*** Victor's downfall
After grabbing some much-needed coffee, I gathered my team and called the Saviors over.
This time, we were meeting at the NAA.
On my turf.
"Lovely lady, I'm so touched you'd go out of your way just to spend time with me," Victor crooned the second he and his groupies stepped through the doors.
Ugh. Does he not realize we're in public? I can practically hear everyone nearby cringing.
Let's just get this over with.
"Good… seeing you again, Victor," I say, forcing each word past my teeth. Gotta sell the act. "Shall we head to the realm?"
"Of course, my lady. I would follow you anywhere," he says, offering me his hand. And I can feel it—the nauseating charm magic oozing off his appendage.
Ugh. I hate him.
So much.
But I take it anyway.
Everyone links up, and I transfer the whole group to the Bloody Valley.
"So what's the plan, my charming lady?" Victor asks, still holding my hand.
The plan? Let go of me. And stop staring at my chest.
Geez! Should I just deck him now?
I glance at his party—around a dozen heavily armed awakened.
Against me, Val, Jess, and Fie…
Yeah. Not great odds.
"I'll scout for an orc stronghold," I say, pulling my hand free.
I really should've brought disinfectant.
"Of course. I shall await your return," Victor sings.
I ignore him and take to the air.
It doesn't take long to find the target—a large orc settlement, with a massive statue of a winged, busty lady at the center.
…Okay.
That's promising.
I fly back and guide everyone to the fortress.
"So, my lady," Victor asks as we approach, "what is your plan?"
Yeah. This is the tricky part.
I glance back at my team. Jess nods, Val grasps her staff tightly, and Fie holds her breath.
I'll take that as the good-to-go signal.
"We'll prepare the stage for you," I tell Victor.
The grin he shoots back makes my skin crawl. For a second, I almost scrap the plan and punch that smug look right off his face.
Not yet, Jax. Not yet.
The Happy Go-Getters and I march up to the fortress gates.
"You really think this will work?" Fie whispers.
…We're about to find out.
I plant myself in front of the gate and shout, "Hey, orcs! Open up!"
I doubt they understand a word of English—
But the massive gates creak open anyway.
"Gruga!" they roar in what sounds like welcome.
I smile.
Oh yeah. This is going to work.
The orcs pour out of their fortress to greet me—even their leader, a towering brute covered in tattoos, his fists wrapped in what looks like old boxing tape.
I catch Victor flinching at the mere sight of him. Guess he hasn't forgotten his last run-in with such an orc.
Perfect.
The orcs spread out into a semicircle, pounding their chests, the heavy thuds echoing with anticipation. Every one of them itching for a fight, eager to prove their strength in the usual challenge.
Man, I love these guys.
I raise my fists overhead, and the noise dies instantly.
"Grundaha!" I shout.
But the challenge isn't for them.
It's for Victor.
The reaction is immediate—confused grunts. A few of them look downright offended that some nobody just stole their shot at me.
"My lady? What's going on?" Victor calls from way in the back.
I grin.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
"Just giving you what you want!" I shout back, summoning my EXP idol and lifting it high for everyone to see. "This is what you're after, right?"
I pass the idol to the warlock—they usually officiate these things.
He seems to get it. Raises the idol overhead and bellows something in Orcish.
Even without understanding the words, it's obvious: the challenge has been declared, and the prize set. Does the challenger accept?
Every orc turns to stare at Victor.
"W-what did you do?" he asks, suddenly uneasy under the weight of their attention.
I smirk.
What? I thought he loved the spotlight.
"I issued a challenge," I say. "Beat me in a one-on-one duel, and the prize is yours." I point at the idol. "Winner takes it."
His eyes dart between the idol and the ring of silent orcs.
"Oh, don't worry about them," I add casually. "They won't interfere…"
I let the pause hang.
"…as long as you honor the duel."
This is it. Will he take the bait?
He doesn't really have a choice. His ego would never let him flee, and not even he would want to pick an all-out fight with my team and an army of orcs at the same time.
"…My lady," Victor begins, putting on that syrupy voice, "there's no need to go through all this trouble just to prove yourself to me—"
Oh, please.
Trying to talk your way out?
"I'm not doing this for you," I cut in flatly. "I just want to punch the bastard who's been spamming charm magic on me this whole time."
His face twitches at the words charm magic.
I grin. "You thought I wouldn't notice?"
That does it.
He yanks out his sword and levels it at me.
The orcs take that as a clear response that the challenge has been accepted.
They erupt into deafening cheers.
"Kick his ass!!!"
…And Val too, apparently.
I tune her out.
This is it. No more pretending to tolerate that creep's presence.
I summon the Goblin King's crown and settle it onto my head.
"Fair warning," I mutter, cracking my knuckles. "This is going to hurt you… A lot."
Then I launch forward, overpower cranked to 100%, and the crown's speed boost activated all at once.
Before Victor can even blink, I'm right in front of him—a two-meter wall of muscle driving a fist straight at the smug face he's so proud of—
Bang!
My punch slams into something solid.
An invisible wall.
"T-that's quite the look you've got," he stammers, forcing a grin. "But you won't be breaking my defenses. Why not surrender, and I'll go easy on you—"
He keeps talking, but—
"Hahaha!"
I burst out laughing, tuning out whatever nonsense he's spewing.
My drain skill is working.
Just by touching his barrier, I'm siphoning his magic, and this idiot hasn't even realized it.
Which means…
I crank Overpower higher.
150%. My muscles swell even larger. 175. Victor shuts up. 200%! Magic leaks from my body like steam from a boiler, but I don't care. Drain keeps refilling me as fast as I burn through it.
"W-wha… what are you?" Victor stutters.
He actually sounds scared.
Good.
He should be.
I pull back my fist and hammer the barrier with so much force, it doesn't just crack; the impact causes Victor to stumble back a step.
The color drains from his face.
I grin.
What? Not so confident anymore?
"Sword Slash!" he yells, panicking. Blades of energy fire wildly in every direction.
Guess he's done flirting. Thank gods. I was sick of the chatter.
With the crown boosting my speed, I sidestep the attacks like they're nothing.
"Cross Slash!"
Another flurry—just as easy to avoid.
Does he seriously have to announce every move? Who even does that in a real fight?
I duck under one swing and slam my fist into the barrier again.
More cracks spiderweb across the surface.
That got Victor to panic.
"Explosion!" He shouts, raising his sword to the air.
This one I can't dodge.
A massive explosion erupts around Victor, blasting everything in sight.
The shockwave hurls me backward, dust and debris swallowing the battlefield.
When it settles, I get back up on my feet.
That was a solid hit; I'll give him that.
But too bad, Victor.
Area attacks aren't going to do much to me—not with overpower cranked up to 200% and my gear boosting my defenses.
Victor realizes this and panics. I see it in his eyes—that telltale look when someone's brain locks up and starts looping—
Oh crap! The spell—
"E-Explo—" Victor's already casting it again.
Oh no, you don't.
I dash forward and slam my shoulder into the invisible barrier. Years of busting down doors come back to mind as the shield shatters.
Victor freezes.
I don't.
I grab the bastard by the head and smash him into the ground as hard as I can.
But—
Something's wrong.
The impact isn't clean.
Damn it. There's another layer. A second barrier wrapped tight around his body.
How many defensive skills did this guy stack on himself?
"Let go of me!" he screams, trying to pry my hand off.
Try all you want, pipsqueak. You're not getting free that easily—
Fire engulfs his body.
Another skill?
Fire armor?
What, is he trying to cook my hand off so I'll let go?
Like hell that'll work.
I tighten my grip and slam him down again. And again.
His barrier holds, but I broke one before.
I'll break this one too.
"Atomic blast!"
The blast detonates point-blank and sends me flying.
Another skill… How many does he have?
"You should have taken my offer to surrender!" Victor shouts, getting back up on his feet. "Now I'm going all out!"
Oh, please. You've been going all out since the start.
Though…
I'll admit, that last hit had some bite.
Maybe I underestimated—
He's recasting his protection spells.
Like, seriously?
All that talk about getting serious, and you just turtle up again?
Fine.
You want to turn this into a battle of endurance?
I can do that.
I spring back to my feet and charge, driving my fist into the invisible barrier with crushing force. It splinters with cracks but somehow holds… for now.
Victor scrambles, firing off skill after skill like a man mashing buttons.
It's pathetic.
He leans on his abilities way too much. No fundamentals. No composure. Not even worth fighting.
Good thing he's got such a punchable face, or I'd already be bored.
I duck under another spell—lightning this time. At least he's got some variety.
I punch the barrier, dash away, and repeat.
Victor can barely keep up. He swings wildly, launches spells in panic—anything to keep me back—while his defenses fracture a little more with every hit.
Honestly… it feels like I'm bullying a weakling.
But then I remember the way he kept staring at my chest. The constant charm magic. That slimy grin. The way he called me "my lady." My lady! Like I belong to him.
Yeah. No.
I'm not bullying him.
I'm going to utterly destroy him.
Just as soon as I break through those stupid defenses—
A notification flashes in my mind.
Mastery of skill: Overpower increased.
Mastery?
Before I can even process it, I feel it.
The strain on my body… easing.
I start laughing.
"Hahaha!"
Perfect timing. Skill mastery reduces the burden—
You know what? Forget the explanation.
All that matters is this:
I can push overpower higher.
My muscles expand. 250%. Power floods my limbs. 275%. Victor stumbles back, fear plain on his face. 300%. Heat pours off me. I'm not just strong anymore. I'm a damn nuclear reactor!
I grin at him.
"Hey, Victor… what was it you kept calling me?"
"M–my lady?" he squeaks.
That's it.
I lunge.