Tug of War Arena – Later that Day
The sun had dipped slightly, casting an amber hue across the half-filled ground. Energy buzzed through the air as the commentators shouted with gusto:
"Ladies and gentlemen, without any delay—let's begin! Please welcome our first randomly formed team—TEAM BLUE!"
A modest cheer rippled through the crowd as Arsh stepped into the arena with his team. Dressed in a plain white shirt tucked into dark slacks, with glasses perched lightly on his nose, he looked every bit the quiet intellectual—not a warrior. He raised a calm hand toward Rose, Luna, and Ainz seated in the audience. Rose smiled warmly, Luna waved with her usual quiet grace, and Ainz gave a pumped-up thumbs-up.
"Now entering—TEAM RED!" boomed the commentator again.
The earth felt like it rumbled as Team Red stomped in. A group of burly, broad-shouldered men—each muscle seemingly carved from stone. Gasps and whistles filled the stands.
"Whoa! Look at those muscles," said the second commentator. "Team Blue might be in for a rough time!"
But Arsh wasn't listening to the hype. His eyes narrowed behind his lenses.
OSAI Alert:High demonic aura detected. One Rank 3 and two highly compressed Rank 4s.
Arsh sighed under his breath. "I know… this isn't just a match anymore."
OSAI:Orders, sir?
Arsh's lips curled into a smirk. "OSAI, reinforce our rope. Replace the current one with a drone-crafted hybrid—just in case they try breaking it. And… send a message to Rose. Ask her to sneeze loudly in one minute. That'll give me a perfect window."
Within moments, a micro drone zipped down, swapping the rope in a blink no human eye could catch. Meanwhile, Rose glanced at her wrist device and looked up to see Arsh glancing her way. She grinned, gave him a thumbs-up, and waited.
The whistle blew. The match began.
Team Red heaved the rope with primal force, muscles bulging and boots scraping dust. Team Blue nearly collapsed in the first tug—but then Arsh stepped forward, calmly wrapping the rope around his forearm. The force stopped, as if hitting an immovable wall.
Confusion spread like wildfire on Team Red's side. One of the demons—Rank 3—squinted at Arsh, eyes trembling.
"That man… the one with the glasses. He's not human," he whispered.
Another demon cursed under his breath. "We're dead… we're going to die!"
"No, not here! He can't kill us in public! Break the rope—NOW!"
They all pulled with unnatural strength—but the rope didn't budge.
Then—ACHOO! Rose let out a loud, deliberately obnoxious sneeze.
Half the crowd instinctively turned toward her, laughing and groaning. In that instant, Arsh let go of the rope.
The result was catastrophic. The demonic force, now unchecked, flung themselves backward like snapped arrows—slamming into the far wall with bone-rattling force. Before the audience could blink, Arsh dashed across the arena, faster than their eyes could follow.
A blur. A whisper. A sting.
Each demon was struck in the neck with a thin metallic needle—laced with OSAI-engineered neurotoxins.
Team Red crumpled.
When the crowd turned back, all they saw was chaos—Team Blue on the ground feigning fatigue, and Team Red unconscious by the wall.
The medics rushed in. The commentator, clearly flustered, tried to recover:
"Uh… this would usually be a tie, forcing a rematch, but… Team Red has three unconscious members. So… Coach? Decision?"
The coach scratched his head. "In a professional match, Red would've won for sure. But this is a festival… and Blue was clearly outmatched yet held their ground. So, the winner is—TEAM BLUE!"
The crowd erupted into applause.
Rose ran to Arsh and hugged him. Luna smiled warmly. Ainz clapped hard, eyes sparkling.
"Congrats, man!" Ainz said.
Arsh chuckled. "Thanks, everyone."
Moments Later – Near the Exit
Ainz looked at his watch. "Oh crap! I've got my badminton match next!"
Luna looked conflicted. "I've got table tennis… I can't join."
The group paused. Then Rose patted Luna's shoulder gently. "Don't worry, I'll go with you. Arsh, go with Ainz and make sure he doesn't burn the court down."
Arsh turned to Rose, his tone serious. "Sis… can we talk? Privately."
They stepped aside. Arsh's voice dropped.
"You're breaking protocol. You can't go anywhere without me or Ainz. There are demons swarming this place."
Rose crossed her arms. "And yet you'll go alone? Luna needs someone. You can handle Ainz but I can't. Besides, these are just low-tier demons, I can handle them easily."
Arsh looked unconvinced but finally sighed. "Fine. But keep the comm. link open. Constantly. Deal?"
They shook on it.
Badminton Court
The court was clean and bright, with modest seating. Ainz bounced in, waving at Arsh in the stands.
His opponent stepped in—a regular human by all scans.
OSAI:No demonic presence. Normal human.
Ainz sighed, muttering to himself. "Guess this'll be boring…"
Table Tennis Ground
The small court had even low spectators. Luna gave a cheerful wave to Rose.
OSAI:Opponent is clean. No threat.
But Rose's eyes locked onto the crowd.
OSAI:One Rank 5 detected, second row left.
Rose relayed it over the call. "Permission to eliminate?"
Arsh: "Granted. Just don't overdo it."
Meanwhile – Badminton Court
Suddenly, OSAI chimed in:
OSAI:Rank 4 demon detected in the audience. Preparing to strike.
The demon made his move—blade hidden under a jacket. But before it even left his sleeve, the blade vanished from his hand.
He blinked. Looked around. Everything seemed… normal.
He tried again—different blade, different angle, and different person He raise his hand but the blade was gone again.
Panic set in, he tried to run out of the stadium.
Trying one last desperate act, he bumped into a passerby to stab, he thinks he did it—but that human didn't even got a single scratch.
He bolted, scrambling up to the roof for safety.
Then—his hand tingled. Wet.
Blood. His own. Poisoned.
He staggered, realizing his own blades were turned against him.
A soft laugh echoed.
A shadow flickered—and disappeared.
Back in the audience, Arsh adjusted his glasses and sat as if he'd never moved. Moments later, Ainz won the match 5–2.
Back at the Table Tennis Match
Luna was on fire. Graceful yet focused, slicing shots left and right.
Meanwhile, the Rank 5 demon finally acted. Knife drawn silently behind a spectator—
Rose stood.
"Poor demon," she sighed.
In an instant, she crushed the demon's wrist, stabbed him cleanly in the gut, and whispered in his ear:
"Leave. Now. Go to the alley. Alone."
Her eyes glowed—hypnotic, commanding.
The demon staggered out like a puppet.
He got out of college and then on the ally.
Once alone, he snapped out of it—only to vomit blood and collapse dead.
Rose sat down like nothing happened.
"Target down," she whispered to Arsh. "Tell Sora to clean up."
"On it. Good job," Arsh replied.
Luna finished her game victoriously—10–6.
Outside the badminton Court
Arsh met Ainz with a warm smile. "Nice job out there. Letting your opponent score a couple points? Very human of you."
Ainz beamed. "Learned it from the best. By the way… where did you disappear in the middle?"
Arsh just smiled mysteriously. "Someone needed saving."
Outside the Table Tennis Court
Rose hugged Luna. "Congrats, you were amazing!"
As they walked out, Luna stared at Rose. "You and Azura… you're alike."
Rose paused. "You mean physically? We are siblings, so it's because of our blood."
Luna shook her head. "Not just that. You both have that… aura. Royal. Mysterious. Powerful, your eyes looks calm in every situation."
Rose smirked. "We didn't choose it. We just want peace."
Then her smirk turned playful. "So… you like him, huh?"
Luna turned crimson. "Wh-what?! Azura is just a friend!"
Rose giggled. "Funny. I didn't say his name."
Luna buried her face in her hands.
"You're the only girl who's gotten this close to him," Rose said softly. "I think he likes you too."
Luna hesitated. "But… I don't think I'm good enough. He's too good, and I am average for him"
"Don't do that," Rose said firmly. "If you doubt yourself now, you'll lose him later. Live in the present. If you like him—then choose him."
They saw Ainz waiting.
"He's already gone to the scavenger race," Ainz said. "Let's join him."
Scavenger Race Grounds – Moments Later
The arena was packed. Excitement was sky-high.
"And now," the commentator roared, "Welcome to the highlight of the festival—the Scavenger Race!"
The crowd cheered, but louder than all was the name on every tongue:
"HIKARI!"
The festival queen stepped onto the field, dazzling under the spotlight, waving with confidence.
She caught Luna's eye and waved. Luna waved back, unbothered.
Rose asked curiously, "Friend of yours?"
Luna shrugged. "Not really. She's more of Arsh's friend. President of the club he joined."
As competitors arrived in different uniforms, Hikari approached Arsh.
"So, you're here too," she smiled.
He smiled back coolly. "Wouldn't miss it."
The commentator began:
"There are four checkpoints. Each player receives a paper with a unique item. Retrieve all and reach the finish line. Good luck!"
OSAI Alert:Rank 3 demon detected in the audience.
Rose and Ainz received the ping simultaneously.
Ainz whispered, pale, "How can he possibly… there are thousands of eyes!"
Rose just smiled.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "Nothing is impossible for Arsh."
As the race was about to start…
The demon prepared his move.
Ainz tensed.
Rose stayed calm.
And Arsh?
He simply smiled.