Chapter 32, Fraud

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

The hall fell silent.

 

It seemed as if the two fighters were having a conversation during the battle, but then it was suddenly over.

 

Most of the audience sat confused, unable to understand what had just happened.

 

Hosue, whose role was to help the audience understand the proceedings, stared blankly at the arena Floor for a moment. Then, as if suddenly snapping back to reality, she resumed her announcement.

 

“What a way to end it! Gianna’s last attack was even stronger than her previous ones, but Cory blocked them all and then counterattacked! But this attack was much faster and more powerful than her first strike! Gianna defended as she had done before, but Cory broke through her defenses and won the match!”

 

The hall finally began to erupt again as Hosue’s explanation sank in. Cheers from those who had bet on Cory mixed with groans from those who had backed Gianna.

 

“But everyone, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea—Gianna was much stronger today than when she fought here before. I can say that with certainty! But Cory was even stronger! That’s all there is to it!”

 

After delivering this final commentary, Hosue switched off her announcer’s microphone.

 

The two fighters had already left the venue, and though the audience was applauding for Hosue’s commentary, she had no time to acknowledge it.

 

“No way… that’s impossible,” Hosue muttered as she replayed Cory’s final attack in her mind.

 

As she had announced, Gianna’s attack had been the fastest and strongest she had ever witnessed. Cory, who had weathered it, appeared to say something to Gianna, and then the fight was over in an instant.

 

To be honest, Hosue had not even seen Cory’s final attack clearly. She had been judging based on the situation and the results she observed from the sidelines.

 

She briefly wondered if Cory and Gianna had somehow cheated during their brief exchange of words, but dismissed the thought. Cory’s final attack had carried more than enough legitimate impact without any need for deception.

 

“I wish I could have heard their conversation, but… I suppose there’s no point dwelling on it now.”

 

She knew something significant had occurred during that exchange, but unfortunately, their voices hadn’t carried to her position. For now, only the two fighters knew what had been said.

 

“But still, Cory… what did she do to gain such incredible fighting ability? I’d really like to know.”

 

No one heard Hosue’s final words.

 

…

 

“Oh my.”

 

Mitsuki, who had been watching Cory’s victory, opened her eyes slightly in mild surprise.

 

“She removed a few of your restraints, didn’t she? What happened—couldn’t she have won without doing that?” Asked Kousuke, who had been watching beside her.

 

“Hmm. It’s complicated. If she hadn’t removed them, it would have been a fifty-fifty chance at best.”

 

“Wow. That close, huh?” Kousuke nodded, genuinely impressed. Even with Cory’s abilities being restricted, he had not expected anyone to come so close to matching her.

 

“You’re right. I’ll have to adjust my expectations going forward.”

 

“That may be true, but in real combat, she’ll probably forget about the restraints anyway, right?” Kousuke said with mild amusement, and Mitsuki smiled in response.

 

“Of course. They were only meant for fighting against other Humans.”

 

They had restraints to avoid accidentally revealing their true strength, but that was purely out of consideration for those around them. The restraints were not absolutely binding—they could be removed easily whenever desired.

 

After all, Kousuke had never forced the two to wear these restraints in the first place. They had put it on themselves.

 

Their conversation was taking place in the middle of the auditorium, but no one seemed to pay attention to their words. After all, it had been quite some time since the top five rankings had changed, and everyone in the venue was absorbed in their own discussions. No one bothered listening to what others were saying.

 

Even if their conversation had been overheard, it probably would not have caused any problems—they were not discussing anything particularly sensitive.

 

Afterward, the pair left the arena. This time, they had only brought Mitsuki and Nana to watch the battle, while the other Guild members had gone to the venue independently.

 

After leaving the arena, they returned to the Guild headquarters, stopping to browse the food stalls in Seichun town as they usually did.

 

Cory, who had just returned from the arena, was greeted by Kousuke.

 

“Welcome back.”

 

“Ah, I’m back,” Cory smiled, and Kousuke smiled in return.

 

They congratulated her on her performance at the arena.

 

“This means you’re in the higher rankings now, right? Congratulations.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

While it wasn’t officially decided yet, it was safe to say that Cory would almost certainly secure a place in the top five. However, neither Kousuke nor Cory felt satisfied with this result alone.

 

After all, if a mediocre ranking had been acceptable, there would have been no need to enter Cory in the first place. Moving forward, everything would depend on how things developed, but both Kousuke and Cory wanted to aim for first place if possible.

 

A while after Kousuke and the others returned, the remaining Guild members also came back. It seemed they had been inspired by watching Cory’s battle and had made a quick trip to the Tower.

 

Seeing them like this, Kousuke gave a wry smile but didn’t particularly scold them. They were full-fledged adventurers, after all, and they followed the basic rule of resting properly when it was time to rest. Since they were acting within those guidelines, he felt that others shouldn’t interfere unnecessarily.

 

…

 

“That was a tough one. Complete defeat—utter and complete defeat.”

 

Gianna spoke to the two people who were regarding her with somewhat calm expressions.

 

“Oh? So, you’ve had a brilliant change of heart?” Carmen said with a somewhat mocking grin, but Gianna brushed it off easily.

 

“There’s no betrayal here. It’s all about results, isn’t it? That’s the world we live in.”

 

“That’s true, but it’s rare for you to change your attitude this dramatically.”

 

“It can’t be helped. When you’re defeated so decisively, there’s nothing to do but acknowledge excellence.” Gianna shrugged her shoulders, then suddenly looked skeptical. “By the way, it’s unusual for you to call me right after a battle. Is something wrong?”

 

“Oh, well, it’s just…” Carmen said vaguely, prompting Gianna to urge her to continue. “You had a conversation with Cory before she defeated you, right? That’s going to be problematic.”

 

Gianna frowned at Carmen’s words.

 

“Huh? Why? Everyone talks during battles, don’t they?”

 

“That’s right. Apparently, someone from the Upper Floor who witnessed the battle is claiming that you two cheated during that conversation.”

 

“What a ridiculous accusation.”

 

It was obvious to anyone who had watched that they had fought at a level far above the rest—far from cheating. Making such a claim was tantamount to announcing one’s status as an amateur.

 

“Well, that’s true. The problem is that this person has considerable power within the Guild.”

 

“That’s troublesome. But this will be resolved soon, won’t it?”

 

“Why do you think so?”

 

“It’s simple. There’s no way ‘he’ wouldn’t take action after seeing that battle.”

 

When Gianna said this, both Carmen and Yana immediately thought of the same person. That individual had definitely been watching today’s battle—everyone present had confirmed it.

 

Carmen, convinced by Gianna’s reasoning, nodded.

 

“That’s true. So, there’s no need to worry?”

 

“Of course.”

 

If that person were to take action, such petty complaints would be swept away entirely. After all, he wielded the most influence within the Arena Guild.

 

And with that, Cory’s next opponent had been decided.