Chapter 46

The arena was made of stone, with each side measuring about 5 meters, and it was raised about 30 centimeters above the surrounding area.

Chaos's equipment consisted of a full iron armor (without a helmet) and a mock sword nearly 2 meters long. Chaos probably favored a Claymore-like weapon. The polished silver armor and his golden hair, shining in the light, made a strikingly handsome picture.

On the other hand, my equipment was a cloth outfit and a one-handed mock sword. Even though Chaos's mock sword was made of wood, it had considerable weight, and I thought a direct hit would likely result in a broken bone.

"Let me explain the rules. The match will be a best of three, and the first to win two points will be declared the winner. A point will only be awarded if the referee recognizes the hit as valid. Additionally, a point will be given to the opponent if a fighter is knocked out of the ring or uses attack magic."

In other words, the only way for me to score a point was to hit Chaos in the head. However, Chaos was over 30 centimeters taller than me, and his reach was longer.

"I swear by my chivalry. I will fight honorably and win gracefully!"

The crowd, upon hearing Chaos's declaration, erupted into thunderous applause and enthusiastic cheers. The women's cheers were especially intense, making it seem like an idol concert.

On the other hand, I silently performed my stretches.

I could hear comments like, "He's already trembling in fear of Lord Chaos," "When will he start crying?" and "The money-savvy lord of the green gourd." But I ignored them. Compared to criticism from my boss or online, these were nothing.

"You're quite unpopular, aren't you? Are you okay?"

The person who spoke to me was a man with a brown hood pulled deep over his head. I couldn't see his face, but from his tone, I recognized him... I quickly performed a character identification.

"On the contrary, I'm getting excited. I'll show them something they've never seen... Besides, if Lord Horte cheers for me, I'll have the strength of a hundred men."

The person who spoke to me was Horte Horizon, a noble without inheritance rights but a distinguished member of the royal family. I was curious why Lord Horte was here, but what I was more curious about were the two people with him. Both were also wearing hoods pulled deep over their heads, but they exuded an aura that was far from ordinary.

"You're still as stubborn as ever... Do you think you can win?"

"I'm probably weaker in both strength and swordsmanship... But as Chaos said, he is a knight. I'll exploit that... How did you hear about this, Lord Horte?"

In Orizon, due to the lack of interpersonal wars for centuries, the battles of knights have become formalized. It seems the focus is on how honorably and nobly they fight. However, I was trained by Assassin Volf and former mercenary Gigali. Although wars have disappeared, the struggles behind the scenes, as well as the suppression of bandits and thieves, have not. Both of them, being at the center of these activities, taught me how to defeat my opponents.

"Your father approached some nobles and celebrities. As proof, your fiancée is also here... though she seems to be cheering for the other side."

As Horte said, Marina was in the front row on Chaos's side.

"Well, I've been disliked for a long time, so I don't care anymore."

Pretending to look at Marina, I performed a character identification on the two people with Horte... Seriously? I absolutely can't lose.

I took a deep breath and headed towards the arena. Cheers for Chaos, boos for me.

"Good, keep it up. The more you insult me, the more I'll use that anger as strength."

Now I feel like a villainous wrestler. I pumped myself up by imagining intense rock music in my head.

"Lord George, are you ready?"

Chaos, with a bright smile, taunted me. But it was still too weak... I've been taunted on the company blog countless times.

"At least I'm better than a weak knight who wears full armor against a kid."

Even though Chaos's family, the Lightwrights, has fallen, he is still a relative of a prestigious family. Moreover, he is handsome and talented as a knight. He has probably never been looked down upon by someone younger.

The effect was excellent; Chaos's smile was strained.

"Then let's begin!"

At the referee's signal, Chaos moved.

"Take this! Shining Sword!"

Shining Sword sounds like a light-attribute ultimate move, but it's just an overhead slash. However, isn't it a bit flashy for a nearly 20-year-old?

"Your sword is faster than mine... but Mr. Volf is even faster... I can dodge it."

I took a step back to create distance from Chaos. He swung with all his might, and the wind from his sword made my bangs flutter.

"Then try this! Shining Sword: Revised"

What's the difference if it's just the same move with "Revised" added?

I deliberately received Shining Sword: Revised. The wooden swords clashed with a dull thud.

"Your strength is greater than mine... but Mr. Gigali is much stronger... I can withstand it."

I was pushed back step by step while the swords were locked.

"Behind me is Lord Horte... I need to avoid it."

"What's wrong? You can only defend and retreat?"

The crowd, seeing Chaos's advantage, went wild. The cheering section was a cauldron of excitement.

"Good... the more they cheer, the more he'll get carried away."

"Maybe you're out of tricks already?"

Please, take the bait.

"Then I'll show you... Shining Sword: Ultimate"

I'm glad he took the bait, but what's with the embarrassment?

... I deliberately dodged Shining Sword: Ultimate with exaggerated, clumsy movements. But thanks to that, I managed to separate Chaos from Horte.

"Careful, careful... if you get hit by that, you'll faint."

My words seemed to reach his ears, and Chaos smiled... Seriously, Chaos is so easy to read.

"Far from it... Shining Sword: Ultimate"

I managed to block it, but my hands went numb. With my inferior build and strength, I was pushed back step by step. If this continued, I would definitely be knocked out of the ring.

"What's wrong? You have no more room to retreat... Take this! Final Shining Sword"

Chaos, aiming to finish me off, raised his sword high... Seriously, is that not the ultimate form?

"Idiot, I can easily dodge such a big swing."

As Chaos swung his sword, I moved to his side and behind him. All I could see was his completely open back.

I kicked him without a word. Normally, my kick wouldn't budge him, but with the momentum of his full-force Final Shining Sword, he was thrown out of the ring.

"Attacking from behind, do you know nothing of chivalry?"

I'm a lord, not a knight.

"So, does that mean I win?"

The boos were intense, but I ignored them. Marina looked at me with disdain, but I didn't care. If I lost, I would lose my bouburu. By the way, Horte was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach.

"I'll give you one point. I just need to win the next two points to win."

Success. After all, my new magic becomes less effective after the first use. In other words, I had to win at least one point no matter what.

"Second round, begin."

At the referee's signal, I created distance from Chaos. I didn't care about the excitement of the match. I would end it quickly.

"Wind speed is 7, strong wind. The center of the airflow is Chaos's face... Enveloping: Wind"

The attack power of Enveloping Wind is zero. It's a spell that makes a strong wind cling to the target. For an ordinary knight, it would be just a nuisance, but Chaos has long hair. His prideful long hair was blown by the wind and clung to his face, refusing to let go.

No matter how strong he is, if he can't see, it's easy to score a point.

"Ready... Just an overhead slash"

Amid the audience's shock, the referee declared my victory. Chaos and his supporters were furious. The crowd booed loudly and threw various sizes of trash and insults at me.

I think the knights are confident that this is my true nature, so they feel free to curse me.

"Silence, you fools! George Acoji is still a middle schooler!"

The person who shouted was one of Horte's companions. The moment the companion removed their hood, the crowd fell silent. It was a stern-faced middle-aged man.

"It's the king... It's King Avniel..."

Avniel Horizon, the current King of Horizon. If I had knocked Chaos out of the ring towards the king, it would have been a major problem.

I'm going on a business trip to Tokyo tomorrow. I'll do some research on being disliked.