Blood spurted from Theo's body, staining Oswald's axe blade a vivid red.
Oswald laughed maniacally.
"Hahaha, finally hit you! How does it feel? All tingly?"
"......"
Theo gazed up at Oswald with an unnerving calmness, his demeanor completely at odds with the large axe embedded in his shoulder.
This serene expression made Oswald's brows furrow in frustration.
"Wow, you really are a tough one. Not at all like the scion of a noble house. As I said earlier, I won't kill you."
Oswald tried to pull out the axe from Theo's shoulder to strike again.
"I'll torture you every day until you beg for death─ what the?"
However, the axe wouldn't budge.
It seemed rooted in Theo's shoulder, showing no signs of coming loose.
This meant only one thing: Theo was deliberately contracting his shoulder muscles to grip the axe blade.
"Hahaha, this is really fun, so fun. I've seen plenty of crazies in my life, but you're something else. I've cut down at least 500 with this axe, and never encountered someone like you......"
Oswald, incredulous, smirked at Theo.
Theo's gaze remained unwaveringly stoic.
The continuous twitching of his hand showed he was in pain, yet undeterred.
Oswald spoke.
"Alright then, suit yourself. Ask me to pull it out, and I'll oblige."
"......Have you ever seen a human negotiate with a bastard?"
Theo retorted.
Despite the gruesome sight of his blood-soaked upper body, there was an air of elegance about him.
In a situation where lesser men might soil themselves, he embraced death with a stoic resignation.
Oswald had expected Theo to plead for his life after such torment, but was met only with persistent disdain and mockery.
Such a display was uncharacteristic of a mere first-year academy student.
For a brief moment, Oswald felt fear at Theo's indomitable spirit.
'If this monster is given time, he will become a formidable threat in the future. Thank God,'
Oswald silently thanked the heavens for the opportunity to eliminate this monster before he could grow.
He said to Theo,
"That's right. Keep tensing your shoulder. I'll start by taking one of your arms!"
Since the axe remained stuck, Oswald decided to apply downward force instead.
──Just then.
"Khh, Kaaaah──!"
Oswald screamed, clutching his head.
Confusion, fear, erosion, migraine, blindness, and more.
Oswald had been struck by a variety of debuff magic.
"Damn... Who is it, daring to use debuff magic on me!"
Oswald shouted furiously.
And rightfully so, as Oswald was born with a rare constitution of high magic resistance.
Additionally, the artifact he was wearing had the capability to block up to five instances of debuff magic on a single charge.
The debuff magic currently affecting him was at least eight different powerful spells.
This implied the presence of a skilled mage in debuff magic, at least of the 6th circle.
Theo, upon seeing Oswald floundering, quickly removed the axe from his shoulder.
"......Ugh."
Blood spurted from the wound he had forcibly kept closed by tensing his muscles.
'I need to stop the bleeding first.'
Theo took out a handkerchief he always carried with him.
The handkerchief was already soaked in blood, but this was not the time to be choosy.
After stemming the bleeding, Theo quickly scanned the surroundings to assess the situation.
The audience seemed to have already evacuated, leaving the stands empty.
'Who cast the debuff magic on Oswald...'
In the game, Oswald could ignore most such magic, but now he was completely incapacitated.
'No way to know for sure.'
For now, he had to move past this mystery.
Next were the hostages.
Fortunately, there were no casualties yet.
Rok, the instructors, and Piel were engaging with a group of 31 armed assailants, overcoming their numerical disadvantage.
It looked like they might manage to hold off without any casualties until the evacuated audience could call reinforcements.
"......Sigh."
But there was something else that needed to be done first.
Theo gripped Oswald's axe in his right hand and swung it down towards Oswald's head.
Simultaneously, Oswald's scream echoed.
"Khh, Ahhhhh──Ahhh!"
However, even amidst the debuff magic, Oswald dodged Theo's axe strike.
Instead of hitting his head, the axe severed his left arm below the elbow.
Theo frowned.
'As expected, his bloodline ability is at work.'
Oswald's bloodline ability was [Danger Perception].
It allowed him to sense life-threatening dangers a few times per day.
It was a cheat-level trait that worked automatically, even without conscious effort.
'......I need to retreat for now.'
Theo immediately took a backstep, creating distance from Oswald.
Oswald, with his naturally high magic resistance, would soon recover from the debuff magic.
The added pain from his severed arm would only hasten his return to consciousness.
Even with one arm missing, Oswald was still an overwhelming opponent for Theo.
"This bastard! I take back everything I've said. Even if I die, I'll kill you!"
As expected, Oswald, who had quickly regained consciousness, charged at Theo with a scream almost like a war cry.
His speed, now several times faster, was like that of a wild beast, leaving Theo no chance to resist.
Oswald's strong hand gripped Theo's wrist and snatched the axe away.
Swoosh!
The axe whizzed over Theo's head.
Without pausing, Oswald powerfully kicked Theo with his right foot.
Theo was sent flying more than 5 meters, rolling across the ground.
"......Ugh."
Fortunately, he managed to raise his right arm to protect his face, but the arm broke upon impact.
Both of his arms were now unusable.
But there was no time to moan in pain.
Oswald was already rushing toward him.
The distance between them could be closed in less than 0.5 seconds.
"Just die already!"
Right as Oswald reached Theo and was about to strike with the axe,
Clang!
A sword suddenly intervened between Theo and Oswald.
The wielder of the sword was Piel.
"......You've done well. Leave the rest to me."
Piel briefly glanced at Theo, sprawled on the ground behind her, before charging at Oswald.
Theo, observing her movements, slowly nodded his head.
'Luckily, [Gambler] activated.'
That was a relief.
The unique bloodline ability [Gambler] of the Chalon family greatly enhances all stats and traits when the individual perceives a dire situation.
Since the minimum enhancement is twice the original, it's considered an overpowered trait in the game.
With Piel in Gambler mode, she could handle Oswald alone until reinforcements arrived.
'......But losing so much blood makes me sleepy.'
With no hostages dead, Oswald detained, his wounds stemmed, and Piel in Gambler mode in front of him, things seemed to have worked out according to plan.
He was badly injured, but everything looked like it was under control.
......Let's just close my eyes for a bit.
Near the entrance to the special performance stage.
"Pant, pant...! Over there, Claire!"
Alphs, who had been running at full speed, pointed towards the center of the stage.
There, people were engaged in fierce combat.
Claire nodded.
"Alright, I see them. Stay back and wait here."
She then drew the massive greatsword she carried on her back and rushed towards the stage.
Alphs anxiously watched the stage.
'I hope Theo is safe...'
As soon as Theo shattered the purple barrier and charged at Oswald, Alphs ran non-stop towards the [Order of Light], the only place she thought could possibly help.
Choosing to trust herself rather than the other confused spectators, as Theo had advised her, was the fastest way to summon reinforcements.
And indeed, a miracle happened.
Inside the [Order of Light] was Claire, the strongest person Alphs knew.
So Alphs was among the first of the evacuated spectators to call for reinforcements.
She anxiously watched the stage.
Claire was dancing with her sword, swinging her greatsword, which was even bigger than herself.
'I wish I could help but...'
In a battle involving a strong warrior like Claire, someone as weak as her would only be in the way.
Now, all she could do was pray for Claire to save Theo.
While praying, Alphs sensed something odd.
"Huh...?"
She had run that long distance non-stop, yet she wasn't out of breath.
Normally, her legs would be trembling, and she'd be panting for at least 10 minutes.
Swoosh.
Alphs looked down at her legs.
They were wrapped in a bright light she had never emitted before.
