43. Lucia and the Underground Arena (3)

The atmosphere of the underground Colosseum was hot.

Tonight’s contestants numbered 16. The night’s champion would be decided in a tournament format.

The two people participating under the pseudonyms George and Rosi. Both advanced to the quarterfinals without difficulty.

‘The opponents in the round of 16 were too easy.’

Right now, it was just before Lucia’s quarterfinal match was about to begin.

I was planning to watch Lucia’s match from below the central arena stage. At that moment, a swarthy blond man next to me spoke.

“Hey. Did you say your name was George? And the Schuderborn Swordsmanship Guild, you say. Never heard of that guild before. But the way you hold your sword is pretty decent. You said you’re from Essenmund, right?”

A familiar southern golden sun. It was Fabian. Fabian had also registered as a contestant in the underground Colosseum today.

Of course, I was disguised with the power of a succubus. Fabian didn’t suspect a thing. He was mistaking me for a bumpkin from the north named George.

“That’s right. Well, it’s nothing special.”

“You’re modest. Haha. Are you saying you won’t show even a little opening in front of the opponent you’re about to face? Indeed. Swordsmen from the north are cold. As cold as ice wizards.”

This guy was very sociable. Even though he was from a southern noble family. Even though I, disguised as a commoner, was acting cold, he kept talking to me.

‘This guy. He was so busy with me. He’s been coming to places like this.’

Fabian had been postponing the lewd party he had suggested to me at the start of the semester for over a month.

He kept making excuses that he didn’t have time because of Pantheon’s work. But the truth was that he seemed to be completely absorbed in the duels of the underground Colosseum.

“Still, the participants today seem pretty strong. Daniel the strongman. Ireh the snake eyes. Even Whitaker the iron sword. All of them have experience in real sword fights in large Colosseums. It won’t be easy to get a ticket to participate in a large Colosseum.”

Fabian spoke in a serious voice. But I had never heard of any of them before. If their names hadn’t been mentioned in Demon King Slayer, that meant they were all extras.

‘They’ll still be useful as experience sacrifices for Lucia and me.’

The large Colosseum is in the entertainment district, a much larger underground Colosseum than this guild Colosseum.

Madame Carmen of the secret salon. And a business partner who had a falling out with her. A back-world tycoon separate from them runs the place.

That was one of the other reasons I came to this underground Colosseum.

This Colosseum is a kind of preliminary round. If you win today’s tournament, you get the qualification to participate in the large Colosseum’s tournament.

Fabian said.

“Anyway, this is also fate. If it weren’t for the match, I would have bought George-ssi a beer. It’s a shame. Unfortunately, I don’t have a knack for drunken swordplay. I’m refraining from drinking contests.”

“It’s okay. Your words are enough.”

“Oh oh. As expected, men from the north are cool.”

Of course, I can immediately detoxify even if I go up drunk, but there was no need to show that fact here.

As Fabian said, the audience was waiting for the match to start with beer glasses in their hands. Sports and beer seemed to be an unchanging truth even in this other world, Iseland.

“Oh. The players have appeared.”

In the meantime, the players for the first match of the quarterfinals entered. Lucia, who entered under the pseudonym Rosi, and a muscular man named Daniel the strongman.

The man named Daniel was showing off his muscles with his upper body completely naked. His muscles were full of scars from being cut by a sword.

“Daniel! As expected, a stupid body.”

“It’s a relief that we can’t use Mana against each other. If that stupid brute strength was filled with Mana. The opponent’s flesh would splatter all over us.”

“I heard he’s already sent several people to the other world in the large Colosseum tournament.”

“I heard that rumor too! Kill! Kill him!”

The audience, excited by Daniel’s appearance, shouted.

On the other hand, Lucia only had her hair color changed. Her slender figure remained the same. Also, her appearance had changed slightly due to the influence of the hairpin, but her pretty appearance remained the same.

“Hoo. That woman named Rosi. You said she’s George-ssi’s companion? I don’t know about her swordsmanship skills. But in terms of appearance, she’s one of the best in the Imperial Capital. It’s a shame to see her in this Colosseum. Tsk.”

Like a golden sun, Fabian smacked his lips after seeing Lucia’s appearance. He was very sorry that this wasn’t a secret salon.

“Could it be… that woman. Is that George-ssi’s thing?”

Fabian held out his pinky finger to me. An explicit meaning. I shook my head.

“No. Rosi is just a colleague from the same swordsmanship guild. There is no distinction between men and women in the Schuderborn Guild. Everyone is just a swordsman who pursues the path of the sword.”

“Tsk. That’s a shame. To not be interested in such a beauty. It’s hard to see such a beauty even in Pantheon… no, in the swordsmanship guild I belong to. Anyway, it wouldn’t be bad to become a rival in love with George-ssi, but it’s really a shame. A man’s real sword is also between his legs.”

He was even more disappointed when I said I wasn’t interested in Lucia. Like a southern golden sun, NTR seemed to be his hobby.

In fact, Fabian and Lucia always saw each other’s faces in the combat division. But I was secretly laughing at the fact that he couldn’t recognize her at all.

‘Lucia’s pink image is too strong.’

In the meantime, the match started. The excited audience shouted.

“Daniel! Make that woman into a pancake!”

“Rookie women should be pinned down by men and scream!”

“Crush her, Daniel!”

“Tear off those clothes as they are!! Show us some eye candy too!!”

The use of Mana is prohibited in this Colosseum. And you had to use a non-edged fake sword.

Lucia had her usual arming sword. The guy named Daniel was holding a Zweihander that looked ridiculously big.

Lucia, overwhelmed by the dignity of the sword, had a nervous expression on her face. I shouted at her.

“Rosi! Focus!”

But her eyes changed when she heard my shout.

---

The Colosseum, where the audience was talking so loudly that it hurt my ears.

Silence fell on that place.

“That… that woman won!”

“What happened? Why did Daniel fall down by himself?”

The match ended quickly. It was a result that the audience had not expected at all. Daniel swung the Zweihander with a ferocious momentum as soon as the match started.

“What kind of ridiculously fast preemptive strike is that…”

Fabian said in amazement. That’s right. The Zweihander was swung with a sound that tore the air, but.

Before the great sword could draw a semicircle, Lucia’s blow reached Daniel’s vitals first. A speed attack that even someone with decent dynamic visual acuity wouldn’t be able to notice.

It was only Fabian, a student of Pantheon’s combat division, who could barely notice the sparkle.

And Lucia herself seemed unable to believe what she had done for a moment.

‘It was as expected.’

I was probably the only one who already knew the outcome of the match before it started. Until now, Lucia had been wearing restraints on her swordsmanship.

The clumsy Mana training method in the back alley that she was using. The inefficient movement of Mana due to that was rather hindering Lucia’s talent.

Rather, completely exclude Mana like now. And although it’s a fake sword, it’s a real fight with a stake, unlike a sparring match.

‘That situation has unleashed Lucia’s talent.’

And my support must have made Lucia more focused.

If Lucia doesn’t forget and remembers that feeling. One of the shackles that bound Lucia must have been released at this moment. I praised Lucia as she came down from the stage.

“Good job. Rosi. That’s your inherent skill. It’s best to remember it well with your body.”

“No… no. Baek, no, George-nim. Thanks to George-nim’s support…”

Just now. Lucia, the scary woman who knocked down the giant man. But in front of me, she blushed like a girl.

Next was my turn. The opponent in the quarterfinals was also boring. A man with fierce eyes named Ireh the snake eyes. He wielded the rapier like a flamboyant snake, as his nickname suggested.

Hwirikhwirik-

The incessant speed swords and the transformation swords that were hard to recognize. But they seemed too slow to me.

‘Compared to Lucia. It was at the level of a stopped sword, not a speed sword.’

I didn’t even use the Lion Heart Sword. I lightly swung one strike by applying the Imperial Swordsmanship. Because the man named Ireh fell down with that one strike.

A little later. The semifinals continued soon. My opponent was unexpectedly Fabian, who had made it up well until then. He won against a man named Whitaker the iron sword after a hard fight.

‘That man named Whitaker. His pure swordsmanship seemed similar to Reef’s, but.’

Fabian, the southern golden sun, who unexpectedly had excellent swordsmanship skills. He stood in front of me.

“Hey! George-ssi. You have a dim impression, but your swordsmanship is amazing. There’s no unnecessary movement, but it’s a sword that contains strong power. It was true that you were from the north. I’m looking forward to it?”

“You flatter me. Fabian-ssi is also skilled.”

“Hoo. Are you saying you won’t let your guard down until the end? Then let’s have a battle of pride between the north and the south! Even if you’re a member of the future Sentiac Knights! It won’t be easy even if you’re a person from the north who’s crazy about fighting and swords.”

“I understand. I ask for a good match.”

Fabian’s skills were actually not bad.

The only problem was his frivolous southern golden sun personality. If he graduates from Pantheon safely as he boasts, he has enough talent to enter the Sentiac Knights.

‘The problem is that none of my classmates will be able to graduate from Pantheon.’

Pantheon Academy is a three-year system. But the current second graders will never be promoted to the third grade.

In the midst of the great chaos of the second part of Demon King Slayer. Pantheon will be closed, no, closed down.

In the second part where even the main character and main characters are dying. Of course, I couldn’t know the end of a supporting character like Fabian.

‘He’s not unlikeable for a golden sun, but.’

In fact, if he has this much talent. He’s not my nest capture party, but. He might become a good talent for the White Night instead of the Sentiac Knights.

Without me knowing, I was thinking like a successor to Essenmund. In the meantime, Fabian’s sword flew.

A thrust flew with an exquisite sword path. It’s not a sparring match at Pantheon now.

As such, Fabian wielded his sword more freely. The base is the Imperial Swordsmanship that emphasizes power. But like someone from the south, he knew how to use speed swords and feints exquisitely.

It was a sword strike without Mana, but its power was not shallow. If I got hit head-on, it would be my defeat. I kept dodging his sword strikes.

“Hoo. You’re dodging well. George-ssi. But if you only dodge, will it be my default win like this?”

Fabian also had great stamina. Even though he was constantly swinging and stabbing his sword, he didn’t stop talking for a moment.

Before I knew it, I was cornered to the corner of the stage.

“Finish him as he is, Fabian!”

“Show the pride of the blond playboy!”

“Don’t just eat women who already have owners! Eat men with swordsmanship too!”

Encouraged by that support, Fabian stabbed his sword even faster. I barely dodged the sword strike.

“Huu… I want to show you more swordsmanship against George-ssi. But unfortunately, I have to conserve my stamina for the finals. I’ll have to defeat you as you are.”

Fabian said in a confident voice. Anyone could see that I was in a corner. But I was extremely calm.

‘I’ve seen enough of Fabian’s skills at this point. Shall I move?’

It was a real sword fight where you couldn’t use Mana. It was a very good condition to improve not only Lucia’s skills but also my skills.

The Mana swordsman trait is a very good swordsmanship guide and operator. But in order to open your eyes to the realm of Aura, you can’t just rely on that.

‘Like this, in the middle of a battle… you have to be able to hear the sound of Reinhardt’s blood calling for the sword directly.’

I needed a clearer perception of my Reinhardt pureblood, which was not disturbed by any senses.

It was a good thing that the sword was an ordinary fake sword. The only variable to win against the opponent is my swordsmanship.

‘So now I’m only focusing on myself.’

It was fortunate that Fabian’s sword was usable. It was the minimum condition to bring out Reinhardt’s competitive spirit.

“Sorry, but I’ll end it with this!”

The familiar 5th form of the Imperial Swordsmanship. No, it was the secret of the 1st chapter of the Imperial Swordsmanship that went beyond that. The Imperial Swordsmanship is a watered-down version of the Lion Heart Sword. So even if it’s a secret, it was a watered-down version of the White Night.

Fabian’s sword came at me, making a loud resonance sound that couldn’t be made with a fake sword.

“That idiot! Did he give up the match!”

“Even if it’s a fake sword, your life is in danger if it has that much power!”

In an instant, the Colosseum became very noisy with the audience’s shouts. And my blood, which was aware of the danger, reacted sensitively by instinct.

The sword strike was right in front of my nose. But my concentration was at its peak. I didn’t feel any fear at all.

Time flows slowly.

A world that turns white in an instant. A space made up of only points and lines. The trajectory of Fabian’s sword is vividly visible from beginning to end.

And when that fierce trajectory comes to an end. Unfortunately, I’m no longer at the destination of that sword strike.

I dug into the blind spot of the secret move that Fabian unleashed. I hit the guy’s back with a fake sword.

---

The semifinal against Fabian ended with my victory.

The last two remaining were Lucia and me. Now the final was about to begin. The Colosseum employee in charge of the proceedings shouted.

“Then the two people in the final. Exchange swords to pay your respects to each other!”

The two people moved closer to each other to clash swords. Lucia lowered her voice and said to me.

“A little while ago. It was an amazing match.”

“No. You were also amazing, Lucia.”

“You… you flatter me.”

“Anyway, you remember the bet I mentioned at the beginning, right.”

“Yes! I remember.”

The two people’s swords clashed, kang. Lucia said, separating the swords that had met.

“If I lose… that bet to help the Count by using my body.”