NOVPUBAs more platforms turned green, signaling the end of each fight, Luka leaned back in his seat and yawned.
One by one, combatants finished their matches—some emerging victorious, others limping away in defeat.
Luka's gaze drifted across, waiting.
He wasn't particularly invested in any of the fights, but he knew one match would be worth watching.
Then, finally, the moment arrived.
Arthur stepped onto a platform.
He moved with a natural confidence, his sword resting easily in his hand.
His usual charismatic smile played on his lips, but his sharp gaze was searching—looking for someone.
'I hope the Second Princess is watching…' The thought lingered in his mind.
Ever since their brief encounter, Arthur hadn't been able to forget about her.
'If only I had the chance to speak with her properly, to make a lasting impression—perhaps we could have become friends, or at the very least, acquaintances…'
But that moment never came.
Because of a certain someone…
Arthur sighed, pushing down the irritation that threatened to surface, as he caught sight of that certain someone.
Then, his opponent arrived.
Vincent.
The young noble son of a duke strode onto the platform, twirling his sword between his fingers before letting the tip tap against the ground with a sharp clink.
His expression was as smug as ever, arrogance dripping from his every move.
He didn't even try to hide his disdain as he eyed Arthur from head to toe.
"It seems we meet again," Vincent sneered, rolling his shoulders.
"The Second Princess won't be able to save you this time, commoner. Prepare yourself for a proper beating."
Arthur remained unbothered, twirling his sword absentmindedly in one hand before flashing his opponent a bright, toothy grin.
"You talk a lot for someone that is going to lose," he said smoothly.
"…" Vincent's smirk twitched, but he masked his irritation with a chuckle. "We'll see about that."
His grip tightened around his weapon. 'I'm going to kill…'
"Indeed, we will." Arthur, however, remained composed, relaxed even.
He'd fought plenty of people back at his home village—and so he could already see the flaws in his opponent's stance.
He shifted slightly, lowering his sword just a fraction.
It was then did the countdown began.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
DING!
Despite the fight having started…
Arthur nor Vincent attacked.
Instead…
Arthur stood his ground, placing his free hand behind his back while raising his sword forward in a relaxed yet taunting stance.
His expression remained composed.
Across from him, Vincent gripped his sword with both hands, his muscles tense as he prepared to strike.
Then, Arthur tilted his head slightly and smirked.
"Come at me, pussy."
Vincent's expression twisted into one of pure rage. His teeth clenched, and his face turned red with fury.
"I'll wipe that damn smile off your face, you commoner!" he roared.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, activating a series of skills in rapid succession.
[Lesser Stamina Boost]
[Lesser Strength Boost]
[Lesser Flow Acceleration]
A surge of energy rushed through Vincent's body, making him feel lighter, faster, and stronger.
Time seemed to slow slightly in his mind as he closed the distance between them in an instant.
His sword swung high above his head, ready to cleave Arthur in two.
The moment of impact arrived.
Arthur whispered, "Is that all you got?"
Whoosh!
Vincent's sword sliced through nothing but air.
A brief gust of wind trailed the strike, dispersing like a phantom had just vanished from existence.
The spot where Arthur had stood was empty.
"What?!" Vincent's eyes widened in disbelief.
A few feet away, Arthur reappeared casually, his stance unshaken.
"Ouch," he mocked, shaking his head in feigned disappointment.
"All those skills… and you still couldn't land a hit? Embarrassing."
He had activated [Air Escape], a skill that consumed a lot of stamina but allowed him to reposition instantaneously.
It was a small price to pay for the satisfaction of humiliating Vincent, especially after he had dared to disgrace him in front of the Second Princess.
Arthur's smirk deepened as he twirled his sword.
"Come on. Surely a noble like you can do better than this?"
Vincent's fury burned hotter than ever.
He bit his lip hard enough to taste blood, his breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts as he struggled to rein in his emotions.
But restraint had never been his strong suit.
With a guttural roar, Vincent screamed, "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"
Once again, he activated his skills in a desperate attempt to overwhelm Arthur.
[Lesser Stamina Boost]
[Lesser Strength Boost]
[Lesser Flow Acceleration]
Vincent lunged forward like a mad beast, swinging his sword in a vicious horizontal arc, aiming to cleave Arthur in two.
But—clang!—his blade met steel.
Arthur intercepted the strike with a single hand, barely even shifting from his spot.
"You…" Vincent's hands trembled under the pressure of the clash, his grip unsteady, his arms burning from the effort.
"This is too easy." Arthur, on the other hand, remained the same.
Vincent staggered back, eyes wide, disbelief twisting his face into something ugly.
"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW CAN A MERE COMMONER BE BETTER THAN ME WITH A SWORD?!"
His frustration exploded into reckless aggression.
With a wild scream, Vincent swung again, and again, and again—his blade becoming nothing more than a blur of desperate, untamed slashes.
But it was pointless.
Arthur deflected every strike with ease, barely exerting himself.
He weaved between Vincent's frenzied attacks, his sword movements precise, controlled, effortless.
"So boring~" Arthur sighed.
"I expected some level of skill, but this? This is pathetic."
Vincent's face twisted in rage. "SHUT UP!" he roared.
But before he could bring his blade down again, Arthur acted.
Without warning, he spat directly into Vincent's face.
Who then flinched, his eyes snapping shut in pure reflex. "What the—?!"
Arthur smirked. "Bye-bye~"
He clenched his free hand and activated a skill.
[Lesser Strength Boost]
Power surged through Arthur's arm as he drove his fist directly into Vincent's stomach.
The impact was brutal.
A sickening thud echoed through the stadium as Vincent's body lifted off the ground, his feet momentarily leaving the platform before he was sent flying backward.
He crashed onto the floor, tumbling like a ragdoll before coming to a stop.
His body twitched, blood dripping from his lips as his consciousness wavered.
Vincent's fingers twitched weakly before his grip on his sword failed, the weapon clattering to the ground beside him.
"Welp…" Arthur approached, looking down at the broken noble with a mixture of disappointment and satisfaction.
"I made a mistake earlier, thinking I should hold back," he murmured.
Then, with a casual shrug, he added, "Consider this my redemption."
With that, he kicked Vincent's limp body aside like discarded trash before turning away.
As Arthur walked off the platform, medical staff rushed past him, tending to the unconscious noble.
