Chapter 26: Last Man Standing (4)

“Pro wrestling? No matter how much you dress up a martial art with no real-life combat effectiveness, a show is just a show.”

“This bastard…”

[What is that guy even saying?]

In my previous life, the phrase “pro wrestling is just a show” was practically taboo. At least in Korea. Hearing it in this world really got under my skin.

The commentator seemed just as irritated, though for different reasons. The tone of his words was clearly disparaging toward pro wrestling.

But that wasn’t the only reason I got upset. In my past life, sure, it’s true that pro wrestling didn’t have much real-world combat value.

I mean, who could realistically slam someone like that in an actual fight?

But in a world where magic exists, and you can swing a person around like a nunchaku with one arm, pro wrestling—once you strip away the showmanship—becomes a legitimate martial art.

It’s almost like a spear thrust when you trade blows and slam someone head-first into the ground.

No, I couldn’t let this go.

I had to show this guy what real combat looked like.

As I tore off my shirt and sent him the signal that I was coming, the senior summoned armor and wrapped it around his body. A longsword appeared in his hand.

He seemed to be the knight type.

However, there was something he was mistaken about.

“Pro wrestling is actually strong against armored opponents.”

There’s a reason knights emphasized wrestling along with swordsmanship.

Though pro wrestling and traditional wrestling are different, both are effective against armor.

I ignored the reach of his longsword and charged straight at him.

He thrust the blade toward my chest.

“Whoa!”

I barely avoided the tip of the sword as it grazed my chest.

For the first time since this match started, my charge was halted.

‘So he does have some skill, after all.’

But in the end, he was still just a student. I charged at him again, and this time, he responded with a diagonal slash.

I picked up a shield from a fallen disciplinary committee member and deflected the sword.

“Try blocking this.”

With my free hand, I locked his sword arm in an arm lock.

As the arm lock tightened, I let go of the shield and grabbed the hilt of his sword, wrenching it free.

He resisted, trying to hold on to the sword, but it was impossible with his arm twisted.

With a clang, the sword flew away, landing far off.

Now, all he had left was his armor.

While armor can be a weapon in itself, only if there’s enough room to use it properly.

I kept his arm locked and spun around so our backs were against each other, nullifying the advantage of his armor.

With his arm still twisted, I bent my body and executed a perfect throw.

Boom!

The armored senior landed headfirst, flipped upside down and unable to rise easily.

But it didn’t end there.

In fact, the real combat value of pro wrestling was only just beginning.

I grabbed him again, flipped him over my head, and slammed him down once more. Another boom echoed as his head met the ground.

Before he could recover, I grabbed his waist, hoisted him up, and threw him behind me. Another loud thud as his back hit the ground.

[German Suplex and Backdrop! How about that? Still think pro wrestling is just a show?]

Man, calling out the differences between those two moves isn’t easy.

I’ve decided—I’ll make sure that commentator ends up in either Wrestle Kingdom or as a Magical Girl later.

With that thought in mind, I prepared my finishing move.

Normally, the senior should’ve been incapacitated by now, but the healer behind him was casting healing magic, keeping him alive.

Honestly, it might’ve been kinder if the healing hadn’t worked.

But that’s just an excuse.

Truthfully, I just wanted to beat him up more.

Pro wrestling is just a show?

If that’s the case, a show must go on, right?

I lifted him up one last time.

Flipping him over, I slung him across my shoulder, grabbing his legs.

Once his neck was firmly locked against my shoulder, I soared into the air.

[No… No way!!!]

Boom!

As my body slammed into the ground, I heard something inside the armor snap.

Crack!

The armor, unable to withstand the impact from within, started to fracture.

Crack!

And finally, it shattered completely.

[Muscle Buster!!! The overwhelming performance leaves me speechless!!!]

‘No matter how thick the armor is, how could it withstand an explosion from the inside?’

If anything, the added weight of the armor only made it hurt more.

With that, the second-year senior disappeared into particles of light.

“Two left, huh?”

Caught off guard, I faced a first-year female thief and a male healer who were the last two standing.

She held her dagger awkwardly, standing as if to protect the male student. Her sharp gaze was fixed on me. Come to think of it, she was the one who had left after reading a protest letter in the clubroom.

“You! How dare you do this to the disciplinary committee!”

“What, is the disciplinary committee some kind of emperor, sacred and inviolable?”

Maybe it was for her, but you can’t force that on others.

In any case, their defeat was already decided. Compared to how quickly I dealt with the other six, I was almost unscathed—aside from a slight scratch on my chest and a bruise on my side, I was pretty much the same as when I started.

Still, they held onto their pride and refused to surrender.

“I forfeit!”

Never mind, the healer was reasonable.

“Hey!”

“Honestly, it didn’t make sense to me either! Why did we challenge you to a meaningless duel in the first place?!”

He quickly scurried off the field.

[A…ah…]

Hey, commentator, get a grip. Sure, it’s a shame you won’t get to see that technique I was going to show off, but today’s not the last day of school.

The thief girl, who had been staring blankly at the direction the healer disappeared, shook her head and glared at me once again.

“Shut up! The disciplinary committee won’t forgive someone like you who disturbs the academy’s order!”

She held her daggers in reverse grip and charged at me. Watching her clumsy movements, I leisurely thought of my final performance.

Now that the healer was gone, I had one less technique to show, so why not make the last one truly impressive?

A piledriver? No, that wouldn’t do. The last thing I wanted was an awkward situation where her butt ended up in my face. Besides, I’ve already used the piledriver too much today. And just punching her seemed like a boring way to end things.

After thinking for a moment, I remembered something. Right, I hadn’t shown that move yet today.

I waited for the perfect moment, then stopped dodging and stood still as her dagger aimed for my chest. I pounded my chest hard, the sound echoing like a drum through the arena. Her dagger struck, aiming for my heart.

Boom! Boom!

Clang!

What happened next defied common sense. Instead of my chest being pierced, her dagger snapped in half when it collided with my muscles.

This was a technique called “Drumming,” originally used by a gorilla-like wrestler, where the opponent would end up hurting themselves when they struck the chest. I wasn’t a gorilla, but by focusing my magic on my chest, I could achieve a similar effect.

While she stared in disbelief at her broken dagger, I casually kicked her in the stomach with just enough force.

Naturally, she bent over from the pain.

With her body bent into an “L” shape, I hooked my arms under her armpits, locking her upper body in place. Holding her like a stake in the ground, I lifted her up, spreading three fingers.

The commentator, realizing what was coming, chimed in.

[3!]

[2!]

[1!]

I mounted her, pressing my weight down on her as her locked arms prevented her from breaking her fall. Her forehead slammed into the ground.

[Pedigree!!]

And just like that, she, too, disappeared into particles of light.

I stood alone in the arena, raising both arms in victory as I circled the field. Somehow, I had become the main character of this event.

[Allen Price! He single-handedly defeats eight opponents! The last man standing! He wins!!]

As I listened to the cheers of the crowd, I thought to myself, Yeah. This is why I do pro wrestling.

Ah, right. This was supposed to be a duel, wasn’t it?

After what felt more like a match than a duel, I found myself in the disciplinary committee’s office. Not because I did anything wrong, but because I had to discuss compensation with the committee’s head.

“My apologies. I thought it was just the first-years acting out, but I didn’t expect a department head to get involved.”

The disciplinary committee was divided into several sub-departments: the Public Order Division, the Security Division, and so on. The second-year I fought was actually the head of the External Relations Division.

“Well, it’s just the way kids that age are. You can’t expect people to be mature just because they’re a year older, right?”

The head of the committee shot me a look as if to say, Are you really one to talk? But at least in this case, I think I handled things more maturely. If he didn’t like it, he could’ve beaten me in a fight.

He let out a deep sigh and handed me a contract, leaving the compensation section blank.

“It’s just a draft, but please let us know what you want, and the disciplinary committee will try to accommodate as best as we can.”

Had it just been the first-years acting up, it could’ve been brushed off as a personal issue. But once a department head got involved, it became a matter the committee had to officially apologize for and compensate me.

However, I wasn’t really interested in the committee head’s offer. Though it had taken the form of a duel, this was, in a way, in line with the teachings of Rictus—a way of forgiveness through the play of pro wrestling. According to my doctrine, I had long since forgiven them.

I didn’t hold any grudges against the committee anymore either. Financial compensation? I could confidently say that with my current wealth, I could buy out half the disciplinary committee if they had stocks. Whatever compensation they offered didn’t hold much value to me.

Then, a thought crossed my mind.

It’s just about time for Magical Mari to have a rival, isn’t it?

“Do you have any requests?” he asked.

“Well, nothing too grand. Just lend me a few of your first-year members.”

For the first time since I entered the room, the head’s eyes widened in shock.

“No! Why do I have to wear this dress?!”

“What’s with this weird skin-tight suit?!”

“Woohoo! I’ve captured the rival magical girl and her minions~!”

“This club is insane… what the hell…”

“Give up. There’s no salvation here,”

Nikolai said, patting Disciplinary Member C on the shoulder.