Ch.139139. The Day (1)

The Emperor’s personal attendance at the gladiatorial games—the “Great Emperor of Imperium”—was part of a grand festival that had been in preparation for months: the Empire’s Founding Day celebration.

Founding Day, a major holiday celebrating the establishment of the Rom Empire, holds the status of being the most important holiday and public day off in the empire.

Therefore, the Founding Day celebration is larger in scale than any other event, a magnificent and splendid festival that continues for three days and nights without pause.

Naturally, it wasn’t particularly strange that during this process, the Emperor, as the supreme leader of the empire, would personally attend a gladiatorial match—the most popular sport in the empire.

Gladiatorial combat.

Typically, it’s a violent competition where two prisoners of war are brought in, fitted with aura-sealing handcuffs, and made to fight until one dies.

Although in cases where they provide an excellent match, there are exceptions where the loser might be spared, but in most cases, this competition only ends when one side dies first.

As a kind of “bread and circuses” strategy to relieve stress accumulated in daily life, this competition where two hated individuals kill each other before one’s eyes is popular among all social classes.

As a result, these imperial gladiatorial games typically become competitions to determine the greatest gladiator, featuring matches between two fighters with particularly impressive records—matches that everyone wants to see.

This particular imperial gladiatorial match was especially noteworthy because a legendary gladiator who had achieved 299 victories was challenging for his 300th win.

Because of this, this year’s imperial gladiatorial games attracted an especially large crowd, though internally there had been much debate about whether the Emperor should attend.

This was because the current political climate was quite turbulent and public opinion was poor, but for various reasons, the festival—including the Emperor’s attendance at the gladiatorial games—proceeded as planned.

Despite the possibility of assassins targeting the Emperor’s life, there were three main reasons why the event went forward.

First, the empire’s prestige was at stake.

Suddenly canceling such a major event because the situation seemed dangerous would be tantamount to declaring that they lacked the ability to handle the threat.

Second, the citizens’ expectations were considerable.

This festival was one of the few opportunities to see the mysterious, veiled Emperor, and canceling it would be problematic.

Canceling the largest festival held in the empire carried the risk that the discontent of the middle class with citizenship rights could destroy the regime.

Moreover, this Founding Day was famous for the direct descent of major deities, and while they might not be popular… they were still gods, and many people wanted to see them at least once.

…There was also the hidden agenda of using divine charisma to suppress the citizens’ discontent.

And the third, most important reason:

The Emperor of the Rom Empire was actually the empire’s greatest military asset, so there was no need to worry about assassination attempts against such an Emperor.

A top-tier sorcerer and the chosen apostle of the supreme god Jupiterius.

Befitting these splendid titles, the Emperor was the empire’s most powerful magician.

With a single gesture, he could freely manipulate the climate throughout the capital region, or summon hundreds of lightning bolts to subdue an adult dragon and ride it.

A Grade 1 magician closest to the realm of Grade 0—Transcendent—treated as a strategic asset equal to the entire imperial legion single-handedly.

Frankly speaking, rather than worrying about an assassin succeeding, it would be more productive to worry whether there would be anything left of anyone who attempted assassination.

Anyway, for these eminently reasonable reasons, the Founding Day celebration proceeded as scheduled.

And today was the first day of the three-day non-stop festival.

It was the very day when the match of the century would unfold in the gladiatorial arena—the Colosseum.

The games held in the Colosseum were typically diverse in nature.

Gladiator versus gladiator, beast versus beast, beast versus human (condemned criminals, gladiators) were standard, and mock naval battles with the arena flooded with water were also popular.

Besides these, circuses featuring animals or magical beasts were held here, and even the infamous “bestiality shows” where animals and humans were forced to engage in sexual acts.

However, overshadowing all these spectacular events, there was one gladiatorial match that was receiving particular attention at this imperial attendance:

It was the match of a certain gladiator—Bjorn—who was challenging for his 300th victory.

The match between Bjorn, who was attempting to reach 300 wins (a milestone no gladiator in history had ever achieved), and Jon, once his subordinate but now his betrayer.

The combination of its tragic nature, the symbolism of the first 300 victories in history, and the popularity of both gladiators resulted in:

An unprecedented crowd of 50,000 people filling the Colosseum, with the number of people gathered outside reaching twice that number—an enormous success.

Anyway, as this crowd gathered and the Colosseum heated up with excitement, the performances and games proceeded as scheduled.

A show where a criminal who had raped and murdered five “citizen” girls was sexually violated by a manticore and executed, a gladiatorial game recreating a famous historical battle using 200 gladiators.

Then a battle between the famous rivals, a griffin and a manticore, followed by throwing non-citizens named “Minions of the Evil God” to the victorious griffin.

As these cruel and decadent performances continued, the excitement in the arena reached its peak, with young people beginning to engage in physical intimacy—at that very moment:

[Glorious citizens of the Empire!! Now, I present to you the main event of today!!]

“””””””””””””””””””WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH─────!!!!!!”””””””””””””””””””

As the magically amplified voice of the announcer echoed throughout the Colosseum, the cheers mixed with madness and something like ecstasy grew louder, and at that very moment:

From opposite sides of the arena, two warriors began to step forward.

[The Avenger Jon! He has come to judge the corrupt tribal chief who lives in luxury!]

Jon, introduced thus, wore a horned helmet characteristic of northerners and was wrapped in fur, perfectly matching the Rom citizens’ stereotypes about northern people.

His long, shaggy lion’s mane-like hair grown out behind his head also fit this image, and the two axes he held, one in each hand, strangely emphasized his ferocity.

[Our hero! Gladiator! The great gladiator Bjorn!]

In contrast, the gladiator named Bjorn walking out from the opposite side strangely evoked the image of a Rom Empire legionnaire, unlike Jon.

From his predominantly red clothing to his attire, armor style, and the way he carried his weapon on his back—all were designed to create such an impression, part of a means to increase his familiarity with the crowd.

From the moment the two gladiators appeared, the cheers inside reached a level bordering on madness.

The already heated atmosphere completely exploded with the appearance of these popular stars.

Thus, as everyone’s excitement reached its peak, the two gladiators drew their weapons and faced each other.

“””””””””””””””””””WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH─────!!!!!!”””””””””””””””””””

As the greatsword and the two axes faced each other, the cheers grew even louder, creating a noise so deafening it seemed impossible for it to increase further.

Everyone present was confident this would be the greatest match, and as both gladiators raised their physical tension to the maximum—at that very moment:

[Now then! Let’s begin! Today’s highlight match—!]

“JOOOOON───!!!!”

Interrupting the announcer’s voice, Bjorn shouted, and suddenly both gladiators vanished from the Colosseum arena.

Or more precisely—

“You handle him, Jon.”

“Yes, apostle of the Great One.”

The two gladiators, who had somehow instantly changed from gladiatorial attire to armor, had arrived at the Emperor’s viewing box, a room-like structure.

CRASH!!!

They had leaped from the ground, breaking through the wall of the Emperor’s viewing box.

“—Who are you?!!”

At the noise and sudden commotion, the Emperor’s guards shouted as they moved to shield the Emperor, but their eyes could only see one warrior in red armor.

CLANG!!!

The Emperor’s guards, all equipped with golden orichalcum armor and weapons, were all mid-high level powerhouses.

Four of the twelve faced the warrior in red armor, while the remaining eight planned to protect the Emperor, but…

Plans always tend to go awry.

The man in black armor, Bjorn, advanced relentlessly, cutting down the guards.

SWOOSH—SLASH! CRACK!! CRUNCH!!!

Orichalcum armor reinforced with aura was cut like paper by the black greatsword, and a guard who raised his shield was instantly bisected by a vertical swing of the greatsword.

“……..?!!”

Recognizing that this situation was not ordinary, the Emperor finally rose from his seat and summoned blue lightning in his hand to attack the warrior, but—

“Hup!”

By then, Bjorn had already swept away the remaining eight guards and was charging at the Emperor, swinging his sword.

—SLASH!