The Unbreakable Wager

“Moe is justice! Cuteness is innocence! Long live Lord Domu!” Within Domu’s fan club, three men, clad in Norachi Kingdom military uniforms and sporting headbands that declared “Lord Domu is the Cutest,” roared their devotion with a frenzy of fervent excitement.

“Moe is justice! Cuteness is innocence! Long live Lord Domu!” Galvanized by their fervor, the entire fan club of Domu now echoed a unified chant. Their resounding slogans completely eclipsed the cheers from Mofimod’s fan contingent.

“Damn… damn it! These three traitors! You keep shouting the slogans here; don’t stop! I’ll personally go and drag those three traitors back!” Having received a report from his soldiers and then hearing the unified chants from the opposing side, the officer clenched his fists in an uncontrollable rage. He then raised a hand to slap a nearby soldier before striding towards Domu’s fan club.

“Yes! Yes, sir!” The soldier rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Yet, seeing his officer march away, the soldier took his place on the table. He began directing his comrades to shout slogans proclaiming Lord Mofimod’s invincibility.

‘Who knew I’d get to experience the thrill of being an officer too,’ he thought, rather pleased with himself. ‘No wonder everyone loves to tattle.’ He continued to rub the back of his head, waving his flag with a delighted grin.

“Hey, you there! Don’t slack off! Shout louder! Before the officer brings those traitors back, I want our cheers to drown out the other side! Haven’t you eaten enough? Louder!” The soldier, relishing his newfound authority, slapped a new recruit beside him. Seeing the recruit’s innocent expression as he rubbed the back of his head, the soldier declared with righteous indignation.

“Bro… bro…” The new recruit rubbed the back of his head, then tugged shyly at the soldier’s sleeve, calling out in a low voice.

“What do you want?! Hurry up and shout! Be careful, if the boss comes back and sees you slacking, I won’t speak up for you!” The soldier frowned, speaking with clear displeasure.

“No, bro… the boss, he…” The new recruit stared intently at Domu’s fan club across the way, his face a mask of terror.

“The boss went to catch those traitors—Ah Pi, Ah Ben, and Ah Sha. He’s not after you, so what are you panicking about?!” The soldier found hitting the back of someone’s head truly exhilarating. ‘No wonder the boss always likes to hit the back of my head,’ he mused. Yet, seeing the recruit’s terrified expression, the soldier resisted the urge to strike that tempting, swaying head again. Instead, he feigned displeasure and spoke to the recruit.

“Bro… the boss, he… he’s over there…” The new recruit pointed towards Domu’s fan club, then glanced at the soldier’s face before dropping to the ground, covering his head with his hands, trembling uncontrollably.

“Bo… bo… boss???” The soldier followed the new recruit’s pointing finger. There, his usually imposing officer was now embracing Ah Pi, Ah Ben, and Ah Sha. All four wore headbands proclaiming “Lord Domu is the Cutest,” their faces beaming with happiness as they chanted, “Moe is justice! Cuteness is innocence! Long live Lord Domu!”

In stark contrast to the fierce rivalry brewing among the factions below, the stage, though enveloped by a magic energy barrier, remained still. Domu and Mofimod stood facing each other, neither making a move.

“It seems Lord Domu is more popular, doesn’t it? ‘Moe is justice, cuteness is innocence, long live Lord Domu.’ That slogan certainly rolls off the tongue.” Mofimod had also heard the shouts from below. While Domu had more supporters, Mofimod was not one to care for such superficial fame. However, the slogan brought to mind Domu’s appearance beneath the helmet, and the chilling demeanor and gestures that had made his scalp prickle. A faint smile touched Mofimod’s usually icy countenance.

“Please… please don’t say any more…” Domu, too, had heard the chants from below. Listening to the catchy slogan, the face beneath Domu’s helmet had long since flushed crimson. Biting his lip, Domu clenched his hands into tight fists, forcing down a wave of shame as he spoke to stop him.

“However, Lord Domu, wouldn’t a simple duel be too uninteresting? How about we add a wager?” Mofimod’s smile vanished as he took a step forward, proposing the idea.

“A wager?” ‘I wonder what kind of wager Mr. Mofimod wants to add,’ Domu thought, feeling a flicker of dread. ‘Could Mr. Mofimod be like Mr. Tule… wanting to have dinner with me or something? No… absolutely not… I truly don’t understand the thoughts of you older men from other worlds…’ Domu thought, horrified.

“Yes, Lord Domu. A battle where we stake our lives. If you defeat me, from this day forward, I will resign my position as the Second Legion Commander of the Norachi Kingdom and serve by your side. But… if I win, then I ask, Lord Domu, that you never appear by Lady Soronna’s side again. Will Lord Domu accept this wager?” Mofimod slowly approached Domu, speaking in a very low voice, ensuring that no one but Domu could possibly hear him.

“Mr. Mofimod! I apologize, but I cannot accept this wager!” Mofimod’s words struck Domu as utterly absurd. To Domu, this was merely a common flag PvP battle within a game, a chance to gauge the strength of this world’s powerhouses. But… why would Mr. Mofimod propose such… such an unreasonable wager? Setting aside the shameful notion of this older man resigning his position as Second Legion Commander to become a subordinate, Mr. Mofimod had already suggested that Domu leave Soronna’s side once before. Could it be… could it be… A terrible thought began to surface in Domu’s mind.

“Mr. Mofimod… could it be… could you… like Soronna? But your ages…” Domu quietly, softly, voiced the sudden thought that had appeared in his mind. However, after speaking, Domu felt a pang of regret. ‘Mr. Mofimod shouldn’t be… not that kind of person, right?’ Soronna was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, while Mr. Mofimod appeared to be… at least thirty-five.

“Uh…” Mofimod was momentarily choked by Domu’s sudden question. His icy eyes seemed to widen slightly at that moment.

“Cough, cough, cough… Lord Domu, that joke is not funny. However… if I insist you accept this wager, what will you do, Lord Domu?” Mofimod covered his mouth and coughed a few times, then lowered his voice, speaking in a chilling tone beside Domu.

“I will not accept such terms. I do not wish for Mr. Mofimod to resign his position as Legion Commander, nor do I want Mr. Mofimod to become my servant. Furthermore… Soronna is my friend, and absolutely not a commodity to be used as a wager. If Mr. Mofimod insists on forcing this wager upon me, then I would rather not engage in this duel with him!” Domu retreated a few steps, turning to face away from the stage. Looking at the magic energy barrier before him, he spoke to Mofimod in an equally low voice.

“I apologize, Lord Domu, but this duel can no longer be stopped. You cannot escape it. Therefore, stake everything, and fight me.” Mofimod stated blandly, watching Domu’s back.

Domu did not respond to Mofimod’s words. Instead, he reached out and lightly touched the magic energy barrier before him. Though he had seen the barrier withstand Mofimod’s full-power attack from below, seeing it firsthand now still felt incredibly astonishing. The barrier before Domu seemed like a transparent, gaseous substance, appearing very soft, like jelly. However, the sensation transmitted back through his fingers made Domu realize that this barrier was no mere jelly, but a substance composed of unknown energy beyond Domu’s comprehension.

“Mr. Tule, this duel is canceled, please clo—” Domu withdrew his hand, intending to ask Mr. Tule below the stage to close the magic energy barrier. But before Domu could finish speaking, a black pillar of light descended from the sky, striking one of the magic energy barrier devices located at the four corners of the stage. The black pillar of light seemed to possess world-destroying power, instantly obliterating the device. Fortunately, no one had been near the magic energy barrier at that moment, otherwise, they would surely not have escaped death.

“What… what happened?” Domu murmured in disbelief, staring at the vanished magic energy barrier device.

“Mr. Tule! The magic energy barrier device has been destroyed by an unknown energy! Until it is successfully repaired, the magic energy barrier is in a protected state and cannot be shut down…” Although the staff in the venue also showed surprised expressions, they quickly set about investigating the magic energy barrier device.

“Then repair it quickly! And where did that attack come from? Investigate it immediately!” Mr. Tule was also inwardly astonished. The power of that black pillar of light had been incredibly formidable. The magic energy barrier device itself possessed strong defensive capabilities; only someone with Saint-tier strength could possibly damage it. But that black pillar of light just now…

“I’m sorry… Mr. Tule… the magic energy barrier device that was struck has completely vanished… it cannot be repaired.” A staff member checked the area where the black pillar of light had hit, then reported to Mr. Tule with a hint of guilt.

“Is there no other solution?” Mr. Tule suppressed his anger, questioning loudly.

“The first is to immediately contact the Monkacru Industrial Fortress to transport a matching magic energy barrier of the same model. Once matched, it can be deactivated. The other option… is to wait for the existing magic energy barrier’s energy to deplete, and the barrier will naturally dissipate,” the staff member said, head bowed.

“Then contact them immediately! And…” Mr. Tule finally could no longer suppress his fury, shouting at the staff member. But before he could finish, he suddenly felt the entire ground shaking incessantly, as if… an earthquake had struck.