Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 295

The Meyren City Colosseum, with its 120,000 seats, pulsed with fervent excitement. The cheers of the fans echoed endlessly, and the announcer’s commentary was so verbose it bordered on chaotic.

However, the gladiators from both teams, who were supposed to be locked in combat, moved with a strange, static energy, dampening the vibrant atmosphere of the arena.

“Everyone, focus on maintaining formation!” Amelie commanded.

At her word, Chaplin Whisper’s formation slowly shifted to the side, avoiding the Dark Hyenas’ main force charge. Contrary to the roaring expectations of the crowd, their defensive stance raised eyebrows, but not for Beomseok, who immediately sensed Vincent’s intentions.

‘Hmm, Director Vincent. You’re playing it smart. You’d be satisfied with a draw in this challenging away game, wouldn’t you?’

Despite the fans’ fervent wishes and Zakid’s obvious provocations, Vincent kept Amelie anchored at the base, forming a solid defensive battle line. Adopting this strategy generally signaled that they wouldn’t push too aggressively in the first round.

Even with Zakid on the Dark Hyenas’ side, it was unlikely they could easily break through a strong, defensively focused team like Chaplin Whisper.

If they secured a draw in the first round and then aimed for decisive victories in the second and fourth rounds with Amelie and their main force, the game would likely end in a tie.

‘But will it be that easy? Zakid is a ridiculously overpowered character. It’ll be hard to stop him with the current strategy.’

When Zakid activated his trait, his health soared to 120, and his mental strength reached 110. If they didn’t wear him down significantly, he could potentially last all five rounds. To achieve his goal, Director Vincent had to find a way to deal with him.

“What are you doing! Are you not going to fight! Do you even know how much I invested to see this game today!” one spectator yelled.

“Hurry up and fight! What are you doing!” another echoed.

As the game stagnated, the audience’s uproar grew louder. Both teams hesitated, displaying little to no will to engage.

Thanks to this, the Dark Hyenas felt increasingly pressured. They had heavily promoted Zakid as someone who could rival Amelie, but now they risked ending the first round without even landing a single blow.

The home fans desperately wanted to see Zakid fight Amelie, and if the game ended like this, they would voice considerable dissatisfaction.

“Alright, everyone, let’s at least pretend to engage. If we act like we’re attacking, the fans’ resentment will turn towards Chaplin Whisper,” the captain ordered.

Following the order of the gladiator wearing the number 1, the Dark Hyenas’ main force gladiators slowly moved forward. They had no real intention of attacking, so they didn’t display any genuine determination to defeat their opponents. As soon as they were within striking distance of Chaplin Whisper’s formation, they quickly dashed forward.

“Everyone, attack!”

The two formations lurched slightly upon impact. Iena, who was at the forefront of the Dark Hyenas, exchanged a few blows as planned and then quickly retreated. The purpose of this attack was not to defeat the enemy but merely to put on a show. There was no need to overdo it.

‘That’s strange. I expected a whip attack, but there’s nothing.’

Iena tilted her head in confusion. Before being recruited by the Dark Hyenas this year, she had been active in the World League. She had faced Amelie several times and knew that this situation was highly unusual.

Normally, Amelie would have disrupted their formation with her unique whip attacks or targeted her teammates. But today, she stood still like a wooden statue. However, Iena soon understood the reason. Amelie’s gaze was constantly fixed on Zakid.

Iena retreated briefly to report to the captain.

“Captain, it seems Amelie is trying to mark Zakid.”

The gladiator wearing number 1 could also see the situation. Not only Amelie but also Chaplin Whisper’s key gladiators, Yoshia and Nencia, were constantly keeping an eye on Zakid, who was playing as a free-roamer [a player who isn’t restricted to a specific position].

“It really looks like the Chaplin Whisper team is planning a draw. What should we do?”

“Well, honestly, I don’t think it’s so bad. If Amelie and two key gladiators can’t respond to our main force, it’s advantageous for us.”

The captain, gladiator number 1, agreed and nodded. Even though Chaplin Whisper was strong, if three of their top players were distracted, they could easily break through. The following situation would then be, at the very least, a chaotic battle.

If Zakid, with his outstanding swordsmanship, could defeat Amelie, they would win the first round.

“Should we try it?”

“Hmm, before that, let’s try a few probing attacks. If we make the Chaplin Whisper team think we have no intention of fighting, they’ll let their guard down, and then we can break through in one go.”

It was a good idea, so gladiator number 1 accepted Iena’s suggestion. Breaching their defenses after lulling them into complacency would be more effective, and they could also assess the presence of traps or the level of resistance, making future breakthroughs more effective.

As soon as the captain gladiator returned to the front line, she reorganized the formation and raised the banner of attack.

“Alright, everyone, charge!”

The Dark Hyenas then launched a one-sided offensive. However, the Chaplin Whisper team easily repelled it. Even though three key players were focused on Zakid, they couldn’t possibly fail to block an attack that was more of a probe.

Beomseok, who was watching from the audience, tilted his head.

“Chaplin Whisper is too conscious of Zakid. What if they get hit hard because of that? Dark Hyenas are by no means easy opponents. There’s Iena, ranked 23rd in the world, and Charlotte, ranked 52nd. They are not easy opponents.”

Jelsomina, who was beside him, said,

“But isn’t it also a problem if they can’t stop Grand Master Zakid?”

“Of course, it is. But if they’re just trying to keep him in check, Amelie alone is enough. There’s no need to allocate three people unnecessarily.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve seen Amelie fight, and her twin whip technique doesn’t seem to be a match for Grand Master Zakid. Honestly, I think you’re stronger in a one-on-one battle, Senior.”

Beomseok shook his head. He believed he could handle Amelie’s twin whip technique well enough, given his improved physical condition compared to the past.

Before, he was pushed back by her strength and couldn’t properly respond to the whip’s end, but now he could deflect it appropriately and seize opportunities to attack. However, her true skill wasn’t just her twin whip technique. He couldn’t be sure of his superiority until he saw Amelie’s true potential.

“Of course, it would seem that way if you only look at the game’s content. Have you seen the match where Amelie fought me?”

Jelsomina nodded. It was such a famous match that she had watched it through the audiovisual materials stored by the team.

“Yes, of course.”

“Didn’t you notice anything strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you see the sword she wore on her waist?”

“Yes, I saw it. She drew it at the end of the match and blocked your critical move, Senior.”

“Hmph. It’ll be easier to understand if you know. Amelie’s true ability in personal combat comes out when she wields the sword and whip together. But she has only drawn her sword twice so far, during the matches with me and Prisika. And she didn’t even show proper swordsmanship then. No matter how great your Grand Master is, he won’t easily defeat her.”

“R, really? How powerful is the sword and whip technique? Is it that great?”

Beomseok avoided giving a definite answer to that question. In fact, he had only heard about it and had never faced her true sword and whip technique directly. As a result, he could only guess roughly how much power it would unleash.

“Well, I haven’t seen it myself, so I don’t know exactly how much power it will unleash.”

“Hmm. Then we can’t guarantee what will happen in the future.”

“Yeah. But I can guess roughly. I talked to Director Vincent about your Grand Master before, and he seemed quite anxious. There’s no way he wouldn’t have grasped Amelie’s sword and whip technique, so we can assume the power dynamic between the two from this case.”

Jelsomina had an excited expression. She couldn’t help but feel good that Zakid, who had been taught by the same master, was said to be stronger.

“So, you’re saying our Grand Master is strong.”

“Yes. But a different result could come out. Gladiators have compatibility with each other. If your Grand Master shows a weakness to the sword and whip technique, an unexpected result could occur. Especially today. The true sword and whip technique might appear for the first time. It’s going to be tough because there’s no data.”

“Of course, the opposite could happen too. It’s the Grand Master’s first time in the world too.”

“That’s a given.”

Just as Jelsomina was looking at the arena with expectant eyes, the Dark Hyenas’ main force charged towards the Chaplin Whisper formation once again. The difference from other times was that Zakid’s movements, as a free-roamer, were very agile.

Beomseok widened his eyes and examined the situation in the arena. He realized that the thing he had been worried about was happening.

It was clear that the Dark Hyenas were about to launch an all-out attack.

“Here they come!”

“What do you mean?”

As soon as Jelsomina asked, a major collision occurred between the two teams. As a result, a crack appeared in the center of the Chaplin Whisper formation, splitting it in two. Zakid rushed in at the right moment. Amelie, who had been waiting for him, drew the sword she was wearing on her waist and swung her whip.

“It’s a trap!”

“W, what do you mean, a trap! Does that mean Chaplin Whisper is in danger?”

Beomseok immediately answered Jelsomina’s urgent question.

“No, the Dark Hyenas have fallen into a trap!”

As soon as Amelie left the formation, the Chaplin Whisper formation split in half so easily. If you only looked at this scene, you might think it was a perfect division, but the ends of the Chaplin Whisper gladiators were circling widely to the side, rushing towards the rear of the Dark Hyenas. It was a typical assassination strategy targeting the captain.

Meanwhile, Zakid, who had evaded the bizarrely moving whip attack, dashed towards Amelie with excitement. He never expected that a one-on-one showdown with her would be so easily achieved. Yoshia and Nencia, who had been keeping him in check along with Amelie, were leading the main force and attacking the opposing team’s captain.

“Hahaha, Amelie. It’s so good to see you! Let’s see who the best gladiator is today!”

He confidently swung his sword, but it was blocked by Amelie’s unorthodox sword. Sparks flew everywhere as the two figures crossed paths. Zakid, who had created some distance, struck down with a sword strike filled with great power, but he had to turn it back before the blade touched her body. The end of the whip, controlled by Amelie’s left hand, was flying towards his back.

Zakid quickly rotated his body and deflected it, using the recoil to send the tip of his sword towards Amelie again. And at the same time as a clear metallic collision sound rang out, he stepped back greatly.

‘It’s different from what I saw on the screen. This is quite strong in close combat.’

With a tense face, Zakid circled around Amelie. He had underestimated her, thinking she was easy to deal with based on the existing match data, but this was beyond ordinary. However, Zakid’s lack of gladiator experience was also no joke.

While he was focused on Amelie, the captain, gladiator number 1, was defeated by Yoshia’s sword. This meant that the first round of the game was over.

Zakid watched with a bewildered expression as Amelie turned her back to him and walked towards the dugout. He was dumbfounded that the game had ended just as the fight was about to get serious. As a swordsman who had lived his whole life, he didn’t like the rules of this gladiator game.

“Damn it. What is this!”

In the end, Zakid walked towards the dugout, passing through the arena that had been plunged into silence due to the home team’s defeat. Even though he had no gladiator experience, he knew that attacking his opponent immediately after the game ended would result in a penalty.

As he entered the entrance tunnel, he gave Beomseok, who was watching him from the railing, a meaningful look. He remembered the confident words he had said earlier. As Beomseok had said, gladiatorial combat was not a solo game.

“Hey! I was defeated without being able to do anything this time, but it will be different next time. Watch carefully.”

“Yes. I’ll look forward to the next round.”

Zakid sighed deeply and entered, and Beomseok returned to his seat. There were some words he wanted to convey, but he didn’t think it was necessary. There were still four rounds left, so he had plenty of time to restore his honor himself.

Jelsomina said to him,

“Senior. Director Vincent is not easy to deal with after all. To defeat the Dark Hyenas with Grand Master in such a mocking way.”

“That’s right. He’s been living leisurely lately, but Director Vincent is originally skilled in these kinds of strategies. He’s a master at understanding and countering the opponent’s strategies like a sly old fox. There’s a good reason why Chaplin Whisper spent a lot of money to bring him in.”

Jelsomina said with a complicated face.

“Sigh~ This is a big problem. How are we supposed to face Chaplin Whisper, who has Amelie, Director Vincent, and a different level of squad?”

“Well. We have no choice but to do our best.”

“No. Everyone says that. I’m asking if there’s an effective way to deal with them.”

“Hehe. Do you think I would have one? With this much of a squad difference, strategy is meaningless. We can only do everything we can and hope for the blessings of the heavens.”

Jelsomina sighed deeply at those words. When she thought about it, his answer was correct. The only way God’s Knights could face Chaplin Whisper was to fight with all their might.

============================ Author’s Afterword ============================

The daily temperature range is too severe. Everyone, be careful of catching a cold during the change of seasons. I’ll see you again tomorrow.