41-43

Chapter 43: Disciplining the Lazy Female Knight (2) 

"Ah, ah...! What is happening! Petunia has fallen! One of the proud Three Knights of the Renes Territory has been defeated by none other than a male gladiator!!" 

 Murmur murmur. 

With the announcer’s shout, the crowd began to stir, a clear sign that what had just happened was beyond belief. In the commotion, I gripped my weapon tightly, keeping my guard up as I watched Petunia lying on the ground. 

It wasn’t over yet. The blow I landed didn’t feel decisive. 

"...That’s strange." 

Petunia quietly voiced her doubts about the situation. 

"I definitely didn’t go easy on you, and yet you withstood my full strength and even counterattacked... Are you really a man?" 

"...Want me to take off my pants and show you?" 

"No, that’s not necessary." 

Her calm voice was proof she still had plenty of fight left, even after taking my best shot. Slowly, she stood up and raised her sword lazily, her voice sharp. 

"Well, anyone can block a hit by chance." 

By chance? I had to endure the pain of nearly having my arm and leg broken just to counterattack, and that’s all she has to say? 

But she didn’t care about my thoughts and kept acting with the same sluggish attitude. 

"Don’t get cocky just because you landed a hit. Luck runs out if you keep relying on it." 

 Rumble rumble. 

Once again, mana vibrated around her, the tremor spreading through the ground and making the gravel shake. The sense of danger told me she was a formidable opponent. 

"...You’re underestimating me. Even though you were the one on the ground." 

Still, somewhere inside, I felt this fight was winnable. I’d managed to block her full power once and even land a hit. If I could keep repeating that, maybe I could win. 

 BOOM!!!! 

As I steadied my mind, her body blurred and explosions erupted all over the arena floor. Her speed was absurd, and the power behind it was nothing to take lightly. 

But I wasn’t as afraid as before. The setup was the same as when I blocked her first attack, and if I’d done it once, I could do it again. 

 BANG!! 

Just as I expected, her strike clashed with my weapon. The impact pushed me back, but I held my ground and readied my weapon again. Meanwhile, she failed to recover her stance after her attack she’d put too much force and focus into a single blow. The opening she left by not preparing for a failed attack was my chance to counter. 

 WHAM!! 

Her body staggered from the lack of defense. I pressed the advantage, landing another blow and piling on the damage to bring her down. 

The momentum was on my side. If I kept it up, I could finish her off... 

 BOOM!!! 

Suddenly, a burst of mana spread out, and the resulting shockwave pushed me back. She swung her sword, the blade just grazing my head and slicing through the air. If it had hit, I’d be done for. But her stance was wide open again. 

 BANG!! 

I took the chance and landed a blow to her chin, making her head snap back as she staggered in place. 

Is she going down? Did I really take down one of the Three Knights? 

"...Grr." 

No, not yet. She endured my attack, glaring at me with a face that was starting to lose its composure. 

"This is weird. A man using enough mana to withstand my attacks..." 

Was she flustered because she was losing? 

Honestly, I hadn’t expected to get this far either. To be able to push back a swordswoman considered equal to Martina and Helia... 

"I told you, you’ll regret underestimating a man." 

But maybe this result was inevitable. Her strength was higher than mine, but I was said to have more talent than Helia. If she’d used technique like Helia or Martina, I’d have lost, but if it was just a contest of brute force, I could hold my own. 

Her mistake was fighting lazily and letting me turn it into a slugfest, which played to my strengths. 

"How about taking this seriously? Otherwise, you might really lose to me." 

"Arrogant...!" 

She scowled and charged again. She was fast, but her attack pattern hadn’t changed. 

No surprises her predictable moves were easy to dodge now. 

 BANG! 

I dodged her attack and countered, sending her stumbling. She rushed in again, swinging her weapon wildly. 

"Ugh! Stop being a pain and just go down already!" 

She shouted in frustration, but her attacks still lacked seriousness. There was none of the danger I felt when facing Helia or Martina. 

So this is what happens when someone’s only strength is brute force. If she kept this up, I could definitely win. 

 WHAM!! 

Realizing this, I landed another blow, sending her staggering. Her legs were shaking, and her face was clearly exhausted. 

No wonder she’d been using full power without restraint and taking all my attacks head-on. 

"This is weird. Why am I getting tired? Any other opponent would have gone down by now..." 

Even as she panted, she didn’t realize her own mistake. I grinned and taunted her, raising my weapon. 

"Why not try harder? At this rate, you’ll really lose to me." 

 Grit. 

I heard her grind her teeth as she gripped her sword with both hands. 

Thunder rumbled from her blade, and a blue aura surged, far rougher than before. 

Lifting her sword, Petunia shouted, 

"Don’t underestimate me. You’re just a man!!" 

 BOOM!!! 

With a burst of mana, she charged again. I took a deep breath and gathered mana into my weapon. 

This attack was far stronger than anything before if I took it head-on, I might not survive. 

But I didn’t give up. I charged at her in return, knowing that no matter how strong an attack is, it’s meaningless if it doesn’t hit. 

 BOOOOM!!! 

Her sword unleashed a storm of mana, tearing up part of the arena. The crowd screamed as the shockwave shook the stands, but I barely dodged it and swung my weapon at her head with all my might. 

 BANG!! 

The blow landed with a thunderous sound, snapping her head back. 

As her small body finally collapsed to the ground, the crowd’s confusion was broken by the announcer’s voice. 

"Down! Petunia is down!! That was a direct hit!!!" 

 WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! 

The crowd erupted in cheers, more explosive than when I’d taken down a criminal. 

Well, it made sense she was a worthy opponent. 

"...Ugh, ugh..." 

With a groan, Petunia began to get up again. 

I turned, feeling a chill down my spine, and saw her glaring at me, exhausted but determined. 

Damn, even after a direct hit to the head, she’s getting up? Is she a monster? 

"Ha, this is really humiliating..." 

Her voice was cold as she pointed her sword at me. There was no hesitation, and her gaze was sharper than ever. 

It was as if she was finally about to get serious. 

"...No, forget it. I give up." 

But it lasted only a moment. She dropped her sword, spread her arms and legs, and flopped onto the ground. 

Lying flat on her back, staring up at the sky, she looked completely defenseless. 

As I stared in disbelief, she muttered in a lazy voice, 

"I don’t feel like fighting anymore. If you were going to beat me, you should’ve done it with the first blow. I just kept getting hit... I just want to sleep, so let’s call it your win and end it." 

So she still had the strength to fight, but she couldn’t be bothered and decided to let me win? 

...How lazy can this girl get? Most people would be pissed after getting beat up by someone weaker. 

"Ravish her!!!" 

As I stared at her in disbelief, a voice shouted from the stands. 

Soon, the whole arena was chanting the same thing. 

"Yeah! Ravish that lazy girl and put her in her place!!" 

"A male gladiator raping one of the Three Knights? That’s unmissable!" 

"Don’t tell me you’re going to skip the highlight after such a miraculous victory?" 

Right. This is what everyone came to see. 

Watching the strongest get ravished is a spectacle you can’t find anywhere else. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I’m about to fuck you." 

I was in the mood to put this cocky brat in her place. 

As I started stripping off her clothes, Petunia asked in a weak voice, 

"What do you mean, ‘fuck’?" 

"...Are you really asking because you don’t know?" 

"I don’t know, and I can’t be bothered to find out... Do I have to do anything?" 

"Uh, um... No, probably not." 

"Good. Just get it over with." 

She even shifted her position to make it easier for me to undress her. 

Finding her reaction absurd, I finished taking off her clothes. 

Piece by piece, I removed her armor, then slid off the leotard barely covering her body... 

What was revealed was a petite, immature-looking frame, giving me a different feeling from all the other women I’d been with. 

Short, with a flat chest, but a slim waist and flawless skin. 

Aside from the athletic build, she could easily be described as a "girl." 

"You are an adult, right?" 

Feeling a bit uneasy, I asked, just in case. She replied in a sassy voice, 

"How rude. I may be younger than you, but I’ve had my coming-of-age ceremony." 

Ah, good. 

Then there’s nothing to worry about.