A/N:
A little over two days… 15 chapters,
16k words, 28 collections, and 4.6k views.
***
It was the night of the full moon. The stars shone brightly as the clear sky of night looked calm and serene, but in the land of Parnam, it was equally chaotic for the citizens—and for Damon, who watched the scene before him in bewilderment.
"Please visit the God-Protected Forest, and help us, Sir Damon!"
A proud dark elf—the race whose women were said to be the proudest and mightiest, never bowing even to the king—was now kneeling before Damon.
And this wasn't just any dark elf, but one whom the others called *princess*.
'How did things come to this?'
***
"Ladies and gentlemen, steady your hearts and prepare your cheers! The next match is about to begin!"
The host of the martial arts tournament shouted, his voice echoing through the stands as he whipped the crowd into excitement.
"The next match! The duel between the mightiest of the kingdom—the rising stars of this tournament! Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for our next participants!"
"Carl Neuman of Randelia! The man whose looks have captured the hearts of every lady watching this tournament!"
At the host's announcement, a half-elf with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped forward from the waiting area. His handsome and refined face, befitting of someone with elven lineage, drew admiration from the female spectators, though many of the male participants could only click their tongues in annoyance.
Wearing silver armor like a noble knight and carrying a sword with a silver hilt, Carl Neuman walked toward the stage with elegance and poise.
"And on the other side… undoubtedly the strongest and most explosive participant of the tournament! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome…"
"DAAAMON RAAAVONIRRR!"
Woaaaah!!!
The cheers that followed were deafening. This time, both men and women shouted his name. Damon's rugged, masculine features—combined with his sharp, handsome face—fit perfectly with the ideal image of a warrior that so many admired. His presence exuded a raw strength that stirred the hearts of those who watched him.
Carrying a massive axe over his shoulder, Damon made his way toward the stage. The sunlight reflected off the blade as he took his stance—feet firm, breath calm, both hands gripping the handle tightly.
Across from him, his opponent—a foot shorter—took his own stance, his expression serious and focused.
"Ready…? Then let the match begin!"
With that declaration, it was Damon who made the first move.
Those who had seen his previous matches blinked in surprise—Damon had always started defensively before, but this time, he charged forward without hesitation.
With a shout, he swung his giant axe downward. The speed and power of the swing caused the wind to shriek around the edge.
Carl's instincts screamed, and he took a reflexive step back just before the axe came crashing down.
Boom!
The head of the axe smashed into the ground, shaking the entire arena.
The stone stage cracked open, spiderwebs of destruction spreading rapidly outward.
The sheer force left the spectators wide-eyed—and the axe itself, unable to withstand the impact, bent at the head, marking the end of its short life in this battle.
"Ha!"
Carl stood frozen in disbelief, his body stiff from shock at the power displayed before him.
But Damon didn't waste even a heartbeat. Without caring for his broken weapon or the stage beneath his feet, he stepped forward, gripping the damaged axe firmly and swinging it horizontally like a massive club.
The blow connected perfectly.
The impact sent Carl flying—literally flying—out of the arena, landing far beyond the boundary lines.
It was over.
"..."
For a moment, the arena fell silent. Even the wind seemed to pause.
Then, the host, the first to recover, shouted at the top of his lungs:
"And the winner is—DAMON!!"
The cheers returned tenfold. The crowd erupted with excitement, chanting Damon's name as the staff rushed to check on Carl's condition.
In the stands, Poncho clapped his hands with unrestrained enthusiasm.
Hakuya, calm and composed, clapped elegantly.
Meanwhile, Bardock and his group roared Damon's title from the top of their lungs.
"Red-Eyed Giant! Red-Eyed Giant!"
***
"It was amazing! The man literally went flying!" Bardock was the first to speak, his tone full of excitement. His group and Poncho nodded eagerly, crowding around Damon as he stepped off the stage.
"It sure was a splendid performance," Hakuya commented with his usual calm tone, though even he was visibly impressed by Damon's raw display of strength.
Damon simply smiled as he drank from the water flask he had been handed. It was the afternoon match—the second of his schedule that day. The final match would be held in the evening.
After meeting Hakuya, the man had joined their group. From time to time, Damon could feel Hakuya's sharp gaze upon him—analyzing his every move, evaluating him, as though reading through his very thoughts.
'...Why did I even approach him?'
In truth, Damon had come here with the intention of recruiting two talents: Poncho, and one other.
Hakuya was not among them.
Hakuya Kwonmin—the master strategist. A man whose intelligence and administrative capability could support the government of an entire nation if given the chance.
But Damon had not planned to recruit him.
'Yeah, his talent is one of a kind…'
There was no doubt about Hakuya's brilliance. Anyone seeking talent would dream of having him on their side.
But Damon wasn't confident that he could win such a man over.
He was realistic. Damon knew better than to assume everything would go his way. He wasn't one of those self-proclaimed protagonists who believed the world revolved around them and their whims.
He understood that failure was always a possibility—something every plan must account for. That's why he had targeted people whom he knew he could handle. People he was confident he could actually bring to his side.
Hakuya's intelligence was exceptional—but also dangerous. A double-edged sword. If handled poorly, it could cut down the one who wielded it.
That was why Damon had decided to give up on recruiting Hakuya.
He had planned to focus instead on other individuals he was sure of.
'But when I saw him in the cafeteria…'
Yeah, impulsive as it was, Damon couldn't resist the opportunity.
Even if he couldn't recruit Hakuya, at least befriending him might open future opportunities.
If Hakuya were to rise to the position of Prime Minister, then having him as a friend could prove invaluable later on.
Bringing up the topic of the Big Eater Contest, calling it a genius move, and sharing thoughts that the original Souma had expressed in the novel—Damon had hoped to impress Hakuya, or at least spark his curiosity.
'The plan worked…'
Looking at the smiling Hakuya now walking alongside him, Damon sighed inwardly.
'Too well, I guess?'
He fell silent, unsure if the move he had played was truly the right one—or the beginning of something he wasn't prepared for.