Episode 93
Chapter 32: The Battlefield of Cosmos (Part 4)
Startled.
“Whoa, damn! You scared me. Why the hell did you just barge in like that?”
Jin never imagined he’d overhear such rumors the moment he reached the stands. Quietly settling near the group, he pricked up his ears.
“A prospective rider from Runcandel? Ha! What’s so great about some hotshot that he’d bother coming to this pitiful little arena? This place is the lowest of the low.”
“I heard it just the other day, drinking with some officers from the Cosmos Pirates. They said there’s an incredible young kid among the participants—definitely a Runcandel trainee.”
“Hmm, is that so? Let’s see… who from Runcandel could be a trainee right now? Daytona, Heitona Runcandel, and Jin Runcandel. That’s the trio.”
“Jin Runcandel caused quite a stir last year. Every newsletter was buzzing about his five-star achievement. Anyway, that officer was absolutely certain—one of those three is definitely competing.”
Jin found it oddly amusing to hear such gossip right beside him.
“Runcandel’s reputation really is something else. I knew the newsletters spread the word, but for them to even know the Tonas’ names…”
The Tona brothers were indeed approaching the age to become trainees themselves. Before the regression, they had started their trainee activities around 1796 or ’97.
Reflecting on the nature of this “Cosmos Battlefield” tournament, Jin realized it wasn’t far-fetched for the Tona brothers—once notorious “vicious murderers” in his past life—to be participating.
Of course, in this life, the Tonas had mellowed considerably, probably because they’d been on the receiving end of Jin’s antics since childhood.
“If they’re competing, that’s perfect for me. I can quietly bring them here and have them guard my room until the tournament ends. Plus, I can dump all the annoying chores on them.”
The nobles nearby began a brief discussion, speculating which participant might be the Runcandel trainee.
Not just them—other nobles around whispered the same topic among themselves.
“Come to think of it, most of the audience here are nobles. Well, rich folks always crave some excitement.”
Screeeech!
A massive iron gate on one side of the arena began to creak open.
As the gate swung wide, a man stepped into the center of the arena—Pirate Cosmos. The crowd erupted in cheers the moment he appeared, clearly showing his popularity.
“Thank you all for waiting!”
“Cosmos!”
“Cosmos!”
It was a strange sight: nobles, who usually looked down on commoners, enthusiastically chanting the name of a mere criminal.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you once again for coming to the battlefield. I, Pirate King Cosmos, am truly grateful. Ha ha! This year, even more of you have come, and I’m overwhelmed.”
Clap!
Cosmos clapped his hands once, and suddenly fireworks exploded from all directions. The sky lit up brilliantly, the thunderous booms making the air feel charged and hot.
“Alright, let’s get started! Heh heh, bring out the two from Group 1! Sound the horns!”
Pewooow! Pewoo!
As the pirates stationed around the arena’s edge blew their horns, the iron gates on both sides rose, revealing the participants.
Fourteen fighters per group.
With thirteen groups, a total of 182 warriors had entered this brutal tournament. Few martial contests in the world boasted such numbers.
“Ladies and gentlemen! The first match features last year’s round of sixteen finalist and the beloved darling of the Shark Pirates—Mantis! His opponent is…”
Cosmos narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to the match chart. His expression soured, clearly troubled.
“Ha… Looks like I’ll have to complain to the Shark Pirates’ captain later. And I’m thinking of punishing the subordinate who arranged this match. Anyway, introducing—Paul Mick!”
“Who’s Paul Mick?”
“Never heard of him, but judging by Cosmos’ reaction, he must be something special.”
While the nobles whispered in confusion, Mantis stepped into the arena first.
Slim and wiry, with a shark tattoo across his back, he swaggered forward gripping two curved swords—every inch a pirate.
“Heh heh, Cosmos, what’s this Paul or Mick guy all about? Trying to scare this kid, huh? That’s just mean, makes me feel bad.”
Cosmos ignored Mantis’ teasing glance.
As Paul Mick emerged from the waiting room, the crowd quickly stirred.
“He’s just a kid!”
“I heard there were a lot of youngsters this year, but this is ridiculous.”
“If he bends his knees even a little, that greatsword on his back will scrape the ground. Ha.”
Jin was equally taken aback.
The boy called Paul Mick looked no older than fifteen at a glance.
“Thirteen? Fourteen? Damn, they actually let a kid this young compete? That’s insane!”
He almost bolted into the arena. There was no way he could stand by and watch a child that size get killed.
If not for Cosmos’ strange reaction, he might have.
“Could it be… Dante Hiran? No, Dante’s three years older than me…”
Then, something astonishing happened.
Cosmos signaled the start and stepped aside. Mantis shrugged, about to show his disbelief.
Screech!
In the blink of an eye, Mantis’ neck was severed.
“Huh?”
“What just…?”
“Did anyone see that clearly?”
Most of the audience didn’t even register the exact moment Mantis’ head fell.
No wonder—Jin, who was nearing six stars himself, almost missed it.
“It was a sword technique. He closed the distance instantly and, with about five steps left, used a sword energy slash to cut the neck. Damn, could it really be him?”
No, it wasn’t a guess.
Among the participants, if it wasn’t Dante Hiran, no one else could pull off such a feat.
The stands fell silent. Everyone who had been chatting moments before was now speechless, mouths agape.
Thud!
The sound of Mantis’ body collapsing echoed even to the stands.
Cosmos pressed his palm to his forehead, looking troubled.
“Ha… Mantis was a valuable asset, having reached last year’s round of sixteen. Such a waste… Anyway, Paul Mick wins!”
Cosmos announced the victor, but the crowd remained quiet, stunned.
Suddenly, from the special VIP seats opposite Jin, a man stood and began clapping.
“I’m putting everything on Paul Mick! Paul Mick! Well done!”
And shockingly,
Jin recognized the man immediately.
“Damn it, Veradin Ziphl!? What the hell is he doing here!?”
Jin’s eyes widened as he double-checked Veradin’s face. Slowly, the crowd began to cheer again.
For context, Veradin had come to the battlefield on orders from the Ziphl elders. With Hiran’s successor growing so brilliantly, they wanted to see for themselves.
“Woooah!”
“That kid’s no joke!”
“I’m betting everything on Paul Mick this tournament! All in!”
Two nobles from the Bellado Duchy sitting right in front of Jin whispered confidently.
“See? Was my intel ever wrong? That boy’s definitely the Runcandel trainee!”
“Huh… impressive. If he weren’t a Runcandel trainee, there’s no way he could be that skilled at his age. I think he’s Jin Runcandel.”
“I agree. Too young to be one of the Tona brothers.”
Nearby nobles nodded in agreement.
Of course, no one dared shout Jin’s name aloud. They knew well that recklessly spreading the trainee’s name and deeds could bring Runcandel’s wrath.
So they whispered among themselves: Paul Mick is Jin Runcandel, Paul Mick is the trainee!
Jin couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.
“By the way… I never heard Dante was such a baby-faced kid. The face I saw in the newsletters last life just looked refined, not like a nineteen-year-old at all.”
Jin glanced once more at Paul Mick—no, Dante—and then at Veradin, who was still applauding.
“Veradin probably came on the family’s orders to check on Dante. That guy’s as much of a pain as Dante. He’ll definitely recognize me… If he tries to act friendly, it’ll be a huge hassle.”
His uneasy feeling proved right.
At that very moment, Veradin spotted Jin and waved wildly.
“Hey! Wow!”
Jin pretended not to see and turned his gaze back to Dante.
But amusingly, Dante turned his head and stared right back at Veradin.
“The author is… Veradin Ziphl. Could it be that he’s pretending to know me? We only met once at the last Ziphl banquet, yet he’s acting overly friendly. Fine, I’ll return the favor—pleased to see you too, Veradin!”
As Dante waved toward Veradin, caught up in his own misunderstanding, Jin couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. He hadn’t read Dante’s mind exactly, but he had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
“What a pair of jokers.”
Cosmos’s men hurried over, quickly gathering Menthis’s body.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it seems the shark pirate Menthis’s short life has come to an end. Now, let’s hear a few words from the victor before moving on to the next match. Paul Mick, how do you feel?”
“I feel like I’ve just eliminated another villain from this world. I sincerely hope he doesn’t come back as a pirate in his next life.”
Despite his rough appearance, Atty’s voice was surprisingly gruff and straightforward. And to say that here, in a pirate den, no less, was bold.
Many pirates ground their teeth in anger, but no one dared challenge Dante after witnessing his extraordinary swordsmanship moments ago. It was only natural.
Cosmos laughed heartily and nodded.
“Hahaha, being a pirate isn’t exactly a career to recommend to children. But don’t forget—it’s the perfect path for those bottom-dwellers who’ve drifted aimlessly through life and ended up in the gutter.”
Without replying, Dante turned and headed back to the waiting room, and Cosmos moved on to announce the next match.
Watching Dante’s retreating figure, Jin found himself thinking,
“Can I… really beat that guy?”