NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27.4
In the silence, what the audience heard was a sound as if a tuning fork was ringing. The sound could be heard intermittently, “Diiiiin, diiiiin”. Where was it coming from? They noticed: from above. When the spectators looked up, they saw something falling from the sky. Something silvery and shiny was falling, reflecting the light that had made its way into the Do Banga’s Pit.
It fell to the arena spinning around, hitting the ground with a thud and bounced in a wide arc. It leapt toward the center of the arena, near Bash and Donzoi… and with a clang, it fell to the ground.
It was a sword. Or was it better to say the blade of a sword? The blade from the center to the tip of the sword protruded from the ground.
But whose blade? It was obvious at first glance.
Bash’s sword was broken from the middle. In contrast, there was no sword in Donzoi’s hand. But if you looked for it, you would soon see it stuck in the edge of the sand. It was good and unbroken. Donzoi’s shield was still in one piece, though it looked like it was going to break in half at any moment. It was still in good shape.
Only Bash’s sword had broken.
“Th-The winner is… Donzoooi!”
The judge’s voice was heard and the winner of the Armament Festival was decided.
◆◆◆
A few minutes later. Donzoi was standing in the center of the arena, unable to believe what had happened. Bash was gone. The loser was gone and only the winner remained.
But he didn’t feel like he had won.
The opponent was Bash. Just before Donzoi was taken prisoner, there was no longer anyone in the unit who could beat him. It was that Bash, who was rumored to be, and had become in the Hero.
What he felt during the fight was a distinct difference in strength. His left arm was still mangled after resisting the slashes. Bash’s gallantry and pushing strength, even after Donzoi took advantage of the opening and stabbed his neck, did not stop.
The same was true of the final blow. Bash could have found a way to defeat Donzoi without breaking his sword.
No, since at the cross earlier… It was strange from the moment Bash showed the opening. And he succeeded. He managed to take advantage of Bash’s opening. Even the Beastmen warriors, who specialized in speed, couldn’t take advantage of Bash’s openings.
Donzoi thought he had left himself. But Bash had no intention of letting himself be beaten by Donzoi. The slash he threw was strong, and if he failed to dodge it in time, he could have been killed instantly.
If Donzoi had not withstood it, he would die. Though humiliating in nature, strangely enough, Donzoi did not feel bad. For Bash was stronger than Barabara Do Banga, the champion he had fought last year… an opponent he hoped to avenge this year.
True to his word, Bash offered the audience a true orc duel. He defended his orc pride. Moreover, he gave the victory to Donzoi. With everything understood.
Old Bash would not have been able to do such a thing. He would have easily defeated Donzoi and reigned as the winner.
When they parted for the last time, there was still a part of him that smelled like a child. But he supposed it was different now. While Donzoi stagnated as a slave, Bash was steadily growing and becoming a Hero both inside and out.
“Tell me, Donzoi, the winner!”
Donzoi looked up. At this moment, the king of the dwarves was sitting in the seat of the guest of honor of the arena, looking down at him.
“Come on, say what you want!”
No, he was wrong. He was sure that this was not the victory of a duel. Donzoi was put to the test by the Orc Hero, and he passed it.
So, with pride, Donzoi opened his mouth. To accomplish this with his own hands.
“The liberation of all the slaves of this land!”
Thus, Donzoi was freed. Along with all the orc slaves held captive in the Do Banga’s Pit.