Minutes before all the chaos of the ghouls began,
Two people entered the Underworld.
They were Lambert and Bellange.
They didn't need anything to enter; they just said they were "gladiators" and walked in calmly.
Inside the place, it was exactly like a convention.
Many people in stands and vendors were selling various items.
Clothes, food, accessories.
In the center of it all, a large round asphalt arena was located.
An attendant indicated where they should go.
Several minutes passed.
And a man told everyone to be quiet.
"Good evening, beasts and vermin. On this beautiful and rare red night, our champion will have various duels against a large number of opponents."
The man pointed to a corner.
A door opened, and a figure appeared.
His steps made the earth tremble.
A very tall man, excessively muscular, with cinnamon-colored skin and a face that looked like stone due to its hardness. He was smiling with his sharp teeth.
His hair, like his eye, was dark black.
The hair was tied in dreadlocks similar to John's.
His clothes were those of a half-naked barbarian. He showed from his chest to his navel.
His shoulders had skulls of horned monsters.
He measured almost three meters; in his right hand, he had a sword similar to a kitchen knife. The size was medium, the same height as his thigh.
The most noticeable feature of his appearance was not his necklace of small bones around his neck.
It was that his right eye was closed, and three claw marks were visible.
The man introduced the large man.
"A big round of applause for the one and only, for the unequaled, for the lord of this place as its undefeated champion!"
"Krulcifer, the One-Eyed Tyrant King!"
This individual was a threat in the game.
At first, he was known as the "One-Eyed Death," but as he gained fame and power, he became known as the Tyrant King.
He is Gerhardt's right hand in the game. Quinque was not.
Krulcifer served Gerhardt because he wanted to challenge him for the position of absolute ruler of this place.
When Lily and the others faced him, he always sought to break her neck.
Some said it was because he was programmed that way. Others because he recognized that she was a danger.
But the truth of that is that he actually considered her weak.
Therefore, he proceeded to eliminate the weak first.
The referee now pointed to the door on the opposite side.
"Alright, for this match #270 we have gathered a total of 216 participants."
"Everyone was registered. Therefore, the doors were closed a while ago."
"No one can enter or leave."
"Now, you filthy pests who love violence!"
"Get ready to enjoy this carnage! Let's go with the first victim!"
The door opened. Screams were heard clamoring for blood.
After a while, nothing happened.
The referee told an attendant to go check.
"Hey, why isn't the first participant coming out? Did he fall asleep? The bets will be very bad if he doesn't come out; go and wake him up."
An attendant went to check at that moment. But before setting foot,
A flying body was thrown towards them.
It was all beaten up and unrecognizable.
Those present had troubled and astonished expressions.
The referee pointed and shouted.
"W-Who are you?"
Two shadows set foot in the arena.
Bellange was one of them. He wiped the blood from his face.
"Those guys were easy prey. I didn't even have to get serious."
The other was Lambert, who was trying to get blood out of his shirt.
"I'm going to have to discard this if it doesn't come out. Anyway, we came to this place because that saint decided to go play in the district."
"Let's finish this quickly since we got ahead of the others."
The two approached the arena more.
The referee didn't know what to say until Lambert took the microphone he was using, a magic circle to transmit his voice throughout the dome.
"I'm sorry to say the show is canceled. We came for this guy's head. So leave, or you will also be treated as criminals."
There was a momentary silence, but then laughter and insults were heard.
"Don't fuck with me, you damn dwarf! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Do you know how much money I invested in this duel?"
"Champion, kill those idiots! Don't let the show end early!"
Lambert looked with disgust and clicked his tongue.
"You all disgust me. I should cut you down."
"What are you complaining about? It's normal. I would do the same in their position."
"I'll cut you down too for saying nonsense."
Lambert unsheathed his sword. He was going to end this in an instant.
Krulcifer was watching the audience with a smile.
Lambert used that opportunity to go for his head.
He used his ability, "Phantom Feet," and approached in a fraction of a second.
When Krulcifer turned his neck to speak to them while looking at them,
Lambert's sword cut him.
... Or that's what was supposed to happen.
"How?!"
Lambert exclaimed in question as he looked strangely at his enemy's neck, which remained on his body.
The sword was undoubtedly being pressed with force to cut it.
But each time he tried, a small crack appeared on it.
He immediately retreated.
Krulcifer cracked his neck.
A loud sound was heard, and then in his deep voice, he told them.
"Not bad, kid."
"But it's useless."
"Ever since I was fighting in the slums, I always ended up beaten by adults. One of them took my eye."
"I thought I was going to die until I met him. The Night King."
"He looked at me as if he were seeing a wet dog and told me—"
"'How pathetic you look. Do you want power? Earn it. Among the miserable life forms, you are the lowest of them. If you want me to stop seeing you as an insect, earn it. Become the strongest of all.'"
Krulcifer laughed.
"That's how I obeyed him and trained to the point that I hardened my body without needing to use magical power. My muscles are so resistant that neither bullets nor swords can damage me."
"My bones are so hard that even if I fall from the top of the tower, nothing would happen to me. I reached the maximum of physical strengthening! That's why I'm the champion. And one day, I will snatch the position of ruler of this place from Gerhardt."
"I don't care."
Lambert interrupted Krulcifer's monologue.
"You want to be strong? I don't care. I will be the strongest of all for His Highness's sake."
His head remembered a certain incident.
It was the day of the duel.
He lost to Cid. But then he observed that Regulux was wounded by a monster.
Moments later, he was facing Razel. But his mind was very confused.
He didn't remember anything.
But he did know one thing: that Razel was a target to eliminate.
(That guy dared to go against His Highness. I don't know what happened that day, but His Highness lost power and influence. My house wants to withdraw its support, but I won't allow it.)
(Even if I have to go against my father, I will support His Highness.)
Lambert's resolve, unlike in the game, was very twisted for some reason.
Lambert was a person with a cold but friendly character. That's why his popularity was among the highest of similar characters.
But this Lambert and his game version were very different people.
Lambert approached a wounded man. He took his sword.
"It doesn't matter if you are the Night King or the King of the Underworld. Anyone who stands in my way and His Highness's will be eliminated by this blade."
The swords pointed at Krulcifer; at the same time, Bellange was—
"Hahaha, hey Attley, are you crazy? I'll be the one to eliminate this guy. Then I'll go after that chocolate king."
"No, I didn't say that. Is your head full of garbage?"
"Shut up!"
Krulcifer laughed. He raised his sword and shouted.
"Come!"
At the moment they were about to lunge and fight,
"What is that?!"
A loud sound was heard.
It was the door breaking.
A group of ghouls entered.
"Are those ghouls?"
"What are they doing here?"
"It doesn't matter; kill them!"
A fight began between the guards and the ghouls at the top.
While at the bottom, three individuals were listening to everything.
"Up there, everything seems to have gotten fun."
Said Bellange; Lambert replied while checking if his cracked sword was still useful.
"It doesn't matter. Our— my real opponent is here."
"Hey, did you just erase my existence? Did you just do that?"
"Who knows..."
Krulcifer laughed one last time.
"Hahaha, the break time is over!"
His legs got into an attack position.
"It's time for the slaughter to begin!"
Krulcifer lunged straight at Bellange.
His sword aimed at his head, but Bellange also reacted quickly and pulled out the golden halberd on his back.
*Swing*
A loud sound of metal against metal resonated in the environment full of screams from the ghouls.
Lambert ran after Krulcifer was trying to break Bellange's legs using his body.
He aimed at his enemy's back and cut.
"Chaotic Slash!"
In an X-shape, a light appeared and impacted against his back.
Despite being cut, Krulcifer received no damage.
He turned towards Lambert and kicked him.
His leg so long that he could hit him without issue.
Lambert went flying straight into the wall.
Bellange used magical power, but even so, he couldn't push Krulcifer back.
Krulcifer stepped back to mock Bellange.
The strength of not just one, but two experienced capture targets fighting was nothing to this monster.
"Come on."
He said as he drove his sword into the ground.
"Give me your best shot."
Bellange got angry seeing him mock him.
"Don't mock me!"
He charged with his axe towards his chest.
Using magical power to strengthen his muscles, he decided to ignore that threat.
"Earth Magic: Great Pillar of Pain!"
The golden blade touched the ground, and rock stakes grew towards Krulcifer.
Krulcifer himself was surprised.
His body was pierced by the stakes.
But there was no damage.
The sharp points broke upon touching the toned body.
He was thrown upwards, falling directly onto the ghouls.
While Bellange ran straight to Lambert.
The ghouls approached Krulcifer.
He raised his large hand and with a swing, erased a large number of them.
The ghouls stopped biting or fighting the guards and focused on the larger opponent.
Without feeling the slightest interest, Krulcifer allowed them to bite him.
His body was bitten almost entirely by the ghouls.
When their teeth tried to exert force, they broke.
He clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Not even these lowlifes can hurt me."
From the moment he acquired this body, he always wondered one thing.
What does it really mean to be strong?
That question was very broad and had a wide meaning.
But for him, it was meaningless.
He was so strong that he could kill this entire city without issue.
Even vampires like Quinque would be pulverized by his hands.
But why did he desire to be strong so much?
To surpass Gerhardt?
If that were the case, that dream would be impossible.
But something else motivated him, although he didn't know the reason.
Once he killed almost all the ghouls, he leaped into the depths of the arena, making the ground tremble.
Lambert had already recovered from the blow, and Bellange was in an attack position.
His black eye looked at his opponents with longing.
"You two, show me that confidence you were so proud of before!"
He ran straight at his opponents.
Bellange also ran. Lambert thought as he pointed his swords.
(I hate to admit it, but that kick he gave me was just a stretch.)
(If he had used a real serious kick, the blow itself would have killed me, not the impact.)
(I don't want to say it, but I have to cooperate with this guy.)
Lambert ran in the opposite direction of Bellange to attack Krulcifer from behind.
"Come!"
Shouted Krulcifer as he raised his sword, and Bellange used the golden edge of his halberd to intercept.
*Swing*
*Swing*
The blows of the sword and halberd resonated so loudly that the ground trembled.
Lambert attacked from behind.
Krulcifer's back received damage, but nothing happened.
While in the front, Bellange used all his strength to repel the attacks.
(This guy is too strong.)
With each blow his halberd deflected, Bellange retreated.
Lambert couldn't do anything either.
(I'm cutting him, but there's no blood or anything! What the hell is his body made of?)
Bellange and Lambert began to sweat. Bellange thought about his duel against Razel.
(Not even that guy was as strong as this one. At this rate, the same thing will happen to me.)
Bellange remembered his defeat that time. It was the first time in his life he was angry with his weakness.
He didn't blame anyone; if he lost, it was because he was weak and Razel was stronger.
Although Razel's body didn't seem to be a threat like his appearance.
Bellange recognized that he hid great strength.
Since the blow he received that day was strong enough to leave him unconscious for several days.
Even as a child, he trained with rocks and trees. The blows he received as a child were insignificant compared to that blow Razel gave him.
After waking up, Bellange learned what happened. A monster attacked them and was defeated by two people.
He felt ashamed; deep down, he wanted to be strong enough not to lose again.
"Aaaah!"
He shouted as his weapon went straight for Krulcifer's face.
What was going to happen happened.
Krulcifer exerted just a little force, and the edge of the halberd shattered into pieces.
Then the same happened to Lambert's swords.
Krulcifer was getting a little serious.
His right hand moved and struck Bellange's stomach very hard.
This caused blood to come out of his mouth, and he went flying straight into the wall.
It was only a fraction of a second that all this happened, and Bellange lost consciousness.
Lambert retreated, looking for another sword.
But Krulcifer prevented it.
Using the back of his sword, he struck Lambert against the ground.
Then he lifted him with the tip of the sword and threw him against the remaining wall without cracks.
His large steps approached Lambert while he moved his sword playfully.
"Is that really all you can do? Come on, I'm serious. Is that all? You're weaker than the ghouls!"
In the game, Krulcifer was that strong. Lily's presence was a great help to prevent that outcome from occurring.
If she were here, it would undoubtedly be a battle of attrition.
"You have truly disappointed me. I wanted a good fight, but I only had a waste of time."
The raised sword descended at great speed towards Lambert.
Krulcifer smiled upon seeing that there was no trace of his enemy left.
But his smile vanished upon seeing that there was neither a trace of blood nor a body at all.
He didn't understand what was happening until he noticed a certain sweet smell in the air.
He turned around and observed a mysterious figure holding Lambert.
Krulcifer was not surprised by this. He thought it was another intruder with good speed.
His sword moved laterally to cut him like ham.
But something he never thought possible happened.
The mysterious figure caught the sword with her nails.
She exerted just a little force, and cracks appeared on his sword.
After a blink, the sword broke.
Krulcifer was perplexed.
He didn't know what happened until he noticed that the mysterious figure approached Bellange to leave Lambert there.
She wore a yellow hoodie, of medium height; her pants were gray and the type you would use for exercise.
The figure turned and removed her hood.
Krulcifer observed who this mysterious being was.
He tried to make a mocking face upon knowing.
"A woman? Seriously?"
That it was a girl. And not only that.
Her hair was black as night; she had animal ears, as if from a dog; her eyes were golden like a gold coin.
Her hair was tied in a ponytail that reached down to her hips.
Her fluffy tail was hidden in her body. She let it out so it could move with excitement.
She observed her opponent without interest and walked up to him.
Krulcifer wanted to ask. "What the hell is a woman doing here?"
But before that could happen, the girl raised her fist towards the stomach of this man of monstrous stature.
Everyone's reaction would be laughter; Krulcifer trained his body to the point that his muscles and bones were so hard that not even fire or steel could damage them.
So why was he making that face? That's what everyone would ask if they had seen him.
He, known as one of the strongest men in this country,
He who hardened and trained his muscles and bones to withstand anything,
Was showing an expression of pain.
His eye was bloodshot.
His mouth opened, and he spat saliva.
The girl's fist was buried in his stomach.
It seemed as if her hand had sunk into a balloon.
The girl was not just any demi-human.
She belonged to the strongest race of all.
Not even tiger men are rivals for her clan.
Belonging to a race of battle wolves.
The only known survivor.
She, Leila, came at someone's order.
"Amy onee-sama asked me to come. Leila is here to kick the ass of everyone who will become a threat to the Master!"
What was she doing here?