Luna"s tournament had just ended with her complete victory. I can"t wait to meet up with her and reward her for her victory, but sadly I have to head over to the waiting room for my own event while Luna will be preoccupied with her award ceremony. While thinking of what we should do for her reward, I headed over to the waiting room.

After arriving at the waiting room, me and the other members gathered together to receive an explanation of the rules

[This is a opportunity for us to show that adventurers from Rumberg more capable than those from the other starter towns, please show everyone the result of your trainings in the town. Moving on to the rules of the event…] (Event Staff)

While listening to the rules, I observed the young men in arms who I would cooperate with for the battle against Killer Ape. As I have heard from Phil, my party members were young men who were full of ambition and pride.

The two of them only cared about showcasing their own capabilities rather than collaborating together for the battle. One of them is a warrior who is Kevin"s older brother, Nicholas.

The other is a fighter named Isaruk. Based on how he carries himself, it looks like he has some experience as a martial artist but is extremely overconfident.

Note: Isaruk speaks using -sessha and -gozaru

[Don"t drag our feet down old man. Try your best to keep up with us. It is impossible for magic knights like you to defeat Killer apes.] (Nicholas)

[Nicole-dono, let"s see who will be the one to land the finishing blow.] (Isaruk)

[You two shouldn"t underestimate me.] (Youya)

The warrior Nicholas and fighter Isaruk clearly do not plan on cooperating with each other and think that they are capable of defeating it themselves. It is bad news if our group of level 20 adventurers do not collaborate in the battle as the battle will be difficult individually.

The two of them heard me as I let out a sigh. Times like this make me appreciate Til and Luna even more. Those children may be equally ambitious but they properly listen to my instructions.

[Magic is even prohibited in this battle for the crowd as they are more excited to watch us brawl out with the Killer Ape. This is really a terrible handicap] (Youya)

Without my magic, my firepower won"t be enough to take down the ape. I"ll have to defeat it with just my sword. It will be a difficult if not impossible task to perform. I spent the time before the battle to prepare myself.

The event is about to start and the contestants enter the ring. The warrior Nicholas and the fighter Isaruk waved towards the audience, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence and making themselves standing out.

[Youya, do your best!] (Luna)
[Show everyone your good side!] (Til)

Hidden amongst the cheers of the audience, I could hear the voices of the two girls and waved towards them. I was starting to get depressed talking to these two people and I can feel a little bit of motivation coming back to me.

The crowd"s cheers started becoming louder and louder as our enemy entered the arena. The Killer Ape was brought into the arena trapped in a mithril cage. It is a gorilla at least 50% larger and taller than me with purple hair all over its body. That purple hair served as an armor, harder than steel, flexible enough to absorb impacts and greasy enough that any blade that lands will be directed away. However, what made it terrifying was it"s abnormally large arms that boasts as much strength as it look, and it"s intellect which was more intelligent than a typical beast. There is even a chance of instant death if we make a mistake in the battle.

[We will be activating the barrier.] (Announcer)

A spherical barrier starts to surround the arena as a precaution to protect the audience from any collateral damage. However, this also means that we will be unable to escape from the battle. In addition, the staff started sprinkling perfume onto the contestants, agitating the ape while making the crowd more excited. This was done to ensure that the ape would be more focused on us rather than it"s surroundings.

[For today"s main event, it is the exciting battle between a powerful monster and Rumberg"s very own adventurers!] (Announcer)

The staff announced the start of the battle and unlocked the cage. An angry Killer Ape officially enters the arena.

Now, it"s the start of the battle.

The first person who took the initiative is the fighter Isaruk. Thanks to the Fighter"s stat corrections, he moves quicker than any of us in the arena. As he has the air of an overconfident martial artist, I followed behind him in order to provide support and prevent the worst-case scenario. In my opinion, martial artists who are inexperienced are much more dangerous than amatuer martial artists due to their overconfidence whereas amatuer martial artists typically understand where their limits lie. As far as I can tell, Isaruk"s defensive stats should be enough to survive a hit against the Killer Ape so I"ll support him on his attempt rather than stopping him outright. As Isaruk approaches the gorilla, he sidesteps the gorilla"s attacks and steps into it"s body.

Those are good movements.

[AH CHA CHA CHA.] (Isaruk)

He lands a series of consecutive blows with the Fighter skill Iron Fist. It"s a skill that hardens his fist as hard as iron, raising the power of his punches.

[Uhoaaaa] (Killer Ape)

The Killer Ape"s roar reverberates throughout the arena, however it wasn"t a cry for pain but a roar in rage. The flurry of punches did not affect the gorilla in the slightest. It didn"t matter how hard the fist was hardened, the bristles present on its body would cushion each blow, killing the power from the punch. Although he was advised to attack the areas without bristles, it seem that he ignored that advice and continued to attack the bristles anyway.

In the first place in a battle of power, it isn"t practical to release a flurry of punches rather than a single powerful punch. If he tried to push through with a single powerful punch, there was a chance that he could inflict some damage through the bristles. The Killer Ape swung its arms towards Isaruk and he is blown off to the side of the area. Watching his trajectory, I slid in front of him and caught him before he landed on the ground on his head.

[Pathetic, Isaruk. End of the day, it seems that the hero will be me.] (Nicholas)

While throwing a one-liner towards Isaruk, the warrior Nicholas entered the battle. He immediately ran towards the gorilla and releases a single strike against the tough bristles on the Killer Ape. However, it was a slash that a person would expect rather than a thrust, ignoring the advice given to him backstage. Typically, it would be more effective to thrust against the Killer Ape as it was possible to slide the blade in between the bristles and directly attacking its body.

[Take this! Bash!] (Nicholas)

Attacking from above with pure power by using Bash.However, the Killer Ape does not avoid it. As if it was natural, the sword slips on the greasy hard bristles, getting redirected back onto the ground

[ARGHHH.] (Nicole)

Nicole drops his sword onto the ground and screams in pain. This is expected if you are going to Bash onto a stone floor at full strength. The Killer Ape raised his arms and lands a direct punch onto his face, instantly blowing him away towards the arena wall. His life will be endangered if he slams into the wall with that momentum.

I run towards Nicole"s flying body to grab him, using my own body to kill the momentum as much as possible.

[ouh ouh ouh ouh] (Killer Ape)

The Killer Ape pounds his chest in celebration as I turn to face Nicole and Isaruk.

[Our first round ended badly, but it"s time for round two. Now, you two ready for some revenge?] (Youya)

The two defeated adventurers were trembling in fear, closing their eyes trying to drown out the roar of the Killer Ape. Their minds seem to be breaking just by battling the ape for afew seconds. They are forced to face the reality that none of their attacks worked on the beast and they would be badly injured if I did not step in. More than anything, their hearts were breaking when faced with an opponent with a overwhelming advantage in ability. They must have not partic.i.p.ated in a battle against a monster where their superior techniques and equipment is unable to protect them. They grew as an adventurer experiencing victories after victories without experiencing a defeat. Having their first defeat with such an overwhelming difference has inflicted too much damage on their self-confidence. At this rate, they will become unable to continue as an adventurer.

I could continue to defeat the Killer Ape but that is no good. If the two of them ends the battle in this state, it will become a traumatic experience for them. They may never stand up on their own two feet ever again. This is all they would ever amount to in their life.

I can"t bear to leave the two of them like this. The two of them are still growing and young, they have plenty of time to fail and learn from their mistakes. It feels too much of a waste for their journeys to end right here.

[If you guys won"t do it, then am I supposed to defeat it alone?] (Youya)

[It"s impossible. To defeat that.] (Nicholas)

[At our level, it"s impossible for us to defeat it.] (Isaruk)

[Then sit there and watch.] (Youya)

I stepped forward and cast my new skill Warcry. It"s an ability that draws a monster"s attention and provokes it, forcing them to focus their attacks on one target. It"s an essential skill for the front-line.

[OHHHHH]] (Killer Ape)

Without sparing a thought for the two fallen warriors, the Killer ape attacked me using both it"s arms without worrying about a flank, sometimes throwing in a kick showcasing it"s dexterity.

I receive each of its attacks with my sword and deflect it to the side.

It"s attacks are much heavier than the Rock Golem in the dungeon with different variations, coming from the sides, above and even from below. However, it is still managable as it also has more preliminary movement.

Predict it"s movements by afew seconds ahead to find an opening and land a strong blow.

I don"t have access to my magic so I won"t be able to inflict any major damage without an opening.

Wait and predict, be patient until you get a chance.

Meanwhile, the two losers are on the ground watching the battle with widened eyes.

[Amazing.. Such an intense battle.] (Isaruk)

[Just who is that old man?] (Nicole)

The Killer Ape throws out a telegraphed punch. This is my chance. If it"s like this, then I"m sure the message will reach them. I deflect the punch towards the ground, throwing the Killer Ape"s center of gravity forward, lowering his height. When it is retracting it"s hand, I shorten the distance and release a thrust into it"s right eye. One of the Killer Ape"s weak points is its face which isn"t covered by bristles, making it softer than anything.

[UGOHHH] (Killer Ape)

Blood flows out of it"s gouged right eye. The Killer Ape cries in pain as it jumps away, creating distance. When battling against an opponent with a impenetrable defense, it is a standard move to target the opponent"s eyes as it is highly likely to inflict damage while hindering the opponent"s vision.

The Killer Ape growls at a distance in provocation. Somewhere in that provocation, fear could be sensed. Now is the time.

[Nicholas, Isaruk. How long are you guys going to sleep for? You were watching weren"t you? Are you going to leave the battle as it is? At this rate you guys will exit this arena as a loser who relied on an old man to clean up after you. And you will remain as losers until your death without facing another strong enemy ever again. Are you fine with that?] (Youya)

I have said my piece. It"s up to them whether they choose to stand up and face their fears.

[OHHH. I can still do it. I"m not a loser.] (Nicholas)
[You are not alone in this.] (Isaruk)

The two of them stood up with trembling feets, following behind me as I stand at the front.

I let loose a slight smile. I don"t dislike people who try their best. The Killer ape started beating his chest and rushed towards us.

[Both of you stay behind me. I"ll open up a gap. When the time comes, both of you release your strongest attack right into him. Don"t hold anything back.] (Youya)

[OUH!] (Nicole)

[Roger.] (Isaruk)

The two of them ignored the advice given earlier before the battle, however this time they properly listened to my instruction.

This time, rather than deflect and wait for an opening, I am slowly inching forward while deflecting. Eventually I will get a chance to counter and forcefully open up a gap.

Driven by fear, the Killer Ape continues to fire a flurry of blows trying to deter me from approaching. With this, the match is decided. The faster you throw out attacks, the quicker your stamina drains. Eventually, the ape paid the price. It ran out of breath and it"s balance is thrown off. Seizing this opportunity, I moved around to the back of the Killer Ape and slash it"s exposed heel.

[UGYAAAAA]

Having it"s tendon cut, the Killer Ape is unable to stand and is put on his knees, cutting his mobility.

[Now, it"s your chance! End the battle!] (Youya)

I shouted towards the two of them to end the battle. The warrior Nicole"s blade starts to shine brightly while the fighter Isaruk"s body is enveloped by steam. Nicole activated the warrior"s special skill Strike Impact. It"s a skill with high mana consumption, but it"s easy to use with it"s high speed and rushing distance. The blade slides between the bristles and gouges out the flesh of the Killer Ape. The fighter Isaruk activated one of the Fighter"s more powerful skills Reverberation, focusing all his power into his elbow. It is a technique that focuses the person"s power into a single point. This technique renders the bristles useless as the shockwave is sent internally through the body.

Note: The name for Reverberation is 寸勁 which is also used for Bruce Lee"s famous "One inch punch", however Isaruk uses it on his elbow instead of his hand so I decided to wing the name.

After the two of them landed their skills, the Killer Ape collapsed and blue particles start to rise.

But there’s something off. The blue particles seem to be appearing too slowly.

Is it just me or is his body not disintegrating?

[We won.. We actually won right?] (Nicole)

[It"s our victory.] (Isaruk)

The two of them have definitely stopped trembling. It seems that the two of them has gotten over their trauma.

[Good work. Now you know that old men can flourish in battles as well.] (Youya)

[We were rude to you and had to rely on you to save us. I am terribly sorry for my mistakes!] (Nicole)

[I have also been reflecting on myself. When I saw your battle, I felt ashamed. I am sorry.] (Isaruk)

Looks like these two men are still young in spirit after all. I am glad that I managed to save their spirits.

[What you did isn"t important. It"s what you do afterwards that’s important. So long as you are alive, you can atone for your mistakes. But now, it"s time to rejoice for our victory. When you come across a strong monster, you laugh and b.u.mp fists. That is a party.] (Youya)

[Yes Sir!]

I raised my fist and the three of us b.u.mp our fists and laughing in celebration. Somehow we managed to survive the battle without any major injuries.

Suddenly, I felt a chill rush down my spine.

Following my instincts, I pushed the two of them aside, grabbed my blade and turned around. I felt a huge impact throughout my body.

It was the Killer Ape that is a.s.sumed to be dead. However, it"s muscles were larger than before, it"s nails became even sharper and its bristles changed to silver in colour.

It was ridiculously strong impact. I placed my hand on my knee and pushed myself upright.

The Killer Ape raised his hand and swung towards me. I quickly performed a forward roll to the side to avoid the punch. The stone ring was unable to withstand the impact of the ape"s punch and broke apart.

[It.. changed?] (Youya)

And it isn"t stopping there. It continues to change as time goes by. It shouldn"t be that easy for a monster to alter it"s body. This is already on the level of evolution.

Just what is this monster?

Even if I were to go all out, I don"t think I"ll be able to defeat this monster, that is how terrifying this beast has become.

[From here on, we will fight together!] (Nicole)

[Both of you get away!] (Youya)

The staff outside of the barrier took out their swords and began to attack the monster resembling the ape. The staff which consists of high level adventurers who were on standby stood up against the beast. However, it was futile.

[GAHH]

With just one swing of it"s arm, one after another the adventurers merely became clumps of meat on the barrier.

This is bad. What can we do in this situation?

What should we do?

While I was contemplating our next move, a broadcast began to play.

[Greetings everybody. Congratulations to the adventurers who won the first round. However, now it’s the real deal. It"s the start of the second round. Everyone here is lucky enough to witness the first ever doc.u.mented case of monster evolution. And the end of the adventurer age. With our secret art of evolution and our monsters, we will rule over the world.] (Broadcast)

This voice sounds familiar. It"s the voice of the guildmaster.

From his broadcast, I"ve understood the situation. No matter what, we have to manage this monster somehow. I feel the pain down to the bones in my body, but I have to do it now. The damage is contained for now thanks to the barrier around the arena.

Phil isn"t here right now thanks to her duties.

If this beast is released from the barrier, there won"t be any adventurers present in the town of beginnings that is capable of dealing with the beast.

For the second round, I don"t have to hide my magic anymore. It is a breach of rules to use magic, but it isn"t the first offense committed here today.

There is a customized magic spell that can"t be used until level 20.

It"s time to demonstrate, the power of the Magic Knight.