Chapter 408: The Causal Tie He Intended to Settle!
The audience's mockery grew louder and louder. That kind of pressure was enough to crush any competitor without a strong will.
However, Shinomiya Amane remained unmoved.
It was not because he possessed extraordinary resolve. He had simply grown used to this kind of ridicule.
Mockery and scorn had surrounded Amane for as long as he could remember. Because of that, the first skill he learned in life was how to mock others in return.
The shallow laughter coming from the stands could never shake him.
What truly shocked him was the fact that Luke had appeared in the arena.
"Why…"
"Why are you here?"
Amane's words immediately reached Luke's ears. His disbelief was almost exactly what Luke had expected.
Honestly, Luke could not summon even the slightest fighting spirit for this match.
Now that they stood this close together in the arena, the result had already been decided.
Amane was a complete amateur who had never trained. There was no chance he could withstand even one strike from Luke.
His ability was indeed powerful, but he still needed to consciously activate it.
Luke did not even need to use his full strength. With only a little effort, he could move faster than Amane could form a thought.
In the end, Shinomiya Amane was merely an ordinary person who happened to possess an overwhelming ability.
Unfortunately, Luke could not end this match cleanly and efficiently.
His goal was not to defeat Amane, but to teach this troublesome brat a lesson.
To phrase it more dramatically, Luke intended to settle this causal tie for Edelweiss.
Luke already planned to bring Edelweiss back to the Main God Space. Before inviting her, he needed to remove any lingering concerns from her heart.
Twin-Wings Edelweiss had very few attachments in this world. There were even fewer people or things that could truly be called bonds.
Amane, whom she had personally introduced to Rebellion but failed to save, barely counted as one.
He was also the only unresolved matter that might still worry her.
Luke was certain Edelweiss would not reject his invitation because of Amane, but she would inevitably feel some regret.
So, for his lover's peace of mind, Luke would have to spend a little extra effort and breath on this match.
Luke paused and searched within himself for the proper feeling.
Within two or three seconds, he completely recovered the terrible attitude and lawless personality he had learned from Fan Xinglu ten years ago.
The corner of his mouth rose into a contemptuous smile.
"Why wouldn't I be here?"
"Isn't it perfectly natural for a competitor to appear in the arena? Why are you so surprised?"
Amane opened his mouth but seemed unable to answer. Luke had no intention of letting him escape that easily.
Luke glanced at the referee before continuing.
"You're surprised I appeared, and you were even certain that I wouldn't."
"Heh. That means you interfered with something before the match, doesn't it?"
Luke's glance at the referee was not merely a hint. It was practically an open signal.
The referee immediately remembered his earlier suspicions and turned a sharp gaze toward Amane.
The referee's personal judgment could not justify disqualifying Amane, but a formal accusation from his opponent was different.
Now that the operating committee already suspected Amane, public pressure might be enough to revoke his qualification even without direct evidence.
The referee's enthusiastic cooperation surprised Luke.
He did not truly intend to force Amane out of the tournament. He merely wanted to intensify the conflict between them.
That was why Luke had handed the referee his empty bowl upon entering. He wanted to damage the man's impression of him so the referee would not show excessive favoritism.
But judging by the current situation…
Even while holding Luke's ramen bowl, the referee still intended to favor him.
'Just how unlikeable is this brat?'
Luke silently complained in his heart.
Still, he had to continue. He could not allow Amane to actually withdraw.
After all, Luke still intended to beat some sense into him.
"Oh? It seems the referee agrees with me."
"Your name was… Mm… Shinomiya Amane, right? I heard your title is Bad Luck. That name suits your current situation perfectly."
"Come to think of it, you're rather obsessed with Ikki, aren't you?"
"Tsk, tsk. This is terrible. You're about to be disqualified, so you'll never stand on the same stage as Ikki."
"Whatever your reasons or plans were, they've all failed."
"Mm… I'm starting to feel sorry for you. As expected of Bad Luck. What a miserable life."
"…"
The referee stared blankly at Luke.
As mentioned before, this referee was actually one of Luke's fans.
Luke's battle against Ouma yesterday had earned him the admiration of countless spectators, and the referee was among them.
Now, watching his idol expertly kick someone while they were down and unleash one mocking remark after another left him dumbfounded.
Amane, the target of those attacks, became so furious that his eyes turned red.
He did not care much about being disqualified. The Sword Art Festival itself had never meant anything to him.
However, just as Luke said, Amane was deeply obsessed with Ikki.
He desperately wanted to stand on the same stage as Ikki and personally destroy someone whose experiences resembled his own, yet whose life had taken a completely different path.
Even if that opportunity disappeared, Amane would normally feel no more than irritation.
What truly ignited his rage was the word "pity."
"You feel sorry for me… What gives you the right to pity me?"
"You're nothing but a pitiful insect whose fate is being toyed with by the gods. What right do you have to look down on me?"
"You damned…"
Suddenly, Amane's expression became calm.
At this moment, Luke had become even more irritating to him than Ikki.
So Amane made a decision.
"I intend to forfeit this match!"
The sudden declaration shocked everyone.
Normally, the audience should not have been able to hear Luke and Amane's conversation.
However, whether through Amane's ability or sheer coincidence, the referee increased the microphone's volume at that exact moment because of his shock.
As a result, Amane's voice clearly spread throughout the entire venue.
A faint sadness appeared on his face as he sighed.
"All of you believe I cheated."
"My ability can manipulate causality, so I suppose it's only natural that people would suspect me."
"I never did anything, but I know no one will believe someone like me."
"Even if I won, none of you would accept the result, would you?"
"So, to satisfy everyone…"
"I have decided to forfeit this match!"
…
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