Chapter 39 - Underworld ①

Minutes before all the ghoul mayhem began.

Two people entered the underworld.

They were Lambert and Bellange.

They didn't need anything to enter, just to say they were "gladiators" and they entered quietly.

Inside the place, it was exactly like a convention.

Many people at booths and vendors were selling different items.

Clothes, food, accessories.

In the center of it all, a large round asphalt arena was located.

A manager directed them to where they should go.

Several minutes passed.

And a man told them all to be quiet.

"Good evening, beasts and vermin. On this beautiful and rare red night, our champion will have several duels against a large number of opponents."

The man pointed to a corner.

A door opened and a figure appeared.

His footsteps made the earth tremble.

A very tall, overly muscular, cinnamon-skinned man with a face resembling stone in its hardness. He was smiling with his sharp teeth.

His hair like his eye was dark black.

The hair was pulled back in dreadlocks similar to John.

His clothing was that of a semi-naked barbarian. It showed from his chest to his navel.

His shoulders had horned monster skulls on them.

He was almost three meters tall, in his right hand he held a sword similar to a kitchen knife. The size was medium, the same height as his thigh.

The most noticeable feature of his appearance was not his necklace of small bones around his neck.

It was that his right eye was closed and three claw marks were marked.

The man introduced the big man.

"A big round of applause for the one, for the matchless, for the lord of this place as its undefeated champion!"

"Krulcifer, the one-eyed tyrant king!"

This individual was a menace in the game.

At first he was known as the "one-eyed death", but as he gains fame and power, he was called as the tyrant king.

He is Gerhardt's right hand man in the game. Quinque wasn't.

Krulcifer served Gerhardt as he wanted to challenge him for the position of the absolute ruler of this place.

When Lily and the others confronted him. He was always looking to break her neck.

Some said because that was how he was programmed. Others because he recognized that she was a danger.

But the truth to that is, he actually considered her weak.

So he proceeded to eliminate the weak first.

The referee now pointed to the door on the opposite side.

"All right, for this bout #270 we have gathered a total of 216 participants."

"Everyone was registered. Therefore, the doors were closed a while ago."

"No one will be allowed in or out."

"Now, you filthy pests who love violence!"

"Prepare to enjoy this carnage! Let's go with the first victim!"

The door opened. Screams were heard to cry out for blood.

After a while, nothing happened.

The referee told an attendant to go and watch.

"Hey, why doesn't the first contestant come out? Did he fall asleep? The bets will be very bad if he doesn't come out, go and wake him up."

A manager went to check at that moment. But before he set foot.

A flying body was flung towards them.

It was all battered and unrecognizable.

Those present were with cloudy expressions and astonishment.

The referee pointed and shouted.

"W-Who are you?"

Two shadows set foot in the arena.

Bellange was one of them. He was wiping the blood from his face.

"Those guys were easy prey. I didn't even have to get serious."

The other was Lambert who was trying to get blood out of his shirt.

"I'm going to have to scrap this if it doesn't come out. Anyway, we came to this place since that saint decided to go play in the district."

"Let's get this over with quickly since we're ahead of the others for a reason."

The two were getting closer to the arena.

The referee didn't know what to say until Lambert took away the microphone that used a magic circle to transmit his voice throughout the dome.

"I'm sorry to say that the show is cancelled. We came for this guy's head. So stand down or you'll be treated like criminals too."

There was a momentary silence, but then laughter and insults were heard.

"Don't fuck with me, you fucking midget! Who the hell do you think you are!"

"Do you know how much money I invested in this duel?"

"Champion, kill those idiots! Don't make the show end early!"

Lamber looked disgusted and clicked his tongue.

"They all disgust me. I should cut them down."

"What are you complaining about? It's the normal thing to do. I'd do the same in their position."

"I'll cut you for talking nonsense, too."

Lambert unsheathed his sword. He was going to end this in an instant.

Krulcifer was watching the audience with a smile.

Lamber used that opportunity to go for his head.

He used his ability, "phantom feet" and got close in a split second.

When Krulcifer turned his neck to speak to them as he watched them.

Lambert's sword cut him down.

... Or that was what was supposed to happen.

"What?!"

Lambert exclaimed with a question as he looked in wonder as his enemy's neck was still in his body.

The sword was undoubtedly being pressed hard to cut it.

But every time he tried, a small crack appeared in it.

He recoiled immediately.

Krulcifer thundered his neck.

A loud sound was heard and then in his gravelly voice he told them.

"Not bad, child."

"But it's no use."

"Since I was fighting in the slums, I always ended up getting beaten up by adults. One of them took my eye."

"I thought I was going to die until I met him. The night king."

"He looked at me like he was looking at a wet dog and said."

"How pathetic you look, you want power? Earn it. Among the miserable life forms, you are the lowest of them. If you want me to stop seeing you as an insect. Earn it. Be the strongest of them all."

Krulcifer laughed.

"That's how I listened to him and trained to the point that I hardened my body without the use of magic power. My muscles are so strong that neither bullets nor swords can harm me."

"My bones are so hard that even if I fall from the top of the tower, nothing will happen to me. I have reached the maximum of physical strength! That's why I am the champion. And one day I will take the position of the ruler of this place from Gerhardt."

"I'm not interested."

Lambert interrupted Krulcifer's monologue.

"You want to be strong? I am not interested. I will be the strongest of all for the sake of His Highness."

His head recalled a certain incident.

It was the day of the duel.

He lost against Cid. But then he noticed that Regulux was wounded by a monster.

Moments later he was in front of Razel. But his mind was very confused.

He didn't remember anything.

But one thing he did know, that Razel was a target to eliminate.

(That guy dared to go against His Highness. I don't know what happened that day, but His Highness lost power and influence. My house wants to take away his support, but I won't allow it.)

(Even if I must go against my father, I will support His Highness.)

Lambert's resolution unlike the game was very twisted for some reason.

Lambert was a cold-natured, but friendly person. That was why his popularity was at the highest of characters similar to him.

But this Lambert and his version of the game were very different people.

Lambert approached a wounded man. He picked up his sword.

"It doesn't matter if you're the night king or the underworld king. Anyone who stands in the way of me and His Highness will be cut down by this blade."

The swords were pointed at Krulcifer, at the same time, Bellange was-.

"Hahaha, hey Attley, are you crazy? I'll be the one to eliminate this guy. Then I'll go after that chocolate king."

"No, I didn't say that. Your head is full of crap?"

"Shut up!"

Krulcifer laughed. He raised his sword and shouted.

"Come on!"

Just as they were about to launch into a fight.

"What is that?"

A fierce sound was heard.

It was the door being broken.

A group of ghouls entered.

"Are they ghouls?"

"What are they doing here?"

"Never mind, kill them!"

A fight started between the guards and the ghouls at the top.

While at the bottom, three individuals were listening to everything.

"It looks like it got fun up there."

Said Bellange, Lambert answered him while checking if his cracked sword was still good.

"It doesn't matter. Our- my real opponent is here."

"Hey, you just erased my existence didn't you? You just did, didn't you?"

"Who knows..."

Krulcifer laughed one last time.

"Hahaha, the moment of rest is over!"

His legs went into attack position.

"It's time for the carnage to begin!"

Krulcifer lunged straight at Bellange.

His sword was aimed at her head, but Bellange reacted fast too and pulled out her golden halberd on her back.

*Swing*

A loud sound of metal against metal echoed in the environment filled with screams by the ghouls.

Lambert ran after Krulcifer was trying to break Bellange's legs using his body.

He aimed at his enemy's back, and slashed.

"Chaotic Cut!"

In the shape of an X, a light appeared and impacted against his back.

Krulcifer despite being cut, received no damage.

He turned in Lambert's direction, kicked him.

His leg was so long that he was able to hit him without any problem.

Lambert flew straight into the wall.

Bellange used magic power, but he still couldn't push Krulcifer back.

Krulcifer stepped back to taunt Bellange.

The strength of not just one, but two experienced capture targets fighting were nothing to this monster.

"Come on."

He said as he stabbed his sword into the ground.

"Give me your best shot."

Bellange was annoyed to see how he mocked him.

"Don't mock me!"

She marched her axe towards his chest.

Using magical power to strengthen his muscles, he decided to ignore the threat.

"Earth magic: Great pillar of pain!"

The golden blade touched the ground and rock stakes grew towards Krulcifer.

Krulcifer himself was shocked.

His body was pierced by the stakes.

But there was no damage.

The sharp points snapped as they touched the toned body.

He was thrown upwards falling straight into the ghouls.

While Bellange ran straight towards Lambert.

The ghouls approached Krulcifer.

He raised his big hand and with swing, wiped out a large number of them.

The ghouls stopped biting or fighting the guards and focused on the larger opponent.

Without feeling the slightest interest, Krulcifer allowed himself to be bitten.

His body was bitten almost entirely by the ghouls.

His teeth, as he tried to force himself, broke.

He clicked his tongue.

"Tch. Even these guys can't hurt me."

From the moment he acquired that body, he always wondered one thing.

(What does it really mean to be strong?)

That question was very coarse and broad in meaning.

But for him it was meaningless.

He was very strong, so much so, that he could kill this whole city without a problem.

Even vampires like Quinque would be pulverized by his hands.

But why did he want to be strong so badly?

To surpass Gerhardt?

If so, that dream would be impossible.

But something else was motivating him, though he didn't know the reason.

Once he had killed almost all the ghouls, he threw himself into the bottom of the arena, making the ground tremble.

Lambert was already recovered from the blow and Bellange was in attack position.

His black eye looked longingly at his opponents.

"You two, show me that confidence you were so proud of before!"

He ran straight at his opponents.

Bellange also ran, Lambert thought as he pointed his swords.

(I hate to admit it, but that kick he gave me, it was just a stretch.)

(If he had used a real serious kick, it would have killed me just the blow instead of the impact.)

(I don't want to say it, but I have to cooperate with this guy.)

Lambert ran in the opposite direction than Bellange to attack Krulcifer from behind.

"Come on!"

Krulcifer shouted as he raised his sword and Bellange used the golden edge of his halberd to intercept.

*Swing*

*Swing*

The blows of the sword and halberd resounded so loudly that the ground shook.

Lambert attacked from behind.

Krulcifer's back was taking damage, but nothing was happening.

While in the front, Bellange was using all her strength to repel the attacks.

(This guy is too strong.)

With each blow that avoided his halberd, Bellange recoiled.

Lambert couldn't do anything either.

(I'm cutting him, but there's no blood or anything! What the hell is his body made of.)

Bellange and Lambert started sweating, Bellange was thinking about his duel against Razel.

(Even that guy wasn't as strong as this guy. At this rate, the same thing will happen to me.)

Bellange remembers his defeat that time. It was the first time in his life that he was angry at his weakness.

He didn't blame anyone, if he lost it was because he was weak and Razel stronger.

Although Razel's body didn't seem to be as much of a threat as his appearance.

Bellange recognized that it hid great strength.

For, the blow he received that day, was strong enough to knock him unconscious for several days.

Even as a child he trained with rocks and trees. The blows he received as a child were insignificant compared to that blow Razel gave him.

After waking up, Bellange knew what happened. A monster attacked them and was defeated by two people.

He felt ashamed, deep down he wanted to be strong enough not to lose again.

"Aaaah!"

He shouted as his weapon went straight for Krulcifer's face.

It happened what was going to happen.

Krulcifer made just a little force, and the halberd's edge broke into pieces.

Then Lambert's swords did the same thing to him.

Krulcifer was getting a little serious.

His right hand moved and hit Bellange's stomach very hard.

This caused blood to come out of his mouth and go flying straight into the wall.

It was only a split second that all this happened and Bellange lost consciousness.

Lambert stepped back looking for another sword.

But Krulcifer stopped him.

Using the back of his sword he slammed Lambert to the ground.

Then he lifted him up with the tip of the sword and threw him against the remaining uncracked wall.

His large steps came towards Lambert as he swung his sword playfully.

"Is that really all they can do? Come on, I'm serious, is that all? They're weaker than ghouls!"

In the game, Krulcifer was that strong. Lily's presence was a great help in preventing the outcome from happening.

If she were here. It would certainly be a battle of attrition.

"They really let me down. I wanted to have a good battle, but I just had a waste of time."

The raised sword came down at high speed in Lambert's direction.

Krulcifer smiled as he saw that there was no trace of his enemy left.

But his smile was erased when he saw that there was no trace of blood nor a body much less.

He didn't understand what was going on, until he noticed a certain sweet smell in the air.

He turned around, and noticed a mysterious figure holding Lambert.

Krulcifer was not at all surprised by this. He thought it was another intruder who had good speed.

His sword moved in a sideways direction to slice him like a ham.

But something happened that he never thought possible.

The mysterious figure caught the sword with his fingernails.

It only made a little force and cracks appeared on his sword.

After a blink of an eye, the sword broke.

Krulcifer was puzzled.

He didn't know what happened until he noticed the mysterious figure approaching towards Bellange to leave Lambert there.

He was wearing a yellow sweatshirt, of medium height, his pants were gray and the kind you would wear to work out.

The figure turned and removed his hood.

Krulcifer observed who this mysterious being was.

He wanted to make a mocking face at the knowledge.

"A woman? Really?"

That it was a girl. And not only that.

Her hair was black as night, she had animal ears, as if she were a dog's, her eyes were golden like a gold coin.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail that reached her hips.

Her fluffy tail was hidden on her body. she let it out to wag from excitement.

She looked uninterestedly at her opponent and walked over to him.

Krulcifer wanted to ask. "What the hell is a woman doing here?"

But before that happened, the girl, raised her fist towards the stomach of this man of monstrous stature.

Everyone's reaction would be laughter, Krulcifer trained his body to the point that his muscles and bones were so hard that not even fire or steel could hurt him.

So why was he making that face? It was what everyone wondered if they had seen him.

He, known as one of the strongest men in this country.

The one who hardened and trained his muscles and bones to resist anything.

He was showing an expression of pain.

His eye was bloodshot.

His mouth opened and he spat saliva.

The girl's fist was buried in his stomach.

It looked as if her hand had sunk into a balloon.

The girl wasn't just any demi-human.

She belonged to the strongest race of all.

Not even tiger men were a match for her clan.

Belonging to a race of battle wolves.

The only known survivor.

She, Leila, came on someone's orders.

"Amy onee-sama asked me to come. Leila is here to kick the ass of everyone who will become a threat to the Master!"

What was she doing here?