Chapter 177: Sefira’s Big Shot (2)

The match between Rajis and Norman was shocking, both in how it unfolded and in its outcome. Norman unleashed secret techniques one after another as if his aura supply was limitless, yet Rajis calmly resisted with inherent counters or superior skills.

And yet, somehow, the victor was declared to be Norman as Rajis had stepped out of the ring. The audience couldn’t believe such an outcome, but no one dared speak out... until Keter stepped forward.

“I object!”

His voice, filled with conviction and passion, immediately drew all eyes to him.

Whoosh!

Keter leaped from the waiting area toward the ring.

It was a distance of several hundred meters, but...

“W-what?!”

“Is he jumping in the air?!”

After jumping, Keter bounced twice more mid-air before landing on the battle ring and pointing at Norman. He had grabbed everyone’s attention by objecting to the match results and then jumping mid-air.

“No need for a preamble. This man is committing fraud in a sacred tournament!”

“...!”

“What?!”

Norman’s face twisted in shock, while the crowd gasped in disbelief.

“I knew it!”

“Sir Rajis might look a little unusual, but his skill is the real deal! No way he would lose to that guy!”

“You con artist! You bastard!”

A storm of accusations erupted from the audience. Keter raised a hand to calm them down.

“Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions. There’s no evidence yet, so hold your judgment.”

“...?!”

He had been the one to stir them up, and now he was telling them not to get riled up. The contradiction left everyone momentarily dumbfounded.

“I’m saying that you can curse him all you want once the evidence comes to light.”

“Ah!”

“Wait, there’s actual evidence? I didn’t see anything. Did you? Anyone?”

A referee approached Keter and asked cautiously, “Lord Keter, can you take full responsibility for your statement just now?”

“Of course!” replied Keter without the slightest hesitation.

The referee stroked his chin, glanced at the other judges. They nodded, agreeing that the match results could be overturned if there was clear evidence. Finally, the referee looked to Eslow to gauge his reaction. Eslow only offered a faint, unreadable smile, clearly choosing not to get involved.

The referee gave a final nod.

“Then please present your evidence. If it’s clear and convincing, Norman’s victory will be revoked and changed to a disqualification.”

“No need to drag it out. I’ll show you right now.”

Keter strode confidently toward Norman. Norman glared at him as he approached.

“You’re doing something stupid.”

“And you’ve underestimated humans far too much.”

Keter then clicked his tongue at Rajis.

“

Tsk

. You idiot. If you were cheated, then say you were cheated. Why just let it go?”

“Sir Keter, I...”

“Ah, shut your mouth. You’re not helping.”

Watching Keter scold Rajis, Norman gulped.

What is this guy...? Does he really have evidence? Does he have actual proof that I’m not human?!

Keter seemed far too calm and confident, as if he already knew Norman was a monster—a Transparent Slime—from the Demon Capital and had concrete evidence to prove it.

But that couldn’t be. Norman wasn’t stupid. He would never leave behind such evidence.

Unless... maybe I left behind some of my bodily fluid when I switched places with Rajis?

His throat grew dry. He wanted to glance around and check, but with so many people watching, any suspicious movement would only make him look more guilty.

“Enough talk. There’s your evidence!” shouted Keter without warning.

He pointed toward a specific spot on the floor.

“...!”

“...?!”

Even the superior Eslow turned his head to follow Keter’s finger. Norman, eyes wide, looked in the same direction. At the far corner of the ring stood a pillar. It was a mana stone pillar, used to amplify magic, and Keter was pointing directly at it.

“Huh?”

“It’s too far from here. I can’t see anything.”

“Is something really there?”

Spectators stood up, leaning forward to get a better look. And in that moment...

Thud! Splatter.

Norman’s head exploded. Keter had suddenly punched the back of Norman’s head. It wasn’t just any punch; it was packed with aura. As Keter’s punch was strong enough to dent the orichalcum floor, there was no way Norman’s head could withstand that kind of force.

* * *

“Mwackk!!!”

The referee standing right next to Norman let out a horrified scream. It was only natural, as he had just witnessed a person’s head explode right in front of him. What made it even more shocking was that Keter had shown no hostility, no killing intent whatsoever. No one could have possibly predicted that Keter would suddenly blow Norman’s head off.

In addition, this was all happening in front of tens of thousands of spectators. Over five hundred knights were either participating or watching the tournament, and the knights under Eslow’s direct order were stationed all around. Even Eslow himself was present, so no one expected Keter to commit such a sudden killing.

The referee trembled, but he still said, “L-Lord Keter! What is the meaning of this?! I must place you under arrest for murder!”

Even without a signal, Eslow’s knights immediately moved to surround the ring. They were the Order of the Immortal Knights and the Order of the Iron Knights, two knight orders that represented Eslow.

Nearly a hundred knights formed a tight perimeter around Keter in the blink of an eye, but Keter remained completely calm. He didn’t look like a murderer at all.

“Clever trick, even though you’ve got no head. Planning to fake your death and slip away?”

Tap, tap.

Keter tapped on Norman’s arm as he lay on the floor as a headless corpse. Unsurprisingly, there was no reaction.

Just then, Rajis also stepped onto the ring and said, “Lord Keter, I must ask you to stop desecrating the body.”

“What’s that sword in your hand?”

“I agree that Sir Norman was suspicious. But even so, you shouldn't have killed him without due process. He should’ve been judged by the law. You have no authority to act as an executioner.”

“So you're going to arrest the one who stood up for you?”

Rajis lowered his voice.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m on your side. I only want to defend you.”

“Then just watch.”

Voosh...

A black tattoo on Keter’s right arm flashed and transformed into a jet-black bow. It was Amaranth, the Demon Bow, appearing for the first time in a long while.

“Let’s see if he can keep playing dead after taking this.”

The Demon Arrow was fired the moment it was nocked, aimed at Norman’s supposedly lifeless body. In that very moment, everyone’s eyes went wide with shock, as the headless corpse of Norman rolled out of the way, dodging the shot.

“T-the corpse moved!”

“Did I... did I see that right?!”

The spectators began rushing toward the arena walls, abandoning their seats. Nobles with handheld telescopes couldn’t look away either.

Norman, now without a head, staggered upright.

Glorp.

With a bubbling noise, a new head began to grow from his neck. The sight was so shocking that everyone’s jaws dropped so far they couldn’t fall any further.

* * *

This Sword of the South Tournament wasn’t just for those hoping to win the title. Over the course of the month-long competition, Keter had seen and experienced a lot: some were fighting for love, some for justice, some for power...

The world really is both simple and absurd.

Someone from Liqueur, whom Keter had personally killed, returned as an Undead. He met a secret agent from the Samael Empire’s intelligence division with a cool name, and now, he faced a monster that defied common sense.

They’re all so much fun.

His deal with the Imperial Intelligence Division ended well. Though he had spent six million gold, nearly his entire fortune, he befriended a spy and gained an entertaining thing called a Homunculus. It was a net positive.

Now, only two matters remained: Ailos, whose schemes were still unclear, and the monster Norman. Though they seemed separate, they were closely intertwined.

Ailos is definitely planning to use the Dark Pages in the final.

By the time the tournament reached its final stage, it would be around four o’clock in the afternoon, which was when the sun started to set. That timing favored the Undead, who were vulnerable to sunlight. By then, tensions would be at their peak, the knights exhausted, and vigilance at its lowest.

Above all, the people facing off in the finals would be Keter and Norman. Ailos would unleash his trump card when everyone was focused on the climax of the tournament.

Ailos, you thought I would do nothing and tackle this scheme head-on, didn’t you?

That was Keter’s usual style back in Liqueur. He would walk into traps on purpose, wait for the enemy to gather their full strength, then break through it head-on.

And sure, I still like doing that. But... people change.

He now had things to protect—people he wanted to protect, so he decided to change.

Dealing with Ailos and Norman at the same time is too much of a hassle. Who knows what tricks they’ll pull?

In the past, Keter wouldn’t have cared. But now, he had something to protect. So, during the break week between the team tournament and the individual one, he had been on the move. Sneaking around under Ailos’ nose was thrilling.

Somehow, Keter had managed to secure a countermeasure to Ailos’s Dark Pages. As for Norman, his plan was to deal with him during the tournament—specifically, by exposing his true identity. If Norman ended up dying in the process, all the better.

Once the individual tournament began, Keter simply waited for the right moment—a chance to call Norman out. And now, the quarter finals with Rajis and Norman, were the perfect moment. His chance was when Rajis lost by stepping out of bounds and Norman flashed that smug smile.

Keter stormed in, citing that he had evidence and got as close to Norman as possible.

Norman might be a monster, but he is pretending to be human. But pretending is dangerous. The more you pretend, the more you believe you’re what you pretend to be. Eventually, you become human. A real monster never lets its guard down. But humans... they do.

So blowing Norman’s head off when his focus drifted elsewhere was laughably easy.

Hm. As expected, not dead.

Slimes had a core that had to be destroyed to kill them. Norman, whose head had been punched off, was just faking death.

How did Keter know? He just felt it. It was a smart move; if Norman stayed still, Keter would look like a crazed killer.

But you didn’t imagine I had Demon Arrows, did you?

His Demon Arrows corrupted anything they hit, and monsters weren’t an exception.

If you can keep pretending after getting hit by this, I’ll be impressed.

Whoosh!

Norman dodged it. His instincts seemed to have told him that getting hit would be fatal. Then, he regenerated his head.

Keter pointed and addressed the crowd, “There’s your proof that Norman’s a fraud. Now it’s your turn—start yelling.”

“...”

“...”

Keter had set it up, and yet, no one said a word.

Why is no one cursing Norman? Is watching a head regrow too shocking?

“Keter... I will kill you. I’ll rip out your heart and shove it down your throat.”

Squelch.

Is this guy done pretending? Has he given up?

Bladed tentacles began sprouting from Norman, but it didn’t stop there. Fragments of his exploded head began writhing and then expanding until they morphed into human forms. The clear liquid dripping from him had turned into dozens of naked men.

They couldn’t be identified, but they all seemed to be knights, judging by their physiques.

Wait, that one looks familiar.

“L-Lord Pashian?!”

“Isn’t that Sir Dopema, the missing knight?!”

Ah, so that’s it. This guy isn’t just strong; he’s a ridiculously advanced slime.

Norman was a creature that could absorb lifeforms and replicate their structure and information.

Hm, tempting. I almost want to keep him as a pet. But no... I already have Popo.

Plus, he already had Decamaron and the homunculus. Any more additions would be too much.

“Either way, you die here.”

Whoosh!

Norman seemed angry; he didn’t reply and just stabbed with his bladed tentacles. Keter dodged, but he could tell it wasn’t a mindless attack. There was swordsmanship in it.

Interesting... So now he’s basically wielding dozens of swords at once, huh?

“Change of target. Terminate Norman. Capture is no longer viable.”

But Keter himself wasn’t going to fight Norman. The knights who had originally come to surround him had a new target.

Now all that's left is you, Ailos.

Keter looked toward the stands and locked eyes with Ailos, who was sitting amidst the crowd.

This is the chaos you wanted, right?

It wasn’t the finals, but the situation was chaotic enough. Would Ailos just sit back and watch Norman get slaughtered, even though that would mess with all his plans?

If you just quit right now and save this for another day, I won’t mess with you. I won’t have the luxury to.

But I’m sure you won’t walk away. You’ve come too far. You’ve partnered with the empire’s spies and borrowed power from the Godfather. There may never be another chance like this. When will you get another chance like this? Well, it will come eventually. You’re an Undead, so you can wait all you long in hiding for the right opportunity.

That would have been the case only if Ailos were a normal, competent man,

But you’re like me. You’re obsessed, and madmen with goals can’t stand to wait forever. And so, you’re going to step up right now. You’re going to end Eslow.

Ailos stood up after meeting Keter’s gaze.

As I expected, he’s going to do it.

Demonic energy surged from Ailos’ body. People sitting beside him became corrupted and died instantly before they could even react. Others screamed and ran away from him.

Ailos opened his mouth to chant a spell, but Eslow would not just sit back and let that happen.

Thud.

Ailos’ head fell from his shoulders. It didn’t happen in the blink of an eye; even with his eyes wide open, Keter couldn’t see what had happened.

Keter turned to Eslow, who was now standing. In his hand was a sword that was just a hilt, with no visible blade. Yet with that invisible blade, he had decapitated Ailos from hundreds of meters away.

It wasn’t just a simple slash to cut off Ailos’ head.

Eslow most likely already knew that Ailos was an Undead or perhaps a dark mage, and it took more than a severed head to kill dark mages. But if all Eslow did was cut off Ailos’ head, it probably meant that was enough. Indeed, Ailos’ body wasn’t regenerating and was disintegrating into dust.

He didn’t target a weak spot or anything like that. That sword has the power that suppresses, even erases regeneration. Maybe it’s a weapon made with his authority? Scary.

Thanks to Henya, Keter knew Eslow’s weapons weren’t ordinary metal, which was why he could make these deductions.

So... that’s it? Norman and Ailos are both gone? No way.

Dadum!!!

The arena trembled—no, the world itself seemed to shake. The Ailos that Eslow beheaded was a decoy; even he had been fooled. Ailos had used a simple but effective trick.

The real Ailos was still hiding among the nobles. He had revealed his clone merely to trick Eslow. Of course, Eslow swung his hilt-only sword after realizing where the real Ailos was, but Ailos acted first this time.

“Reading the page: the Silent Dark Page.”

Vmmmm!!

The page appeared out of thin air. Bizarre glyphs appeared in the air. The Dark Pages were powerful enough to shatter the human mind by mere presence. Plus, it defended against Eslow’s attacks as well.

Ailos smiled, triumphant, and even had the audacity to speak to Keter.

“Keter! I knew you wouldn’t stay quiet. That’s why I sent a fake ahead! Hahaha!”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re real smart.”

“Let all be consumed by the sea of darkness.”

Ailos resumed his incantation, now shielded by the Dark Pages. Even Eslow couldn’t act right away, not after being caught off guard.

“Deep Dark: Fantasy.”

Darkness, the most primal human fear, spread from the page and swallowed the arena. Though the sun still shone above, it didn’t care and consumed everything and anything.

Even the Sefira descendant’s clairvoyant eyes could only see five meters ahead in this gloom. If even they were this limited, others were practically blind. In addition, it was impossible to adapt to this darkness, no matter how much time passed.

But that was fine. This was all within Keter’s expectations. Just as Ailos had predicted him, he had predicted Ailos. He cracked his neck and stretched.

“All right, let’s go!”