The Princess’s Predicament and a Forfeited Match

“Cypher! It’s Cypher again! His strength is practically godlike! Ah~~~ Even if he’s an old man, he’s still so handsome! Ah!”

Loynin’s enthusiastic commentary filled the air as Seth, wearing his mask, won the match. The ‘Flower Thief’ was no match for him at all.

What followed was a brutal clash of raw power that made the entire arena tremble as if struck by an earthquake.

Uguru versus the Crypt Lord. These two powerhouses, devoid of any finesse, simply rammed, charged, and blasted each other.

It was a pure test of who was tougher.

“Tch, how dull,” I muttered.

I wasn’t particularly fond of these matches that relied solely on brute force, utterly lacking in skill.

Yet, even amidst such a fierce competition, Uguru maintained his comical gaze.

It offered a small, amusing respite in an otherwise drawn-out spectacle.

Neither Faein nor Suriya were by my side at the moment; they had both descended to the combatants’ waiting area.

Their absence left me feeling unexpectedly relaxed, almost uncomfortably so.

“Princess! Princess!”

“Hmm?” I mumbled, feeling hazy.

“Faein’s match is at a critical juncture!” Beth Daisy said, patting my shoulder from behind.

“Hmm… wait, what?!” I sprang from my seat.

Oh heavens, I had actually fallen asleep during Uguru’s lengthy grappling match with the Crypt Lord!

On the arena floor, Faein stood clad in black armor—the very Armor of the Fallen Angel Princess!

Her opponent was a colossal Slimekovsky.

While the slime couldn’t inflict any real damage on Faein, Slimekovsky proved exceptionally resilient and gargantuan.

Faein’s sword strikes would simply cut into it, only for the wounds to heal instantly.

Faein’s armor boasted formidable defenses, but what good was it if she couldn’t harm her opponent?

Without dealing damage, victory remained elusive.

“Go, Old Ski! You can do it!”

“Kill that beautiful knight!”

The demonic crowd roared their crude encouragement for the slime. It wasn’t that they truly favored it; their intentions were patently obvious.

The slime then spewed a copious amount of purple gas.

Caught off guard, Faein inhaled deeply, and her movements seemed to slow considerably.

“Faein…” I worried. ‘Could she truly stumble here?’

The slime’s soft body extended several tentacles.

*Snap! Snap! Snap!* They swiftly ensnared Faein’s slowed limbs.

“Faein!”

“Ah—!” Faein let out a long, delicate moan as she was powerfully bound.

It was a sound she seemed to have suppressed for far too long. Her face flushed crimson, her brows furrowed, and her pale, elegant legs struggled against the constricting tentacles.

Though consumed by worry, I found myself momentarily entranced. ‘Could a strong, formidable woman like Faein… blush when bound? Could she feel such shyness?’

Despite binding Faein, the slime couldn’t penetrate her armor’s defenses.

Instead, it simply dragged her close and swallowed her whole into its transparent body.

“Ugh… Mmph…” Faein’s face turned scarlet from the lack of air, and muffled groans escaped her lips.

Her armor, which only revealed her thighs, navel, and parts of her chest, wasn’t overly revealing. This was because the divine artifact armor transformed its shape when infused with dark primal force.

However, it also possessed a unique trait: the more it covered her body, the stronger its defense; conversely, the more it exposed, the more terrifying its attack power boost became.

“Slimekovsky is employing a suffocation tactic to force Miss Faein to surrender! If she surrenders under these conditions, she’ll have to beg on her knees, won’t she? Will Miss Faein really beg a slime on her knees? This could be the biggest upset of the entire competition! It seems Miss Faein might not only lose the match but also her dignity! This is truly… hehehe…” Loynin’s commentary grew increasingly excited.

“Faein, Sister Faein!” Restricted by my princess status, I couldn’t openly cheer for one side.

I could only offer quiet prayers.

Suddenly, Faein’s armor began to diminish, and her face grew increasingly alluring.

“Is—is Old Ski melting Miss Faein’s armor? As expected of Old Ski! Winning this way while still providing a treat for the entire audience! Miss, how much longer can she hold out? Her armor is almost gone!”

“Ah—!” Faein let out a prolonged cry, and an exceptionally potent surge of dark power erupted from within her, manifesting as several soft, black blades.

*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!* The blades lashed out rhythmically, instantly slicing the slime into countless fragments.

A profound silence fell over the entire arena.

Faein, supported by the dark energy, slowly descended. She was now clad only in a minuscule black bra and a small, modesty-covering piece of armor below.

Her dark eyes, sparkling like stars, were flushed, and she panted heavily, yet she exuded a terrifying dark aura.

I was taken aback. I hadn’t realized Faein’s dark power was so immense—far stronger than her light power. What, what was truly happening here?

I suddenly recalled the words the witch Asta had conveyed to Faein: Yukino had once said she didn’t want Faein to fall into darkness for her sake.

What secrets lay hidden beneath the seemingly radiant facade of Faein’s Holy Knight persona?

Meanwhile, the fragments of the old slime’s body began to coalesce once more. However, some smaller pieces had dissipated, and the creature that reformed appeared significantly smaller than before.

“M-Miss, you are truly mighty! I surrender! I surrender! If we continue, my body will be completely devoured by your dark power!” the old slime declared.

“The victor—Heavenly Glow Kiori!” Loynin announced!

“Ooooh—!!!” The arena erupted in a clamor. As Faein was a newcomer, many jeered, but she also had a vast number of admirers.

“Please take a short break, everyone. This afternoon, we will proceed with the semifinals! Suriya versus Uguru, and Heavenly Glow Kiori versus Cypher!”

Finally, the matches that would determine my fate tonight were about to begin.

In the afternoon, the first match pitted Suriya against Uguru.

Uguru had ultimately won the match where I had dozed off.

However, after Suriya stood on the arena floor for a considerable time, Uguru still failed to appear.

The crowd began to stir with unease.

Suddenly, the commentator Loynin spoke: “Ladies and gentlemen! According to the latest news we’ve received, Lord Uguru has—he has forfeited! Queen Suriya wins this match!”

“Eh???”

“Forfeited? What happened?” A wave of anxiety washed over me. ‘Doesn’t this mean Faein has definitely lost the bet today?’

I stomped my foot in frustration. “Rodis!”

The girl with the pink ponytail, dressed in white with a red scarf and a black veil, appeared instantly, as always.

“Investigate this for me! What’s going on?”

“Princess, I have already investigated,” Rodis said, kneeling on one knee.

“Oh? You have?” I looked at her, surprised. ‘This intelligence sister is incredibly efficient, isn’t she?’

‘Hmm? From this angle, I caught another glimpse of a subtle color between her long legs… The light was dim, so I couldn’t discern it clearly. Black? Had she truly changed into black?’

However, Rodis paid no mind to my gaze and spoke earnestly: “According to our investigation, in a dark corner inside the arena just now, Suriya apparently convinced Uguru to forfeit by offering him a magical image of someone’s bunny girl outfit as a condition.

Considering Uguru was already unlikely to defeat Suriya, he seemed to agree quite happily.”

“Someone…” I closed my eyes tightly, a shiver running through me. “Do you know who?”

“The voice was too soft; I couldn’t quite make it out.”

“Beth Daisy! You heard it all! Suriya cheated! Disqualify her from the match!” I yelled, fuming.

“That won’t do, Princess!” Beth Daisy replied with a smile.

“Won’t do? What do you mean?”

“Ah, hehehehe, Princess, why pretend you don’t know? This isn’t the human world. Demons are born with deceit and betrayal. In our dungeon, schemes, trickery, and deception are all perfectly normal tactics. They conform to the laws of demonic conduct, and even a princess has no right to question them,” Beth said, smiling.

“What…?”

“What? Princess, do you truly not know?” Beth Daisy’s gaze turned sharp and suspicious as she looked at me.

A cold sweat broke out on my brow. “Ah-ha, ah-hahaha, I—I naturally know! I was just feeling a bit sorry for Uguru! I was actually quite looking forward to him teaching me a lesson!”

‘Oh no, in my panic, I think I said something I shouldn’t have.’

“Is that so? Princess, I will certainly convey your sentiments to Lord Uguru!” Beth said, chuckling.

“No need at all!!!” I cried, stomping my foot, my face burning.