The situation on the field changed too quickly. None of the spectators could react in time; most of them were left in a daze.
Everyone had believed it was a foregone conclusion that the Ogre would slaughter all the gladiators. Its bloody maw was lunging toward the girl cradling the unconscious Bai Ya, about to create a grisly scene. Both girls were doomed for certain. Yet, in that moment, Bai Ya suddenly opened her eyes and did something utterly shocking—she thrust her left hand into the Ogre’s mouth of her own accord!
And then, the Ogre was unable to move. Her left hand was an alchemical creation—a mechanical prosthetic. Thanks to her mental control, she felt no pain, so no matter how fiercely the Ogre bit down, she did not let go.
Her left hand reached deep into the Ogre’s mouth, finding a sliver of hope in a desperate situation. She gripped the Ogre’s tongue root tightly—if it dared move forward or make any motion, she would surely injure its throat, dealing a severe blow!
Yet the truly surprising thing was not Bai Ya’s counterattack. What everyone wanted to know was: How did she wake up?! With the extent of her head injuries and her frail body, regaining consciousness wasn’t just difficult—it was nearly impossible!
But she did it. And in such a perilous moment, she managed to save her own life. It was simply unbelievable.
When Arthur saw this, he was furious. Ryumiō was excited. The Heavenly Wheel Qiruo fell deep into thought, while Ya Cang’s expression grew complicated, for he had found the answer once again.
Bai Ya hadn’t actually awakened. Her consciousness remained in a comatose state. The lifeless, dull look in her eyes, devoid of any emotion or color, made that clear. Her ability to counterattack was simply because her obsession allowed her body to react reflexively.
Before falling unconscious, she must have had a desperate thought—perhaps, no matter what, she had to survive. That belief became the dominant force in her mind, controlling her body and reacting to outside stimuli. This was not something an ordinary person could accomplish.
Ya Cang found it a pity. She was a natural prodigy. Even setting aside her martial talent, her unyielding will alone meant she was bound to achieve greatness and had the qualifications to become his disciple. Yet she was a doomed soul.
The control her obsession exerted over her body would not last long. As soon as Bai Ya’s grip weakened, the Ogre’s jagged teeth would tear off her head and half her body in an instant. Ya Cang simply waited to witness this scene.
But as he waited, Bai Ya’s eyes regained their light. Only then did he realize, to his shock, that she had actually regained consciousness!
How could this be explained? Exceptional martial talent? An indomitable spirit? Or perhaps… an astonishing healing ability?
In the unseen currents of fate, it seemed there was some external force aiding Bai Ya, Ya Cang mused.
Then, what happened next surpassed everyone’s expectations: Bai Ya ripped out the Ogre’s tongue—cleanly, without hesitation.
With a headache coming on, Ya Cang thought he needed to revise his assessment of Bai Ya yet again: add “recklessly brave” to the list. A wounded beast is the most terrifying of all, and military strategy even says to always leave an enemy an escape. Letting pain and rage become the Ogre’s sole guiding force was truly a foolish move. In total frenzy, it could unleash two or three times its fighting power, focused only on slaughtering anything alive before it.
Was Bai Ya courting death, or did she have another plan? Ya Cang suddenly felt he couldn’t see through this slave.
As he was lamenting this, he heard the sound of piano keys. He wondered who could have the leisure to play music at a time like this, and glanced around only to see many astonished faces. The nobles were looking at each other, whispering and discussing the source of the piano.
Ya Cang sensed something was off. He tried to broaden his perception, scanning a wider area. Just then, a trumpet and drums joined in, soon followed by a violin and a drum set, and even a gong resounded.
When all the instruments came together, many people suddenly realized this was an accompaniment—one with a stirring, passionate style.
Where could there possibly be a band inside the arena?! For a moment, everyone was searching everywhere for the musicians, but found nothing. The music seemed to materialize out of thin air, echoing throughout the arena and stage, with no trace to be found.
Then, as a mysterious girl—her location unknown—began singing beautifully, many nobles could no longer sit still. From the bottom of their hearts, they despised this song and its accompaniment, a sickeningly positive emotion that disgusted them. They ordered their men to find the band and the singer, to kill them all!
Greet the dawn, and raise the sun of Golden Summer.
Today, too, we joyfully recount the great deeds of heroes.
She is ordinary, unremarkable, but she never gives up.
She has become her own hero, and though she is often wounded, this is the self she dreams of being.
“This is…” Teacher Luo heard the singing. He had no idea what was going on.
“Singing…” The girl heard it too. Listening to that beautiful voice felt like an angel’s feather gently tickling her heart—so comfortable that courage and hope seemed to well up endlessly within her.
Everyone in the arena could hear the sweet voice of an unknown girl singing a beautiful song praising heroes, as if she had cast a sound transmission spell on them all.
Yet, no magical tome had ever recorded a sound transmission spell that could last so long.
Bai Ya hummed along to the melody, swinging the severed crimson tongue like a whip. The Ogre roared at her in threat, but she wore a wild, excited expression, her whole being brimming with fighting spirit.
The Ogre, now completely dominated by rage, clenched its fists and smashed them at Bai Ya. But Bai Ya neither dodged nor retreated; instead, she did something no ordinary person would understand—she raised her left prosthetic hand and aimed it directly at the oncoming fist.
“Foolish!” Though he was curious about the source of the singing, Ya Cang couldn’t help but curse when he saw this. To try to block an Ogre’s blow head-on was sheer madness! A Gold-ranked magical beast’s strength was dozens of times that of an ordinary person!
But what happened next shocked Ya Cang. When Bai Ya’s left prosthetic hand met the Ogre’s fist, the artificial skin instantly split open, revealing its mechanical structure—the result of the Ogre’s terrifying power!
But that was all. Bai Ya only took a single step back, her left prosthetic arm firmly catching the Ogre’s punch.
What kind of joke was this? Had a mortal’s strength come close to that of a Gold-ranked magical beast?!
Ya Cang could not comprehend the change in Bai Ya. He could tell she still wasn’t a practitioner; she was, through and through, a mere mortal! That made it all the more extraordinary! This was unbelievable—practically a violation of the very rules!
Wait. A violation of the rules?! Ya Cang suddenly remembered a group of girls who possessed just such rule-breaking powers.
They were the Slave Girls!
If—just if!—Bai Ya was a Slave Girl, and her abnormal strength came from the Slave Girls’ racial talent, then when did she activate it? There was no sign whatsoever.
Whenever a Slave Girl used her racial talent, there would definitely be a noticeable phenomenon. That was beyond dispute.
“Could it be…” Ya Cang’s face darkened, the girl’s beautiful singing still echoing in his ears.
The nobles had sent their retainers to search for the band and the singer; now, he felt like he knew where they were…
“You’re strong, but it’s useless.” Bai Ya focused on the tremendous force coming from her left hand. In her current state, she could just barely withstand it. Since that was the case, the formula for victory was already complete.
She split her lips into a proud and confident smile, as if victory was already in her grasp.
“Because, as long as my BGM* is playing, you’ll never defeat me!”
Realizing that Bai Ya could block its attack, the Ogre felt fear. It abruptly pulled back its fist and turned to run, a blur streaking toward the audience stands.
When Bai Ya had been much weaker, she’d almost killed it. Now that she had gained even a slight edge, even an idiot would know what to do! Run! She was no longer prey—she was the hunter!
*BGM: background music.