Chapter 96

Chapter 32. The Arena of Cosmos (7)

The next day, Jin's match was no different from Dante's. The time it took to defeat his opponent, introduced with a grand title like the Demon King of Helia, was a mere 7 seconds. Once again, the audience fell silent as if doused with cold water, and the scene of Veradin leading the frenzy was replayed exactly as before.

"This year's arena champions will be those two."

"Although that boy Jin Gray is impressive, it will be tough for him against the Runkandel candidate... Who are you betting on? Jin Gray or Paul Mix?"

"I still plan to bet on Paul Mix. I contacted my family right after seeing Paul Mix's match the other day and had all my cash brought over. You should bet on Paul Mix too. Runkandel, Runkandel. Who can defeat Runkandel with a sword?"

"Hmm, that's true..."

Despite showing incredible skill, Jin was already considered a Runkandel candidate by the noble audience. Thus, most of the bets were placed on Dante, and few chose Jin.

As a result, the other participants naturally became supporting roles. Even the veterans, who should have been the main attractions, were relegated to the background.

"Damn, because of those brats, it won't be easy to make money this year."

Most of the participants in the arena are there to enjoy killing, but the veterans, who have had their fill of it, want money. More important than the gold coins for the champion, the odds from the gambling organized by the organizers are crucial.

"Should we just bury the kids before the winner's match starts? If the veterans stick together, we can handle them easily."

The more bets are placed on a person, the higher the odds, making Jin and Dante thorns in the veterans' sides.

"Come on, didn't you see what happened to the One-Eyed Pirate Gang? This arena is just a stage for those brats. If you want to save your life, you should back off appropriately."

"Damn..."

Even the veteran participants felt this way, so the others had no choice but to reach a mutual agreement.

"Let's just play it safe when the winner's match starts. We need to survive to make a living in this business next year. We need to keep feeling the thrill of hunting the weak."

The veterans' choice was to rig the matches. They would avoid killing each other and split the winnings by staging the outcomes.

The announcer relayed this situation to Cosmos.

"Ha, they're colluding. They're just going to go through the motions and split the winnings..."

"What should we do? If the matches are lackluster, it could affect next year's business."

Hmm!

Cosmos rubbed his gold tooth with his index finger and shook his head.

"Revise the winner's match brackets. Make sure Paul Mix and Jin Gray meet in the final. They shouldn't meet in the round of 16 or anything like that."

"Is that okay?"

"The most important thing in a show is to give the audience what they want. This time, they want more than just a brutal spectacle. In exchange, prevent further betting and significantly increase the odds for the other participants."

"Then who should Jin Gray and Paul Mix face in the winner's match?"

"Match them against the One-Eyed Pirate Gang. We can't let the other veteran participants die; we need them for next year."

"The One-Eyed Pirate Gang will strongly resist when they hear this news."

Cosmos burst into laughter.

"You idiot! If Paul Mix is a Runkandel, will they even survive after the tournament? The moment they touch Paul Mix, the One-Eyed Pirate Gang is finished. So don't worry about it."

"True, that makes sense."

* * *

The winner's match proceeded smoothly.

Of course, since the matches were rigged, they were not as exciting or brutal as in previous years.

The veterans would break a few bones and finish the matches half-heartedly, leading to tepid performances. Each time, the audience would boo.

They could sense that the matches were fixed.

However, no one left the arena. They endured the boring matches, knowing that they would eventually see Jin and Dante's final match.

When Jin or Dante faced the One-Eyed Pirate Gang in the winner's match:

"Ooooh!"

"Paul Mix, Paul Mix!"

Even without showing much, cheers erupted. They didn't need to stage a brutal and horrific scene.

Most of their matches ended in one or two rounds. From the round of 64 to the semi-finals, all of Jin and Dante's matches were like this.

Finally, the much-anticipated final match.

"Today is finally the day they face each other."

The entire audience was eagerly waiting for the two to appear, and Veradin, in particular, had been unable to sleep all night, trembling with excitement as he made his way to the stands.

"Who do you think will win? Between the two of them."

Veradin asked the knights he had brought as his bodyguards.

"Paul Mix."

"From what I've observed, Paul Mix's sword skills seem superior."

"Hmm, is that so?"

"Which side did you bet on, sir?"

"I... bet on Jin. About 100,000 gold coins..."

"What, how much?"

"100,000."

"You bet too much. If Jin Gray wins, can Cosmos really afford the payout? The odds are 3 to 1. I doubt a mere pirate has that much money."

"No, they're a surprisingly large pirate group. They can probably pay out 300,000 gold coins. If they sell a few of their islands. Oh, it's starting!"

Cosmos was walking to the center of the arena.

"Thank you for waiting, gentlemen and ladies! Welcome to today's show, brought to you by the Pirate King Cosmos. First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for your support before the final match!"

Bow! Cosmos bowed to the audience.

"Wow!"

Many in the audience cheered, but others shouted:

"Get out of the way and bring the boys!"

"Yeah! Get the final match started, you pirate scum!"

Cosmos felt a bit bitter. Normally, by the time the final match started, the audience would shower him with thunderous applause for organizing this thrilling show.

'These damn noble brats. They praise me for the arena being a show they can't see anywhere else... I should raise the admission fee next year, damn it!'

Cosmos stood up, hiding his annoyance.

"Yes, yes! I understand. Paul Mix and Jin Gray. You must be eager to see their match... Let's all call them together! For-!"

"Mix!"

"Mix! Paul Mix!"

Dante's popularity was overwhelming. Given his reputation as a Runkandel candidate, it was inevitable.

When Dante entered the arena, some of the audience were almost frenzied.

"Next, his opponent! The unknown young swordsman, Jin Gray!"

When Jin entered the arena, the cheers were much lower. Instead, many people clasped their hands in prayer. They were all gambling addicts who had brought all their available cash, betting on the 3 to 1 odds.

Even without the rumor that Dante was a Runkandel candidate, people naturally assumed Dante would defeat Jin. Dante had shown his mastery of sword techniques in all his matches, while Jin had not.

So those who bet on Jin were praying.

"Jin Gray! Go!"

Veradin suddenly stood up, his eyes bloodshot, and shouted.

"Go!"

Other spectators who had bet on Jin followed Veradin's lead, shouting.

'Where are they going, these lunatics?'

Of course, Jin paid no attention to them and calmly left the waiting room.

Jin was subtly feeling the pressure, not because of the gamblers who had bet their lives on his victory, but because he wondered if he could defeat Dante.

Jin Runkandel and Dante Hyran.

The two stood facing each other, their expressions calm. Unlike in other matches, they deliberately kept a distance of about thirty steps between them.

One step closer, and they would be within each other's attack range. Even just standing there, a tense atmosphere hung between them.

The audience gradually fell silent, and Cosmos spoke again.

"Truly, I never imagined seeing such a scene in my arena. It feels like watching a prestigious martial arts competition... Now, the final match! Begin!"

Whoo-!

As the pirates blew their trumpets, Cosmos left the arena, and Jin and Dante slowly drew their swords.

Their swords, imbued with aura, glowed.

'There's no opening...'

Jin couldn't easily take the initiative as he usually did.

He knew this without even clashing swords. Dante's sword was clearly a step ahead of his.

This was something Jin had recognized from the moment he first saw Dante.

However, Dante also hesitated to make the first move, not because he thought Jin's sword skills were superior.

'Strangely, I feel a sense of unease from you. I get an uncomfortable feeling.'

After reaching the seventh rank.

This was the first time he felt this way while facing opponents of the sixth rank or lower.

So Dante was pondering whether to end the match quickly with full force or to conduct a probing battle and gradually apply pressure.

He never considered losing. Dante didn't think he would lose to Jin.

'This unease is probably because you have something prepared for me. So it's better to gradually apply pressure.'

With the mindset of testing the waters, Dante took a step forward, rather than closing the distance quickly to end the match swiftly.

At that moment, Jin smiled inwardly.

'You've decided to approach me cautiously. That means the possibility of me defeating you just increased by about 10%.'

Jin already had a plan to defeat Dante.

Therefore, Jin also had no intention of losing.