The second round began.
The fight was between the Chosen Hero, Masayuki, and the Crazed Wolf, Jinrai.
But as I expected, Masayuki won without even fighting. The two simply walked to the center of the stage and shook hands.
And yet, the entire arena erupted in cheers.
Applause thundered through the air as if some great victory had been achieved. I raised an eyebrow from my throne, the golden light of my Pharaoh's aura faintly flickering behind me.
"…A handshake?" I muttered to myself, my tone calm but edged with disbelief. "How strange… the people are moved by gestures rather than deeds."
The crowd chanted in unison.
"As expected from Masayuki-sama!"
I exhaled softly. Humanity's adoration could be so easily swayed—it was amusing and irritating all at once.
"Never mind," I said under my breath, my deep voice echoing faintly through the divine chamber of the arena. "Thinking too much about it would be a waste of energy."
I lifted my hand slightly. "Begin the next round."
And so, the third round began.
Gai, the 'Splendacious Sword Fighter,' stepped forth, his gleaming blade reflecting the golden radiance of the arena's lights. His stance was refined, polished—he was a man who clearly believed in his own legend.
His opponent: Gobta, the lazy and infamously unpredictable warrior of Eterna.
I leaned forward slightly on my throne. "This should be… interesting."
While Gai's equipment was rare and masterfully forged, Gobta's armor was of divine craftsmanship, a gift from the finest blacksmiths under my reign. On paper, Gai held the advantage—but power was not always defined by steel.
"Begin," I commanded, my voice reverberating across the arena like thunder.
Souka raised her hand and shouted, "Get ready, set, battle!"
The instant the word battle left her lips, Gai vanished.
"Make haste!" he murmured, his sword gleaming in a flash.
A sharp metallic clang rang out as Gobta stumbled backward, his armor blocking a lethal blow that would have cut down lesser men.
Gai's eyes widened. "What? You… how dare you wear armor beyond your worth!"
"Eyy, eyyyyy! That was too fast!" Gobta panicked, barely holding his ground.
I narrowed my eyes. He didn't even have time to draw his weapon… careless fool.
The only reason he survived that first strike was because the armor had divine protection. But Gai wasn't done—his next attacks would target the joints.
"Hmph, then try this!" Gai shouted, unleashing a flurry of slashes. His movements were almost beautiful—fluid, precise, and merciless.
Gobta, on the other hand, was anything but graceful. He rolled, stumbled, and ducked as the crowd gasped. His face looked pitiful—part fear, part exhaustion.
"Is he trying to run away?" I muttered, crossing my arms.
"It seems so," Shion remarked from beside me, frowning. "But that man Gai… he's going too far."
I nodded slowly, the golden markings on my eyes faintly glowing. "Indeed. He reeks of arrogance… and cruelty."
Gai's voice cut through the air. "Ahahaha! Run, little rat! Let me carve humility into your flesh!"
His laughter echoed, blade whistling with every swing.
Gobta dodged narrowly, blocking with his kodachi just in time to parry a deadly strike. His hands trembled, but his eyes—yes, his eyes were sharp.
"Hmm…" I said quietly. "He's reading the flow of battle. He can see the killing paths. He's better than he looks."
Shion smiled faintly. "That's Gobta for you. Always looks stupid, but when it counts…"
I smirked slightly. "Let's see if he can prove himself then."
Leaning forward, I called out across the arena, my voice amplified by magic, echoing like the decree of a god.
"Gobta! If you win this, I'll grant you the fishing rod prototype you've been begging for!"
Gobta froze mid-roll, his eyes lighting up. "Seriously?! Then I'll use my ultimate move!"
I let out a low chuckle. "You should've used it earlier."
"GAHAHAHA! Stop bluffing, you trash!" Gai roared. "There's no move that can save you!"
He lunged again, blade gleaming like lightning. But this time, Gobta planted his feet firmly.
"Summon! Come to me!" Gobta shouted.
A gust of dark wind erupted around him, spiraling upward as the magic circle beneath his feet glowed violet and black.
I straightened in my seat. Ah… so he's calling forth his wolf.
But something felt… different.
Gai scoffed. "Summon spell? Pathetic. Those wolves of yours are weak—"
He never finished the sentence.
A thunderous roar ripped through the arena.
A black gale surged forth, shaking the ground beneath everyone's feet. The light around Gai dimmed as a massive shadow appeared behind Gobta.
When the dust cleared, the audience gasped.
Standing there, tail lashing and eyes glowing with primal fury, was Ranga—the King of the Storm Wolves. His mane crackled with dark lightning, his presence alone crushing the air.
"R-Ranga?!" Gobta yelped. "What are you doing here?!"
From where I sat, I smirked knowingly. "So, he chose to intervene."
Even Gai's face turned pale. "That… that's not a wolf. That's a monster!"
Ranga lowered his head, lightning dancing along his fangs as he growled, "Master Gobta summoned me… and I answered."
Gobta stammered, "I-I didn't mean to! I was just—uh—trying to call a regular wolf!"
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "Ranga never acts without purpose. He knew Gobta would die without him."
The air trembled under Ranga's presence.
Gai stepped back, his sword quivering in his grip. "You… you think you can intimidate me with that beast?!"
"Ranga," I said calmly, my voice echoing across the field, carrying divine weight. "You may assist him—but only to humble the fool who dared mock Eterna's warriors."
"As you command, Pharaoh Atem."
A divine aura enveloped Ranga as he howled to the heavens, and for a moment, the crowd forgot to breathe.
Even the winds themselves bowed.
And as the dust swirled, Gobta stood tall beside his companion, his fear replaced with determination.
I leaned back in my throne, a faint smirk crossing my lips. "Now then… show me your resolve, Gobta. Don't make me regret giving you a chance."
The ground quaked once more as the battle's tide began to shift—
and for the first time, Gai's confidence began to crumble.
I had made it perfectly clear that Ranga was not allowed to participate in this tournament. The wolf had accepted that without complaint—or so I thought. I didn't expect him to pull something like this.
Souka rushed across the stage, raising her hand toward the fallen swordsman.
"HE HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT—CONTESTANT GAI IS DOWN! WHAT A SHOT! IT SEEMS THAT THE VICTOR HAS BEEN DETERMINED!"
The crowd erupted with excitement, their cheers rumbling through the Colosseum.
Diablo, standing as the acting referee, gave a small nod of approval, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. He didn't even hesitate before declaring, "The strike was effective. The match is over."
Of course, he knew full well that the "dark wolf" standing beside Gobta was no ordinary summon. Even disguised under a smaller form, Ranga's aura was something only a fool would fail to recognize.
I sighed, resting a hand on my temple. "Of course, he went and did it anyway…"
Diablo's smirk grew wider—he was enjoying this far too much. "It appears, my King, that your familiar took it upon himself to ensure his master's victory."
"I can see that," I replied sharply, my voice cutting through the air. "He was supposed to be resting."
"AND THE WINNER IS—GOOOOBTAAA!!"
Souka's announcement echoed across the arena, her voice brimming with energy.
The crowd went wild—thunderous applause, whistles, and roars of laughter filled the stadium. None of them seemed to care that the victory came from a forbidden ally's intervention. In fact, they loved it.
Gobta stood frozen in disbelief, scratching the back of his head. "No way… I actually won?"
His voice was lost in the sea of cheers. Even Ranga, wagging his tail proudly beside him, gave a soft growl of satisfaction, basking in the adoration of the audience.
I looked down from my seat with folded arms. "Is this really acceptable?" I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.
Rigur, who stood by the platform, straightened and replied, "In my humble opinion, my King… summoning magic is not against the rules. I believe it's within fair limits."
I let out a low hum. "Fair limits, huh? Convenient interpretation."
Still, Rigur wasn't wrong. The rules did not explicitly forbid summoning creatures mid-battle. It was an oversight, but one I was willing to overlook—for now.
I exhaled slowly and leaned back, a faint, knowing smile tugging at my lips. "Very well. If the audience accepts it, then so will I."
After all, the purpose of this tournament wasn't just entertainment—it was observation. Testing. I wanted to see the flow of fate and how each combatant revealed their potential under pressure.
Gobta, of all people, had managed to turn the impossible into victory… with Ranga's help, of course. Yet, even such disobedience could prove useful in gauging the limits of his instincts and resourcefulness.
Besides… this unexpected twist aligned perfectly with something else I had in mind.
My eyes narrowed slightly as I watched the field reset. "Interesting. Perhaps things are unfolding exactly as I intended."
I clasped my hands together, my tone cool yet commanding as I spoke under my breath:
"Let the next round begin. Let's see who dares defy my expectations next."
The crowd's cheers thundered again, and the stage of Eterna continued to burn with excitement under my watchful gaze.