Chapter 142. Passport Issuance in Progress
“In the blue corner~! The champion of the Haemo Church~! Height, 2 meters 25! Weight, 156 kilograms! Unofficial record! 132 matches, 102 wins, 28 losses, and 2 draws!!! Fighting to defend the honor of the Haemo Church~!!! Ha~shi~daba!!!”
“WAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
Beneath countless lights bright enough to hurt the eyes, a huge man slowly walked out.
The round full moon hung above the roofless arena.
It was as if everyone had become intoxicated by the mana flowing from the moon.
The crowd went half-crazy with excitement at his appearance.
The fierce-looking man seemed slightly uncomfortable with all that excitement.
His entire body was covered in blue, ritual-like tattoos.
Despite his enormous size, he lightly hopped onto the prepared ring and looked around.
“And in the re~d cor~ner!!! The Indomitable~ Hero!!! The ruler of the arena~!!! Height, 178 centimeters! Weight, 81 kilograms! His first! Arena appearance~!! Kim~ In~gwang~!”
“BOOOOOOOOO!!!”
Countless boos poured down on me until my ears hurt.
Most of them were probably from people who had lost money because of me.
My equipment was the same as usual, except for one thing.
My weapon.
The throwing spear was obviously too overpowered, so I left it out.
Instead, I had equipped something Pie gave me as a present.
It was similar to Lux Mea.
My skill with it had improved quite a bit while no one was looking.
Now I could even make a fist while wearing it!
From the outside, my hand probably looked like I had bent my fingers into a weird right angle, but it made punching much easier.
And I no longer had to worry about breaking my fingers whenever I attacked.
“Indomitable Hero. I have heard much about you. They say your combat ability is pathetic.”
“Yeah.”
“You do not even possess any spirit.”
“That’s true too.”
“Pathetic! And you still dare call yourself a Hero?!”
“...Yes!”
How did things end up like this?
That required going back a little.
Though the story itself was short.
“Knock, knock, knock! Who is it? It’s me!”
“...Uncle, could you please take this at least a little seriously?”
That happened around lunchtime on the day we stopped by Karantlia.
There, we received a direct but gentle refusal.
“I truly am sorry, but with our current circumstances, we cannot afford to antagonize the Haemo Church. Unlike human armies, they are skilled at fighting on the sea.”
At least I managed to get something like a Sea God’s talisman before leaving.
‘Yeah. I expected this much.’
‘There was no way things would go smoothly.’
I needed to reach the place Grandpa Darkness had told me about, the place where the Chairman’s past was supposedly hidden.
But I kept being forced to take detours.
Naturally, I was getting impatient.
So I couldn’t exactly look kindly upon the Haemo Church for standing in my way.
What?
They had a powerful army?
So what?!
What?!
They were the only ones who knew how to enter the Isolated Sea?
So what?!
...
Huh?
They were offering people as living sacrifices but weren’t being sanctioned for it?
H-Huh?
They possessed a huge territory that belonged to no country?
Like the Hall of Fame?
...Wait.
“...I can’t help being nervous!”
“Then you should behave even more carefully! What kind of lunatic gets nervous and kicks down someone else’s front door?!”
I knew I had done something wrong.
At first, I had tried spreading out my chains like I did at Karantlia or the tower in the Hall of Fame.
But after discovering that the security magic spread throughout the area prevented it, I got nervous.
So I did something stupid to establish dominance.
“...Aren’t you the Indomitable Hero? I heard an angel personally descended and guided you.”
The Haemo Church’s headquarters had been built on top of a steep mountain.
It reminded me of those schools built on hills where simply walking to class every morning would make your leg muscles bigger.
Almost everyone living here looked strong.
According to the setting, the sea itself was practically a massive lump of energy.
And the Haemo Church worshipped that very sea.
So maybe it was only natural that their members were stronger than average.
That was probably also why the balding middle-aged man in priestly robes standing before me had such an absurd build.
“There is one thing I wish to ask. I heard the angel who descended before you wore blue silk robes.”
Priests normally wore either white or black.
But every single person here wore clothing in shades of blue.
...
Wait.
Were these guys thinking that an angel serving their god had descended before me?
‘...Is this an opportunity or a crisis?’
Would they think—
‘I’ve worshipped our god for much longer! Why did the angel choose that bastard?!’
Or—
‘Well, if our angel acknowledged him, then he must be legit lol.’
I definitely didn’t want the first reaction.
But the second was absolutely necessary if I wanted to create the atmosphere I was hoping for.
Life...
Was gambling!
“Were the rumors not enough?”
“...I see. So that is how it is....”
Silence continued for quite some time.
We were inside a dark building.
Seawater covered the floor deeply enough to splash whenever someone moved, filling the air with a strong salty smell.
The middle-aged man looked like someone who could throw down with the best of them.
Having someone like that crouching in a place where barely any light entered while silently staring at me was incredibly intimidating.
Eventually, he spoke.
“Then we only need to test you.”
[Quest Generated! ‘A New Champion!’ - The Haemo Church is somewhat confused by your sudden appearance, but they have reached their own answer! Defeat one of the Haemo Church’s champions in battle and become a Champion of the Haemo Church!]
[Success Reward - Key of the Serpent Encircling the Sea. Contribution with the Haemo Church. You will leave a bad impression on other religions!]
“Even our champions cannot easily enter and leave the Isolated Sea. The only person capable of freely passing through is probably the legendary blacksmith who personally reinforced the gate to the Isolated Sea.”
Hmm...
If he was a champion, he had to be insanely strong, right?
In that case, it would probably be best to let Modak, who was still the number-one damage dealer in our party, handle the fight.
They weren’t sending out their leader either.
They were sending out a champion.
So surely I could send out my own champion too.
“Then our champion will be—”
“You.”
“Huh?”
“You, Indomitable Hero. You will be the challenger.”
“...Come on~ You’re joking.”
“Do you not even possess the Sea God’s talisman? Among everyone standing here right now, is there anyone more deeply loved by Haemo than you?”
“...Excuse me?”
Everyone inside the building stared at me.
I wasn’t weak enough to shrink away just because people glared at me anymore.
But this was seriously awkward.
“We will contact you soon. I hear that you operate an arena. We shall meet there.”
“???”
“If you refuse, understand that you will never reach the Isolated Sea for as long as you live.”
“...Holy moly....”
And so...
I ended up standing on a specially constructed arena!
One we spent actual money to make!
It was a wide battlefield filled with seawater deep enough to cover the ankles, apparently the favorite environment of Haemo Church warriors.
“Both sides! Swear to engage in a fair duel!”
“To prevent foul play, each side will put something precious on the line as collateral. Tell us when both parties are ready.”
A priest from the Haemo Church and the Village Chief were acting as referees.
Was this how the gladiators in my arena always felt?
It wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling.
Countless eyes filled with greed stared down at me.
Others were filled with contempt.
Being surrounded by those gazes felt suffocating.
Suffocating?
Why did it feel suffocating?
What exactly was bothering me?
The Haemo Church champion raised his right arm.
“I stake my right arm! If I cheat during this duel, cut it off!”
He confidently held it up.
The man fought using his fists without any other weapons.
If a fist fighter was putting his arm on the line, that was basically the same as wagering everything.
In other words...
This bastard was confident enough in this fight to gamble something that precious.
Meaning someone like me looked completely insignificant to him.
I could roughly guess how they felt just by looking toward the sea of blue in the distance.
The Haemo Church members were openly sneering at me.
“...Let’s do this instead.”
Tap.
I pushed away that suffocating feeling.
Then I took one step toward the Haemo Church’s champion.
Ha...
Seaweed?
Haedashida?
Whatever.
Mr. Dashida.
I placed my hand firmly against his chest.
Clatter!
Then I pulled it out.
A blazing Indomitable Chain connected directly to his soul!
I had gotten so used to doing this that the chain instantly dug into his body.
Mr. Dashida jumped in shock.
“Kugh! W-What is this?!”
Just look at that surprised face!
Did I scare you?
Want me to scare you even more?
I snatched the microphone and declared—
“The collateral will be our souls!”
Everyone froze.
“Your soul and mine! The loser gets their soul taken!”
“!! What kind of nonsense is that?!”
With the microphone in hand, I slowly walked one lap around the arena while looking over the audience.
The noise gradually died down.
Then I pulled a chain from my own chest and handed it to the Village Chief.
The audience here was probably familiar with this sight.
We had occasionally held special-event matches before.
One-round battles with souls on the line.
And now...
The owner of the arena himself was about to do it.
Naturally, everyone’s attention focused on me.
Though plenty of those gazes still contained ridicule.
“I knooow very well.”
I pointed toward the crowd.
“Every last one of you bastards bet on Mr. Dashida over here.”
I grinned.
“You all came here because you heard rumors that I’m weak, didn’t you?”
For a Hero, I was weak.
I was someone who supposedly accomplished everything through the strength of my companions.
What annoyed me a little was that rumors were even spreading that my companions had done everything during the Demon Realm incident too.
...
I knew it myself.
I was weak.
My skills and character development were focused on creating a durable tank.
So from a damage perspective, I really was quite weak.
Fusing with Modak normally covered that weakness.
But right now, even that option was unavailable.
In other words...
I didn’t really have a clear way to win.
Still—
“I’ll show you properly!”
I pointed toward the spectators.
“Everyone who bet on me as the underdog is going to make a fortune today!”
Then I turned toward everyone who had taken the safe bet.
“So all you favorites-betting bastards better put your hands together and start praying!”
BANG!
SKREEEEEEE!
I smashed the microphone against the floor.
A horrible screech exploded from the speakers.
A small number of underdog bettors erupted in cheers.
The angry favorite bettors showered me with boos.
But somehow...
They sounded excited too.
Among all the cheering and contempt, eyes filled with clear anticipation were fixed upon me.
They expected me to show them an incredible duel.
“Mr. Dashida! You ready?”
I grinned at him.
“The loser gets their soul ripped out. One of the guys I raised is called the ‘Undertaker.’ He can collect souls. He’ll personally come and take yours.”
Then I leaned closer.
“You know what that means, right? Resurrection magic won’t work either.”
“...You bastard! What kind of trick is this?! And you still call yourself a Hero—!”
“Why?! You scared?!”
I shouted over him.
“And besides! I heard you damn bastards are all bad guys! If I’m a Hero, then this is exactly what I should be doing!”
I threw my arms wide.
“Our angel wants it this way!”
“?!!”
“A death match with our lives on the line! One round! Best two out of three? Best three out of five? A tournament?!”
I jabbed a finger toward him.
“No, old man! This is a straight-up soul-versus-soul fight!”
“If you’re scared, tuck your tail between your legs and get the hell out right now!”
“....”
His eyes shook from my relentless character-deletion-match provocation.
I could practically see what was going through his head.
‘Does he have something?’
‘Is he hiding something?’
‘He’s wearing equipment he didn’t have before.’
‘And he looks much more confident than he did then...’
‘Were the rumors wrong?’
...
Of course I had something.
I wasn’t some idiot who charged in blindly without any reason.
I just needed a little preparation.
“The soul of a Hero loved by the sea!”
I spread my arms.
“If you want it, come and take it!”
Then I grinned.
“Actually, even if you don’t want it, come anyway! Get over here right now!”
I turned.
“Village Chief! Countdown!”
“Yes! Then! Ten seconds from now, the duel will begin!”
The Village Chief loudly announced the rules.
“Defeat means only death! Only death may end this duel!”
“Only warriors courageous enough to accept that condition should remain inside the ring!”
He raised one hand.
“Then! Ten!”
I didn’t move.
I didn’t even look toward the chain connected to my chest.
That confidence alone would complicate Mr. Dashida’s thoughts.
“Nine!”
Mr. Dashida looked at the chain.
After instinctively realizing that it was connected directly to his soul, fear once again shook his eyes.
“Eight!”
This was a world where resurrection magic existed.
Death hurt.
But death itself did not always feel like an overwhelming threat.
Which made something else even more terrifying than simple death.
Having your soul stolen.
Never being able to return to life.
“Seven!”
His overwhelming confidence as a champion.
The responsibility of representing the Haemo Church.
The duty telling him he had to win.
And matching all of them—
Fear of death.
“Six!”
A Hero was still a Hero.
Could he truly look down on me without hesitation?
I had instantly transformed even the people who had bet against me into spectators watching with shining eyes.
Was I really someone he could dismiss so casually?
“Five!”
Was it really right to throw himself into an unknown danger?
He was a champion of the Haemo Church.
One of the pillars supporting the organization.
He couldn’t afford to get seriously injured so easily.
If his existence was shaken, the Haemo Church itself would be shaken.
“Four!”
Running away.
Standing his ground.
Neither decision was easy anymore.
Fighting against someone who had shaken him this deeply with only a few words...
That couldn’t be easy.
“Three!”
Mr. Dashida stepped forward.
Fear still remained on his face.
But there was also determination.
That was an expression I should normally have been making.
The positions had completely reversed.
My first buildup was complete!
Ah!
The suffocating feeling disappeared.
Right.
At this moment...
I had seized the psychological advantage.
Only now did I finally feel comfortable.
“Two! One! Begin!”
The Village Chief quickly jumped down from the ring.
The instant Mr. Dashida raised his guard—
I used my chains to close the distance at high speed and kicked him!
CRACK!
I wasn’t that weak.
The pain from my attack was more than enough to turn the incomplete fear growing inside the champion’s heart into certainty.
Of course!
If the fight dragged on, he would eventually realize that I wasn’t nearly as impressive as he thought!
But I’d deal with that when it happened!
“...Deep sea, rolling waves, incoming tsunami...!”
“DON’T!!! TRY!!! ANYTHING!!!”
“Kugh!”
The champion repeatedly activated buff skills.
Not willing to lose, I unleashed my imitation Lion’s Roar.
Apparently, it even had the ability to interrupt skills while they were being cast!
If he had been calm, a champion like him probably wouldn’t have fallen for my fake Lion’s Roar.
But right now, he was incredibly tense.
And the fear carved deep inside that tension massively amplified the effectiveness of my imitation Lion’s Roar.
Slowly.
Slowly.
I built it up.
Just as individual drops of water eventually carved a hole through stone.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
I continued using high-speed movement, gradually scratching away at the champion’s solid guard.
There was a huge difference in both weight class and skill.
So just like when I fought First Horn before, I should probably find a weak point and focus on attacking it.
The champion didn’t just defend.
