Cha-aeng!
The sword was tilted slightly, and the shortsword slipped out.
As the movement twisted along the curve of the blade, Gester’s stance wavered for an instant.
Usher spun his body around.
He knew that it was the perfect moment for Gester’s other hand to throw the hidden dagger.
Ts-kang!
Hwaran’s assassination sword shattered.
Gester widened his eyes in shock, then clenched his teeth with a low growl, shifting his posture.
It wasn’t a “Ah” but a “Aang”.
“You little brat! You wanna come at me like that?!”
Ah, please.
He spoke with his eyes, but it was ignored.
Usher realized that communication through eye contact was truly difficult, and that someone like Bersia, who could do it, was very rare.
“Ha-yaat!!!”
Thud!
As Gester performed a front kick, Usher was pushed back by the force.
Through the opened skirt, a leg shot out.
The thigh muscles bulged out dramatically.
“Ooooh!!!”
“Mila! Mila!”
A group of mercenaries cheered in excitement.
Usher got goosebumps.
“I, the lonely rose Mila! I won’t be broken by something so small!!!”
“Waaaaa!!!”
It really made him want to throw up.
At this point, no longer caring about friends or anything, the rising disgust started to make him think those thoughts.
‘Let’s eliminate Gester. Let’s make sure he never holds a sword again.’
It was a cruel thought, but also the only mercy Usher could offer.
Mila’s euthanasia, Gester’s salvation.
For the greater good, Usher crossed his blades.
“…That’s as far as your disgusting antics go.”
“Aaaah!!! Incestuous Tia! A cold word for the rival after aiming for my brother!!!”
“…I’ll kill them all.”
Swoosh!
Usher’s figure became blurry.
Immediately, his sword reflected the sunlight, temporarily blinding Gester.
A sudden approach using footwork, the trajectory of the sword aiming for vital points.
Gester’s response was a step too slow.
The result was sealed there.
Thwack!
Usher struck the back of Gester’s neck with the back of his sword.
At the same time, he perfectly blocked the desperate last-ditch throw of the dagger.
Thud!
Gester collapsed to the ground.
He let out a sharp “Kuh!” and squeezed his eyes shut.
The result was clear.
“The winner is!!! The sister who saved her brother once again with her incestuous Tia!!! The pillar husband’s marriage is now decided!!!”
“Waaa!!!”
“…I’ll admit it. You really are the right woman for that man.”
How long is he planning to keep this up?
Gester, staggering to his feet, tried to end on a warm note, speaking in a high voice as he extended his hand.
And winked.
“Now, as comrades, shall we get along well?”
Usher was troubled.
He just wanted to go back and rest now, since everything was done.
He didn’t take his hand.
With a scowl, he left the room.
Back in the waiting room.
“Keuh-uh, Keu-he-he-heung!!! Koo-heok! Kkeuh-ha-ha!”
Halia was laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach.
Diego bowed his head low, covering his mouth with his hand.
Bersia clapped her hands.
“Good job, Saintess. Should I go ahead and get ready nicely?”
“Usher! Bersia is frowning!”
“Ah, I guess it must have been uncomfortable not getting ready beforehand.”
“Kkeuh-hah-hah-hah!”
Halia rolled around on the floor laughing.
Usher was too upset.
He had gone out, worked so hard to fight, and these people were just laughing, not comforting him.
His expression became sullen, and his skin turned red as if it would burst.
He was grinding his teeth so hard that his cheek was puffing up.
“I hate you all! I really hate you all!!!”
Usher screamed and stormed out of the room.
But there was nowhere to go.
Sitting on the floor in front of the door, he was fuming when Gester appeared and, dropping his act, smiled brightly and spoke to him.
“You had your reasons. It’s your victory, young lady. I learned something.”
This time, Gester extended his hand for a handshake.
But in front of the one who was the cause of all this, Usher couldn’t smile anymore.
He turned his head sharply.
“I don’t know.”
He wasn’t in the mood to talk.
In the end, it was Bersia’s role to console him.
After safely completing the round of 32, she forfeited in the round of 16.
Bersia received jeers from many of the spectators, but surprisingly, it matched her character as the pillar husband, so there was little backlash.
That’s just how gladiatorial arenas work.
Who wins a fight is only important to the gamblers; what matters more is how the game flowed, what the dynamics were.
A skilled but despicable swordsman.
With that image solidified, Bersia used him appropriately, and she managed to avoid being eliminated in the tournament.
The round of 16 came after.
Usher defeated the whip-wielding man, an officer of the Desert Wolf Mercenary Group, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Diego also advanced to the quarterfinals by default.
And so, the quarterfinals were completed today.
As for the hero of the victory, the comeback warrior Usher, how was she doing?
If someone were to ask, they’d likely hear a rather sad answer.
“Will you accept an apology?”
“Yes, heh-heh! Neck!!!”
Usher was being tormented under the guise of an ‘apology.’
“Please, stop! That’s enough…!”
“Are you sure it’s enough?”
“Yes, it’s enough! Really!”
Thud, Bersia released her hold.
Usher dropped to his knees on the floor.
He took a deep breath.
He felt like he had aged ten years.
‘What in the world just happened?’
Reflecting on it, the events immediately came to mind. It had just happened, so it was natural.
The saintess suddenly came close and…
She hugged me from behind.
She apologized for teasing me.
In fact, because of that incident, I hadn’t spoken a word for several days.
Usher also realized that his own attitude was childish and emotional, so he tried to accept the apology, blushing.
But then, at that moment, Bersia touched his stomach from behind.
Normally, he would’ve brushed it off, but now, it seemed Bersia had also learned to break through without letting go, and from an odd angle, she attacked, completely restraining Usher.
After that, Usher was thoroughly humiliated.
Touching her stomach was manageable, just suppressing the ticklishness and shame.
But when her hand subtly moved up or down, Usher couldn’t help but feel drained from trying to stop it.
The spot where his hand had been still itched.
Her body temperature was rising too fast.
Usher clenched her lips tightly.
C-calm down, Usher. If this makes… down there react again…!
Not only would that be an accident, but the shame would make me want to kill myself.’
He could already imagine Bersia asking, ‘Are you excited? Did you get off on it?’
The corners of Usher’s eyes twitched.
“…This isn’t an apology, is it?”
“You said it was enough, though. Isn’t changing your mind once it’s been released a bit much?”
He glared at her, but nothing changed.
Was it just an illusion, or could she feel the satisfaction in that smile?
No, it wasn’t an illusion at all.
She could almost feel her wrist being gripped.
Usher, trembling, staggered to his feet.
What good would more words do?
Letting out a sigh, Usher shifted the conversation to something more productive.
“…Anyway, now we’re in the quarterfinals.”
“Weren’t you aiming for the championship?”
“Yes, I need to stand out for sure.”
“The atmosphere is good, too. They say two members of the Blue Sword are in the quarterfinals, and it’s causing a stir outside.”
“We need to make even more noise. The more people are watching us, the harder it will be for them to act recklessly.”
Usher, brushing off his clothes, continued while fixing his messy hair.
“The current Lion Squad needs to feel a sense of crisis. The royal family and the Lion Squad are ultimately in a contractual relationship. Seeing the insecurity of the current Lion Squad, the royal family will start to see us as a trustworthy candidate for the next contract.”
Of course, this was assuming things went well.
“…But we can’t relax. From now on, the real strong opponents will show up.”
Diego wasn’t worried.
Usher’s concern was himself.
Bersia’s physical strength would have an overwhelming advantage in most battles, but against warriors who used ‘visions,’ her battle prowess would be at a disadvantage.
Considering the current environment where she couldn’t use holy power or prayers, it was a significant weakness.
‘In the semifinals…’
A user of visions would appear.
One of the core officers of the current Lion Squad.
Usher’s expression hardened.
He knew exactly who that man was.
The face he had pushed to the back of his mind resurfaced.
“Don’t act cool, you bastard!!!”
Revenge. If he were to name it, it would be too personal.
Usher steadied his heart.
“I’m going to do a bit of training for a while.”
“Okay, be careful.”
To fill the gap left by the vision, he needed to sharpen his senses even further.
Leaving the room, he headed to the training grounds.
He immersed himself in training, figuring out how to defeat the man he would face in the semifinals.
In the middle of this.
“Aah, found him. The semifinal opponent!”
Usher’s body froze upright.
His brows furrowed.
He looked up, following the sound of a chuckling laugh.
‘This guy is no gentleman.’
On the other side of the fence, the man who was his rival and one of his enemies, accompanied by his subordinates, was staring at Usher.