76. My Way
“Thank you for waiting. This will be today’s final event and the ultimate highlight!”
The arena erupted with excitement at the announcer’s words. At the same time, it was clear that many people in the venue were struggling to keep up with the atmosphere.
The commentator began explaining what this upcoming match meant.
“For those of you who still don’t understand what’s going on, allow me to explain. The person who just stepped into the ring is Ro-tsu. This person is the one who defeated our queen, Miarant, on the ring!”
The sudden revelation from the commentator made everyone understand exactly who I was and what I represented.
Even if they didn’t know anything about me or the name Ro-tsu, almost everyone in the venue already knew Miarant. And now that the person who had beaten the queen was standing right there, words were no longer necessary.
“Unlimited time. There will be no interruptions until one side is defeated. Don’t miss the moment that decides your fate!”
Even after being lifted into the ring, I had no chance to correct anything. The match began the moment the gong sounded.
At the same time, low voices from the men sounded from all directions, directed at me on the ring.
Instead of sound pressure flying toward me, human figures rushed in.
Miarant charged straight at me. It was her first move to set the tone, and her speed was so fast that even I could see it clearly.
But I didn’t have the skill to block or defend like the other challengers.
As a complete amateur, all I could do was dodge.
“Whoa…”
I sidestepped to the side. A moment later, Miarant’s beautiful straight punch pierced the spot I had just left.
The punch was direct and beautiful, as if it could cut through the air itself.
If it had hit me, I would have been knocked out instantly. Worst case, it could have been fatal.
How was I supposed to beat someone like this? Or rather, how was I supposed to safely get off this ring?
“Are you going to use magic again, like before?”
Miarant lowered her fist and spoke to me with a relaxed posture. So far, she didn’t seem like she wanted to fight — she just wanted to talk.
“We’re not allowed to use magic, right?”
“Yes. All weapons and magic are forbidden. That’s one of the challengers’ rules. But what you did earlier to me was definitely magic.”
Miarant’s words sounded completely contradictory. I even wondered if my language skills had glitched for a second.
But what she was really saying was something else entirely.
“Technically, that would be against the rules. But as long as no one notices, it’s fine. Besides, the rules here are decided by the referee and the audience watching the fight. So even if something is clearly against the rules, it can sometimes be justified and become a rule itself.”
I remembered that pro-wrestling in my original world had similar rulings too.
In short, if no one noticed, or even if they did notice but the crowd remained silent, it would be accepted as a legitimate match.
“I am the queen of this place. Even if magic is used openly, the referee won’t stop it. Of course, the audience won’t either. So you can use magic as much as you want, just like before. That way, I can also wash away the past.”
It was the queen’s pride and the confidence that she would never lose again. Driven by countless other emotions, Miarant was pushing forward.
Even though the battlefield was unfair, she kept advancing.
I had to answer her with sincerity.
If she was fighting to win, then I would fight to win as well, not just to survive and return home.
With my right hand clenched into a fist, I charged toward Miarant.
I raised my fist and swung it at her face.
Of course, it was an obvious attack that would be easily dodged.
“W-what are you…?”
Miarant was shocked by my sudden action.
Of course she was. She had probably predicted this would turn into the same kind of fight as before.
But it didn’t.
Since I wasn’t Ro-tsu, it was only natural that it would be different. But that didn’t matter.
If I wasn’t Ro-tsu, then I would just use my own winning method.
Even if I wasn’t Ro-tsu, I believed I could still beat Miarant.
That was why I clenched my fist again and faced her head-on.