Ch.32Arena (1)

There were twice as many participants as Frey had expected.

Two important facts that Frey had overlooked created this discrepancy.

First, the lord had been planning this event long before the arena was completed.

He had been dropping hints about something big coming, not just advertising for a week but for much longer.

It was a gamble that would have been a complete loss if Frey had refused, but the lord, once an adventurer himself, believed she would accept—and he was proven right.

The second fact was the sheer power of Frey’s own charm.

Before leaving, her charm stat was 62; after arriving, it had risen to 89. Add to that the effect of Femme Fatale.

By this point, her allure was powerful enough to draw curiosity even from those who hadn’t seen her directly.

***

“You can keep the items I was supposed to return. I’m counting on you, young lady…”

Behind me came an eerie voice, while in front I saw a crowd twice as large as I’d anticipated. An ominous feeling crept down my spine.

Whether the lord knew how I felt, or was deliberately ignoring it, I couldn’t tell, but he began his speech.

“At first, I thought about bringing another city celebrity for an exhibition match, but that seemed a bit dull.”

“That would have been perfectly fine…”

“Then I remembered the story that inspired this arena—your story.”

I finally realized the source of the foreboding feeling I’d been having. No wonder the old man’s voice sounded so creepy.

“They say you continued dueling people until you were exhausted. So… I gathered 100 volunteers. Of course, if you’re defeated or find it too difficult, we can end it, so don’t worry.”

“You could face just one opponent and be done,” the lord added.

But what he said and what I could actually do were different things. Gathering 100 volunteers only to face one would be a disaster.

‘That would also start strange rumors about me…’

I’d need to face at least 50 opponents, or more safely, 75, to avoid criticism.

Facing 75 opponents of equal strength would be impossible, but from the lord’s perspective, he wanted me to put on an impressive show.

His voice suggested he wanted to tease me, but he would have prepared within reasonable limits.

Besides, gathering that many strong fighters wouldn’t be easy, so I didn’t need to worry.

“Sigh… I’ll do what I can.”

“Good, do your best. Oh, and don’t forget to show your face—this is partly to establish you as the owner.”

The lord pointed at my robe, which I had been wearing with the hood pulled low to hide my face.

I pulled back the hood as I replied.

“I know. Shouldn’t you be heading back to your seat? It seems like we’re about to start.”

“I was just thinking the same. Good luck with today’s match.”

The lord returned to what would surely be the best seat in the arena.

Shortly after he left, I heard the announcer speaking into a microphone.

He talked about what matches were prepared, which fighters were waiting, thanked the audience, relayed Lord Leheten’s congratulatory message, and so on.

The announcer skillfully built up excitement before the match began.

Meanwhile, I looked around the waiting room. It was spacious but empty except for me, making it feel quite barren.

‘The other fighters must be waiting in a different room.’

Normally, waiting positions would be flexible, but given the situation, it seemed they had put everyone except me in one room.

As I was thinking this, I heard the announcer’s voice again from outside.

“Now, let’s meet today’s star!”

It seemed it was time for me to make my entrance.

As I slowly walked toward the entrance, I changed my cultivation technique from the one I had adjusted for Lilly.

As my aura transformed, I felt energy flowing through my body. The exhilaration that hadn’t felt real despite taking the elixir finally arrived.

“Whew.”

One step, then another.

I revealed myself in the arena without suppressing my magical power.

***

Orang, who had been the arena’s announcer since its establishment, froze mid-sentence.

Was it because of her extraordinary beauty? Certainly, Frey’s appearance was incomparable to anyone Orang had met in his entire life.

But that wasn’t what made him freeze.

If it had been merely her appearance, he could have quickly regained his composure.

He had mentally prepared himself not to be distracted by her beauty from the moment he heard about today’s match.

What stopped him was something else.

Pressure.

An overwhelming pressure that grew stronger with each step she took. A sensation that made him want to kneel immediately.

He wasn’t the only one feeling this; the audience seats, usually filled with noise, were unusually quiet.

If not for the sound of people gasping, one might have mistaken the stands for being empty.

“Aren’t you going to continue?”

Orang finally regained his senses when Frey approached and spoke to him.

At the same time, he realized that the pressure that had been bearing down on him had vanished in an instant.

***

‘I should probably restrain my magical power.’

They say establishing dominance is important at the beginning, don’t they?

So I had released my presence without suppressing my magical power, but the effect seemed greater than I’d expected.

I never dreamed the entire audience would fall silent like this.

“Ahem, ahem. This is Frey, the arena’s inaugural champion and founder!”

The announcer, who had recovered relatively quickly, began to regain control of the situation.

As the commentary resumed, audience members who were still caught in the pressure gradually came to their senses and looked at me properly.

The city residents already knew I was a succubus, but visitors from outside and demons looked at me with surprised eyes.

No matter how much the promotional materials mentioned I was a succubus, most people probably didn’t believe it.

A powerful succubus? One who wields a sword? Even I would have found it hard to believe.

Most likely, they had assumed I was simply a beautiful demon warrior.

‘Even the Succubus Queen, considered the strongest, is magic-oriented, so that says it all.’

But after feeling that pressure and seeing me with their own eyes, it would be difficult to deny the truth any longer.

“Now we should meet the opponents! The 100 warriors!

The rules are simple! Will she fall before overwhelming numbers, or will she defeat them all? Without further ado, let the match begin!!”

I could see the hundred warriors ahead. Fortunately, there were no mages or shamans among them, which would have been troublesome.

‘Did they think this would be more entertaining?’

Magic might be more visually spectacular, but there was something primal about the clash of weapons.

While I slowly examined the warriors, none of them rushed at me.

Seeing their trembling bodies, it seemed my initial show of dominance had been effective.

“If you won’t come to me, shall I come to you?”

I took a stance suggesting I would yield the first move, but they remained motionless.

This would only bore the audience. I reluctantly began to move first.

My target was a shield-wielding swordsman who seemed completely frozen. He was covering his upper body with his shield, but he was so stiff that flexible responses seemed impossible.

‘I could just ignore the shield and attack, but let’s show some showmanship.’

Instead of swinging my sword, I wrapped my fist in aura. Rather than sword energy, it was more like fist energy.

My fist, wrapped in energy, shot toward the shield.

Crack!

Upon impact, there was a sound of something breaking, and my fist shattered the shield and embedded itself in the warrior’s abdomen.

“Guhak!”

I twisted my upper body and extended my punch fully, sending him flying.

The warrior rolled on the ground a couple of times before going limp.

I had controlled my strength to avoid killing him, so he was probably just unconscious. I sent him far enough away that the medical team could retrieve and treat him.

“Sigh, you can’t just stand there frozen. Try using your numbers to attack me.”