Date: Unspecified Time: Unspecified Location: Myriad Realms, Lil. Red Storm, Seed World, Trophy Section, Duel Realm, Crafting Sector, Venue: Chaos Dwarven Forge.
"Don't worry, soon you will learn my new address," Wyatt said with a confident grin, his tone laced with definite-assurance. Everything was set. Now, if only the Judges would stop wasting time pestering him and show up to commence the duel, it would be perfect. He adjusted his stance, his fingers lightly drumming against his side and whistling a tune, as if he was in no hurry.
"You can see us in our stealth form, can't you?" the foot-long, plush-like velvet T-Rex suddenly spoke, their voice crisp and startling. With that, their stealth spell shattered, instantly revealing their presence to everyone in the colosseum. A ripple of gasps and murmurs swept through the crowd.
Dulas gasped in astonishment, her eyes widening as she found the Judges had appeared right beside her. Wyatt, on the other hand, froze momentarily, his expression shifting subtly as he registered the T-Rex's words. He wanted to deny the claim but found, to his dismay, that he could not utter the word 'no' in any of the languages he knew and he knew a few thousand of them. His mind raced. 'Interesting,' he thought, a flicker of intrigue crossing his features as he silently experienced the Judges' innate ability for himself. He quickly realized the power was amplified by the Devil Merchant Code, making it harder for him to resist.
Clenching his jaw, Wyatt subtly mobilized a tiny bit of primordial energy. His eyes narrowed slightly as the faintest shimmer of power radiated within him. It worked like a charm, negating the Judges' effect and breaking free of its hold. He straightened his posture and smoothed his expression into one of neutrality.
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Wyatt replied with practiced nonchalance, feigning ignorance. The Judges exchanged glances, their brows furrowing in confusion. They had clearly felt his gaze on them, yet he denied it so easily. Their innate ability, enhanced by their lord's power, should have compelled him to speak the truth. No tricks—neither half-truths, withheld information, clever wordplay, nor even self-deception—could bypass its reach. Even ruler-class entities were not immune to its effects, so the notion of a mortal like Wyatt overcoming it seemed inconceivable to them.
"Really? This makes us feel stupid. Anyway, our bad. Let us not delay the duel any longer. Contestants, take your positions," the Judges announced, their voices firm yet tinged with a hint of embarrassment. They flew gracefully to the center of the colosseum's arena, their commanding presence drawing the attention of the crowd.
With their proclamation, Dulas stepped forward, summoning her demon codex with a casual flick of her wrist. Her tone was light but encouraging as she said, "Don't worry about the rules of the duel; the Judges will announce them soon. Good luck, Contestant!" A faint shimmer surrounded Wyatt as she teleported him into one of the open workshops in the arena. The crowd, which had waited long enough, erupted in a deafening cheer, their voices blending into a wave of enthusiasm that reverberated through the massive colosseum.
Wyatt adjusted his stance in the workshop, glancing briefly at the roaring crowd. Noticing Bigold, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he saw the latter acting as if he had already won the game. Meanwhile, the Judges, basking in the energy of the spectators, raised their tail to silence them.
"Now, that's the energy. Here we go!" the Judges declared, their voices amplified and resonating throughout the colosseum. Their authority instantly reclaimed the spotlight, and the crowd's roar subsided into an eager hush. The Judges began to explain the duel's rules, their words crisp and deliberate. "Let me see… This is a corpse puppet crafting duel, so the rules will be pretty simple."
The Judges gestured broadly, as if conjuring images of the rules in the minds of everyone present. "I will randomly select a species and a realm. The contestants will have to refine three corpse puppets—each of that species and realm—within the stipulated time limit. Then, the contestants will use their puppets to fight a 3v3 rotation elimination duel. That is, contestant's can swap their corpse puppets in and out during the duel, similar to a tag-team system. The goal is to completely eliminate the opposing contestant's corpse puppets. Once a contestant loses all three corpse puppets, they lose the duel."
The Judge leaned forward slightly, a sly smile on their face as they added, "Simple and clear cut enough, right? Now, who wants to see some gore and action?"
The crowd, mesmerized by the Judges' innate ability, erupted into a primal cry. Their raw anticipation for the duel between the Unnamed Chaos Dwarf and the Unknown Demon Merchant filled the air, echoing with an almost tangible energy.
Infected by the crowd's energy, the Judges, on a whim, decided to add a twist. They, with a mischievous glint in their eyes, announced, "You know what? We feel like it would be better if someone in the audience got to pick the species and the realm of the corpse puppets the contestants should craft. So, which one of you should I choose? Raise your hands!"
As the Judges' words echoed through the colosseum, the crowd's excitement surged to new heights. More than eighty percent of the spectators shot their arms into the air, their voices rising in a cacophony of cheers and pleas. Many jumped up and down, waving eagerly to catch the Judges' attention. Smirking, the Judges lingered, soaking in the crowd's fervent display. They seemed to revel in the attention, their egos swelling with each passing second.
Finally, after deeming the crowd's reaction sufficient, the Judges decided it was time. Them vanished in a flicker of light and reappeared before a cloaked figure seated near the edge of the arena. The chosen figure froze in place, visibly panicking under the sudden spotlight. As the Judge stood before them, the figure's hood fell back, revealing a stunning face. Her blue skin and eyes were radiant, with symmetrical features that seemed sculpted to perfection. Snow-white hair cascaded down her back in a long, neatly tied braid, and her pointed ears immediately caught the attention of everyone nearby. Gasps rippled through the crowd as all eyes fixed on the cloaked beauty.
"Frosling species and Demon Emperor realm!" she declared with surprising confidence, her melodic voice cutting through the murmurs of the colosseum. She spoke before the Judge could even finish asking the question.
The Judge tilted their head, their expression shifting into one of mild irritation. "We did not ask about your species and realm. We asked—"
"I know," the female Frosling interrupted sharply, her tone unwavering. "I want the contestants to craft corpse puppets of the Frosling species and Demon Emperor realm." Her firm assertion left no room for argument, and her calm yet commanding demeanor caused a ripple of surprise to sweep through the arena.
The Judge's irritation deepened, their face darkening slightly as they resisted the urge to argue. 'Why did we pick her?' they thought with a twinge of regret. Still, bound by their own rules, they had no choice but to abide by her choice. They straightened, clearing their throat before announcing in a clipped tone, "The species will be Frosling, and the realm will be Demon Emperor." Their bad mood grew as they relayed the information to the entire colosseum.
The crowd, however, cheered wildly at the announcement, entirely oblivious to the Judges' irritation. The cloaked beauty simply folded her arms and watched, a faint tension hanging at frowned brows as the spectacle unfolded.