Masayuki's head was burning with anxiety.
After watching the brutal fight between Gozer and Mezer the day before—and realizing that he now had to face the winner—his heart nearly stopped.
I'm done for. F-fighting against a monster like that? I'm gonna get slaughtered!
Just the thought drained every drop of blood from his face.
When he'd managed to trick Gozer into surrendering through sheer talk, Masayuki had nearly patted himself on the back for his "brilliance." But after seeing what these fighters could actually do… his confidence shattered instantly.
How am I supposed to win?! What the hell—are all the participants in this tournament actual monsters?!
He wanted to scream, to curse, to cry. Everyone he was about to face made Gozer look like a child. He barely slept, tossing and turning all night like a man awaiting execution.
Now that I think about it… everything went too smoothly.
He'd been basking in the praise of being called the Chosen Hero, the admiration of the masses, and the blind loyalty of his comrades. It had made him overconfident. He began to think life was easy, that destiny itself bent to his charm.
Until now, he'd breezed through every situation without ever truly testing his strength.
In truth, Masayuki had never thought deeply about his own abilities. He'd just believed his squad could handle everything and that his "heroic" presence was enough to secure victory.
That delusion was cracking now.
How can I keep pretending? I want to run. I want to run away!
He had even considered it—just vanishing, fleeing the arena before dawn.
"Yo, Masayuki-san," said Jinrai, his comrade, casually as if discussing lunch. "After you win tomorrow's tournament, are you gonna duel the Pharaoh himself right after?"
Masayuki froze. Duel the Pharaoh? Are you insane?
It was all Atem's fault. That terrifying calm, that unreadable gaze, that air of absolute authority. The Pharaoh's mere presence made Masayuki's knees weak. If only Atem didn't look so composed and human, Masayuki wouldn't have underestimated him so easily.
"It's only a matter of time," one of his followers said proudly. "Masayuki-sama will defeat Pharaoh Atem and bring peace to Eterna!"
"Before fighting His Majesty, should we perhaps consult Yuuki-san?" another added cautiously. "We must remain vigilant despite today's easy win. We can't afford carelessness."
"Bernie, my man," someone else laughed, "how is that even possible? That hobgoblin—Gobta—should be a piece of cake. The match'll be over before he can summon that weird beast!"
Easy, my ass! Masayuki wanted to shout. That thing's gonna crush me like a bug!
But seeing the faith his companions had in him… he couldn't tell them the truth. So he forced out a hollow, trembling smile.
"I'll… I'll just try my best."
Morning came mercilessly fast. The final battle drew near. Masayuki spent the hours before the match running to the toilet over and over, terrified that he might wet himself mid-battle.
Uhhh, what do I do? How do I survive this?
His opponent stood waiting—the so-called Hobgoblin named Gobta. But this was no goblin.
The power radiating from him was monstrous.
Hobgoblin? My ass! Aren't goblins supposed to be weak? How did this one evolve into something like THAT?!
Souka's clear voice echoed across the packed arena.
"And now! We witness the grand finale of Eterna's first Martial Tournament! On one side, we have the fierce warrior, lieutenant of Pharaoh Atem and captain of the Wolf Riders—Gobta! His opponent—the hero of the western nations, the 'Shining Chosen Hero,' Masayuki! What kind of battle will we see today? The air is tense—the crowd breathless! The match begins in—"
Masayuki's pulse spiked. The moment she finished her countdown, the fight would begin.
Even after all his nervous trips to the restroom, his stomach twisted, his knees trembled.
Why me?! Why does it have to be me?!
He wanted to look anywhere but at Gobta. He wanted to think about anything—even the announcer's tail!—but fear held him frozen.
Okay, think, think!
Masayuki focused on his power—his Unique Skill: Chosen One.
He remembered the cold, commanding voice that had first revealed it to him, echoing through his mind like a divine whisper. That power made others admire him, trust him, even worship him—without him doing a thing.
It wasn't strength. It was influence. A terrifyingly passive kind of power that forced others to believe in him. His fame, his reputation, his "heroic" status—all built on this strange ability.
Yesterday, even Gozer fell for it. If it worked once, it can work again. I just have to survive long enough for the other guy to give up…
The thought gave him some courage. Just a bit. He glanced up and locked eyes with Gobta—
And to his shock, Gobta looked… nervous.
Wait… he's scared?
Hope flared in Masayuki's chest.
This was just like the tournament in Ingracia. Every time, his opponents believed he was stronger and ended up losing before the fight even began. Maybe this would end the same way.
He straightened up, his trembling slowing.
Yes. If things go smoothly… maybe I can win without fighting again.
The thought comforted him—until he realized, too late, how naive it truly was.
Because far above the arena, from a royal balcony shrouded in golden light, Pharaoh Atem watched in silence—his crimson eyes narrowed, his divine aura flickering faintly like an unseen flame.
And for the Chosen Hero Masayuki… that unseen gaze alone was enough to make the blood in his veins turn to ice.
"Now then, let the match begin!"
On Souka's sharp command, Gobta was the first to spring into action.
"Woah—here I come!"
I arched a brow as I watched the little fool charge. Earlier, I half-expected him to try forfeiting before even getting scratched, but to my surprise, his spirit was blazing. Perhaps the fishing rod I promised as a prize had truly struck a nerve.
Still, it amused me. Gobta, of all people, taking this seriously?
He slid across the arena's surface, moving in a familiar way. He was repeating the same tactic he used against Karion yesterday—keeping close to the edge, watching, waiting for the right chance.
In contrast, Masayuki didn't move at all. He stood there with a calm expression, his golden hair glimmering slightly in the sunlight, his lips curving into an irritatingly confident smile.
"Heh."
That one small sound was enough to get under Gobta's skin.
"Ho—so it's true! The more handsome they are, the stronger they seem! In the face of Gobta's ridiculous antics, Masayuki radiates elegance and power!"
The announcer's voice boomed, and I nearly rolled my eyes.
"Idiocy," I muttered under my breath.
Those words would make any average man cry, yet somehow, Gobta's pride didn't even flinch. He was too focused to notice.
Masayuki tilted his head slightly and spoke with an almost theatrical smirk.
"Heh, just as I thought… No matter what I do, it won't matter against someone like you. But I'll say this, Gobta—I really do want to fight you seriously, just to see how far I've come. However…"
He raised his hand, and the air began to ripple faintly. "It seems I'll have to rely on my newly awakened power instead!"
I narrowed my eyes. "This brat…"
Masayuki was reckless again. Every time he got that look, chaos followed.
I folded my arms, my aura flickering faintly like molten gold as I muttered, "He'd better not destroy the arena. If he does, I'll make him rebuild it by hand."
At that exact moment, Solarys' calm voice echoed in my mind.
«Report. Last night, the individual 'Gobta' acquired the Unique Skill Magic Wolf Summon (Give Strength). The cause appears to be direct interference from the being 'Ranga.' The previously held Extra Skill Unification has evolved, allowing him to summon Ranga and merge completely into one being.»
My eyes sharpened. So Gobta can now merge with Ranga?
"How interesting…" I murmured.
There was something else, though. Solarys' tone slightly wavered—a rarity for her.
«Regarding the matter—»
"Regarding what?" I asked internally.
The voice went quiet. Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom, was never evasive unless the truth was… complicated.
I exhaled slowly. "So even you choose silence this time. Very well."
Whatever the reason, it didn't concern me for now. I decided to watch the outcome instead of prying.
Down in the arena, Gobta clenched his fists. "Allow me to demonstrate! Magic Wolf Unification!"
The moment those words left his lips, the atmosphere trembled. A ripple of shadow tore through the air as a familiar beastly roar echoed from another dimension.
A black vortex spun open behind him—out of it stepped Ranga, majestic and fierce. His fur gleamed with lightning streaks, eyes like twin stars glowing in reverence as he howled toward the heavens.
"Ranga…" I whispered, the corners of my mouth curving slightly.
And then, without hesitation, Ranga leaped forward—his body dissolving into pure magicules that wrapped around Gobta in a swirling, thunderous storm. The fusion began.
A blinding light filled the arena. Sparks of electricity rippled outward, shaking the ground.
When the light faded, standing there was no longer Gobta.
It was a towering, bipedal wolf warrior—muscles coiled with power, fur streaked with lightning, and eyes glowing with primal fury. His presence made the entire coliseum fall silent.
Even Diablo, who stood beside me, gave a soft whistle. "Impressive… for a fool like Gobta."
I smirked slightly. "He's unpredictable. That makes him dangerous."
The spectators were frozen in awe. The fusion had turned the once-goofy Gobta into something else entirely—something primal, ferocious, and majestic.
"Damnit," I muttered under my breath. "Of all people, Gobta gets a transformation? How irritating."
I leaned forward, my golden eyes narrowing as I observed the merged warrior below. "Very well. Show me, Gobta. Show me what this new power of yours can do."
The tension in the air thickened—the match between the fool-turned-beast and the golden hero was about to begin.
And this time… even I found myself eager to see the outcome.