Chapter 24 – First tournament arc. part 6

  “And with a single ssh, our champion secures another stunning victory. Does this boy truly possess an arsenal so profound, such luck so grand, that he can withstand any adversary? Is there another ace hidden within his sleeve, waiting to be revealed at the moment of utmost need? We shall find out,” the announcer decred, letting her microphone glide from one hand, across her shoulder, into the other, before pointing it towards the arena's new contender.

  “Behold, as we introduce the next challenger, a formidable dominatrix whose mind has never known the bitter taste of defeat. Her prowess, unrivaled; her intent, unyielding. She steps into the arena, the Willbreaker, a sovereign of psychic dominion." The crowd gasped at the title, yet it meant nothing to me.

  “Let us watch with bated breath. Will her unbreakable chains of mental assault shatter against his unseen Blessing? Or will we witness the unraveling of a champion, his defenses finally breached by the relentless siege of her psychic storm?" As she spoke, her hands raised high, the arena shifted, revealing chains attached to colrs that writhed around my opponent. Some chains reached into the audience, some even further beyond.

  "Prepare yourselves, for this spectacle is about to ascend to realms unimaginable. The battle of mind and will, the csh of the unfathomable—may the mightiest prevail!" Then she vanished, leaving me alone with my Challenger, who had yet to even acknowledge my presence.

  This girl had won all her matches without lifting a finger, the so-called dominatrix. She had a look in her eyes that reminded me of Selen, the nun, but worse. While Selen always seemed to be looking directly at me, this girl looked as though she was sizing up something that didn’t know its pce.

  Her look of disdain was accentuated by her ruby red eyes and long bck hair. She wore a single glove on her left hand, with straps extending up to her shoulder, while the rest of her attire consisted mostly of chains wrapped around her body.

  She possessed a Blessing that enabled her to dominate others, breaking their wills and turning them into her pets. Without the special function on the TV, I would have no clue about her capabilities. Now, as the arena shifted, it seemed everyone would witness her power firsthand, rather than just seeing her opponents inexplicably drop to all fours, barking like dogs and licking her shoes.

  Lacking any cards to make me immune to mental attacks, I opted to use Urda's card, which generated totems emitting passive auras to all nearby.

  On her card, she stood in a forest, with her ever-present flower painted nipples still as eye-catching as ever. Her contrasting bck hair was adorned with golden hair accessories, and small totems frolicked at her feet.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Urda ???Level: 227Affection: 103Trait:Goddess: The Goddess of Life.Primary Blessing: Totem tier 7 Lesser Blessings: Navigate tier 3, Sacrifice tier 5, Green Thumb (Flowers) tier 4, Scent tier 4, Fertility tier 1]

  [Totem: Ability to create protective or enhancing totems.]

  [Navigate: Unerringly find your way through any terrain.]

  [Sacrifice: Designate a target to act as a sacrifice, preserving your safety.]

  [Green Thumb (Flowers): Accelerate the growth and health of flowers.]

  [Scent: Emit a pleasant, soothing aroma.]

  [Fertility: Significantly increased fertility, enhancing the likelihood of conception.]

  I prepared the totems in advance to deploy them as soon as time resumed. These totems were designed to enhance my body, mind, and soul, while also protecting me from attacks. I would have liked to use my mom's card again, but she mentioned that her card would be ineffective against this girl. Apparently, breaking down someone's will doesn't count as a negative element—sometimes I have no clue what is up with this world.

  “Both Domination-chan and Submissive-chan agree that it is only right for some to rule and the rest to submit. They merely disagree on which side is preferable,” the goddess expined, providing some crity.

  “Date Starto!”

  [Target: Your owner.]

  [Name: Mistress Vyx Level: 175 Affection: -5Primary Blessing: Effectiveness quadrupled against dog girls.]

  As soon as the fight began, three towering totems sprang to life from the ground, with two smaller ones perched on my shoulders to shield me from any physical attacks. However, the girl opposite me made no move; she continued to regard me with disdain.

  Then, her attention shifted away from me to the rge metal bars of what I now realized was my cage. She slowly walked around its perimeter, her finger trailing along the bars, deliberately touching each one as she passed. Her heels clicked ominously against the stone floor with each measured step.

  'Wait, my cage?' The thought had barely formed when I felt a strong tug at my neck. A metal chain and colr yanked me down to the hard stone ground.

  “Bad dog!” She decred, giving me no further attention as she continued her inspection.

  I frantically attempted to command my totems, but the biting, piercing cold and relentless shivering made it impossible to concentrate. I kept lifting my hands off the ice-covered ground, alternating to avoid frostbite, but it seemed futile with the metal colr already frozen to my neck.

  Just as I was losing hope, a delicious aroma wafted through the air. Turning, I saw Mistress Vyx standing over me, a steaming drink in her hand. “Are you ready to be a good boy?” she asked.

  'A good boy?' I pondered, unsure why I would resist when faced with such a harsh alternative. Being a good boy meant I could be inside, resting at her feet. 'No, I have to resist.'

  ‘Why is it so hot? The sand everywhere burns. How hot is it? How long have I been here? I'm so thirsty.’ I y here, my face buried in the sand, my mind muddled as I try to make sense of what's happening, but the oppressive heat and overwhelming thirst drive all coherent thought away. The knowledge that I won't die from dehydration does little to comfort me.

  A bowl full of cold, clean water is pced before me. I ck the strength to rise, but I can see her face reflected in the water, looking disappointed. “Does my pet want a drink? Is the struggle worth it? Is the pain worth it when you could serve and be free and happy?”

  I can't deny the appeal. The idea of giving up, of ceasing to think. No more pain, no more worry. Letting someone else make the decisions. I'm just so tired. Maybe I should give up and be happy.

  How long have I been alone in the dark? No sound, no smell, just the echo of my own thoughts. The solitude is crushing; I crave the presence of someone, anyone.

  "Why are you so stubborn? Just give up, come home with me," her voice breaks through the darkness. I can't see her, but the frustration in her tone is palpable, unfamiliar yet stirring. I want to yield. I yearn for her to take me home, to take care of me. "Fine, if that's the way you want it!" she excims, her tone indicating a turning point.

  I was drowning, surrounded by nothing but water. The sensation of drowning was ceaseless, a grim prospect of an eternal death with no escape. Make it stop! I can't take this anymore! Her voice pierced through the turmoil, harsh and accusing, “What is wrong with you? You ungrateful stray!”

  I was fighting for my life. Being in a home, being cared for—it's so much better than this. Out here in the wilderness, it's just survival, fending off other dogs that try to steal my food, preventing me from growing stronger. I always have to be on alert; otherwise, I end up like I am now, bleeding out, about to become food that will make another beast stronger. I long for the security of a warm home. "Just break!" she yelled, frustration evident in her voice.

  I am, stop. I'll do what you want, just make it stop.

  “Break!”

  'I don’t understand, I just want it all to stop!' Suddenly, I hear the sound of shattering gss; pieces fall onto me, digging into my flesh. My arm digs into more shards as I pull myself forward. Looking down into the gss, I can see my face, twisted with anger as I growl. 'Wait, why am I crawling?'

  …

  I'm in a familiar study, where my dad sits in his usual rocking chair, slowly smoking his pipe.

  “Son, how do you judge the worth of a man?” He finally spoke, giving me ample time to settle in.

  “By how happy his family is,” I responded, repeating the answer he had drilled into me countless times. Yet, he remained silent, continuing to smoke slowly. What had I done wrong? It couldn't have been too severe, or we wouldn't be having this calm discussion.

  “That is indeed one way, but not the only way. I have always told you that a man must be flexible, right? Well, the true measure of a man is not what he bends for, but what he refuses to bend for. It's about what he stands strong against, even when the whole world is pushing against him, even when he is pushing against himself.”

  …

  I can see the broken gss; it digs into my palms as I start to push my body up. “I want to give up. I want it all to stop.”

  I can feel it digging into my feet as I position them beneath me. “It would be so nice for someone else to do the thinking.”

  The colr around my neck tries to pull me back down. “It would be so nice to just be your dog.”

  “Then just stay down! Is it your family? Friends? They will join you, you will all be happy together.”

  "That's right, they will all be safe here. I won't have to worry about their safety or whatever that stupid goddess is pnning," I say, as my legs gather more strength, trying to rip the colr from the chain.

  “What is it? Why are you fighting so hard?”

  "Why? I don’t know why. All I know is I refuse to bend here," I decre, and something changes. Crity returns to me as I look around. Quickly realizing that I must be trapped in her mind games, I resolve to break free.

  As if sensing my intent, the skill "Show hidden secrets" activates, revealing her real figure standing before me with a queer expression. Realizing I don’t have time to pn an escape, I quickly use "Charm her pants off," and Angelica’s card activates. Giant white wings sprout from my back as I undergo her angel transformation, causing the illusory world around me to shatter.

  With a fp of my wings I carry myself forward, grabbing her by the neck and smming her into the ground. Her wide eyes stared up at me unblinking as I looked down on her.

  “Now be a good girl and don't move,” I command in a stern voice, asserting control over the situation.

  [Target: Your bitch.]

  [Name: Puppy Vyx Level: 175 Affection: 699Primary Blessing: Effectiveness quadrupled against dog girls.]

  I summon a giant beam from the sky that incinerates her, reducing her to nothing but dust. Once she is gone, I stretch out my body and fp my wings, scattering her remains across the arena.

  Looking up, I notice the crowd is unusually still, not the normal cheering frenzy but almost completely motionless, only whispering softly among themselves.

  ‘Man, that must have come off as embarrassing. Well, I won, and that is all that matters,’ I think to myself as I observe their muted reactions.

  The announcer then appears on stage, microphone in hand, breaking my observation. She stands there, her gaze fixed on me with a depth and intensity I hadn’t seen before—genuine, focused, not just the performative gnces she usually throws while delivering her speeches.

  [Name: Lyrielle Echo Level: ??? Affection: 199 [Overflow]Hobby: Practices her speeches in front of her dolls at home.]

  “Her affection skyrocketed, and what is overflow?” I wondered, gazing at her Observe window.

  Looking over at the other contestants who were yet to fight, I noticed their dispys were simir to Lyrielle’s. When I switched my gaze to the crowd, I found a simir pattern; nearly every girl was stuck at 199 Affection.

  [1,474,672,587 Love points]

  ‘What the hell! My love point count is ridiculous,’ I thought, checking the number. ‘Was my angel transformation that impactful?’

  "I can't with this guy!" I saw the goddess stand up from her chair and storm out of the room, smming the door behind her.

  "Your card fell off halfway through her attempt to dominate you. And your divine spark never activated. You escaped her with just a tier zero's abilities. Most importantly, you got her card!" The system chimed in, proving more helpful than her mother ever was. She beamed at my praise.

  “That’s my System-chan, already so much smarter than your father,” she said, scooping her up into a hug. Apparently, she was back already, making me feel foolish for hoping that she had actually left for good.

  The announcer's voice drew my attention back to the arena. “It is my utmost pleasure and extraordinary honor to announce our winner, a legend in the making, who has shown us the true essence of resilience and resolve. Let us direct our rapturous appuse and uncontainable cheers to the indomitable, the invincible, Liev Ekker!”

  "Sir Liev faced an adversary as formidable as they come—the enigmatic and ever-dominant Mistress Vyx. Known for her ability to break anyone. Yet, it was not enough! Not against our young hero, for he shattered the chains of control with the sheer force of his unyielding spirit!" She moved toward me as she spoke, giving me side-eyed gnces like a schoolgirl smitten by her crush.

  “Oh, baby, work, the, shaft,” the goddess committed, moving her hand slowly up and down in rhythm to her speech.

  “And now, as the echoes of his epic dispy still resound in our hearts, we turn our gaze to another remarkable presence among us tonight. Please welcome, with warm, though perhaps slightly more subdued enthusiasm, the charming Era. With grace that flows like a gentle stream and eyes that sparkle with the magic of the north, she captivates all who gnce her way. Yet, even her enchanting aura pales beside the brilliant luster of Sir Liev’s indomitable spirit!”

  “Oh, girl deeper, deeper,” she committed again with an open mouth, her finger pointing into it.

  “Really,” I finally had to acknowledge her; she was becoming too distracting.

  “What? I like admiring a girl who knows what she is doing,” the goddess responded, seemingly confused by my protest.

  “So, let us raise our voices once more for Sir Liev, whose courage not only won the day but continues to inspire us all! To Sir Liev, the unconquerable, the uncontrolled, the true champion of our time!” She said, giving me a smile. I could swear she was blushing before she disappeared.

  “Date Starto!”

  [Target: A lovely girl.]

  [Name: Level: 200 Affection: 499Owns only pink items.]

  The next competitor possessed a mind control ability. Everyone who fought her, killed themselves , yet she seemed genuinely interested in engaging with me, unlike the other competitors. She stood there, giving me a friendly look.

  “Time to pull out the big guns. I am not going through that again.” I decided to end this fight quickly, before she could react. Dealing with one girl pying mind games was already too much for me.

  “Why?” the system queried, just as I was about to slot in Shadow_13’s card.

  “Why what?” I asked back, pausing in my actions.

  “?” She replied.

  “Did she just speak a question mark?” I muttered to no one in particur.

  “Hey, System-chan, don't spoil it. I wanted to see the look on his face ter when he realized he burnt her card for no reason. Then I could ugh as he spread more misinformation to the readers,” the goddess gently scolded the system for her apparent slip-up.

  “Sorry, mother,” the system responded, though her actions said otherwise as she continued to fiddle with the new card I had just acquired.

  “So, are you going to tell me what I'm missing?” I asked, directing my question mainly at the system, who seemed always eager to be helpful. But it was the goddess who answered.

  "Well, I guess it's too te now. This way might be less fun, but it's probably more entertaining for the audience. She has my blessing. She can charm others and, using a telepathy skill, convinces them to kill themselves for her. In the real world, she can't do this, but here, everyone knows they won't actually die even if they are killed," she paused to chuckle at her own joke.

  “Here, she is unstoppable. She would have won the entire tournament. Too bad all my blessings are useless against you. You could even beat her with Sakura’s card with a little effort, although that won’t even be necessary.” She provided a complete expnation, which was uncharacteristically straightforward for her.

  “That's good to know. That means I can save my trump card.” I was initially grateful, until I remembered her earlier statement about needing to be cryptic—’she is so full of shit!’

  Her whistling did nothing to reassure me, but still, I took her advice and fielded Sakura's card.

  As soon as time resumed, the shield was leaving my hand. I almost thought it would deliver a critical hit until her body scattered into pink petals.

  The petals floated into the air before swirling in front like a mini tornado, reforming into her body. When she reappeared, she was smiling, leaning slightly forward with her hands csped behind her back.

  "Can you kill yourself for me?" A soft, sweet, and loving voice echoed in my head, making me curse myself for ever trusting that stupid goddess—but then, nothing followed. We were simply left staring at each other.

  Her smile briefly faded, and she blinked a couple of times in confusion before her eyes lit up and her grin returned with full force.

  She leapt at me sideways, hand raised, and I reflexively caught her in a bridal carry. It was a really foolish move in the middle of a match, but before I could drop her, she let her hands drape over my shoulders and rested her head on my chest.

  “I surrender, you know I could never bring myself to harm you, hubby,” says the girl who cheerfully told me to kill myself just moments earlier.

  “I did my best just so I could be praised by you.” She looked up at me with eyes brimming with adoration.

  ‘The fuck is she smoking?’ I wondered, taken aback by her sudden shift in demeanor.

  The love in her eyes turned to a mix of slight despair and longing. “But your little wifey has to return now. I'll be thinking of you every phase of the day, hubby, and if you ever need me, just call. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and race to your side.”

  She let her head gently rest on my chest before she vanished, leaving a trail of mixed emotions and confusion in her wake.

  “Am I missing something?” I wondered aloud, uncertain if I had been affected by some strange ability.

  “For once, no. She just has really good taste. No wonder she received my blessing,” the goddess remarked, praising herself.

  Gncing over, I saw the system gleefully examining her new card. Noticing my gaze, she held up both cards with a broad smile, proudly showing them off to me.

  In her card, Vyx looked vastly different from her appearance during our fight. She now sported a pair of dog ears and wore a red colr with a chain leading toward the viewer. Her eyes conveyed a slightly seductive expression, adding a completely different dimension to her character.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Puppy VyxLevel: 175Affection: 699Trait: Bitch, Sadist, Masochist,Goddess: The Goddess of Domination.Primary Blessing: Dog Trainer tier 7 Lesser Blessings: Pull Tier 4, High Heel Mastery Tier 4, Chain Mastery Tier 6, Mind Control Tier 6, Bolstered Will Tier 6]

  [Dog Trainer: Specializes in training dogs.]

  [Pull: Ability to pull objects towards yourself.]

  [High Heel Mastery: Expertise in utilizing high heels.]

  [Chain Mastery: Proficiency in using chains.]

  [Mind Control: Mastery over controlling minds.]

  [Bolstered Will: Makes your will stronger and more dominating.]

  Era had changed from her fluffy pink dress, which was somehow still revealing, into a one-piece, pink, see-through nightgown. She y lovingly on her bed, gazing out with an affectionate expression.

  Spoiler

  [colpse][Name: Era PinkLevel: 200Affection: 500Trait: Lolita, CuteGoddess: The Goddess of Love.Primary Blessing: Charm tier 8 Lesser Blessings: Telepathy tier 5, Storage tier 7, Candy Creation tier 8, Read the Room tier 7, Love Conquers All tier 1]

  [Charm: Influence targets, persuading them to acquiesce to your desires.]

  [Telepathy: Enables mind-to-mind communication.]

  [Storage: Capability to store items in a magical space.]

  [Candy Creation: Ability and knowledge to create various types of candy.]

  [Read the Room: Innate ability to gauge the mood and dynamics of a area.]

  [Love Conquers All: Significantly increases the likelihood of your lover coming to your rescue in times of need.]

  "Sir Liev has once again achieved a victory as expected. A victory not solely of strength, nor merely of strategy, but of the unconquerable force that is love." The announcer appeared right next to me this time, casting a gnce at my still open arms as she spoke.

  "We have—" Her words were cut off as a girl fell from the sky and nded in the ring, interrupting her speech.

  "I will fight next," she stated simply, as if decring an indisputable fact.