A few moments since the last chapter…

Tristan, Royal Capitol, King’s Cup Basement

 

This is exhausting… Ashton thought as he reached up and rubbed his tired face from inside of his viewing booth. Today had been more exhausting than any day he had lived through on Earth and it had still yet to reach its climax. If he had to spend every single day like this he would quickly go insane.

 

“We had an issue with rats a few days ago but they have been dealt with.” The man wearing butler attire told him with a gentle smile. 

 

“That’s… wonderful. Good job!” Ashton told him with seriousness. “Pests… are unpleasant. Make sure to… thoroughly... remove them.”

 

A lot of pausing and placing emphasis on words, this was how Ashe Grayfield talked quietly and calmly. Words should be shared between lovers, let the money do the talking instead. These words were what Ashe Grayfield lived by, and he never did anything without making a profit from it. 

 

“We rounded them all up and already had them sold to a meat vendor. I hope this pleases you, Boss.” The old man said before he bowed and left to go get a drink for Ashton.

 

Ashton could use the excuse of needing to take care of some business to escape from the princes and find a rare moment of calm. The world was rapidly expanding around him and he was getting a better idea of where he was in it. A rich, young, and powerful noble who was a psychopath who participated in all sorts of crimes. Looking at the corner of the table where the butler-clad man had been standing was a bag on a drawstring that he had set down before he began talking about the “rats”.

 

Reaching over with a slightly shaking hand, he lifted the bag of money and his heart sank when he felt the weight of it. Pulling the leather cord from the top, he pulled open the bag and was greeted with the sight of sparkling golden coins. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but he let the heavy bag of money fall onto the floor where some of the coins spilled out and reflected the magical lights onto the wooden walls. Reaching up with his hands he placed his face in his palms as he rubbed at it as if he was hoping to scrub something away.

 

“Rats?” Ashton said flatly before he began to laugh loudly inside of the room. “Is that term used everywhere to refer to people who can’t act openly? Not everyone is born with a silver spoon called wealth and power.” 

 

Becoming a slave required very certain circumstances, you were either born as one, or you fell into heavy debt or committed a serious crime. The amount of money made it clear that this was happening to people and from the fact that he was paid so quickly, he was certain that it was being done by a third party. Someone with deep connections to the kingdom that could be sure that anyone brought to them would be able to become a legal slave with real documentation. In Prosperity’s era, many nobles had been made into illegal slaves before the civil war so there were very strict laws on it.

 

Why did he give the money that the Duke had used to bribe him to the staff of the mansion? Because it felt like dirty money that he didn’t want to use for his own ends so he instead decided to help the pitiful and the needy. If a filthy beggar had been in front of him instead of a slave he would have handed all of the gold to him. Grabbing the heavy sack of gold he turned towards the small window in his room and pushed it open to reveal an alleyway that ran along the side outside he could see a man wearing dingy clothes complaining as he carried a chamber pot.

 

The man was muttering and complaining that no one should have to complete such a demeaning job and that someone should create something to cart shit to the sewers for people. This statement immediately reminded him of the toilets he used to sell and he suddenly realized how much he missed seeing porcelain everywhere. Reaching for the bag of gold he pushed it out of the small window towards the man then quickly moved to close it and block it with the curtains. Maybe he was being foolish but taking money that went against his morals was just something he couldn’t accept.

 

I need to completely change the way this guy lives… I can’t do this… The nobles were craven, the adventurers were psychopaths, and the people were suffering. He wasn’t a good person, he would never be able to claim a title like that, but he felt like he had to do something. This is my life now… not his… but to make a great change in your life an impetus is needed...

 

“What could I use as a reason to change his life?” Ashton muttered.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, could I get your attention please!” A voice called from below before several lights on the ceiling all turned on. 

 

They were the same magical lights that looked like glass orbs that were set inside of large silver domes to reflect the light towards the ground. The chessboard pattern on the ground had been covered with large sheets of gray granite that created a slightly raised platform for the fighters to fight on. Pillars and half-section tall walls had been installed into the thick tone to provide cover and to break up the battlefield. Chains ran from the pillars to the floor and were a palm length thick to make them strong enough to provide more than decoration. 

 

Everything was set up artistically in the square slots, and from the ceiling, the shape of the crest of Grayfield was laid out over the large stone floor. The man speaking was the old, tidy man who was wearing butler appeal, but now he was dressed in tight black breeches and a pink-tailed coat with shiny polished boots and a large striped top hat. He almost thought that the man on stage was the brother of the butler but they both had the same facial expression. This arena had been set up as soon as Valiant proposed such a bizarre duel and the butler had changed his clothes in the time it took him to reach the stage.

 

“Today we are proud to present to you all a duel between Ashe Grayfield’s combat slave Kumiho, Prince Valiant Tristain’s combat slave Pigor, and Prince Temperance's combat slave Mavis Deadhand.” The well-dressed man said before he finished his introduction. “This will be a battle between high-tier slaves, so a barrier will be used to protect the observers and restrict the battlefield. This battle has the master’s consent and is legally sanctioned by the kingdom of Tristain.”

 

The first announcement the man-made sounded more like legal jargon to cover his bases, but since many of the people were the children of nobility the butler was careful to cover his bases. Paperwork for any slave could be found at the hall of records and they could verify the legality of the slave by just using the name that was engraved on the collars. The only reason they cared so much was that slaves had taxes that had to be paid on them whenever they were bought or sold. If they died any outstanding debts they owed would also be transferred to their owner. 

 

This was supposed to reduce the danger that slaves faced while increasing their living conditions but for nobles who liked to gamble, it was just one way to spend even more money. The Kingdom also knew this fact as Prosperity’s own son, who would later become King Vigor, was the one who started the colosseum and used the proceeds that the gladiators made to pay off their debts and free them. That was only possible if they didn’t commit enough crimes to be capable of paying them back like Mavis Deadhand. If they were sentenced to life in slavery then their debts would be revoked and a flat tax would apply instead.

 

Most people don’t buy monsters because of how expensive they are to maintain… their diets and needs are all incredibly unique… they also can’t be restrained once they reach the high tier… “Maybe I am playing with fire by agreeing to Kumiho’s request, but I almost feel like I would rather be around the monsters,” Ashton muttered to himself as he leaned back into his chair to get comfortable.

 

It didn’t take long before the clattering sounds of armor heralded the arrival of the two plate-wearing combatants. Mavis looked like a black knight covered in heavy thick plates that were over an inch thick in most areas, and a large helmet that had several slits that were small enough to keep bullets out. The thick armor made him appear stocky and his arms and legs appeared short as a result of this like an oversized dwarf. Runes had been carved into the armor that allowed it to be easier to move in since it weighed as much as a small car.

 

Pigor looked just as intimidating with thick armor plates covering his large sausage-shaped body and keeping his potbelly in check. The size of his arms was the size of tree trunks and it made the massive ax with a wicked curved blade seem more intimidating. A large hammer had been attached to the back of the ax and Ashton assumed it had to weigh as much as a human who had just gotten done at the buffet tables. The one thing that Ashton found strange was that the visor the pig creature was wearing featured a shade system similar to what he had seen on blinds on modern windows that were covering his eyes. 

 

Dainty footsteps heralded the arrival of the last combatant as the gauzy skirt she wore under her apron seemed to drift over the stone. The smile she wore on her face seemed both inviting and malicious as she glanced at the two armored figures. The ribbon in her hair held back her thick blood-red locks and her silver ears sat proudly on top of her head as her silver and red-tipped tails danced behind her as if they were being blown by an invisible wind. Her long billowing sleeves hid her hands and with a red bow tied around her elbows that resembled the one in her hair.  

 

“I guess they are about to start fighting…” Ashton said with hesitation. 

 

Unlike the nobles who were in their wooden stands cheering with excitement, Ashton felt a tension creeping upon him from the pit of his stomach. He felt like he should have insisted on bringing Natalay with him but the rules in his establishment limited people to a single servant. The small room was a viewing room with his chair and tables that had small appetizers prepared. Small wheat cakes with pieces of meat and potatoes with gravy and cheese were considered a specialty. 

 

They resembled pot pies but used a seasoned piece of pork meat that had a tangy smell that was cooked with orange peels and something that smelled like cardamom. He began to seat these bite-sized pies when the old butler became more heated and excited as he gave out his next announcements.

 

“The contestants have agreed to a battle to the death! This is going to be a rare show ladies and gentlemen!” The butler announced animatedly waving his hands in the air.

 

The applause was deafening as the cries and cheers reverberated off the stone walls in the large underground arena. Everything was reinforced with steel including the large metal pillars that ran up from the corners of the arena and were polished with shiny silver. 

 

“WHAT!?!” Ashton said in shock before he gazed at the two princes who were seated in their own viewing booths. 

 

Prince Valiant had shock written across his face as he was pointing his finger at his brother as if asking him what he was doing. Prince Tolerance looked even more shocked as his slave was a criminal slave that had the highest bounty. He had the most to lose so he would never suggest a fight to the death. Looking down at the contestants, he saw that both Pigor and Mavis were brandishing the wicked trident and large battle-ax and pointing them at the fox woman with shaking hands. Kumiho had an innocent expression as she glanced at the two with her sleeved hand over her mouth like she was intimidated by the two of them.

 

“Now that the rules have been established! Do you know what time it is?!” The butler called to the audience as he placed his hand over his ear and walked towards the front of the stage.

 

“Fight! Fight! FIght! Fight!” The nobles began to cry out loudly.

 

“The time is right and the participants are prepared! Activate the barrier!” The butler commanded.

 

It looked like a bubble made from soap that started from a ring in the ceiling and began to expand. It grew at an alarming speed and began to hit the chains and obstacles and seemed to coat them as the bubble continued to grow. The only things that weren’t coated were the three armored figures who seemed to pass through it to the inside as it grew around them till it hit the pillars and formed the four square walls. The soapy material seemed to thicken and harden as it continued to glisten and reflect the magical lights onto the crowd.

 

Soon mirrors hanging on chains were lowered from the ceiling where they were hanging flat against the polished copper to provide a closer view of the participants. Glowing glass marbles with spectral wings that radiated lights that scintillated through the colors of the rainbow began to fly around the room and transmitted the sounds from inside of the barrier. Now he could understand how things had escalated so quickly between the slaves.

 

“You bitch! I dare you to say that again!” Mavis roared in fury.

 

“Kumiho thinks that little men with little balls need large armor to hide in!” Kumiho said loudly, almost yelling before her nose wrinkled. “All that metal has made you both deaf and stupid! It also doesn’t hide your smells! Pickles! You’re both just pickles!” 

 

Pickles?... Looking down at the large pig he remembered that one of the foster families he stayed with had made pickled pig’s feet and claimed it was a delicacy. The smell was so bad and they were so ugly looking that he couldn’t bring himself to even try them. “Pffft~! Hahahaha!”

 

She was just like a little kid and her insults seemed to match it, maybe it was the absurdity of the situation but he found her childish insults quite funny. Some of the audience also began to laugh along as the two armored slaves began to become more aggravated. Pigor made a long battle cry that sounded like the nasally call of a warthog as he slung the large ax off of his back and boldly rushed towards the fox woman. 

 

“Pickles? Pigor’s ax will split you like a pickle!” The pig called as he charged forward at a speed that Ashton could barely track with his eyes. 

 

Kumiho’s tails moved around her and began to obscure her body as they lengthened and moved to create a wall around her. The large ax that Pigor was holding over his head came down and the tails bent and shifted around the metal blade-like grass. The large ax hit the stone ground and the tails parted to reveal that Kumiho had shifted to the side allowing the blade to pass by her harmlessly. Kumiho held her sleeve over her mouth and giggled at the large pigman as she swiped out with her other sleeved arm towards the beastman’s face.

 

Pigor leaned back and the sound of screeching filled the air as sparks flew from the armor at Pigor’s chest. Four lines of torn metal were revealed and blood flowed freely from the torn leathery flesh underneath. Ashton swore he briefly saw a red-furred fox paw retreat into her sleeve with blood still sticking to the black claws. He questioned this thought as a dainty hand peeked out of the sleeve and a little pink tongue stretched out and licked some of the blood from her nails.

 

Pigor looked down and the four clean cuts made through the thick plates of his armor and immediately backpedaled away from the tailed woman. A sense of death was growing the longer he stood next to her and he needed time to ready his ax. He was breathing deeply because just for a moment he could remember seeing those vicious claws reaching for his face and how close he was to losing his eyes. Taking a few deep breaths to settle himself he raised his ax blade but found something shocking.

 

Silver and gray furs had become stuck in the metal-like needles and the once sharp blade looked like it had been taken to a sanding wheel. The fine polish of the blade had been worn away showing the raw metal underneath and the blade now curved in on itself where it was ground away. Pigor suddenly felt his breath freeze when he thought of what this had to mean.

 

“Monster!” Pigor cried and Mavis himself seemed to startle awake after seeing this.

 

At first, he wanted to sit back and get a read on the fox woman who he thought had been a caster from her light dress. Suddenly he put on a hateful look that couldn’t be seen from his helmet as he looked at the second prince like he was trying to get him killed. 

 

“Dammit! I thought I was done with this shit!” Mavis muttered angrily as he took the net off of his back and began to swing it around to build momentum with it. 

 

“Kumiho thinks you were mistaken. Real monsters don’t go away just because you close your eyes.” She began laughing at the man as if she was hearing a joke. “That just makes them hungrier.”

 

“Wow! Monsters that can turn into humans are rare, how much do you think he paid for her?” A noble asked someone next to him.

 

“You normally need a large group of high-tier fighters to capture them, so probably a few platinum coins.”  Another noble mentioned.

 

“What about that white-haired girl with the blue eyes he brought that one time?” Someone asked.

 

“Wait, what about the one with the plant hair clips? She smelled really good~! Do you think she was also a monster?!” A lady asked. “I wanted to find out where she gets her perfume…”

 

“They don’t care, it is just another spectacle for them…” Ashton muttered as he saw the animated replies from the audience.

 

“Pigor! We need to team up against her if we want to survive!” Mavis suggested to the beastman.

 

Pigor looked down and saw the ground of the section of his ax and suddenly felt a sense of dread when he saw the fox woman who was laughing at him as she covered her mouth with a sleeved hand. She could see her little pink tongue dart out and lick her blood-red lips as she looked over the armored pigman. High-tier monsters scared him the most because they were just intelligent enough to understand emotions but didn’t possess the same emotional capacity. Empathy was something that they did not possess natively and respect had to be earned.

 

“Alright! Weapon damaged! You take front!” Pigor felt like his plan was flawless, and his reasoning was sound. Why would he ever want to put his life on the line for someone who had simply purchased him? If he could find a way to save his bacon, he would do whatever was necessary!

 

“No, no, no, no, no, no! That ain’t how this is gonna work! We both fight her, together!” The armored man said flatly to the large pig creature.

 

“Pigor already attack her! You attack her now!” Pigor commanded the former bandit.

 

“Listen here ya porky bastard, ya did that on ya own! We fight here together or so help me, gods, I will kill you before I die!” Mavis yelled out as he clenched his trident tightly.

 

“You think you kill Pigor? Pigor kill you first! Right now!” The large pig creature raised his battle-ax as he aimed it towards the former bandit.

 

“Come at me ya bastard, I am eating pork fillet tonight!” Mavis screamed as he pointed his trident towards the pig and threw his net at him. 

 

The two were yelling loudly at each other and Ashton found himself watching it with shock as the net flew towards the large beastman. Pigor responded with a snort as he pulled the ax back and tossed it forward towards the net. The two heavy objects collided with a heavy sound as the net and ax were flung off to the side of the area where they clattered against the barrier and made a hollow sound. Pigor didn’t care as he dropped to all fours and suddenly began charging towards Mavis at incredible speed. 

 

“Holy shit! Not even my car can accelerate that fast!” Ashton commented as he watched the boar close the gap in seconds.

 

“Pigor, what the fuck are you doing?! She is going to kill both of you!” The first prince commented in shock and anger.

 

“Gods be damned! He is going to cost me a fortune if he dies!” The second prince murmured before gritting his teeth and turning a hate-filled glance towards his brother.

 

While he had much more money than his older brother due to the various businesses that he had started running from a young age, it also made him more frugal when it came to losses. He hated suffering for no reason and he felt like this could be blamed on his brother and his slave for accepting such horrible terms. Looking at the fox woman who was laughing loudly as the two slaves collided heavily with a sound similar to a car crash at high speeds. Her eyes were glowing and casting out a subtle red light that was directed at the two slaves.

 

Mavis was coughing heavily as blood came through the gaps in his visor that he had coughed out after taking the heavy impact to the chest. He laughed merrily as Pigor reached up and began trying to pull the trident out of his shoulder that had sunk in an entire finger length. Pigor reached up and began trying to pull the trident free but after a single sharp tug, a snapping noise was issued before the three tines broke off. They were hollow and his blood began to fountain out of the top of them in three red streams and leaked over his armor.

 

“I like my chops covered in ketchup! Ya porky bastard!” Mavis began to laugh savagely as Pigor tried to move his arm but found he couldn’t.

 

Mavis began to start trying to stand up from the position he landed on his back after rolling onto his stomach and pushing himself up with shaking arms. The front of his armor was dented heavily and blood was leaking from his mouth and in droplets that he kept coughing up around his mad laughter. 

 

“I’mma make ya regret not facing her!” He called out as he got to his feet and faced the large beastman.

 

“Not if Pigor crush you first!” The large walking pig said as he got to his feet with blood running down his silver armor from the wounds in his shoulder.

 

The two began to take large strides as they started closing the distance between each other, but as Ashton focused more and more on his eyes he began to see a strange effect starting to happen on the battlefield. Like in some of the shooting games he played he could feel the world around him slowing down similar to bullet time. Reaching over, he could feel the world around him moving incredibly slowly as he grabbed a small pot pie and began moving it towards his mouth but the moment he did he dropped it out of fright. For a brief moment, he could see a line going from the small piece of food and connecting with his face. 

 

“Wwwhhhaaattt iiisss gggoooiiinnnggg ooonnn?” He asked but it came out incredibly slowly. 

 

In his panic, he retreated from this feeling and the moment he did he felt the world start to speed back up. He could suddenly hear knocking coming from the door behind him but he ignored it and reached down towards the ground for the small morsel he had dropped.  He picked it up and looked it over carefully but he could no longer see the ghostly line that was coming from it. He stood from his chair and walked over to the small table and began picking up the small pies one by one and moving them around erratically but the line didn’t appear.

 

“What was that?” He asked before he heard a click come from behind the door.

 

Turning his head he didn't even have time to react before a loud blast followed by the sound of wood being crushed. Metal, flames, and pieces of wood smashed into the chair he had just been sitting in and tore it to pieces that blasted out the front of his booth. Screams and cries came from the audience and Ashton began to cough as thick acidic smoke filled up the small room he was in blocking the magical lights that suddenly flickers before turning off. Plunged into darkness all he could make out were several figures standing in the doorway wearing cloaks with several holding shortened blunderbusses and pointing them in his direction.

 

“Pardon the intrusion, Lord Grayfield. It is time for you to die now.” A female voice called menacingly.

 

Next Chapter: What Lurks in the Shadows