61. The Real Pleasure
“So you really were a first-timer, huh.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Alright then. I’ll explain a bit for you.”
“Ah, thank you very much.”
“No need for thanks. After all, I’m in a good mood today.”
In a completely unexpected way, I ended up receiving an explanation of this place. A strange feeling washed over me—half happy, half not.
Still, since I knew nothing, I decided to listen carefully to the man next to me.
“What’s about to happen is called the Mad Banquet Fight—a battle between women and men. The women are official fighters belonging to the venue’s management. For the men, on the day of the Mad Banquet Fight, when you enter, you can declare your intent to participate at the reception. Up to three men are chosen per female fighter. You were probably asked about it when you came in, right?”
Now that he mentioned it, I had been asked whether I wanted to participate or just watch.
Well, I ended up coming inside without answering, so… which one was I, exactly?
“I see. By the way, what happens if you choose to participate?”
“If you participate, you pay a nomination fee in addition to the spectator fee. Then, when the female fighter you nominated appears, up to three numbers are called. If your number is among them, you go up onto the stage in front of you and fight the woman you want.”
“And if your number isn’t called?”
“Then you just watch.”
Based on what I’d just heard, there were four female fighters participating today according to the ticket I was given. That meant a maximum of twelve people could go up on stage today.
“Is it actually pretty common to get called?”
“No way. The venue’s capacity is 25,000. Including standing room at the very back, it can hold up to around 30,000 people. Not everyone participates, but the number of participants is always in the four digits. Getting chosen out of that many people—only about ten spots—isn’t easy at all.”
“Yeah… I figured…”
In other words, even if I had chosen to participate when I entered today, the chances of actually being called were almost zero. I felt relieved for the moment.
“Can I ask one more question?”
“What is it?”
“You said up to three men are chosen per female fighter… but it’s not like it’s three-on-one, right?”
“Anyone who’s new would think that. But three-on-one is actually the norm here.”
“H-how come? No matter how you look at it, wouldn’t the women be at a huge disadvantage…?”
“That’s because the female fighters can cast strengthening magic on themselves before the match. However, the challengers are completely forbidden from using any magic or tools during the fight. That’s why three-on-one is possible.”
Even three people working together couldn’t win against them once they were strengthened—this world’s magic really was no joke.
“But of course, there are also cases where it’s one-on-one. Because that’s more fun.”
“Fun?”
At that moment, the man next to me showed his widest, nastiest grin yet. I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine.
“Because you get to rape them.”
“R-rape!?”
The word that came out was so far removed from the conversation until now that I accidentally raised my voice in shock.
“That’s right. That’s the real pleasure of the Mad Banquet Fight. I’ve been thinking it for a while now—you really came here without knowing anything, didn’t you? Well, you’re a man too, so I doubt you dislike it.”
“E-ehh… well…”
Why did I have to have my sexual preferences confirmed by a guy like this? Plus, there was a beautiful maid woman right next to him. This was embarrassing—don’t make me say it!
“If three people challenge her, the odds of winning go up. But even if you win, you have to share one woman with two other guys. That’s fun in its own way, but the true nature of men is wanting to monopolize the woman you obtained all for yourself. That’s why one-on-one matches happen sometimes too.”
“Um… what exactly does the match consist of…?”
“It’s simple. If the challenger can pin both of the female fighter’s shoulders to the mat for a five-count or more, the challengers win. A knockout also counts as a win for the challengers. For the challengers, defeat is by knockout or retirement.”
Wait… isn’t this just pro wrestling?
I had never done it myself nor watched an actual match, but I had some knowledge from videos and general information.
“What happens if you get thrown out of the ring?”
“If you come back into the ring, it doesn’t matter. However, if it’s a long ring-out or depending on the referee’s judgment, it can result in a loss. It’s not a common ruling though.”
It really was pro wrestling. So the thing that old man Roro tried to recommend to me was mixed-gender pro wrestling. I was finally able to reach one answer, but there were still more important things to think about.
“So… if you lose there, you get… raped…?”
“Exactly. That’s what everyone here is looking forward to.”
When the man next to me said that, I looked around. A lot of people had already taken their seats. As expected of another world, there were many different races sitting there, but almost all of them were male.
I had no idea how many of the men here were participating in today’s fights, but thinking that they had all come to watch the female fighters get violated made a strange, indescribable feeling wash over me.
“What happens if the challengers lose?”
“They get dragged out of the ring immediately. Well, if they can get down by themselves, that is.”
The moment the man said something ominous, the lights that had been illuminating the venue suddenly went out, plunging the entire arena into darkness.