Chapter 9: Rising Through the Tournament

Kurumi and Hu were searching for the patron of the fighting tournament while also watching the matches unfold. The arena resembled a slaughterhouse; limbs were torn apart in every fight, blood splashing across the sand. Screams, clashing metal, and savage cheers blended into a single deafening roar.

Two names, in particular, stood out as serious threats to Sae.

The first was Harrus. His massive body made the ground seem to tremble with every step he took. He was so huge that swords and knives barely pierced his flesh. The moment he caught hold of an opponent, he showed no hesitation—he split them cleanly in half, spreading fear through sheer brute strength.

The second was a remarkably fast samurai: Cecius. His long hair flowed over his shoulders, and the stern expression on his face crushed his opponents’ morale before the fight even began. Cecius’ reputation was simple yet terrifying—he ended battles in a single strike, severing heads in seconds. He was one of the greatest obstacles standing between Sae and victory in this tournament.

As Kurumi looked at the corpses piling up in the arena, she felt her stomach churn. In Ayannon, such brutal deaths were considered normal, but Kurumi was only twelve years old. Witnessing such relentless carnage shook her deeply. Still, she forced herself to stay focused. Stopping was not an option. Her eyes continued to scan the crowd, searching for the tournament’s patron.

Meanwhile, Sae had already killed his third opponent and advanced to the next round. Seven potential enemies remained. As Sae prepared for his next match, Hu briefly glanced toward the arena.

This time, Sae’s opponent was… strange.

A killer clown.

As the clown stepped into the arena, he burst into a shrill, revolting laugh.
“Hey, runt!” he shouted. “My next trick is your death! Hahahaha!”

His laughter echoed through the stands. Kurumi and Hu stared at the arena in disbelief.

“A killer clown?” Hu muttered.
“How can someone be both a murderer and a clown?”

Kurumi nodded in agreement. It made no sense—but despite herself, the fight caught her attention. Deep down, she wanted Sae to win.

The announcer’s voice tore through the arena.
“Here he is! The killer clown who appears and disappears, carving smiles into people’s faces to make them laugh! And on the other side, the upstart who calls himself the Child Killer! Let’s see who advances—and whose corpse we’ll be cleaning up!”

The crowd went wild.
“Kill that brat!”
“Teach that arrogant little bastard his place!”

Kurumi and Hu looked at the hatred pouring from the spectators. They truly wanted Sae dead. Hu took a deep breath.

“Isn’t it ironic?” he said.
“Even if you’re a child, the moment they learn you’re from Ayannon, you’re nothing but a demon.”

Kurumi swallowed. The truth in Hu’s words only made her angrier. She clenched her fist and grabbed Hu’s arm.

“We can’t help Sae just by watching him,” she said firmly.
“We need to keep searching for the patron.”

Hu looked at her, then smiled.
“Alright,” he said. “You’re impressive—for someone on their first mission.”

They stood up. Behind them, Sae continued fighting.

The killer clown vanished in a small cloud of mist. Visibility dropped to almost nothing. As Sae scanned his surroundings, a sudden chill ran through his body. He turned just in time to see the clown behind him, grinning as he raised a poisoned dagger.

Sae leapt backward. While spinning through the air, he hurled five or six shuriken from the ground. They pierced the clown’s legs.

The clown kept smiling.
“For someone your age, your battle experience is impressive,” he said.
“I wonder how many people you’ve killed.”

Sae hesitated for a split second—then steadied himself. He threw both daggers. As the clown raised his arms to shield his head, Sae vanished from sight.

He appeared behind him in an instant.

A powerful kick sent the clown crashing into the wall. The poisoned dagger flew into the air. Sae caught it mid-flight, lunged forward, and drove it straight into the clown’s neck.

The clown collapsed to his knees. Even as he died, he continued to laugh.

Sae turned his back and walked away. The boos and objects hurled from the stands made it clear the crowd was furious about his victory.

As Sae exited the arena, Kurumi and Hu finally found the section where the nobles watched the fights. However, a new problem awaited them—several guards stood watch, heavily securing the area.

Kurumi whispered,
“So how do we get past them?”

Hu thought for a moment, resting a hand on his chin.
“Let’s wait until Sae reaches the finals,” he said.
“When he fights Harrus, the chaos will give us an opening.”

Kurumi looked back at the arena. Harrus lifted his opponent and tore him in half.

“He’s four times Sae’s size,” she said sharply.
“He could rip him apart.”

Hu placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“We have to trust Sae. They were bound to face each other eventually.”

Kurumi wasn’t satisfied, but she had no choice but to accept it. Just then, Sae stepped onto the arena to face the fast samurai, Cecius.

Cecius’ long hair swayed in the wind as he drew his sword.
“Behold—the master of speed, Cecius!” the announcer roared.
“And facing him, the Child Killer! Let’s see whose blood will spill!”

Cecius attacked. Sae blocked each strike with his daggers, never counterattacking. As the minutes passed, everyone assumed the fight would drag on.

“He’s very experienced,” Hu said. “And incredibly fast.”

Cecius swung his sword with force.
“I’m disappointed,” he said.
“I expected more from Rex’s student.”

As he raised his blade for a finishing strike, he suddenly collapsed.

The arena fell silent.

An ice spike protruded from Cecius’ heart. Sae had exploited the opening created at the moment of attack.

Kurumi and Hu stood frozen.

Then the crowd erupted.
“He used magic!”
“That’s a crime!”
“Execute him!”

Hu swallowed.
“Right… magic is a sin to them.”

As the calls for execution grew louder, Harrus crushed his opponent, becoming the one who would face Sae in the finals.

And the arena sank into the silence before the storm.