No Rules in the Ring
Fwoosh!
The contract containing the Emperor's oath vanished into blue flames.
The contents of the contract were simple.
Win the Imperial Martial Arts Tournament.
The reward for victory was, of course, the Blessing of the World Tree.
Permanent Resistance to All Status Ailments
Luck Stat Bonus
An opportunity that came only once every hundred years—there was no way I was letting this slip through my fingers.
"The Dark Elf Queen's daughter is a mere fledgling, barely over a hundred years old, yet her skills are said to rival those of the empire's greatest swordsman."
Irritation laced the Emperor's voice.
"I expected her to perish in the preliminaries, but instead, she slaughtered the empire's warriors."
Slam!
The Emperor slammed his hand down, shattering the armrest of his throne.
"Since when did the warriors of the empire become so weak?"
His eyes burned with fury.
"To think they are all this pathetic..."
"..."
"Have I grown soft? Perhaps I should execute all these useless insects right now and start anew..."
The Emperor was dead serious.
However.
"...There is no time for that."
At least he knows.
I nodded.
"The tournament is right around the corner, isn't it?"
"Two days."
Then "no time" is an understatement.
"I cannot allow our thousand-year streak of victories to be broken now."
If you've won for a thousand years, isn't it fine to lose once?
...If I actually said that out loud, he'd probably lose his mind.
I put on an obedient face and listened quietly.
"That is why I summoned you."
"..."
"As my son, you will surely defeat that princess."
Hope flared once more in the Emperor's smoldering eyes.
"Please, secure this victory for your father and elevate the empire's name!"
How dramatic.
Truly dramatic.
"I get it, I get it," I replied, scratching the back of my head.
Filial piety?
Sure, why not give it a shot?
"How admirable."
Deep emotion washed over the Emperor's face.
"Of all my many children, you are the only one who eases your father's worries."
How many children did he have again?
At least ten, surely.
And not a single one of them volunteered for the tournament...
Talk about bad luck with kids.
"Don't worry. You've got me."
"Splendid. Truly splendid."
The Emperor looked at me with a warm, satisfied smile.
And then...
"...However, do not let your guard down."
The Emperor added in a low voice.
"They are hiding something."
When I returned to my quarters after the audience,
"...What on earth is that?"
A massive portrait hung right in the middle of the wall.
It was none other than me, dressed in the formal attire of an imperial heir.
"It is a portrait sent as a gift from His Imperial Majesty."
I never thought I'd receive a gift like this in my life.
More than that, the painting was heavily airbrushed.
It made me look way better than I actually did, which was a bit embarrassing.
"It is absolutely magnificent, Lord Taepyeong! You exude a dignity that easily rivals the other heirs!"
"...Is that so?"
Nairin stared up at the portrait with sparkling, adoring eyes.
"Stop staring and get ready to go out."
"Ah, yes, my lord!"
She quickly scurried off to fetch a cloak.
Unlike the flashy ceremonial robes, it was a plain, simple black cloak.
After all, the heir's robes would draw too much attention.
I pulled the hood low over my face.
"How is it?"
"Your ears are completely hidden, so no one will suspect you are human."
We headed out of the imperial palace.
The Emperor had told me to rest,
but with the entire capital buzzing with festival energy, how could I just sit around?
An otherworldly festival.
I couldn't miss this!
Strum!
Beautiful music echoed through the streets, and silver banners fluttered everywhere.
In the middle of the street, elven artisans used spirits to carve wooden statues of heroes, while mages launched fireworks shaped like the royal crest into the night sky.
There were also stalls selling traditional elven festival food and taverns displaying various barrels of alcohol.
Since I'm here, should I try some?
Strange foods lined the stalls.
Grilled mushrooms wrapped in silver leaves.
Fruits that looked like blue oranges.
Jelly that wobbled like water.
Everything was entirely new to me.
"What's this?"
"It is Moonlight Mushroom Soup. Its rich flavor is exquisite."
"And this?"
"The fruit of the Dawn Star Tree. It is one of my absolute favorites."
"Buy some."
The meat looked a bit suspicious. Soup and fruit seemed safe enough.
Slurp.
"..."
Gulp.
"..."
What the hell...
This tastes like absolute garbage...
The mushroom soup tasted like plain water, and the mysterious fruit was sour and astringent.
They were serving this at a festival?
As my face visibly soured, Nairin flusteredly began to make excuses.
"A-Actually, considering the fragrant fruit beverage you usually enjoy, it is only natural that this food is beneath your standards, Lord Taepyeong."
"Banana milk?"
"Yes. Since you regularly indulge in such delicacies, elven cuisine must seem utterly bland..."
"Hey, banana milk isn't some high-class delicacy."
"The food I have tasted from the human world was far too wonderful. It was like a devil's temptation..."
Nairin hung her head, looking slightly wounded in her pride.
Tsk, tsk.
If she tried pizza or fried chicken, her mind would probably blow.
I should bring her along and feed her some sometime.
I handed all the elven food over to Nairin and continued exploring the festival.
Ahahaha!
The streets were filled with elves laughing, chatting, singing, and dancing.
I guess even a psychopathic race like the elves has normal festivals...
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
Thud!
"Kill him!"
A violent commotion erupted from the plaza.
"What's that?"
"It seems an arena has been set up."
"An arena?"
"It is not an official tournament, but rather a street arena where commoners can participate."
I followed Nairin, who guided me with familiar ease. When we arrived,
Thud! Crack! Thwack!
"Kill him! Kill him!"
Elves were brutally beating each other.
Drip, splash...
Blood pooled on the ground, spilling past the edges of the ring.
What in the world...
CRACK!
"Waaaaah!"
An elf with a completely mangled face collapsed, and the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers.
"Kill him! Kill him!"
A massive shadow loomed over the fallen elf.
Snap!
With the sickening sound of a snapping neck, the body went limp.
A man who appeared to be the referee raised the hand of the victorious, muscular elf.
"...They kill each other even in an unofficial match?"
"Do humans not do the same...?" Nairin asked, sounding genuinely confused.
I take back what I said about them being normal.
These bastards are definitely a race of psychopaths.
"Is there no other challenger?!" the referee shouted, but no one stepped forward.
"Bwahaha! Nothing but cowards!" the muscular elf roared with laughter, showing off.
Tsk, tsk.
What a repulsive show-off.
"Let's go, Nairin."
"Yes, Lord Taepyeong."
Just as I turned to leave,
"A coward is running away!"
A voice stabbed at my back.
"Nairin, is he talking to me?"
"...It seems so."
It was a deliberate choice. Probably because I looked the smallest among the crowd of elves.
"Yes, run! Fear death!"
"..."
"For a coward like you, running away must be your only talent!"
I turned back around.
And then,
"You've got it wrong."
"...What?"
I kindly corrected him.
"I'm leaving because this is too boring."
The muscular elf stared at me, dumbfounded.
"...Bwahahaha!"
Then he burst into roaring laughter.
"It seems you don't value your life!"
Ah, the classic line of a generic mob.
"Fine. For you, I will..."
"..."
"...kill you free of charge!"
"I can't allow that."
I shrugged.
"Nairin."
"...Yes."
Clink!
Nairin tossed a few gold coins in front of the referee.
"...!"
I lightly leaped into the ring.
Rustle.
My cloak fluttered off.
And after a brief silence...
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him right now!"
The elves began to scream like maniacs.
Was it because I was human? The shouting was noticeably louder than before.
"W-Wait..."
"Is that human..."
"F-From the promotion match..."
Of course, a few elves seemed to recognize me.
However, those who recognized me immediately fled the scene, vanishing from sight.
"The rules are simple!"
"..."
"Namely, there are no rules."
"Perfect."
I grinned, looking at the muscular elf.
"That means I can kill you, right?"
"Heh. I'm going to..."
"We'll see about that."
Right then, the referee rang the bell.
Clang—!
Whoosh!
The moment the bell rang. To be precise, the exact split second before the sound could even echo, I lunged forward.
Crack!
Thwack!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
In the blink of an eye, I struck his eyes and the side of his head.
Crunch!
Before he could even register what was happening, I shattered his collarbone.
"Aaaaargh!"
Too bad for him, but now wasn't the time to scream.
Crack!
I broke his other collarbone as well.
Flop!
With his collarbones shattered, his arms dangled uselessly, leaving him completely defenseless.
Thud! Crack! Thwack! Bam!
His ribs snapped one after another.
"Ack!"
A broken bone must have punctured his lung.
It was a common occurrence.
He can't counter at all.
A classic case of inexperience. Since he had never faced an opponent stronger than himself, he had absolutely no idea how to react when overwhelmed.
Ryohei from Japan was exactly this type.
Crack!
At this rate, he'll...
SMASH!
...die pretty soon.
His face was already swollen to the point of bursting.
He looks more like an orc than an elf now.
I raised my fist high.
Whoosh!
My fist stopped right in front of the orc—no, the elf's nose.
"..."
With my fist raised, I locked eyes with him.
"Hey."
"Ugh..."
"You were the one..."
"Gah..."
"...who said killing was allowed, right?"
His eyes filled with sheer terror. He looked completely different from the arrogant brute who had been strutting around the ring earlier.
His hands twitched as if he wanted to beg for mercy.
If you wanted to beg, you should have done it before your collarbones were shattered. It's way too late for that.
"P-Please..."
Now?
Come on.
"Why are you acting like a coward?"
"Ugh..."
"You shouldn't run away."
I smiled, putting all my weight behind my fist.
CRACK!