Celine's words were like a fuse that instantly ignited the girls' excitement.
They closed in on Roger, grabbing his arms and thighs, then hoisted him up and plopped him onto a nearby chair.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Roger shouted in panic.
At that moment, to him, they didn't look like noble girls at all—they looked like a pack of female ruffians.
"Speak up. What game do you want to play?" asked a girl wearing a fox mask.
Roger gave a bitter smile. "I'm too old for this. Please go easy on me."
The fox-masked girl wagged her finger. "No way. You have to play! We won't break you, what's there to be afraid of?"
With that, she took the lead in teasing Roger.
At the Masquerade Ball, removing someone else's mask was forbidden, so they turned their hands on Roger's body instead.
Hands wandered everywhere.
Someone even sneakily grabbed at his most sensitive spot.
Roger was pinned down, not even sure who had kissed him a few times.
Luckily, there were plenty of people around.
If this had happened in a private room, who knows what might have happened to Roger.
But he understood these noble girls had just come of age. They wouldn't sleep with a man casually; they were just messing with him.
Still, their touch was heavy-handed, exploring his body thoroughly, and teasing him until he was painfully aroused.
Such wild teasing bordered on sexual harassment.
"I give up! I give up! I'll take all your orders, just stop torturing me!" Roger finally surrendered to their enthusiasm.
As soon as he relented, the noble girls immediately stopped.
"Thank you!" the fox-masked girl said gratefully.
Roger groaned, "You women are impossible. You almost crushed my balls."
Their ruckus drew quite a few glances.
Even Annie kept her eyes locked on that eccentric man wearing the witch mask.
But after a few glances, she didn't choose Roger.
Instead, she invited a tall, handsome nobleman to dance.
Annie and the nobleman performed a dance resembling the tango.
Right afterward, someone stepped forward to challenge the nobleman.
The nobleman was tall and muscular—clearly a Magic Warrior.
His challenger was a Mage.
The most exciting moment had arrived.
That Mage had to defeat the nobleman to become Annie's next dance partner.
Then someone else would step forward to challenge him, and the cycle would continue until Annie chose the best man.
"Fire Serpent, strike!"
The Mage unleashed a spell, summoning a blazing red serpent of fire from the palm of his hand.
From the magical aura radiating off him, it was clear he was a level-six Mage.
His fiery serpent shot forward like lightning, heading straight for the noble youth.
The nobleman wasn't strong enough to block the attack, and the fire serpent shattered his mask, revealing his true face.
Panicked, the nobleman raised his hand to cover his face and slunk away in defeat.
Defeated in a single move, he looked utterly humiliated.
"Come on, it's your turn," Norna whispered as she sidled up to Roger.
Roger gave her a sharp look. "Are you kidding? Me? Going up there just to get beaten? No way."
"What if you win?" Norna said with a sly grin.
Before he could respond, she suddenly shoved him forward, forcing him into the spotlight.
When Roger stepped out, everyone assumed he was challenging the level-six Mage.
That was how the rules worked: if you stepped up, you automatically challenged the current fighter.
"You little troublemaker!" Roger jabbed a finger at Norna.
He never imagined that his simple plan—to test his luck and network a bit—would turn into such a dramatic spectacle.
As a level-three Mage, going up against a level-six was a guaranteed loss.
"Who gave you the courage to challenge me?" the level-six Mage, Thor, asked coldly, pointing at Roger.
Roger was stuck but decided to bluff his way through. "I know I can't beat you. But if we fight on equal footing, who knows who might win?"
Thor raised an eyebrow. "And how do you propose we make it fair?"
Roger stayed calm. "Simple. You limit yourself to my level of magic power. Then it's a fair fight."
"Fine. It's just a contest anyway. I'll give you that chance," Thor said confidently.
His earlier swift victory over the nobleman was just a show of strength.
Now, agreeing to a fair match with Roger was his way of showing sportsmanship.
He was far stronger than Roger. Matching power levels made sense—and looked better.
"Thanks. Let's get started," Roger said, stepping forward without a hint of panic.
Thor, guessing Roger was a level-three Mage, planned to match that level and attack with magic.
"Take this!"
But at that moment, Roger suddenly shouted.
He didn't cast a spell or channel mana.
Instead, he charged fiercely toward Thor, aiming to engage in close-quarters combat.
Thor was caught off guard. "What are you doing? Why aren't you using magic?"
Roger smirked. "Who said the duel has to be all magic?"
In a flash, he was right in front of Thor.
Seeing him close in, Thor hurriedly stepped back and began casting a spell.
But Roger didn't give him the chance. He unleashed a flying kick, striking Thor square in the chest.
Thor didn't have time to cast a spell and hurriedly raised his arm to block.
"Bang!"
Roger's kick landed squarely on Thor's arm, a powerful force surging through Thor's arm and body.
"Ah!" Thor shouted, stumbling backward five or six steps before crashing into a maple tree.
Before he could react, Roger pounced on him like a wild wolf, grabbing his shoulder tightly with his left hand and striking his face with his right.
"You're crazy!" Thor yelled, struggling with all his strength to dodge and break free from Roger's grip.
Their physical abilities were nearly equal, but Thor lacked Roger's ruthlessness and cunning.
If it was just a matter of brute strength, it would be hard for Thor to win.
The guests around them watched the close-quarters fight with great excitement.
Perhaps from seeing so many battles involving magic or Combat Arts, suddenly witnessing raw hand-to-hand combat felt even more thrilling.
"Oh my god! I was just messing around with him, and he actually dared to go all in!" Norna exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise.
She thought Roger was joking, not realizing quitting the challenge would be humiliating for him.
But luckily, Thor was stronger, so even if he lost, it wouldn't be a big deal.
Nearby, Celine and the other girls looked at Roger with fiery eyes, impressed by the manly spirit he showed—more than they expected.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Roger kept pressing Thor, throwing wild punches.
Thor had no chance to fight back, only managing to defend, his arm bones nearly breaking under the blows.
In this moment, Roger turned Thor's weak Mage Defense to his advantage.
Fighting isn't just about magic or strength—it's about momentum.
Quick, precise, and ruthless attacks that strike both body and spirit give you the upper hand and the best chance to win.
"Get off me!" Thor roared in fury.
"Boom!"
Unable to bear it any longer, the fire element mana inside Thor exploded outward, sending powerful waves of flame crashing into Roger and forcing him back.
"What a powerful shockwave!" Roger's face changed as he was knocked back a dozen steps, his blood surging wildly and mana slipping out of control.
This was Thor's true power.
To break free from Roger's hold, Thor broke their agreement and unleashed his full strength to push him away.
Then he straightened up, preparing to cast a spell to knock Roger to the ground.
"You said fair duel, but going all out is a bit much," Roger said calmly, locking eyes with Thor. "Fine, I won't make this difficult. Let's call it a draw, no need to spoil the mood."
Thor was caught off guard, stunned. "You... you just say you won't fight? Don't I deserve some respect?"
Roger shrugged innocently. "You broke the rules first. Saying it's a draw is already generous. You really want to use all your power against me? That's just bullying."
Thor looked frustrated, ready to argue but realizing Roger had a point.
Honestly, it was Thor who first broke the agreement by going full force.
Besides, with so many people watching, there was no way he could completely lose his composure in front of Annie by bullying someone weaker.