Coliseum (3)
Demons are a race that lives for entertainment. If something looks fun, they'll dive right in or make it happen themselves. They can't stand a boring life, and history is full of all sorts of incidents they've caused because of it. Thankfully, as entertainment culture developed over time, those mishaps decreased—but only a little. Historically speaking, it's no exaggeration to say most entertainment-related disasters were sparked by demons. That's why cultures emphasizing "patience" and "self-control" as virtues even emerged. Entertainment is that inseparable, defining trait of the demon race.
"No way! This is rigged! It's gotta be rigged!"
And Kairin, princess of Mephisto, was no exception. If anything, being royalty made her dive even deeper into the fun. Nothing beats secret thrills. Sure, her support for Chaeyu was genuine, but entertainment was the spark.
"Why the hell did it lose? Did YasaengGrill rig it?"
Kairin glared at the Gallery window, her face practically pressed against it—the holographic screen floating right in front of her nose. That's how focused she was.
Thwack!Thud!Pow!
The Gallery was replaying a video: two kangaroos trading concise, efficient boxing punches. Number 2 landed a brutal counterpunch, spinning its opponent's jaw. Number 1 hit the ground and stayed down. Knocked out cold.
"...Yeah, it deserved to lose."
Kairin muttered after rewatching. With ironclad proof right there, she had nothing to say. If YasaengGrill had closed bets without posting the video, all hell would've broken loose. But this evidence shut down any complaints.
ㄴMy points... where'd my points go...
ㄴAnyone got spare points? I'm broke...
ㄴI'll give 100 points if you lose lol
ㄴPlease give to us slum dwellers ㅠㅠ
ㄴMe too bro ㅜㅜ
As the match ended, beggars flooded the comments. Kairin was one of them. Ladder points meant little to her anyway—not real cash sunk into the Gallery. In a sense, they were worthless.
But it still pisses me off...
Yet they meant everything too. A small loss? Fine. But she'd dumped a massive amount. Kairin had been active in the Gallery for ages, hoarding points since ladder points launched. Losing over half? Tears welled up.
Sigh. First match, whatever.
She shook it off and checked the Gallery. Losers were wailing everywhere.
ㄴKingLeor) Kyaa lololol first match was golden lolol
ㄴHow many points you make?
ㄴKingLeor) Put in 50k, doubled to 100k lolol
ㄴWhy so little? Go big next time lolol
ㄴKingLeor) Been saving since two head mods ago ffs
That infuriating high-nick KingLeor had cashed in. Kairin seethed briefly, then calmed down. The kangaroo coliseum wasn't over yet.
Title) Next match starting
YasaengGrill (Video of kangaroos fighting)
Left is No. 1 kangaroo, right is No. 2.
ㄴBetting on 1. Go No. 1 kangaroo!
ㄴNah, No. 2 for sure this time. Look at the size diff lolol
ㄴSize didn't help last time, dummy? Fights are about endurance.
ㄴDon't care about gambling, kangaroo fights are just fun af lolol
ㄴFr lol pure entertainment lololol
ㄴWish we had live streams.
ㄴNo such feature?
ㄴHead mod would've added it if there was.
No live stream was a bummer, as one commenter noted. If there were, crowds would've swarmed. But whether a Gallery limitation or head mod's choice, it didn't exist.
Still, YasaengGrill knows his stuff.
Aware of that, YasaengGrill tweaked after one match: post video, close bets in 5 minutes. Spoilers? Just avoid comments.
Kairin smirked briefly, then pondered her bet. No. 1 was bulkier, but No. 2 was no slouch.
Last big one lost 'cause it got cocky... so this time, the big guy's got it.
Whatever logic she used, she picked No. 1. It'd learned from last time, right?
But she forgot: these were animals, not people. Even humans struggle with rage—beasts? Forget it.
"No?! What?! What the hell are you doing?!"
The big kangaroo slipped up and lost. Kairin clutched her head, yelling. No. 1 had the edge right up to the end. She'd been sure of victory.
"You idiot! Your opponent's not the crowd! What the fuck?!"
Until No. 1 suddenly dropkicked a spectator kangaroo.
It got dragged out after brawling with the crowd. Textbook disqualification. Utterly baffling for Kairin.
ㄴlolololol crowd interference too
ㄴThese guys human or what? lolol
ㄴWhatever my points ffs
ㄴC'mon, call it invalid. Agree?
ㄴYasaengGrill) Invalid? Nah, straight DQ loss.
ㄴKya. Fair and square YasaengGrill hyung!
ㄴBut he's a spectator too lolol
ㄴWasn't this a Mephisto thing?
ㄴSpectator flying kick incident? Who did that?
ㄴElf did it. Kicked a demon fan for trash talk lololol
ㄴDidn't spark diplomacy issues?
ㄴPre-queen coronation, swept under rug. Elf got 1-year ban.
ㄴThat flipped elf image huh?
ㄴYeah, went from quiet pure to "oh they're people" lolol
Legendary sports tale, even. Anyway, Kairin lost again. She'd recharged to recoup—gone in a flash.
...This is why gambling's scary.
Lost money? Throw in more to break even! Classic hole-in-the-dam move.
Lucky for her, ladder points weren't cash—pure Gallery currency. Real money? She'd be hooked.
ㄴKingLeor) Where my points? Thieves around?
ㄴGulp~
ㄴThanks for the meal~
KingLeor lost too, apparently. Kairin snickered, then flopped on her bed. First loss, fine. Second screwjob? Powerless rage. She'd swear off it.
...Just one more.
For five seconds. Still lying down, she checked the next match. This time, break even. Bad luck so far.
Title) Event match starting
YasaengGrill (Photo of Wonmo facing baby kangaroo)
(Video of kangaroo crowd clapping approval)
(Video of Wonmo and baby tussling)
Some kangaroo asked if it could bring Wonmo. Got her okay, said sure, they went to arena. Opponent's a baby kangaroo lol came outta mom's pouch.
ㄴCheonma) Both adorable. Hope Wonmo wins.
ㄴSwordTasteStar) What if they get hurt bad?
ㄴYasaengGrill) (Photo of referee kangaroo) Ref's there, should be fine?
ㄴRef for real lololol
ㄴBabies matter more lololol
ㄴBabies can't control strength, guess so.
Rest time event match. Kairin focused despite regret. Wonmo: Gallery star, mascot—Gallery Lord. Her fighting? Unmissable. Kairin hoped for Wonmo win.
Title) Match result
YasaengGrill (Video of ref frantically intervening)
(Video of Wonmo ppeueong-crying as she approaches)
(Video of Wonmo clinging to pant leg crying)
Wonmo lost. Grappling specialist opponent, she couldn't do shit lol. Calming her now, no Q&A.
ㄴCheonma) Bitter defeat. Fuel for growth.
ㄴSwordTasteStar) Adorable running and crying. Comfort her well.
ㄴWho messed with our Wonmo?!
ㄴPpeueong cry how lolol
ㄴWonmo always warms the heart lol
ㄴGrill killed her mom tho...
ㄴGasp...
ㄴWhoa whoa whoa
ㄴForgot;; Grill's a bastard.
Event ended with Wonmo's loss. Bittersweet. Kairin left encouragement, backed out. Rest time, kangaroos dispersing per Grill. Time to quit clean.
My points...
Quit aside, points stung. Sigh. She browsed Gallery. Princess duties done ages ago. Free time, no nagging.
Arnold the crown prince ascending as emperor, huh...
Messia Empire succession buzzing the Gallery lately. As Mephisto princess, couldn't ignore. Distant, but not dismissible.
Gallery's the best for this.
Foreign ruler change: huge news. Normally, vague hints after delay. Gallery? Real-time. Sudden ceremony too—quick response key.
Problem: no clue what elves are up to...
Elves active too. Some high-nics with wild concepts—all unhinged. Demons: dumb hehe fun. Elves: collective madness.
Silence is suspicious.
Unclear elf moves ramped up spying. No intel? Shadier. Kairin scanned for useful info.
Title) Hail Elf Queen!
(Elf queen photo)
Worship the Elf Queen! Make Alvenheim great again!
ㄴWhen do these nutters stop?
ㄴNever. Lifelong.
Brainless praise, nothing useful. Kairin tsked, scrolled. Filled with coliseum posts—rest over, resuming. She grinned, dove into Grill's thread.
Title) Match starting
YasaengGrill (Photo of two facing kangaroos)
Match on.
ㄴAlright, let's go~
ㄴWinning this one for sure lol
ㄴHow much you lose?
ㄴ10k points, saved from three head mods ago ffs
ㄴBig spender lolol How much you?
ㄴ100k lol
ㄴPsycho lololol
Kairin bet quick. Win this time, dammit. But five minutes later: despair.
Her pick got pounded. "Fuck this shit."
New Gallery entertainment born. Addicts optional.
As Kairin went to dump more like a zombie...
ㄴDon'tAbandonHero) Nope! Gambling den's gotta close!
ㄴWhy?! Why close!
ㄴDon'tAbandonHero) Too many addicts even on ladder points! 200k evaporated in 30 mins!
ㄴFair game! No rigging worries!
ㄴRight? Who rigs kangaroo fights?
ㄴDon'tAbandonHero) But too many losers! Moderation's key!
ㄴUgh boomer
ㄴHead mod pls don't take this...
Overheating irked head mod into shutdown. Haven't broken even! Kairin panicked, pleaded. Head mod fair, listened.
ㄴDon'tAbandonHero) Fine! But point limits for now! No bets over cap! Ladder system's not fully live!
ㄴGood call.
ㄴThx head mod...
Bet caps imposed. Kairin recalled her losses. Painful, but whatever... Entertainment preserved—grateful. Watched next.
"No! Why you too?!"
Dogshit collapse. Stared at zero points, dazed, then commented.
ㄴChangguPrincess) Anyone got points...? Lost it all... Saved from two head mods ago pls just a bit ㅠㅠㅠ
ㄴYasaengGrill) Want some? Disaster relief level ok.
ㄴChangguPrincess) Ooooh!!! Thx so much!!!
ㄴBro me too...
ㄴMercy for poor beggars ㅠㅠ
ㄴYasaengGrill) Yup, small amounts. First 10 only.
ㄴOoh! Saint! Saint appeared!
ㄴThx thx thx
ㄴPraise YasaengGrill!
"Wooow! Thank you!"
Kairin praised him sincerely.
*****
Meanwhile, watching it all, YasaengGrill thought:
"They're dumping it all anyway... I win either way. Now I get why casino bosses always profit."
He fully grasped the casino owner's mindset.