CH 26.3

But this year, Bash had come. An orc, a man even called Hero. To save his enslaved friends. With a fairy, just the two of them.

The fact that he had shown up just now suggested that he was waiting for the situation to stabilize, or that word had finally gotten out after Donzoi had been runner-up last year… Either way, Barabara Do Banga felt it was admirable. It must have been difficult for orcs to travel through other countries. To get to Do Banga’s Pit, one had to pass through the Siwanasi Forest. That forest was controlled by Thunder Sonia, the Great Archmage. The nightmare of the Siwanasi Forest was famous among the dwarves. In the long war, Thunder Sonia went through insufferable humiliation. Combined with the insidious nature of the elves, even merely traversing the forest must have been a source of embarrassment. In fact, rumor had it that there had been riots.

And that was not all. When the Orc Hero left his country, not even Houston, the wise general of Krassel, was silent. Houston, the Pig Killer, was famous for his exploits and his title. That man, who had an extraordinary hatred for orcs, would make moves if Bash left the country.

But Bash was here now. He was here now, after overcoming hardship and suffering.

The orcs were not an intelligent race, but they had survived to the end of the war without being destroyed. This was surely due to their sense of unity. Today, many of the dwarves who were more or less aware of the situation had probably changed their perception of the orc race.

But…  Barabara Do Banga heard the joyous cheers. Opening his eyes, he saw an orc walking from the anteroom. If this man does all this, what will become of Donzoi’s pride?

Bash was strong. He was stronger than anyone in this arena. No matter where one looked in the world, there was no one who could beat this man. It didn’t matter if his power was somewhat suppressed by his modest armor. He was certain that he would easily win this year’s tournament and free the orcs from slavery.

But Barabara Do Banga did not think this was a good thing. Donzoi had been a slave for the past three years. No, he knew that Donzoi had been working for that many, wanting to free the orcs from slavery. He didn’t want it all to have been for nothing.

“Sir Bash.”

“What?”

“I will defeat you.”

“Mm.”

You say the obvious and you get the obvious answer. But this was a sign of Barabara Do Banga’s determination. He would defeat this man himself. He would defeat this opponent who could never be defeated. If he did, Donzoi’s hardships would not be in vain. That is what Barabara Do Banga thought and he pointed his sword at Bash. Stubborn and rough, skilled with his hands, but clumsy and blunt with words, the man challenged the Orc Hero.

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Semifinals: Bash vs Barabara Do Banga

Barabara knew Bash’s weakness. Though of course, Bash had no weaknesses. Orcs were generally said to be weak against fire and lightning magic, but it was obvious that this was not true when it came to Bash. After all, he had already defeated Thunder Sonia in single combat. Even if he was vulnerable to fire and lightning magic, it couldn’t hurt him much unless it was very powerful. But knowing that, magic was forbidden in the tournament.

Bash’s weak point. That was his equipment. As most contestants in this tournament knew, the blacksmith who forged Bash’s equipment was inexperienced. In other words, if he targeted the equipment with the goal of destroying his armor, he would have a chance of winning. Even that was only a slim chance, as if by a thin thread. But Barabara was convinced he could do it.

Because Bash was holding back. If Bash moved with all his might, his weapon, or even his armor, would be destroyed and shattered to pieces.

As a blacksmith… he did not intend to belittle Primera. Not even Barabara Do Banga was confident that he could forge a weapon that could withstand the full might of this man. If anyone could make a weapon worthy of the orc, it would be Doradora Do Banga, the legendary War Blacksmith, or Salmon, the famed Demon Blacksmith.

Therefore, Bash was forced to take it easy. He had to restrain his physical strength and move his body slowly, as if he were carrying an egg on a spoon. And yet he had managed to defeat all the famous participants in one blow, which could only be described as a divine feat. Everyone might think so, but the reality was a little different. Bash had to win in a single blow. He was wearing armor that would break the more he moved, so he had no choice but to choose a short battle.

Therefore, Barabara Do Banga chose to humble himself.