Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Arena King (4)
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Yubik introduced himself, pouring out honeyed words about how he'd long heard of the infamous "Demon Slayer." He kept tempting Kadim, insisting he had the makings of a star gladiator.
But Kadim shot him down flat.
"Not interested. I don't play clown for the arena."
"……."
Yubik didn't look disheartened. A faint flush rose to his cheeks, but he kept his smile and pressed on.
"Hahaha, a clown! Surrounded by crowds, putting on a show for their eyes—it's not entirely wrong, I suppose. But think about it. Even the gods up in the heavens beyond those clouds are always watching us. In the grand scheme, aren't we all clowns for the whole world?"
"……."
"Besides, there aren't many clowns as honorable, wealthy, and popular as gladiators! Once you become champion, the money and fame you'll rake in will shock you. Between you and me, that famous Agon's Furious Horn? I might as well have raised him myself……."
In that moment, there was no mighty overlord who ruled the arenas. Just a promoter from ages past, desperately working his mouth to lure a gem of a talent shining like a jewel.
Adonis was stunned. He'd never seen this foul-tempered tycoon grovel so humbly. Sure, the Demon Slayer was no ordinary mark, so it showed keen insight... but for Adonis, who'd brought him hoping for a clean elimination, it was beyond absurd.
Kadim, meanwhile, remained utterly unmoved. He'd come to kill a fake great warrior and reclaim his cherished blade. There was no reason to waste time playing gladiator here.
The drawn-out persuasion dragged on endlessly.
Finally, as the refusals piled up and the pitches never stopped, even Kadim's patience hit its limit.
"I already said I'm not interested. What, did all that blubber clog your ears?"
"……."
"You said you raised Agon's Furious Horn? Then tell me where that bastard is and shut your stinking trap."
A chilling silence descended.
Adonis felt dizzy. That mercenary had just insulted someone untouchable in the worst possible way.
Yubik felt the blood rush hot to his face. If he'd been thinking straight, he might've schemed more cunningly, more flexibly. But right now, he couldn't contain the surging emotions.
The alcohol from earlier had worn off completely.
Bang! – !
"You... seem to have no idea who I am."
His voice shifted in an instant—arrogant and icy. His jaundiced eyes glared at the hulking mercenary.
"Kuhuhu, that's why you can act so recklessly... Figures barbarians always start slithering up when you treat them nice... Just like some fool hero who gets delusions of grandeur and can't even recognize his master……."
"……."
"Looking for 'Agon's Furious Horn,' are you...? Fine, I'll personally introduce you to a contact... No guarantee you'll actually meet, though……."
Yubik heaved his massive bulk upright and waddled out of the drawing room. Kadim followed impassively. Adonis trailed after them in a fluster, a bad feeling gnawing at him about where this was headed.
The Arena King led them to the vast training ground in the mansion's rear garden.
"Hup!"
"Hah, hup!"
It was big enough for an army. Dozens of mercenaries sweated under the blazing sun, sparring fiercely. Spotting their burly master approach, they halted in perfect unison and saluted.
"At ease! Salute to the Grand Master!"
"“Loyalty! Glory to the victor, death to the vanquished!”"
"Loyalty! Glory to the victor, death to the vanquished! No issues during training, Grand Master!"
It was like a military drill. Yubik thrust out his bulging gut proudly and strode through the mercenaries.
At the center of the training ground stood bronzed Atalans with tattoos etched into their skin—warriors of the Indomitable Legion, gladiators backed by Yubik.
The warriors set down their curved swords and shields the moment they saw him. Instead of saluting, they thumped their chests in true Atalan fashion. Yubik waved dismissively and barked in an irritated tone.
"Hey, this guy's looking for Agon's Furious Horn. You lot need to help him out."
"……That's a problem, Grand Master. Didn't we tell you already? The Great Warrior won't even see us right now. Last time was a week ago……."
"No, this takes priority over me. He says he's gonna kill Agon's Furious Horn."
Yubik jabbed a pudgy finger. At its tip loomed a giant of a man with imposing stature.
The dozen or so warriors widened their eyes and stared at Kadim in unison.
At first, they shrank from his massive frame and fierce scowl. But the shock faded fast. Fights weren't won on size alone, and no warrior, no matter how skilled, could challenge him.
Belittlement and anger welled up a beat later.
"A brother we haven't seen before... Here to become a gladiator, are you?"
One warrior approached with feigned friendliness. But veins bulged on his forehead, and his fists clenched tight.
"Hahaha... No need to be so stiff. I get what you're after. Every gladiator here has dreamed of facing the 'Great Warrior' at least once. But you know, don't you? He's the hero who stopped the demon incursion and saved the alliance. Not someone a run-of-the-mill mercenary like you can challenge."
"……."
"The Father of the Wilderness bids us be brave, but not reckless. Here, spar with us first. You'll humbly realize your level……."
As he grabbed Kadim's shoulder to assert dominance, Kadim seized his wrist first and twisted. The burly body flew up, spun in midair, and crashed into the dirt.
Bang! – !
"……Huh?"
His wrist was mangled, palm where the back of his hand should be. The warrior gaped, frozen stiff.
"Damn it!"
"Grab your weapons!"
The others reacted faster. Sensing bloodshed, they snatched up curved swords and shields. But before they could form ranks, Kadim hurled his greataxe like thunder.
Clattercrash, boom! – !
"Gahk!"
The shield-bearer flew back as if struck by a boulder. His steel shield crumpled like paper, forearm shattered to bits. That was still Kadim holding back.
Others charged with curved swords raised.
"Atala!!"
"Atala!!"
Kadim parried the slashing blades in a crosscut with Blood Ghost. The single clash rang with shrieking metal as the blades shattered.
Shriiing! – !!
He kicked the one reeling from the force. Those behind toppled like dominoes. Before they could rise, he smashed their skulls with pommel strikes. Skulls caved in; three warriors flipped their eyes back and passed out in seconds.
"Careful! He's no ordinary guy!"
"Flank and surround! Throw spears to pin him, attack from all sides... Gurk!"
Ruthless suppression. Futile resistance.
If any had joined the subjugation force on the Golden Highway... or if Yubik had just whispered "Demon Slayer"... they might've chosen differently. But he hadn't, so the warriors kept charging blindly, ignorant of who they faced, only to fall.
Kadim didn't forget. The culprit egging them on. These were just pawns anyway. To end this, he had to seize the root.
He roughly cleared the clingy foes around him, then spun and charged like an eagle. A spear flew at his back, but he dodged nimbly and closed on the fat man in a flash, grabbing his collar and hoisting him up.
"Gek! Kek, guh!"
The hog-like heavy man floated feather-light in the air.
"N-No, this can't be……."
"Impossible……."
Strength defying common sense. Every mercenary in sight froze in shock, forgetting to protect their boss.
Kadim wrinkled his nose and spat through gritted teeth.
"Some contact. You can't even meet them yourself—what were you thinking, sending me to them?"
"Kek, keh, guh... hek……."
Yubik's face turned purple. Jowls quivered, protruding gut wobbled perilously. Normally, he'd panic and beg. But the Arena King was different.
Only then did Kadim realize. Damn it, he'd baited those fools to test my strength. Played right into it.
But he wouldn't be jerked around anymore.
Thud! – !
"Guhk!"
"Grand Master!"
He flung him down carelessly and thrust Blood Ghost at his throat. Yubik barely escaped the glowing red blade by a hair's breadth.
Kadim warned coldly, blade to flesh.
"You've seen enough of my skills. Next time, bring a real contact. You have one day."
"Cough, hek, haa……."
"Fail that, and I'll bring my cleaver to carve every pound of meat off you."
With that, Kadim sheathed his weapon and strolled off across the training ground.
Shock and silence ruled the yard. No one dared chase immediately. Only dazed stares and sprawled wounded remained where the monster had gone.
"Ugh, uuuugh……."
"……P-Pursue him!!"
"No, check on the Grand Master first!"
The mercenaries snapped to belatedly. Half chased Kadim; half rushed to Yubik. Adonis, watching from afar, joined the rush.
"Grand Master, are you alright?!"
"Are you hurt anywhere……."
The frantic healers and mercenaries fell silent upon reaching him, stopping dead.
They'd expected curses, rage, a furious swing—something. Even covered in dirt from the humiliation...
The Arena King just grinned with the glee of a miner striking gold.
*
Adonis, physician of the Agon faction, agonized.
How had things spiraled this far?
Yubik wasn't just any patron. Vicious-tempered, he could cripple the faction's income on a whim. Physicians always bent over backward, avoiding even minor slip-ups during his visits.
All that effort wasted. Adonis regretted it to his bones. Why had he brought that monster in human skin to meet Yubik?
It wasn't without calculation. The Arena King had groomed Agon's Furious Horn himself. Tell him he was a threat, and he'd eliminate him swiftly. Instead, he'd eyed him greedily, causing this mess.
No helping it now. As Adonis steeled himself to urge a trap and removal...
"Convince the Demon Slayer to fight in the arena, somehow."
"……Pardon?"
"He'll listen to you more than me. You've spent more time with him."
...another utterly unforeseen response.
Yubik gulped straight from a bottle of foul-smelling spirits. Adonis furrowed his brow in disbelief.
"Grand Master, didn't you see? He's less a man than an uncontrollable beast. And, if I may be so bold... rumors say he's already massacred in Galentana's underworld and is suspected of killing a major university faction physician……."
"That university physician—wasn't he your rival? And the underworld colludes with those bastards, I hear. If anything, maybe one of you already used him."
"B-But Grand Master, he outright said he'd kill Agon's Furious Horn……."
"Personal grudges aside from business. Think: working together once doesn't mean forever on the same side, right?"
The more he drank, the clearer his flushed face became. His tone cooled to sharp sarcasm. Wrong direction, but hard to refute.
Yubik lifted his chin smugly and growled.
"Took down ten alone. Ten. Not greenhorns, but Indomitable Legion gladiators—in the blink of an eye!"
"……."
"I thought Agon's Furious Horn was my life's masterpiece. But now... a prize that might surpass him has appeared. For that, I'd endure any humiliation, any risk. Grabbed by the collar? That's nothing."
"……."
"And thinking you can't control the Demon Slayer? You just haven't found the right leash. I'll handle that. You just drag him to the arena gates. Surely a council physician can manage that much?"
Adonis hesitated, glancing away. Yubik caught it and snapped sharply.
"Oh, and you know I hate anyone touching my marked prizes...?"
"……."
"Poison, injury, assassination... Go ahead, collude and put even a scratch on the Demon Slayer. I guarantee your next quarter's sponsorship certificates will be full of 'zeros.'"
Those jaundiced eyes dissected Adonis's thoughts. The gaze of one who'd rolled in blood-soaked gold arenas his whole life.
The young physician didn't know he was plotting a champion shake-up. But this he knew clear as day.
The 'Arena King' would pit demons against each other if the money was right.
In the mansion's drawing room, amid humid winds, the blond physician trembled in dismay, while the obese magnate's eyes gleamed with greed.