🍁Nine Ancient Obelisks

"Well, of course, who would have doubted that everything would turn out exactly like this..." - Genza slumps into the chair, his fingernails gnawed down from hours of observation. Was it the Fire Thief's fault for ruining what was obviously an easy task? Probably not; more likely, it was his own shortsightedness as the appointed leader; he still has a long way to go before he reaches Aniki's wisdom and authority. From the very beginning, everything went wrong: starting with the landing on the border, continuing with Kami's disobedience, and now - betting on a buddy didn't pay off, although it could have saved the whole mission... If he had been gentler and more tactful, he might have shed a tear from one eye out of resentment, but he wasn't, so he found himself clenching and unclenching his fist, wanting to tear apart this wretched coliseum, just as he had done in Onkaihe, only into even smaller pieces. Raising his hand over the bloodstained katana, he hesitates, then places it on the radiant one, which helps him calm down and suppress this feeling. Perhaps the only way to assert his will over these troublesome pups is to beat them up one by one, and perhaps the real world works that way - through fear and violence - and all the pleasant memories of understanding and mutual assistance in his youth gang are nothing more than an exception to the rule. And what, isn't that how the system of kings works in Asughe? Based on a monopoly on violence, forcing the people to obey unconditionally out of fear of imminent punishment. You called yourself a king in a personality test in the theologians' community, didn't you?

Iliman wins, but continues to suffer, and he has no money for treatment...

- We'll see each other in hell, you noob, - Genza mutters, taking another cigarette, but it breaks in his fingers.

Erika approaches Iliman and, without saying a word, removes the "negatives" from him and restores his HP...

- What's going on? - asks one of the healers, - a competitor? Don't deprive people of their livelihood! We need to feed our families!
- A-a-a-a... - Iliman, who had been jumping from place to place, calmed down and sighed with relief. - It's good that Ushumgallu didn't see this... Thank you, Erika, I owe you my life...

He adds a new face to his personal shitlist - not only did she dare to dye her hair an inappropriate color, but she also did it in broad daylight.