On a battlefield, surrounded by stands full of people, Yui changed his suit.
[Suit Change - Diamond Mode ◇]
The golden symbol flashed in her eyes, taking the place of the previous pattern.
"Are you ready, Yui?" shouted Renji, dodging a blow.
He was in the middle of a wave of undead gladiators, armed with rusty swords and axes. Without his Maestro's weapon and armor, Renji was using only the system's standard blade. His brute strength had dropped considerably, so he focused on getting in the way of his enemies, kicking up dust with his high speeds in order to limit their vision.
Yui, further back, was getting used to his suits. And now it was time to test one he hadn't been able to use before.
"Here goes!"
She threw a card into the middle of the field. The paper cut through the air and hit the eye of one of the dead. A second later, the card exploded into a black hole, pulling all the enemies into a single point.
Without wasting any time, Yui switched suits.
[Suit Change - Clover Mode]
A portal opened high above. Out of it fell a spirit staff with the Clover symbol, which crushed the enemies in a dry, heavy impact.
The dust rose, and Renji stepped back, stopping next to it. When the dust subsided, the notifications popped up:
[Shared Experience: You defeated Undead Warrior - Level 12. +325 XP] (x8)
╔════════════╗
Level Increased
○ Renji: 6 → 7
○ Yui: 1 → 4
╚════════════╝
With the panels still in the air, the king's voice echoed in the arena:
"The winners of the first round are Renji Kurogane and Yui Aoyama!"
The audience erupted in applause.
Renji took a deep breath, drying the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. Beside him, Yui smiled, her eyes still vibrating with excitement. They left the field slowly, following the stone path to one of the arena's four entrances. The southern entrance.
In the shaded corridor, the others were already waiting for them.
"Well?! How did I do, Arisa?" asked Yui, still excited.
"You fought well," replied Arisa, with a smile on her face. "It's not like that was your second fight since awakening."
Yui blushed, proud.
"She adapted too quickly to this Hero's Way business..." muttered Renji, crossing his arms.
Before they could continue, a tall man wearing a red cloak with fur on the collar approached. His steps were firm, his gaze direct. He was carrying two bags which he handed to Renji and Yui.
[Item Acquired - Coin Purse: 100 coins]
"So it was true..." commented Toru, scratching his head. At the same time, the strange man walked away. "You really do win by fighting."
"The emperor is a man of his word," said Queen, seriously. "This floor exists to strengthen the players. Everything on it was built for that purpose."
She looked at the arena and noticed the guards moving around on the other side.
"Check your equipment. The next round won't be long."
Renji crossed his gaze with Toru.
"You three are going in now, right?"
"Yeah... Queen doesn't count as a double, since she's my summoner." He cast a lazy glance at Arisa. "Then my partner will be the piranha."
"Shut up, Toru!" Arisa swung her fist, but Queen easily intercepted her arm, twisting it and pulling her close. The Queen stared the archer right in the eye, as if she was going to flay her skin and eat her flesh.
"Hey, enough of that, you two!" Yui interjected in surprise.
Queen let go of Arisa, and an uncomfortable silence hung over the group.
Renji sighed.
"This isn't going to work..." said Renji. "Toru, you're carrying a bomb around with you. Keep it up and it'll end up exploding on you."
"Okay, okay... don't overdo it," snorted the necromancer.
Renji shrugged. He imagined that any argument between the three of them would disappear in a few minutes inside the Arena.
The rogue then pulled Yui by the arm and the two of them headed into the coliseum.
Disappearing into the crowd of NPCs.
While bumping into all those people and receiving stressed looks. Yui asked. "Hey, where are we going, Renji?"
"Have you forgotten what the emperor told us the very day we got here?"
Yui rolled his eyes and pressed his lips together, trying to remember.
○
16 hours earlier...
The group raised their weapons to a man on the other side of the iron bars.
He was wearing a red cloak, which covered his entire body. It was ornamented with black and gold details, and its ends and collars were covered in white animal fur.
His skin was old and wrinkled, making him look around eighty years old. Several rings accompanied him on his hands, both gold and silver. On his wrists he carried bracelets, which from the marks and wear must have belonged to a warrior long ago.
His hair was long and gray, surrounded by a golden crown that rested on his head.
"The proposal is simple," he said, with a bored smile. "Be my gladiators."
"You want us to fight for you? Not a chance!" Renji retorted, his arms crossed.
The emperor ignored him. His eyes turned to Queen, who stood behind the others.
"Oh... What do I owe to the presence of the Dragon Queen?"
Queen said nothing. She just walked over to the iron bars of the cell where she was being held and bent them with her bare hands. The structure gave way with a dry sound, and she passed through the bars as if they weren't there.
"I came to guide them. One of them carries the soul of my beloved Art."
"Hmm... so it's true. A new bearer of the Art of the Immortals... It's been a while since I've seen one of those around here."
The emperor snapped his fingers, drawing everyone's attention.
"This floor is different from the others. It exists to strengthen the players. The Arena is the center of that. You fight, you earn money, and you use that money to buy equipment. It's as simple as that."
"A floor designed to strengthen players..." Arisa thought.
Queen stared at the ceiling of the room, as if searching her memory for something she had forgotten.
"If I remember correctly... there's a condition for that. What's the price?"
"Seven rounds. Each with a different pair. If you win them all, I'll open the portal to the fourth floor. And everything you get here will be yours. But..."
He smiled.
"If you lose any of them... you Queen. You'll be my concubine."
Silence fell like a stone.
Toru tried to stand up, even though his leg was bandaged.
"Hey, you son of a..."
"I accept." said Queen, without hesitation.
Renji and the others stared at her.
"Why are you accepting this Queen?" Renji asked.
She turned to the group. "Floors like this are scarce, and if you remain as weak as you are. I won't be able to protect you in certain situations. We have to take advantage, you need to get stronger. And fast."
"No, you're not going to do anything that..." Toru was powerless, he needed to be treated.
This was a clash between two floor masters, something that was far beyond the capabilities of the four schoolboys.
"But if we win..." she continued. "I'll take your cloak and your crown."
The emperor laughed.
"I like your boldness."
They shook hands. The deal was done.
○
Back to the present...
Renji and Yui walked down a side corridor of the arena until they found a stall with merchandise on display. There was armor, weapons, shields and even potions in colored glass. The store owner, a fat dwarf in a beret and glasses, welcomed them with a broad smile.
"Come along, youngsters! Look at the special offers for gladiators!"
"What have you got there?" asked Yui excitedly.
Renji looked through the armor:
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○ Chain mail: Defense +10 - 80 Coins
○ Light Plate Armor: Defense +8 - 60 Coins
○ Leather Armor: Defense +6 - 40 Coins
○ Iron Bracelets: Defense +3 - 30 Coins
○ Wooden Bracelets: Defense +1 - 20 Coins
○ Combat Boots: Defense +2 - 30 Coins
○ Gladiator Sandals: Defense +1 - 20 Coins
○ Light Clothes: Defense +2 - 15 Coins
╚═══════════════════════════════════╝
"Do you have a dagger?"
"Of course. Look at these little beauties!"
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○ Cordless Blade: Strength +1 - 10 Coins
○ Thief's Dagger: Strength +2 - 30 Coins
○ Combat Knife: Strength +3 - 40 Coins
○ Curved Dagger: Strength +2 - 30 Coins
○ Basilisk Tooth (Passive): Strength +3 - 50 Coins
○ White Fang (Passive): Strength +4 - 60 Coins
╚════════════════════════════════════╝
"Can I see the passives of those two?" Renji pointed to the last ones.
"No touching, kid. I don't know what Path carriers can do with a simple touch."
"Really? You're going to charge me all that and I can't even see it?"
"If you think it's bad, there are other stores out there."
Before the conversation turned sour, Yui stepped in.
"Please..." She leaned in slightly, crossing her arms "strategically". "Let him have a look. He's my brother."
Renji winked. "Brother?"
The dwarf laughed, straightening his glasses.
"All right, all right! Just for you, miss!"
[Trading Discount with NPCs Activated - All items in the store become 20 coins cheaper].
Renji took advantage.
[White Canine - Strength +4 | Passive: 10% critical hit chance]
[Light Plate Armor - Defense +6]
[Iron Bracelets - Defense +3]
[Combat Boots - Defense +2]
Exact total: 100 coins.
╔════════════════╗
○ Strength: 7
○ Endurance: 15
╚════════════════╝
"Would you like anything, miss?" the dwarf asked Yui.
"Hm... I was thinking of..."
Before she could finish, the voice echoed throughout the arena:
"The second round is about to begin! The duel will be between Toru Kanzaki and Arisa Tachibana... against the Lich Champion!"
"Renji, come on! We can't miss this!" Yui grabbed his arm and started pulling him along.
"But you won't buy it at..."
Before he had finished his sentence, the two of them had disappeared into the crowd.