Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Colosseum Rampage
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10
“I thought we were heading back right away.”
Rainer flashed a hearty smile at my grumbling tone.
He seemed to know full well that no one spits on a smiling face.
Though even if he weren’t smiling, no one would dare spit on a prince.
Anyway, it was the second day greeting us in Merlinside.
I’d thought we’d return as planned, but from the morning, Rainer had dragged me along for a stroll through the city.
Jarobo and the other knights were keeping watch from a distance, escorting us like bodyguards.
“The mission’s done early anyway, so isn’t it fine to take a day off?”
“That’s true.”
“Or do you not like being around me?”
“As if.”
What I really wanted was to head back to the estate even a day sooner than hanging out with you. But I couldn’t say that, so I gave a vague reply, and Rainer burst into loud laughter as he slung his arm around my shoulders.
This guy really loves throwing his arm around shoulders, doesn’t he?
“Of course. No one dislikes being around me.”
Wow, what confidence...
I was done playing along.
“So where are we headed right now?”
“Follow me and you’ll see. You’ll definitely like it!”
For some reason, I trailed after the confident Rainer for a while.
The place we arrived at was a massive circular arena.
Merlinside’s famous landmark, the Colosseum.
Its appearance, its purpose—everything matched that legendary Colosseum perfectly.
Rainer led me into the VIP seats.
A second-floor special section separated from the general audience.
Not only was the view completely different, but as VIP seats, we even had dedicated staff.
“A duel’s already underway. Oh, this looks pretty good?”
Rainer, who had plopped down in the VIP seats, shouted cheerfully.
As he said, in the center of the Colosseum, two gladiators without a single piece of armor were swinging real swords at each other.
Blood sprayed every time their blades clashed.
It was a gruesome sight, but a one-on-one duel was tolerable enough.
Pairing gladiators with monsters or going 1 vs. 10 was a whole other level of brutality.
The real issue was that this was a legally operated tourist attraction in Merlinside.
Even the gambling based on wins and losses was fully legal.
Back in the game days, it wasn’t content I enjoyed, so I never participated.
There weren’t any rewards worth joining for anyway.
As I furrowed my brow, the gladiator with a deep gash across his chest unleashed a desperate strike, plunging his sword into his opponent’s chest.
The pierced gladiator vomited blood and collapsed, his heart run through.
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
The surviving gladiator roared.
The crowd cheered in response.
Mixed in were occasional curses at the dead gladiator from those who’d lost money.
Clap, clap, clap! At the cheerful applause, I glanced sideways to see Rainer enjoying the arena with a bright smile.
I was probably the only one here barely holding back vomit from the revulsion rising in my throat.
The staff quickly cleared the body.
But the vivid bloodstains on the floor remained.
No, it seemed no one cared in the first place.
After a quick reset, new gladiators appeared.
The two men facing each other held only swords, without proper armor.
Their bodies, honed for survival, bulged with solid muscle, but it wouldn’t block swords.
“What about those two?”
Rainer, eyeing the gladiators, raised his hand.
The dedicated staff approached quietly and bowed.
“The current champion, Kaputo with 23 straight wins, versus the challenger Mycon, a supernova with 7 wins in 7 matches.”
“Champion versus a streaking challenger. Perfect. Let’s make a bet.”
Rainer waved the staff away and leaned toward me.
“What kind of bet?”
“The winner, obviously. I’ll let you pick first, specially.”
I wasn’t in the mood for betting.
But I wasn’t in the mood to cause a scene either.
Even if I lost, Rainer’s personality meant he wouldn’t hold me to the bet.
I’d just play along and slip away.
“Kaputo will win, I think.”
“Yeah? Then I’ll go with Mycon. We’ll figure out the stakes after the match.”
What the hell kind of stakes was he planning?
Making me anxious for no reason.
If I won, it wouldn’t be something like “never speak to me again,” right...?
A heavy horn blared, and the duel began.
Kaputo and Mycon charged with simultaneous shouts.
Clang! Each sword clash sent a heavy shockwave reaching even the VIP seats.
The duel was one-sided.
Strength, speed, technique—Kaputo dominated every aspect.
Mycon barely defended, but couldn’t fully block, accumulating scratches.
“Kill him!”
“You rotten gladiator scum! Can’t you fight properly!?”
The gambling spectators yelled at each other.
Gazing down at the cauldron of madness, Rainer asked with interest.
“Looks like Kaputo’s got this?”
“Seems so. The skill gap’s clear.”
“You never know till it’s over. Watch till the end. Oh, by the way, I saw your duel with Jarobo yesterday.”
“...You knew?”
You weren’t even there.
How did you find out?
I asked subtly, but Rainer dodged instead of answering.
“I know a lot of things. Like how you didn’t go all out.”
How do you even know that?
I glanced over, and Jarobo was trembling with a humiliated expression.
He must’ve been hurt.
Well... I got caught in a drunk brawl, so we’re even.
“I don’t know why you’re hiding your strength. Honestly, I don’t care. Just come to me. I’ll make sure you can swing your power however you want without backlash.”
Even now, Rainer tried recruiting me while overlooking the arena.
I picked my words to respond to his arrogant attitude, but it’d just be an excuse that wouldn’t work anyway.
“Sorry.”
“Turning me down twice—such a shame, but I’ll settle for achieving today’s goal.”
What does that mean?
Before I could ask, a scream of agony filled the Colosseum.
“Gaaahhh!!!”
It was Kaputo screaming.
Reflexively looking over, Kaputo—who’d been pressing Mycon—was on his knees.
Mycon, covered in scratches, was tearing Kaputo’s shoulder apart with his bare hands.
It was blatantly abnormal.
Less than a minute had passed, yet the tide had turned, but more than that, Mycon’s state was utterly bizarre.
His solid muscles swelled grotesquely.
Prominent veins throbbed as if about to burst.
A syringe lodged in Mycon’s neck fell limply to the ground and shattered.
The bright blue liquid spilling from the broken syringe mixed with Kaputo’s blood and turned black.
A familiar-colored drug.
“B Blooming...!”
I’d considered the possibility of Blooming resurfacing with Apenbru’s illegal circulation.
But to encounter it like this...!
“Grrrrraaaahhh!!”
Mycon, roaring no longer human but beastly, charged the audience stands despite the duel’s end.
Screams erupted chaotically as spectators fled.
Blood-soaked Mycon looked every bit the monster.
He’d clearly slaughter any spectator in sight.
I sprang up without thinking.
But Rainer and the other knights showed no intention of moving.
They just leisurely looked down.
Damn it!
Swallowing my rising curses, I vaulted over the VIP railing.
From the second floor to the first—a drop over 5 meters.
A bad landing wouldn’t end with just broken legs.
Instead of bracing for landing, I drew Deathwise midair.
I simultaneously spread mana rapidly, teleporting Mycon right below me via coordinate swap.
Mana chunked away from the rough usage, but I ignored it and swung the demon sword at Mycon.
Kaaang!!
The demon sword clashed with his blade.
A surprise attack via coordinate swap, yet Mycon blocked perfectly with beastly instincts.
Enduring the arm-numbing shock, I kicked his jaw, sending him back.
I rolled from shoulder to ground.
If not for absorbing the Earth Dragon’s heart, my arm and shoulder would’ve been shattered.
As I quickly regained my stance, Mycon snapped his wildly turned head back.
Not a speck of human intellect remained in his eyes.
-Can you handle it?
Deathwise asked calmly.
There was no antidote for Blooming awakening agents.
I knew that fact bone-deep.
With no choices, I wouldn’t hesitate on what must be done.
-Good spirit. Assess the enemy coldly. He’s feral, but not enough to call Night. See him as beast, not man.
“I know without you saying!”
Mycon charged on all fours.
Dodging his fully bestial rush, I slashed his thigh.
The muscles were hardened; it barely cut.
But that was it.
Predictable movements, lethal strikes dodged.
I voraciously gathered spatial data with dimensional magic, finding optimal responses and moving.
Evading, I sliced his limbs.
Sharply tearing tough muscles, severing tendons precisely.
No matter how enhanced and berserk, severed tendons meant no movement.
With all limbs halted, Mycon collapsed, roaring like a wounded beast.
Soon, as the drug wore off, his swollen muscles melted away, and Mycon breathed his last.
Steadying my ragged breath, I looked at Mycon’s pitiful corpse.
Why use Blooming?
Why did this even happen?
No point pondering; I wouldn’t know.
But following instinct’s whisper and gut feeling, I looked up.
My gaze met Rainer’s in the VIP seats, still watching me observantly despite the chaos.
No evidence, no proof, but suspicion suddenly reared its head.
Did Rainer orchestrate this?
Unaware of my doubt, Rainer just smiled faintly.
11
Meanwhile, in the Colosseum’s spectator seats.
As the crowd fled, only a man with his robe pulled low remained seated regally.
The man, whose face was barely visible save his jawline, muttered with interest.
“Even with Blooming awakening agent, if the user can’t back it up, they can’t take down the opponent.”
Thoroughly concealing any info linking to himself, he toyed with his fingers like Anirja.
Tapping the armrest from index to ring finger in waves, his gaze fixed on Theo Agrit wielding Deathwise.
“The demon sword’s seal has weakened further. Chasing off those Nagaraza guys too. This confirms it. That one’s definitely after the First Rune.”
Piecing circumstantial evidence together made it clear.
If Theo Agrit pursued the First Rune that Anirja had long chased, their paths would cross eventually.
As allies, or as enemies.
Either way, his task remained the same, so Anirja whispered while tracing a rune in the air with a puppet’s fingertip.
“You’ll be useful to me after all. Time to arrange a meeting soon.”
Soon, the rune completed.
As if he’d never been there, Anirja vanished without a trace.