Vol 3 Chapter 76 – Sword Fighting【Vol 3 – The Amazon Queen Arc】

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!”

Roaring cheers echoed above my head.

The ground beneath my feet seemed to tremble from the sheer volume and heat—or at least, that’s how it felt.

This deafening noise pressing against my eardrums… if only it were filled with jeers and insults directed at me, how much joy that would bring? Though honestly, the current situation wasn’t so different from that fantasy.

The women watching me now were probably cheering for the man standing before me, not for me. They weren’t exactly my enemies, but they certainly weren’t my allies either.

“…Quite the roar.”

The man standing before me—Yuri Valenninikov—glanced around at the spectators and spoke.

“Indeed. Every single cheer is probably in anticipation of your performance, Yuri-san.”

“Heh… perhaps. I’ve been chained to this place for a long time. You only just arrived.”

Yuri-san smiled with a hint of cynicism.

“It’s not as if I came here of my own free will…”

“Can’t be helped. That’s just how they are.”

Yuri-san surveyed the spectator seats surrounding us once more. The expression on his face wasn’t his usual wry smile—it seemed tinged with resignation.

Yuri-san had been fighting here long before I was abducted to this place. How envi—I mean, how harsh an experience he must have endured… Just imagining it makes me burst with envy.

“That’s why I have to fight you too, Erik.”

Yuri-san smoothly drew his sword. His sharp gaze conveyed that he no longer hesitated to attack me.

The blade looked slender and unreliable, but the fact remained that he’d survived for years in such a dangerous place—I couldn’t afford to be careless. Though even without being careless, I’d probably get cut to ribbons anyway.

No matter how close two people might be, standing in this arena transformed them into mortal enemies. Yuri-san had survived by being able to make that mental switch.

“Yes, I understand.”

As for me, I had no objections to getting beaten to a pulp by an acquaintance. I drew my sword and faced Yuri-san.

The spectators’ fervor intensified, conveying their eager anticipation for our clash. Here I was, in the gladiatorial arena of the Amazons—a paradise for female warriors—about to engage in a bloody battle with the formidable Yuri Valenninikov as a gladiator.

The audience consisted of ferocious female warriors hungry for blood and combat. The Amazons… one could call them a tribe of the strongest warriors.

Their defining characteristic was being composed entirely of women. Normally, men were better suited for combat and rough work, and with equal training, men would generally be physically stronger than women. But that rule didn’t apply to the Amazons.

The combat abilities of the Amazons were such that they could fight on equal or better footing with highly trained elite knights. And these women were watching Yuri-san and me with squealing excitement.

They resembled young girls browsing clothing shops in the capital. Except what the Amazons sought wasn’t cute garments—it was blood and combat.

From their perspective, this arena was truly paradise. And for those imprisoned here, it was nothing short of hell.

“Hah!!”

A sharp thrust launched from Yuri-san’s sword. I dodged by tilting my head, but it still left a small cut on my cheek.

Heh… for me, this place is heaven, just like it is for the Amazons. Being forced into unwanted combat against someone—such unreasonableness… it’s pure bliss!

That said, I understood that almost no one else thought the way I did. It was obvious that even Yuri-san, launching desperate attacks before me, wasn’t fighting because he wanted to.

Hmm… in that case…

“Guh…!”

I parried Yuri-san’s sword and used the opening to create distance. Then I looked toward a particularly elevated seat among the packed Amazon spectators.

There sat a lone female warrior who rarely made appearances. She wasn’t as frenzied as the other Amazons watching our battle, but her eyes revealed she wasn’t entirely uninterested either.

She was the queen of these Amazons. And she was watching our fight.

Yes… this might be an opportunity. For what I had in mind, there would be no better day than today to execute it.

“In that case, I need to give it my all.”

I murmured softly. If I was going to go through with this, the prerequisite was defeating Yuri-san.

The odds heavily favored him. But if I could defeat someone with such expectations placed on him… perhaps they’d grant me a small request? And if that request were granted, I would… hehe, just the thought excited me.

“You’re smiling? That composure—truly worthy of being called a Hero. …Or perhaps the moniker ‘Berserker’ suits you better?”

“Who can say?”

Yuri-san and I exchanged daring smiles. It wouldn’t be long before we clashed again.

At that moment, I found myself thinking of Miriam, Debora, and Eleonora-san—my partner and those I’d recently grown close to. I hadn’t been able to properly say goodbye before being brought to the Amazon arena, leaving me with some regrets.

What were they doing right now? How were they spending their time? I was curious, but Yuri-san wasn’t an opponent lenient enough that I could win while dwelling on such thoughts.

Heh… being forced into life-or-death combat and turned into a spectacle… quite the pleasant unreasonableness. I found myself reflecting on how I’d ended up in such a fortunate situation.