The West City District of Fude City, at the martial arts arena for the Hunting Competition!

As the steam dissipated, a dark figure on the stage was fully revealed. He had black hair, black eyes, a pale complexion, and sharp, dark features that seemed carved from stone.

The mouths of all the Demon Hunters who recognized him fell open in shock.

L! It was L!

The Demon Hunter L, who was supposed to have died in Mundra, taking a grotesque blood monster down with him!

He was still alive!

And he had appeared at Fude City’s Hunting Competition!

What in the world was going on!

For a moment, it wasn’t just the Demon Hunters who had crossed paths with L; even Yalilan, below the stage, was in a daze.

"Who is he?"

Stephen noticed that something was amiss with the Viscount and Ferdinand. The latter’s face had darkened after a brief, whispered exchange with a burly man behind him.

This piqued his interest in the rather slender young man on the stage.

"Allen has taken the stage! Our very own Demon Hunter, Mr. Allen, has finally made his long-awaited entrance!"

Yalilan said nothing, but the host’s introduction answered Stephen’s question.

"Alright, the fight is about to begin! Ladies and gentlemen! The odds on Demon Hunter Mr. Allen against our Barbarian Bear Knight are still climbing! Right now... they’re 1 to 6!"

"That means if you bet a single Gold Coin on Mr. Allen, you’ll win at least six Gold Coins! The payout is enormous! Even I’m tempted!"

’Of course, asking me to actually place a bet is another matter entirely,’ the host added mentally.

Anyone with eyes could see it. Before the massive, bear-like Gray, this slender Demon Hunter was nothing more than a little chick that could be snatched up at any moment.

This was a battle with such a huge disparity in strength that the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

Speaking of skill, wasn’t Andre skilled enough?

And hadn’t he been defeated by Gray’s brute, bear-like strength!

What’s more, according to the host’s introduction, this young man was just an Intern Demon Hunter.

An Intern Demon Hunter was going to fight the Barbarian Bear Knight, who had crushed all his opponents to rack up a seven-win streak?

Even though many of the noblewomen and young ladies in the stands were captivated by the Demon Hunter’s handsome looks and graceful bearing, their reason still compelled them to hand the Gold Coins from their purses to their Attendants.

Hiding her face with a feathered fan, she lowered her voice and told her Attendant, "Gray. I’m betting on Gray to win."

Then, she would lower her fan and go right back to waving and cheering for the stern-faced Demon Hunter on stage.

The men in the stands were far more direct. They cursed Allen for being a pretty boy while tossing handfuls of Copper Coins into every available crevice of the miniskirted, black-stockinged waitresses that could hold them.

"Gray! Gray! Gray!" they roared.

Gray smiled, spreading his arms to bask in the crowd’s attention, the undisputed favorite.

"Allen! Allen! Allen!"

Not to be outdone, the ladies waved their silk scarves and handkerchiefs, hoping the young and handsome Demon Hunter on the stage would notice them.

Baron smiled wryly and scratched his nose. ’What a ridiculous scene,’ he thought.

...

「Half an hour earlier, in an alley near the Hunting Competition’s martial arts arena.」

Leaning against a wall with his hands on his hips, Baron sighed as he looked at the Demon Hunters of the Iron Thorn Gang lying scattered about the alley.

’I really just wanted to be a normal person,’ he thought, ’but you all forced my hand.’

Baron was about to leave to meet up with the Little Nun when he saw someone on the ground twitching and trying to get up. He was about to go over and finish him off.

But then he saw a young, boyish face look up, still with a hint of childishness to it.

Baron sensed something was wrong. He hauled the boy up for a look. There was no Iron Thorn Gang insignia on him. Instead, the back of his hand bore the Command Spell of a Silver Demon Hunter. However, it had only been etched to the second mark: the one used to create the Blue Fire that incinerates Demon Fiend corpses.

In other words, he was still a half-assed Demon Hunter.

And the Iron Thorn Gang obviously wouldn’t recruit such a half-assed Hunter.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Baron asked.

"Allen," said the bruised and swollen young Hunter. "I was going to the Hunting Competition. I was afraid I’d be late, so I took a shortcut... and then I got caught up in your..."

’Alright, that’s enough,’ Baron thought. ’I get it. I beat up the wrong guy.’

Feeling a pang of guilt, Baron counted out a few Silver Coins, stuffed them into the boy’s pocket, and said, "This is for your medical fees, and for the fact you can’t go to the Hunting Competition..."

"Please, I’m begging you, let me go to the Hunting Competition!"

Hearing the words "Hunting Competition," Allen refused Baron’s payment—which was a considerable sum for him—and just said:

"My family and friends have all bet on me. I have to... I have to go..."

Baron glanced at Allen’s injuries and figured the guy would get knocked out in the first round even if he did make it to the stage. But to his dismay, the boy just kept muttering about family, partners, love, and things like that.

He actually started squirming on the ground, inch by inch, like a maggot!

Baron was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Is this Hunting Competition really that important to you?"

Allen remained silent, stubbornly crawling forward.

’I really have to hand it to you,’ Baron thought. He squatted down in front of Allen and asked, "Quick question, for this competition, they only register your name, right? No photos?"

After Allen nodded in surprise, Baron knocked him out cold, took the boy’s contestant pass, and hurried to the arena to take the stage.

...

On the stage of the Hunting Competition.

Baron looked at Gray’s massive, bear-like frame and thought, ’Allen, you damn kid, even if you came up here and turned into a Giant, you still wouldn’t be able to beat this guy!’

"Hey, Feinan-boy, did you sign up for the wrong event? The kids’ bracket isn’t here."

Gray noticed Baron’s gaze and, with a savage grin, made a gesture at him.

To his surprise, Baron actually took out his contestant pass to have a look, shrugged, and said, "Too bad. It’s not the kids’ bracket."

"And even if it were, I’d say you still qualify as a giant baby."

The Demon Hunter’s provocation made Gray’s savage grin turn truly menacing.

’He actually dared to talk back.’

Rage, like that of a lion provoked by an insect, flooded Gray’s chest. He narrowed his eyes, wrenched his Giant Axe from the ground, and slammed it onto the arena floor before him.

RUMBLE.

The showgirl circling the ring to display the odds had her breasts jiggle from the impact. She took an opportune tumble, showing the men in the stands the domain beneath her short skirt.

The men erupted. Their heads grew hot, a heat that burned away their reason, and they placed even bigger bets on Gray.

"Our Lord City Master is quite resourceful," Stephen remarked pointedly. "Just the income from being the house for the annual Hunting Competition must be equal to the yearly tax revenue of a small city."

"Three cities," Victor said very seriously. "City Lord Lewis told me once when we were drinking."

Lewis: "..."

’You idiot! Nobody would think you’re a mute if you just keep your mouth shut!’

"It all goes toward filling the City Government’s treasury to benefit the people, of course," Lewis said with a placid smile. "As Mr. Stephen knows, research for the Mechanical School requires a large injection of funds..."

Perhaps because he believed the outcome of the battle on stage was a foregone conclusion, Lewis began to enthusiastically tell those around him about some of the Mechanical School’s recent inventions.

Yalilan nodded perfunctorily, her gaze fixed on the familiar figure on the stage. She imperceptibly knitted her lovely, long brows.

Regardless of whether the person on stage was Allen or L, based on the skills she had seen L display before, it was basically impossible for him to defeat Gray without the enhancement of Alchemy Circuits.

Her conviction was only strengthened when he asked the host if the arena provided weapons, causing the odds to climb yet again to 1-to-8.

In other words, a single Gold Coin bet on L would earn eight Gold Coins if he won.

Assuming he won, that is.

On the stage, Baron took the Alchemy Long Saber provided by the organizers, gave it a few swings, and decided it was passable.

Gray lifted his Giant Axe with one hand as if it were an extension of his arm. He aimed the axe blade at Baron and grinned savagely. "In a bit, I’m going to gently crush your skull, and then bake you into an apple pie!"

"I’ll kick your nuts in first."

Baron’s reply was so crude that not only was Gray left speechless, but even the showgirl and the host were momentarily stunned.

The entire arena instantly erupted in even louder cheers and roars! They couldn’t wait to see Baron get crushed by Gray!

Among them were the family, sweetheart, and friends of the true Allen.

They didn’t know why the Allen who took the stage was different from the Allen they remembered.

But it didn’t matter. They had already bet all their savings on Gray, and a small win was still a win!

Not to mention, the real Allen would be spared a vicious beating!

It was a total win-win!

...