Taming The Villainesses

(EP-358.2) #3

358 – Protagonist #3

Yujinoi stood firm in the gale, as if this wind that could send an elephant flying was nothing.

I was baffled—how was that even possible? That was when I noticed something strange at her feet.

The arena floor was flat and slick.

Yujinoi had anchored herself using her toes, gripping the smooth surface. Her grip strength was unreal. If you could even call that grip strength.

“Techniques and magic are all just tricks for the weak…!”

Seuk-.

Even in the middle of the storm, she reached toward me. Just as I thought she’d grab my wrist—

Something slammed into Yujinoi’s head.

Tukaaang-!

She was blown away and crashed into the ground. The stone floor caved in where she landed, but she quickly sprang back up.

“You…”

“I am Punchinoi of the Honey Fist…! The sworn enemy of my master, we meet again…! The unfinished business from last time…! I will finish it…!”

She was a nymph with hair like honey, fluttering in the wind. She wore a martial arts uniform and looked a bit more childlike compared to Yujinoi.

Suk.

Yujinoi wiped the blood trickling from her nose with her thumb.

“Yes, your master was an amusing one…! But in the end, they're nothing more than a flashy trickster… To kneel before true brute strength, that was inevitable…!”

“You thief! Return Master’s name this instant…! Fist of Sorrow—Tiger's Lament!”

Punchinoi’s fist shot toward Yujinoi. But Yujinoi simply raised her hand to block it. That alone unleashed a shockwave that ripped through the arena.

WHOOOSH—!

“Punchinoi, you’ve gotten stronger since last time…! Good! Show me more of your little tricks…!”

“I won’t let you disgrace that name…! Spiral King!”

Punchinoi's uppercut spiraled upward like a vortex into the sky. Their clash was fierce and dazzling, drawing the eyes of everyone watching.

━Look at those two!

━I’ve never seen such strong nymphs!

━Ahh—! Participant number 22, Punchinoi, a clear favorite to win…! And an unknown participant with red hair…! This match is like a scene straight out of the ancient Angmar murals of nymph martial arts…!

It was a great fight.

But listening to skill names like Tiger's Lament and Spiral King just made me feel kinda ridiculous for even being here. What was I doing again?

“… Well, at least that worked out.”

It was fortunate that I didn’t waste my energy on Yujinoi. To fight Aira in perfect condition after this preliminary round and then the main tournament, it was best to conserve my strength.

If I’d fought Yujinoi, I would’ve had to burn through a lot of energy.

Seuk-.

I looked at the hourglass displayed on the crystal. Judging by how little sand was left in the top half, this chaotic preliminary would be over in about 5 minutes.

Due to the initial free-for-all and the lightning that had struck down indiscriminately, most of the participants were groaning on the ground.

━Ugh, I can’t move a finger…

━I give up.

Only about fifty were still standing on both feet. But each of those remaining gave off such intense pressure that none of them looked like they were going down anytime soon.

That just meant they were strong enough to survive this far. And now, I needed to take a flag from one of them. Who would be the best to target?

—Fairy Eyes!

I quickly scanned my surroundings to see who nearby had a flag.

What caught my eye was a man breathing heavily. He looked to be around thirty. He had long hair and a short beard, and seeing the long sword at his waist, he seemed like a wandering swordsman.

When he saw me approach, he spat blood onto the ground with a sharp ptooey.

“That thundercloud, are you really the one controlling it?”

I thought he was a lone wolf-like swordsman, but he was more sophisticated than I thought. More than that, he was asking me a question in this situation.

I nodded for now.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“To change the weather without any special incantation. You’ve probably got way scarier magic up your sleeve. To be honest, I can’t picture myself being able to win against you.”

He was completely exhausted.

Covered in wounds, and blood from a cut eyebrow was running into his right eye. If we fought now, I’d win ninety-nine times out of a hundred.

Seeing that he had grasped that, this man also seemed to have excellent judgement. That must be why he had endured until now. And it was my role to end his arduous struggle. I reached out my hand.

“Then hand it over.”

“But you—you're conserving your strength, aren’t you? I can tell. Believe it or not, I’m a merchant. Reading people is my specialty.”

“Is that so?”

“You don’t want to waste your strength in a place like this. It’s probably because you’re aiming for the win.”

“So?”

“Even someone like me could force you to expend some of that strength. And you wouldn’t want that, would you? Not when you’re planning to fight the queen and win. Participant number 1432, Angmar.”

“…….”

This guy was pretty sharp.

“So? What’re you trying to say?”

“I entered this martial festival to gain fame. I’ve done enough for that, so I don’t covet the flag. This should be enough for the Bellhawk family to take notice of me.”

“I see. You want to make a deal.”

At my words, the man's lips curled into a smirk.

“Quick on the uptake. I’ll hand it over, clean and simple, no fight. But—like I said, it’s a deal, so I have a condition. Tell me your real name. I think you’re going to be big, so I want to invest in you beforehand.”

Fair enough.

It was a perfectly reasonable trade. As befitting someone who was originally a merchant, I could praise him for quickly figuring out what would be profitable.

But there was also a point to deduct.

“You don’t think my current name is real?”

“Of course not. Only the old royal family can use the kingdom’s name.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But I am Angmar. I’ve never told a lie. You’ll find out soon enough, Alonzo.”

The man’s eyes went wide in shock.

“Did I… tell you my name? I registered under a false identity…”

“I don’t know what your circumstances are. But the king’s eyes see through everything.”

“No way… Is this real? If it is, then the world’s about to change. And I’m standing right in the middle of it. Something like this…”

While he was rattled, I took the flag from his arms.

As I raised it high, the last grains of sand fell through the hourglass, and the bell rang.

Sixteen remained.

Four more matches.

Only five more victories.

━Ah—! The sixteen finalists have been decided…! And now, a quick break from the festival's biggest sponsor, the Bellhawk Merchant Guild!”

Edit by: faker