Chapter 40: The Arena

As dusk fell upon the locked arena, a young boy stepped inside. Karyl MacGovern stepped onto the stage and looked around, feeling a fresh surge of emotions.

Should I have asked Grandpa Calypson for another sword?

he wondered, picking up weapons, that were once wielded by slave soldiers, from the ground. As he swung them, the sharp sound of the blades cutting through the air reverberated.

Karyl looked down at the dried blood on the ground. This place had witnessed countless battles and countless deaths. The ownerless weapons scattered on the ground were a testament to that fact, and only more would accumulate over time.

"Hmm."

Karyl slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on a man waiting for him in the arena. The man's solid muscles and iron gauntlets wrapped in bandages emitted a sharp aura. His face bore two sharp horns and was covered in blue scales resembling a Sea Serpent.

His fierce eyes seemed ready to strike at Karyl's neck at any moment. It felt as if the absolute ruler of the Fonein River had appeared in the arena, wearing the mask of the Sea King.

"I said let's meet at dawn, but I didn't mean to meet in a place like this. It's not even a love letter, yet you just leave such a note and go," Karyl spoke in a low tone, holding a short piece of paper in his hand.

"Well, it seems you’ve made your decision." There was no need to speculate about who was behind the mask.

"Suan Hazer, no, Champion," Karyl said, his lips curling into a faint smile.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though the man's eyes trembled behind the mask. But soon, an overwhelming fighting spirit emanated from his entire body.

Isn’t this the first time I'm properly fighting him across my past and present lives?

Karyl thought, his body trembling ever so slightly.

Even during his days as the master of the Ravat Guild, his fighting prowess was quite legendary. I was surprised to find out that he was the King of Slaves, but with such skills, it would be odd if he wasn't the champion of the arena.

Suan Hazer possessed a natural physical prowess that made his fighting spirit akin to a force od nature. His body was a weapon in and of itself, rendering other weapons unnecessary.

Valvont, the renowned King of Martial Arts, belonged to neither the empire nor the Principality, dedicating himself solely to the pursuit of martial arts.

It was later revealed that Suan Hazer learned a few stances from Valvont during his youth.

Encountering Valvont was a mere coincidence, still, undoubtedly, the King of Martial Arts recognized Suan’s talent.

However, perhaps due to his nature of not taking disciples, Valvont left without passing on everything to Suan Hazer.

"Huff..."

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Suan took his stance. His right arm shielded his face, his left arm resting at his waist, his body slightly leaning forward. It was a stance familiar yet unfamiliar to Karyl.

The 8th form of Valvont.

Out of the eight forms that Valvont perfected, Suan only learned two. Yet, he became the champion of the arena.

The thought filled Karyl with undeniable excitement.

If I could meet Valvont again and learn the remaining six forms...

Perhaps a new King of Martial Arts, or rather, a God of Martial Arts could be born.

That's my role.

It is said that Valvont regretted not having taken in Suan Hazer in his later years, despite being known for refusing disciples.

Valvont, wherever you may be wandering, but this proposal is for the good of me and the King of Martial Arts, yourself.

Before that thought could fully form, the two of them lunged at each other without a word. Karyl's movement caused the air to explode in a circle beneath him, propelling him into a rapid spin in mid-air.

Agnel's blade clashed against Suan's gauntlet, followed by sparks and a sharp noise. Despite the risk of losing his arm, Suan appeared fearless as he blocked Karyl's attacks with his gauntlets.

They aren’t ordinary gauntlets, I see.

Despite Agnel's fierce attack, only slight scratches were made, and the gauntlet's defensive power remained intact. It was likely one of the items from the black market.

"Is that, by any chance, an item made by the Muir family?"

"You recognized it. Yes, it's a prize for winning the title of champion." The Muir family, known among dwarfs for their excellent craftsmanship, could turn even trash into treasure. "Gnome creations may be a lot more beautiful, but dwarf steel is tougher."

"But also much heavier," Karyl noted.

Suan Hazer just grinned. Without such incredible strength, even holding the gauntlet would dislocate one’s shoulder, let alone being able to use it.

"Good." Karyl nodded.

Suan Hazer staggered. Defending alone wouldn't be enough to win this fight, and he knew it.

His expression grew stern. Fighting alongside him was one thing, but experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different matter. Karyl's blade, though merely a dagger, seemed as sharp as a rapier and as heavy as a broadsword.

Impressive.

Karyl inwardly exclaimed in admiration as he watched Suan Hazar block his attack.

I can practice with this.

Perhaps sensing Karyl's thoughts, Suan Hazer unknowingly gritted his teeth.

He's underestimating me.

Though he didn't want to admit it, he could already feel it in his body.

How is this possible? Even if he has been holding a sword since he could walk, that’s still just barely ten years. Is he a genius?

That was the only possible explanation for Karyl’s inexplicable strength.

Of course, even if one were to set aside memories of his past life, it was true that Karyl was a genius of the sword.

Karyl's lips curled into a smile. This was a chance to fully use the strength he hadn't needed to use against his opponents until now.

"Wha..." Suan Hazer's eyes widened in disbelief at the sharp energy emanating from Karyl's blade.

He could feel an extremely strong magical power. "Mana Blade...?"

But he shook his head, observing the distinct color of the magic enveloping the dagger.

No, it's something different...

His face hardened.

What should I even call it?

Before he could finish that thought, Karyl's attack, unlike anything before, ripped through the air. There was no finesse or sharpness in the strike, just overwhelming power.

"Ah, ugh!" Suan instinctively raised his arms to block Karyl's sword. With a thunderous roar, Suan was sent flying, tumbling across the ground until his large body came to a stop against the arena wall.

"Huff... Huff..." He looked at Karyl, dazed.

The air crackled as something broke, followed by a heavy thud as it hit the ground. It was caused by Suan's gauntlets, now shattered into countless pieces.

Despite the loss of his weapon, Suan’s eyes remained fixed on Karyl, more shocked by Karyl's strike than the destruction of his gauntlets.

"What was that just now?" Suan asked, but Karyl only smiled bitterly, appearing unsatisfied.

That was dangerous. I can't yet control my power properly. I only intended to cut the gauntlets, but I almost accidentally cut his arms off.

Karyl approached Suan, who had fallen to his knees. "You're strong, Karyl."

"Is this an acceptable outcome?"

Suan nodded, somewhat relieved. He had given it his all and was thoroughly defeated. Such a satisfied expression couldn't have emerged otherwise.

"You can become stronger. No, you must. You have more to accomplish than you think," Karyl said, sitting on the stage of the arena. "You must have been troubled by my words. The fight would have been better if you were in perfect condition."

Suan grimaced at Karyl's words.

"To gain power, you need influence. And to solidify that influence, you must win the hearts of the people." Karyl picked up the Sea King mask that had fallen to the ground, covering his face with it. "You need a justification to calm their rage. The life of just one administrator won’t be enough to convince the others living in Tatur." Suan felt a chill as he saw Karyl's eyes gleam through the mask.

The other administrators, Dushala and Kamma, would not show themselves.

Especially Dushala. Even if she supports me, her public image would make it difficult.

And Suan realized that as well.

"But with both of us, it's different. The Golden Lion of the lawless port and the champion of the arena, both symbols of freedom in the free city, were defeated by one person. That rumor will spread quickly through Dushala and Kamma."

Karyl lightly tapped Suan's shoulder as he knelt. "Naturally, they’ll welcome a new leader."

Suan had challenged Karyl to create this scenario. Or rather, technically, it was Karyl who had challenged the champion, but the outcome was as expected.

"I don't expect loyalty from the people here. This place just needs to remain a power that no one on the continent can touch." Karyl said. "The fear that we can act recklessly at any time. That alone is enough to keep the empire in check.” Karyl, removing the mask, turned to Suan. "You're the one who must hold the reins."

Suan’s heterochromatic eyes met Karyl’s. "You, with the blood of both an imperial and a barbarian flowing through you, are the ideal candidate."

Suan looked at Karyl, at a loss for words. His heart raced. It was the first time someone had considered his cursed blood useful. A lineage he had always wanted to erase and, conversely, the lineage of the very empire that had caused his tribe to flee to Tatur.

A nation beyond ancestry and heritage.

He had thought such an idea was absurd, but now he wondered if it could actually become reality.

"Hmm." After the intense battle, Karyl looked beyond the wall to the rising twilight. "It's about time I reveal Tatur’s secret to you.

"...Pardon?"

"You'll like what you see," Karyl said with his ambiguous gaze.