novelraw Chapter 548: Rules? What Rules?
Chapter 548: Rules? What Rules?
Sianor sighed as he surveyed the situation unfolding in the arena. "Tch... this has really gotten out of hand."
Floren stood beside him, raising his fan to his face before snapping it shut and tapping it lightly against his palm.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I never expected a demon lord to join the tournament."
He turned to Sianor, resting the closed fan against his chin. "Remind me once again... Was that ever part of the agreement?"
Without waiting for an answer, he looked back toward the arena. Heinkel had never mentioned anything about involving a demon lord in battle.
Sianor shook his head, irritation clear on his face. "No, he didn’t. And that’s exactly what makes this situation even more frustrating."
A few steps behind them, Dahlia began walking forward, arms crossed.
"I understand," she said calmly, "but getting angry won’t help. We don’t even know how far this will go yet, do we?"
Floren clicked his tongue, glancing at her. "It’s easy to say that while just watching, but are you really okay with this, Dahlia?"
He flicked his closed fan toward the arena. "Rachel, a member of your God Gym, is the one down there. Shouldn’t you be the most worried?"
Sianor nodded and didn’t respond immediately and waited for what Dahlia was going to say.
Dahlia exhaled softly.
"I know," she admitted, "but what can we actually do? From the very beginning... there weren’t any rules against this, were there?"
She gestured toward the arena. "The only rule is that the fight continues until one side surrenders or can no longer go on."
She shrugged. "There’s nothing that says a demon lord can’t participate."
Sianor sighed, still uneasy. "That’s true, but... we don’t even know how powerful a demon lord really is. And..."
His words trailed off as he turned back to the arena. Heinkel was bowing to the figure before him.
That alone spoke volumes. Whoever stood there had to be incredibly powerful.
Dahlia followed his gaze, then looked back at him.
"Maybe," she said, "but don’t underestimate Rachel either. And besides..."
She paused briefly before continuing, her voice steady. "My master hasn’t arrived yet. You both know how powerful he is, don’t you?"
Sianor and Floren exchanged a glance before letting out a quiet sigh.
Floren tilted his head slightly. "Yeah, we know. But still... how long is Garion going to take? That’s assuming he even succeeds in his cultivation."
Sianor nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Dahlia, we can’t rely on him showing up in time to save her."
Dahlia sighed, but her expression remained steady. "I know. That’s why... if Rachel starts to lose, I’ll step in and help her directly."
She turned her gaze to Sianor. "And this time, the opponent is a genuine demon. That gives you the advantage."
Her voice grew firmer. "If things really go bad, it’ll be much easier for us to intervene."
Sianor nodded, a faint grin forming. "Yeah... unlike Heinkel, this one won’t be able to block my anti-demon abilities."
His eyes flicked back to the arena. "And since he’s a true demon lord, my skills should work perfectly on him."
Floren let out a low chuckle. "So... we’re breaking the rules now?"
Sianor laughed lightly. "There were never any rules about helping a contestant from being killed, were there?"
Floren smirked. "Fair point."
Dahlia nodded, turning her attention back to the arena.
"For now, let’s stay ready and keep watching. We move the moment the situation goes bad."
---
The moment Rachel stepped into his range, Haron moved, faster than thought itself.
His claw shot forward, aimed straight at her. Not to kill, but to seize.
Rachel twisted sharply, her body turning sideways just as his claw grazed past her shoulder, sending a ripple through the air.
She slid back a step, never breaking eye contact.
Haron chuckled, clearly amused, as he began to circle her at a slow, deliberate pace.
His gaze lingered, dragging over her form with unsettling intent.
"You’ve got impressive reflexes, woman," he said. "But you don’t need to be so tense. I’m not here to kill you."
Rachel didn’t relax. If anything, her stance lowered further, more grounded, and more ready.
"Yeah," she replied coldly, "that’s exactly the problem."
Haron laughed again, louder this time.
"You misunderstand," he said. "I already told you... you’re strong. Strong enough to interest me."
His grin widened. "Fight me. Struggle a little... and then you’ll understand just how futile it is to resist."
He slowly curled his claw inward. "After that... you’ll come with me willingly."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Oh, that would be very entertaining."
Rachel’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "You really talk too much, you furball."
Before Haron could respond, she moved.
In a blink, she closed the distance between them, too fast to track and too sudden to anticipate.
Her hand shot forward, not aiming for a heavy strike, but for something far more precise... and deliberately humiliating.
She twisted her body slightly as she stepped in.
Haron had already braced himself, ready to demonstrate the overwhelming gap between them... but Rachel never struck.
Instead, she pinched his cheek. Hard.
For a split second, everything froze.
Haron’s body locked, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.
Before he could react, Rachel pivoted sharply on her heel and drove a clean, direct kick into his torso.
The impact sent him staggering back, his footing breaking as the force rippled through him.
Rachel landed lightly, already resetting into her stance, her posture relaxed but ready.
"Heh... how’s that?" she said, grinning. "What does it feel like to get pinched like an idiot?"
Haron didn’t move.
Slowly, almost mechanically, his claw rose to his cheek.
Then a low growl rumbled out of him, not laughter this time. "You..."
The air around him trembled.
Pressure surged outward in a violent wave, cracking the ground beneath his feet and sending debris skidding across the arena.
His eyes burned with fury.
"I have fought countless battles," he said, his voice dropping into something darker. "Crushed warriors... broken champions."
He stepped forward, the ground cracking beneath his foot. "None of them ever managed to hurt me."
A low growl rumbled from his chest as his claws flexed, tension coiling through his frame. "But you..."
His eyes sharpened, locking onto Rachel with a predatory intensity. "You actually made me feel pain."
For a brief moment, something dangerous flickered behind his gaze, something colder than anger. "You can’t be my lioness anymore."
A pause. "So now... you’re prey."
Rachel exhaled slowly, steadying her breathing against the crushing pressure bearing down on her.
Her posture remained firm. Unyielding.
"Good," she said, her voice calm but edged with defiance.
A faint, fearless smile tugged at her lips. "Then I’ll just do it again."