Roaring Heroes Battle the Overlord (Ainz) - Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 200)

Chapter 84: Yaso

In the center of the arena, the open ground was covered with a thick layer of heavy yellow sand. The two fighters circled each other on the sand, their footsteps tracing a counterclockwise spiral pattern in the grains.

"Wind Blade" Yaso drew his long sword and launched the first attack, his movements graceful and agile. He stepped forward and slashed at "Iron Blood Hand" Deus.

Deus swung his double-bladed battle axe to block, then his muscular arms drove the long-handled axe in a fierce chop toward Yaso, the force terrifying. But Yaso had already lightly stepped away, and the axe cleaved through empty air.

Yaso lived up to his "Wind Blade" name, his form as swift as the wind, his sword blade circling Deus and slashing from all sides.

The burly Deus was worn out from trying to keep up, his battle axe swinging wide and powerful, but not once could he land a hit on Yaso. Luckily, he wore a suit of fine armor, with vital spots wrapped in steel, so he wasn't gutted open by Yaso.

"I've said it before, Yaso will toy with this big oaf a bit more, and once he's worn out, that's when he'll finish him off." Barrett looked relaxed. When he placed his bet, he noticed Yaso had better odds, and most gamblers chose to put their money on "Wind Blade" to win.

The announcer's hoarse voice was boosted by magical amplification, his tone high and full of passion as he commentated the fight live. The arena's walls echoed with his wheezing bellows-like sound, just barely drowning out the crowd's noise.

"As most veteran fans expected, Yaso's martial arts are as slippery as an eel—Deus just can't keep up with his pace!"

"Deus's breastplate joints have been shredded! Whoa! Yaso's sword work isn't just fast, it's plenty sharp too! I hear that gleaming cold sword in his hand is a treasure dug up from the Eight Greed Kings' desert!"

"Yaso surges forward with a stepping slash! Has he spotted a weak point? He's about to unleash his signature move—Gale Breath-Severing Slash!"

"My goodness! Yaso actually swung and missed! Deus dodged his raging sword gust!"

"Beautiful counter! Deus finally gets a shot to unleash his martial arts—his long axe hooks Yaso right in!"

"Oh no! Yaso's leg got nicked by the battle axe! Blood's spraying everywhere! Is 'Wind Blade' stuck?"

"One slash! Two slashes! Three slashes! Smooth combo! The scales have tipped back! Deus is pulling out his ultimate martial art! His body's wrapped in bloody glow, leaping slash right to the face!"

"Whoa! Yaso's sword got hacked in two—he's down on the ground, dropping his blade in surrender! How's our Iron Blood Hand gonna handle this pleading loser?"

Boos erupted from the stands, with plenty of spectators jumping to their feet, fists out, thumbs pressing down.

Deus swung his battle axe threateningly a couple times, then hoisted the double-bladed weapon onto his shoulder and turned to leave. Yaso crawled a few steps to grab his broken sword, then slunk away in disgrace.

"Okay..." The announcer's voice, ragged like a busted drum, carried a hint of regret. "They're not gladiators battling to the death—just fighters competing for the next promotion slot to Warrior Captain."

"So now I declare! The winner is—Deus Lefia!"

Cheers roared like a tidal wave from one side of the crowd, while the other erupted in curses, jeers, spitting, and all sorts of filthy language rising and falling.

"Hmph!" EeDechi shot Barrett a glance, smug as she said, "Ignore the wisdom of your elders, and you'll regret it soon enough! Gambling—it destroys everyone it touches."

Barrett hung his head, burying his face in his hands, his heart aching like it was bleeding. He'd bet 40 gold coins, and they were gone in a flash. He couldn't shake the feeling that something about this fight felt off, but he couldn't pinpoint what—anyway, his money had vanished for real.

"After a short break, the next match is the genius swordsman serving the Golden Princess—Brain Unglaus! Versus the elite warrior from Virol County, of the Weting family—Caro Weting! Let's keep our eyes peeled and see what happens!"

The announcer's laughter grated like sandpaper on gravel. "Hurry up if you're placing bets! But I bet most of you will put your money on Brain, hahahaha!"

...

Thud! In the center of the arena on the sandy ground, a muscular warrior's body slumped down, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand. The warhammer in his hand was snapped in two, and not far away, a blue-haired swordsman slowly steadied his breathing, sheathing his long sword.

"Beautiful! As always, Brain wins the match again! No wonder he's the hottest of the hot favorites—the only one who could really go toe-to-toe with him is probably that other super favorite, Schroeve." The announcer shouted himself hoarse.

In the stands, EeDechi crossed her legs casually and commented, "Brain's gotten a lot stronger in a short time. I wonder how he pulled that off."

Barrett still wore that pained look on his face. He guessed, "Maybe he's fired up, wants to catch up to you, so he's been training like mad."

"Catch up to me?" EeDechi looked puzzled. "What for? I can tell his physical build hasn't improved much—it must be some rare high-tier gear he's wearing that's cranked up his fighting power big time."

Barrett gazed at the solitary, proud silhouette of the blue-haired swordsman in the arena, shook his head, and let out a sigh.

After a few more matches wrapped up, the promotion spots for tomorrow were settled. As the sun dipped low, the arena was about to shut its gates, and the four adventurers filed out with the bustling crowd.

"Bleeding money today, huh? How much did you lose?" Sean asked Barrett in a low voice.

"40 gold coins." Barrett still looked down in the dumps; he wasn't a gambling addict, but this was the first time he'd misjudged something so badly. He never expected his once-mighty teammate "Wind Blade" Yaso Abel to drop the ball at the crucial moment.

"Don't beat yourself up—money's only worth something when you spend it," Sean comforted him. "Like the old saying goes, a miser's hoard of gold in the cellar is no different from dirt. Let's go grab a drink and drown our sorrows."

"Still want to drink?" EeDechi, walking ahead, said coldly. "He brought this on himself!"

EeDechi rarely got the chance to lecture the veteran adventurer Barrett, so naturally, she unleashed a barrage of merciless mockery.

"Captain, don't be so sharp-tongued—he was miserable enough already." Stella chimed in from the side. The young cleric, probably from spending years in the temple, had a much softer heart than EeDechi.

The group crossed several streets and spotted a quieter tavern, so the four turned in. Pushing open the oak door, as soon as they entered, Barrett bumped right into a young man wearing a leather hat.

The young man lifted the brim of his leather hat slightly; there was a long, narrow scar crossing the bridge of his nose, and his eyes shone brightly.

"Barrett!" The young man saw Barrett's face clearly and exclaimed.

"Yaso!" Barrett also recognized the face under the young man's hat brim—the face he'd seen from afar in the arena, none other than "Wind Blade" Yaso Abel.

"Old buddy!" The two long-lost adventurers shouted excitedly, opening their arms and embracing tightly in the tavern.

Then Barrett grabbed Yaso by the neck and lifted him up.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Yaso, feet off the ground, pressed his leather hat down firmly to cover his face. "Is it this exciting right from the start? I don't remember that being a team custom."

"You little punk," Barrett set him down and growled viciously in his ear. "Did you feed your martial arts to the dogs? Where was your Gale Slash? Your Wind Barrier? I trusted you today, bet 40 gold on you, and now it's all gone!"

"Okay, okay, old friend, this is totally my bad. I'll explain everything inside." Yaso grinned sheepishly, pointing to a private room in the tavern. The four adventurers, full of suspicion, followed him over.