Evil Avalon

Chapter 188 Rabbit ears and a mask

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

A massive Adventurer Guild building stood adjacent to the Adventurer Academy. In addition to registering new adventurers, it handled everything related to dungeons and adventurers, including managing adventurers from overseas, buying and selling items, auctions, quest recruitment, and adventurer rank examinations.

From the lower to middle floors, large shops and gourmet restaurants were packed tightly together. The middle floors and above housed public facilities such as hospitals and libraries, while the upper floors contained numerous offices belonging to famous clans and administrative organizations. It had even become a symbolic landmark of the dungeon city, attracting local residents and tourists alike.

Because it was such a special place, the entrance was crowded with people even at this hour after sunset. However... we were heading “underground.” As we made our way forward, skillfully avoiding groups of burly adventurers walking around as if they owned the place, an announcement suddenly rang out from somewhere.

『—Attention, everyone visiting the venue. The match at Arena 2 will begin shortly. Please check the tickets in your possession and make your way to the arena—』

Arena 2... That was where Kano and the others would be fighting. Looking at the time, there were only a few minutes left until the match began. We had to hurry.

"Mamiya-san, it looks like we can get there using the escalator over there."

"...But are arenas really this popular?"

Since we were short on time, we jumped onto the escalator, intending to run our way there. However, so many other people were lining up to use it that we got stuck in the crowd, forcing us to move slowly. Apparently, this group was heading to the same arena as well.

Mamiya tilted his head and asked whether arenas were really this popular.

Just from what I could see, several hundred people were heading in the same direction. It did seem like an excessive number. The match being held at the arena we were heading toward wasn't an A-rank match featuring top adventurers, but a battle between B-rank fighters, which generally attracted far less attention.

Despite that, I had no idea why so many spectators had gathered.

After all, I had never planned to participate in an arena match in this world, so I had absolutely no information. I had no idea how popular the arenas actually were or what kind of people participated in them.

In DunEx, having even 30% of the spectator seats filled for a B-rank match was considered a good turnout. But perhaps things were different in this world?

While pondering these things, we finally arrived at the third basement floor. Our destination was the players' waiting room, where Kano and the others were presumably located.

As we hurried along at a light jog, checking our current location on our wrist terminal, we found ourselves facing a security guard standing in front of a door. His massive muscles were intimidating enough to make the door seem even smaller.

When we attempted to walk past him as though nothing was wrong—

"This ain't a place for weaklings like you. Get lost, you damn brats."

"Take even one step forward... and you'll be turned into mincemeat. Look at this."

The two guards spread their thick arms to block our way. They pointed threateningly at the badges on their chests, which were marked “C-rank.”

There were only three ranks in the arena: A, B, and C. C-rank was the lowest. However, simply possessing a rank indicated that someone had already surpassed the abilities of an ordinary person by a considerable margin.

The requirements were either reaching level 10 or higher and passing a difficult skill examination, or obtaining a letter of recommendation from a famous clan or first-class fighter.

An adventurer who had merely made their dungeon debut and gained a few levels wouldn't even be permitted to stand in the arena. The two guards pointing at their badges were probably trying to show that they were seasoned veterans who had overcome those difficult requirements.

Conversely, this made it clear how strange it was that Kano and the others had become B-rank fighters in just a few days.

Even if they took the skill examination to raise their rank, it should have taken at least a month at the very shortest.

Which meant they hadn't become B-rank fighters through the conventional process.

What kind of secret was involved—

"Hey! What the hell are you muttering about? Come back when you're older!"

While I was thinking about all this in front of the guards, one of them grabbed me by the collar and threw me aside.

Judging from the strength he had just displayed, I could tell that his level was considerably lower than mine. I would probably have a high chance of winning if we fought, but there were plenty of security cameras installed here, and I was also concerned about the eyes of the people walking nearby.

It seemed like I had no choice but to quietly back down. However...

Mamiya, who had been thrown aside just like me, brushed the dust off his uniform as though nothing had happened and wore his usual smile.

For now, I wanted to hear his opinion, so we decided to hold a strategy meeting a little farther away.

"I think forcing our way through would probably cause problems, so we should avoid doing that..."

"We might not need to stop them by force today. It wouldn't be a bad idea to first see what kind of place the arena is and how Chizuru and your sister fight before deciding what to do."

The B-rank match my sisters were participating in also featured reasonably well-known adventurers around level 20.

That said, opponents of that caliber probably weren't a match for Kano in her current state. Considering what Chi-chan had accomplished when fighting the vanguard of the Ten Rakshasa, she should also have enough strength to handle the situation comfortably.

Either way, we couldn't even get close to the players' waiting room, and as Mamiya had said, the situation wasn't so dangerous that we needed to rush in and stop them immediately.

In that case, perhaps it would be a good idea to watch the match once while calmly considering how to proceed from there...

Actually, it seemed like that was the only thing we could do.

With a sigh, I forced myself to accept the situation, and we began trudging toward the arena marked with the number 2.

---

『A-all right, from this point onward... we will now begin the first match of the B-rank pairs' late-night division! Blue corner... with a total record of 13 wins and 8 losses—』

『『『Ooooooooohhhhhhh!!』』』

The arena was illuminated by numerous dazzling lights. In its center stood a spacious ring, slightly larger than a basketball court, where the referee announced the beginning of the match.

Spectator seats surrounded the ring on all four sides.

But... the situation was drastically different from what I had expected.

First of all, the several thousand spectator seats were almost completely full.

I couldn't remember ever seeing this many spectators at a B-rank match in DunEx. The attendance was comparable to a title match between A-rank fighters.

What's more, more than half of the audience consisted of cheering squads wearing colorful happi coats.

They looked almost like overly enthusiastic idol fans.

I wondered whether we had somehow entered the wrong arena, so I checked the enormous monitor hanging from the ceiling.

But... there was no mistake. This was definitely the right place.

As I looked around the arena, still puzzled by the difference between DunEx and this world, the first participants entered.

They were two large men wearing flashy, multicolored armor.

Adventurers who wanted to make a name for themselves tended to enjoy standing out, so their outfits weren't particularly strange.

Their opponents were a man who looked like a Buddhist monk, with a shaved head and robes, and a woman dressed in shrine maiden attire.

It was a two-versus-two battle.

As the two sides glared at each other, they released their magical power as a greeting. The tingling pressure reached me, even though I was standing about 50 meters away.

Judging from the magnitude of their magical power, both sides were probably around level 20.

Magical power at this level placed considerable physical strain on spectators who hadn't raised their levels at all, which was why the audience seats were positioned a sufficient distance away.

Even so, I could see a few spectators spinning their eyes and fainting, causing a commotion to spread throughout the venue.

"So, who do you think will win? If I were betting, I'd go with the monk team."

"...Then I'll go with the flashy armor team."

Mamiya, who was having a vendor pour him a drink beside me, seemed to have some time to kill. He asked who I thought would win in an amused tone.

Their magical power was about equal.

That meant something other than magical power would determine the outcome. But since I had absolutely no information about either side, I honestly had no idea who would win.

Still, both teams looked like experienced fighters, and I couldn't help feeling worried that Kano might end up facing veterans like these.

As I sipped the drink Mamiya had bought me, the battle began.

The flashy armor pair targeted the shrine maiden in the rear and advanced from both sides. However, the monk team moved while circling around, carefully avoiding being caught in a pincer attack.

The shrine maiden cast various buff spells in a short period of time, and her movements changed dramatically.

However, in a two-versus-two battle, a buffer without any ability to intercept attacks would only end up becoming a burden. Even after receiving the enhancements, the monk couldn't possibly handle both opponents alone, and they began retreating little by little—

Or so I thought.

Suddenly, the shrine maiden unleashed a rain of magical projectiles, completely reversing the course of the battle.

The shrine maiden wasn't a buffer.

She was a mage.

One of the flashy armored fighters was struck in the side of the face by a magical projectile and sent flying, writhing in agony.

I wondered how they would handle the situation now that it had become a two-versus-one battle, but the fighter immediately surrendered, bringing the first match to an anticlimactic end.

The referee stopped the match, and preparations began to treat the injured fighter and get ready for the next match.

"It's not a fight to the death, after all. Once things have reached that point, surrendering is the best option, even if it's unfortunate. And besides... I won."

Fighters or teams holding a rank were required to participate in matches regularly, and their rank and income fluctuated according to their win-loss record each season.

Even if they lost, they could make up for it in their next match. There was no need to take unnecessary risks just to win the match in front of them.

That aside, Mamiya kept repeating "I won" with a smug expression.

I really felt like sticking my finger into those widened nostrils of his.

---

After watching several more matches in succession, the first match was about the only one that had surprised me. Nothing else had been particularly interesting.

In A-rank matches, the fighters' clan affiliations and pride as adventurers were at stake, so it was possible to witness battles to the death.

However, matches below B-rank ended with fighters surrendering sooner than I had expected, leaving me with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.

The arena in DunEx, where beginner players participated, had been several times more entertaining than this.

And yet, why were there so many spectators?

I had a bad feeling about this...

『And now, we will proceed with today's final match! Blue corner... one of the strongest B-rank fighters in the arena world, who captivates the audience with her elegant appearance—“Rabbit Moon”!』

『Tsukuyo-chan!』

『Nonoka! I love you!』

『『Waaaaaaah!』』

Two women entered the arena wearing gothic lolita outfits with rabbit ears, one with silver hair and the other with golden hair.

They winked, waved their hands, and smiled sweetly as they made their entrance.

The spectators who appeared to be fans wearing happi coats all stood up at once, shouting their support at the top of their lungs.

(So “Rabbit Moon” is Tsukuyo and Nonoka...)

The names sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place them.

Even after searching through my memories from the DunEx era, I couldn't find anything.

I wasn't sure whether they were mages, but they were posing while waving staffs with heart-shaped tips, just like the ones used by magical girls in anime.

And then came the entrance of those troublesome girls.

『Red corner... skipping straight past C-rank......... the stars of the arena world, who appeared like a shooting star... “EEE”!』

『Uoooooooh!』

『That girl over there is pretty cute too!』

『Kyaaa! What the heck is that?!』

Kano and Chi-chan entered the arena, their outfits fluttering as they walked.

Their costumes looked like a mixture of dresses and school uniforms. Even the masks concealing their faces had been carefully decorated, giving them a mysterious air.

When had they prepared those outfits, and where?

No, more than that, there was something else that immediately caught my attention.

"What is that? That's quite a large weapon."

"A Boost Hammer... It's a mechanical hammer that provides acceleration support when swung with sufficient momentum."

In stark contrast to their cute outfits, the two girls were carrying enormous hammers weighing well over 100 kg. Kano was carrying the one imbued with a red flame enchantment, while Chi-chan held the one with a purple lightning enchantment. These were the weapons they had used to smash undead monsters in the dungeon's fifteenth floor, “Feast of the Dead.”

However, seeing petite girls carrying such massive weapons created an incredibly unbalanced and striking impression. Even Mamiya was watching with interest, so the many spectators had no choice but to lean forward and stare.

What was even more surprising was the considerable number of spectators who appeared to be fans of Kano and Chi-chan.

Calls of “Twin-Tails-chan!” and “Long Black Hair-chan!” had been ringing out for a while now, based on their hairstyles. When the girls waved their hands as if responding to the calls, an especially loud wave of cheers and boos erupted.

Was it because of the impact created by those outfits and the Boost Hammers? Or perhaps...

Their unexpected popularity made me start wondering what they were aiming for, but the match didn't begin right away.

Instead, the microphone performance started.

The silver-haired rabbit-eared girl, Nonoka, pointed forcefully at Kano and Chi-chan, raising her voice.

『We came out here just for you, you arrogant brats! We'll teach you the difference in our ranks!』

It seemed like she was angry right from the start. Judging from her words, she must have provoked Kano and Chi-chan beforehand, telling them to come out and fight once they reached B-rank.

Had Kano and Chi-chan wanted to defeat the rabbit-eared girls...?

What for?

Meanwhile, Chi-chan, who was being called “Long Black Hair-chan,” urged the referee to hand her the microphone. She began speaking quietly at first, then raised her voice proudly.

『A new era has arrived in the arena, which has stagnated for so long and seen its popularity decline. You will become sacrifices and nourishment for that new era... and perish here!』

『EEE's “Cutie Sisters” will... punish you!』

After saying everything she wanted to say, Chi-chan tossed the microphone aside and readied her massive hammer. Kano followed up by striking a pose with her back pressed against Chi-chan's, finishing with a signature line.

The two rabbit-eared women, who had just been called sacrifices by my sisters, began trembling with rage, their expressions contorted with anger. Their magical-girl wands transformed into whips, and they released their magical power, openly displaying their desire to fight back.

The rabbit-eared fans wearing happi coats hurled a wave of jeers at Kano and Chi-chan, while the smaller group of their own fans responded with applause.

As the entire arena became engulfed in unprecedented excitement, a countdown to the start of the match appeared on the monitor hanging from the ceiling, accompanied by a buzzer.

While I tried to organize my thoughts about what was happening below and what exactly I was about to witness, Mamiya, who had apparently abandoned his own attempts to understand the situation early on, once again asked me who I thought would win.

"Both opponents use whips. They seem to be popular adventurers. I wonder if our very own 'Cutie Sisters' can win."

"Well... probably."

The rabbit-eared girls were releasing their magical power while swinging whips several times longer than their own height, cracking them threateningly through the air.

The tips of the whips were lightly exceeding the speed of sound, and their effective range was extensive.

In contrast, my sisters weren't making any flashy movements. They seemed to be following a strategy of gradually closing the distance while holding their Boost Hammers out in front of them.

They should be able to win if their hammers landed a hit, but wouldn't approaching through that storm of whips be difficult?

That seemed to be the general feeling in the arena.

A nearby spectator who appeared to be one of Kano and Chi-chan's fans let out a small scream of concern every time the loud crack of a whip rang out.

Meanwhile, Mamiya sat with his legs crossed, casually sipping the juice he had ordered and enjoying the spectacle from a safe distance.

That was only natural. The magical power released by the rabbit-eared pair was clearly nowhere near Kano and Chi-chan's level, and the arena also had a no-killing rule.

There probably wouldn't be any problems in this particular match.

However, the battle taking place was undeniably a real fight.

Even though their opponents were weaker, the difference in their levels wasn't particularly large, and something unexpected could always happen.

On top of that, there was a possibility that their identities might be exposed due to some incident. If that happened, things could become incredibly troublesome.

Kano didn't even have an adventurer's card, after all.

I decided to mentally prepare myself while gripping a healing potion, ready to rush in at any moment.

---

The countdown on the giant monitor reached zero, indicating the start of the match.

Almost simultaneously, the two long whips came rushing toward Kano and Chi-chan.

A series of high-pitched metallic sounds echoed repeatedly in a short span of time, scattering orange sparks through the air.

The rabbit-eared girls flexed their whips and attacked from various angles in coordinated movements.

In response, my sisters tucked their bodies behind their enormous hammers to block the attacks while gradually closing the distance.

This was the development we had expected from the moment we saw the weapons used by both sides.

From the perspective of the people actually fighting, high-speed attacks exceeding the speed of sound coming from blind spots were even harder to see than they appeared to the audience.

The explosive cracks ringing out at such close range also required considerable courage to withstand.

Even so, both Kano and Chi-chan seemed to be seeing everything clearly. Neither showed any signs of panic.

They had probably simulated this situation beforehand as well.

As the distance between them gradually narrowed, step by step, the rabbit-eared girls began to panic.

To apply even more psychological pressure, Kano beckoned with the hand that wasn't holding her hammer and provoked them with a gesture that said, “Is that all you've got?”

The rabbit-eared girls couldn't take it anymore and shouted loudly.

『We're women who'll eventually become members of the “Ten Rakshasa”! Don't underestimate us!!』

『I'll f-fucking kill you!!』

Both women twisted their previously beautiful faces into furious expressions and released even more magical power, increasing the speed of their successive whip strikes to the limit.

When the whips that missed their targets slammed violently into the tiled floor, clouds of dust rose into the air, while a continuous series of thunderous cracks reverberated throughout the arena.

It was truly a rain of whips.

But even as her vision became obscured, Chi-chan calmly deflected the attacks with her hammer.

Kano, meanwhile, used acrobatic movements, spinning as she redirected the whips.

And neither of them slowed their approach even for a moment.

...Wait.

Did that rabbit-eared girl just say “Ten Rakshasa”?

While I was still questioning that, the rabbit-eared girls continued their increasingly fierce whip attacks.

But when they found themselves cornered from both sides, they leaped backward in desperation, attempting to escape.

That was the moment my sisters had been waiting for.

They immediately increased their speed, caught up with the retreating opponents, and swung down their gleaming Boost Hammers, enhanced by acceleration support—

But they stopped just short of hitting them.

A powerful blast of wind erupted, instantly clearing the dust-obscured view.

Had they not stopped their hammers at the last moment, the two rabbit-eared girls would probably have been left hovering between life and death.

The two women understood this instinctively.

They collapsed on the spot and signaled their surrender.

The referee raised his voice.

『Winner: EEE!!!』

The match had ended in an instant.

An especially loud cheer erupted from the audience. Some people thrust both hands into the air in celebration, while others covered their faces and hung their heads in disappointment.

The reactions varied.

Kano and Chi-chan waved their hands and smiled at the audience, prompting cries of “Cute!” from the spectator seats.

Even though they were wearing masks, so nobody should have been able to tell whether they were cute or not.

The level difference between the opponents had made me confident that my sisters could win, but if they had unexpectedly taken even one whip strike, it could have resulted in serious damage.

Watching from the sidelines had been extremely stressful.

Meanwhile, Mamiya was enjoying the additional food he had ordered, savoring every bite while casually commenting on its flavor.

As usual, he was a man whose thoughts were impossible to understand.

(Well, fine. From now on, I'll make sure you give me a proper explanation that I can accept.)

Why had they done something like this?

What had they been aiming for?

I was going to make Kano and Chi-chan tell me everything.

Beating down my mentally exhausted body, I stood up, and we quietly left the arena, which was still filled with cheers.

TL Note- Long time no see, I have my exams from tomorrow.....wish me luck.

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