Nameless King

Wain walked for miles and approached the City of Demons. High, frozen walls surrounded Nord. The walls were covered in cracks and had various weapons stuck in them, spears, swords, axes, battle chains, and more. The Nord was like an enclosed coliseum in which battles were fought every day.

The entrance to the Nord was a massive iron gate, before which the guards stood. They let the Demons into the city with serious faces and watched for security.

At night there would be an auction in the Nord, so the number of people wanting to enter the Nord was much higher than usual. They were mostly strong warriors or descendants of noble families, ordinary people would never know that there would be an auction in the Nord tonight, much less get here. Ellen was a noblewoman, and that was the only reason she could find out about the auction and tell Wain about it.

'Damn, I didn't expect there to be such a line here. I'll have to try harder to get what I need at the auction.' Wain thought, looking around.

There were four aisles in the gates with guards standing next to them, questioning. Those in line didn't always get in, sometimes the guards kicked someone out except the Demons, but the guards looked them over as carefully as they did to others.

"Next." The guard said, and Wain stepped forward.

"State your name, race, and Chronicle."

"Wain Norheim, Elf, Second Chronicle." Wain decided not to hide his name, as it might have caused problems in this situation.

"An elf with dark hair? That's pretty rare, okay. Which way do you want to enter the city?"

"Hmm?" Wain didn't understand what the guard asked him.

"Is this your first time in Nord?"

Wain nodded.

"I see, then listen carefully. I won't repeat myself. Anyone who wants to enter the Nord has two ways. The first is to pay, the price depends on your Chronicle, in your case it would be two thousand Void Souls."

"What's the second option?"

"Good thing you asked." The guard smiled, "You will go to the arena and must defeat either one of the fighters or a traveler like you who is trying to enter the city."

"Then I choose the arena." Wain shrugged. He wasn't going to pay that much for admission and wanted to see the Demons fight. Wain didn't know much about this race, but the fact that they were excellent blacksmiths and warriors was known to everyone.

"Huh, you made your decision so quickly. Are you sure? You won't be allowed to use gear, weapons, or skills during battle. Only physical strength and powerful fists."

Wain smirked, "Isn't that even better? You can't find a place in this world anymore where you can fight with pure power alone."

"All right, then, follow me, but you won't get a second chance. If you lose and want to enter the city, you'll have to pay twice as much."

"No more wasting time." Wain said seriously and headed into the arena with the guard.

"Next!"

...

The arena was not far from the walls and was small, but it was busy. Many refused to pay and decided that they would easily pass on by winning the arena, so there were always a lot of gawkers and those who bet.

Many Demons were here because they wanted to have fun before the auction began and maybe make a little money, but the most important thing was emotion, not money.

"When these two are done, you will fight next, so get ready. The host will explain everything to you. I'm off." The sentinel said and walked back to the entrance of the city.

Wain nodded.

Two men were fighting in the arena, but neither was a demon. They were Ashen and Beastfolk.

Ashen had the advantage and was winning. Although no weapons or skills could be used in this arena, it was impossible to forbid Ashen to use his flames on his hands, as it was a natural attribute of this race. Beastfolk tried to exchange blows, but he failed because of the white fire.

"Hey! Beastfolk, I bet a large sum on you! Can't you guess that you need to move into the fight and beat him with a grapple!" One of the spectators said. It was a demon with blue skin and two long horns.

Demons were some of the most skilled fighters in hand-to-hand combat, and Beastfolk was smart enough to take the advice. He bent down and pounced on Ashen, taking him in grasp.

"You idiot, you trapped yourself!" Ashen exclaimed and began punching Beastfolk in the back, leaving serious burns.

"Let's go! You've already won! Just use your animal power and break him like a match!" The blue demon exclaimed.

Beastfolk clenched his teeth in pain, but continued his attack. His muscles tensed, and he squeezed Ashen with force. There was a crunch of bones, and Ashen spurted out a mouthful of blood, splattering his opponent. Beastfolk didn't stop, and he was ready to kill an Ashen.

Whooooooosh.

Suddenly, a girl appeared beside them and separated them with a smooth movement of her hand. Ashen and Beastfolk flew off to the sides, but everyone was still alive.

The girl walked up to Beastfolk and raised his right hand.

"A round of applause for the winner!"

Then there was a hail of clapping and cheers from the audience of the winning bidder.

The girl acted as coordinator and judge. Guests and travelers fought most often in this arena, and Demons couldn't let anyone die in a friendly duel.

Her name was Zeta, and she had gray skin, shoulder-length white hair, and green eyes. She looked like a real warrior, she had a strong and muscular body, and it looked aesthetic and graceful.

The slams ended, and the medical team carried Ashen and Beastfolk to the infirmary. One would go to town afterward, and the other would have to leave or pay.

"It's been a good fight, but it's time to introduce you to the next contestant." Zeta exclaimed, "Wain Norheim, enter the battlefield!"