly, allowing clear skepticism into my tone. “Huh. That’s interesting.”

His confident expression faltered slightly. He narrowed his eyes warily at me, suspicion creeping in. “Why? What exactly would you wish for, Layla?”

I smirked deliberately, tilting my chin upward to look him straight in the eyes. It was my turn to lie—and do it better. “Oh, nothing much,” I said casually, tossing my dark hair back lightly over my shoulder. “I was planning to wish for Zen-Oh’s powers. I figure the Supreme Queen of the multiverse has a nice ring to it, right…?”

Zaiko’s reaction was immediate and explosive.

“That was MY plan, you bitch!” he snapped furiously, all traces of fake heroism vanishing in an instant. His pink face darkened in anger, blue eyes burning as he glared at me.

Then he froze.

Realization flooded his expression as he realized exactly what he had just blurted out. His jaw dropped open slightly, panic swiftly overtaking the anger on his features. I watched his mental state rapidly spiral downward, clearly furious with himself for losing his cool so openly.

My smile widened into a satisfied grin. I raised an eyebrow mockingly. “…So, you’re all about justice, huh?” I chuckled dryly, emphasizing the word sarcastically. “Funny, I wasn’t really getting that impression.”

Zaiko’s eyes narrowed sharply, his posture shifting abruptly. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, a vibrant, bright pink aura of power crackling to life around his muscular form.

He took a threatening step toward me, his tone shifting dangerously. “You might be hot as fuck, Layla, but you just heard something you definitely shouldn’t have,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “Now I’ve got no choice but to take you out of the tournament right here. And obviously you were lying about fighting Jiren, too. No way someone like you could handle him.”

I couldn’t help it—I laughed openly at his audacity, thoroughly amused by his pathetic attempt at intimidation. His sudden aggression didn’t scare me—it excited me. After dealing with this clown’s fake bravado, I was looking forward to knocking him down a peg.

“Oh?” I giggled softly, gracefully sliding my body into a casual fighting stance. I raised one hand, beckoning playfully with my fingers. “If you’re so sure I’m lying… why don’t you come and find out for yourself?”

Zaiko snarled in frustration, losing all composure as he charged straight at me. His pink aura flared violently around him, the arena shaking under his sudden burst of power. He cocked back his fist, screaming as he swung a heavy punch aimed right for my head.

He was strong, but nowhere near Jiren strong.

Still, it was nice to finally get a direct power-level comparison.

I easily raised one hand, my palm open, and casually blocked his punch. The force of his blow sent a shockwave rippling outward, shaking the floating arena beneath our feet—but my arm didn't even tremble.

Zaiko’s eyes widened sharply in disbelief, clearly caught off guard by my casual defense.

Before he could recover, I swiftly pivoted on my heel, turning my body fluidly, and drove a sharp kick straight into the side of his face. My foot smashed brutally into his jaw, his entire head jerking violently backward from the sheer impact.

Damn. That actually made me feel like a real martial artist for once.

Zaiko staggered backward, his boots skidding across the arena floor. But he quickly shook his head, snarling furiously. Being part Majin clearly meant he could endure heavy hits. The kick had left a deep indentation on his cheek, yet his bright pink skin rapidly bounced back into shape.

I grinned, excitement rushing through me. If he was that durable, I didn't need to hold back nearly as much as usual.

Without hesitation, I darted forward, raining down a relentless barrage of punches. My fists moved swiftly and precisely, hammering into Zaiko's torso, chest, and face again and again. Each hit landed brutally with a satisfying thud. The arena floor trembled with every strike.

Zaiko cried out in pain, desperately trying to defend himself, but I was simply too fast and too strong for him. His pink flesh distorted grotesquely beneath the onslaught, denting deeply with each crushing impact. Blood and spit flew from his mouth, staining his once-pristine Pride Trooper uniform.

I pulled my right fist back, muscles tensed, and then slammed it forward with ruthless force directly into his torso. Zaiko’s entire chest caved inward, his eyes bulging from their sockets as all the air was violently expelled from his lungs. A strangled, gurgling scream escaped his throat.

The force of my punch sent him flying backward like he'd been fired from a cannon. His battered body shot through the air, smashing through several massive stone pillars lining the tournament arena. Each pillar exploded in a spectacular shower of debris and dust.

Immediately, I jumped after him, leaping effortlessly from pillar to pillar, keeping pace with his tumbling form.

Finally, Zaiko crashed into one last thick pillar, embedding himself deeply into its surface. Spider-web cracks radiated outward from his broken body.

I landed gracefully on the pillar, calmly glancing downward. Beneath us stood a trio of stunned Saiyans from Universe 6, all staring upward with mouths slightly agape.

"Hey, Cabba," I said cheerfully, giving the young Saiyan a friendly nod as I dropped down lightly beside him.

Cabba quickly recovered from his initial shock, smiling warmly in recognition. "Oh! Hey, Layla!" Cabba said, relaxing visibly. He glanced at his companions, quickly holding up his hands to calm them down. "It's alright. She’s nice…"

The two female Saiyans—Caulifla and Kale—stared at me warily, clearly skeptical. Caulifla's sharp eyes narrowed suspiciously, while Kale nervously hid slightly behind her.

[Of course, you remember the names of the female Saiyans…]

Above us, a loud cracking sound echoed out. We all quickly glanced upward as Zaiko's limp form finally slid out of the crater he'd made in the pillar, plummeting straight down to land heavily at our feet. He hit the ground hard, a small cloud of dust puffing up around his battered, bloodied form. His limbs twitched weakly as he coughed, bright pink blood dripping from his mouth.

Cabba looked down at Zaiko. "Is… is this the evil person you were hunting, Layla?" he asked me carefully.

Caulifla snapped her head toward Cabba, glaring openly. "What the hell are you talking about? Evil? Cabba, start making sense!"

Kale peeked at me nervously, hiding partially behind Caulifla. Her big eyes flicked toward Zaiko’s battered form on the ground and then quickly away.

I sighed and nudged Zaiko's twitching body lightly with my boot. "This guy here is a fraud. He's been tricking his team into believing he's some kind of hero of justice."

Caulifla raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Ok…? Why does that matter?"

I nodded. "He's planning on using the wish to make himself emperor of the multiverse or some dumb shit like that."

Caulifla snorted loudly, clearly amused. "Emperor of the multiverse? What a dumbass."

Cabba frowned slightly. "That's awful. It’s a good thing you’re here to stop him."

Zaiko suddenly stirred, coughing violently. He shakily pushed himself onto his knees, blood dripping from his lips as he glared up hatefully at me. His voice rasped with fury. "Shut your fucking mouth, you bitch. I don't know who you are, but you're not ruining my plans!"

With a growl, he jammed his hand into a small black hole that opened directly in front of him.

[Wow. Just blatantly reaching into his inventory in front of everyone, huh?]

He yanked out a bright red potion, uncorked it hurriedly, and downed it in one long gulp right there in front of the four of us.

I raised an eyebrow, glancing toward the Grand Priest. Using recovery items in this tournament was definitely cheating, right? But the Grand Priest remained silent, watching calmly from the stands.

Clearly, Zen-Oh found this entertaining enough not to intervene.

““Beat him up more!””

Yep… Just as I thought…

Immediately, Zaiko’s battered body began healing itself visibly. Bruises faded, cuts sealed shut, and his muscles rippled as he stood confidently once more. A fresh aura of power erupted around him, his eyes blazing with manic excitement. He laughed loudly, completely losing himself in the moment. "Hahahaha! God, I fucking love Zenkai boosts! That's exactly why I made myself half-Saiyan—for easy power-ups!"

Caulifla shot me a confused, slightly irritated look. "The fuck is he talking about now?"

I shook my head slowly. "Just ignore him. He’s evil, crazy, and a complete idiot."

"It's okay," Kale murmured softly from behind Caulifla. "We deal with people like him all the time…"

Cabba eyed Zaiko nervously, glancing toward me. "Layla, he's really powerful now after that Zenkai boost… Do you want help dealing with him?"

Ah, he was sweet to ask. But I was fine. I smiled gently, cracking my knuckles casually. Was Zaiko actually stronger now? Funny, I didn't notice a difference.

"Nah, I've got it covered. You three should focus on your own fights. Good luck in the tournament."

With that, I blitzed forward faster than any of them could see.

Zaiko was still laughing maniacally as my hand shot out, wrapping firmly around his throat. His laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by a strangled choking sound. I smirked at the panic flashing in his eyes, tightening my grip slightly as I slammed his head forcefully backward into the damaged pillar. The pillar immediately shattered, collapsing completely around us in a loud crash of debris and dust.

XXX

She’s having fun bullying the other Gamer…

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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters on there:

The Fallen Gamer ch 337-341

Thunder and Black Wings 29

The Fox Hole 99

A Systematic Tale: The Hero 19

The Blood Queen 53

The Fox Hole 98

A Systematic Tale: The Hero 18

Thunder and Black Wings 28

The Fox Hole 97

Thunder and Black Wings 27

A Systematic Tale: The Hero 17

The Blood Queen 52

The Fox Hole 96

A Systematic Tale: The Hero 16

A Systematic Tale: The Hero 15

The Fox Hole 95