The Champion's Two-Second Fall
The time it took for Arjuna, the champion of Hirpus Colosseum, to fall to the ground was a mere two seconds. Breaking that moment down, it unfolded like this.
The instant the announcer’s hand dropped, the challenger moved. It took roughly 0.2 seconds to assume his stance and kick off the ground. Another 0.5 seconds to leap forward and close the distance to Arjuna. One full second to swing his sword, shatter the pauldron on Arjuna’s shoulder, and send her crashing to the floor. The final 0.3 seconds to plant his foot on her and stand victorious.
Every motion was clean, without hesitation or wasted effort. It was as though he had willed the outcome into existence the moment he decided upon it.
Though Arjuna’s helmet hid her expression from the crowd, she lay there, stunned and unable to speak. Of everything that had just happened, there was only one thing she had clearly seen with her own eyes: Nahen suddenly appearing before her, sword already in motion. By the time she realized it, it was already too late. The match was over.
The shocking sight left not only the participants but the spectators, the announcer, and even Glasya-Labolas—the one who had organized the event—frozen in disbelief.
“Uh… uh…?!”
The announcer, finally snapping out of it, stammered in visible panic before forcing out the result.
“Th-the challenger wins! Champion Arjuna has been defeated!!”
“N-no way!!”
“What the hell was that?”
“Are you kidding me right now? He started moving before the signal!”
“Aah~ the underdog pays off. All you favorites bettors feeling sober yet?”
“This has to be rigged!”
Conflicting reactions erupted from the stands. Many insisted Nahen must have moved before the signal. “That speed is impossible!” “I didn’t even see it.” “Your eyes are broken. I saw everything.” “Of course the underdog guy is defending it—he bet on it!”
The sheer speed of the takedown made everyone suspect a premature strike. But one voice cut through the noise.
“No one broke the signal.”
It was Glasya-Labolas, the owner of the colosseum, speaking from the balcony. Unlike Arjuna, who had missed the entire sequence, she had managed to follow Nahen’s movements—barely, but she had seen them.
“The challenger only moved the moment the announcer’s signal fell. It was a fair match.”
At the declaration of the floor’s ruler, the dissenting voices fell silent. What followed was pure astonishment.
“Wait, so…”
“He moved the instant the signal dropped and still took Arjuna down?”
“That makes even less sense.”
“Is he insane?”
“Serves the favorite bettors right. Underdogs win, heh.”
“Haa… I should’ve bet on the underdog today even if it killed me.”
Only after the announcer’s declaration and Glasya-Labolas’s confirmation did Nahen step off Arjuna. He extended a hand.
“Are you all right?”
“……”
Arjuna nodded silently instead of answering. Nahen spoke again.
“I’m sorry. You probably wanted a proper duel… but I had my own circumstances.”
Eliza—still wearing Arjuna’s name—nodded, her face pale with shock. She didn’t know the details, but she could guess. One look at her liege, Glasya-Labolas, watching from above, was enough.
Glasya-Labolas signaled the announcer to end the event. The announcer quickly wrapped it up.
“What an incredible powerhouse! That concludes the exhibition match!”
“It was just an exhibition?”
“I thought it was a title match.”
“So Arjuna’s still champion.”
“Honestly, if someone like that became champion, watching the fights would get boring. Every match would end in one hit.”
“True enough.”
The crowd showed little objection to Arjuna retaining her title. A one-sided spectacle lost its entertainment value after the initial shock. Both the spectators and Nahen were satisfied with the outcome.
Nahen looked up at the balcony. Glasya-Labolas smirked and signaled the announcer once more.
“Champion and challenger? Please come up to the balcony.”
“Yes.”
Eliza was surprised to be summoned as well. Nahen turned to her.
“Let’s go. It seems we were both called.”
Eliza wondered why her liege, who had never once sought her out before, would call for her now. Still, she followed Nahen’s lead and headed for the balcony.
#
“Come in, both of you.”
Glasya-Labolas greeted them warmly from the balcony. She smiled brightly at Nahen.
“I saw your strength. Impressive. So that’s how Devata grew so much.”
“You flatter me. More importantly, I passed your test. I’d like my reward now.”
“Hm, very well. I’ll hear you out. But first, would you mind waiting a moment?”
Glasya-Labolas turned her gaze to Eliza standing beside Nahen.
“I have something to say to the one who failed to fulfill her duty.”
Nahen had expected as much. From the moment Glasya-Labolas had told him to defeat the champion as a test, he had suspected the champion was one of her subordinates. Though it had been little more than a baseless guess at the time, her summoning both of them together confirmed it.
With a tent drawn over the balcony to shield them from prying eyes, Glasya-Labolas gave her order.
“Eliza, remove your helmet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The voice that answered was unmistakably female. Nahen glanced sideways in surprise. When the helmet came off, he saw a woman with striking sky-blue hair.
So Arjuna was just an alias.
Nahen found the revelation intriguing. Eliza met his gaze for a brief moment before kneeling before Glasya-Labolas.
“Your Majesty, I did not abandon my duty.”
“I never said you abandoned it. I said you failed to carry it out. In the end, you lost, didn’t you?”
“My duty was to hold the champion’s seat until someone strong enough to defeat me appeared, was it not?”
“You understood my intent well. But regardless of my intent, the order I gave you was to ‘keep the champion’s seat.’ You failed, Eliza.”
Nahen found the exchange strange. By all accounts, Eliza had fulfilled her role. But this Demon King, who valued only strength, saw things differently.
“It may not have been an official match, but you were defeated. Utterly and without resistance. Don’t you think it would be too humiliating to keep a subordinate who suffered such a loss?”
Loyalty meant little to her. What she demanded from her subordinates was overwhelming power. Eliza had proven herself by holding the champion’s seat for twelve consecutive victories—until now.
She won twelve matches in a row… and she’s being cast aside for losing once?
Nahen found the Demon King remarkable in more ways than one. And not in a good way. If Seere ever acted like this, the thought alone was terrifying.
Eliza lowered her head slightly at Glasya-Labolas’s words.
“…If that is your command, I will obey.”
“You’ve worked hard until now, so I won’t punish you further. However, you can no longer serve under me.”
“Understood.”
Eliza spoke with her head still bowed.
“May you reign forever, Your Majesty.”
Glasya-Labolas gave a curt nod and dismissed her. Eliza left the balcony with a heavy expression.
“…That seemed excessive.”
Nahen spoke up after watching the exchange. Glasya-Labolas shook her head.
“No. It wasn’t too harsh. There is no place for the defeated under me.”
“Defeat can bring valuable experience.”
“Perhaps. People say that often enough… but I believe it’s nothing more than an excuse from the losers themselves.”
“…I see.”
Nahen had no intention of arguing her worldview. He simply couldn’t understand discarding such a capable person so easily.
Rather than throwing her away, if we could bring her to our side…
As the thought crossed his mind, Glasya-Labolas spoke.
“If you want her, feel free to take her. I won’t mind.”
“…Is that all right?”
“Of course. Now then…”
Glasya-Labolas grinned.
“It’s time for your reward. What did you want to discuss?”
“It concerns the ‘Human Realm Entry Ban’ that was decided upon at the previous Demon Realm Assembly.”
“Ah… that ridiculous measure.”
As expected, the ban did not sit well with Glasya-Labolas, who valued strength above all else. The idea of sealing off the entrance out of fear of mere humans was an affront to her martial spirit.
“Why bring that up now? The ones who benefited from it were Devata’s side, the owners of the 72nd floor.”
“No. We want the ban lifted.”
“…Oh? That’s unexpected. You were granted safety, so why?”
“The details are difficult to explain. I only ask that you understand we are also dissatisfied with the measure.”
“Then the reason you’re bringing this to me now is…”
Glasya-Labolas smirked.
“You’re planning to raise it as an agenda item at the next Demon Realm Assembly?”
“Your insight is remarkable.”
“Even a child could think of that. No need to flatter me over something so obvious.”
Despite her words, her face bore a rather satisfied smile. A simple Demon King who pursued only power—she was exactly the kind of person Nahen could easily make use of, given what he already knew about her.
“When we propose the agenda at the next assembly, we would appreciate your support.”
“Hmm. But will that be enough? This was Beelzebub’s measure. My voice alone won’t be sufficient to pass it.”
“You need not worry about that. We intend to gather more factions.”
“…Oh ho, I see.”
Glasya-Labolas chuckled.
“You’re planning to gather Demon Kings who share my opinion. Quite the feat, knowing how many are dissatisfied with the measure.”
It was something Nahen could discern because he understood the personalities and tendencies of the Demon Kings. To Glasya-Labolas, who had no knowledge of his game-derived information, it made him appear to possess considerable intelligence-gathering capabilities.
“…I like you.”
Overwhelming strength paired with excellent information-gathering ability. Even among her own subordinates, finding someone of this caliber was difficult.
“Would you consider serving under me?”
“I’m afraid I have no such intention.”
“I could even grant you the position of second-in-command immediately.”
Nahen appeared to ponder for a moment. Glasya-Labolas took it as interest in her offer, but it was merely an illusion.
“Your vessel is too small to contain me, Your Majesty.”
“……”
Glasya-Labolas’s eyes widened slightly. The knights standing beside her flared up, hands reaching for their swords. But Glasya-Labolas raised a hand and stopped them.
“Is that so? Devata can, but I cannot?”
“Yes.”
“Then what if I were a member of the Ten Great Clans? Would that make it possible?”
“No. It has nothing to do with bloodline. The only one who can contain me is Devata.”
Glasya-Labolas looked into Nahen’s eyes. The golden irises spoke only truth.
“…Hah. What a curious man.”
“Pardon?”
“It seems you truly have no intention of leaving Devata’s faction… but that loyalty doesn’t stem from ‘devotion.’”
Nahen was slightly taken aback. She was right—his reason for helping Seere and the Devata faction was not loyalty. It was to elevate Seere to the pinnacle. But Nahen kept his expression neutral.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Never mind. It may have been my misunderstanding.”
Glasya-Labolas smiled lightly.
“I have no reason to refuse Devata’s proposal. If you’re the ones gathering the factions, it makes my job easier. I’ll lend my support.”
“Thank you.”
“Is that all?”
“There is nothing more I desire. I am grateful simply for your support on the agenda.”
“Very well.”
Glasya-Labolas waved him off, signaling that their conversation was over. Nahen bowed his head and left the balcony.
Yet Glasya-Labolas, still somewhat reluctant to let him go, was about to call him back when she saw it.
“!”
From the black mist rippling behind his back, savage fangs bared themselves, glaring at her as if in warning.
What… are those?
Even the battle-hungry Glasya-Labolas, who would normally charge headfirst into anything that piqued her curiosity, stood frozen, her expression stiff. She had no choice but to let Nahen leave.
#
Nahen returned to Seere and spoke urgently.
“Seere.”
“Teacher! You were amazing, as expected!”
She greeted him with a bright smile, praising the overwhelming display of power he had shown moments ago.
“You ended it in an instant. It was incredible!”
“Thank you.”
Nahen felt a warm sense of pride at his disciple’s praise. As he chuckled, Seere asked,
“Did you finish your discussion?”
“Yes. The matter is settled for now, but we need to move immediately.”
“Huh?”
“We’re recruiting talent. It’s urgent.”
Nahen gave a brief explanation and started walking. Seere and Secily exchanged puzzled glances before following after him.
Nahen left the colosseum and scanned the streets, searching for the Eliza he had seen earlier.
She’s a capable person. I can’t afford to lose her.
Though she had been defeated by him in a single strike, he had noticed something. At the very last moment, she had managed to follow his movements. Most people couldn’t even perceive Nahen’s motions when he moved seriously. The fact that she had caught up, even if only at the end, spoke to her considerable talent. And the fact that Glasya-Labolas, who prized strength above all else, had placed her in the champion’s seat as a test of worth only confirmed her ability.
“…She threw away such talent on the ground. How could I not pick it up?”
First come, first served. Nahen looked around for the woman with sky-blue hair.
“Teacher, who are you looking for?”
“A woman with sky-blue hair.”
“…A woman?”
“…I don’t know what misunderstanding you’re having, but this is purely a talent recruitment. Glasya-Labolas discarded a capable person, so I’m picking her up. We’re short on executives anyway, aren’t we?”
It was true that Seere’s faction lacked capable officers. Veronica, who was still underage, was already serving as a legion commander. Seere wasn’t thrilled that her teacher was looking for another woman, but she acknowledged the need for more executives.
“Who is it?”
“The champion I fought earlier.”
“What?”
The person he was looking for was the one he had knocked out in a single blow. Though Seere knew full well how strong Nahen was…
“Is there a reason?”
“She managed to follow my movements at the very end.”
“Ah…”
Seere nodded in understanding.
“All right, let’s split up and search. We’ll meet back here in a bit…”
“…Could you move aside, please?”
Nahen, Seere, and Secily all turned toward the voice. Standing at the colosseum entrance was the very Eliza Nahen had been searching for.
“Huh… Weren’t you already gone?”
“Yes?… Ah, I was just packing my things.”
“Ah.”
They had been searching in the wrong place. Nahen smiled awkwardly while Seere and Secily stared at him in disbelief.
“Did you need something from me?”
“…I realize this might sound strange, but I have one question.”
Nahen spoke to Eliza.
“Would you come with us?”
“……Pardon?”
“Ah, no. I don’t have any strange intentions. I’m from the Devata faction. Glasya-Labolas cast you aside, didn’t she? So I was wondering if you’d consider working with us…”
“So that’s who you were. I was wondering where you came from.”
Eliza sighed.
“It’s fine. Someone like me won’t be of much help anyway.”
“That’s not true!”
“…Pardon?”
“You’ll definitely be a great help to us. And we don’t throw away talent like trash. Isn’t that right, Seere?”
When Nahen turned to Seere, she nodded.
“If you join my faction, I promise you fair treatment and a proper position.”
“Wait, isn’t this woman a maid?”
“Ah.”
Because Seere was disguised as a maid, Eliza had naturally assumed as much. For a moment, Nahen and Seere looked flustered before clearing their throats.
“There’s a reason for this appearance…”
“Ahem. I am Seere von Devata.”
“…Hah.”
Eliza let out a dry laugh.
“You’re bold enough to set foot directly in the upper Demon King ranks.”
“No one here would recognize my face anyway.”
“Is that confidence… or something else?”
Eliza glanced at Nahen.
“Is it because of the person standing here?”
“Both.”
“…I see.”
Eliza hesitated. She had long since lost any loyalty to Glasya-Labolas after being discarded in the colosseum like this. But jumping straight to the Devata faction didn’t sit well with her conscience either.
Then Nahen added one more thing.
“Glasya-Labolas said it herself. ‘Feel free to take her.’ She’s already thrown you away. You’re not even in her thoughts anymore.”
“……”
“So come to us. We’ll give you the treatment you deserve.”
Eliza was honestly swayed by Nahen’s offer. She had joined Glasya-Labolas’s service through her own skill, only to be reduced to scouting talent in the arena. Worse, even the people she had tested had been deemed unworthy, leaving her disillusioned with her role.
“If you’re unsure, you don’t have to decide right away.”
It was Seere who spoke.
“If you change your mind later, come find us on the 50th floor. We’ll still welcome you then.”
Seere left it at that and looked at Nahen. This should be enough, right? her gaze seemed to say. Nahen agreed.
“We’ll be going now. I hope we meet again.”
After Nahen and Seere left, Eliza stood alone, staring blankly at the space they had occupied.
“Proper treatment…”
Could I really receive something like that too?
Eliza slowly began to walk. Her steps still pointed in a different direction from where her heart wanted to go, but it wouldn’t take long before they aligned.