AESVM Chapter 78
Cry
Among the sea of intoxicated spectators, Daphne was the only one who sobered up in an instant.
Despite the sudden and drastic rule change, the crowd showed little shock. They didn’t quiet down.
It was as if they hadn’t even understood the ominous words Adam had just spoken—”The one who survives will be the champion.”
Of course.
They’re all too drunk to realize what’s happening.
Had Celestian not been participating, Daphne might have been just as ignorant, throwing down more money for what would have been a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
The drunken haze that had made her light-headed now sank heavily into her chest.
Across the arena, Celestian studied Iglios as he stepped inside. His expression shifted oddly for a moment before he exhaled through his nose, shifting his weight onto one leg.
Then, crossing his arms, he absentmindedly tapped his fingers as if calculating something.
Maybe I should just trust that Celestian really is the second-strongest in this world…
Daphne had this ridiculous thought before shaking her head.
Then—without any further introductions—
BEEP!
The match began.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Like a charging rhino, the massive man rushed forward, swinging his fist at Celestian’s left cheek.
In the split-second before impact, Celestian barely dodged—
THUD!
Oh, that’s gotta hurt!
—only to take a heavy blow to his right side instead.
The force of that hit was enough to send any normal person flying clear out of the ring.
Yet Celestian only took a single step back.
How does a human body make that kind of sound?!
Daphne instinctively clutched her own side, wincing.
Iglios was easily twice Celestian’s size.
Even someone as skilled as Celestian could be sent straight to the underworld if that man’s punches landed clean.
But brute strength usually comes at the cost of speed… right?
Daphne swallowed nervously, trying to reassure herself.
But her predictions had never been right before.
No, wait. What the hell? He’s FAST?!
Even though she could see where Iglios’s punches were coming from, Celestian wasn’t moving to avoid them.
The next three strikes slammed directly into his left side.
Why isn’t he dodging?
Iglios was only throwing punches, but each one whistled through the air like a wasp buzzing past an ear.
The moment Celestian staggered slightly, several more blows landed against his back.
Daphne winced so hard her entire face scrunched up.
She hunched over, unable to watch any longer.
“…Wouldn’t a normal person be dead by now?”
She turned to her father—who had witnessed far more fights than she had—for answers.
But Marius didn’t respond.
“Dad?”
She lifted her head and looked at him.
Marius stood frozen, mouth agape, in absolute shock.
“…Dad? Marquis Beaucater?”
She waved a hand in front of his face. Still, no response.
“Ah.”
Daphne didn’t need to think too hard to figure out why.
He had placed millions under Celestian’s name in the previous round.
Feeling sorry for him, Daphne reached out and gently closed his jaw for him.
Marius blinked, then finally snapped out of it, giving Daphne a few firm pats on the shoulder.
“Daph, wait here. This is getting out of hand.”
“You’re not about to go change your bet, are you? How shameless.”
She shot back, but Marius had already disappeared into the crowd.
This was a blind bet.
Whoever wagered the most either took home everything or took on all the risks.
So his reaction was understandable.
Daphne let out a sigh as she watched him go.
But when she turned her head back toward the match—
She froze.
“…Oh.”
At that exact moment, Celestian’s collar was caught in Iglios’s massive, boulder-like grip.
“…Huh?”
BAM!
With a single devastating strike, Celestian’s entire body was sent flying through the air in a perfect arc.
“Ugh.”
Daphne grimaced.
Wait… Is he useless without his sword?
Her eyes flicked toward the pristine weapon standing off to the side.
The amber gem embedded in the hilt gleamed under the lights.
…You’re kidding me. Really?
Secradion’s Blade, was it?
Not just Marius—the entire audience had fallen into stunned silence, jaws hanging open.
Every pair of eyes locked onto Celestian, now sprawled across a stone table, his back bent painfully over it.
Iglios rumbled something in a deep, booming voice.
The language was completely unfamiliar.
It’s not Argentar dialect…
Daphne realized.
It was something else entirely.
Daphne narrowed her eyes.
Iglios clenched his fists, his chest still heaving with excitement. Then, with a low, drumming sound, he bolted across the arena.
He must be thrilled to finally remember what he came here for.
Clearly, he was headed straight for Celestian’s sword.
The one fortunate thing in all of this? While his punches were absurdly fast, his footwork was sluggish.
Celestian, however, still showed no signs of getting up.
“…See? I told you to forfeit and go home.”
Daphne gazed blankly at Celestian’s small, limp head.
His face was turned away—she couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or closed.
Why isn’t he moving?
Was he unconscious?
Or… was he dead?
A shiver ran down her spine, and she clenched her gloved hands tightly.
Seeing Celestian get overpowered, bruised, or even take a few punches wasn’t the problem.
But this—seeing him completely motionless like this—was not something she had ever wanted to witness.
The entire match had shifted.
The crowd, sensing the momentum change, erupted into cheers.
The same people who had been chanting Theriosa! just moments ago were now shouting Iglios’s name instead.
A few spectators even rushed toward the betting counters, hoping to change their wagers at the last second.
Daphne needed to find out who had put Celestian in as Kisha’s replacement.
And, more importantly, who had set up this behemoth as the final opponent.
She gritted her teeth.
And whoever had suddenly changed the rules at the last minute—she would personally wring their neck, then slam a rifle stock into their skull.
Unfortunately, that person was very likely her own mother, Amber Green.
Daphne buried her face in her hands, struggling to contain the rage bubbling up to the top of her head.
God, this is infuriating.
Her chest tightened.
No matter how hard she squeezed her eyes shut, she couldn’t erase the image of Celestian’s limp, twisted body from her mind.
Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.
She refused to associate this moment with that memory.
But Celestian, lying motionless, was enough to rip open something deep in her mind—
“Are you crying?”
“…The fuck?!”
Daphne jerked her hands away from her face, cursing instinctively at the sudden voice right in front of her.
“You’re not crying.”
She blinked rapidly, still too stunned to process anything.
Then—her gaze snapped toward where Celestian had been lying.
Of course.
The man sprawled across the stone table just moments ago—
Was gone.
Which meant—
The man standing before her was the same one who had just been lying there.
Across the arena, Iglios stood on the opposite side, his massive greatsword hoisted high above his head as he basked in the roaring applause.
“…Were you worried?”
Celestian’s voice was light, almost teasing, as he reached out and took her gloved hand in his own.
His warmth seeped through the thin layer of fabric, pressing against her skin.
Daphne lowered her gaze.
His hand was covered in cuts.
Even without seeing his palm, she knew—it was littered with scars from before the calluses had even fully formed.
She lifted her eyes back to his face.
His golden hair, damp with sweat, had darkened slightly in color.
His breathing was uneven, his exhales thick with the scent of absinthe.
Daphne opened her mouth, ready to demand why the hell he had just stood there and taken every hit—but something tight in her throat choked the words back.
“Winning all the time is boring, right?”
“…Are you kidding me?”
“That’s what you said.”
His clouded green eyes curved into a mischievous smile.
Daphne sucked in a sharp breath, grinding her teeth.
“It really hurts.”
“…….”
“Truly.”
He added, his brows tilting down slightly.
But Daphne’s expression did not soften.
Had weapons been allowed inside this arena, Celestian Theriosa would have already been shot in the face with a rifle stock.
“Celestian, you’re useless without your sword, aren’t you?”
Just then—
From behind Celestian, Iglios charged forward at full speed.
Daphne yanked her hand free from his grip.
Celestian’s pretty face twisted with annoyance at the action.
“Behind you! Behind you—!”
Daphne pointed frantically.
But Celestian, tilting his head in confusion, had no time to turn.
A split second later—
Iglios’s greatsword came swinging down.
