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The One on Top – Part 04

Hikaru quickly pulled out a suntetsu, but the arrow had been released.

Jillarte had 6 points in Instinct, but even that was only enough to notice Ryver’s movement instantly, and by the time she turned to him, the arrow was right in front of her.

A clear hit—or it should’ve been one.

A gigantic figure appeared, covering Jillarte. The arrow struck his back.

“Wh-Why…”

Jillarte’s mind was in chaos. She was aware that someone was after her life, but why did this person protect her?

“Why would you do this, Gerhardt?!”

“Stay still.”

Gerhardt, the Leader of Einbiest, spat out blood. The arrowhead was coated in poison.

“Paula! I need you here right now!”

Hikaru hurled the suntetsu at Ryver, who was about to fire a second shot. Noticing Hikaru’s attack, Ryver ducked and scurried away to the other side of the ring.

“Oh no, you don’t! I saw what you did. You’re not getting away that easily.”

Selyse blocked Ryver’s escape route. Since she was fighting Jillarte, she saw Ryver aiming at her.

“Shit. Out of the way!”

“And you think I’ll just listen?”

Bows were awful in close combat. Selyse closed in on Ryver, launching attacks and inflicting numerous wounds.

Selyse was troublesome as an enemy, but it was reassuring to have her at this moment. Hikaru was confident in leaving things to her. Lavia and Paula rushed towards him from the spectator seats.

“Pau—Flower Face! Please heal Gerhardt. He’s probably poisoned.”

“O-Okay!”

“Star Face, take care of the trash!”

“Gotcha. But something’s not right.”

Lavia was right. An even larger shadow emerged from the mist.

Clumps of earth turned into puppets, but something was different this time.

“Oh, isn’t that Vulspa, the Lycanthrope that died in a duel here two years ago?!” one of the Beastmen candidates said.

“And that must be Lurga, the strongest of the Serpentfolk!” another added. “He even has his huge forked spear!”

Are they resurrecting the powerful people that died here? Hikaru wondered. No, more like giving residual thoughts to the puppets?

A sudden realization came to mind.

Wait a sec, people who died here…

“What?!” Selyse gasped. She was knocked away, rolling on the ground.

There was a low groan, and a brawny man wielding two swords appeared, boasting a physique no less impressive than that of Gerhardt.

It was Kouga, Jillarte’s father, who died in the Ruler’s Rumble tournament twelve years ago.

---

“Damn it. That kid used some nasty poison.”

“Gerhardt!”

Jillarte supported Gerhardt’s massive frame and laid him down.

“P-Please move! I’ll cast Healing Magic.”

“You’re Silver Face’s companion. Can you heal him? You can, right?! You healed me!”

“If it’s the same poison, I think it should be fine.”

Behind the hood and mask, sweat beaded on Paula’s forehead. Gerhardt’s body was growing cold. The poison was so potent that it weakened him in just a short amount of time. Or it could be the opposite. It was poison that could kill instantly, but Gerhardt’s vitality was barely keeping him alive.

“I’m giving it my all!” Paula said, then began reciting an incantation for a Healing spell.

Gerhardt’s gaze wandered around. He couldn’t see well.

“Jillarte,” the lion Beastman said. “Where have you been hiding all this time? I’ve been looking all over for you…”

“Why did you protect me?! I’m your enemy!”

“I need to tell you Kouga’s last words…”

Jillarte froze. “W-Wait, you were looking for me because you wanted to tell me my father’s last words?”

“Of course… What other reason would I have?”

Jillarte thought Gerhardt was following the opposite path from her father, the previous Leader of the Confederacy, so when she learned that he was looking for her, she naturally assumed that it was to harm her.

But Gerhardt said otherwise. He protected Jillarte with his body. There was no reason to doubt his words.

“I-It can’t be…”

“Listen, during the match against your father…”

Kouga’s fight against Gerhardt in the tournament twelve years ago was literally a life-or-death situation. He was no match for the lion Beastman, so he had to put his life on the line.

Feeling Kouga’s determination firsthand, Gerhardt accepted the challenge head-on, despite knowing that it would likely result in Kouga’s death.

And when the match was over, Gerhardt’s greatsword had pierced Kouga’s torso. Coughing up blood, Kouga asked Gerhardt to deliver a message to his daughter.

“There are times when you have to face a losing battle. But please don’t choose such a brutal path. Live happily with the man you love, unbound by the curse of the Dragonfolk.”

“D-Did he really say that?”

Tears streamed down Jillarte’s face as Paula used all her magical power to heal Gerhardt. The poison was so potent that even with her help, it was still a close call. Their only hope now was Gerhardt’s resilience.

“That monster is Kouga!” a Beastman cried. “The previous leader!”

Jillarte looked up with a start. In the mist was someone with a familiar gait, swordsmanship, and fighting style, but a closer look revealed it to be nothing but a lump of earth.

“Sick bastards,” Gerhardt spat. “They’re even using the souls of the dead.”

Jillarte finally understood what was happening. The old her would’ve probably lost composure. The silhouette of her father would’ve rendered her unable to even consider fighting.

But she wasn’t the same as before.

“Silver Face!”

Hikaru was engaging Kouga while defending an unconscious Selyse. Since Assassination was ineffective against the Undead, he could only slow down its approach by throwing his suntetsu.

“Flower Face, I leave this to you,” Jillarte said. “Don’t let him die.”

“I-I’ll do my best!”

The medical team on standby were coming toward them, protected by guards. If they arrived in time, Gerhardt would survive.

“Kouga’s daughter… Jillarte… What will you do?” Gerhardt asked, his unfocused gaze darting around. “Kouga wants you to get out of here safely…”

“Do you even have to ask?” Jillarte was on her feet, her eyes on the Undead. “I’ll fight, of course. I am a proud Half Dragon. As the daughter of Kouga, I can only live a brutal life.”

She had followed her beloved father’s footsteps all the way here, footsteps that were long gone.

It resembled her father closely. His visage brought back memories, pushing her to the brink of tears.

Even if the enemy she was about to face was a remnant of her beloved father, she knew she had to fight. There was no one else who could do it but her. The person she loved was out there fighting. She had to.

She wiped the tear stains with the back of her hand.

“Whoever did this will pay!”

Jillarte broke into a run.

---

Jillarte’s sudden attack surprised Hikaru. He wondered if she would be able to fight, knowing that the enemy was her father. His worries were unfounded, however. Her blade work was stable.

“Haaaah!”

Kouga’s sword caught Jillarte’s attack. Being made of hardened soil, the weapon chipped easily, but could also be restored to normal as long as there was dirt available.

“Silver Face! I’ll take this guy down!

Her determination would’ve intimidated even a master, but it was ineffective against Undead monsters.

“Gwoooaaahh!”

Barely dodging Kouga’s swing, Jillarte went for a counterattack.

“Ugh… Was I out cold?” Selyse shook her head as she lifted herself up. “Looks like you protected me. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Hikaru said. “What about the Four Eastern Stars?”

“My team prioritizes evacuating civilians in times like this. They think I’ll be fine on my own, but I guess this was a close call.”

“A noble mindset to have. Jillarte and I will take care of the big guy, okay?”

“Of course. If you can take care of the dangerous ones, by all means.”

“Just prepare to back us up if it gets dicey.”

“Got it.”

Hikaru left Selyse and went to Lavia, not noticing Selyse watching him the whole time.

“Is everything all right?” Lavia asked. “Can Jillarte handle it?”

“Probably not. Let’s back her up.”

“Okay.”

“But what should we do… Normal attacks don’t seem to work. We’re up against an Undead.”

“Hikaru. There’s something I want to try.”

“What is it?”

Lavia told him about her idea, and Hikaru thought it was worth a shot.

“Okay, then. I’m counting on you,” Hikaru said. “Jillarte and I will draw Kouga’s attention.”

“Okay. The incantation will take longer than usual.”

Kouga was much more physically capable than Jillarte, but her Instinct compensated for this, allowing her to avoid being fatally wounded.

“Jillarte!” Hikaru called. “Let’s slow it down!”

“G-Got it!”

Jillarte gritted her teeth in frustration. She wanted to deal with Kouga on her own without Silver Face’s help. Unfortunately, the odds were stacked against her. Not only did Kouga have more combat experience, he had also turned into an Undead monster. Since the Undead didn’t feel fatigue, the longer the battle dragged on, the more Jillarte would be at a disadvantage.

Jillarte stood in front of Kouga, while Hikaru circled behind him, full Stealth mode.

Undead monsters seemed to use a different detection method than the living, but once Hikaru activated Life Cloaking, Mana Cloaking, and Imperceptibility, the monster lost sight of him.

“Over here!”

Hikaru threw his remaining suntetsu at Kouga’s feet. The pieces of iron dug deep. He threw three more at the same spot, and the part was gouged out, causing Kouga to topple forward.

“Now’s our chance!”

“Wait, Jillarte!”

Jillarte charged in, but Kouga unleashed a full swing from his prone position.

“What?!” Jillarte barely managed to block the attack with her two swords. She rolled backwards.

“Are you all right?! He’s an Undead!” Hikaru said. “It doesn’t panic. There’s no posture or disadvantages to take into account.”

“Tsk. My bad…”

Kouga had already fixed its foot and was standing back up.

It takes about seven seconds for it to reconstruct its foot. There’s no choice but to keep repeating this.

Hikaru cast a glance at Lavia.

Please, Lavia.