I personally defeated the strongest gladiator, Rain, in my final match, but the Sprex Gladiator Corps ended up losing.

While we were far from making it to the final round, there’s a lingering regret that we might have achieved a slightly better result.

However, the response to both the Sprex Gladiator Corps’ performance and especially my own record has been incredible.

Before I knew it, I had gone undefeated in all my matches and won every main event I participated in.

Rain, on the other hand, finished with eight wins and one loss—against me.

Word has already spread throughout the royal capital that I’m the strongest gladiator in this tournament, and as a result, I’ve been given yet another nickname:

“The Uncrowned Emperor.”

Once again, I’ve been “crowned” with a title, but honestly, I don’t even know the difference between a king and an emperor, so it doesn’t feel particularly special to me.

If that’s the case, they might as well just combine it all into “The Uncrowned Tyrant.”

That aside, the Sprex Gladiator Corps has gained considerable fame as a first-time participant that put up an impressive fight.

Sprex, filled with confidence, declared that this would mark the start of our group becoming a regular participant in the Gladiator Festival. I smiled and gave him a vague reply.

Up until the final day, I faced off against other gladiators from teams that were also eliminated in the qualifiers. I kept my undefeated streak alive and managed to excite the arena.

Apparently, in my matches, the wagers shifted from who would win or lose to how many consecutive wins I could achieve and how quickly I could end each fight.

And so, the final day of the Gladiator Festival arrived.

The match: The Bear Hug Gladiator Corps (7 wins, 2 losses) versus last year’s champions, the Pendulum Gladiator Corps.

On this day, other gladiator teams that had participated in the festival were allowed to send up to ten members to watch the finals from the audience seats.

Incidentally, this was my first time watching a gladiator fight as a spectator.

The entire arena was in view, and I could feel the raw energy of the surrounding crowd. It was a refreshingly unique and entertaining experience.

As I was soaking it all in, the booming sound of percussion instruments suddenly erupted. Startled, I looked around to locate the source of the sound, only to spot a drum-like instrument made from stretched animal hide hanging nearby.

It seemed a performer was striking it with a stick to produce the sound. A muscular man dressed in black stood in front of the drum.

As the drumbeats—boom, boom, boom—reverberated, the crowd began to quiet down.

What’s happening? Is it time for the fighters to enter?

While pondering this, I watched as the arena’s gates opened.

Through them emerged a middle-aged man cloaked in an opulent cape of gold and red. He had black hair, a black beard, and sharp black eyes that surveyed the arena. Flanked by ten soldiers clad in beautiful silver armor, he strode confidently toward the center of the arena.

When the man reached the center, he raised his face and thrust a fist toward the sky.

Then, with a voice that carried effortlessly through the air, he spoke to those gathered in the arena.

"I am Okura-ho Ma Stampede IV, King of the Kingdom of Noah! People! You have done well to gather here! Today, the strongest warrior will be decided! You shall all bear witness to this historic moment!"

As the Stampede King declared this, an especially loud drumbeat resounded, followed by an explosion of cheers from the crowd.

The king surveyed the audience with satisfaction, nodded, and lowered his fist.

"I have come today to witness this moment myself! Now, on the final day of the Gladiator Festival, give your loudest cheers to the valiant gladiators who will fight! They are the stars of this year’s festival!"

With those words, the king spread his arms wide.

At his signal, the doors on either side of the arena opened, and ten gladiators appeared—five from each team.

Among them, of course, were Rain, the star gladiator of the Pendulum Gladiator Corps, and Cradle, the representative of the Bear Hug Gladiator Corps. Bulld was nowhere to be seen; perhaps his injuries were more severe than expected.

The ten gladiators knelt before the king, who looked down at them, nodded deeply, and spoke.

"Fight well! Show your full strength!"

With that, the king turned and departed. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, and as soon as the king disappeared from view, the gladiators rose to their feet.

Hmm. This spectacle seems designed to reinforce the authority of the king while emphasizing the prestige of the Gladiator Festival. It also highlights how even the strongest gladiators must bow before the monarch, subtly reminding the citizens of his power.

While I regret not standing on that stage myself, I suppose just participating in the festival is enough for now.

As I reflected on these thoughts while watching the gladiators on stage, Emera, seated beside me, glared at the arena and spoke up.

“The strongest gladiator is Yamato, though…”

Smiling at her words, I gently patted her head.

"I'm the strongest gladiator behind the scenes. In reality, I'm stronger than anyone on that stage… Isn't that amazing?"

“Behind the scenes…! That’s so cool!”

Emera’s eyes sparkled with admiration as her excitement grew at my playful remark.

Smiling again, I continued to pat her head.

The final match between the Pendulum Gladiator Corps and the Bear Hug Gladiator Corps was a close contest.

The Pendulum team took the first two wins, but the Bear Hug team quickly evened the score with two victories of their own. This left the deciding match as the last battle of the day.

The unexpected resilience of the Bear Hug team earned them genuine praise from the audience, who eagerly debated which team would emerge victorious this year.

Of course, the overwhelming majority—over 90%—predicted Rain’s victory.

We’ll see.

Grinning, I waited for the final match to begin.

The sound of the drum rang once, and the noisy arena gradually grew quieter.

Then the drum sounded twice.

The crowd was now entirely focused on the stage, their anticipation palpable.

The drumbeats continued at regular intervals, slowly quickening their pace, until they culminated in a rapid, intense rhythm.

Finally, Cradle appeared from the right-hand gate, clad in a white cape and armor—likely an outfit specially prepared for this day.

As he approached the center of the stage, the drumbeat ceased, leaving the arena in utter silence.

The tension was palpable, heightening the crowd’s expectations.

The champion's entrance was next.

A single, powerful drumbeat echoed, and the left-hand gate opened.

From the shadowy depths of the passage, a figure emerged.

Golden hair like a lion’s mane, piercing eyes, black armor, and a red cape.

It was Rain, the Thunder Emperor.

As Rain strode toward Cradle, the drumbeats resumed, reverberating continuously.

Now, even I, as a spectator, was completely engrossed in the unfolding drama on stage.

"Rain is tough, Cradle," I muttered, though he couldn’t possibly hear me. I fixed my gaze on Cradle, who was staring down his opponent on the stage.