Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: Martial Dragon Grand Tournament (8)
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As if smashing Arin's head had been his one and only goal, Yuri turned around without a shred of hesitation.
Arin wasn't about to just let him go like that.
"Ow!"
Clutching the side of her head where she'd been hit, she shot to her feet and yelled.
Then, quick as a flash, she charged at Yuri and latched onto his back.
Chomp! Chomp!
Arin furiously gnawed at the top of Yuri's head.
Yuri convulsed like he was having a fit, flailing wildly.
"Damn it, hey, get off! Won't you get off? Ptooey!"
"Why'd you hit me! Why'd you hit me!"
"You're gonna make me go bald! Get off!"
"Why'd you hit me! Why'd you hit me!"
Yuri shook his body desperately, like he was trying to dislodge a clinging bug, while Arin only clung tighter, munching away at his scalp all the more viciously.
Seeing the two tangled up, the three outside the door rushed in.
"Acting like kids!"
"Cut it out."
"I'm hungry!"
After much effort, the three finally managed to pry Yuri and Arin apart.
Hoisted up by Poppi, Arin huffed indignantly, still fuming.
"Why'd you hit me!"
At her irritated shout questioning why he'd hit her, the others' gazes turned to Yuri as well.
They'd pulled them apart for now, but they were just as curious.
What on earth had possessed Yuri to hit Arin?
"Right?"
"So why did you hit her?"
"I'm hungry?"
With all eyes on him.
Yuri, held high by Gunter and Teresia each grabbing an arm.
His neck shortened as he dangled there, and he answered with a sullen face.
"For frustrating me."
"...What kind of crime is that?"
"For... frustrating you?"
"What sort of crime is that?"
"I'm hungry?"
From Arin on down to Poppi, everyone chimed in, staring blankly at Yuri.
Their faces all screamed, what the hell is this nonsense?
Yuri stood tall under their stares, utterly unperturbed.
"Ah, seriously, watching that match of yours, I was so frustrated I thought I'd burst a vein and die! You stuck seven arrows in him and then what, waited around like an idiot? When you had the upper hand, you should've slammed every last arrow you had into him!"
"......"
"What the hell did you learn sparring with me! Huh? Did I teach you to fight like that? Huh?"
"......"
"I'm so embarrassed!"
The group fell silent under Yuri's gaze brimming with disgust.
Arin, the one getting chewed out, started to look confused.
"...Did I do that badly?"
No sooner had she said it than Yuri flipped out again.
"This idiot still hasn't gotten it!"
Dangling in the air, Yuri lashed out with a kick toward Arin.
Of course, still held by Gunter and Teresia, his kick just whooshed through empty air.
Seeing Arin scamper down and hide behind Poppi, Yuri clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch. And if you're gonna kill him anyway, just kill him quick—why drag it out?"
At Yuri's final words, the others flinched and glanced at Arin.
Then Gunter cautiously spoke up.
"Um... she's probably struggling emotionally with her first kill... maybe we should talk about that later?"
The others nodded in agreement at Gunter's words.
Yuri just snorted derisively.
"Struggling emotionally? Who?"
"Well, obviously Arin..."
"What kinda bullshit is that?"
"......"
"Struggling? Her? Does that look like the face of someone who's struggling to you?"
Yuri jerked his chin, and everyone's gaze shifted to Arin.
Her face still held a hint of lingering resentment over the hit.
But the vibe was markedly different from before.
No, her eyes sparkled so brightly now, you could believe she'd fully returned to her old self. The group blinked in slight surprise.
Then Yuri's matter-of-fact voice slipped into their ears.
"She might hesitate to kill, but once it's done, she's not the type to torment herself with guilt."
His gaze shifted to Gunter.
"You, on the other hand, won't take long to make the call, but you'll be the one carrying that guilt afterward."
His eyes landed on Poppi.
"That one's the type who'd spare even someone who deserves death if they just apologize for their mistake."
The ones dissected by Yuri one by one flinched, shoulders twitching.
Then his gaze turned to Teresia.
She met his eyes with a faintly expectant look.
"So what about me?"
"Tetesha's probably like me."
"Like you and me? How so?"
At her question, Yuri shrugged it off casually.
"The type who never hesitates and never regrets. The kind who'd gladly stain their hands with blood if the kill is necessary."
"...I'm not that bad of a person."
Teresia's face fell, shocked.
Meanwhile, Yuri wrenched his arms free and planted his feet on the ground.
Straightening his rumpled shirt, he said.
"Anyway, now that you get it, go smack her on the back of the head once and call it a night."
Arin, indicated as "her" by Yuri's chin flick, flinched.
The others' gazes poured onto her, and Teresia spoke for the group.
"So... what were you doing all spaced out like that till now?"
Arin tilted her head, as if she had no idea what they meant.
"What do you mean?"
"You know... staring out the window earlier with that super distraught look?"
"Oh, that?"
Arin smacked her fist into her palm as understanding dawned.
The group's attention converged, and her nonchalant voice followed.
"Just feeling a bit down for personal reasons?"
"......"
A brief silence fell.
Gunter asked with a puzzled expression.
"Wait... not guilt or confusion over your first kill or anything?"
Arin's head tilted again at the question.
"Guilt? Why would I feel that?"
"What?"
"If you never intended to kill in the first place, fine, but why feel guilt after you've already done it?"
"......"
"And it wasn't some accidental death—it was clearly done with intent to kill."
"......"
Yuri's analysis had been spot on.
Arin truly hadn't been agonizing over guilt from her first kill.
"......"
"......"
"......"
The faces of those gathered to comfort her gradually soured.
Under the three silent stares, Arin tilted her head.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Why are you all staring?"
Finally realizing their worry had been pointless in the face of her utterly unbothered eyes, they turned away.
"...Go get some sleep. Oh yeah, isn't your first match tomorrow, Gunter?"
"Yes, Senior. But... we wasted time on this nonsense. Should've been prepping for tomorrow's match instead."
"I'm hungry."
Poppi patted Gunter's shoulder.
Arin watched them file out one by one with deflated expressions, still clueless about what she'd done wrong, her head tilted.
And then.
Whack!
Yuri smacked the back of Arin's head once more.
"Ow!"
This time lighter than before, she just dipped forward a bit.
By the time she whipped her head around angrily, Yuri was already gone.
"That guy's unbelievable!"
Arin huffed at the open door.
But her furrowed brows soon relaxed.
She stood there quietly, rubbing the back of her head.
Rub rub.
"It hurts..."
Honestly, it didn't hurt that much.
It still stung a little, but she wasn't really mad.
No, if anything, her chest felt oddly ticklish.
Left alone after everyone left, rubbing her head, Arin recalled Teresia's question.
[So... what were you doing all spaced out like that till now?]
She took her hand off her head.
The ticklish feeling in her chest faded, replaced by a faint sadness and frustration.
Murmuring to herself the honest answer she hadn't given Teresia,
"But... I used it. The thing I never wanted to use again."
Arin's face filled with bitterness.
* * *
The Martial Dragon Grand Tournament, rife with the most upsets in history.
Day three dawned.
Starting on day three, the round of twelve began, and the first match featured Gunter.
"Gunter Irons, enter."
At the black-armored soldier's command, Gunter glanced around the empty waiting room today too, his face a touch downcast, before stepping forward.
But that expression soon faded into a blank mask.
Step step.
Passing through the familiar corridor, he finally reached the arena entrance.
"Hoo..."
Exhaling softly, he shook off his thoughts and lowered his helmet's visor.
Clank.
'Let's go!'
His resolute steps carried him into the arena.
'Opponent?'
Entering the arena, Gunter scanned straight ahead with tense eyes.
He spotted the woman approaching from the front without much trouble.
'...That's her.'
She walked with a somewhat drowsy face.
Her steps were light, betraying no tension.
Gunter examined her closely.
Jet-black hair and eyes tinged with purple.
Skin so pale it was ghostly, dark circles heavy under her eyes.
Put kindly, a sickly beauty.
Put harshly, she looked like she'd drop dead at a tap.
But she was no one to underestimate.
'Fourth-year, Susan Ripley.'
She was from the 47th Cohort, and ranked number one among them.
'Her previous match ended too fast to gather intel.'
Her match had come right after his in the round of twenty-four.
And she'd crushed a fifth-year.
Rumor had it, the instant the match started.
By the time Gunter reached the stands, she was already gone.
'From what I heard... her opponent was the fifth-ranked fifth-year.'
Even if the weakest among fifth-year entrants, Susan's ability to dispatch him in one go was not to be taken lightly.
Step.
While Gunter peered at her through his visor slit, they came to face each other at a set distance.
Gunter raised his sword in salute.
"Gunter, firstborn of House Irons, humbly requests a lesson from Senior."
True to form, he observed knightly etiquette.
Hice had sneered at it before, but Susan just gave a small nod.
Tension flooded Gunter's face at her demeanor.
'If only she'd get cocky like in her last match...'
Judging by her accepting his salute, she seemed calm and composed.
She wasn't underestimating him enough to let her guard down.
'Tough match ahead.'
Gunter heightened his focus, recalling his brief talk with Teresia yesterday.
[Um, Senior...]
[No.]
[...I haven't even said anything yet?]
[Obviously you want info on your round-of-twelve opponent.]
[How'd you know?]
[Just did.]
[You're... starting to sound more like Yuri Holland every day.]
[I was gonna give you some info on your next opponent, but that comment makes me not want to.]
[S-Sorry.]
[Besides, this is something you learn with your body.]
[In Yuri-speak... get your head smashed until you figure it out.]
[Yeah, that's it. But as a hint... that senior's the one I least want to face in the Cradle. No, most cadets pick her as the one they least want to face.]
[Even with Yuri around?]
[...Up until last year.]
[Last year... But didn't Kunter Rider win the tournament last year?]
[He did.]
[And yet Susan Ripley ranked as the most unwanted opponent? Ahead of Kunter Rider?]
[Yep.]
[Why?]
[Get your head smashed until you figure it out. Learn the hard way.]
[...That's too much.]
Gunter replayed the conversation as he leveled his sword horizontally.
Ready to react to Susan's slightest move.
'The top pick for least-wanted opponent in the Cradle before Yuri showed up...'
And even more feared than last year's champ Kunter Rider—maybe it wasn't about raw power.
'Her personality?'
She seemed calm; nothing suggested she was worse than Yuri.
Though anyone from the Cradle would be nicer than Yuri...
'...Can't rule it out.'
Yuri looked angelic on the outside too.
But inside lurked a demon crawled up from the underworld.
'And black hair, of all things...'
That ominous color, just like Yuri's, ratcheted Gunter's tension higher.
And right then.
Swish-.
Susan Ripley extended her arm toward Gunter.