Chapter 56 Blood Festival and New Fighting Strength
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I take my place in the depths of the earth, where the underground colosseum [Bottom of the Abyss] sprawls beneath the surface. The air hangs thick and stagnant, laced with the faint metallic tang of blood. The crowd’s fervent cries reverberate through the chamber in a low, unceasing murmur.
Here, in this swirling vortex of blood and desire, I occasionally send Elenor into the arena as a gladiator. Each flash of her blade draws a roar from the stands. They react like starving beasts swarming fresh prey.
Our team is called Royal Phantom. As the owner, I pull in six hundred gold coins per match. Since we provide the monsters ourselves, the base pay is set higher than usual. Elenor fights for free, and the monsters are summoned through my magic—so every last coin ends up in my pocket. On top of that, my contract with the colosseum gives me 1% of all bets placed.
The crowd-pleasing come-from-behind victories we deliver have made us wildly popular. Every match is a smash hit.
Get the crowd hyped, and the bets go up. Depending on the total wager that day, Royal Phantom pockets an extra three to five thousand gold coins as a performance bonus.
The roar of the crowd and the jingle of coins—music to my ears.
The colosseum manager—Zoltan Rex. His steel-forged frame exudes an authority that marks him as no ordinary man. His face betrays nothing, but his fixation on profit is unmistakable.
Once a year, they hold a massive event called [Abyss Coliseum] where over a million gold coins change hands in a single night. If a popular team like ours joins the fray, the betting pool is bound to swell even further—
That’s exactly what he’s banking on.
[Abyss Coliseum] follows a tournament format. Teams of three. Wipe out the enemy team or force their surrender, and you advance to the next round. The team that survives the brutal bracket earns the right to face Zoltan Rex’s personal squad, [Iron Beast King]—the strongest team in the Abyss.
Win that final showdown, and you claim the championship and the grand prize for the year.
And this year’s grand prize?
A beastfolk princess.
Her name is Lumiá Sacred.
Lumiá is a lion beastkin—king of the beasts.
And what’s more, her fur is said to be pure white as snow. I could picture it easily: that pristine coat, gleaming in the light.
A princess by blood, and a rare breed on top of that. Of course the underworld types would be salivating to get their hands on her.
Word has it that if she went up on the black-market auction block, she’d fetch a cool five hundred thousand gold coins at minimum.
I paid eighty thousand gold for Pharma and Leela—an insane price, but that was the exception that proved the rule. This one’s rumored to break the “all-time record” if you don’t count that outlier.
But money isn’t my aim, and I’m not in the market for a princess collection.
Win the tournament, secure Lumiá, and return her to the beastfolk with due ceremony.
If I can use her as a diplomatic gift to forge an alliance with the beastfolk, that’s all I need.
Political calculations filled my mind. If this gambit pays off, it’ll give my plans a massive tailwind.
Elenor, blissfully unaware of my long-term scheming, did exactly what I expected once Zoltan Rex left the room. She started complaining.
Annoyance was written plain across her face. Her sky-blue eyes glittered with discontent.
”Oi! You made another promise without consulting me! I keep telling you, I’m busy every day with my duties as a princess!”
Her shrill voice echoed through the waiting room.
A protest befitting a strait-laced princess.
But that was hardly my concern.
”Figure out your schedule. You just keep your mouth shut and do what I tell you.”
With that, I administered the usual punishment to the yapping Elenor. No mercy. My loving chastisement.
”Nnn… ahnghhh♡”
Elenor let out a pleased yelp and crumpled to the floor. The sweat scattered across the ground glimmered faintly in the light.
The ecstatic expression on her face never gets old. Truly, a delight.
We left the colosseum and climbed into the carriage. As the vehicle rattled along, the clamor of the arena faded into the distance.
The sweltering heat, thick with the stench of mud and blood, gradually gave way to cleaner air. When Elenor and I returned to Grimlock Manor, with its lush gardens spreading wide, she departed for the royal castle.
I watched her carriage glide over the cobblestones until it disappeared beyond the gate. Then I summoned my dedicated slave, Mina, and the cat beastkin operative, Kuuko, to the courtyard.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the lawn. A breeze rustled the leaves, whispering through the trees.
”You called for us, Master?”
Mina’s clear voice rang out. Her eyes met mine directly, as always.
”Nyaa~”
At Mina’s feet, little Kuuko let out an adorable mew.
The tiny black ball of fluff gazed up at me with wide, innocent eyes. Still so childlike.
”I need Kuuko this time. I’m entering a team in the colosseum tournament, and I’m adding you to the roster.”
Beastkin aren’t great at manipulating mana, but their physical abilities far surpass humans. And in their beast form, they’re even more formidable.
Right now, Kuuko’s beast form is just a kitten. But if I channel my vast mana directly into her, she’ll grow into a form that can match a full-grown predator.
Time to unlock that hidden potential.
I took Kuuko from Mina and began pouring my mana directly into her small body.
A torrent of searing mana flooded from my palm, and Kuuko’s body began to tremble.
”Nyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!”
Kuuko was engulfed in blinding light, swelling larger by the second.
The glow was so intense I had to squint. A sound tore through the air—half animal roar, half scream.
When the light faded, a massive black panther lay there, its supple frame easily exceeding my height. Its coat gleamed like the night itself, every muscle clearly defined beneath the sleek black fur that drank in the sunlight and gave off a dull luster.
”Wow! Kuuko, you’re amazing! So cool!!”
Mina’s eyes sparkled as she bounced with excitement. Her voice brimmed with pure joy and exhilaration.
”Wanna ride?”
At my suggestion, Mina beamed and shouted, “Yes!”
Kids love this sort of thing. Just as expected.
I lifted Mina’s small body and settled her onto Kuuko’s back. Kuuko’s fur was soft and warm.
With Mina aboard, Kuuko began a slow, graceful stroll through the expansive garden—an incongruously elegant gait for her massive frame.
It was like a painting.
(Yeah. She’ll do just fine as a fighter.)
I was nodding to myself in satisfaction when I felt eyes on me.
Some distance away, my other dedicated slave, Lilia, was watching Mina on Kuuko’s back with an expression that looked almost… envious.
She rarely shows emotion, but in the depths of her eyes, something like a faint longing stirred. That small shift caught my interest.
”…You want a turn too?”
When I asked, Lilia nodded fervently, again and again, her gaze dead serious. For her, that was unusual zeal.
I lifted Lilia up and set her behind Mina. With two young girls on her back, Kuuko bounded across the grounds at a pace that wouldn’t burden them.
A pair of tiny girls, riding atop a giant black panther.
Bathed in the gentle light before dusk, it was a fantastical, peaceful scene. And watching it, a quiet contentment spread through my chest.
—
Summary:
The protagonist enters the underground colosseum, where Elenor fights as a gladiator for profit, and reveals his financial setup exploiting her unpaid labor. Zoltan Rex offers entry to the [Abyss Coliseum] tournament, whose grand prize is the white-furred beastfolk princess Lumiá Sacred, which the protagonist plans to use for political alliance. After returning to Grimlock Manor, he infuses his mana into Kuuko, transforming her into a massive black panther, and grants both Mina and the quietly envious Lilia a ride. The chapter ends with the protagonist sensing Lilia’s unspoken longing, leaving her emotional state as an unresolved variable for future development.
—
Trivia:
Royal Phantom earns 600 gold per match plus 1% of total bets as the owner’s cut.
Elenor works without pay as a gladiator despite being a princess.
The protagonist paid 80,000 gold for Pharma and Leela, an exceptional outlier price.
Lumiá Sacred is estimated to be worth 500,000 gold minimum at auction.
The tournament requires three-person teams in a knockout bracket format.
The final boss team is Zoltan Rex’s [Iron Beast King].
Kuuko transforms from a kitten to a massive black panther when infused with the protagonist’s mana.
Lilia is the protagonist’s other dedicated slave who rarely shows emotion.
Mina calls the protagonist “Master” with childlike enthusiasm.
The chapter contains three section breaks marked by asterisks.
Elenor enjoys the protagonist’s physical punishments despite her verbal protests.
The protagonist’s internal thoughts are marked with parentheses: (Yeah. She’ll do just fine as a fighter.)
Notes:
• de – A particle used in the aristocratic name of the Margrave Albion de Blanchefort.
• Elenor – Revered as the “Saint of Light,” Student Council President Princess Elenor is a proud, haughty gladiator for Xenos’s Royal Phantom team. Unrivaled in the ring, she has translucent white skin, sharp blue eyes, and vibrant hair. Rigid yet hosting a secret, twisted pleasure under the protagonist’s punishments, she is bound by his Magic Seal, complicating Xenos’s political ties despite their past.
• Zoltan Rex – The steel-forged manager and undisputed kingpin of the underground [Abyss Coliseum], Zoltan Rex exudes intimidating authority. Easily recognized by his thick, fleshy neck draped in heavy gold chains and cold, greedy eyes, this profit-fixated top dog commands absolute authority over all in his domain and organizes the annual tournament.
• Zoltan – The steel-forged manager and undisputed kingpin of the underground [Abyss Coliseum], Zoltan Rex exudes intimidating authority. Easily recognized by his thick, fleshy neck draped in heavy gold chains and cold, greedy eyes, this profit-fixated top dog commands absolute authority over all in his domain and organizes the annual tournament.
• Rex – Zoltan bears the Rex family name, an authoritative lineage that commands the underworld hierarchy and rules over the underground colosseum.
• Lumiá Sacred – A lion beastkin princess with pure white fur. She is the grand prize for this year’s [Abyss Coliseum] tournament. Her lineage is royal, and she is considered a rare breed.
• Pharma – An elven songstress at the Star of the Desert, this former auction captive was purchased for eighty thousand gold coins. Now masking her identity with a magic ring, she dances alongside her sister Leela in glittering costumes to protect them. Though appearing timid, pale with anxiety, and elegantly refined, she is a fierce guardian delivering passionate performances to hide their past.
• Leela – A silver-haired elven songstress and dancer at Zahara’s Star of the Desert theater, she performs alongside her protective older sister, Pharma, with whom she was purchased as an auction captive for 80,000 gold. Resolute despite an outwardly timid exterior, she uses a transformation ring to mask her past. Underneath her melodic magic, she harbors deep terror, yet stands steadfast against underworld threats.
• Grimlock – As the mana-less heir to House Grimlock, Xenos manages a military legacy and shadow network with his father, Gaius. Masked by deceptive noble etiquette, this ‘Royal Phantom’ uses spatial magic and a Collar of Submission to manipulate others. He invokes family authority to dismiss the interference of Prince Liam, who formally addresses him by his family name, Xenos.
• Kuuko – A cat beastkin infiltration agent masquerading as a tiny black kitten via the [Ring of Transformation]. She has a delicate build, wide innocent eyes, and childlike features. Powered by Xenos’s mana, this team member can shift into a massive monster and trains in the courtyard. She vocalizes with cute mews, purrs on Xenos’s shoulder, and is affectionately adored by Cecilia and Lizel.
• Mina – Kai’s sister is a dedicated slave and Grimlock estate maid with soft brown hair, a rabbit kigurumi, and dancer’s attire. Anxious yet possessing a clear voice and childlike enthusiasm, she respectfully serves her “Master” and is loyal to Xenos alongside Lilia. She privately reunites with Kai, cares for his kitten, looks after Kuuko, and is fond of Cecilia.
• Lilia – A voluptuous, mature dedicated slave and maid at Xenos’s underground facility, she features a chest tattoo and nullified crest. Quiet and submissive, she rarely shows emotion but displays unusual zeal when expressing desire. She balances sycophantic devotion with professional grace, tenderly tending to Xenos, collaborating with Mina, and efficiently handling high-society receptions.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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