"What just happened?!" Alora’s eyes went wide. This time around, not even Arnold could reply. He was also staring at the arena with wide eyes, his face frozen in absolute disbelief.

It was like time paused for the colosseum. Everyone still couldn’t process what just happened. Not once had there been such an occurrence, it was so strange, no one could speak.

In unison, their eyes went to Saul who was also on his feet. "The next game will be held tomorrow." He announced, turned and left with Apollyon right behind him.

The crowd went cold as many eyes fell on Godfrey. Percival went back to the room and sat down.

"Did you get him?" He whispered as the room began to descend.

Godfrey nodded.

"What happened up there has affected Saul’s prestige. People will see you as more than meets the eye, a force that even Saul lost to. His plan failed and ours has taken a step further but..."

Percival looked at the wall.

"When we get down... are we going to walk free or be surrounded?"

Godfrey looked at the same place, his eyes dim. "What does it matter? We’ll clear a path through whatever is in front of us."

With a low yet heavy sound, the room finally reached the ground and they looked at the corridor, expecting some group of Vagabonds or Team Black but there was no aggressive force except the few people who were moving about.

Both men looked at each other and stepped out. Team Black also stepped out at the same time and they met at the T junction.

"You’ve sealed yourself for death with what you just did." Arnold said with a calm tone as his eyes bore into Godfrey.

"Is that so?"

Arnold smiled. "Even if the Captain loses Apollyon, he will still be able to bring a swift end to your existence."

Godfrey nodded. "He better... or I’ll put an end to his own existence."

His eyes went to Nathan, the thirteen-year-old who glared hard at him. Godfrey could see hate and the intense desire to hurt him in those eyes. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Nathan could remember as clear as day when Saul rescued him from his burning house which was set ablaze by a dungeon monster. That was the day he awakened but didn’t know what to do.

Though everyone he once considered family died, Saul taught him a new life. He saw the Captain as a father and wanted to be like him. Seeing this man win a match against his Captain evoked a desire to kill.

Alora’s face was also solemn. After what she had seen, she couldn’t joke with this tournament going forward. They had to win at all costs.

Arnold nodded after hearing Godfrey’s reply. "We’ll meet in the arena tomorrow." With that, he led Team Black out of the colosseum.

***

Saul sat on his bed, a towel wrapped around his waist and came down to his knees. His wet hair stuck to his face as his eyes locked on Abaddon who stood by the wall.

The sky had turned dark already and a cool breeze flowed in through the window. It was over six hours since the second game ended and Saul had been silent.

No one, not even his second-in-command, had heard a word from him.

To face constant defeat at the hands of someone who should have less experience than him made Saul take a step back.

This had never happened to him before. He kept a constant regimen of raiding dungeons without end. The dungeons he had cleared were in the hundreds, the monsters he had killed were in the tens of thousands.

Even now, his first summon was out there in another world fighting. Once the Ruination was over, he was meant to become even more than a Monarch.

He would grasp the fabled Sovereign Skill of Will Compulsion where he could control anyone’s actions with a word alone. That was the true power of a god but now he had lost, not just one but two, two peak-level Titled gods!

All because of one name... Godfrey Daniels.

His first plan turned into his loss, the second one was doing the same. It felt like each plan was for Godfrey and not for him.

There was something he was missing here.

There was something about this Godfrey.

He couldn’t see him as just one nineteen-year-old anymore.

No.

"Apollyon. Tell me, who is Godfrey Daniels to you?"

Apollyon looked at her summoner. "He claims to be the Unknown King every Golden Order Knight was trained to serve, almost worship, back in my world. The Unknown King was the heart of the Golden Order. Abaddon and I once belonged to this Golden Order."

Saul’s eyes narrowed. "So that’s why he called himself a king. Then what happened to Abaddon?"

"I do not know."

"Sounds like you don’t like this young man claiming to be the Unknown King but you have reverence for the Unknown King. So... what if he turns out to be the true Unknown King?" Saul asked, his eyes drilling into her but Apollyon remained as cold and stoic as ever.

"He isn’t. That’s not the king I saw." she replied.

"Regardless, I will keep you in my soul space from this moment henceforth." Saul’s statement finally made the female knight tilt her head.

"You said you would not—"

"Not anymore!" Saul glared at her, then swiftly retrieved her to his soul space. He exhaled heavily, then rose to his feet and walked over to the window.

Staring at the camp with a lot of Vagabonds everywhere he looked, Saul lifted his gaze to the buildings in the city.

’Tell me every summon you know this king of yours has and their innate skills. Tell me their fighting patterns, their weapons and what you think are their weaknesses.’

He said to Apollyon through his mind.

His eyes gleamed.

"You’re not the only one with an advantage, Godfrey. We’ll finish this on my terms."