Compared to the semifinals, Rey's final battle was rather uneventful.
Although his opponent was plenty skilled, he was not on the same level as Blood Shark. Both contestants were also tired from all the previous battles, so it ended up being more of a slugfest.
Rey ultimately won by using Flipped Axis on a fatal invisible strike, causing it to slice his opponent's neck. It was a well-calculated move, since he only had one shot due to his low Ether reserves.
Once he won, the audience fell into sheer silence.
Disbelief clouded their features.
They truly could not believe their eyes.
The seemingly ordinary slave from barely two weeks ago had turned out to be an extraordinary force that defied all reason. The people of the Coliseum were forced to admit that they had witnessed the birth of a dark horse.
Someone who would shake the status quo that existed in the Coliseum.
As for Augustus Desgarron, he was the most shocked.
He was also the happiest.
Not only did he win the cash prize, but he made the right choice by betting it all in Rey's favor, which meant his money increased nearly tenfold.
'I wasn't wrong to count on you!' Augustus beamed with unrestrained glee as he watched Rey barely stand after five rounds of fierce battles. 'You are my golden goose!'
A surge of complex emotions rose within him.
He had never had such a lucky streak in his entire life, and he felt somewhat grateful to Rey for showing him such a pleasant feeling.
"Logan." Augustus spoke to the man beside him, though his gaze was still on his slave.
"Yes, Young Master?"
"The slave you brought me this time is quite exceptional. Did you know he was this amazing when you purchased him?"
"Not at all, Sir." Logan kept his head low and spoke solemnly. "This actually came as a surprise to me as well."
"Right? But you've done well regardless. You deserve a reward."
"Ah… you are too kind, Young Master."
Augustus chuckled aloud, his joy magnifying. "Speaking of rewards, we should throw the kid a bone, right? He has done more than earn his keep."
"Indeed, Young Master."
After casting one final glance at Rey, Augustus gave Logan some instructions regarding healing Rey's torn limb, among other things, before he went away to interact with fellow nobles who enjoyed the Coliseum.
He would have avoided them in the past due to his losing streak as well as his rising debt.
But things have changed now.
His slave was the rising star, and as his master… he gained all the renown.
***********
'How interesting…'
Rey woke up in his room to find a few changes already added.
In the past, the place was completely empty. Save for his bed, there was no furniture in sight, and he had no other luxuries to set his gaze on.
But all of that changed this afternoon.
He noticed that his bed was noticeably bigger, with a much better mattress. He now had a wardrobe, and when he opened it with his two hands, he saw all kinds of clothes inside. The clothes were plain, for sure, but they fitted him better and were of excellent quality.
And yes, his arm was already healed by the time he regained consciousness.
All his other injuries were gone as well.
Rey already expected this, since he knew how Ancient MajiK operated and knew how easy it was to recover limbs or reverse damage caused by low-sequence abilities.
Since the dagger that inflicted the most injuries on him was an Artifact, Rey imagined it would take a little more effort to heal him, but for a Noble Household like the Desgarron Family, it should be no trouble at all.
Especially after everything he had done for the Young Master, Augustus.
Rey also noticed other things around his room, like toys, some decorations, and all kinds of fancy lights that would make anyone excited if they weren't Rey.
He, however, had a dull expression on his face.
None of these moved him.
"Hey, Slave!"A loud, dissatisfied voice echoed in the room as someone suddenly barged in.
The intruder was none other than Leon, the one Augustus put in charge of Rey. He had a polished appearance, with a clean and formal attire befitting the steward of a noble. Small pieces of armor dotted his elegant garb, but they sparsely decorated his body.
Although he had a pristine appearance, the words that came out of his lips were undignified.
"What are you doing staring at me like an idiot for? Didn't you hear me call for you?" His crass voice echoed out, filling the cozy room with tension.
Despite hearing these provocative words, Rey merely blinked silently.
He maintained an air of serenity even when he noticed the rage the young man expressed and the deep glare he had on his face while he spoke.
'Looks like he's mad about me getting a reward for my efforts.'
"Tch!" Leon clicked his tongue. "Dumb bastard. Your Master is calling for you, so come with me."
Rey nodded, not saying anything else.
"Don't you dawdle behind me, else I'll make you regret wasting the Young Master's time."
Rey blinked in understanding, not saying anything else.
"Can't you speak? Don't you hear me talking to you?" Leon lashed out, his eyes turning bloodshot as his brows twitched in evident annoyance.
And although Rey noticed all of these changes fairly well, he ignored them.
He didn't speak.
Instead, he stepped forward and walked closer to Leon.
Leon shook in surprise.
Especially when he watched as Rey walked right beside him and left his room without showing any kind of subservience.
'This guy—!'
Leon sharply turned to look at Rey, but he noticed that he had stopped only a few meters from his room's entrance. He began staring daggers at Rey, ready to say something else.
But this was when Rey finally spoke.
"I do not want to keep my Master waiting. Will you be responsible for my delay, or should I go ahead without you?" His lips curled up as those words proceeded from his lips.
"Y-you… you cursed vermin!" Leon yelled out. "You dare—?!"
"Since I know Master's quarters, I was only wondering if it would be faster if I went there myself, especially since you just stood there without moving."
"That's because—!"
"Master kept me in your care, which is why I waited for us to go together. I don't want to disregard Master's orders, but I also don't want to keep him waiting."
The more he listened to Rey speak, the more Leon became tongue-tied.
Although he wanted to cause trouble for Rey, he ended up being the one being accused instead.
And the worst part was… he couldn't refute the slave.
If he did, he would be dishonoring the Young Master that he swore to serve.
'Tch… Just you wait!'
Leon walked away from Rey's room and walked past Rey so he could stand in front. Together, they proceeded to Augustus' room.
As Rey walked behind Leon, he cast a cold look at the young man.
'It seems you feel threatened by me, Leon, but I genuinely do not care about your position here or the greatness of your Young Master. I simply wish to be free and secure my revenge, but it's clear you now have it out for me and will start scheming against me.'
Rey could see how things would play out very easily.
He didn't like it.
And that meant he had to cut out the most volatile variable before it became a festering problem.
'This isn't personal, Leon… but you have to go.'