Execution

More and more people rose to cast their votes.

The vast majority gave a thumbs-up, indicating that the Tark Family's young heirs should be allowed to live.

In truth, most of them wanted the brats to die in a more spectacular, more visually striking fashion.

That was just how people were when watching a spectacle—they never minded things getting bigger.

But the Tark Family's descendants were nobles among nobles. No noble or well-off commoner dared rise and give a thumbs-down, condemning the young Tarks to death.

Then, after everyone with voting rights had stood and raised their thumbs, something instantly tallied the results. Maggot Eye received the outcome and announced, "Tar..."

The moment Maggot Eye uttered its first syllable, Qin Xa stepped forward, drew a deep breath, and opened his mouth to say something.

But Oeno immediately stopped him. "If we go against the audience's wishes, we'll suffer absolute punishment... You still have a chance to lead the others... You can't die here."

"Did you hear what Maggot Eye just said?" Qin Xa asked. "I suspect these little bastards' patriarch uncle wants them dead... Some kind of noble infighting. Trust me, we can kill them today without paying any price."

Oeno considered this for two seconds. On one hand, he did not think he could change Qin Xa's mind or decision. On the other, he felt Qin Xa was probably right, so he did not interfere further.

"The Tark Family's gladiatorial team, the Plebeian Butchers," Maggot Eye announced. "Following a vote by all spectators, the team has been granted permission to leave the Arena alive with a one hundred percent approval rate! Let's hope they weren't scared witless and will try harder next time."

The Golden Armor Knights erupted into cheers.

When the host mentioned their uncle, their hearts had sunk halfway to the bottom.

But they could still survive.

That was the confidence nobles had when participating in gladiatorial combat. On one hand, technology ensured they would not die. On the other, the Arena would let them live, simply because...

Squelch—

The sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh rang out.

The Golden Armor Knight felt searing pain erupt from his back. He froze for a moment, then lowered his head to look at his chest.

A long spear had pierced straight through it.

Qin Xa gripped the long spear in one hand, lifted the Golden Armor Knight impaled on its tip, then flung him away.

Angron leaped into the air and roared, smashing the Golden Armor Knight hurled toward him into the Red Sand with both fists. Then he punched again and again, until he had beaten the golden armor and the person inside it into scattered ruin with his bare hands.

The Arena suddenly fell silent.

Everyone's stunned gazes focused on Qin Xa, the one who had struck first.

Qin Xa held his right hand high, his thumb pointed downward.

That was the gesture used to sentence a Gladiator to death, though by the rules, he had no authority to decide another's fate.

"Well, it seems our new Gladiator has a different opinion." Maggot Eye floated in the air, its electronic observer glowing red as though watching coldly from the sidelines.

The death of one Golden Armor Knight pushed the remaining few from the brink of collapse into utter breakdown.

They let out shrill wails and sprinted toward the gate on the other side of the Arena, the one that did not lead to the caves, even though some of them had died absurdly close to the stands the first time.

"Make them stay," Qin Xa told Angron.

Angron nodded, glanced around, then picked up the swords, Long Spears, and other weapons used by the Servant Knights. In short, he gathered anything that could be thrown.

The primarch stood there holding those objects, watching the fleeing Golden Armor Knights with a trace of hesitation in his eyes.

Whenever he killed someone, he felt that person's pain. Yet there was only the slightest hesitation in his gaze, because the hatred the Gladiators present felt toward those Golden Armor Knights made him want to kill them as quickly as possible.

Angron threw a sword.

Amid a Golden Armor Knight's scream, the sword pinned the unlucky man's leg to the ground.

Then came the second Golden Armor Knight, the third... until all four survivors had their legs nailed down and could no longer move.

Angron looked toward Qin Xa.

From the best possible angle, Maggot Eye gave Qin Xa a close-up. Its audio equipment began isolating and collecting Qin Xa's voice.

Frost spread across the Red Sand.

Angron walked toward Qin Xa, only to find that every time he lifted a foot, it brought up fragments of ice.

"Why do they get to live?" Qin Xa coldly glanced at the four Golden Armor Knights whose legs were pinned to the ground. They were in so much pain that they did not even dare struggle, leaving them only able to howl.

Maggot Eye broadcast Qin Xa's voice, making it echo through the Arena.

Someone had clearly instructed the host controlling the device.

"You wanted to see cruelty."

"You wanted to see the Gladiators slaughtered one after another by these bastards, then watch a few little shits who came here to play stand atop the corpses, raise the Gladiators' heads, and bask in the glory they believed they had won with their own hands amid your halfhearted cheers."

"But things are different now. The ones who will die in this fight will not be any of us Gladiators, but these bastards who claimed they would butcher us commoners."

As Qin Xa spoke, he locked onto the four Golden Armor Knights with his psychic power.

This was not a battle, and Qin Xa did not need to rapidly strip the four men of their fighting ability, so he did not have to act as hastily as before.

"I'm not good at stirring speeches. I'm only good at stating facts."

Qin Xa raised both hands, his palms about to overlap one above the other.

When he felt the timing was right and the psychic power he had gathered was sufficient, he abruptly clapped his palms together.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Four dull explosions rang out.

All four Golden Armor Knights' heads exploded. At the same instant, they toppled onto the Red Sand in different directions.

The Arena remained silent for several seconds. The audience thought it was spectacular, but they did not dare stand and applaud or cheer. One after another, they resembled "professionals" holding back laughter—people who would never laugh aloud in an inappropriate setting.

"I declare that all Gladiators are sentenced to death!" The Golden Armor Knights' parents rose from the stands and roared through some kind of amplification device.

"I'm sorry, but that is against the rules." After filming the execution from the best angle, Maggot Eye flew into the air and reached the edge of the Arena's combat area.

The host no longer sounded flippant or mocking. His voice was grave.

"Mr. Eron Tark, the gladiatorial match may be suspended for now. You may go to the VIP section and speak with your brother."

"If he also agrees to execute all the Gladiators, I will immediately press the execution button. Every one of these people will be reduced to ash."

"But the condition—the condition is that you obtain your brother's permission."

Hearing that, Eron Tark was like a fire doused by a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguished.

"Just and fair gladiatorial combat—this is what the Tark Patriarch wishes to present to every Nucerian." Maggot Eye circled the Arena, its proclamation reaching everyone's ears. "As for the reason..."

Backstage, the host controlling Maggot Eye pressed the playback button and broadcast the Tark Patriarch's exact words, delivered by the Patriarch's Vox-Slave.

"Because this is an Arena, not some fucking noble amusement park! Want to come in here and die? Fine! But you can't enter the Arena like you did when my father was in power, slaughter Gladiators armed with broken swords using advanced weapons and equipment, then stroll away without even giving the Nucerians a match with the slightest twist!"

After playing the Patriarch's words, the host opened the gate leading to the caves. "Thank the Gladiators for their splendid performance. The match is now over, and the victors should rest."

The match was over. The Gladiators should return to the caves.

Qin Xa looked at the Golden Armor Knights' parents in the stands, tapped his head, then gave a cold laugh before turning and returning to their quarters with the other Gladiators.