Chapter 40: Gathering for Mesuna V

The sun was high in the sky, its refreshing golden rays bathing the grand arena where the final duels were about to commence. However, murmurs and confusion rippled through the massive crowd as they noticed something strange—out of the ten competitors who were supposed to fight, only four had made it to the arena floor.

"Where are the rest?" one spectator asked, leaning forward in their seat.

"I heard six of them dropped out," another whispered, shaking their head. "Two of them apparently fell sick. Explosive diarrhea, can you believe it? Ate something bad that wasn't even from the duke's chefs!"

"Ha! Maybe they were afraid of Lady Mesuna and decided to run away," someone added with a laugh.

Up on the pedestal, Ame sat beside Dante, giving him a sharp side-eye. Her husband sat there with an innocent expression, sipping wine, but she wasn't buying it.