A Demigod’s Duel and a Secret Revealed

“My sincerest apologies, Lady Soronna,” the Crying Masked Man said, his voice laced with feigned innocence. “Our encounter with you this time was completely unexpected; we hadn’t anticipated your presence at this event.”

Soronna raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp. “Is that so? Then perhaps you could enlighten me as to how you knew what I ate last night would cause an adverse reaction?”

“Well, about that…” The Crying Masked Man stammered, an awkward silence hanging in the air.

“And you claim you weren’t spying on me!” Soronna suddenly lashed out, delivering a sharp slap across the Crying Masked Man’s face. “The next time! If there’s a next time, I swear I won’t let any of you off!”

Having slapped the obnoxious masked man, Soronna’s mood seemed to lighten somewhat. However, a sudden thought brought a blush to her cheeks as she asked, “Oh, and… did you… did you see what Domu and I… did?”

“No, absolutely not! We would never! We only took this drastic measure out of concern for your safety, Lady Soronna. We can only gauge your general mental state, not see specific images… Please rest assured, Lady Soronna!” The Crying Masked Man, clutching his slapped face, offered his explanation in a wronged tone, showing no hint of anger towards Soronna.

“Fine, whatever. Thanks to your information, I got to spend a wonderful day with Domu, so I’ll begrudgingly forgive you this once. Is there anything else? If not, I’m leaving. Domu must be worried.” Soronna spoke dismissively to the Crying Masked Man, seemingly eager to return to Domu’s side.

“Lady Soronna, we are deeply grateful for your generosity. However… our leader seems quite interested in Lord Domu as well. If possible, would Lady Soronna be willing to introduce him?” The Crying Masked Man seemed to ignore Soronna’s dismissive attitude, bowing slightly as he asked earnestly.

“You need to understand one thing: I haven’t chosen to join you, so you have no right to order me around!” A sudden, unexpected event unfolded. Soronna’s hand shot out like lightning, seizing the neck of the masked man, who was taller than her. Her seemingly delicate fingers tightened with abrupt force.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh,” was all the Crying Masked Man could manage.

“Stop spying on me. This is your final warning!” Soronna released her grip, letting the Crying Masked Man slump to the ground, gasping for air. She turned, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Left alone in the room, the Crying Masked Man lay sprawled on the floor, breathing heavily. Only when he felt certain Soronna had completely departed did he struggle to his feet, bursting into hearty laughter.

“Hahahaha! Cough, cough, cough… I never thought… cough, cough, cough… Princess Soronna would be so fiery… Hahahaha… Ah… indeed, other worlds are the best; all the girls are so adorable! Speaking of which… that mercenary named Domu, it seems he’s a ‘player’ just like us… How interesting. Why have I never seen him before in ‘Tears of the Goddess’? Such an adorable-looking girl, I shouldn’t forget her…” He continued to cough as he rubbed his chin, mumbling to himself.

Soronna skipped along the path back to Domu, a ticklish, blissful feeling bubbling in her heart at the thought of seeing him again and witnessing the shy expression his face would surely wear because of her actions. What truly vexed her, however, was that her mother had sent her own teacher—that lecherous, fierce-eyed uncle—who kept grasping Domu’s hand and frequently teasing him. This infuriated Soronna, yet she dared not make any rash moves, as she had to maintain her facade of being in a special state.

Still, she hadn’t expected Domu to secretly carry such a strange item. Hehe, he usually seems so silly, but who knew he’d carry something so naughty? Soronna mused, thinking of Domu as she ran, a goofy smile plastered across her face, completely oblivious to the surprised looks of the maids who had grown accustomed to her frequent visits to the City Lord’s manor.

The performance by the Despair Symphony Orchestra had concluded, and the masked men now stood on stage, bowing to the audience. For such a spectacular show, the guests offered their applause without reservation, clapping vigorously to express their appreciation and respect for the performers. Even Domu rose to his feet, joining in the applause for the masked figures on stage.

He truly hadn’t expected it; the music of this other world possessed a unique charm. While Domu hadn’t been a connoisseur of music in his previous world, he was familiar with some of the world’s renowned symphonies. Yet, the music of this performance, created by people from another world, had profoundly shaken him. Music, it seemed, truly knew no borders. It was clear now that the music in this other world had developed just as splendidly, Domu thought, a hint of joy in his heart.

As the masked men exited the stage, Mr. Tule, beaming, returned to the spotlight. He gestured to the staff positioned at the four corners of the stage. White light immediately pulsed from the magic energy barrier devices installed there.

The white light expanded, connecting with one another, eventually forming a transparent membrane of light that enveloped the entire stage. To everyone’s astonishment, looking through the membrane at the center of the stage did not obstruct their view in the slightest; in fact, it seemed to make everything even clearer.

“Guests, behold! This is the most advanced magic energy barrier device, provided by the Bellan Merchant Guild and produced by the Monkacru Industrial Fortress!” Mr. Tule exclaimed, spreading his arms excitedly as he gazed at the barrier that now encased the entire stage, including himself.

“So that’s a magic energy barrier! I knew I’d seen something like it before!”

“I heard a set of these costs nearly a million Is coins. Only the Bellan Merchant Guild could afford it! As expected of Mr. Tule!”

“They’ve set up a magic energy barrier… does that mean… a gladiatorial exhibition is about to begin?”

“A duel exhibition? I can’t wait! I wonder if Lord Mofimod and Lord Domu will participate!”

“Hahaha, don’t get your hopes up. Lord Mofimod and Lord Domu are demigod-level powerhouses. Didn’t you know that even Saint-ranked experts aren’t allowed in the arena? That’s because the current magic energy barriers can at most defend against attacks below the Saint rank. If it were Lord Mofimod and Lord Domu, they could probably shatter this barrier with a mere flick.”

After his announcement, Mr. Tule stood on stage with a perpetual smile, seemingly listening to the murmurs and discussions among the audience.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this magic energy barrier device today is no ordinary one. It is a brand-new model from the Monkacru Industrial Fortress, featuring a defensive barrier that can withstand the full-force attack of a demigod-level powerhouse without dissipating! Furthermore, I have just received astonishing news—news that will undoubtedly make everyone gathered at this charity event feel exceptionally honored!” Mr. Tule paused, building suspense, for he himself had needed considerable time to process this incredible news upon receiving it. With that thought, Mr. Tule glanced at Mofimod and Domu seated below the stage and nodded.

“The hero of the Norachi Kingdom, Second Legion Commander Lord Mofimod Rigles, will soon engage in a truly rare duel against the legendary mercenary, ‘Silver Reaper’ Lord Domu! Two demigod-level powerhouses, right here on this very stage!” Mr. Tule finally declared, his voice booming, as he saw everyone’s gaze now fixed upon him, drawn in by his words.

“What? Did I hear that right? Two demigods???”

“Heavens… oh, heavens! If my second uncle knew this, he’d regret not coming to this charity event for the rest of his life!”

“I’m going to faint… That’s a demigod… and two of them… Ah…”

“But… but… can this magic energy barrier truly withstand demigod-level attacks? If something goes wrong… if we get caught in a demigod-level battle… that would be…”

“Please rest assured, everyone. I have personally witnessed this magic energy barrier in Triumphal City, and it can absolutely withstand demigod-level attacks.” Hearing the doubts from the crowd, Mofimod nodded to Mr. Tule, signaling him to temporarily deactivate the barrier. He then leaped onto the stage. Once Mr. Tule had retreated, Mofimod gestured for the staff to reactivate the barrier.

“The only flaw in this magic energy barrier produced by Monkacru is that if the magic energy barrier device is destroyed from the outside while the barrier is forming, the barrier itself will not disappear. It will only vanish once its energy is completely depleted.” As Mofimod spoke, everyone witnessed a single slash appear on the stage, powerful enough to cleave the sky itself. The emerald sword light, seemingly capable of devouring all, erupted from Mofimod’s waist, striking the magic energy barrier on one side of the stage in an instant. To everyone’s astonished eyes, the barrier, despite being struck by that terrifying sword light, vibrated violently but then returned to its perfectly intact state.

“This… Is this the power of a demigod?! It’s terrifying! It’s simply… simply too powerful to describe in words!”

“Although we couldn’t personally feel the terrifying sword light through the barrier, when Lord Mofimod swung it towards us just now… I felt like I had already died…”

‘It seems… Mofimod is truly formidable…’ Domu thought, watching Mofimod wield his Rotten Dragon Blade and unleash that slash. Though it was a rough estimate, Domu calculated that the power behind that strike would likely cost him about one-twentieth of his HP. He looked at Mofimod on stage, who had returned his sword to its sheath, and felt an intense thrill of anticipation.