Though suddenly ordered to take off his clothes, Yuto did not hesitate. Whatever his true feelings, he had to obey Ebil for now. Her eyes gleamed as she watched him undress without even questioning her.
“Your body is remarkably clean.”
She spoke while looking over Yuto's naked body.
“Not a single scar, and you don't look sick. It seems you were raised with a fair bit of love, so why were you lying in the forest?”
“I don't know either.”
Yuto answered politely. Ebil stroked her chin for a moment at his reply, then nodded.
“Put your clothes back on and go outside.”
“Yes.”
The moment Yuto obeyed, dressed, and left the room, Ebil tilted her head and muttered.
“Where did he come from? No matter how I look at him, he wasn't born a slave.”
Ebil had spent many years observing slaves.
“He doesn't have the temperament of one at all. He seems quick on the uptake, but it isn't the vigilance that comes from discipline. And the way he moves...... He isn't a young master properly trained by a martial family...... either. He looked accustomed to real combat.”
Tap, tap, tap. Ebil tapped the foot hanging over the edge of her desk as she sank into thought.
“But his body's so scrawny. How intriguing. I wonder what he used to do.”
“Do you believe his claim that he has lost his memory?”
“Honestly? No. It's far too convenient. But what does it matter if he's lying? He's already a slave, and I'm already his mistress.”
Ebil chuckled. The choker around Yuto's neck was a magical tool for restraining slaves. He could not remove it himself, and if he tried to force it off, it would tighten and sever his neck. As long as he wore it, not only could he not attack Ebil, but she could also cut off his head with a flick of her finger.
“I could torture his secrets out of him...... but I don't want to damage merchandise with that much potential. Let's leave him alone for now.”
She had many things to consider besides one insignificant slave. Grinning, Ebil climbed down from her desk.
“Lady Crimson is visiting my arena in a week. You know how hard I worked to arrange that opportunity, don't you?”
“Yes, I do.”
Crimson Ringmistress.
A monster belonging to the Eclipses, whom even kingdoms did not dare attempt to subjugate. She ruled over the Blood Arena and was the object of Ebil's adoration. Ebil had built this arena and made slave gladiators fight because of her dreamlike childhood memories of visiting the Blood Arena.
‘I've sent her so many invitations. I can't believe she truly accepted.......’
Even now, it felt like a dream to Ebil.
In one week, Crimson Ringmistress― her idol and her dream― would come to this arena.
Compared to the Blood Arena Crimson ruled, this place was miserably shabby, but― Ebil intended to put on the best show she possibly could.
***
The moment he left Ebil's room, the attendant waiting outside blindfolded him again. She then led Yuto toward some unknown destination.
“You will stay here from now on.”
Only after passing several doors and going up and down multiple staircases was his blindfold removed. They had arrived before a thick iron door. A glance around revealed a long row of similar doors.
Clank.
The attendant unlocked it. A choker identical to Yuto's encircled her neck as well. There were many things he wanted to ask, but it was obvious she would not answer even if he did. In the end, Yuto kept silent and entered through the iron door.
The interior was far better than the prison where he had lived before. Ebil had not lied about the ‘reward’ from the Colosseum. The small room held a bed, and a tray on its little desk carried food far better than what he had eaten in the cell.
THUD.
The door closed. Only after hearing the lock click into place did Yuto exhale deeply. He sat in the chair and began eating.
‘What happened to the others?’
Other than Jackie, he had not even heard their names, and sharing a prison had not made him fond of them. Even so, he wondered what had become of the slave boys.
They probably had not died. They would have returned to their old cell― to await their next opportunity. Yuto chewed his lip.
‘What was that quest earlier?’
The moment he thought of it, the screen from before appeared in front of his eyes.
[Starting Quest.]
[Escape from this place.]
[Reward: ???]
It did not...... seem to be a hallucination. Yuto glared at the screen as he tore into his bread.
‘I understand escaping...... but what's the reward?’
No matter how long he stared, the question marks revealed nothing. Yuto sighed deeply. His tray was already empty. Smacking his lips in disappointment, he flopped onto the bed.
It was not especially soft, but it was far better than the freezing prison floor. Yuto glared up at the pitch-black ceiling.
‘All I know is the name Yuto.’
He could not even remember his age, let alone where he had lived or what he had done.
‘Rather than a past I can't recall, I should think about what comes next.’
Ebil had promised him freedom if he kept winning in the Colosseum. Yuto did not naively believe her.
‘How do I escape?’
As long as he wore the choker, he could not defy Ebil. Could he assassinate her? Probably not.
‘I would've died on the spot if I hadn't accepted the choker. I had no choice.’
Just as he continued considering ways to escape, thump, thump! Someone in the next room knocked against the wall.
“Hey, new blood. If you just arrived, you should introduce yourself first. How long are you going to keep your mouth shut?”
“Leave him alone. He just crawled out of that fucking cell, so he's probably lost his mind over the food.”
A voice came from the opposite wall as well. Yuto sat up in bed and looked at the walls on either side.
“Who are you?”
“You insolent bastard. Talking down to me the first time we meet? Who am I? Your senior, you son of a bitch!”
The voice that had knocked first shouted at him.
“Finished eating? Huh? Eat plenty. By tomorrow, you'll be missing a few teeth!”
“Hey, hey, don't let him scare you. That fucker's a total weakling.”
The voice across the room snickered.
“So, do you like the room? It's much better than that fucking cell, isn't it? But this place is just as fucked, so prepare yourself.”
Compared to the one shouting threats, that voice was remarkably friendly. Yuto pressed close to that wall and asked.
“Who are you?”
“Oh, now you're being polite? So you do have manners. I'm Rugil. I'm sixteen...... and my record is...... three wins and seven losses.”
“You say that like you're proud? Neither of us has even won half our fights, so who are you calling a weakling?”
The opposite wall grumbled.
“Your record.......”
When Yuto murmured, Rugil snickered.
“Once you reach ten wins, you can move to a better room. It's fucking hard, though.”
“Hahaha! Hey, new blood, remember Rugil's voice. Him being nice to you is all an act. What if the matchup puts you against him tomorrow? That bastard will be fucking thrilled about the free win!”
“Shut up, Gaon.”
Rugil snapped back. Rugil on the left, Gaon on the right. Yuto committed their names to memory and spoke.
“My name is Yuto. How long have you two been here?”
“Twenty days.”
Rugil answered.
“Moron, you're fucking desperate to make him like you. It's fucking hilarious how you answer every question he asks. How badly do you want to gobble up the new bastard?”
“Will you shut.......”
Rugil had begun responding to Gaon's jeer when BANG! Someone outside kicked the iron door.
“Shut the fuck up, all of you! You want to die?!”
Rugil and Gaon immediately fell silent at the vicious voice. Apparently, there were guards here as well. Unlike those at the prison, however, they did not come inside to administer beatings.
‘Because gladiators are merchandise.’
After the angry footsteps faded, Yuto pressed close to the left wall and quietly asked.
“Rugil, what happens if you lose a match?”
“You don't die.”
Rugil answered just as quietly.
“The matches aren't Deathmatches by default. They end when you surrender or lose consciousness. But that isn't absolute. There aren't any rules or referees.”
If someone could not say the words of surrender, or died without losing consciousness, then that was the end of it.
“There are Deathmatches, though. If you lose too many times or your body's ruined, they put you in one against others in the same condition. Or they make you fight an Evomon.......”
“An Evomon?”
Yuto furrowed his brow. Losing his past had not erased all common knowledge. Vaguely, he recalled what an Evomon was. They were a race different from humans. Living in the wild, they often formed contracts with humans in order to evolve.
“They make humans...... fight Evomon?”
“The Colosseum's guests fucking love those matches. Neither you nor we formed a contract with a Constellation.”
The instant he heard the word Constellation, Yuto clutched his head against a powerful headache.
“Most human-versus-Evomon matches end with the human dead. They give us weapons, at least...... but fuck, how are we supposed to beat an Evomon?”
Rugil's grumbling sounded distant. Yuto clenched his teeth amid the throbbing pain. The instant he heard the word Constellation, a pitch-black emotion boiled in the depths of his chest. His heart pounded, and the nails of his clenched fist dug into his palm.
‘Why......? Why am I angry?’
Anger alone was not enough to describe this feeling. It went far beyond anger and into hatred. Why? Yuto worried his lip between his teeth.
Constellations. They were the creators of this world. Beings who watched over life from the high heavens and bestowed their grace. They could be called gods.
Something felt twisted within that common knowledge. The more Yuto thought about it, the more his hatred seethed. Unable to think any further, he collapsed onto the bed.
‘What...... am I?’
No one could answer that question. Yuto stared blankly at the ceiling.
[Reward: ???]
Would his lost memories return if he escaped from here? Yuto squeezed his eyes shut with that thought.
***
Thump, thump!
The next morning, Yuto woke to the sound of someone pounding on the iron door.
“Up, new blood! How long are you going to lie there sleeping?!”
The guard's rough voice rang from outside. Yuto slowly sat up.
He had forced himself to sleep after suppressing his complicated feelings, and to his surprise, he had slept soundly. His first ‘match’ would take place today. He did not know whom he would fight, but a lack of sleep would slow his body. Yuto knew that instinctively.
Creak.
A small hatch at the bottom of the iron door opened, and a tray slid inside. The meal resembled yesterday's and was far better than what they had eaten in the prison.
“I'll come for you in two hours. Eat and be ready by then.”
The guard's threatening footsteps receded. Yuto emptied his tray and began loosening his body. He heard movement from Rugil's and Gaon's rooms, but they did not speak to him as they had yesterday.
They were probably nervous about the coming match. Too many defeats would send them into a Deathmatch instead of an ordinary bout. According to what he had heard yesterday, both had more losses than wins. Either one might suddenly be dragged into a Deathmatch today.
Two hours later.
Yuto's iron door opened. Surprisingly, the guard who opened it wore no choker.
‘The prison guard didn't either.’
That meant not everyone in the Colosseum was Ebil's slave. Only the guards she kept at her side all wore chokers. From that alone, it was easy to infer her personality. She did not trust other people as a rule.
‘Do I need to use a guard to escape?’
If his value as a gladiator increased, Ebil would become even less willing to release him. That did not mean he lacked an opportunity. This Colosseum did not exist for Ebil's amusement alone. Guests also came to watch its matches.
‘I can think about winning over a guard later. For now, the most plausible option is...... to make a deep impression on a guest and have them purchase me.’
That would only change his mistress, but at least it would take him out of this place. Having made up his mind, Yuto stepped through the iron door.
Every door along the corridor stood open, with gladiators waiting at the thresholds. Yuto looked at the men standing at the doors on either side of his.
“.......”
Rugil and Gaon. Their conditions were― appalling. Bandages covered Rugil's left eye, while Gaon could not stand straight and leaned to one side. The bandages around his right foot were filthy with yellow pus and blood.
The unnamed gladiators did not look much better. Of the twenty people standing outside their doors, the only one uninjured was Yuto, who had arrived yesterday.
“Follow me.”
A guard with a dark club resting against his shoulder spat the order in a vicious voice. The twenty gladiators followed him down the corridor.
An iron door opened at the far end. The opposite wall of the broad room was formed from iron bars, with the Colosseum from yesterday visible beyond them. Yuto swallowed dryly as he looked through.
Ebil had been the only person in the spectator seats yesterday, but today they held a sizable audience. In particular, people dressed splendidly enough to be recognizable even from afar sat with Ebil in the box seats nearest the Colosseum.
“As you can see, quite a few noble guests have come today.”
The guard spoke.
“Well, they didn't come to watch the likes of you. But if you fight well, perhaps they'll sponsor you?”
The guard grinned and looked at Yuto.
“Ah, the new blood might not know. If a noble enjoys your match and sends you sponsorship money, you'll receive suitable privileges. Special meals, medicine, weapons, or armor.”
From that explanation, Yuto understood how the Colosseum worked. A gladiator's life depended on noble sponsorship. They could eat better food than the usual fare and receive medicine effective against their injuries. Weapons or armor would increase their chances of victory.
“That's the match schedule. Take a good look.”
A large sheet of paper hung from another wall. Gladiators familiar with this place had already gathered before it, some despairing while others rejoiced.
‘Gedrick.’
It was an unfamiliar name. As Yuto stared at it, someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
“I'm your opponent. Nice to meet you.”
The boy was a head taller than Yuto. He was not especially bulky, but the wild gleam in his eyes was chilling.
“Don't be scared. If I damage you too badly in your first match, the mistress will punish me. We need at least one punching bag around here too.”
Gedrick bared his teeth in a grin. Several were missing from his crooked mouth, leaving it full of gaps.
Yuto stared at Gedrick's face. A twisted smile. Eyes intended to intimidate. Yet he felt no fear at all from that face.
‘So it doesn't matter if I'm the one who damages him?’
It probably did not. The instant Yuto reached that conclusion, he grabbed Gedrick by the collar and yanked him downward.
“Huh?”
The moment Gedrick cried out in surprise, Yuto's forehead smashed into his face. CRACK! A dull impact was followed by Gedrick's scream. Blood dripped from his split lip as he staggered back, and one of his teeth fell with it.
“Now we're even.”
Yuto murmured as he looked at Gedrick's face, its front teeth now missing side by side.