Chapter 218: Match (2)
The inside of the arena also looked impressive. A wide, circular stone platform covered the ground, and the spectator stands were fairly well-built. There was even what appeared to be a podium. I wasn’t sure why they bothered setting it up, considering it would probably be destroyed the moment the match started. The stone platform already had a visible crack on one side from the impact of Kakuto’s earlier landing.
Drones flew up into the sky, and Hunters with cameras positioned themselves atop the arena walls. One was a Hunter from Korea, and two were from Japan. All three were A-Class with flight skills.
[Hunters, please take your positions in the center of the arena. Spectators, please take your seats.]
The announcement echoed through the stadium. We moved up to the spectator stands and sat in the so-called “VIP section.” Just in case, Yuhyun and Seong Hyunjae sat on either side of me, while Myungwoo had Noah and Moon Hyunah flanking him.
“This would be perfect with some beer and fried chicken.”
Moon Hyunah commented regretfully. It almost felt wrong how relaxed she was, considering a match was about to take place. Then again, I wasn’t particularly worried about Yerim losing either. Even if an emergency occurred, there were plenty of people ready to step in immediately. The Amaterasu Guild had likely stationed an A-Class healer on standby as well.
[On the left, from Japan’s Amaterasu Guild, S-Class Hunter Iwahata Kakuto!]
I didn’t like that they introduced the Japanese fighter first, but this was their territory and their announcer.
[On the right, from Korea’s Haeyeon Guild, S-Class Hunter Park Yerim!]
Yerim waved and smiled at the cameras after her introduction. She was wearing Yuhyun’s coat. It was an S-Class item that primarily increased magic stats, boosted mana recovery, and had defensive options. Since she was planning to use the Thunderbird’s Raiment as her main gear, Yuhyun had originally intended to give me this coat.
But using an item with percentage-based stat boosts on me would be a waste. The coat’s magic and mana-related stats were even better than the raiment’s, so I turned it down and suggested swapping between them depending on the situation.
‘Since she can use any guild equipment, there’s no issue.’
That’s why I lent it to Yerim for today’s match. She was also equipped with poison and curse resistance gear, along with other S-Class items from Yuhyun’s collection. We didn’t know what skills Kakuto had, and since recovery items weren’t allowed during the match, it was better to be safe.
[Hunters, please exchange greetings.]
The two faced each other and gave a small bow. Unlike at the hotel, Kakuto was now dressed in something resembling a uniform. I hadn’t seen it at the airport, so it was likely dungeon equipment.
I had tried looking into his skills, but there wasn’t much information available. The most I found was that he was fast, used a sword, and excelled in close combat.
‘Yerim has hidden a lot of her skills too.’
While she could control water, her main ability was still known to be ice. Her performance on the cruise ship hadn’t spread widely, likely thanks to Seong Hyunjae keeping a tight lid on it. Some of her other skills were also still under wraps.
Rumble.
At that moment, a door on one side of the arena swung open. A stage mounted on wheels slowly rolled inside, accompanied by blaring music.
“Grrr!”
“Roar!”
…People wearing lion masks appeared—elaborate, colorful masks like the ones in Chinese movies. Why were they suddenly performing a lion dance?
With the Amaterasu Guild’s flag leading the way, four lions in gold, red, and black colors bounced energetically across the arena. Judging by their agility, the performers inside were probably mid-rank Hunters. They moved dynamically around the stadium, showcasing acrobatics. It was entertaining, but…
‘Lion King, were you planning to use Peace for this?’
I couldn’t believe it. He had personally come to ask me to lend him Peace—was this what he wanted him for? Unbelievable.
The stage finally rolled completely into the arena, revealing a massive gong, as tall as a person, standing in the center. Around the stage, people dressed in traditional Japanese attire performed a slow, ritualistic dance. Next to the gong stood Shishio, also wearing what appeared to be a traditional outfit.
‘What’s with the beard?’
He definitely didn’t have that much facial hair this morning, but now, a thick beard covered his face. It blended into his hair, making him look even more like a lion’s mane, but it was obviously fake. The shape and texture made it clear. The fact that he went out of his way to wear it for this event—he must have really wanted a beard but couldn’t grow one properly.
…If a hair regrowth product ever gets developed, I should send him one. It should work on his chin too.
[Presenting the leader of Japan’s number one guild, Amaterasu—Lord Shishio!]
The announcer shouted theatrically as fireworks exploded. Hey, the main character here is our fighter, okay?
With a deep, booming voice, Shishio raised the striker for the gong and declared,
“The First Japan vs. Korea S-Class Hunter Duel begins now!”
Let’s make the second one Ice Prince vs. Lion King. No, wait—Haeyeon Guild Leader vs. Amaterasu Guild Leader. This is exactly why TV broadcasts are dangerous—the influence spreads too fast.
Since striking the gong would signal the start of the match, I quickly activated the Terrifying Chick Class Teacher skill on Yuhyun. The performers and lion dancers exited the arena, and Shishio swung the striker.
Dooong—!
[The match has begun!]
The deep sound of the gong reverberated as the announcer shouted.
Yerim and Kakuto, standing a slight distance apart, didn’t immediately move.
Yerim held a spear with Magos’s Shawl wrapped around it, while Kakuto drew a long sword.
Neither of them had used any skills yet. Since Yerim had low Strength, the close distance was a bit concerning. But she had a teleportation skill, so—
Tap!
Kakuto kicked off the ground. As expected, he was fast. In an instant, he closed the distance between them, but before he could even swing his sword, Yerim vanished. Teleportation.
Despite suddenly losing sight of his target, Kakuto didn’t panic—he was an S-Class Hunter, after all. Without hesitation, he activated a skill.
His sword traced a wide arc, and sharp sword slashes exploded in every direction—up, down, left, right—unleashing a storm of attacks like a machine gun, impossible to dodge. Hundreds of razor-sharp bursts of mana shot outward.
Kwa-gwa-gwang! Kugoong!
The arena shattered in multiple places, the sound of splintering wood echoing loudly.
Up in the air, an ice shield instantly formed beneath Yerim’s feet, but it was immediately struck by Kakuto’s slashes and shattered into pieces. As the ice fragments scattered, Kakuto leaped towards her.
“You can’t run!”
He unleashed another wave of slashes. At the same time, a white mist began to spread around Yerim. The fog tried to entangle Kakuto’s movements, but his speed remained unaffected. The mist that touched his body simply dissipated.
‘So, he has cold resistance.’
Well, of course. There was no way he wouldn’t have equipped gear with cold resistance.
‘But why isn’t she using Shadowless Day?’
That skill would slow him down regardless of resistance. It also provided a buff. Yet, for some reason, she wasn’t showing any signs of using it. Did she not think the buff was necessary?
“You’ve got nothing but cheap tricks!”
…Can someone sew that guy’s mouth shut?
He relentlessly chased Yerim, who kept teleporting around to evade him. But since leaving the arena was against the rules, even with teleportation, it was difficult to completely shake him off.
Boom!
Kakuto stomped down hard again, leaving another deep footprint in the solid ground.
The hem of Yerim’s shawl fluttered as she narrowly dodged the incoming blade. Whoosh—his sword swept past her, then curved mid-air with uncanny precision, aiming for her once more.
At the same time, Kakuto stomped the ground again.
Kwaang!
The stone floor cracked and shot upwards. With another stomp—boom, boom—he lifted more stone slabs into the air, creating walls mid-air.
Unlike space-warping abilities, teleportation worked by moving at extreme speed, unseen to the eye. That meant if there was an obstacle in the way, she either had to stop or break through it. By setting up barriers all around, he was forcing her to slow down and making her movements more predictable.
Instead of teleporting to dodge—
Ka-kang!
Yerim blocked his strike with her spear.
Unable to withstand the force, she was pushed back across the ground. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
At that moment, dozens of ice spears appeared in the sky.
Swoooosh—
Blue, freezing spears rained down like a storm. The ground froze over, cracks spreading before it shattered, sending debris flying like an explosion.
Among the chaos, Kakuto’s defensive skills boomed as he blocked the ice spears.
“Hyung.”
The already half-destroyed arena began to collapse completely. Yuhyun grabbed me and used Blue Willow Leaves to leap into the air.
A golden chain lashed out, cutting through the air, blocking debris flying toward us. Noah spread his wings, while Myungwoo and Moon Hyunah also moved to a safer spot.
The Amaterasu Guild members, who had been filling the spectator stands, were also evacuating.
[The arena is collapsing! Haeyeon Guild Leader is using Blue Willow Leaves! VVIP section in focus!]
Why the hell were the cameras zooming in on us? Mind your own business.
Rumble—
The thick pillars supporting the arena fell one by one, kicking up dust. Amid the wreckage, the two fighters stood apart, now at a distance from each other.
Yerim casually rested the shaft of her spear against her shoulder.
“Done dancing with your sword?”
“That was just a warm-up.”
Kakuto grinned.
“Now, I’ll show you my real power!”
…Seriously, someone shut that guy up.
“The ocean isn’t just advantageous for you, Park Yerim! This humidity—it’s all on my side!”
Kakuto shouted confidently.
So, he had water-related skills too? No wonder they agreed to hold the match by the sea so easily.
Yerim narrowed her eyes at him. She looked utterly unimpressed.
No matter how powerful his skill was, if it was water-related—
“Ah, what the—?!”
Yerim suddenly flinched and shook her hand, as if shaking something off.
With Yuhyun’s enhanced vision, I could see her hand was slightly red.
“The air just got hotter.”
Yuhyun murmured.
Now that he mentioned it, I could feel the heat too. The air near the arena shimmered slightly, as if heat waves were rising from it.
Could he be using a skill that boils the moisture in the air?
[The temperature of the arena is rising! We’ve just received information from the Amaterasu Guild—Hunter Iwahata Kakuto’s skill, Heat of the Volcano! It’s an intense S-Class skill that rapidly heats the surrounding air!]
Yerim tried using Cold Sigh. But the moment the mist spread, it instantly evaporated.
“…Does Yerim have any fire resistance gear?”
“She has one piece with a minor resistance bonus.”
That was something, at least.
But still—why wasn’t she using Shadowless Day yet?
Even if ice was weak against heat, adding the skill’s attribute buffs should be enough to withstand an S-Class heat-based skill.
“No matter how strong an S-Class Hunter is, it’s difficult to function properly in extreme heat. If you were mid-rank or lower, the moisture in your body would boil instantly, killing you on the spot!”
Kakuto pointed his sword at Yerim, his expression smug, as if he had already won.
“A confined space like this arena by the sea! The conditions ensure my victory!”
If he had been up against Yuhyun, he would have been burned to a crisp in an instant. All talk, that one. But still, in a limited space like this, a skill that heated the entire area’s air was certainly an advantage. Even an S-Class Hunter would struggle without resistance skills, as the rising temperature would increase both body heat and stamina consumption.
Yerim, on top of that, had relatively low Stamina for an S-Class. Sweat was already forming on her forehead.
“The more you move, the harder it’ll get for you. Just give up already!”
Kakuto spoke leisurely, as if he were toying with a prey he had already caught.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Yerim grinned.
“Hey, I just finished warming up.”
“What?”
“Now we’re really starting.”
Rumble—
The ground shook violently.
Kakuto’s face twisted in confusion, as did those of the other Japanese spectators.
[Is… is this an earthquake? The ground has suddenly started shaking!]
Huh? An earthquake? Wait, don’t tell me—
“It’s not an earthquake,” Yuhyun said.
Before he even finished speaking, cracks began forming in the ground. And then—
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang—!
Seawater erupted.
Not just one or two jets—thick columns of water burst through the arena floor, rising like dragons into the sky. At the same time, the air cooled rapidly.
Swoooosh—
Water poured down like torrential rain.
Even an S-Class heat skill couldn’t withstand such an overwhelming volume of water. The heat dissipated in an instant. Kakuto, drenched from head to toe, stood frozen in shock, looking utterly dumbfounded. He looked like a wet rat—absolutely ridiculous.
“A confined space like this arena by the sea.”
Yerim flashed a bright smile.
“No, no. If it’s by the sea, no matter where you run, I’m the one with the advantage.”
The tide surged endlessly into the arena, the wet ground cracking and collapsing even further.
Floating effortlessly in the air, Yerim gazed down at Kakuto.
“Hey, I’ll extend the battlefield to the entire shore. Run as much as you want.”
“Y-You—”
“If I don’t catch you within an hour, I’ll admit defeat. How about that? Wow, Park Yerim is being so generous. I’m too kind.”
Kakuto’s face turned red with humiliation.
Rumble, kuuuuurrr—
The arena floor completely collapsed as water flooded in.
Guess they’d have to issue an evacuation order now.
–TL Notes–
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