Chapter XLIX - part 3 (Arena)

"A-Are they okay?"

"I'm not sure. Should we help them out?"

Hod and Barett become worried for the two lying down at the arena, while Valey and Cony can only watch. They didn't really know how hard it is to deal with someone acting as an alpha, and this Marksus guy is certainly causing a problem by letting his teammate do things like this.

"Hey, Hod!"

Someone approached from behind, and we all realized it was Rath. He came over from his team's position that isn't too far away from us, and it seems like he came to chat.

His eyes landed on me, and he quickly realized my presence here.

"Hey, Rize! How's things going?"

"Good."

"Really? I heard you got sick."

"I'm cured."

The conversation went so well, Rath ended up frowning. He gave up completely from talking to me and turned to Hod instead.

"You heard from her, right?"

"Yes, but my team needs to know as well. We're solving this situation together."

Hod said while pointing his thumb to us behind him, and Rath laughs.

"Right! That was our mistake. First and foremost... thanks for coming here, fellas. But, we really need your help."

Rath said while holding his chest, and I can tell he is talking from the bottom of his heart. The team quickly realized that the situation might be a lot more serious than it looks, and we all decided to hear more about this.

"Where's Fran?"

Cony asked stupidly, not realizing where Rath came from.

"She's here. Over there."

Rath pointed towards the upper left of the spectators seat, where Fran and the others from her team were seated. Fran is wearing a hood to hide her identity, but clearly it wasn't really working since her friends didn't wear one. She just sits there calmly, awaiting for a chance to jump in.

"Did she really... lose to Marksus?"

Valey asks out of concern, and Rath had trouble answering.

"Well..."

Rath peeked at the middle of the stage, where another challenger for Marksus's teammate had appeared. This new challenger has a body nearly as big as Jrake's, and his giant sword is just as big. He is basically a Jrake copycat, except that he wasn't bald and has a much tanner skin.

"I wasn't there to see it since Fran came alone, but according to the witnesses, Marksus cheated. He, alongside his underlings, made sure that Fran lost that spar, and they even made a bet that Fran ended up losing."

Hearing that, everyone opened their eyes widely.

"They... made a bet?"

Barett repeated out of the shock, and I turned my gaze to the Swordsaint in the distance. Even though she is wearing a hood, her whole attire is still clearly visible. And from that alone, I noticed one clear difference that made her stand out.

For a Swordsaint... there seemed to be something that she does not have at the moment.

"Not only that, Marksus made the audience booed at her. He paid a couple of men to control the audience, at least based on my search. 

She knew that she wasn't in the wrong, but she lost the battle unfairly, and she doesn't have anyone to cover for her. She had no choice but to accept it painfully."

Rath explained more regarding what really happened, and everyone bit their lips from anger. Meanwhile, I can already guess where this is heading.

"What is it that they were wagering?"

Barett asked, and the answer to that made everyone touch their limits.

"... Her sword."

"Wha--!"

"Are you serious??"

Everyone was so shocked at that. The sword is Fran's most important belongings. She is called the Swordsaint after all. And for a Swordsaint, her sword is the most important asset.

"Yes. She was quite confident that she could beat him. She... didn't know that he would cheat."

Rath continued, and everyone fell to silence and watched as the next guy who came to the arena was beaten very quickly by Marksus's teammate.

My eyes looked deeper into Marksus who was sitting at the spectator's seat as well. On his hip is a white handled sword along with its golden scabbard. He wasn't using that sword when fighting Julius and Calvin, so I just noticed it now.

The guy who was fighting him quickly dropped down while his sword flew five meters away. He was about to move when the guy he was fighting stabbed his shoulder using his short knife.

"What!?"

"Oi, oi, oi... that's going too far."

All of the crowd has gone wild to this. However, it seems that this is quite a normal occurrence.

All those people who came to the church... so this is what really happened to them.

Hod and Barett were shocked, but Valey and Cony couldn't move. They were even more shocked, and they couldn't mutter a single word.

"It has been like this since two days ago, when they started to rule the arena.

They came two days ago and ruled over the arena by defeating everyone. So, if anyone wants to spar, or simply wants to do anything at the arena, the adventurers will have to defeat them."

Rath explained the ground rules that have been set by Marksus and his team, and it seems like this whole thing goes far deeper than we all imagined.

Hod turned to me and realized exactly what my expression was. He turned surprised after seeing it, and he decided to ask me.

"Hey, Rize. You don't look surprised at all."

Hod said while staring at my face, and I turned my confused face to him. Everyone else realized that I've gone quite silent, and that's basically because I already knew everything. Well, most of it, anyway.

"Can I ask? Why hasn't anyone done something to stop this?"

I asked that stupid question to see what Rath might answer, and the guy only laughs.

"What do you think? One person has stood up to this. She lost, and she lost her sword. Since then, nobody else dared to."

Rath's answer confirmed my suspicions, and I only chuckled as I returned my gaze back to the arena.

And here I thought the adventurers' space was quite the wholesome one. I met so many amazing people, so many kind and helpful individuals. Never once I thought that there'd be something like this happening.

For sure, this needed to be straightened.

"Well, without a doubt, this is bullying."

Silently, I stood up. Everyone could see that I am being serious, which gets them to worry. Hod stood up to try and stop me, but I have already made my decision.

"W-Wait, Rize-"

"Right now, we can just drop in and fight him. Yes?"

I said in a hurry, cutting Hod off. The blue haired guy only look so annoyed by me.

"Yes, but Rize. Wait-"

"Let me hear your plan."

I said to Hod to see if he does have anything to say, because he certainly does. He definitely did not come here without a plan, since that's just the kind of guy he is.

"We ambush him when he is doing something horrendous. However, we can only do that when he is--"

"Is that so? I have a better plan."

I said confidently, and I turned my gaze to the arena. The situation down there seemed to be calming down, and my window to jump in might disappear soon.

"What about destruction on the arena? Will I be having the consequences?"

I asked just in case, and Rath stepped forward.

"Any damages to the arena will be repaired immediately during the evening by the Offi-"

"Rath, don't tell her!!!"

Hod shouted at Rath, which seemed to be startled. I only grinned seeing them so conflicting.

"This morning... I had five adventurers coming to my healing act. I had to heal their wounds while listening to their stories."

Everyone fell into silence as I told them my story. Certainly, they did not expect me to know anything.

"They weren't wounded because they fought monsters or beasts. They were wounded because of them."

I said while staring coldly at the bastards in the distance, and everyone realized right away what I wanted to do the most. KNowing this, Hod let out a sigh.

"Rize... I have a plan."

"I know, Hod. My plan is better."

I said with a wide grin to him, and Hod once again facepalmed. Everyone else only turned silent as the team leader made his decision, and Hod waved his hand around as he accepted this insanity.

"Fine. Beat them up."

Hod gave up after pondering for a while, and everyone grins at him. I returned him with a smile as well, and I turned my cold eyes back to the bastards in the arena.

Seems like... I will be doing some light stretching before the real battle begins.

From that moment on, I released the cover of my pressure. The pressure startled Cony and Valey, along with Hod, Rath, and Barett next to me.

Sensing immense pressure coming from the spectators seat, the guys in the middle of the arena looked up. Not only them, the whole arena also looked over here, including Fran.

"That girl..."

"Rize."

Fran's teammate, Brod, reminded Fran about my name.

"Oh dear… Is she going?"

"Most likely."

Brod always had a way with speculating the future. And if he says so, then Fran had no choice but to believe him.

"Who's that!?"

The solo challenger in the middle who stabbed the shoulder of his sparring enemy quickly shouted towards us. But since a few people were standing from our side, he couldn't tell who unleashed that pressure.

"Hey, guys."

Everyone else looked at me, who was glaring at them calmly and trying hard not to blow up right there and then.

"Permission to do this?"

I looked at them, specifically at Hod. He's the team leader, so he calls the shots.

Hod just lets out a sigh and lifts a thumbs up. He then turned the thumb downwards while grinning cunningly.

"Give them hell."

The others were quite satisfied by his answer, and I only laughed a little.

I nodded at him, at the team, and I turned to Rath.

"Destruction in the arena will be fixed and no punishment will be given, right?"

"Y-Yes, but try not to destroy anything! It took them three months to reconstruct this arena!"

Rath replied quite panicking, and I bet he needs to say that so he doesn't get in trouble.

Well... let's just hope that I don't destroy too many things. I might break a couple bones, though.

"That's good."

I looked at the guy in the middle of the arena. He seemed to have guessed that the pressure came from me, because he is lifting his short sword at me. So, I just have to answer the invitation.

I enhanced my legs with a bunch of magic energy. With a single leap, the ground where I stood exploded and I landed on the arena, right in front of the guy.

BLARRR!!!!!!

The ground where I landed exploded, and my soon-to-be opponent covered his face with hands from the dust. 

You guys seemed to be having a lot of fun bullying people.

Care if I join in and reverse the party?