Chapter 197 - Grid Anima

"I have to admit that was a good idea. Seeing that you couldn't defeat me through normal means, you tried to disqualify me by throwing me out of the arena..."

As I said this, his gaze was of complete interest. This guy was really something else. It's not like I was trying to hide my plan, but still, I executed it with the smallest movements in an attempt to keep him from figuring it out.

The fact that he found out meant that, besides me, he was also paying attention to the environment around. It also meant he wasn't giving his all. Anyway, my goal was already accomplished.

With a smile on my face, I stared at him as he raised an eyebrow, watching me with doubt. In a swift motion, I lifted one of my feet and slammed it with all force on the ground. A brief tremor ran through the entire coliseum before the ring started to crack, precisely where my opponent was.

Suddenly, the part of the ring where he stood broke, causing him to start falling. In the rules, there was nothing prohibiting the ring from breaking. With a surprised look at me, my opponent soon put on a playful smile before leaping among the debris, approaching me.

Of course, this was within what I expected. I stepped once again on the ground, raising a large wall. Right after, I jumped in the air and spun my body, kicking the wall and sending it towards my opponent. Seeing the wall coming his way, he stopped his movement and put both hands in front of his body.

Meanwhile, I picked up some pieces of rocks scattered around the ring and threw them at the supports he was using to move. As soon as he noticed this, his eyes widened in surprise.

At that moment, I secured the victory as he landed on the ground outside the ring. The place was in total silence. I looked around and noticed even Leona was staring in surprise at the arena. I turned my gaze to Saemi, Ana, Fujiwara, and Aoi; their expressions were diverse.

Fujiwara was laughing, while Aoi and Saemi shook their heads, displaying a small smile. They seemed unsure of what to do. Ana, on the other hand, gave me a thumbs-up as soon as she noticed my gaze.

After the fight, I was announced as the winner and slowly began to leave the ring, followed by my opponent who couldn't stop laughing. Honestly, I didn't understand how he could be so happy even after losing to me.

"You're really amazing. From the first time I saw you, I realized that. Just like Leona said, you're truly interesting"

Hearing his words, I turned my gaze with surprise upon suddenly hearing Leona's name.

"Oh, it looks like I caught your attention" 

He said with a smile on his face. The situation was quite strange, he seemed too old to be Leona's brother, and the chance of him being her father was nil, as her father was in the stands.

"Who are you really?" 

Hearing my words, he raised one of his hands and snapped his fingers. Immediately, a strong light erupted from where he was, forcing me to avert my gaze. As the light dissipated, I looked at him again, and the first thing I noticed was that his age was now closer to mine.

His appearance has also considerably rejuvenated compared to before. Moreover, his face bore a striking resemblance to Leona's. While Leona's other brothers also shared similar traits, he was the one who most resembled her.

"I believe you may have already noticed, but I'll introduce myself again... In fact, I think I've never mentioned my name. Nice to meet you, Makoto. You can call me Grid, I'm Leona's older brother"

As he spoke these words with a smile, he extended his hand towards me. Despite not fully understanding the situation, I decided to shake his hand as I didn't perceive any hostility.

"Anyway, congratulations on the victory. Breaking part of the arena was truly brilliant. Also, I didn't imagine you would destroy my support points. It was a complete defeat for me"

Sure, I was happy to hear that, but could that really be called a victory? In the end, I was sure I wouldn't be able to beat him without using magic. Well, anyway, I guess everyone has their strengths. To be honest, I'm far from being the fighting type.

"Anyway, if you win the tournament, do you already know what you'll ask for?"

Hearing his words, I briefly looked at him, pondering whether I should tell him or not. Although it seemed a bit strange to say that I wanted to have his sister, that would probably be considered normal here in Anima.

"Well... I intend to ask for Leona"

Upon hearing my words, Grid widened the smile on his face and nodded, keeping his eyes closed. For some reason, it seemed like he had reached some kind of revelation.

"Ah, I understand... well, since it's you, I guess I won't have to worry about my sister. Besides, from what I've noticed, you seem to have other girls, so you probably know how to treat a lady"

I unconsciously raised an eyebrow upon hearing his observation. Normally, a brother knowing that the person who wants to be with his sister has several lovers would be a reason to keep him as far away as possible. The cultural difference is really frightening, as this kingdom considers it normal.

"Anyway, even though Leona is involved, that's not why I came to talk to you"

Saying that, Grid's gaze became serious; moreover, the atmosphere around us also became noticeably darker. It was the first time I saw him with such a serious expression.

"You already know that Leona is engaged to Darian, right?"

Hearing his words, I nodded. Seeing this, Grid briefly closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly. You didn't need to be a genius to realize that something had happened between the two.