Execution

More and more people began to stand up to voice their votes.

The vast majority raised their thumbs upward, signaling that the Tark Family's brats should live.

In truth, most of them just wanted the brats to die in a flashier, more visually impactful way.

That's just how it is when people love watching a spectacle without caring about the consequences.

But the Tark Family's offspring were nobles among nobles, and no noble or wealthy commoner dared to stand up and point their thumbs downward to condemn the little Tarks to death.

Then, after everyone with voting rights stood and raised their thumbs upward, something tallied the results in an instant. Maggot Eye received the outcome and announced, "Tar—"

Just as Maggot Eye uttered the first syllable, Qin Xa stepped forward, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to say something.

But Oeno immediately stopped him. "If we go against the audience's will, we'll face excommunication... You still have a chance to take others with you... You can't die here."

"Did you hear what Maggot Eye just said?" Qin Xa replied. "I suspect their uncle, the clan head, wants them dead... Noble infighting or something. Trust me, we can kill these bastards today without paying any price."

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

"The Tark Family's gladiator team, the Plebeian Butchers," Maggot Eye announced. "After a vote by all spectators, with a one-hundred-percent approval rate, this gladiator team is judged fit to leave the arena alive! Hope they don't get scared shitless and come back stronger next time."

The Golden Armor Knights erupted in cheers.

When the host mentioned their uncle, their hearts sank halfway.

But they could still survive now.

That was the confidence of nobles participating in gladiatorial combat. On one hand, technology ensured they wouldn't die. On the other, the arena would let them live, simply because—

Thud—

The sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh rang out.

Feeling a sharp pain in his back, the Golden Armor Knight was dazed for a moment before looking down at his chest.

A spear had pierced through from behind.

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

Angron leaped up, roaring as he slammed the Golden Armor Knight thrown at him into the Red Sand with both fists, then punched again and again until he had beaten the armor and the man inside to pieces with his bare hands.

The arena suddenly fell silent.

Everyone's stunned gazes fixed on Qin Xa, who had struck first.

Qin Xa raised his right hand high, his thumb pointing downward.

That was the gesture to sentence a gladiator to death, though by the rules, he had no authority to judge anyone's life or death.

"Well, it seems our new gladiator has a different opinion." Maggot Eye floated in the air, its electronic sensor emitting a red glow, as if watching coldly from the sidelines.

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

They let out piercing screams and sprinted toward another gate on the opposite side of the arena that didn't lead to the cave, even though some of them had died the first time at a spot absurdly close to the audience stands.

"Make them stay," Qin Xa said to Angron.

Angron nodded, scanned left and right, then picked up swords and spears from the ground that the Servant Knights had used—anything that could be thrown, he grabbed.

The Primarch stood there, clutching those items, watching the fleeing Golden Armor Knights with a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

He felt the pain of everyone he killed, but that hesitation was only slight, because the hatred the gladiators present held for those Golden Armor Knights made him want to slaughter them without delay.

Angron hurled a sword.

Accompanied by the Golden Armor Knight's scream, the sword pinned the unlucky bastard's leg to the ground.

Then the second Golden Armor Knight, the third... until the last four still alive were all pinned by their legs, unable to move.

Angron looked at Qin Xa.

Maggot Eye zoomed in on Qin Xa from the best filming angle, its sound receiver focusing to pick up his voice.

Frost spread across the Red Sand.

Angron walked toward Qin Xa and found that every time he lifted his foot, it brought up bits of crushed ice.

"Why do they get to live?" Qin Xa cast a cold glance at the four Golden Armor Knights, their legs nailed to the ground, too terrified to even struggle, only howling in pain.

Qin Xa's voice was broadcast by Maggot Eye, echoing through the arena.

Clearly, someone had instructed the host controlling that thing.

"You wanted to see cruelty."

"You wanted to watch gladiators get butchered one by one by these bastards, then have a few brats here for fun stand on the corpses, raise the gladiators' heads, and bask in the glory they think they earned themselves, while you cheer half-heartedly."

"But things are different now. In this fight, no one among us gladiators will die. Instead, it'll be these bastards who claimed they'd slaughter us plebeians."

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

This wasn't combat, and Qin Xa didn't need to take them down quickly, so he didn't have to rush like before.

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

Qin Xa raised both hands, his palms about to come together.

When he felt the timing was right and he had gathered enough psychic energy, he slammed his palms together.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.

Four dull thuds.

The heads of four Golden Armor Knights burst open, and at the same moment, their bodies toppled in different directions onto the Red Sand.

The arena fell silent for a few seconds. The audience found it thrilling, but they dared not stand and applaud. Instead, they sat like "professionals" holding back laughter, refusing to make a sound in an inappropriate setting.

"I sentence all gladiators to death!" The parents of the Golden Armor Knights rose from their seats in the stands, roaring through a voice-amplifying device.

"Sorry, but that's against the rules." Maggot Eye, having captured the execution from the perfect angle, flew to the edge of the arena's combat zone.

The host's voice had shed its frivolous, mocking tone, turning serious.

"Mr. Eron Tark, the match can be paused. You may go to the VIP section and speak with your brother."

"If he also agrees to execute all the gladiators, I will press the kill button immediately, and every one of them will be reduced to ash."

"But only—only if you obtain your brother's permission."

Hearing this, Eron Tark felt as if doused with cold water, his fury instantly extinguished.

"Fair and just combat—this is what the Tark Patriarch wishes to present to every citizen of Nuceria." Maggot Eye circled the arena, its broadcast reaching every ear. "As for the reason..."

The host, controlling Maggot Eye from backstage, pressed play, broadcasting the Tark Patriarch's own words relayed by his Vox-Slave.

"Because this is an arena, not a goddamn noble's playground! Want to barge in and die? Fine! But not like in my father's day, when they'd enter the arena with advanced weapons, slaughter gladiators armed with broken swords, and then swagger off without even giving Nuceria a match with a single twist!"

After playing the Patriarch's words, the host opened the gate to the cave: "Thank the gladiators for their splendid performance. The match is over. The victors should rest."

The match ended. The gladiators were to return to the cave.

Qin Xa looked up at the parents of the Golden Armor Knights in the stands, tapped his own head, and let out a cold laugh. Then he turned and followed the other gladiators back to their quarters.