Chapter 98 :

Episode 98 — Advantage

Unlike troublesome Group 34, Edan’s group seemed to have found a substitute without difficulty.

No, rather, it seemed there had even been a commotion because people lined up, saying they wanted to enter the tournament with Edan.

They passed through the losers’ revival match without difficulty, and as everyone expected, they advanced to the finals.

However, it was clear that even they did not want a dirty victory.

“What kind of nonsense is this, that the rules suddenly changed!”

Judging by how they could only silently watch Jing protest fiercely.

On the day of the finals, the participants, who were now waiting familiarly inside the tent, had to be notified that the tournament rules had changed overnight.

It happened one hour before the match started.

The simple and easy-to-understand rule of best two out of three had not changed.

The problem was that a rule had been added, saying that a person who had won once could participate in the tournament consecutively.

It was the temple’s scheme to prevent Jing from ever setting foot in the arena.

This was practically no different from deciding our defeat.

Their first fighter would be Edan, and our first fighter would be either me or the bookstore owner.

“This makes no sense. Let me meet the temple priests.”

Jing spoke to the temple worker who had come to deliver the changed rules with a frightening force.

“It is because, in this tournament especially, there have been many dirty contests that do not fit the purpose of Lucha.”

When Jing looked as though he would immediately run toward the temple, the worker added an explanation as if annoyed.

“There is even a group where more than half of the members shout their forfeits without fighting.”

As he said that, the man openly glared at me.

“Should we not at least see everyone participate once?”

He answered as if it was bothersome.

In the end, it meant they intended to make every member of Group 34 face Edan.

Well, that was at least a way to raise Edan’s group’s chance of victory.

Because except for Edan, the rest would not be able to beat Lia or Jing.

“Does everyone else agree to this?”

When it seemed words would not get through, Jing looked around and asked.

However, no one in Group 12 objected to it.

From their perspective, it was not a rule that would cause them any loss.

It was sudden, but not a change worth choosing to rebel against the temple over.

“Seeing as no one is complaining except your side, it seems so.”

The man, who had looked around at the participants along with Jing, spoke triumphantly.

“If you think you cannot do it, you can simply forfeit. No one is holding you back.”

The man said that, not even hiding the expression that said he would be grateful if we did.

“Jing, stop. Nothing will change even if you do that.”

“But, Lord Ran…”

At my restraint, Jing turned back to me with a worried face.

I knew the reason he was getting this heated was because of me, but any more argument would be a waste of time.

“I will shout my forfeit immediately. There will be no danger. Or does Jing see me as an idiot who cannot even properly say a single word after climbing up there?”

When I stubbornly said that, Jing, who had no other option, hesitantly stepped back.

I sat down in the widened waiting area and turned my gaze toward Edan, who was staring at us in excitement.

His eyes were chasing me like a beast looking at prey.

* * *

Booooo—

In the tense atmosphere, the horn sounded, announcing the start of the match.

We had already checked the bracket.

The first match was naturally the fight between Edan and me.

After that, laughably enough, came the bookstore owner, and last was Jing.

It was an order that made this thing called the spirit of Lucha seem worthless.

I rose from my seat and waited for the referee to call my name.

“Um, Ran?”

Lia, who had been awkwardly keeping her mouth shut, spoke to me.

“You have to just forfeit. Absolutely. There is nothing more precious than your life.”

“I understand.”

The bookstore owner, who had been trembling his legs beside Lia, quickly answered.

After confirming his own turn, his face had turned white.

Even if Edan had no conscience, there should be no reason for him to beat an old bookstore owner to death.

“I wasn’t talking to you, sir.”

Lia spoke coldly, then looked at me again, urging me to answer.

I gladly nodded.

“Understood.”

At my unsatisfactory answer, she stared at me quietly with anxious eyes.

“You will forfeit today, right?”

“Of course.”

“Really, really?”

“Stop asking now.”

When I frowned, Lia shut her mouth tightly, then watched my expression again.

“But really, forfeit right away. My brother is extremely strong. If something goes wrong, you might get hurt.”

And she stubbornly muttered one more time, as if confirming it again.

In truth, it might not end with getting hurt. I might lose the use of some part of myself, but I roughly went along with her words.

“I said I understand. I will forfeit as soon as I go up.”

Just as I was starting to get irritated, Lia carefully spoke while kneading her gloved hands.

“Ran seems like he would be good at lying, so I am worried. Jing also seems very worried about Ran, so you absolutely have to forfeit.”

By now, Ratel was probably calmly waiting for the result of the match inside the temple prison.

They would probably call me before Edan, last year’s winner, so it seemed better to go first.

Before the referee called me, I first stepped outside the room and said to Lia.

When I pushed open the tent entrance, thunderous cheers rang out.

The atmosphere had risen to its peak because Edan was appearing from the very first match.

Well, until now, every match we had advanced to in the finals had ended within three seconds.

It seemed they thought they could finally watch something that resembled a proper match.

Even though Edan had not appeared yet, the arena was covered in cheers loud enough to shake it.

However, when I entered the arena before Edan, the cheers vanished as if it had been a lie.

Instead, something else rang out.

“Coward!”

Starting with someone’s shout, boos began to echo throughout the venue.

I felt obvious malice, hoping I would lose heart, lower my head, and become nervous.

Since I could not disappoint them, I raised my hand and expressed my thanks.

The boos aimed at me grew even more intense, then gradually stopped with Edan’s appearance.

When Edan appeared, the quiet venue heated up like slowly boiling water, and soon cheers like those at the beginning filled the inside.

Using the cheers toward Edan as a red carpet, I walked into the center of the arena.

As the distance between me and the guy approaching from the opposite side narrowed, I could see his face more clearly.

I could feel the fighting spirit hidden behind his expressionless face from his gaze, which seemed like it would pierce through me.

He knew.

That if he beat me to the point of death, Lia would be unable to follow us, even if only because of guilt.

Because the experience of the past three years must have taught him how to grasp and shake the heart of someone trapped in guilt.

The distance became close enough for us to say we were facing each other, and the one who opened his mouth first was Edan.

“As promised, I will crush your mouth today.”

“A promise is something made between both sides. What you did was a notification, or maybe a resolution.”

At my nitpicking, the corner of his mouth rose.

“You really can flap your mouth even in this situation. Enjoy it. From now on, you will live the rest of your life watching your mouth.”

He was stepping up, saying he would accomplish something no one had succeeded in doing in my twenty-eight years of life.

“You always want to obtain things beyond your ability.”

Perhaps my words touched his pride, because flames rose in his brown eyes.

Thwack!

A cheerful sound of impact rang out.

Smack!

“Ugh.”

“Go ahead and try your best.”

A challenge was, after all, up to the person taking it.

“Match start!”

As soon as my encouragement ended, the referee announced the start of the match.

At the same time, his left fist came in, aiming for my philtrum.

When I barely avoided the blow and stepped back, one of his eyebrows rose.

“Your eyes are better than I thought.”

Perhaps his victory three years ago had not been achieved through mere luck, because his opposite fist immediately flew toward my right ribs.

Fortunately, Ran Abiran’s body moved fast enough to guard against his fist.

However, with my center of gravity already fixed from stepping back once, I could not avoid the knee that came flying in succession.

Seeing Ran collapse after being struck by Edan’s knee, Lia let out a pained sound and tightly clenched her sweat-sticky fists.

Edan’s merciless fists were raining down on Ran, whose stance had collapsed once.

Ran, who was barely protecting his face with both arms, even looked pitiful.

Why is he not shouting his forfeit?

Ran, who had confidently said he would shout his forfeit faster than anyone, was somehow continuing the fight while avoiding Edan’s fists.

The audience looked down with faces full of delight as he crumbled under Edan’s hands.

“Just forfeit already!”

“Haha, look at that thing!”

The mocking shouts of some villagers fell upon him.

Yes, forfeit.

‘Why are you not keeping your promise?’

Lia gritted her teeth and leaned out of the waiting room window.

“Ran!! Forfeit! I said forfeit!!!”

At her scream, Ran’s face could be seen lifting between the gap of his two arms, which were blocking Edan’s attacks.

His black eyes looked at Lia.

And at that moment, Edan grabbed one of Ran’s arms.

Watching Edan, heated up by the sight of Ran lasting longer than expected, spread Ran’s arm in order to land an effective blow, Lia closed her eyes.

Crack!

A powerful sound of impact echoed through the venue.

“Aaaaaagh!!”

Along with the scream of someone writhing in pain.

The people inside the venue held their breath and looked at the arena.

To be precise, at Edan, rolling on the ground while clutching his fist, and the black-haired man kneeling with his arms still protecting his head.

* * *

—If you want to help me, teach me a way to become stronger overnight. Otherwise, just stay quiet.

At my unlucky answer, the guy swishing his tail on my shoulder snorted softly as if he had made up his mind.

—Do not be so discouraged. I will not let you die so easily.

After climbing down from my shoulder, he got onto the bed, confidently placed his hands on his waist, and spoke.

—What do you mean?

—Did I not tell you? I thought you were the owner of the prophecy. That also means your ability is impressive enough for me to make that mistake, does it not?

El said that proudly.

—If you use it well, it will be more than enough to protect your own body.

I could not understand why he was acting smug with my ability, but it was at least worth listening to.

There was one thing that bothered me.

—Then why are you only telling me that now?

—Ah, that is because you were not the owner of the prophecy. It already makes me furious to hear orders from you one by one, so why would I…

The guy, who had been excitedly chattering away, must have only then started to notice my expression, because he shut his mouth tightly and rolled his eyes.

—Why didn’t you just leave me alone until I died?

As I let out a hollow laugh from sheer disbelief, he rolled his eyes around.

—It is better for you to be alive and useful than to die here. Besides, you are now the only one who knows the contents of the Red Book, are you not?

Yes, that was much more convincing than reasons like he was doing it for my sake or because he was worried about me.

—Ah, so are you going to learn or not?!

Seeing the guy get angry to suppress his embarrassment, I nodded.

—Your ability is useful in more ways than you think. Did you not see it once in the forest? That you can transform by mixing several animals together.

I nodded.

—That filthy inefficient thing.

I had collapsed after transforming once and could not get back up.

Thanks to that, I also found out your identity.

After that, I had tried it a few more times, but it wasted far too much stamina, so I had just left it alone.

—Filthy inefficient? Do not speak like that about your own lack of ability!

Apparently not liking my choice of words, the guy jumped up and down again in a fury as he spoke.

—Fine, fine. But is it okay to say things like this? Are you not going to cough blood again like last time?

The guy, who had been huffing as he calmed his anger, showed a subtle expression at my question.

—No… This much is fine. Do not pretend to worry in such a disgusting way.

—Do you know how hard bloodstains are to remove? Of course I’m worried. Do you know how much trouble I went through cleaning up the blood you coughed up last time without people noticing?

The expression on his face seemed to say, “Of course that bastard would be like that.”

—So, what is this amazing ability?

At the conversation finally returning to the first topic, El’s eyes shone.

—If you can mix several parts, would it not also be possible to change only one part?

* * *

Edan’s groan, filled with pain, rang out loudly.

No, aside from that sound, it also felt far too quiet.

I took a few steps away from him and lowered my clothes, covering the fur that had slightly peeked out between my gloves and clothes.

“What did you do?!”

Edan rose while clutching his swollen red fist.

“You were the one who hit me, so why are you questioning me?”

“Do not make me laugh! Are you saying your arm became that hard when you did nothing? You hid something inside your clothes, didn’t you?”

I did hide something.

Lion’s muscle tissue under my skin.

Since I could not control it yet, its shape changed along with it too, so it was a bit troublesome.

“They already finished the body search when I came in. Do not try to find some strange fault now.”

Strictly speaking, I was not carrying a weapon, so it was not a rule violation either, which let me act more calmly.

The enraged guy grabbed my arm.

It was not that I could not avoid it, but it seemed better to let him swing at nothing like this.

That also seemed useful in making it look like he was making a fuss.

Edan hurriedly rolled up my sleeve, but my arm had already returned to its original form.

“Is this how you have been doing it every time? Finding fault with your opponent during the match to get a forfeit win?”

When I sneered, he nervously released the hand holding my arm.

“Edan, will you forfeit?”

At the referee’s question, Edan ground his teeth and raised both arms into stance again.