Fifteen minutes passed quickly. Soon, my name and hers appeared on the holographic screen. The jungle terrain remained in place, thick trees and tangled roots reshaping the battlefield into something far better suited for ambush and pursuit. It was ideal for Black Phantom’s combat style, though it was no less advantageous for Kaela’s.
I stepped through the gate just as Kaela emerged from the opposite entrance across the arena. Her golden eyes swept over the dense foliage before settling squarely on me.
She grinned at me with interest, as though she were looking at prey. “Black Phantom, was it? Hope you don’t disappoint me like the others.”
It was clear she didn’t recognize me, or at least not yet.
“Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for what may be the most anticipated clash of the round!” the commentator announced. “On one side, the undefeated dark horse—Black Phantom!”
A wave of cheers and excited murmurs rolled through the stands.
“And on the other, the Mad Beast of the Silver Fang, a force of nature who has crushed her way through the tournament—Kaela!”
As the final syllable echoed, the barrier began to rise around the arena, sealing us within the jungle battlefield. Taking advantage of the brief moment before the match began, I focused my gaze on her and activated Inspect Eye.
Kaela Ash Lv. 16/80 (EXP 7,430/10,640)
HP: 100%
Rank: Daleth [4]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Beast Berserker
Strength: 816 | Dexterity: 843 | Stamina: 701
Mind: 433 | Magic Power: 255 | Luck: 232
Total Attribute Points: 3,280
This battle maniac, Kaela… She keeps getting stronger in the short span of time since our last clash… At this point, there was no way I could face her head-on without using my full power, but doing so would risk exposing my true identity to the masses. As such, the only way for me to go toe to toe with her while maintaining my disguise was to rely on my usual signature skill: Fabled Vessel.
Therefore, without a word, I silently activated the skill.
You have activated Fabled Vessel.
Please select a divine hero or demigod that you want to possess.
[The Crimson Sovereign – Tyrant of the End]
[Voldrath the Eternal – The Lich-King of a Million Souls]
[Alric the Sword Saint – Hero of the Eternal Blade]
[Veyra the Thousand-Arrows – Huntress of the Stars]
[Selene the Moonlit Blade – Phantom of the Night]
…
You have possessed [Selene the Moonlit Blade].
Warning: Your current stats are too low to receive her full power!
Only 2.1% of Selene’s power is transferred to you.
Your stats have temporarily increased significantly.
Your assassination-related skills have temporarily improved drastically.
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Moonveil Step Lv.9].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Lunar Sword Dance Lv.7].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Phantom Mirage Lv.5].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Moonlight Blade Lv.5].
“Begin!”
The instant the commentator gave the signal, Kaela burst forward, claws tearing through soil and roots as she closed the distance in a blur. I pivoted sideways and drew both daggers, choosing to meet her head-on rather than retreat into concealment like I usually did.
Steel met claws. Her strike slammed into my crossed blades, the impact rattling my arms and driving my boots deep into the earth. Even without entering her transformed state, her raw physical strength was as overwhelming as ever.
Ugh… as expected, I’m hardly her match in direct combat! Even with the stat boost from possessing Selene, I couldn’t overpower her. It couldn’t be helped; Selene was an assassin, and her strength lay in assassination, not head-on clashes. Not to mention that Selene was strongest when she was in the night below the moon. Perhaps if I had chosen Uldrek the Blood Berserker instead, I could have overwhelmed Kaela’s base form and stood on equal footing with her transformed state.
I quickly disengaged and called out, “Kaela, why did you join this tournament?”
“Hah! Is that what you’re worried about?” She lunged at me with a feral laugh, claws slashing toward my throat.
I deflected the strike using Lunar Sword Dance, my blades flowing into position as I adeptly parried. “Then what’s your true purpose?” I pressed. “Are you trying to become the commander of Istellia’s divine warrior army?”
She paused for a moment, staring at me, then threw her head back and burst into laughter. “Hahahaha! I don’t give a shit about being commander! All I want is to fight strong opponents!”
A true battle maniac through and through. If that was the case, then I might be able to convince her to forfeit this match—provided I could offer her a more enticing alternative.
She shoved forward suddenly, overwhelming my guard and forcing me to brace. The impact reverberated through my arms as she chained her attacks together—wide slashing arcs with her claws, a brutal rising swipe, followed by a spinning backhand strike that came in like a hammer. I had no choice but to rely on my two daggers to block and redirect each blow, my wrists screaming with strain with every impact. The jungle around us splintered under the shockwaves.
“You think I care about leading humans?” she continued, eyes gleaming with delight.
She lunged again, closing the distance entirely. But then, her nose twitched, and she froze for a couple of seconds.
“…That smell…” Her eyes widened in sudden recognition. “You are Ma—”
Before she could finish the word, I activated Moonlight Blade. Both daggers shone with pale white radiance as I poured strength into my stance and drove them forward in a sudden burst. The force caught her off guard, blasting her backward several meters as roots shattered and soil exploded beneath her feet.
Not bad! I thought, genuinely a little amazed by the effect of Moonlight Blade.
She slid to a stop and stared at me with narrowed eyes. “Ha! No wonder you’re asking me these questions,” she said, lips curling into a sharp grin. “What’s the deal with the disguise?”
“That’s not important right now,” I replied. “What matters is why you’re here.”
She snorted. “Didn’t I already tell you? I’m here to fight.”
“Then that’s all the more reason you shouldn’t win this tournament.”
Her ears twitched slightly as she paused, golden eyes locking onto mine. “What?”
“Think about it. If you become the commander, you’ll be chained down. You’ll have to deal with all sorts of nuisances like meetings, giving orders, and playing politics. You’ll be responsible for thousands of divine warriors who can’t even survive a single exchange with you. You won’t be charging into the thick of battle anymore; you’ll be standing behind the lines, giving commands.”
Her grin weakened.
“You won’t get to fight freely,” I continued. “Every move you make will be restricted and questioned. You’ll be told where you can and can’t go. Who you can and can’t fight. Can you really tolerate listening to weak humans who can’t even pose a challenge to you—anyone other than me?”
Kaela’s claws slowly curled into fists.
She clicked her tongue. “Tch. That sounds like shit.”
“Exactly. So, here’s my offer,” I said. “Forfeit this match.”
Her eyes snapped back to me, sharp and dangerous. “Human, are you trying to trick me?”
As I thought, Kaela wasn’t as simple-minded as her battle-hungry demeanor suggested. Whatever she had endured before being drawn into the Divine Will had forged her into someone far more perceptive than she appeared at first glance.
“Hear my offer first,” I said quickly. “In return, I promise you this: When the Battle of Divine Will begins, I’ll make sure you’re placed where the fighting is thickest. Against the strongest enemies. No humans on our side will become a nuisance to you. I can guarantee that.”
Her eyes widened with interest. A silent tug-of-war must have been playing out inside her gaze as she hesitated a lot. After all, if she endured holding back here, she could let loose completely later, just like the saying: “endure the bitter now and savor the sweet afterward.”
Slowly, her grin returned, wider than ever.
“…You better not be lying,” she said, excitement bleeding into her voice.
“When did I ever lie to you?” I replied with the most convincing smile I could manage.
Kaela squinted her eyes at me for a few seconds as if trying to see through me. Then she suddenly threw her head back and laughed.
“Fine!” she declared loudly, retracting her claws. “I’ll bite.”
Without another word, she stepped back and raised one hand. “I forfeit.”
For several long seconds, the words didn’t seem to register at all, and the arena fell into stunned silence. But then—
“What?!”
The commentator nearly choked on his own announcement. His voice echoed across the Grand Colosseum in full disbelief. “W-Wait, contestant Kaela has… forfeited?! This is completely unprecedented! The Mad Beast of the Silver Fang has voluntarily withdrawn from the match!”
A shockwave of noise erupted from the stands.
“Damn, damn, damn!! This battle is staged! I want my money back!”
“Nooo… I poured in all my savings… on Kaela. I don’t even have one hundred soul coins to pay for today…”
“What the hell just happened?!”
Shouts, curses, and panicked cries rippled through the betting area. Some spectators clutched their heads in despair, others hurled accusations of corruption, while a few could only stare at the arena in stunned disbelief.
Their reactions were understandable. Kaela had been the number one favorite to win the tournament, even more so than Boris or any of the other contenders.
Down on the arena floor, Kaela simply laughed, clearly relishing the suffering of the spectators.
“Hahaha!” She grinned at me, eyes burning with anticipation. “You'd better keep your promise, human. If you don’t…” Her face turned extremely ferocious as she finished, “I’ll hunt you down myself.”
I met her gaze steadily and replied with a tiny smile, “I wouldn’t dare.”
In truth, I could have asked her to forfeit later, perhaps even in the final. However, the real reason I needed her to withdraw now was far simpler. If I won this round, I would walk away with nearly one hundred thousand soul coins from the bet I’d placed on Black Phantom, which was myself.
The possession has ended.
Your power has returned to normal.
Basic Dagger/Knife Mastery has leveled up.
You have acquired a skill: [Moonlight Blade Lv.1].
Your Dexterity has increased by 2.
You have used up 239 Plausibility for the possession.
Ooh, I got the Moonlight Blade skill. Since I wasn’t using Fabled Vessel for long, the plausibility consumed wasn’t that large.
“By forfeiting the match, th-the winner… is Black Phantom!” the commentator finally announced.
Boos erupted from the stands as Kaela and I turned and headed toward our respective exits. I didn’t spare the crowd a single glance. Who cared about their complaints, as long as I’d won?
Without wasting any time, I headed straight for the betting area after changing my appearance back. The next match was between Michelle and a random Gimmel-rank divine warrior, so there was no risk of missing anything important, as the outcome was obvious.
It was time to collect my prize money.