[101]
The employee wore a disgruntled expression.
‘All sorts of mongrels rolling in these days. Good grief.’
He clicked his tongue, scratched the back of his head, and then handed over a document.
“What’s this?”
One of Yuri’s eyebrows rose slightly.
“A waiver.”
The employee continued in a businesslike manner.
“It states that you agree the arena bears no responsibility if you’re injured or killed during the match.”
Yuri silently tugged on the leash.
Chris, transformed into a wolf on all fours, looked up at Yuri’s hand.
The knuckles of his fingers gripping the chain stood out white.
Though he didn’t show it openly, he seemed displeased.
‘I probably wouldn’t have noticed normally.’
Thanks to his dramatically lowered eye level, Chris could now see things he wouldn’t have noticed before.
It felt strange.
“Come now, Chris.”
Yuri called to Chris in a subdued voice.
“Do what you need to do.”
The employee tactfully placed the inkpad on the floor. The silver wolf brought his front paw to it and pressed his pawprint onto the waiver.
“It’s my first time seeing an animal paw stamp instead of a human’s—I wonder if this is even legally binding,” the employee muttered, scratching his head.
“Why wouldn’t it be? It’s not like he can escape once he’s thrown into the Colosseum anyway.”
Yuri replied coldly, then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and dropped it on the floor.
“Wipe your paw. Before you dirty my shoes.”
Chris obediently rubbed his paw on the soft cloth.
But such a brief cleaning couldn’t possibly remove all the red ink stuck in his fur.
Yuri let out an audible sigh, seemingly directed at the employee rather than Chris.
The employee cleared his throat and spoke up.
“You’ll start with practice matches first. After that, you can participate in the main league.”
“Practice matches?”
“Well. Simple stuff like killing a few beasts and dodging some obstacles… We need to assess your skill level.”
“So he could die.”
Yuri’s voice carried a quiet sarcasm as he added, “I see why you started with the waiver.”
“Look. This is a place where people kill or get killed. If you can’t even survive the practice match, you’re better off going home.”
The employee, seemingly taken aback, hurriedly explained.
“Besides, we’re short on participants, so the practice matches aren’t even that difficult.”
Yuri silently watched as his counterpart shrugged with a casual attitude.
When no response came, the arena employee finally raised the white flag.
“So, what’s your name?”
Yuri answered the question without hesitation.
“John Doe.”
The employee paused with his pen, then grumbled as he spelled out the name.
“Not very creative with your alias.”
“When you’ve changed names more than once or twice, it becomes tiresome to come up with inspired aliases every time.”
“…Whatever.”
The employee wrinkled his nose.
“Just be careful. Using such an obvious alias means you might overlap with someone else.”
It was an attempt to create an eerie atmosphere, but Yuri’s face showed not the slightest trace of concern.
“We need to decide on an alias for this one too.”
The man pointed at Chris with the end of his pen.
Even knowing he was human, the wolf form made direct conversation awkward, causing him to address the master instead.
“How about Wolf?”
“Direct and fitting.”
Yuri answered in a soulless tone.
The employee took this as agreement and busily moved his pen.
‘I suppose someone who uses such an uninspired alias himself wouldn’t care what name is given to a mere collateral thrown into a fighting pit.’
While it was rare for someone to bring an Esper as collateral, it wasn’t unheard of.
“So, where do these practice matches take place?”
The employee opened a drawer and pulled out a pamphlet, handing it to Yuri.
“Here’s a map.”
Yuri’s eyebrow lifted slightly at how easily he was given the arena’s internal map.
“It only shows one floor.”
Just the floor they were currently on.
“Well, you need to do better if you want to access the underground levels.”
‘I should have known.’
It was unlikely they’d give a map of the key locations to a newcomer who’d just arrived today.
Yuri pocketed the pamphlet.
It wouldn’t be much fun if it was too easy anyway.
“Well, good luck surviving,” the employee sneered, waving his hand.
Yuri half-bent down to unchain the leash wrapped around Chris’s neck.
“Attack.”
At those words, Chris lunged forward.
“Hee, hiiik!”
The employee backed away as the enormous wolf—large enough to overpower most grown men—pounced toward him.
His chair caught on his backside as he sat down, and with a crack, the chair leg broke.
The employee’s body tumbled ungracefully to the floor.
“My, we’ll need a new chair.”
Yuri curled up the corners of his mouth.
The wolf had only raised his two front paws threateningly but hadn’t actually pounced on the employee.
From the moment Yuri said “Attack,” Chris had understood what he wanted.
While pretending to pounce, he had used his telekinesis to break the chair leg.
So it would collapse the moment the fleeing man leaned his weight on it.
“G-get out,” the employee gasped, overcome by overwhelming fear.
“Get out now!”
His bellowing seemed less like genuine anger and more like a desperate attempt to swallow his own fear.
“Until we meet again.”
Yuri bid farewell in a courteous tone and gestured to Chris.
The motion with which he reattached the chain to the silver wolf’s collar was quite gentle.
“Well done.”
After the door closed, Yuri offered quiet praise. Chris silently rubbed his head slightly against Yuri’s leg and then moved on.
“I’d like to wash your paws first.”
Yuri wrinkled his nose slightly.
“But we’d better get through the practice match first.”
The massive wolf nodded.
“Don’t act too docile.”
Yuri whispered in a gentle voice.
“Act more submissive. Like you’re constantly watching for cues.”
Chris’s tail bristled slightly.
“If you act so loyal… everyone might get suspicious.”
There was some logic in the whisper that came through barely moving lips.
“…Since your precious Guide is being held as collateral.”
Yuri stroked the wolf’s head.
Chris lowered his eyes at the sensation of the cool hand burrowing into his fur.
Honestly, being called too loyal was confusing.
But the last sentence gave him some insight.
‘So… if I imagine Yuri has been kidnapped and is being threatened…’
In that moment, Yuri pressed down firmly on Chris’s head.
“I didn’t tell you to show killing intent.”
Guiding flowed from his hand into Chris.
Chris snapped back to his senses.
He had lost his rationality just from imagining Yuri as a hostage.
He hadn’t even realized he’d summoned his power.
“Kiiing. Nnng….”
Unable to communicate properly due to his transformation, he whined apologetically.
Yuri looked down at Chris silently before ruffling his head, somewhat roughly.
“I’m not one to judge. I keep letting my guard down too….”
Yuri clicked his tongue.
He’d never considered himself particularly fond of animals.
Not only did they shed fur, but demanding that non-human creatures accommodate his fastidious nature would be insanity.
Besides, wasn’t he already keeping one dog that walked on two legs?
If the new beast started a territorial dispute, it would be a real headache.
‘No. It would be more unpleasant if they became friends.’
The mere thought of a tender, gentle scene made Yuri furrow his brow.
Chris was weak for small, fragile things.
The problem was that in his eyes, most things in this world were small and fragile. So how much would he adore a furry creature?
“The practice matches are held this way. Let’s go.”
Yuri straightened up and pulled the chain with an imperious attitude.
‘Is this how I should act?’
Chris stiffened slightly before following Yuri with his head drooping low.
A glance at Yuri’s profile showed no sign of reproach, just a blank expression.
Apparently he was doing well enough.
As they moved along the circular corridor, cold lighting seemed to settle on the nape of their necks.
There were surveillance cameras at every corner.
Chris advanced while gauging how many he could destroy simultaneously with his telekinesis.
Meanwhile, Yuri observed the people passing through the corridor.
‘This floor seems to be exclusively for preliminary contestants and newly registered fighters.’
Yuri passed nonchalantly through crowds of visibly rough-looking individuals.
Silent eye battles and psychological warfare took place among them.
Some even bore fresh-looking bruises and gashes.
“Hey, newbie? I’ll crush you when we meet downstairs.”
One man even picked a fight with Yuri for no reason.
“Aren’t you pretty?”
Though disguised, Yuri had relatively delicate features. Perhaps because of this, some leered and flirted with him.
Whistles and curses were quite boisterous.
However, perhaps because of the large wolf he had with him, nobody approached too closely.
“I’d love to skin that fur and give it to my lover. I’ll give you the head as a special gift!”
Some, seemingly unwilling to admit they felt intimidated, deliberately targeted Chris. Each time, Chris quietly looked at them.
As if understanding exactly what was being said despite being a beast, his gaze made them retreat hesitantly and hide behind the crowd.
Chris didn’t bare his teeth.
There would surely be a chance to tear them apart later.
Finally, the man and wolf arrived in front of a rusty iron door.
At that moment, the door jerked open and a blood-covered person was thrown out.
On his ankle were beast bite marks, and on his back were wounds that looked like burns.
His terrified expression, eyes rolled back and trembling, was unsettling.
From beyond the door appeared the woman who had thrown the man out.
She snapped at the challenger in tattered clothes:
“Leave the riffraff at home and come back when you’ve grown a pair.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
