“As blue side has lost its combat ability, red side wins. This match is over.” The referee announced the end of the match.
The stage was a sea of silence, while the people on the side heaved a collective sigh.
“Head referee, this place…” A referee awkwardly looked at the collapsed stage and solicited Lin’s opinions in a soft voice.
“The financial damage caused by the destruction of public facilities shall be equally borne by the two participants.” Lin’s cold voice arrived at the ears of everyone at the scene through the voice amplifier.
“…???” Ji Bai, who had stood motionless with his sword from beginning to end, couldn’t help but feel there was some deep significance behind the inexplicable debt he had been burdened with.
‘Is she trying to use her position to get even with me?’
“As Martial Arena 1 can no longer be used, may I ask all students who are participating in the tournament at this venue to move to Martial Arena 5 instead.” Announced a referee after the chaotic spectacle on the scene had been dealt with.
Ji Bai remained silent as he walked towards the new martial arena.
…………
Afternoon, Martial Arena 5.
The second match for Ji Bai had arrived. Armed to the teeth, he got up to the arena and rapped his gauntlets against the hilt of his sword in wait for his opponent.
After some time, a cold gust began to blow over the silent arena.
“Heya! I am the dual-swords knight— Raybia! I’ve long heard of your name, it’s my fortune to meet you today.”
A man wrapped in black fabric from top to bottom had entered his vision, tossing two gleaming swords into the air back and forth as if he was performing a show.
Ji Bai knitted his brows as he had a nagging feeling that things weren’t going to be as simple as he thought.
The man in black leaped into the air, his hands grabbing towards the swords in the air. As his feet landed on the ground, he gave a bow— Only to suddenly realize that one of his hands was empty. Just as he was searching all around for the other sword, hot fresh blood flowed down from his forehead onto his nose.
“Urgh…”
*Thud.*
The eyes of the man in black went blank. White foam came out of his mouth as he collapsed on the ground and fell unconscious.
“Carry him away and have the next participant come in.”
“That was already the last contestant, head referee.”
“Is that so? The match has come to an end, red side wins.”
“??” Ji Bai was somewhat befuddled as he stood in place.
‘Why did he collapse before the fight even started?’
Sitting on the spectator’s seat with her hands holding onto pom-poms, Ke’er looked at the situation unfolding on the stage in an inexplicable manner, feeling really embarrassed over the outfit she had put on. As for Lin Tuo, his loud snores could long be heard from far away. With his arms wrapped around himself, he was in deep sleep with his body curled up on his seat.
“Tsss, that middle-aged oaf has quite the luck indeed.” Lil’ Sha muttered to herself as she stood below the stage disguised as an elderly woman.
“The tournament is now over. Student Number 2 has succeeded in his advancement and is hereby qualified to go on expeditions.” Announced Lin from the referee panel with the help of the magical voice transmitter in her hand. The casual manner of her announcement somewhat felt as if she was just proceeding through a formality.
‘Is it really okay to take it so casually?’
Ji Bai turned momentarily silent before he grabbed his long sword and got down from the stage. The man in black clothes that had passed away at the scene had long been carried away by the paramedics who had rushed to his side shortly after.
“Mr. Lin Tuo, Mr. Lin Tuo…”
“…Hmmm? W-What’s the matter?” Feeling that someone was rousing him up from his slumber, Lin Tuo woke up in shock and looked around.
“Mr. Ji Bai has won.” Ke’er reminded him.
“Ahh?? That quick, is it already night now?” Puzzled, Lin Tuo raised his head up to look at the skies, only for his eyes to be scorched by the piercing rays of the remaining sun on the verge of setting behind the horizon.
“It has ended so quickly… Mhm, the prowess of this lad is truly terrifying indeed. From the looks of it, he must have held back when we were at the city gate tower.” Lin Tuo stroked his chin as he spoke in a manner of feigned solemness.
“Eeeh… Is that so?”
“Of course! An outsider only notices the flashy effects behind a move, while a professional is cognizant of the principles underlying it! The way I see it, his swordsmanship has improved substantially once more!” Lin Tuo lit his cigarette and gave an analysis in a calm manner.
Seeing the enigmatic air that Lin Tuo put on, Ke’er eventually chose to swallow the retort about him sleeping through the tournament back into her stomach.
…………
In the evening, Ji Bai’s apartment.
The small home was very crowded today.
“Wow, Ke’er. You’re so skilled and good at cooking! These desserts look so appetizing, can I taste them?”
“Of course you can… You’re flattering me, sister Sha.” With an apron wrapped around her body, Ke’er humbly lowered her head.
‘I can’t tell anyone that I am working in a maid’s cafe, can I… but it’s not like that’s anything bad, right?’
“The way you handle your cooking and fine-tune the seasoning and ingredients are perfect… How did you become this proficient, Ke’er? Hmph, the obscene middle-aged man has definitely lucked out to be able to taste such delicious food everyday. He’s benefited big time for sure.” Lil’ Sha was somewhat indignant as she stuck her hands on her hips.
In the living room.
“So, have you decided to accept the request to explore the relic?” Asked Lin Tuo.
“It’s not like I have something else to do, do I?”
“Since you’ve put it that way, it’s a yes then.”
“…Will I encounter demons there?” Ji Bai sat down and leaned back on a three-legged stool. The extremely skillful manner he got on the unstable furniture and the stable footing he achieved with his lower body made it evident that it wasn’t something one could learn in a short period of time. It was evident from a cursory glance that he had done this a lot of times before.
“No… Can you stop injecting the word ‘demon’ into every sentence? It’s impossible to check which era or generation left these relics… You’d be hard-pressed to find a rat wandering there, let alone a foreign species like demons.”
“So, will you go? Even a casual stroll around a corner will reward you with an ample amount of points. A lot of people are fighting tooth and nail over it, you should make up your mind soon.”
Without the presence of demons, it certainly didn’t hold much impetus for him. If this was in the past, Ji Bai wouldn’t have paid it any note.
He silently gazed in the direction of the kitchen.
“Naturally.”
“Alright. If that’s the case, I’ll-…”
“Boom!” The entrance was shattered to pieces along with the stretch of wall surrounding it, sending dust flying in all directions instantly.
“My bad, my bad. I’ll patch it up immediately. Witness my regenerative punch!”
As he howled, the distorted door and the shattered bricks resembled a cassette tape being played in reverse as they returned back to their former position in pristine form.
“Sorry, Brother Ji Bai. Business was somewhat busy this afternoon. Congratulations on your successful promotion.” Huo Lei crouched and stepped into the apartment that was clearly too small for him.
Ji Bai shook his head, expressing that he wasn’t bothered.
“Ohhh! What a nice aroma… Is little Sister Ke’er preparing the meals now?”
“Yo, Huo Lei, you’ve chosen just the right moment to arrive. You’re here for the free meal, aren’t you?” Joked Lin Tuo.
“Ehehehe… Speaking of which, do you have a stool?” Huo Lei stroked his head. He looked around momentarily and caught sight of a sofa that was extremely tiny in comparison with his body.
“The amenities in my house haven’t reached the standards of well-off families, so please try and compromise a little, alright.” The corner of Ji Bai’s mouth twitched a little.
“Hahaha…! I was just joking, I’ll sit on the floor instead.”
…………
After having dinner, Ji Bai was relaxing on a bench under the moonlight.
A gust of wind, as desolate as the night, blew by.
“Could I ask your excellency to state the business you have with me?”
“Fwoosh…” A number of withered tree leaves were raised into the air by the nightly wind and subsequently landed on a pale, translucent hand.
It was unknown when a black-gowned person had silently sat on the other end of the bench.
“Fwoosh…” Despite sitting on the same bench, neither party looked toward the other.
“May I know if there’s something your excellency wishes to speak to me about?” Ji Bai’s complexion remained unchanged.
“An identity of a knight, but the blood of the royal family…” With a tone that made it impossible to identify their gender, a voice that seemingly didn’t originate from the black-gowned figure resounded.
In an instance, the air grew excruciatingly thick.
“Interesting… Clearly just a remnant. To think that it’s actually capable of materialization… Did that come from its reliance on willpower? How interesting.” The black-gowned figure let out an ambiguous laugh.
“Whoosh…” Suddenly, a large gust of wind swept over the area. A quick glance told Ji Bai that the other side of the bench was now empty.