“Let’s not waste any more of your time, it’s time for round one to begin!!!!!” – Announcer
Five men walk into the arena.
Like he said, they don’t have any weapons.
I expected them to have some armor, but they don’t.
“How are they supposed to win again lions without any weapons or armor, when they can’t use BDM?” – Alex
“They’re not…” – Lily
“Huh?” – Alex
“This is just entertainment for the people of Dolor. What fun would it be if there was no blood spilt? Besides, their sponsors would lose a lot of money if the gladiators won.” – Lily
“Fun?! How is it fun to watch people die? I thought this place would just be people competing for titles and such!” – Alex
“People from all over the world come here to watch colosseum battles, the brutality is what the people find fun. Isn’t that why you guys are here?” – Lily
“No, we’re actually here because of the–” – Alex
Shin cuts me off again.
“We’ve got some business to attend, and thought it might be fun to check out the colosseum beforehand.” – Shin
Why does he keep cutting me off like that?
Is telling people that we’re hunters not something we should do?
Hmm…
Maybe if the wrong person finds out, it can lead to unwanted attention?
“I see… I’m also here for ‘business’.” – Lily
Could it be that…?
I look over at Shin, and he looks over at me.
We’re both thinking the same thing…
But there is one other thing that is bugging me about this whole colosseum ordeal…
“Lily, why would anyone want to fight here if they know that it’s very likely that they will die?!” – Alex
“You should know better than anyone else, Alex… Risking your life for the sake of your loved ones… Risking your life so they can live happily…” – Lily
So she is one!
Lily is here for the E-rank exam, just like me and Shin!
“A lifetime supply of food? Getting wealthy by marrying into a rich family? Isn’t it reasons exactly like this that you became a… you know? Why else would anyone choose to live a life like this?” – Lily
Lily…
I understand…
The reason why I became a hunter in the first place was because the people back home were starving.
Big bro used to bring most of what he earned back to the village, but since he had to go on that important mission, he hasn’t had time to come back home.
If I hadn’t become a hunter myself, then I don’t know if everyone back home would still be alive…
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“That being said, not all the gladiators that fight here chose to do so themselves…” – Lily
“What?” – Alex
“Some of the gladiators are people from the outer area who struggle economically and use this as an opportunity to help their families. But… Most of the fighters here are slaves…” – Lily
SLAVES!?!
“You look shocked, did you not know that slavery is common?” – Lily
“No…” – Alex
“Where are you from?” – Lily
“Minima, a small village in the outer area.” – Alex
“That makes sense then. The villages in the outer area are all really cut off from the rest of the world, so it’s not surprising that you hadn’t heard of it… yet…” – Lily
“Yet?!” – Alex
“Well, it’s just a matter of time. When your village is so poor, and the people are struggling so much that they just can’t go on anymore, that’s when the slave traders show up to ‘save the day’.” – Lily
…
So if I hadn’t became a hunter, then my village wouldn’t actually have starved…
They would have been sold as slaves instead???
That’s a fate worse than death…
“When people are desperate enough, they will even sell themselves so that their families can live. But the money they get won’t last forever… When it runs out, the slave traders will come back for more…” – Lily
As we continue to talk, Shin progressively looks more and more pissed off.
His fists are clenched, and his leg is violently shaking.
It’s like he can barely contain his anger.
“Here are the five gladiators who will be fighting in round one!!” – Announcer
The gladiators walk in, and the audience starts cheering loudly.
After the cheers die down, the announcer starts speaking again.
“And next, the five hungry lions who will be their opponents!!!” – Announcer
The lions are brought in while still in their cages.
The cages are pushed by multiple men with long metal rods, probably so the lions won’t bite or claw them.
They look very angry, and they try to get out, but the metal bars keep them in.
You can tell the gladiators are getting scared, but they’re trying to hold it in.
The cages are pushed all the way to the middle of the arena.
“The match will begins now!” – Announcer
The announcer runs away as quickly as he can.
The people who pushed the cages carefully enter the key into the lock.
They twist it around, then run away themselves.
The entrances into the arena are blocked off, and it’s now impossible for any of the fighters, including the lions, to get out.
The lions bust open the doors, and immediately start charging right towards the gladiators.
They enter a fighting stance, getting ready for what’s to come.
But they don’t stand a chance…
The lions all jump on the same guy at once.
He’s instantly knocked down by the lions jumping him, and without even bothering to kill him, they start eating him alive.
The other gladiators are all in shock, like the reality of the situation they’re in just hit them.
They’re not winning against a pack of lions.
It just won’t happen.
Even if they all worked together and somehow managed to take down one of them, they’d quickly be killed by the other four.
They panic and try to run away.
They run up to the now blocked off entrances and start banging on the doors.
“LET US OUT!!! PLEASE!!!!!”
They scream and shout, but the doors won’t open.
The audience starts laughing as the gladiators break down crying, begging to be let out.
The lions finish eating up the poor man, leaving only a mutilated corpse behind…
The lions turn towards the other gladiators, and without any delay, they run towards them.
“HEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!”
The audience breaks out into laughter again.
I hear a guy sitting next to Shin shouting.
“IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE THOSE BEASTS, THEN WHY DID YOU EVEN ENTER THE COLOSSEUM IN THE FIRST PLACE, FUCKING DUMBASSES!! HAHAHAHA”
I instinctually look over at him, but…
What…?!
Shin isn’t there!
“What the hell is that dumbass doing?!!!” – Lily
I look back towards the arena and…
There he is!
Shin is standing right in front of the gladiators.
“WHAT IS THAT GUY DOING IN THERE? DOES HE HAVE A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHING?! HAHAHAHHAHA” – Audience
The lions run towards him.
He raises his arm, and when the first lion gets close enough, he slams it down as hard as he can.
The lion’s skull is crushed between his fist and the ground.
The floor is shattered by the impact of his attack.
A large part of the rocky floor is pulverized and the true ground beneath is revealed.
“That idiot just got himself in so much trouble!” – Lily
Lily hands me a mask.
“Put this on!” – Lily
I put it on, and she quickly puts on one herself.
She grabs my hand, and she jumps into the arena, dragging me with her.
The other lions turn around and run away in fear after seeing what Shin did to one of them.
We run up to Shin, then Lily hand him a mask as well.
“PUT THIS ON!” – Lily
“T-thank you! Thank you for saving our lives!!” – Gladiators
With a smile on his face, Shin turns around and looks at them.
“No worries!” – Shin
“We don’t have time for this, let’s get out of here! Quickly!” – Lily
“R-right…” – Shin
We run up to the entrance.
Lily reaches the door first.
She touches the door with her right palm, and the wooden door shrivels up and falls over.
“Wow! Did you just use SDM?!” – Alex
“Let’s just get out of here!” – Lily