Arc 7, Chapter 64 "The Magic Words"
--The abominable artistry left behind by Olbart Dunkelkenn, the "Evil Old Man".
A secret method of Shinobi that interferes with the odes of others, causing their physical growth to regress significantly and infantilize them.
Each living being is merely a container for the Od that turns from nothingness to somethingness. Depending on the form of the Od, the size and shape of the appropriate container will differ.
Therefore, every living being takes a different form and is established as a different life form.
If that logic is correct, then if the body only serves as a container for the Od, then by changing the form of the Od, the container can be changed at will.
By compressing the Od, even the body, which is the container, can be shrunk accordingly--.
"I'm actually not sure why the previous generations of Shinobi came up with such an idea again. In the first place, how do you train your body until you're about to die, and how do you know when you're about to die?"
"That's why there's such thing as a Shinobi. When you try to become a Shinobi, you are on the road to hell, and you're just walking over a pile of corpses."
"I have one of the dozens of techniques that have to be tested with my own life before they can be recorded in the book of secrets. My secret technique...... is one of dozens, and it is no exception."
"But it's interesting how the results and effects are so far apart, isn't it? I thought it would just shrink, too, but even the inside of his head is rejuvenated just like that."
"Unfortunately, I don't understand the theory either. Just as your body shrinks to fit your body, your mind should shrink to fit your body, right?"
"Well, it's a rare trick, and you have to kill most of the people you've set up, and you never bother to find out why. In fact, it would be easier to kill them if not only their bodies but also their heads shrunk, so it's a perfect solution."
But there are some people who have been prepared for this since they were kids. You can't expect that kind of guy to have his head shrunk. --Oh, and..."
"----"
"......Anyway, I like it because it's one of the more interesting Shinobi techniques. The weaker the enemy, the easier it is to deal with them."
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--The anger, the boiling rage, heats Subaru's soul.
There is fear. There is tension. There is anxiety.
Many, many negative emotions that he can think of, maybe all of them.
But it's so hot and angry that it burns through all of that negativity, burns in a heap, burns through all of that negativity, burns through all of that carefully folded and wrapped up.
"Shit, damn it, why am I in this......!"
Shut up, you idiot. Nobody listens to you whining like that.
"I told you. I was a warrior. I can use it better than you."
Shut up, you idiot. They already know that's a lie and that you're vain.
"I told you. I'm not going to put my life in someone else's hands......"
Shut up, you idiot. You can't get through this alone. Look around you more.
--Yes, look around, properly, all the things that are available.
"Weitz, take it! They'll go after the one with the sword!"
The moment he grabbed the sword, a black lion ran furiously with a roar that roared through the gladiatorial arena.
He already knows that the aim is at him - no, at the prey with the sword. So, he pulled the sword out of his grasp and tossed it directly to Weitz, who was standing on a stick.
At first, when Subaru runs out of the room, all three are startled and freeze.
Among the three men who had thus solidified, it was only Weitz, the tattooed man who came to his senses at the last moment, who properly accepted the sword that Subaru had thrown to him.
"Kuh, kid......!"
Seeing the sword spinning and stabbing under his feet, Weitz quickly grabs the hilt of the sword.
But he properly hears Subaru's voice, so he quickly understands that the sword is a flag to change the lion's target rather than a key to defeat the lion.
The problem is--,
"G-give me the sword! That gladiator will be......"
The rust-colored hair, which then comes back to itself, tries to snatch Weitz's secured sword from his side.
Tension and fear are all that's on his mind, and his rust-colored hair is making his judgment beyond repair. If they were to engage in a sword fight, they would both fall prey to the lion's paws.
So they will stop that before it happens.
"Hiain*! Behind you!!"
"Behind, me......!?"
Just before the rust-colored hair grabs on to Weitz, Subaru calls out the name of the mosquito-ridden skalengeck - Hiain - and complains that he has imminent danger behind him.
The most timid of the three, he turns back in panic at the sound of Subaru's voice to see what he is about to be attacked by.
But there was nothing there. Subaru just wanted to turn him around.
Heaney freaked out, stiffened up, and turned around--and
"Gaaaah!"
Hiain's pinched tail struck the side of the rust-colored hair from the side. The rust-colored hair rolls away from the unexpected interference, and Weitz is saved from losing his sword.
So Weitz, properly poised, is pounced upon by a lion that has changed its target from Subaru to him.
"Get down!"
"chi!"
Hearing Subaru's voice, the lion's fangs bit right through Weitz, who crouched down. Weitz contorted his tattooed face and ducked under its belly, letting go of his sword before the next blow came.
With a pop, a lightly thrown sword lands on Hiain's chest as he unexpectedly puts out his hand.
"eh"
"----σσ"
"Hee, hyaaaaah--!!"
Naturally, the lion's share of the blame was directed toward Hein, who was not responding well.
Hiain, as if unaware of the situation, turns his back on the lion with his sword in his arms, and with his surprisingly fast escape, he quickly distances himself from the lion.
The lion relentlessly pursues and attacks it.
"While you're at it, I'll......!"
While Weitz and Hiain are working things out, Subaru runs to the wall of the gladiatorial arena. His gaze is drawn to a small handle - like a lever - attached to the wall.
At first glance, two swords, one large and one small, stuck in the ground of the gladiatorial arena caught the eye, but closer inspection revealed that these levers were quietly installed.
"What happens when you pull this!"
The lever was a little high for the child Subaru, and he jumped on it and pulled down the handle. Putting his weight on it, he forcefully lowered the lever, and a heavy sound echoed through the room.
The feeling of gears engaging and something starting to rattle and move is transmitted by a tremor from beneath his feet. It is the sensation that something mechanical has come into operation directly beneath the gladiatorial arena.
This would change things, Subaru reflected, as he looked back at the gladiatorial arena.
"Uh, waaaah--!!"
The next moment, with a sound, the gladiatorial arena was split in two by an iron fence that rose from the ground.
It is a raised wall that divides the circular gladiatorial arena into exactly two semicircles, and if used well, can drive the lions to the other side.
However--,
"----σσ"
This time, he failed because he went in the wrong direction to push.
The lion was on the front side of the fence that was up, and the fence only narrowed the space for Subaru to escape. The hunting area was smaller, and the lion's body felt as if it had doubled in size, its blood-stained mouth caught in the remnants of the thing that had been a heahine.
"Gaah"
Furthermore, a rust-colored hair rolled under the lion's feet with a bitter cry.
He was just above the fence when it was lifted. He was hit by it and unluckily fell on the side where the lion and Subaru were.
Instead, on the other side of the fence, the uninjured Weitz was stunned.
"S-stop......!"
A raised paw mercilessly broke the neck of the rust-colored-haired man on the ground.
There was a sound like ice cracking, and the scream of the rust-colored hair broke off there. When the lion couldn't get over the fence behind it, it turned its gaze toward Subaru.
The way he bends over lightly makes his skin milky as he plunges in.
The sword is at Weitz on the other side of the fence, but apparently the lion does not consider it dangerous if the attack does not reach him.
So, he runs into Subaru's direction furiously.
"Schwarz!!"
Weitz shouts. At every dangerous moment, Weitz called Subaru's name.
Of course, only if he didn't die first.
He'll keep that in the back of his mind as well--,
"--Next!"
As Subaru barks, the gladiator's sharp claws pierce his chest.
In less than a second, Subaru's body was blown in half with a shock like being struck by lightning, and his consciousness flared up in white--.
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"Idola! The fence won't hold any longer! Where's your sword?"
"It's stuck! It's too heavy! I can't move it!"
The iron fence, which is subjected to a strong body blow, distorts vigorously, and the lion twists its body to its side.
He was told that even a human could get through most tight spots if his head could fit through. Even though the shape may be much different, the feel of the face may be more easily passed through if it were a feline gladiator.
Behind Subaru, who bit his back teeth in alarm, rust-colored hair - Idola is struggling to pull out a large sword that is stuck in the ground, but he is not even spooked.
A lever to raise the fence and two swords, one large and one small. After much searching, they found only those two gimmicks. The rest will be a true contest of strength on the ground.
"Boy! What are you going to do?"
"Don't be afraid! You're your father's heir, right!?"
"--tsk, th-that's right! I'm not intimidated!"
Idola, whose voice was filled with trepidation, regained strength in his eyes at Subaru's words.
Idola is not a warrior or anything. He drifted to the Gladiator Island because he could not pay his debts and fell into slavery.
But the reason he went into debt was because he wanted to protect the family business he inherited from his father.
Idola may not be a warrior, but he really wants to be someone who is not ashamed of his father.
"Uh, ohhhh!!"
The son of a talentless miller leaned to pull it out, putting his weight on the great sword. Subaru, too, rushed to the side of the idler and put his weight on the great sword in the same way.
The lion bites from behind a fence, and behind it lie the corpses of Weitz and Hiain, both of whom have already been killed.
There was little chance of winning now. - And yet, Idola did not abandon Subaru and run away. That was a first.
"----σσ!!"
"Idola, it's coming!"
"I know!"
There was a violent creaking sound of a steel fence, and finally a lion rode over to their side.
The broken fence doesn't hurt its skin at all, which is covered with dark hair. Rather, it blames them for the pain, and rush at them with more enthusiasm.
"Guh......"
Somehow the tip of the sword managed to break free from the ground, and Idola forcefully carried it. Subaru put his hand on the tip of the sword from below and helped Idola, who was trying to swing the sword using the principle of leverage.
If Subaru pushes the tip of the sword up from below, he should be able to swing it a little lighter.
If that sword hits the lion right--,
"Goooo--!!"
"Woaaaaah--!!"
Subaru and Idola join forces and swing their swords, aiming for the face of the lion that jumps into the air.
On top of Idola's shoulder, the great sword, swung with the force of a backstroke, aimed firmly at the lion's head with miraculous timing.
But--,
"--ah"
The visible blow was mercilessly repelled by the claws of the gladiatorial beast, and Subaru and Idola, who were hit by the body with the same momentum, were blown away together.
Then they tussle in the air and become one, slamming amicably into the walls of the gladiatorial arena.
"buh"
The indistinguishable stain of the two people's blood spread over the wall.
"......next, ah"
△▼△▼△▼△
--Anger, a boiling rage, heats Subaru's soul.
"If you make them think that I'm a dangerous person...... who stole for lack of food, you can avoid a deadly situation......"
Weitz said this as he stroked his skin, which was so tattooed that nothing could be seen.
It was like he was apologizing for his apparent lack of character, but Subaru thought it was a sign that Weitz had opened up to him at the last minute.
"You guys are going to use me as bait to escape anyway! I'm...... not going to be used anymore! I won't be used!!"
Hiain said this with a sneer in his eyes, as if he were crying.
His ability to change the color of his scales to run and hide, it must have been known among his friends. He was always made to play the most dangerous role, and finally he was used as a decoy and enslaved on his own.
That cowardice was fostered by those around him. It's not Hiain's fault.
"I was deceived by someone I trusted, robbed of the family business, and then enslaved. If living honestly will only make me look like a fool, at least I'm the last one left......!"
Idola sobbed as he bit his lip in frustration and embarrassment.
He's not used to lying, and he's not going to go all the way. To begin with, calling himself a warrior because he was brought to Gladiator Island is a lie with too much second-guessing.
They would find out later anyway. Sure enough, Subaru found out right away. It was the result of cheating, though.
--They will survive this "Sparka" by working with cowards, wimps, and then con artists.
"Next time......!" "Next time" "Next!!" "Next time for sure!" "I'll try next......ti" "Next time will be......!" "I can do it next time......!" "Next!" "Next time, it wil......" "--Next time" "NEXT TIME--!!"
The contradictions that accumulate 'deaths' in order to survive are piled on top of each other more and more.
I want to hurt, I want to suffer, I want to be afraid, I want to be hard, I want to stop, I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to howl, I want to lament, I want to rant, I want to throw up, I want to refuse, I want to repent, I want to give up, I want to give up, I want to give up.
Possibilities, plucked out.
The endless possibilities, crushing, crushing, crushing, crushing, crushing the path that hits the cul-de-sac.
Twist your little body into the unknown path that will be ahead of you as you crush it.
Weitz dies, Hiain dies, Idola dies.
Of course, even Subaru has died the same number of times, and yet he still looks up and goes forward.
"Bassu, is there anything I should tell that sleeping companion of yours?"
"--NEXT TIME!!"
Yelling back at the insensitive voice, and taking on the oncoming claws and "death" all over her body, Natsuki Subaru still does not give up.
Because, because, because--,
"I ain't losing."
--He doesn't feel like he's going to lose, not in the slightest.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Oh? What did I say before? You're a smart guy, you know that?"
"You know, we were talking about the ones who are still a nuisance even though they're smaller. Even if the head shrinks, it will have half the effect on those who are prepared to remain the same. Of course, since such a person has also become smaller, it is easier to kill him."
"--But, what if. What do you think would happen if I applied this technique to someone whose body and brain were better than mine when I was smaller?"
"Oh, I know, I know. I don't think there is such a guy at all. But I am a very pessimistic old man. I've been thinking the worst, so I can harass the worst out of them. Don't you think?"
"I think that's the worst possible countermeasure to this technique. I'm afraid of those who are worse off when they shrink."
"Not only me, but getting older means giving up, compromising, and so on. What if those things disappear?"
"--Scary as hell, isn't it?"
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"Next."
--Which was too ironic a result.
The "evil old man" Olbart Dunkelkenn's techniques, and the damage they caused by "infantilization", transformed Natsuki Subaru into a child, and even his meager intellect regressed.
The knowledge and memories that are slowly being lost burns Subaru into a weak and fragile boy.
The purpose of the art is to take away the threat of its existence, both physical and mental.
It is a secret art suitable for Shinobi, who use every means to achieve their goals.
As a matter of fact, the memory fades as if peeling away from Subaru, and the precious face becomes distant.
Thus, Natsuki Subaru returned to being a young child of around ten years old, as befits his appearance.
Around the age of ten - back to the time when Natsuki Subaru was once a "child prodigy".
"Next."
Once, Natsuki Subaru was a "child prodigy".
In fact, it is not important whether he was brilliant enough to be called a child prodigy. What is important is that Subaru himself had that sense of self-affirmation.
As a child, Natsuki Subaru was confident and never doubted that he could do anything.
He pulled the children around him and never stopped believing that even the stars were within reach.
"Next."
As they grew up, that sense of self-esteem was worn away and lost to reality.
The fact that he was the best at everything he did disappeared, leaving only a sense of helplessness and frustration, not a sense of all-powerfulness, beneath Subaru, and the shining stars were hidden in the cloudy sky.
As Natsuki Subaru grew in stature, he lost confidence.
"Next."
That day when he was transported to another world was the moment when Subaru lost his most self-affirmation.
Subsequent encounters, experiences, dialogues, and actions gradually enveloped Natsuki Subaru in a new wish, and he came to recognize that his efforts were not so bad.
Yet, there was still a heart that lamented that it was not enough.
"Next."
That, what Natsuki Subaru gained and lost by growing up, disappears.
One was supposed to become weak by retreating mentally in accordance with the body that was becoming younger. Subaru is physically the same. He became weak. --But mentally, how is it?
"Next."
Once, Natsuki Subaru was a "child prodigy".
They do not know defeat, they do not know giving up, they do not know that their dreams will not come true, that they will not reach them despite their best efforts, that they will regret their lack of strength, that they will mourn in the cul-de-sac, that they will throw themselves away unfaithfully.
He just insensitively and recklessly believes he can do anything.
He was the kind of boy who could foolhardily believe that he was the center and ruler of the world.
And the magic word that sustains Natsuki Subaru's self-consciousness is--,
"--I knew it was that kid"
The boundless power that pours from those words removes the fetters from young Natsuki Subaru's mind.
More than scary, it's hateful. More than it hurts, it frustrates him. More than he wants to cry, he wants to smile.
In a country he hates, joining forces with friends he doesn't care much for, what on earth is the need to hesitate in order to return to a place where the children he loves are supposed to be waiting for him?
Hence, at this time, Natsuki Subaru is--,
"--Next."
--Since being summoned to another world, he has been the strongest being to overrun Ginunhive.
△▼△▼△▼△
"----"
Everyone was speechless and exclaimed.
Originally, the environment for the gladiators was strictly ordered by the island's owner, Gustav Morello, to quietly watch "Sparka".
So it is sort of inevitable that an odd silence envelops the gladiatorial arena.
But the silence and stillness at this time was not simply because Gustav said so.
Even if Gustav had not directed them to do so, no one would have been able to say anything. They were overwhelmed by such an uncanny sight.
"Weitz! Idola! Scatter to the left and right! Hiain, I know you're scared, but don't run! Pick up the sword, draw it, then throw it!"
The gladiatorial beast Guiltylowe flies around the gladiatorial arena furiously with a ferocious roar.
The beast, whose horns have been broken and disciplined for "Sparka", has lost its wild abandon and instead has been firmly drilled into the human threat level of the gladiator.
So, they take the initiative to target their opponents with weapons and eliminate them from danger.
However, since they have the vice of repeating that single-mindedness, you can imagine that the "combined" sides can disperse their targets by passing weapons to each other.
However, it is not uncommon to see a "combination" that fails to detect this at first sight, resulting in total annihilation.
When you can see that, a certain level of excellence is guaranteed.
But even so, the scene was unusual.
"Hahaha! Great, great! You're working so hard, Bassu!"
While everyone else loses their voice, there is one boy who claps his hands and welcomes it.
His long blue hair is tied back behind his head, and a smile graces his charming face. The boy cheers for the "union", who is fighting well in the gladiatorial arena, unaware of Gustav's words.
The four men who challenge "Sparka" continue their desperate battle, dodging the attacks of the gladiatorial beasts with a single stroke of the paper, though they are not sure if their cheering has any effect.
There are no decisive decisions, and in a sense, it is a tedious death match.
However, one point is that he does not die even though he is about to die, and the other point is that a young boy who keeps his voice up supports him, and these two points do not make the death match seem boring.
The three men who follow the boy's instructions and keep moving are also desperate.
Naturally, they have the freedom not to listen to the boy's instructions. But as long as the boy's instructions save their lives repeatedly from the gladiatorial beasts, that freedom is sealed.
In this way, the "union" is completely coordinated around the young boy, as if he were a single living being.
That only makes it defensible, whether it's because of the hopeless gap in strength or--.
"--What are you after?"
The same anticipation was becoming a flame in the hearts of the gladiators looking down on the battle.
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--Anger, a boiling rage, heats Subaru's soul.
"Death" is piling up, pain and fear are piling up, and his hands, legs, and internal organs are shrinking. When he closes his eyes, behind his eyelids he sees the face, the fangs, and the mouth of the lion he has seen so many times up close.
An immense fear comes. But with it comes a welling up. --Anger.
The frustration rouses his shrinking guts and limbs, and Natsuki Subaru opens his eyes.
To win a victory that brings them one step closer to a challenge they no longer want to count.
To prove to himself that he has no intention of losing.
"Hiain! Throw the sword to Weitz, to Idola!"
"Shit! I don't get it!!"
Hiain, who ran at great speed on all fours on the ground, tossed the sword he was holding to Weitz. As it was, he himself accelerated to join Idola at the great sword.
Weitz caught the spinning sword in mid-air, narrowly missing it, and Subaru looked over to direct his next escape maneuver.
"----σσ"
The howling lion, its feet chasing after the fleeing Hiain just moments before, stops just on the other side of the circular gladiatorial arena, which is divided in half.
At the same time, the positioning of the companions was such that they were all in front of the semicircle.
The first time everyone is alive and still ideally standing comes first.
"Weitz, get ready!! Idola and Hiain, too!"
Subaru throws his role to the three of them with such force that they spit blood from their throats.
That may not have been enough to get it all across, but Weitz faced the lion with his sword ready, and Idola and Hiain jumped to the greatsword in a hurry.
And Subaru, too, ran as fast as he could in a hapless manner and headed for the wall.
"----σσ!!"
In one or two frustratingly fast steps, a lion howled behind them.
As it is, the lion kicks the ground with an explosion-like force, and then it lunges toward Weitz, who is holding his sword at the ready.
Straight, straight, Weitz is holding his sword, but nothing can stop him if he hits him with that kind of momentum. He would die with one hit. He knows it well.
But Weitz is the only one who has the guts to stare down a lion until the very last minute.
"Uh, ohhhh--!!"
A mouth full of fishy breath, a mouth full of sword-like fangs, a mouth that has chewed up Subaru and the three of them many times, lunges at Weitz, who is holding his sword.
It was on the verge of taking Weitz's life, and then--,
"--GOOOO!!"
The moment his fingertips were on it, Subaru pulled the lever with all of his light weight.
Immediately after, the sound of spinning gears travels underfoot, and a steel fence that rises up strikes the lion in the face from directly below. The lion is struck from under the chin and its open mouth is forcefully closed.
The momentum of the rush hits the iron fence, and Weitz, who had just barely attracted the enemy, is blown away by the shockwave. and is blown away by the shockwave.
The iron fence was bent by the impact, and the lion's head came out of the bent part of the fence. The lion, which had received a hard blow to the face, scratched the ground with its front paws and seemed to be trying to break through the fence after somehow regaining its stance.
-But he won't let them do it.
"Idola! Hiain!"
"Uh, ohhhhh--h"
"Yaaaaaah!!"
Idola and Hiain rush to the fence in place of Weitz, who is blown away. In their hands were large swords that they could hardly wield.
None of them can use the weapon properly, but there is no rule that says you have to use it alone.
There is also a rule that two people must carry it and not swing it down on a person who is unable to move.
"----σσ"
A full, two-man greatsword strike fell from just above the lion's neck, which was protruding from the iron fence. The lion's screams echoed in the sky as the great sword pierced the thick beast's neck.
Blood spurts and lions lash out as if refusing to die.
"Die, die die dieeeee!!"
"Get it done--!!"
As Hiain and Idola cry out, they put their weight on the great sword and the blade buries itself more deeply into the neck. If they continue to cut off the lion's head, the long-awaited moment of victory will come.
Over and over again, those claws and fangs got him and got him and got him and got him--.
"----σσ!"
"Gah!?"
"Both of you!?"
One more step, however, and the lion does not want to be killed.
With the greatsword lodged in his neck, the lion twisted his body forcefully and pulled his right paw to this side of the fence. That paw struck away the bodies of the two men grabbing the greatsword.
With a pained cry, he saw Hiain and Idola roll rumbling on the ground.
He doesn't know how deeply they were hurt.
But it's more important to jump on that big sword than to run up to the two fallen men.
"Do you, want me to go!"
Not wanting to let him get away this far, Subaru jumps on the hilt of his great sword. But it is light. It is too light for Subaru now to replace the weight of two people, Hiain and Idola.
The great sword bites slightly deeper, but the paw swings in return.
Just like the two guys earlier, Subaru was hit by a paw, too--,
"Don't make me do it, you animal......"
His paw was skewered to the ground by a swinging sword.
The sword was thrust by Weitz, who would have been blown away by the rush. Weitz, teeth clenched and facial tattoos distorted, seals the lion's paw with his sword with all his strength.
And then--,
"You can't sleep here and call yourself a warrior!"
"Just die already, you son of a bitch!"
Hiain and Idola got up and jumped on Subaru's dangling greatsword.
With the force of three - about two and a half men, the great sword gouges deeply into the lion's neck. Weitz also stabs the lion's paw hard, and the four members of the "union" join forces to cut the lion's head off.
The lion howls and writhe loudly, and the iron fence creaks violently.
No more chances would come around. Subaru gritted his teeth and clung desperately to his great sword, saying, "I can't lose, I don't want to lose, I mustn't lose."
And yet--,
"----σσ"
Aaahhh--!!"
Shaking his head with all his might, the lion's huge body swept Subaru and the others away.
The body they clung to was ripped from the great sword, and the three of them - no, all four of them, including Weitz - fell to a rumble on the ground.
Literally, because of the deadly force, he has no strength in his limbs.
"I-I have to......"
He has to get up, he has to jump on that big sword again and cut off his head.
He thinks so, but his body doesn't listen to him. It seems that not only Subaru, but the other three are in the same situation.
Even after all this, the lions were still the most energetic.
"----σσ"
The lion roars in a low voice, with the sword stuck halfway up his neck.
It sounded more than weak, it sounded like he had built up his anger to the limit. Of course, it should have worked, but it didn't reach him until he ran out of steam with it.
"Shit......"
He tried and tried and tried, and finally he reached one more step.
Still, he couldn't reach it. He had used everything he could think of to get here.
So, next time, they won't lose.
"Next, time......"
He will get to the same place as this scene much sooner, Subaru firmly vowed.
Heedless of his oath, the lion slid through the iron fence and swung his paw, the safer one, up toward Subaru and--,
"--I'm sorry."
The next moment, the lion's thick neck was slashed off in a single breath.
"Ah?"
Subaru, who was looking death in the eye, rolls his eyes at the death of someone who is not him.
The lion's body slowly falls to the side as its severed head falls noisily to the ground. It was the great sword that had been deeply embedded in the lion's neck that did it.
As if by surprise, a small shadow fell from the sky, stepped on the great sword, and pushed it in.
So they cut off the lion's head.
And the one who had done it was--,
"......Um, why am I in this place?"
And it was Tanza - a girl with a face that did not show much emotion, but a face that was plainly troubled.
Subaru lets out a small breath at the question of the girl who has taken off her kimono and is clad only in underwear.
He can't answer anything. However, when he turned my head around, it seemed that the other three people, except Subaru, had also picked up their lives without barely dying.
In other words--,
"--That's enough! You have survived 'Sparka' well! By the authority of my profession, I accept you as a member of the Gladiator Island!"
A loud, booming voice echoed high above, Gustav's declaration signaling the end of the battle.
Immediately, the spectators who had been quietly watching the battle - no, the gladiators - stood up and shouted in unison in praise of Subaru and his team's victory.
"Well done!"
"That was a big deal!"
"You got it, little man!!"
Gustav crossed his four arms and said nothing as the voices of excited men rained down on him.
Hearing the cheers of the men, Subaru lies down on the ground. Tanza, who was approaching fearfully, looked into Subaru's face.
"Excuse me, you are......"
"Natsuki Schwarz."
"Huh?"
Seeing Tanza's surprised face and her round eyes roll even more round, Subaru rolled over, let out a long, long breath, and continued.
"I'm Natsuki Schwarz, so nice to meet you. There's a lot I want to talk about, but......"
"What about?"
"......Hold on, I need a break."
Sorry to Tanza who tilted her head, but Subaru was at the end of his rope.
The tension that had been building up in his body is now broken, and the heat in his soul, which had been boiling over, is draining away. Of course, there is still something smoldering in him that hates this situation.
Nevertheless, somehow he managed to survive "Sparka".
"Please...... I need to get some sleep."
Subaru's consciousness was suddenly cut off, as if he had fallen into a pit.
△▼△▼△▼△
"----"
Below, Gustav squints at the boy who has lost consciousness while lying sprawled out on the gladiatorial arena.
It was a tremendous battle and an unexpected outcome.
He had no idea that the boy had such a heavenly gift.
"Well, that must have been amazing, Mr. Gustav. You were right to pick up Bassu, and I'm glad you kept him and didn't throw him away! He's not my major asset, is it?"
"......Segmunt."
While Gustav was pondering this, Cecilus came up to him and spoke in a casual manner.
At the boy's words, with his hands folded behind his head, Gustave rubbed his forehead and brow with his two right arms and then,
"You had a point. Did you expect this?"
"I had high hopes, you know? I was hoping that this would happen, and it did. It was exactly what I hoped for, and it turned out to be exactly what I expected."
"......You risked your own life on such an uncertain possibility?"
"--? Yes, I did, but?"
Twisting his head, Cecilus makes a curious face.
It was as if he was asking him if he had said something funny.
If the two people he pulled up - Schwarz and Tanza - were useless, he would pay for their lives with his own, as if he had never insisted on doing so.
"In fact, it was nothing, was it? I'm not the kind of person who would be lost in a place like this! I'm not the kind of person who would be lost in a place like this for nothing!"
"Your logic is incomprehensible to my day job. Also, what did you do in that last scene?"
Gustav questions Cecilus, who smiles with a thin chest.
In the final scene, in the midst of "Sparka" in which his life was also at stake, Cecilus disappeared only once, and only for a short time.
He has a pretty good idea of what happened after that, but--,
"You're on your way to wake up a little girl."
"If you know what I'm talking about, you don't have to ask me. The first thing to do is to make sure that you have enough people to do it. That means that if she wakes up, she can join us at any time, right?"
Closing one eye, Cecilus looks up at Gustav, who has a height difference, and says, "Or,"
"Do you want to take it back now? This time the 'Sparka' was found to be fraudulent."
"--. It is not an injustice. The Emperor will be pleased with the birth of this wonderful gladiator."
"Hahaa, if I do say so myself, it looks like the Emperor is a bonus!"
"No insult to the Emperor will be tolerated. Never again."
Gustav said in a stern voice, and Cecilus shrugged his shoulders and withdrew appropriately. Exhaling through his nose at the scene, Gustav looked again at the gladiatorial arena.
Schwarz, the most meritorious, and three men would be carried out by guards who were Gustav's men. They will be treated by the healers in the healing room.
The girl, who seemed to be nowhere to be found, seemed to be following along for the time being.
"Did you survive all of the 'union' by yourself?"
It is an ending that could not have been reached without anyone's help, but it goes without saying who showed the greatest strength.
He did not overlook the tricks and weapons prepared in the gladiatorial arena, kept an eye on his friends who were in the same situation, and observed the movements of his enemies as much as possible to cross the thin thread.
As for what he saw in that settlement--,
"You see? You have a feeling that some epic story is about to begin, don't you?"
Gustav's face was stern and he kept his four thick arms crossed in silence.
* TL's note = I don't have a good translation of the names of Hiain, Weitz, and Idola. This might be edited later.
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--The abominable artistry left behind by Olbart Dunkelkenn, the "Evil Old Man".
A secret method of Shinobi that interferes with the odes of others, causing their physical growth to regress significantly and infantilize them.
Each living being is merely a container for the Od that turns from nothingness to somethingness. Depending on the form of the Od, the size and shape of the appropriate container will differ.
Therefore, every living being takes a different form and is established as a different life form.
If that logic is correct, then if the body only serves as a container for the Od, then by changing the form of the Od, the container can be changed at will.
By compressing the Od, even the body, which is the container, can be shrunk accordingly--.
"I'm actually not sure why the previous generations of Shinobi came up with such an idea again. In the first place, how do you train your body until you're about to die, and how do you know when you're about to die?"
"That's why there's such thing as a Shinobi. When you try to become a Shinobi, you are on the road to hell, and you're just walking over a pile of corpses."
"I have one of the dozens of techniques that have to be tested with my own life before they can be recorded in the book of secrets. My secret technique...... is one of dozens, and it is no exception."
"But it's interesting how the results and effects are so far apart, isn't it? I thought it would just shrink, too, but even the inside of his head is rejuvenated just like that."
"Unfortunately, I don't understand the theory either. Just as your body shrinks to fit your body, your mind should shrink to fit your body, right?"
"Well, it's a rare trick, and you have to kill most of the people you've set up, and you never bother to find out why. In fact, it would be easier to kill them if not only their bodies but also their heads shrunk, so it's a perfect solution."
But there are some people who have been prepared for this since they were kids. You can't expect that kind of guy to have his head shrunk. --Oh, and..."
"----"
"......Anyway, I like it because it's one of the more interesting Shinobi techniques. The weaker the enemy, the easier it is to deal with them."
△▼△▼△▼△
--The anger, the boiling rage, heats Subaru's soul.
There is fear. There is tension. There is anxiety.
Many, many negative emotions that he can think of, maybe all of them.
But it's so hot and angry that it burns through all of that negativity, burns in a heap, burns through all of that negativity, burns through all of that carefully folded and wrapped up.
"Shit, damn it, why am I in this......!"
Shut up, you idiot. Nobody listens to you whining like that.
"I told you. I was a warrior. I can use it better than you."
Shut up, you idiot. They already know that's a lie and that you're vain.
"I told you. I'm not going to put my life in someone else's hands......"
Shut up, you idiot. You can't get through this alone. Look around you more.
--Yes, look around, properly, all the things that are available.
"Weitz, take it! They'll go after the one with the sword!"
The moment he grabbed the sword, a black lion ran furiously with a roar that roared through the gladiatorial arena.
He already knows that the aim is at him - no, at the prey with the sword. So, he pulled the sword out of his grasp and tossed it directly to Weitz, who was standing on a stick.
At first, when Subaru runs out of the room, all three are startled and freeze.
Among the three men who had thus solidified, it was only Weitz, the tattooed man who came to his senses at the last moment, who properly accepted the sword that Subaru had thrown to him.
"Kuh, kid......!"
Seeing the sword spinning and stabbing under his feet, Weitz quickly grabs the hilt of the sword.
But he properly hears Subaru's voice, so he quickly understands that the sword is a flag to change the lion's target rather than a key to defeat the lion.
The problem is--,
"G-give me the sword! That gladiator will be......"
The rust-colored hair, which then comes back to itself, tries to snatch Weitz's secured sword from his side.
Tension and fear are all that's on his mind, and his rust-colored hair is making his judgment beyond repair. If they were to engage in a sword fight, they would both fall prey to the lion's paws.
So they will stop that before it happens.
"Hiain*! Behind you!!"
"Behind, me......!?"
Just before the rust-colored hair grabs on to Weitz, Subaru calls out the name of the mosquito-ridden skalengeck - Hiain - and complains that he has imminent danger behind him.
The most timid of the three, he turns back in panic at the sound of Subaru's voice to see what he is about to be attacked by.
But there was nothing there. Subaru just wanted to turn him around.
Heaney freaked out, stiffened up, and turned around--and
"Gaaaah!"
Hiain's pinched tail struck the side of the rust-colored hair from the side. The rust-colored hair rolls away from the unexpected interference, and Weitz is saved from losing his sword.
So Weitz, properly poised, is pounced upon by a lion that has changed its target from Subaru to him.
"Get down!"
"chi!"
Hearing Subaru's voice, the lion's fangs bit right through Weitz, who crouched down. Weitz contorted his tattooed face and ducked under its belly, letting go of his sword before the next blow came.
With a pop, a lightly thrown sword lands on Hiain's chest as he unexpectedly puts out his hand.
"eh"
"----σσ"
"Hee, hyaaaaah--!!"
Naturally, the lion's share of the blame was directed toward Hein, who was not responding well.
Hiain, as if unaware of the situation, turns his back on the lion with his sword in his arms, and with his surprisingly fast escape, he quickly distances himself from the lion.
The lion relentlessly pursues and attacks it.
"While you're at it, I'll......!"
While Weitz and Hiain are working things out, Subaru runs to the wall of the gladiatorial arena. His gaze is drawn to a small handle - like a lever - attached to the wall.
At first glance, two swords, one large and one small, stuck in the ground of the gladiatorial arena caught the eye, but closer inspection revealed that these levers were quietly installed.
"What happens when you pull this!"
The lever was a little high for the child Subaru, and he jumped on it and pulled down the handle. Putting his weight on it, he forcefully lowered the lever, and a heavy sound echoed through the room.
The feeling of gears engaging and something starting to rattle and move is transmitted by a tremor from beneath his feet. It is the sensation that something mechanical has come into operation directly beneath the gladiatorial arena.
This would change things, Subaru reflected, as he looked back at the gladiatorial arena.
"Uh, waaaah--!!"
The next moment, with a sound, the gladiatorial arena was split in two by an iron fence that rose from the ground.
It is a raised wall that divides the circular gladiatorial arena into exactly two semicircles, and if used well, can drive the lions to the other side.
However--,
"----σσ"
This time, he failed because he went in the wrong direction to push.
The lion was on the front side of the fence that was up, and the fence only narrowed the space for Subaru to escape. The hunting area was smaller, and the lion's body felt as if it had doubled in size, its blood-stained mouth caught in the remnants of the thing that had been a heahine.
"Gaah"
Furthermore, a rust-colored hair rolled under the lion's feet with a bitter cry.
He was just above the fence when it was lifted. He was hit by it and unluckily fell on the side where the lion and Subaru were.
Instead, on the other side of the fence, the uninjured Weitz was stunned.
"S-stop......!"
A raised paw mercilessly broke the neck of the rust-colored-haired man on the ground.
There was a sound like ice cracking, and the scream of the rust-colored hair broke off there. When the lion couldn't get over the fence behind it, it turned its gaze toward Subaru.
The way he bends over lightly makes his skin milky as he plunges in.
The sword is at Weitz on the other side of the fence, but apparently the lion does not consider it dangerous if the attack does not reach him.
So, he runs into Subaru's direction furiously.
"Schwarz!!"
Weitz shouts. At every dangerous moment, Weitz called Subaru's name.
Of course, only if he didn't die first.
He'll keep that in the back of his mind as well--,
"--Next!"
As Subaru barks, the gladiator's sharp claws pierce his chest.
In less than a second, Subaru's body was blown in half with a shock like being struck by lightning, and his consciousness flared up in white--.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Idola! The fence won't hold any longer! Where's your sword?"
"It's stuck! It's too heavy! I can't move it!"
The iron fence, which is subjected to a strong body blow, distorts vigorously, and the lion twists its body to its side.
He was told that even a human could get through most tight spots if his head could fit through. Even though the shape may be much different, the feel of the face may be more easily passed through if it were a feline gladiator.
Behind Subaru, who bit his back teeth in alarm, rust-colored hair - Idola is struggling to pull out a large sword that is stuck in the ground, but he is not even spooked.
A lever to raise the fence and two swords, one large and one small. After much searching, they found only those two gimmicks. The rest will be a true contest of strength on the ground.
"Boy! What are you going to do?"
"Don't be afraid! You're your father's heir, right!?"
"--tsk, th-that's right! I'm not intimidated!"
Idola, whose voice was filled with trepidation, regained strength in his eyes at Subaru's words.
Idola is not a warrior or anything. He drifted to the Gladiator Island because he could not pay his debts and fell into slavery.
But the reason he went into debt was because he wanted to protect the family business he inherited from his father.
Idola may not be a warrior, but he really wants to be someone who is not ashamed of his father.
"Uh, ohhhh!!"
The son of a talentless miller leaned to pull it out, putting his weight on the great sword. Subaru, too, rushed to the side of the idler and put his weight on the great sword in the same way.
The lion bites from behind a fence, and behind it lie the corpses of Weitz and Hiain, both of whom have already been killed.
There was little chance of winning now. - And yet, Idola did not abandon Subaru and run away. That was a first.
"----σσ!!"
"Idola, it's coming!"
"I know!"
There was a violent creaking sound of a steel fence, and finally a lion rode over to their side.
The broken fence doesn't hurt its skin at all, which is covered with dark hair. Rather, it blames them for the pain, and rush at them with more enthusiasm.
"Guh......"
Somehow the tip of the sword managed to break free from the ground, and Idola forcefully carried it. Subaru put his hand on the tip of the sword from below and helped Idola, who was trying to swing the sword using the principle of leverage.
If Subaru pushes the tip of the sword up from below, he should be able to swing it a little lighter.
If that sword hits the lion right--,
"Goooo--!!"
"Woaaaaah--!!"
Subaru and Idola join forces and swing their swords, aiming for the face of the lion that jumps into the air.
On top of Idola's shoulder, the great sword, swung with the force of a backstroke, aimed firmly at the lion's head with miraculous timing.
But--,
"--ah"
The visible blow was mercilessly repelled by the claws of the gladiatorial beast, and Subaru and Idola, who were hit by the body with the same momentum, were blown away together.
Then they tussle in the air and become one, slamming amicably into the walls of the gladiatorial arena.
"buh"
The indistinguishable stain of the two people's blood spread over the wall.
"......next, ah"
△▼△▼△▼△
--Anger, a boiling rage, heats Subaru's soul.
"If you make them think that I'm a dangerous person...... who stole for lack of food, you can avoid a deadly situation......"
Weitz said this as he stroked his skin, which was so tattooed that nothing could be seen.
It was like he was apologizing for his apparent lack of character, but Subaru thought it was a sign that Weitz had opened up to him at the last minute.
"You guys are going to use me as bait to escape anyway! I'm...... not going to be used anymore! I won't be used!!"
Hiain said this with a sneer in his eyes, as if he were crying.
His ability to change the color of his scales to run and hide, it must have been known among his friends. He was always made to play the most dangerous role, and finally he was used as a decoy and enslaved on his own.
That cowardice was fostered by those around him. It's not Hiain's fault.
"I was deceived by someone I trusted, robbed of the family business, and then enslaved. If living honestly will only make me look like a fool, at least I'm the last one left......!"
Idola sobbed as he bit his lip in frustration and embarrassment.
He's not used to lying, and he's not going to go all the way. To begin with, calling himself a warrior because he was brought to Gladiator Island is a lie with too much second-guessing.
They would find out later anyway. Sure enough, Subaru found out right away. It was the result of cheating, though.
--They will survive this "Sparka" by working with cowards, wimps, and then con artists.
"Next time......!" "Next time" "Next!!" "Next time for sure!" "I'll try next......ti" "Next time will be......!" "I can do it next time......!" "Next!" "Next time, it wil......" "--Next time" "NEXT TIME--!!"
The contradictions that accumulate 'deaths' in order to survive are piled on top of each other more and more.
I want to hurt, I want to suffer, I want to be afraid, I want to be hard, I want to stop, I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to howl, I want to lament, I want to rant, I want to throw up, I want to refuse, I want to repent, I want to give up, I want to give up, I want to give up.
Possibilities, plucked out.
The endless possibilities, crushing, crushing, crushing, crushing, crushing the path that hits the cul-de-sac.
Twist your little body into the unknown path that will be ahead of you as you crush it.
Weitz dies, Hiain dies, Idola dies.
Of course, even Subaru has died the same number of times, and yet he still looks up and goes forward.
"Bassu, is there anything I should tell that sleeping companion of yours?"
"--NEXT TIME!!"
Yelling back at the insensitive voice, and taking on the oncoming claws and "death" all over her body, Natsuki Subaru still does not give up.
Because, because, because--,
"I ain't losing."
--He doesn't feel like he's going to lose, not in the slightest.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Oh? What did I say before? You're a smart guy, you know that?"
"You know, we were talking about the ones who are still a nuisance even though they're smaller. Even if the head shrinks, it will have half the effect on those who are prepared to remain the same. Of course, since such a person has also become smaller, it is easier to kill him."
"--But, what if. What do you think would happen if I applied this technique to someone whose body and brain were better than mine when I was smaller?"
"Oh, I know, I know. I don't think there is such a guy at all. But I am a very pessimistic old man. I've been thinking the worst, so I can harass the worst out of them. Don't you think?"
"I think that's the worst possible countermeasure to this technique. I'm afraid of those who are worse off when they shrink."
"Not only me, but getting older means giving up, compromising, and so on. What if those things disappear?"
"--Scary as hell, isn't it?"
△▼△▼△▼△
"Next."
--Which was too ironic a result.
The "evil old man" Olbart Dunkelkenn's techniques, and the damage they caused by "infantilization", transformed Natsuki Subaru into a child, and even his meager intellect regressed.
The knowledge and memories that are slowly being lost burns Subaru into a weak and fragile boy.
The purpose of the art is to take away the threat of its existence, both physical and mental.
It is a secret art suitable for Shinobi, who use every means to achieve their goals.
As a matter of fact, the memory fades as if peeling away from Subaru, and the precious face becomes distant.
Thus, Natsuki Subaru returned to being a young child of around ten years old, as befits his appearance.
Around the age of ten - back to the time when Natsuki Subaru was once a "child prodigy".
"Next."
Once, Natsuki Subaru was a "child prodigy".
In fact, it is not important whether he was brilliant enough to be called a child prodigy. What is important is that Subaru himself had that sense of self-affirmation.
As a child, Natsuki Subaru was confident and never doubted that he could do anything.
He pulled the children around him and never stopped believing that even the stars were within reach.
"Next."
As they grew up, that sense of self-esteem was worn away and lost to reality.
The fact that he was the best at everything he did disappeared, leaving only a sense of helplessness and frustration, not a sense of all-powerfulness, beneath Subaru, and the shining stars were hidden in the cloudy sky.
As Natsuki Subaru grew in stature, he lost confidence.
"Next."
That day when he was transported to another world was the moment when Subaru lost his most self-affirmation.
Subsequent encounters, experiences, dialogues, and actions gradually enveloped Natsuki Subaru in a new wish, and he came to recognize that his efforts were not so bad.
Yet, there was still a heart that lamented that it was not enough.
"Next."
That, what Natsuki Subaru gained and lost by growing up, disappears.
One was supposed to become weak by retreating mentally in accordance with the body that was becoming younger. Subaru is physically the same. He became weak. --But mentally, how is it?
"Next."
Once, Natsuki Subaru was a "child prodigy".
They do not know defeat, they do not know giving up, they do not know that their dreams will not come true, that they will not reach them despite their best efforts, that they will regret their lack of strength, that they will mourn in the cul-de-sac, that they will throw themselves away unfaithfully.
He just insensitively and recklessly believes he can do anything.
He was the kind of boy who could foolhardily believe that he was the center and ruler of the world.
And the magic word that sustains Natsuki Subaru's self-consciousness is--,
"--I knew it was that kid"
The boundless power that pours from those words removes the fetters from young Natsuki Subaru's mind.
More than scary, it's hateful. More than it hurts, it frustrates him. More than he wants to cry, he wants to smile.
In a country he hates, joining forces with friends he doesn't care much for, what on earth is the need to hesitate in order to return to a place where the children he loves are supposed to be waiting for him?
Hence, at this time, Natsuki Subaru is--,
"--Next."
--Since being summoned to another world, he has been the strongest being to overrun Ginunhive.
△▼△▼△▼△
"----"
Everyone was speechless and exclaimed.
Originally, the environment for the gladiators was strictly ordered by the island's owner, Gustav Morello, to quietly watch "Sparka".
So it is sort of inevitable that an odd silence envelops the gladiatorial arena.
But the silence and stillness at this time was not simply because Gustav said so.
Even if Gustav had not directed them to do so, no one would have been able to say anything. They were overwhelmed by such an uncanny sight.
"Weitz! Idola! Scatter to the left and right! Hiain, I know you're scared, but don't run! Pick up the sword, draw it, then throw it!"
The gladiatorial beast Guiltylowe flies around the gladiatorial arena furiously with a ferocious roar.
The beast, whose horns have been broken and disciplined for "Sparka", has lost its wild abandon and instead has been firmly drilled into the human threat level of the gladiator.
So, they take the initiative to target their opponents with weapons and eliminate them from danger.
However, since they have the vice of repeating that single-mindedness, you can imagine that the "combined" sides can disperse their targets by passing weapons to each other.
However, it is not uncommon to see a "combination" that fails to detect this at first sight, resulting in total annihilation.
When you can see that, a certain level of excellence is guaranteed.
But even so, the scene was unusual.
"Hahaha! Great, great! You're working so hard, Bassu!"
While everyone else loses their voice, there is one boy who claps his hands and welcomes it.
His long blue hair is tied back behind his head, and a smile graces his charming face. The boy cheers for the "union", who is fighting well in the gladiatorial arena, unaware of Gustav's words.
The four men who challenge "Sparka" continue their desperate battle, dodging the attacks of the gladiatorial beasts with a single stroke of the paper, though they are not sure if their cheering has any effect.
There are no decisive decisions, and in a sense, it is a tedious death match.
However, one point is that he does not die even though he is about to die, and the other point is that a young boy who keeps his voice up supports him, and these two points do not make the death match seem boring.
The three men who follow the boy's instructions and keep moving are also desperate.
Naturally, they have the freedom not to listen to the boy's instructions. But as long as the boy's instructions save their lives repeatedly from the gladiatorial beasts, that freedom is sealed.
In this way, the "union" is completely coordinated around the young boy, as if he were a single living being.
That only makes it defensible, whether it's because of the hopeless gap in strength or--.
"--What are you after?"
The same anticipation was becoming a flame in the hearts of the gladiators looking down on the battle.
△▼△▼△▼△
--Anger, a boiling rage, heats Subaru's soul.
"Death" is piling up, pain and fear are piling up, and his hands, legs, and internal organs are shrinking. When he closes his eyes, behind his eyelids he sees the face, the fangs, and the mouth of the lion he has seen so many times up close.
An immense fear comes. But with it comes a welling up. --Anger.
The frustration rouses his shrinking guts and limbs, and Natsuki Subaru opens his eyes.
To win a victory that brings them one step closer to a challenge they no longer want to count.
To prove to himself that he has no intention of losing.
"Hiain! Throw the sword to Weitz, to Idola!"
"Shit! I don't get it!!"
Hiain, who ran at great speed on all fours on the ground, tossed the sword he was holding to Weitz. As it was, he himself accelerated to join Idola at the great sword.
Weitz caught the spinning sword in mid-air, narrowly missing it, and Subaru looked over to direct his next escape maneuver.
"----σσ"
The howling lion, its feet chasing after the fleeing Hiain just moments before, stops just on the other side of the circular gladiatorial arena, which is divided in half.
At the same time, the positioning of the companions was such that they were all in front of the semicircle.
The first time everyone is alive and still ideally standing comes first.
"Weitz, get ready!! Idola and Hiain, too!"
Subaru throws his role to the three of them with such force that they spit blood from their throats.
That may not have been enough to get it all across, but Weitz faced the lion with his sword ready, and Idola and Hiain jumped to the greatsword in a hurry.
And Subaru, too, ran as fast as he could in a hapless manner and headed for the wall.
"----σσ!!"
In one or two frustratingly fast steps, a lion howled behind them.
As it is, the lion kicks the ground with an explosion-like force, and then it lunges toward Weitz, who is holding his sword at the ready.
Straight, straight, Weitz is holding his sword, but nothing can stop him if he hits him with that kind of momentum. He would die with one hit. He knows it well.
But Weitz is the only one who has the guts to stare down a lion until the very last minute.
"Uh, ohhhh--!!"
A mouth full of fishy breath, a mouth full of sword-like fangs, a mouth that has chewed up Subaru and the three of them many times, lunges at Weitz, who is holding his sword.
It was on the verge of taking Weitz's life, and then--,
"--GOOOO!!"
The moment his fingertips were on it, Subaru pulled the lever with all of his light weight.
Immediately after, the sound of spinning gears travels underfoot, and a steel fence that rises up strikes the lion in the face from directly below. The lion is struck from under the chin and its open mouth is forcefully closed.
The momentum of the rush hits the iron fence, and Weitz, who had just barely attracted the enemy, is blown away by the shockwave. and is blown away by the shockwave.
The iron fence was bent by the impact, and the lion's head came out of the bent part of the fence. The lion, which had received a hard blow to the face, scratched the ground with its front paws and seemed to be trying to break through the fence after somehow regaining its stance.
-But he won't let them do it.
"Idola! Hiain!"
"Uh, ohhhhh--h"
"Yaaaaaah!!"
Idola and Hiain rush to the fence in place of Weitz, who is blown away. In their hands were large swords that they could hardly wield.
None of them can use the weapon properly, but there is no rule that says you have to use it alone.
There is also a rule that two people must carry it and not swing it down on a person who is unable to move.
"----σσ"
A full, two-man greatsword strike fell from just above the lion's neck, which was protruding from the iron fence. The lion's screams echoed in the sky as the great sword pierced the thick beast's neck.
Blood spurts and lions lash out as if refusing to die.
"Die, die die dieeeee!!"
"Get it done--!!"
As Hiain and Idola cry out, they put their weight on the great sword and the blade buries itself more deeply into the neck. If they continue to cut off the lion's head, the long-awaited moment of victory will come.
Over and over again, those claws and fangs got him and got him and got him and got him--.
"----σσ!"
"Gah!?"
"Both of you!?"
One more step, however, and the lion does not want to be killed.
With the greatsword lodged in his neck, the lion twisted his body forcefully and pulled his right paw to this side of the fence. That paw struck away the bodies of the two men grabbing the greatsword.
With a pained cry, he saw Hiain and Idola roll rumbling on the ground.
He doesn't know how deeply they were hurt.
But it's more important to jump on that big sword than to run up to the two fallen men.
"Do you, want me to go!"
Not wanting to let him get away this far, Subaru jumps on the hilt of his great sword. But it is light. It is too light for Subaru now to replace the weight of two people, Hiain and Idola.
The great sword bites slightly deeper, but the paw swings in return.
Just like the two guys earlier, Subaru was hit by a paw, too--,
"Don't make me do it, you animal......"
His paw was skewered to the ground by a swinging sword.
The sword was thrust by Weitz, who would have been blown away by the rush. Weitz, teeth clenched and facial tattoos distorted, seals the lion's paw with his sword with all his strength.
And then--,
"You can't sleep here and call yourself a warrior!"
"Just die already, you son of a bitch!"
Hiain and Idola got up and jumped on Subaru's dangling greatsword.
With the force of three - about two and a half men, the great sword gouges deeply into the lion's neck. Weitz also stabs the lion's paw hard, and the four members of the "union" join forces to cut the lion's head off.
The lion howls and writhe loudly, and the iron fence creaks violently.
No more chances would come around. Subaru gritted his teeth and clung desperately to his great sword, saying, "I can't lose, I don't want to lose, I mustn't lose."
And yet--,
"----σσ"
Aaahhh--!!"
Shaking his head with all his might, the lion's huge body swept Subaru and the others away.
The body they clung to was ripped from the great sword, and the three of them - no, all four of them, including Weitz - fell to a rumble on the ground.
Literally, because of the deadly force, he has no strength in his limbs.
"I-I have to......"
He has to get up, he has to jump on that big sword again and cut off his head.
He thinks so, but his body doesn't listen to him. It seems that not only Subaru, but the other three are in the same situation.
Even after all this, the lions were still the most energetic.
"----σσ"
The lion roars in a low voice, with the sword stuck halfway up his neck.
It sounded more than weak, it sounded like he had built up his anger to the limit. Of course, it should have worked, but it didn't reach him until he ran out of steam with it.
"Shit......"
He tried and tried and tried, and finally he reached one more step.
Still, he couldn't reach it. He had used everything he could think of to get here.
So, next time, they won't lose.
"Next, time......"
He will get to the same place as this scene much sooner, Subaru firmly vowed.
Heedless of his oath, the lion slid through the iron fence and swung his paw, the safer one, up toward Subaru and--,
"--I'm sorry."
The next moment, the lion's thick neck was slashed off in a single breath.
"Ah?"
Subaru, who was looking death in the eye, rolls his eyes at the death of someone who is not him.
The lion's body slowly falls to the side as its severed head falls noisily to the ground. It was the great sword that had been deeply embedded in the lion's neck that did it.
As if by surprise, a small shadow fell from the sky, stepped on the great sword, and pushed it in.
So they cut off the lion's head.
And the one who had done it was--,
"......Um, why am I in this place?"
And it was Tanza - a girl with a face that did not show much emotion, but a face that was plainly troubled.
Subaru lets out a small breath at the question of the girl who has taken off her kimono and is clad only in underwear.
He can't answer anything. However, when he turned my head around, it seemed that the other three people, except Subaru, had also picked up their lives without barely dying.
In other words--,
"--That's enough! You have survived 'Sparka' well! By the authority of my profession, I accept you as a member of the Gladiator Island!"
A loud, booming voice echoed high above, Gustav's declaration signaling the end of the battle.
Immediately, the spectators who had been quietly watching the battle - no, the gladiators - stood up and shouted in unison in praise of Subaru and his team's victory.
"Well done!"
"That was a big deal!"
"You got it, little man!!"
Gustav crossed his four arms and said nothing as the voices of excited men rained down on him.
Hearing the cheers of the men, Subaru lies down on the ground. Tanza, who was approaching fearfully, looked into Subaru's face.
"Excuse me, you are......"
"Natsuki Schwarz."
"Huh?"
Seeing Tanza's surprised face and her round eyes roll even more round, Subaru rolled over, let out a long, long breath, and continued.
"I'm Natsuki Schwarz, so nice to meet you. There's a lot I want to talk about, but......"
"What about?"
"......Hold on, I need a break."
Sorry to Tanza who tilted her head, but Subaru was at the end of his rope.
The tension that had been building up in his body is now broken, and the heat in his soul, which had been boiling over, is draining away. Of course, there is still something smoldering in him that hates this situation.
Nevertheless, somehow he managed to survive "Sparka".
"Please...... I need to get some sleep."
Subaru's consciousness was suddenly cut off, as if he had fallen into a pit.
△▼△▼△▼△
"----"
Below, Gustav squints at the boy who has lost consciousness while lying sprawled out on the gladiatorial arena.
It was a tremendous battle and an unexpected outcome.
He had no idea that the boy had such a heavenly gift.
"Well, that must have been amazing, Mr. Gustav. You were right to pick up Bassu, and I'm glad you kept him and didn't throw him away! He's not my major asset, is it?"
"......Segmunt."
While Gustav was pondering this, Cecilus came up to him and spoke in a casual manner.
At the boy's words, with his hands folded behind his head, Gustave rubbed his forehead and brow with his two right arms and then,
"You had a point. Did you expect this?"
"I had high hopes, you know? I was hoping that this would happen, and it did. It was exactly what I hoped for, and it turned out to be exactly what I expected."
"......You risked your own life on such an uncertain possibility?"
"--? Yes, I did, but?"
Twisting his head, Cecilus makes a curious face.
It was as if he was asking him if he had said something funny.
If the two people he pulled up - Schwarz and Tanza - were useless, he would pay for their lives with his own, as if he had never insisted on doing so.
"In fact, it was nothing, was it? I'm not the kind of person who would be lost in a place like this! I'm not the kind of person who would be lost in a place like this for nothing!"
"Your logic is incomprehensible to my day job. Also, what did you do in that last scene?"
Gustav questions Cecilus, who smiles with a thin chest.
In the final scene, in the midst of "Sparka" in which his life was also at stake, Cecilus disappeared only once, and only for a short time.
He has a pretty good idea of what happened after that, but--,
"You're on your way to wake up a little girl."
"If you know what I'm talking about, you don't have to ask me. The first thing to do is to make sure that you have enough people to do it. That means that if she wakes up, she can join us at any time, right?"
Closing one eye, Cecilus looks up at Gustav, who has a height difference, and says, "Or,"
"Do you want to take it back now? This time the 'Sparka' was found to be fraudulent."
"--. It is not an injustice. The Emperor will be pleased with the birth of this wonderful gladiator."
"Hahaa, if I do say so myself, it looks like the Emperor is a bonus!"
"No insult to the Emperor will be tolerated. Never again."
Gustav said in a stern voice, and Cecilus shrugged his shoulders and withdrew appropriately. Exhaling through his nose at the scene, Gustav looked again at the gladiatorial arena.
Schwarz, the most meritorious, and three men would be carried out by guards who were Gustav's men. They will be treated by the healers in the healing room.
The girl, who seemed to be nowhere to be found, seemed to be following along for the time being.
"Did you survive all of the 'union' by yourself?"
It is an ending that could not have been reached without anyone's help, but it goes without saying who showed the greatest strength.
He did not overlook the tricks and weapons prepared in the gladiatorial arena, kept an eye on his friends who were in the same situation, and observed the movements of his enemies as much as possible to cross the thin thread.
As for what he saw in that settlement--,
"You see? You have a feeling that some epic story is about to begin, don't you?"
Gustav's face was stern and he kept his four thick arms crossed in silence.
* TL's note = I don't have a good translation of the names of Hiain, Weitz, and Idola. This might be edited later.
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