“Hah…”

Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my gloves slightly.

A full day had passed since I’d adopted Chaerin, and now it was finally time to end this damned Death Tournament.

From the information that Yara gave them, all of them are low s-rank awakeners, which will be quite difficult to deal with.

At least Chaerin was safe.

I had made sure to hide her from Yara—because honestly? I didn’t trust Yara not to take an interest in her.

And knowing her, “interest” could mean anything.

So for now, Chaerin was running around the black market with Lumi.

She was strong enough to handle herself, and anyone dumb enough to mess with her was in for a very bad day.

Besides, thanks to the Family Bond magic, I could sense her location and whether she was in danger.

That was one less thing to worry about.

“Are you ready~?”

A familiar, sultry voice rang out from my right.

I didn’t even have to turn my head.

It was Yara.

“Obviously,” I replied, nodding.

“Mhn~, is that so?”

She stepped closer, grabbing the front of my jacket. I blinked, looking down at her.

She was only a little shorter than me, her head reaching my nose, and from this distance, I could catch the faint scent of her perfume—something sweet, almost intoxicating.

Without saying anything, she adjusted my jacket slightly, straightening it.

…Which didn’t make any sense.

I was about to walk into a fight to the death.

For all I knew, I’d leave the arena without a jacket at all.

“…Doesn’t this make us feel like newlyweds?” she asked out of nowhere.

“…No?”

“Really?”

She lifted her head suddenly, her black eyes locking onto mine. Her lips parted slightly, the corner of her mouth curving up in a way that was just suggestive enough to be intentional.

Then, she bit her lip.

Slowly and seductively…

Her gaze flickered from my lips, then back to my eyes, wordlessly inviting me to make a move.

I sighed inwardly.

‘Really?’

This might have looked like a simple flirt, but it was a test.

There were two possible outcomes:

1 – I kiss her. That means I “admit”—without actually saying it—that I like her.

2 – I don’t kiss her. That means I’m “rejecting” her outright.

Either way, it was going to get me fucked anyway…

But instead of playing into her game, I simply continued staring at her with the same calm look.

“…Tsk.”

She clicked her tongue, frowning slightly.

“You’re no fun.” Letting go of my jacket, she muttered with a small sigh.

Finally, she let go of my jacket with a sigh.

Yup.

She really had changed.

From a crazy bitch to… a mostly normal woman.

“Well… make sure to win, okay?” Her voice was quieter now, more serious. “I wouldn’t like to see your dead body.”

She paused, looking me over one last time.

Then, a smirk appeared on her face.

“As for that favor… I’ve already got what I want in mind,” she licked her lips, once again, giving me a suggestive look.

“…What is it?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing…”

She winked.

“You’ll know after the match.”

And with that, she turned and walked away, probably going to her VIP seat to watch the final match or something like that.

Seeing her walk away, I turned to walk towards the corridor that would lead me toward the death arena, where the final showdown would happen.

A free-for-all between the last four challengers…

“MOONLIGHT SWORDSMAN!”

“MASKED PUPPET!”

As I stepped onto the last stretch before the arena, the cheers from the crowd exploded, shaking the walls around me.

But something was… off.

There were four challengers.

Yet only two names were being shouted.

I glanced around.

The other two fighters were there, standing at the edges of the battlefield, but the crowd barely seemed to acknowledge them.

it seems like both me and the “Masket Puppet” were more popular than both of them.

Then, as I walked onto the arena—

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

The announcer’s voice boomed from the speakers, filled with energy.

“For the final match of our beloved tournament, we have, on the upper left—THE CHAINED BASTARD!”

The crowd erupted—

With boos.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Damn. That was loud.

“And on the upper right, we have—THE BLOOD DRAINER!”

Another wave of boos.

“BOOOOOOOOO!”

Okay… what the hell did these guys do to piss off the crowd this badly?

The announcer barely let the negativity settle before continuing—

“On the lower left, we have… THE MASKED PUPPET!”

And this time—

“MASKED PUPPET!”

A wave of cheers. Loud. Intense.

“SLICE THEM TO PIECES!”

…And completely insane.

Then—

“And finally! As our last contestant…”

The crowd was already roaring, waiting for my name.

“We have the MOONLIGHT SWORDSMAN! The rookie who killed the two-time champion, Iron Wrestler!”

“WOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“EXPLODE THEM!”

“MAKE THEIR BODY TURN INTO POOLS OF BLOOD!”

Well…

My cheers were insane as well.

Not that I should’ve expected anything else from an underground death tournament.

The announcer let the cheers carry for a few more seconds before finally—

“Now that everyone is ready…”

I adjusted my stance immediately, my fingers tightening around the hilts of the two swords at my waist.

“LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!”

I instantly dashed forward, but before I could even react…

Splurt!

Blood sprayed into the air, two fountains of red cutting through the arena lights.

Thud, thud…!

Along with two heads, falling into the ground of the arena…

I looked forward and saw the Masked Puppet…

He was pale and lean, with slicked-back gray hair reaching the nape of his neck. His ears were sharp, his posture straight—but the most striking thing about him?

His mask.

A white, expressionless face, except for the eerie, mischievous smirk carved into it.

The grin stretched from cheekbone to cheekbone, sharp and unnatural, curving just above the jawline before arching back up again.

Two crescent-shaped slits ran down from where his eyes should be, giving him a haunting, almost inhuman look.

And his outfit… was simply immaculate.

A high-collared jacket with three silver buttons on each side.

The collar was flipped, showing a plant-like pattern hidden on the inside.

A long, split cape trailed behind him, brushing against his polished boots.

Underneath, he wore a white button-up shirt, neatly tucked, paired with a small black bow tie.

His pants had subtle, jagged lines running down them, and his hands were covered in white gloves.

And the cherry on top…

Atop his head, there was a magician’s top hat.

The way he stood—still as a shadow, head tilted slightly to the side—gave the unsettling impression that he was… grinning at me.

“WOOOOO!”

“THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE!”

“PERFECTLY SLICED HEADS!”

The crowd even got louder than before.

I kept my eyes on him.

This man was very strange…

He was too fast…

『 Judgement Eye (✦ S-Level Skill ✦) 』

I activated my skill—and I saw…

Thin mana threads.

Almost invisible, running between his fingertips, stretching outward like a spider’s web.

That’s how he did it.

He sliced them apart with mana strings.

Dealing with him was going to be… difficult.

“Wait a minute, dear Moonlight Swordsman…”

The man suddenly spoke before I could attack him.

“My name is Kagetaro Kurohare,” he said, placing one hand over his chest and the other behind his back in a flourished bow.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to finally meet you.”

“…Aestrea Moon.”

“Hehe,” the man chuckled at my response.

“I’ve been watching you for a while now, and I must say…” His head tilted slightly, the mask unmoving—but somehow, I felt his excitement.

“You’re really… truly… fascinatingly incredible.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Déjà vu.

I had heard of this kind of expression before.

“Your power… is so interesting,” he continued, voice trembling slightly—not with fear, but excitement.

“So little mana quantity, yet such superb mana quality… It’s… breathtaking!”

His fingers twitched as if barely holding back some kind of urge.

“So,” he breathed, his voice dipping low. “I entered this tournament for one reason. A single, pure reason…”

He lifted his arms, his white gloves practically glowing under the arena lights.

“To meet you, my dear Aestrea…”

“…Don’t call me that.”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

The disgust was instant.

Being called that by a woman?

Fine.

But by a man?

Ew.

Kagetaro simply chuckled again.

“Join me.”

His arms spread wide as if presenting an offer—a gift.

“Join forces with me. With the Dark Order!”

My blood ran cold.

“Together, we could dominate the entire world and create something new! A brand new era!”

I froze.

Did he just say—

The Dark Order?

.

.

.

.

.

As soon as Aestrea heard those words…

Thrum!

A pulse of mana erupted from his body, rippling through the air.

The sheer force sent a gust of wind blasting through the arena, kicking up dust and making the crowd go wild.

“Did you just fucking say… Dark Order?”

Aestrea spoke coldly, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade.

His eyes, deep crimson, began to glow sinisterly—leaving behind faint trails of scarlet smoke as his power stirred awake.

Across from him, Kagetaro shuddered.

“…Mhm!”

A deep, shaky moan left his lips.

His fingers twitched.

Then—he hugged himself, his entire body trembling.

“That’s it…” His breath hitched. “That superb mana…!”

He let out a ragged sigh, his gloved hands gripping his arms as if trying to hold himself together.

“…It makes me so excited!”

Clang!

A flash of steel.

Aestrea vanished—disappearing into thin air—only to reappear right in front of Kagetaro, swords drawn.

Tzzzt!

A metallic snap rang out as Kagetaro reacted instantly, his near-invisible mana threads snapping into place like a web, blocking the strike.

The impact sent a sharp, screeching echo through the arena.

Aestrea’s crimson eyes narrowed.

Kagetaro was fast, faster than expected—but more than that, those near-invisible threads made him dangerous. T

hey were sharp, numerous, and nearly undetectable.

Tzzzt!

The moment their weapons connected, Aestrea felt the threads tightening around his blade like a snare.

“Tsk—!”

With a sharp twist of his wrist, he jerked his sword free, slicing through a few strands before leaping back, just as thin, glinting threads shot past where his arms had been a split second ago.

“Ooooh!” The crowd gasped.

Kagetaro grinned beneath his mask, his head tilting slightly.

“Hehe… Careful now, dear Moonlight Swordsman.”

His gloved fingers twitched, and suddenly—

Shwip! Shwip! Shwip!

A dozen razor-thin strings whipped forward like the fangs of a striking viper.

Aestrea spun his sword in an arc, deflecting them with a sharp flick of his wrist.

Cling! Cling! Clang!

Every impact sent a sharp, metallic ping into the air, but the moment he stopped moving—

“Too slow.”

Kagetaro flicked his wrist, and from behind—

Shwik!

A thread lashed across Aestrea’s shoulder, slicing clean through the fabric of his coat and drawing a thin line of blood.

“…Damn it.”

Aestrea rolled forward, dodging another incoming whip of mana, then flipped back onto his feet. Blood trickled down his arm, warm against his skin.

Kagetaro placed a hand over his chest and let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Oh dear… such beautiful, rich red… It’s a shame to spill it all at once.”

The crowd cheered louder at the sight of blood.

Aestrea exhaled slowly.

He had to finish this quickly.

His grip tightened around his sword.

‘Let’s see if you can handle this.’

Then—

He stepped forward.

In a single fluid motion, he swung his blade upward—

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

A soft chill spread through the air.

『 First Move! (✦ Ice Lotus Bloom ✦) 』

The ground rumbled.

A massive lotus made of ice erupted from beneath Aestrea’s feet, its crystalline petals spiraling outward in every direction.

The temperature dropped instantly, frost creeping across the stone arena floor.

Each petal was razor-sharp, glowing with a faint, eerie blue light.

Kagetaro’s masked face twitched.

His strings lashed out in an attempt to slice through the ice—

“Go.”

Aestrea flicked his fingers.

The ice petals detached—and shot forward like a storm of flying blades.

Shhhhk!

Kagetaro leaped back, his strings forming a defensive web, but the petals were relentless.

One grazed his sleeve, another slashed across his chest, and a third barely missed his throat.

But even so, Aestrea wasn’t done.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

He swung his sword in a wide arc—and suddenly, crescent-shaped waves of freezing blue mana exploded outward.

『 Second Move! (✦ Ice Lotus Barrage ✦) 』

The ice crescents sliced through the air at lightning speed, freezing everything in their path.

Kagetaro twisted midair, but—

Shhhhk!

A crescent grazed his side, sending a chilling numbness through his body. Another sliced through his coat, tearing away fabric.

The masked man landed on one knee, his breath coming in sharp gasps. Frost clung to his clothes, spreading along his arms.

However, he still had the same confident smirk on his face.

“…Fascinating.”

He lifted his hand.

Then—SNAP!

Hundreds of strings burst outward like an exploding spiderweb.

“Enough playing around!”

Aestrea’s pupils shrank.

“Here it comes—!”

The strings moved like vipers, twisting and curving unnaturally.

Aestrea dodged left—

Too late.

A string wrapped around his ankle—

THWIP!

Kagetaro YANKED.

Aestrea was ripped off his feet and slammed sideways against the cold ground.

“Guh—!”

More strings coiled around his wrists, his legs—his neck.

“Hehehe… Caught you.”

Kagetaro’s voice was a delighted whisper.

He jerked his fingers.

The strings tightened.

“HRK—!”

Aestrea felt the sharp fibers digging into his skin, ready to slice him apart. The crowd screamed, half in thrill, half in horror.

“It’s over, dear swordsman.”

Kagetaro pulled harder, but then—

Aestrea smiled.

Fwoosh—

A sudden blast of icy air erupted from his body.

The strings around him froze instantly.

Kagetaro’s eyes widened.

“What—?”

Aestrea’s fingers twitched.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art…”

He vanished.

Kagetaro stumbled back—but Aestrea was already behind him.

His sword gleamed.

『 Third Move! (✦ Moonlight’s One Flash ✦) 』

Aestrea sheathes his sword.

Then—

“Shhk!”

A single clean cut.

A deep, jagged wound carved across Kagetaro’s torso.

The masked man froze.

His strings shattered.

The crowd fell silent.

Then—

Blood splattered across the ground.

Kagetaro staggered, his breaths coming out ragged.

His knees buckled.

He reached for his chest, where the ice-laced wound burned into his flesh.

“…Heh…”

His mask tilted up, revealing a crooked smile.

“…What a beautiful sword art.”

And then—he collapsed.

The crowd erupted.

“HE WON!”

“MOONLIGHT SWORDSMAN!”

“HOLY SHIT! HE SLICED THAT GUY UP!”

Aestrea exhaled, his breath visible in the cold air. His sword still hummed from the energy of the final strike.

He glanced down at Kagetaro’s fallen form.

“…Fuck…”

That was too close.

He sheathed his sword fully, stepping back as the announcer’s voice boomed through the arena.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN—YOUR WINNER…!”

The crowd roared.

The Death Tournament had reached its bloody conclusion.

However, instead of celebrating…

Aestrea frowned.

‘My sword didn’t cut him.’

He looked towards the place where his body should’ve been…

“Fuck…”

“He escaped…”

Aestrea clutched his fists tightly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep