Chapter 1696 Crown Game 1/?

With Vahn's and Endorsi's groups being the last to arrive, it was finally time for the Crown Game to get underway. Facilitating this, a rather tall man, standing just over two meters, appeared before the throne with a casual smile on his face. He had permed blond hair that created two peculiar curls at the base of his neck, a handsome face, and glistening golden eyes that were accented by two black dots situated underneath.

Understanding not everyone knew who he was, the blond-haired man, dressed similarly to Quant, performed a small bow before saying, "Welcome, Regulars. My name is Lero-Ro, Test Administrator, and the Ranker assigned to preside over this evening's Crown Game. Now that the final two teams have arrived, allow me to explain the rules of the game..."

As he had already read the rules from the wall, Vahn didn't pay much attention to Lero-Ro's words. Instead, he continued to inspect each of the teams' waiting rooms, curious to see who they would be up against. Unfortunately, with the exception of Baam's team, consisting of a handsome youth with pale blue hair and a three-meter tall alligator-looking fellow, the only teams worthy of mention were those led by Endorsi, a group headed by a man in a purple tracksuit, and a peculiar team with one of its members taking a nap.

Though the man had wrapped himself up like a cacoon within his blanket, Vahn could sense that he had several times the amount of Shinsu as everyone else. He was also able to manipulate the flow of Shinsu within the environment while unconscious, passively scanning others and even marking those he seemed to have an interest in. It was quite the peculiar sight to behold, but, never one to allow others to freely probe him, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face as he sent a small jolt through the invasive flow of Shinsu.

Like someone who had just awoken from a nightmare, the man wrapped in a blanket sat up with a layer of sweat covering his forehead. His outburst drew the attention of the Test Administrator, but, rather than intervene, Lero-Ro just smiled slightly before continuing his explanation. This illustrated the point Endorsi had made during her earlier conversation with Gandr, her claim asserting that the Test Admins did not interfere when Regulars tried to investigate and compromise one another. They only stepped in when the machinations of the Regulars directly interfered with the Tests, so, as long as you had the means to assemble information and sabotage others, there were no rules preventing you from doing so...

---

Finished with his explanation, Lero-Ro scanned each of the waiting rooms with a smile on his face before saying, "Well then, if you have any further concerns, please check the details posted on the wall next to your buzzer. Remember, you only get one chance to participate so make sure you have a proper understanding of what you're getting yourself into~!"

Following his words, Lero-Ro placed the Crown at the very center of the throne before tapping an invisible icon that allowed him to teleport to an observation room located above the arena. There, he made himself comfortable, raising his feet up on his desk before pulling out an intercom and saying, "Now, let's get this game underway! Following this final reminder, I will count down from five. Only the first five teams to press their buzzers will be allowed to participate, so, if you don't want to miss out on this incredible opportunity, make sure to press your team's buzzer before the time is up!"

With that said, Lero-Ro began a very slow yet consistent count down from five. In response to this, most of the teams became exceptionally tense, but, perhaps fearing they would overtax themselves by participating too soon, only three groups had the confidence to press their buzzers...

---

Seeing the two teams that had come out alongside his own, Vahn could be seen casually stroking his beard with an amused smile on his face. Across from him, separated by a few hundred meters, a group consisting of a young girl with green skin and a lizard-like tail stood next to a tall man with a purple tracksuit and rather plain features. Accompanying them was a comparatively handsome yet short youth that would have seamlessly fit into a crowd of samurai cosplayers.

Though the man in the tracksuit gave off the impression of a relatively normal person, the petite lizard-like girl and the eastern-looking swordsman were easily two of the strongest people present. The former even had a strange green hook that gave off a rather dangerous vibe, and, based on the three-eyed emblem embossed into the handle, Vahn assumed it was similar to the Black March that was currently in Baam's possession. As for the swordsman, he had two swords, a katana with a red hilt and a wakizashi with a blue. Neither weapon seemed particularly impressive, but, based on the aura the youth gave off, it was safe to say he had already stepped into the realm of mastery...

Shifting his eyes away from the much more dangerous trio, Vahn quickly inspected the other team, but, other than an inordinately tall and lanky man with short blond hair, they were nothing special. Even the boy standing up front, possessing a peculiar horn near the back of his head, seemed to be around the same strength as the plain-looking man in a purple tracksuit. Despite this, he appeared very confident, his expression fixed in a serious and focused glower while he gripped the handle of his red, needle-like, weapon...

Interrupting the tense atmosphere that had begun to build, a smile spread across the face of the man wearing a purple tracksuit. He had appeared slightly stressed moments prior, but, as if he was absolutely certain of his team's victory, he grinned confidently and said, "You guys are going to be sorry!"

Responding to the man's taunt, the boy with the horn at the back of his head scoffed, his glower turning into a resolute look as he remarked, "Doubt it...". At the same time, his third companion, a rather stout youth with messy brown hair quickly drew the two swords on his back, both appearing more than ready for a fight.

Unfortunately, before a single blow could be exchanged, Vahn restored the tensions by releasing a slight chuckle as he balanced the Crown on the edge of his finger. With the exception of the lizard-like girl, none of the others had noticed his short-range teleportation due to his momentary use of the State of Nothingness. As a result, he appeared atop the throne in a functional instant, casually claiming both it and the Crown for himself.

Confused by the sudden turn of events, the tracksuit wearing man showed an incredulous look on his face as he shakily muttered, "What...how...?"

Smiling in response to the man's stupor, Vahn placed the Crown atop the armrest as he explained, "What matters is not how I got here, only that I am present. Now, if you'd like a chance to claim the Crown for yourselves, you will do battle against my young protege. Should you emerge victoriously, you have my word as the Sage Dragon Emperor; this Crown shall belong to you."

With that said, Vahn used the armrest for support, resting his cheek against his hand, his intentions clear. He was going to observe the battle, only interfering when someone tried to target him. Then, depending on the methods they had used, he would show them why people had come to fear him in all three Records...

---

Seeing the self-professed Emperor seated atop the throne, the tracksuit-clad man, known better as Shibisu, couldn't help but laugh awkwardly before muttering, "Man, he really got us..."

Hearing Shibisu's remark, the lizard-like girl, known by very few as Anak Jahad, snorted through her nose before grumbling, "I should have attacked immediately after the gates were opened..."

Following that utterance, Anak looked towards the boy she presumed to be the man's protege, a youth with midnight-blue hair, golden eyes, and a fluffy tail. Her gaze seemed to draw his at that exact same moment, a teasing smile spreading across his face as he gripped the hilt of the katana strapped to his back.

Feeling even more annoyed, Anak turned to her final companion, the swordsman who had earlier introduced himself as Hatsu. She had dueled against him during the first challenge, so, confident in his strength, she commanded, "You deal with these three idiots. I'll take care of the dog boy."

Hearing the girl's remark, Gandr's ears twitched slightly, his expression turning fierce as he stated, "I am a Vanargandr, not a dog. Unless you want me to start calling you lizard-brat, you'll fight me with your actions, not your words. Now, come at me...!"

Without waiting for the girl's response, Gandr used a short-range shundo, but, similar to what Vahn had experienced earlier, it was a lot harder than normal. Shinsu acted like a membrane that resisted anything trying to move through it, so, while he was able to execute the technique, it made his skin and eyes feel as though there were tiny needles stabbing each individual cell.

Despite the surprisingly intense pain, Gandr didn't even flinch as he swung the sealed Laev-tan to meet the girl's green hook. It was readily apparent she thought herself stronger than him, as, rather than try to evade, she attempted to intercept his downward swing with one hand. At the same time, she formed a fist with her left hand, clearly intending to strike him during the brief moment where their weapons would be interlocked...

Though she had been prepared to teach the boy a lesson, Anak's mind wasn't even able to process what was happening as she instinctually jumped back. All she knew was that, rather than arrest the boy's blow, it felt like an unstoppable forced had connected with her weapon, one of the Thirteen Month Series known as the Green April. As a result, she felt an incredible strain in her wrist as her weapon was forced toward her, clearly unable to block the force that had impacted it.

Fortunately, due to the battle sense she honed over the last three hundred years, Anak was able to redirect the blow at the last moment, leaping back with explosive force. What she didn't expect was the fact that, rather than allow his blade to impact the ground, the boy somehow managed to easily change the trajectory of his strike. He even managed to match her speed perfectly, his golden eyes glowing with an intense light as he swung his sword in a graceful arc that she was somehow able to see but entirely unable to react to...

Seeing her precious weapon spinning through the air, separated from her hand, Anak didn't even try to defend herself from Gandr's follow-up strike. As a result, she was kicked squarely in the torso, her body creating triple shockwaves as she slammed into the walls of the arena in an instant. There, she lay embedded in the wall with her head hanging slightly, largely uninjured with the exception of her pride.

Feeling the bones of his right foot creaking, Gandr couldn't help but tilt his head to the side, ears flopping as he shouldered Laev-tan and remarked, "Your body is ridiculously hard. It's too bad you let your ego cloud your judgment. If you had gone all-out from the start, you would have been able to trade at least a few blows before suffering a defeat. Remember this lesson in the future: the only enemies you can be absolutely certain you are stronger than are those you have already defeated..."

Hearing the boy's remark, Anak tightly balled her hands into fists before glaring at him through her neatly trimmed bangs. At the same time, her peculiar pupils contracted to fine points, and, though she had lost her weapon, that didn't stop her from bursting free from the wall, shouting, "Who are you to lecture me...!?"

Though Anak was blitzing him at around Mach three, it wasn't a speed that Gandr had any trouble with. His Agility rivaled that of an E-Rank Ranker, far beyond the realm of Regulars who had just begun their climb. As a result, he gave Anak her second surprise of the evening, his hand seemingly moving in slow motion as he intercepted her fist and deviated its trajectory. This would have been more than enough to ensure the defeat of a normal opponent, but, having experienced just how durable the lizard-like girl's body was, Gandr took things one step further.

Just as it felt like she was able to be sent crashing into the ground, the contents of Anak's stomach were forcibly ejected when Gandr intercepted her tumble with his knee. All her forward momentum was completely negated, replaced by excruciating pain as the back of her blouse burst open due to the shockwave that had torn through her body. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the sound of a woman's voice lightly chiding the boy who had defeated her twice in as many minutes...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A system that encourages deception...','Don't mind me, just sitting on my throne...','An inordinately large gap in speed, power, and skill...')

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