Clash with the Five Idiots(5)

As many had already guessed, it was Arroganz—an enormous, heavy, black armor. On its back was an equally massive backpack, packed with a vast array of different weapons. However, it was noticeably different from the version shown in the manga.

First, the armor's head resembled a gas mask, giving it a grim and intimidating appearance. Second, even without the backpack, the armor itself had strange protrusions and indentations all over its body. Why? Because multiple AIs had worked on its creation.

Luxion had designed the armor's main structure—the one that everyone was familiar with. Cleare had contributed by adding the gas mask and an additional weapon to the backpack. Meanwhile, Legion had equipped the armor with powerful jet thrusters and significantly improved its aerodynamics, ensuring that Arroganz remained maneuverable and fast even without extra gear. Furthermore, he made sure that the pilot wouldn't experience excessive G-forces while maneuvering.

When Arroganz appeared before the crowd, there was a moment of stunned silence as people took in its appearance. However, it didn't take long for the atmosphere to shift—soon, chuckles filled the air, followed by mocking remarks one after another:

"Ha! So this massive hunk of metal supposedly took down pirates? Unless the pirates threw themselves under its feet without even trying to use their speed, I suppose that might explain his 'victory'!"

"Oh man, that thing must be ridiculously slow and clunky!"

"He's more likely to trip over himself than actually defeat anyone!"

The crowd grew livelier, buzzing with smug comments from self-proclaimed "experts."

Amidst the noise, Olivia, watching the scene unfold, curiously turned to Angelica and asked:

"Why is everyone laughing?"

Angelica, hearing her question, looked slightly surprised before giving a small, amused sigh.

"Ah, right, you wouldn't know..." she murmured, exhaling.

She turned her gaze toward the arena, pausing for a moment before continuing:

"Most likely, that armor is a lost artifact. Something beyond our understanding with modern technology. But one thing is certain: an armor's appearance alone doesn't define its true strength."

She furrowed her brows slightly, then gestured toward Leon in his heavy armor.

"Just by looking at Leon's armor, you can tell that he's incredibly strong and well-protected. But because of that, he's probably sacrificing speed. And in battles between armor users, speed and power are crucial."

She glanced at the arena again, observing the fighters' movements, then added:

"That said, I'm confident Leon can defeat each of his opponents individually. Unlike them, he has real combat experience—he's fought against pirates. The prince and the others have only trained in safe conditions."

She fell silent for a moment, then shook her head slightly and continued:

"Unfortunately, he's fighting alone. He'll be facing them one by one—because if they all attacked him at once, he would lose. But by the time he reaches the prince, his final opponent, his armor will likely be damaged, and he'll be exhausted."

Finishing her thoughts, she crossed her arms and concluded:

"Let's just watch and see what Leon does."

Olivia nodded in agreement and refocused on the duel.

At that moment, Leon, keeping an eye on the prince and the others, suddenly noticed Chris. He almost let out a laugh—the sight was just too funny. Adjusting his glasses, he scoffed:

"Damn, he looks like…" Leon started, but before he could finish, Luxion suddenly cut in:

"He looks like a cheap version of Harry Potter."

Leon stopped abruptly, narrowed his eyes slightly, and slowly turned to Luxion.

"How do you know about Harry?" he asked, suspiciously.

"He was known during the era of the Old Humans," Luxion replied calmly.

Leon hesitated for a second, but then shrugged and turned his attention back to the arena. His first opponent was already waiting.

It was Brad—an arrogant noble clad in his signature purple armor, a narcissist to the core. Among the five, he was considered the weakest, though he did possess decent magic abilities. As he stepped forward, he smirked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yo! I see you didn't run away… Well, I'll give you some credit for that. But do you really think you can beat me with that outdated armor of yours?" he said, his voice dripping with condescension.

Leon didn't respond. He simply stared at Brad, waiting for the match to begin.

"Are both fighters ready?" the referee asked, glancing at both of them.

Leon remained silent, but his stance spoke volumes. He had already made up his mind—he would defeat Brad without using any weapons. Only his fists.

"Begin!" the referee's voice rang out.

Leon shot forward in an instant.

The armor that everyone had mocked as "outdated" moved far faster than anyone had expected. Brad barely had time to react before Leon's fist smashed into his armor with overwhelming force. The impact was so powerful that Brad was sent flying backward, slamming into the ground.

The entire arena fell silent.

A moment ago, the crowd had been loudly discussing the fight's outcome. Now, they were frozen in shock. Even the referee looked stunned but quickly regained his composure and checked Brad's condition.

"Victory goes to Leon!" he announced loudly.