Chapter 157

"Lord Kor, the match will begin shortly. Please follow me."

Kinaine, who had finished preparing in the waiting room, rose from his seat at the sound of the servant calling him. In truth, even without the servant's guidance, he knew the structure of this arena well.

After passing through a dark, long corridor, bright light soon appeared. Kinaine looked at the arena filled with spectators. Originally, this space was used for knights' training or duels, but it had been specially opened for this tournament.

His opponent was not yet visible. Kinaine turned his head from the empty opposite side to look east. There stood the royal family's exclusive viewing area. Once, Kinaine too had sat there watching knights' competitions.

Kinaine's gaze turned toward the woman sitting in the queen's seat and the young prince beside her. But the queen's face was strangely familiar. After pondering deeply, Kinaine soon realized the queen's identity. It was Princess Liliana, with whom he had once been in marriage talks, and who had eventually tried to drug and assault him when he refused.

His first thought was that his father would have been pleased. After all, his father had wanted him to marry Princess Liliana. The only reason was that she was a rare dominant omega.

The Hairak royal family was terribly obsessed with dominant traits. Hasan's twisted desires had essentially begun from this abnormal obsession passed down through generations. Of course, that didn't mean Hasan's actions could be forgiven.

As Kinaine was lost in thought looking at the queen, he soon felt a piercing gaze. Unconsciously clutching his stinging chest, he slightly turned his head and met eyes with the silver-haired man who was staring at him intently. His expression was fierce, as if deep in thought. So much so that the queen and prince sitting beside him had turned pale. Especially the young prince, whose face suggested he might have wet himself.

He wouldn't even remember, Kinaine thought. Was his intuition that good?

Kinaine wanted to smile at him, but since it would be problematic to appear intimate with Asad in front of everyone, he had no choice but to look away.

He was staring so intensely.

Even without looking, Kinaine could feel Asad's gaze toward him growing sharper. Fortunately or unfortunately, because of this, everyone present seemed to think that the dragon didn't particularly like him. It was according to plan, but... somehow it didn't feel comfortable.

A moment later, finally, an armed man walked out from the opposite side of the arena.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please win!"

The spectators' cheers echoed. They were all favorable toward Hasan. Kinaine wasn't surprised that Hasan's reputation was different from outside the capital. After all, the attitudes of those abandoned and those protected toward Hasan would naturally be different.

Before the match began, Asad, who had been sitting, rose. Though he had already been drawing people's attention, it was nothing compared to when he walked down to the arena through the air as if there were invisible steps.

Exclamations of awe burst out from everywhere. Even those who had doubted whether Asad was truly a dragon had to accept the fact that this man was a dragon at this moment.

Asad, who had slowly walked down from the air, stood between Kinaine and Hasan.

"Kinaine Hairak."

At his name from Asad's lips, Kinaine almost flinched. Fortunately, he succeeded in not showing his agitation, but it felt strange.

Asad, who had been looking at Hasan, turned his head to stare at Kinaine.

"And Kor."

His voice was cold. Kinaine couldn't tell if Asad was acting well or if his mood had soured because Kinaine had stared at the queen for too long.

In any case, it was effective. Asad seemed like a complete stranger to him. No, it almost felt as if there was some animosity. Hasan must have sensed this too, as the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

Asad took his eyes off Kinaine and looked at the spectators. Though positionally he was looking up at the audience, somehow it felt as if he was looking down on everyone.

"The one who emerges victorious in this match will have their wish granted."

Though he didn't shout, his voice echoed throughout the arena, perhaps due to magic.

"Wooooah!"

A thunderous cheer shook the arena. A wish granted by a dragon was popular both in the human realm and the spirit realm. Although the wish attached to this tournament would be limited.

Kinaine and Hasan faced each other. As the two stood close, the difference in height and build became noticeably apparent.

He could have changed his physique with magic, but he didn't. This was because fighting with an unfamiliar body could lead to misjudging distances. For someone who needed to settle the match as quickly as possible, even a small mistake could result in a significant penalty.

Kinaine bowed his head first.

"It is an honor to cross swords with Your Majesty."

"Yes, I too will give my best in this match."

Hasan answered leisurely. Seeing Kinaine up close, he seemed to have found much more composure than before. This was probably because the Kinaine he faced looked even more pathetic than he had thought.

Unlike Hasan, who wore armor and held a fine sword, Kinaine had not worn armor for mobility and was holding a standard-issue sword. Hasan must have felt there was no need to be afraid, given his superiority in both physique and equipment.

Thanks to this, Kinaine could tell that Hasan hadn't recognized him at all.

The two faced each other, bowed, turned around, and stood in their designated positions.

Asad's body rose into the air again.

"Well then, I hope to see an interesting match."

The match began.

Kinaine moved without delay. He needed to end it at once, while the other was off guard.

His figure shot out like an arrow as he kicked off the ground.

"Gasp!"

Hasan hurriedly raised his sword to block the opponent's strike. Though he had watched the matches from afar, the speed was unbelievable when facing him directly. He couldn't help but realize why opponents who had faced this man had been defeated in less than a minute.

But there's a reason he uses quick swordplay.

The moment their swords met, Hasan noticed that this man's strength was as weak as his frail-looking face suggested.

If we clash in terms of strength, I'll win.

Hasan twisted his lips and put strength into the hand holding his sword.

However, his opponent acted as if he had anticipated that Hasan would exploit his weakness.

As if the difficult clash had actually been a trap, the opponent's sword flowed down Hasan's like a snake. Hasan's eyes widened. Unable to control his own strength, Hasan showed a momentary opening. A very slight gap created by carelessness and arrogance.

His opponent wasn't slow enough to miss that opportunity.

Boom!

A thunderous sound shook the arena.

"W-what's happening!"

The spectators scattered in panic. The arena was clouded with sand dust, making it impossible to see what had happened. But everyone knew that such a sound couldn't have come from the clash of swords.

As time passed, the sand dust finally settled, revealing the situation in the arena.

"That's..."

The center of the arena was deeply dented. Above that pit, the king stood with a bewildered expression, looking inside.

Inside the pit, the brown-haired mercenary who had been dueling with the king was kneeling on one knee. He was holding the hilt of a sword, but the blade was nowhere to be seen.

People didn't see it, but the blade had shattered from the impact. If the sword fragments that had flown in all directions had been embedded somewhere in someone's body, they would not have been unharmed, but fortunately, that didn't happen.

The silver-haired man now standing in front of the mercenary wore a frighteningly cold expression.

"You cheated."

The voice, as cold as his expression, pierced everyone's ears. Cheated? The spectators stirred. To them, the king was a hero who had vanquished the black mage, and an excellent leader who had protected them from magical beasts. The dragon's declaration that such a king had cheated in a duel was enough to create confusion.

The king hurriedly opened his mouth.

"No, Lord Asad! Let me explain."

"Do you think I wouldn't know what that object is?"

"......"

"To participate in a duel while possessing such a thing. It was an unfair match from the beginning. You lose by disqualification."

At Asad's declaration, a look of dismay crossed Hasan's face.

Why did things turn out like this?

Naturally, Hasan had come to the arena wearing the bracelet. Not only was he anxious without it, but above all, he hadn't thought his opponent would threaten his life. Besides his skill, he was the king of this country.

However, Hasan's expectations were off the mark. The blade that had been flying toward his neck was still vivid in his mind. That mercenary had truly intended to sever the king's head.

Moreover, that wasn't the only variable.

Originally, it only blocked attacks.

For some reason, the bracelet had shown an ability he had never seen before. Not only had it defended against the opponent's attack, but it had gone a step further and attacked as well.

As a result, Hasan found himself in this difficult situation.

This won't do. I can't let such an opportunity slip away in vain.

At this rate, he wouldn't even be able to use the method he had prepared just in case. If the dragon left disappointed in him, there would be no next opportunity.

He had to make a decision.