Marco awoke in a very large bed, much larger than what would have commonly been called 'King size' back on earth. His head hurt, and he felt incredibly tired, but the first thing that he did was look down at his right arm.

He sighed a sigh of relief upon seeing it.

It had been re-attached.

"Man, I don't know what I would have done with only one arm left…" He said as he laughed dryly.

Snapping him out of it, the door creaked open, and a man walked in. Marco turned his head, already having an idea of who it might be.

With measured steps, and the elegance that fit his noble status, a tall man with long black hair and obsidian dark eyes walked into the room. With his hand placed over his heart, the man bent the knee and bowed before Marco.

"Theron Lucien Viremont Von Hazemar, First Prince of the Empire greets the disciple of the Martial Emperor."

Marco scoffed. "Should I get up to greet you, your….highness, or is it your Majesty, or your Excellence?"

Theron smiled as he straightened his torso. "Theron will do just fine."

Marco looked him up and down. "Well then, Theron, am I allowed to say that you don't look like the Emperor at all?"

Indeed, the Emperor and most of his relatives were known for their golden eyes and golden hair. In ancient times, it was said the feature had been granted upon them by the Sun God himself as a proof of their royalty. However, since Terras was named as the official Patron Goddess of the Empire, that belief was struck from the records, and the Sun God was forgotten.

Theron's smile did not waver in the slightest, as if it was rehearsed, set in stone. "My mother was a whore. Her dirty genes must have soiled the great Emperor's."

…

Marco wasn't sure what to say. Theron had said it with such calm and composure that Marco couldn't even tell what kind of atmosphere had fallen upon them both. He scratched the back of his neck. "So, uh, thanks for healing my arm…"

"Of course."

…

'Why is he being so weird…?'

Marco cleared his throat, the tension making him uncomfortable. "So–"

"Marco." Theron said, cutting him off.

"...Yes?"

"I knew it was impossible for you to win the wager, which is why I agreed. You are strong, among the strongest on this entire continent for someone of your age, but against the monsters in this tournament, you are only decent at best."

"...Ouch."

Theron paused for a moment, then resumed. "And I am the same. I am smart, handsome, cunning, sly and–"

"And humble, clearly."

Theron's smile quivered, but he ultimately ignored Marco. "Mmm, but despite all that, I am not enough for the throne. They call me the First Prince.... but never the Crown Prince." Subtly, despite his face remaining unchanging, his fist clenched. "A whore's son with black hair and black eyes could never be king."

Marco raised an eyebrow.

What was this man getting at?

Theron extended a hand. "Which is why I need… your help. As you wagered your body, I will take what is mine. Become my fists, Marco. Help me ascend to the throne."

Marco looked at Theron's pale hand, and then back into his dark eyes. "I'm in no place to ask this after losing… but what about Shanri?"

Theron's smile seemed to widen ever so slightly. "She will be released, if that is your wish. A proper Emperor must be good to his subjects, after all."

Marco's eyes widened. Was it really that easy?

For a moment, he couldn't believe Theron had accepted so easily. After all, the entire premise of the bet was that Shanri would have her happy ending only if Marco succeeded, so was it really that easy to fail and still get what he wanted?

Marco started to doubt Theron. From what he remembered of Shanri, he already knew that Theron was a scheming, sadistic bastard and that he could not be trusted.

Seeing this, Theron immediately placed his free hand on his heart, and power surged from his chest.

"I swear on my mana that what I said is the truth. Shanri Violette will be released, the Violette's family assets will be returned and their status will be re-instated."

Marco's eyes widened. "...A [Mana Oath]...?"

He couldn't believe his eyes. Marco, who had gained somewhat of an interest in this world knew that what Theron had used was an incredibly expensive skill, almost impossible to obtain and that it was a single use skill every time it was obtained.

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Unable to hesitate any longer, and forced to honor the bet he had made, Marco laughed, and he took Theron's hand. "Then I have nothing else to say. A man's word is gold."

Theron's smile still curled his lips, and he looked back at Marco with a strange expression.

Marco flopped back onto the bed. "Well that's that. How long have I been out? Days? Weeks?"

Theron shook his head. "About twenty minutes."

"Oh! Then the second fight might not have ended yet." He jumped up, excited to go watch, but then turned his head awkwardly. "Uh… am I allowed to go watch… Theron?"

Theron stepped aside, signaling that it was fine, and Marco rushed to the arena.

When Marco arrived, a few heads turned. He was difficult to miss, after all, but the heads quickly turned back to the center of the arena, where the Trial Overseer was saying something.

"Uh, well… since it seems like challenger Twilight has forfeited the match, I suppose we'll proceed to the next duel without wasting a second!!"

Indeed, Midnight, or Twilight, had forfeited the match. The reason was simple. At a glance, she could see that Sevrin was incredibly strong, but also that he seemed like he would make a point of attacking her rather than her crystal.

In a situation where she was on the run from an unknown entity, incurring needless damage was pointless. Before, she had participated earnestly to buy herself some time. She intended to use the Veil that was Colosseo and the Rising Stars tournament as protection, but now, the risk was simply not worth the benefits.

So, she had forfeited and returned to her seating area, planning her next steps… and also making sure to properly watch a man whom she had complicated feelings toward, Verity.

Sevrin, visibly upset, also did the same, and returned to his seat.

Now, in front of every spectator, the Emperor, and the six strongest of the continent, Verity stood before Elio.

Verity glanced toward where the other challengers sat. There, he saw Ife press her hands together as if saying 'See you in the next life'. Hoshino was waving her hands frantically, trying to convey an indecipherable message, Felicia's expression was unreadable, and when Verity looked up at the six thrones, he could only feel a sense of 'you better win' from his master which sent chills down his spine.

"Curse your luck." Elio said, unsheathing his katana with a single swift motion.

His eyes were resolute, and thick killing intent radiated from his body. It was crystal clear to Verity that Elio was set on killing him here and now, in front of everyone. Or perhaps it was because they were in front of everyone that Elio decided it was his chance to kill Verity.

After all, this was a sanctioned duel where no one, not even his master, could interfere. Killing was permitted, and if Verity died at Elio's hands here, no one would be able to protest.

Understanding this, and recognizing the chasm between his and Elio's level, Verity laughed dryly and….

He dropped his spear.

Elio frowned. "...I see…I guess there was that option too," he said, believing Verity was planning to surrender. "Naturally. If you're an impostor, cowardice is only to be expected."

Verity knew what Elio was trying to do, but he ignored him.

A taunt?

That was Verity's specialty, and that's exactly what he himself was trying to do. As a shut-in neet who only ever interacted with others through the net, Verity was an expert of… rage baiting. He had first used it against Melinda, the bandit Fire Mage, and he had then practiced restlessly by constantly teasing his master. A truly grueling and painful method, by ultimately necessary for the greater good... probably.

Regardless, in that at least, Verity was easily Grandmaster level, perhaps even higher.

So, after dropping his spear, Verity cracked his knuckles, then his neck. "Hm? Are you going to fight with your sword while I'm unarmed? And you speak of being a coward? Pff."

Elio scoffed. "How ridiculous. If you try to kill yourself, should I also stop you?"

Verity smiled, in the world of taunting, a simple response, no matter how negative, meant the opponent was receptive.

It was now time to prepare the bait.

Verity shrugged. "I don't know… What would Felicia think if you just killed me while I couldn't even defend myself properly?"

Elio's frown deepened. He did not like Verity even mentioning Felicia's name in the slightest. Still, his face hardened, and he clicked his tongue. "...Unlike someone like you, Felicia is, and has always been a true warrior. If you perish due to a decision of your own choosing…. She would never blame anyone but you."

'Perfect'

Now came the time to cast the line.

"Ohhh! I see! But you know… sometimes, emotions, especially strong ones, make people irrational."

Elio frowned even more. "...What… Do you mean?"

'Ah man, I really hate that I'm doing this, but there's no better choice.'

As practiced, Verity smirked, a truly uncharacteristic, lecherous, disgusting smirk. "When two people share a room… a bond forms… a bond that trumps all reason, you know?"

The best lies always contained some truth within them. It was true that Verity had momentarily shared a room with Felicia, which is why this lie had the potential to fool even Elio's sharpened senses.

Elio froze. He took a moment to process Verity's words. The questions that formed on his face were clear.

Shared a room?

A bond?

What kind of bond?

Why would they share a room?

Without him even realizing, his gaze drifted to Felicia who was sitting nearby, watching. In that split second, a thought crossed Felicia's mind.

'So he realized he can't beat Elio if he holds that katana of his… which is why he's taunting so crudely…' A mischievous idea formed. 'So in other words… he thinks that he has a chance if Elio drops it… which means I might get to see something interesting…!!'

If it meant she could see a good fight, Felicia was ready to go through great lengths.

Even participate in this farce.

So, when Elio looked her way, Felicia put on the best show she could. She blushed slightly, covered her face with her hand, and she looked away. Not too much as to not feel staged, but also not too little, as to not be suspicious.

Ife wore an expression of disgust, while Hoshino looked like someone who had seen their favorite characters in a romance manga finally kiss. The rest, Sevrin and Twilight, seemed to care little.

In the audience–

"Pff!! Hahaha!! That's your disciple, Evie!?? This is great!! He's a lot more fun than you are!" Senna exclaimed as she held her stomach.

Gerard stroked his beard. "Hmm! To use everything at one's disposal is also the way of the warrior! There is no shame in this!"

Virgo couldn't help but smirk, despite the coldness that had enveloped him until now. "I would have expected this from the Fairy's brat… or even the meathead's, but... This is even better hehe."

Aurelius blushed in embarrassment while Klyde seemed utterly disinterested.

Back in the Arena, Elio's face had become obscured as he slowly lowered his head, muttering to himself.

Verity had prepared the bait, and cast the line, now all he could do was wait… but he could also make the bait more enticing.

Verity seemed dense, but he wasn't. His problem was that he refused to believe that someone could take an interest in someone like him, so Verity often convinced himself that those around him held no such feelings for him.

However, he never failed to see the emotions of others, and he was rarely ever wrong.

The way Elio looked at Felicia was… not that of an acquaintance, or even a friend, there was something else in his gaze, something that could only be described as longing.

Verity did not know why, or even how that was possible given they had never met before, but Verity felt that— No, somehow, he knew that Elio held incredibly strong emotions for Felicia. Perhaps it was his intuition, the Rune of Truth speaking into his ear, or even unknown forces, but for now, Verity planned to use this undeniable fact to his advantage.

His lips parted. "Ahhhh, but if you still want to kill me while I cannot defend myself, go ahead! Who knows? Perhaps, despite our connection, your words will prove true in the en—"

CLANG

Elio dropped his sword, and he lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot, and the atmosphere around him seemed to literally be on fire.

Yet, he spoke calmly, not a trace of emotion in his voice. "I know what you're doing, and I hope you realize how foolish it is."

Verity grinned. Elio had fully taken the bait.

"Perhaps you think you have a better chance in hand-to-hand combat… or this is a desperate last attempt at saving some face."

He clenched his fists. "You… anomaly… you intruder. Know this. The reason I've dropped my sword is not because I've fallen for your idiotic taunt, but because I want to feel your bones crush, and your skin break under the weight of my bare hands before killing you."

'Isn't that the same thing as falling for the taunt…?' Elio was angry enough, so Verity did not say that last part out loud.

Then, before he could even reply—

BOOM

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