The Reborn Swordmaster
Chapter 41
BOOM!
The Arena fell silent at the thunderous impact.
Even the crowd had never seen anything like this before.
Plenty of monsters released into the Arena had shown hostility toward the spectators.
But not once had any of them actually managed to act on it.
The Arena floor and the stands were separated by a considerable height, and magical barriers also prevented monsters from approaching.
But this time, the magic didn't activate.
BOOM! THUD! BOOOOM!
The stone barrier took the Sea Serpent's repeated charges.
Stone dust scattered through the air.
Cracks spread across the structure like a spiderweb.
RUMBLE!
And finally...
One entire section of the stone barrier collapsed.
The debris crashed into the lake below, throwing up huge sprays of water.
Beyond the broken barrier, the stands were completely exposed.
The Sea Serpent raised its enormous jaws toward the spectators.
SCREEEEEECH!
Its deafening roar struck the stands head-on.
"Wh-What the hell? Is this p-part of the plan too?"
"H-Haha... That thing sure is... lively."
The spectators in the lower stands began murmuring nervously.
Yet not a single one of them immediately stood to flee.
It was almost absurd how numb they had become.
This was a stage created by the Empire.
The Empire would protect them.
The Empire was not to be doubted.
That unwavering faith seemed heavier than the massive jaws right in front of them.
In fact...
"You damn snake bastard!"
One heavily intoxicated man staggered all the way to the edge of the collapsed barrier.
"What the hell are you crawling over here for, huh?! Go over there and eat those damn fighters instead! Do you know how much money I bet on them? Hic!"
He raised his bottle and pointed angrily at the monster.
The Sea Serpent's enormous reptilian pupil slowly turned toward him.
"H-Huh?"
The drunken man found himself staring directly into the eyes of a monster of overwhelming size.
The pressure of that gaze instantly overpowered whatever intoxication remained in him.
And when the man stumbled and lost his footing...
The Sea Serpent opened its jaws as though it had been waiting.
The falling man was sucked into its mouth.
CRUNCH! CRACK!
The horrifying sound spread clearly through the silence.
The Sea Serpent shook its head as it chewed, sending chunks of flesh and sprays of blood scattering into the stands.
"...AAAAAAAH!"
"A-Aaaah! AAAAAAGH!"
The screams came a beat too late.
The crowd finally understood.
And the Sea Serpent grew even more excited.
Until now, it had faced armed fighters who fought back.
But the sight of humans turning their backs and fleeing triggered its hunting instincts.
THUD! BOOM!
The massive creature repeatedly slammed itself against the broken section.
The cracks continued spreading until they reached the spectator stands.
Then more of the structure collapsed.
It fell like dominoes.
Stone debris kept crashing into the lake below.
Large chunks of rock piled beneath the surface, causing the water level to rise little by little.
"..."
Even the fighters locked in combat stopped moving.
They had never seen anything like this either.
Riyan, however, was different.
"Aries."
Aries, who had also been staring blankly, flinched at Riyan's voice.
"Y-Yes?"
"Pull yourself together and listen carefully."
Riyan tapped Aries on the back of the neck a few times, then pulled him closer and turned his gaze toward the same direction.
He raised his sword and pointed toward the Rodus alliance galley that was beginning to collapse under enemy pressure.
"Join them immediately. Everyone's confused, so the battle has temporarily stalled, but the match hasn't officially been stopped."
"What are you talking about...?"
"Break into their collapsing battle line and turn the situation around. If you can turn defeat into victory and then win the match, you'll draw an enormous amount of attention. This is your chance to become a Champion."
"Something about the way you're saying that sounds strange. Why are you talking like you're not involved?"
"Because I'm going to deal with the Sea Serpent."
Aries's eyes widened.
"Are you insane?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"Why?"
"Well. Someone has to do it."
"Won't the guards handle it?"
"I don't think so."
Riyan lightly shook his head.
He had already seen what happened to that Trident fighter's spear.
Something had subtly redirected it.
Of course, the Sea Serpent wouldn't remain magically protected forever.
Things would change if a powerful knight arrived, or if a higher-ranking magician capable of breaking the spell intervened.
But until then, the damage would continue to spread.
Someone had to end this before that happened.
And judging by Petra's message, Riyan was the only one allowed to do it.
"I can't agree with this. If you really have to fight the Sea Serpent, then I'll come with you."
"A fighter entering the spectator stands is a serious crime. Just attempting it could get you executed."
"I'm not going there with malicious intent."
"Does the Empire look flexible enough to care? Besides, you need to become a Champion. You can't afford to give them any excuse to hold against you."
"...Then why are you doing it? Are you really planning to risk your life just to save people?"
Damn, he talks too much.
Riyan couldn't exactly tell him the truth.
That he'd secretly coordinated with the Military Commissioner's daughter.
That he was currently playing the leading role in a script she'd written.
Even if he said it, Aries probably wouldn't believe him.
In that case...
"Yes. I can't allow innocent people to die."
Better to play the righteous hero.
But Aries and the nearby fighters all stared at him strangely.
Their eyes carried the unmistakable look of people witnessing a complete lunatic.
Riyan sighed inwardly.
"Wow. Damn. Haral was actually telling the truth."
Yarik grimaced as though he'd seen something deeply unpleasant.
Riyan tilted his head.
