"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our variety event—the bi-weekly special that we host to give you all a more exciting watch than what you are used to!"
The booming voice of the announcer filled the very tense and quiet hall.
All the spectators were wide-eyed.
Their hearts thumped with excitement as they waited restlessly for the event to begin.
One could only imagine what could make these people, who saw Chaos Dwellers rip young slaves apart every night, so excited.
This variety event—whatever it was—had to be far more cruel.
Or, at the very least, a lot more entertaining.
"I certainly hope your bets have been made, as you have already seen the matchups ahead of time. Now, without further ado, I present the first contestant of the evening… the one who recently took this coliseum by storm, and who has managed to survive ten consecutive rounds, evidently coming out on top each time…" The announcer's grin was wide, and his tone clearly betrayed his own excitement.
Everyone shared in his sentiment, as they eagerly waited for the name.
"… Young Master Augustus' Slave—Cursed Boy!"
Suddenly, a loud chant ruptured.
"Cursed Boy! Cursed Boy! Cursed Boy! Cursed Boy!"
It was almost like they were all watching a spectacular game in a stadium, rooting for a fan-favorite player of their preferred sports team.
In response to the call, the ground opened up, and a scrawny-looking slave wearing a sleeveless top and baggy shorts rose up. He had long white and black hair, with his dull gray eyes having red and blue hints of light within them, respectively.
Although he had a child-like, almost cute appearance… the audience was not deceived.
They knew how ruthless this boy could be.
That was the only reason he had survived for so long in the arena.
Even though other slaves had tried to replicate his strategy in other rounds, none of them could operate with as much efficiency and precision as he.
He was an absolute beast in the arena.
A natural!
But—
"Poor guy. His luck ends here… hehe!" One of the spectators snickered, his arrogant look showing nothing but contempt.
This expression was also nothing strange, as it was rather common among the others within the vast hall. Almost everyone present had the same look on their faces, and although they cheered for him earlier, it wasn't because they wished him well.
In fact, it was the exact opposite.
"Man, I can't wait to see him get torn to shreds!"
"It's been so long already. The suspense has been killing me for a while now, but I finally get to see him die."
"He made us wait for so long. At least his death will be entertaining."
"I bet he'll last a minute."
"A minute? Isn't that too absurd? My bet is at most twenty seconds. That's plenty generous, considering the highest record."
"Ehh… that's true! Damn, I should have come to you first before making the bet."
"Right? Either way, it'll sure be fun to see!"
That's right…
These people were sadistic maniacs who, despite sounding like fans, were actually casting lots on the poor slave's demise. There was no doubt in their mind that he would perish this very night, but the speculation was on how long he would last.
The truth is, it's actually very rare for slaves to survive so long in Chaos Dweller Pits.
In fact, even outstanding ones never had three consecutive wins.
This was because the game was largely based on luck, as well as other external elements besides the mere capability of the slave in question.
Of course, there were certainly ways to increase the survivability of these slaves, for example, having them use Ancient MajiK, but was is a general rule here that only normal slaves could be allowed to participate.
The rationale was to promote greater unpredictability and foster an exciting match.
By introducing Ancient MajiK, special weapons, or extremely skilled members into the ring, the results would become far more obvious and a lot less interesting.
But that didn't mean such activities didn't have their place within the Coliseum.
In fact, that was why Variety Events existed in the first place.
"Today, we will be having the classic Slave A vs Slave B Contest! You know the rules: anything goes, the time limit is infinite, and only one person leaves the stage alive!" The announcer's voice boomed, just as he introduced the other contestant. "Introducing… the reigning champion of this Contest, with three consecutive bi-weekly event victories under her belt… give it up for Young Master Nathaniel's Slave… Little Lady!"
At that moment, the crowd went crazy—no, absolutely ballistic.
Their voices were much louder than when they cheered for Rey, as they watched the ground open up, and a young, innocent-looking girl appear.
The girl looked like a child, no older than twelve years old.
Her puffy cheeks had pink blushes on them, and she was dressed elegantly—like a princess.
She tightly clutched a long staff, holding it close to her chest as she stared blankly ahead, her kind, gem-like eyes resting on Rey. It seemed to glisten with deep sorrow… and a deep-seated pain borne from what she was about to do.
Rey simply looked at her with his usual gaze—calm, unmoved.
"Without further ado, let's begin… the first match of the night—an appetizer before the main event actually begins—between Cursed Boy and Little Lady!"
With a resounding response from the audience, the announcer finally declared:
"Begin!"
FSHUUUUUU!
All of a sudden, brilliant light glimmered all around the dainty young girl, as the wooden staff she held glowed with bright white light that surrounded her.
Suddenly manifesting within the radiant dome was a tiny animal resembling a poodle.
The poodle puppy barked cutely as it floated in the air, its snow-white fur shimmering with majesty as it revolved around the young girl like her guardian. Her eyes remained on Rey even as the cute animal circled in the air.
"I'm sorry… for what is about to happen…" The girl mumbled softly.
Her voice was genuine.
One could easily tell that she meant every word.
She truly did not enjoy this, but what other choice did she have? If she didn't kill this slave in front of her, then it would be she who would meet a horrid fate.
'At the very least, I'll try to make it quick.' She sighed deeply, her eyes shutting for a second before opening once again with silent resolve.
"Once again… I'm sorry."
Despite all of this, Rey only had two words to say to the girl.
"I'm not."
WHOOOSH!
He immediately charged at her with no warning, closing the distance between them with rapid motions that seemed impossible for his size.
But it was useless.
This girl could use Soul Art, and she had just summoned her Divine Beast to help her.
Not only that, but her staff also offered her a perfect shield that protected her from any potential attacks targeting her.
Compared to this power, what could Rey do?
"Chaos Art…" Rey whispered under his breath as he closed the final distance between him and the girl. At this point, the white puppy was preparing to launch itself at him.
It went without saying that a Divine Beast controlled using Soul Art was more powerful than a small slave like Rey. Even if they were to clash, it would easily tear Rey apart, with the latter not being able to resist for even a second.
Despite this, Rey still advanced.
"Go!"
The puppy barked, following its master's orders as it charged at Rey, becoming a hazy white blur.
It was over.
One more second, and Rey was officially finished.
But—
"… Inverse Technique #8…"
—That second was all he needed to turn the tide in this battle!
"… Flipped Axis!"
All of a sudden, the roles of master and servant were completely switched, as the poodle suddenly appeared in the barrier and the young girl found herself diving towards her target.
"W-what? S-snow—!"
"Hehe! Not a chance…!" Rey quickly cut the panicked shout short by concentrating on the Divine Beast within the barrier and chanted yet another Chaos Art.
"Inverse Technique #7: Inside Out!"
At that moment, the function of the barrier changed, its layers turning inside out. And so, rather than blocking off external aggressors, it prevented the one inside from getting out.
Thus, the Divine Beast was trapped.
As for the young lady…
"Eeek!"
… She was now left exposed, without her protective shield and assault dog.
"I'll have to knock you out quick… just in case you have any other tricks I don't know about."
As soon as Rey's cold voice echoed in the air, Little Lady felt a powerful punch on her delicate little face. It instantly twisted her neck, sending her small body flying back inside the barrier she had erected.
"Grrrrrr!" The Divine Beast, now without a master, saw the girl's corpse, and its puppy-like gaze suddenly turned feral.
Its eyes shone crimson, and it began to feed on her tiny body as though it were nothing but a savage beast—a wild animal. The thing showed no mercy at all, growling ravenously as it tore her flesh apart, crushed her bones, and drank her blood.
As for Rey, he simply stood there and watched it all unfold with an unfazed expression.
He was completely unmoved.
And although the audience saw the Divine Beast feasting on the girl, the true monster on stage was the young slave who silently observed the gruesome sight without a change in countenance.
It was clear that he could not care less about her death.
Or about his victory.
He was completely unmoved by the entire thing; unimpressed by a fight that barely lasted for twenty seconds.
No, could it even be called a fight at this point?
It was an execution.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, the match ended in the Cursed Boy's victory, and his image was forever cemented into the hearts of all those who watched him.
Not as a slave.
Not even as a competitor in the arena.
But as a terrifying monster!
Rey cast his gaze up, his dead eyes reflecting nothing but a cold expectation.
Then, his lips subtly moved, and he whispered.
"Next."
[AN: These ten chapters should already inform you on what kind of novel this is. If it's something you want to see more of, then go ahead and add Extra's Revenge to your library, and I can promise you an interesting time. The story is just getting started!]