The Rising of the Scythe Hero

"So this is where we start, huh?" I said, looking at a modest-sized building that didn't look even remotely like what it actually was. In reality, it was one of the local underground coliseums.

"Exactly, Nott-sama. This is one of the most popular arenas. Just as you requested — high risk, but the highest reward multipliers."

In the end, after a brief strategy meeting, we decided that the optimal move was to make a decent pile of money while I was still unknown — a dark horse. Then, once I gained some fame, I could move on to the official venues.

Remus had a pretty wide network of connections, so he had no trouble putting me in touch with the right people. From there, it was just a matter of registering under a pseudonym, getting a mask, and waiting for the matches to begin.

It had already been a week since I arrived in Zeltoble. The next wave was in another week. During that time, I had to grow as much as possible — gain combat experience against humans and sharpen my skills.

My current level should be more than enough to take on the monsters from the wave and even the invaders from the other world. But those guys, unlike me, were born in their world and had learned to wield weapons throughout their lives — they had real experience. All I had was my own level and skill rank, which I didn't think would be enough.

...

"Well then, all I can do now is wish you luck, Master N— I mean, Master Hidan," Remus said with a smile.

I mean, why not? I do have a scythe. I'm not actually planning to use it, but still...

It's not like I have a burning desire to stab myself or anything. And I definitely don't worship any shady gods. I don't worship any gods at all...

So yeah, I just went with the first name that popped into my head. That's all.

There was an option to join team fights, but they were in a 3-on-3 format, and I was short at least one more teammate. Besides, I wasn't exactly thrilled about dragging Night into this, since she was still stuck at level 40. So solo tournament it was.

Yeah, there was an option to fight solo against three opponents, but I wasn't particularly interested in that kind of match just yet. Though I'd heard rumors about someone who actually did fight like that.

That's why Wyndia and Night were currently sitting somewhere in the stands near Pelge, watching me from a distance. Night, by the way, even voiced her disapproval about not being allowed to join! Definitely progress — though she didn't exactly argue, just expressed her displeasure and left it at that.

Remus had warned me about some newcomer who'd been on a winning streak lately, dominating tournament after tournament. But apparently, that guy hadn't been seen recently, so the chances of running into him here were pretty low. Still, I had to keep that possibility in mind.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen…" came a voice from the arena just beyond the wall in front of me, the announcer's words echoing loud and clear. "Tonight, we have a lineup of thrilling battles and a few very promising newcomers! Will one of them become this tournament's dark horse, or will they all meet the same pitiful fate as so many before them?! Let's find out! Introducing... Hida-a-an versuuuus... the Great-Horned Buffalo!"

The wall in front of me suddenly slid aside, revealing a passage that led straight into a classic-style arena.

By the time I reached about halfway to the center, the gate opposite me opened up — and out charged my first opponent of the day: a level 67 monster.

In these kinds of tournaments, the mortality rate was pretty high, since your opponent might not be human — but a monster instead. The kicker was that monsters didn't have any natural level caps, whereas all sentient beings were limited to level 100. On top of that, influential audience members had the legal right to interfere in the battles to support their favorites. That could mean anything from tossing them a powerful enchanted weapon to unleashing full-scale ritual magic, cast by an entire group of mages. Those spells could boost their champion while weakening their enemy at the same time.

I was actually kind of curious to see how that kind of ritual magic would affect me.

Technically, I had the Pelge family as my sponsor, but they weren't planning to intervene unless it was absolutely necessary. On that, at least, we were in full agreement.

I hadn't wasted my time leading up to the match. Over the past few days, I'd mastered all the Scythes that had become available after feeding them all the random junk I bought at the market.

And, though it hurt a little inside, I'd pushed my Battle Scythe to its max potential, pouring a hefty amount of resources into it.

Yeah, it stung to invest rare materials into a relatively weak scythe, but right now, I needed it.

I got a ton of new skills in the process, but most of them were crafting-related, so they weren't really worth mentioning. The main standouts were my Blacksmithing and Poison Resistance, both of which leveled up. On top of that, I managed to gain resistances to a whole bunch of other negative effects.

"…A-a-and now… the first match of our tournament is about to begin!"

The crowd roared with excitement as the furious beast charged straight at me.

But come on… If I weren't so intent on keeping my odds high and my multiplier strong for as long as possible, that monster's head would've come off the moment it got close.

Still, guess I had to play along a bit.

"Incredible! Lord Hidan dodges the Great-Horned Buffalo's attacks with such confidence and grace!" the announcer shouted as I evaded another charge, "waiting for the perfect moment to strike." "Wait a minute… Looks like the monster just got a sudden speed boost!"

Sure enough, not even five minutes into the fight and someone had already buffed the beast.

Whoever sponsored that monster clearly wasn't happy with how their investment was performing. Which meant I was now free to step things up a bit.

Dodging another charge, I dropped low and swept my Battle Scythe in a horizontal slash — cutting off the beast's front leg.

The buffalo let out a pained bellow and collapsed mid-sprint, its massive body tearing through the arena sand, and the crowd went wild.

I closed the distance in a flash, not giving the monster a chance to recover, and drove my spear-scythe straight into its skull.

The roar of the crowd only got louder.

"Winner — Hidan! Looks like we're witnessing the rise of yet another coliseum dark horse! But how long will our newcomer last?!"

Maybe I did overdo it a bit… Should've played up the whole "struggle" thing more?

Then again, nah. Dragging it out any longer would've just been boring. And the whole "hiding your true power" trope is so dull...

Besides, the payout from just that first bet was already enough to cover my entry into the tournament. And taking down a single monster shouldn't tank my odds too much either.

...

That same day, I had two more matches, both against monsters again. They were so dull and formulaic they barely deserve a mention.

The first stage was basically meant to weed out the real weaklings — after that, the tournament would start showing the audience some actual quality fights.

That's why the crowd for the opening stage mostly consisted of regular folks. The more influential types only showed up if they had a fighter in the mix — or they waited for the second stage to begin.

There were also the so-called "favorites" — fighters who were automatically advanced to the second stage. These were well-known contenders who'd already built up a name and reputation for themselves. They didn't need to go through the elimination rounds.

Things finally started getting interesting on the second day.

My match was third on the schedule, and this time my opponent was a half-behemoth — one who could even transform, shifting almost entirely into his beast form.

This one actually took some effort. I'd decided not to use any magic until the finals, sticking strictly to close combat — which meant I was pretty limited in how I could fight. And that half-behemoth's hide definitely lived up to its appearance.

I had to spend a good while chipping away at a single chosen spot, gradually wearing it down. Then, once I managed to slice through one of his vulnerable points — the tendons in his leg — I tore open the already damaged area with one deep strike, worsening the wound.

After that, my opponent was forced to surrender. His own life clearly meant more to him than the prize money. If he hadn't given up, he would've bled out right there in the arena.

If all the fights keep going like this, I swear, I'm gonna die here… of boredom.

***

Remus Pelge sat in the coliseum stands, watching the battles of what he dared to call his new ally — with a complicated mix of emotions. The Queen's faction was vast and included people from all sorts of circles, and Remus took pride in not only being among them, but being one of the key figures.

Naturally, there were factions opposing the Queen as well — but until recently, they were of little concern, their numbers far too small to pose a real threat.

Now, though, tensions were boiling over, thanks to the stupidity of their own king. Not only had he summoned all four Heroes to the same country, Melromarc, but somehow he'd managed to summon a fifth one as well.

Remus was convinced that summoning four Heroes could've been smoothed over — the Queen's diplomatic skills were more than capable of that — but now that there were five…

"I fear it's time to start expecting the worst…" he thought, eyes drifting back to that very same fifth Hero — the one currently dismantling his opponent with ease.

The Scythe Hero, Nott, could turn out to be their salvation — or the final nail in the coffin. Queen Mirellia had placed her bet on him, asking an old acquaintance to provide the boy with as much support as possible. Originally, she'd built her plans around the Shield Hero… but the situation had changed drastically. Now they needed the strongest among them.

"As powerful as he is dangerous. Did we truly make the right choice, my Queen?"

Remus had seen that look in the young man's eyes before. He'd met people like that.

The Scythe Hero had the eyes of someone who didn't take even his own life seriously. The gaze of a person who looked at the world from the outside, as if he were just a bystander — uninvolved, unattached. And the most troubling part was… that look hadn't changed. Not even now, when the Scythe Hero fought with clear intent to kill. Though he always stopped just short, giving his opponents the chance to surrender and walk away alive.

Remus had seen the other Heroes. His work practically demanded it. And yes, he'd seen something similar in their eyes — but…

"They're still different. Too... soft."

Not a single one of them had ever shown a true will to kill. Even the Shield Hero — betrayed and abandoned by the very country that summoned him — was still just a boy. A boy too hesitant to make harsh decisions.

What worried the merchant even more were the rumors circulating about the Scythe Hero. They might've just been overblown gossip from the masses, but right now, all signs pointed to the Fifth Hero leaving a trail of corpses in his wake.

The attack on the soldiers during the first wave. The slaughtered village — barely five survivors. The assault on the church. Another village, destroyed — tainted with a power that practically reeked with vile energy… The massacre in one of the border settlements — sure, it was just a band of thugs who fancied themselves some kind of criminal organization, but still...

All of it raised red flags. The Scythe Hero was... too unpredictable. And his aura — Remus still struggled to hide the shiver that crept up his spine whenever he saw the Hero smile. Just being near him was unsettling.

"Though his companions don't seem to have any such issues…" Remus cast a sideways glance at the two girls seated nearby. "Still, it doesn't matter," he pushed the thought aside. "The Pelge family has always been loyal to the Queen. And even if it means handing over our souls to the devil himself... we'll do whatever it takes to prove that loyalty once more."