By Zephyria 
Entangled dust billowed, and large and small Boulders rained down like a torrential downpour. Fragments that had plummeted to the bottom of the arena scattered sharply in all directions. The widespread dust was once again covered by a vast amount of earth and sand, instantly swallowing not only the figures below but also the collapsed bridge.
Kugugugung—
A thunderous sound of collapse pierced through the transparent barrier and spread along with the wave of spectators. For a while, only the shockwave accompanied by destruction echoed throughout the wide arena. The commentators, speechless, couldn’t take their eyes off the last floor where the prisoner had been bound.
As if witnessing a massive accident, the spectators covered their gaping mouths.
“Are they crazy? Is he that strong?”
“Even Ryan…”
“Is out.”
“No way…”
As short sighs sparsely passed by, the falling rocks barely managed to stop their descent. Only a few remaining fragments swept through the lowest level of the arena like a rain shower, but the dark curtain cast by the rising dust made it difficult to grasp the exact situation.
The murmuring voices grew louder, and as doubts about Ryan’s survival arose, Andreas, who had been swallowing hard while staring ahead, glanced at Hugo.
It wasn’t like him, but they say that when a person is blinded by love, they do things they wouldn’t normally do, right? He was quite worried that the Captain might suddenly jump up from his seat.
“Hey, Hugo…”
It was just as he tilted his head, trying to get a closer look at his superior’s expression.
Chwaaaak—
Hugo’s handsome eyebrows twitched. It was because the debris piled up like a tomb in the middle of the arena had soared upwards.
From that gap, lightning-like streaks flashed and drew a clear trajectory in the air.
<Ryan, it’s Ryan!>
The booming voice of the commentators echoed throughout the silent arena. Half a beat later, a series of cheers reverberated in all directions.
<He emerges from the debris!>
Waaaaaaa—
<How did he endure in there?>
<Orca and Beatrice are with him! I’m not sure what happened yet—!>
The dust mixed with Ether vibrated finely, fueled by the cheers. Leonardo, soaked to the bone, pushed through the gap and jumped high. Orca, with his arms wrapped around his neck, and the limp Beatrice were hanging from his arms. However, the long chains and restraints were also there.
“You crazy bastard, I swallowed so much water because of you…”
“But didn’t you survive thanks to it? It would have been a disaster if you had hurt your head.”
Leonardo glared as if he was dumbfounded. He said it would have been a disaster, but where else would you find a crazy bastard who shoves water into every hole in your face?
“But I was surprised it was hotter than I thought, my mouth and nose feel like lava.”
“Is he crazy, really.”
“If I hadn’t done this, you would have been injured by the debris.”
“I get it, so shut up. My head is ringing.”
Clear liquid streamed down from Leonardo’s mouth and nose, which had suddenly become covered in mud. Orca, who had been repaid with dynamic curses despite helping, wore a sullen expression. He reached out to wipe his wet face, but Leonardo roughly pulled his head back. Even so, he moved the two teammates in his arms to a safe location.
“Cough, hack—”
As he burst into coughs, the damp mask stuck to his mouth and nose, revealing the curves of his lower face. Leonardo, who hadn’t even noticed, stepped onto a Floating Stone and first shook off Orca, who was hanging on his neck. Then, supporting Beatrice’s back and head, he carefully laid her down on the flat ground.
“Is she dead?”
Orca asked, squeezing the water out of his robe while examining her pale complexion. Leonardo hurriedly tore off the ribbon around Beatrice’s neck and replied.
“She just fainted for a moment, she does this sometimes. More importantly, can you summon the Divine Beast again?”
“…It’s impossible right now. There’s not enough moisture in this arena. But 3 minutes will be enough.”
“3 minutes?”
Gold Eyes rolled around to check the remaining time. The numbers on the board indicated about 7 minutes left. There was still some time, but already half of the total match time of 15 minutes had passed.
Leonardo, unable to wait because the time was as precious as gold, simply tilted Beatrice’s head back to secure her airway. Then he shook off his seat and stood up.
“Then you protect this lady. I have to go up from now on.”
“Wouldn’t Bell be protected by the doll that follows her around? I’ll cover the Lion.”
Leonardo looked around the middle of the arena, which was covered in dirt, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Clang, the heavy handcuffs brushed against his damp chin.
“That guy won’t move unless Bell is conscious.”
<Ryan, he seems to be free from the restraints! But the shackles haven’t fallen off yet, what’s going on?>
<It seems we need to determine if the locking device buried in the debris is still operating. Did Bell fail to release it? The broadcast side hasn’t received any information yet—.>
<Ah, breaking news just came in! Just before Bell was about to release the locking device, the falling Boulder collided with the floor! In this process, the fixing device on the floor was damaged, and the chain that bound Ryan was broken, and the device was released after that—.>
The two commentators turned their heads to the judges in the control tower.
<What happens to the match in this case? If the prisoner releases himself and moves, he will be disqualified!>
After a brief discussion, the judges held up a large green flag and waved it from side to side. At the same time, a phrase announcing the judgment and the continuation of the match flashed in bold letters on the crystal board.
[NO FURTHER ACTION
MATCH CONTINUES]
<Ah, the match continues without interruption! It is judged as an unavoidable accident during the match, not of his own volition—. Team Joker barely escapes the threshold of disqualification!>
<But this will only be disadvantageous to Ryan. The handcuffs will hinder his Magic Power operation. Moreover, they are Magic Stone handcuffs.>
<That’s right, even with his excellent physical abilities, both bridges on the two floors directly above have been cut off. There are many obstacles to reaching the exit.>
“Hyungnim—!”
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from above. Leonardo and Orca, reacting instinctively, raised their heads at the same time.
<As we speak, Joker appears!>
Ero, who had become quite disheveled from being stuck in the corner, waved his pistol around. Then, after confirming that both of them had their eyes on him, he aimed the tip of the gun at a certain point. Bang, bang, the sound of gunfire rang out a couple of times, and a rope ladder unraveled down the bridge. The fired bullets had cut the fixed knots.
It was the only path connecting the lowest floor to the 2nd basement floor.
<Wow, Joker! He discovers a hidden device!>
<He’s a good helper, there’s a reason why he’s partners with Ryan.>
As soon as Leonardo, who was assessing the situation, made a decision, he tapped Orca on the shoulder.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Ryan!”
Orca tried to grab him, but the cloak fluttering in the hot wind slipped out of his grasp.
Leonardo leaped as it was, jumping into the air and flying diagonally. However, even he could feel that the output of Magic Power was significantly suppressed. Unlike before, when he was as light as a feather, his wet body drew a parabola and gradually descended.
‘Damn it.’
<Ryan, the jump distance is short!>
<The weight of the shackles must be considerable, and it’s difficult to break Magic Stone handcuffs—.>
Behind Leonardo, who had rotated his body in the air to increase his airtime, Orca raised his fan. As he swung his arm strongly, Ultrasound spread widely, instantly pushing away the Ether flowing like a wave. Leonardo, swept away by the formed wave, barely grabbed the rope ladder hanging in the middle of the arena.
<He succeeds in grabbing the ladder! But will the opposing team wait?>
The ladder, which had become taut for a moment, gained kinetic energy from the recoil and spun in circles. Leonardo, hanging on, pulled the center of gravity outward, maximizing the centrifugal force as much as possible.
“Page, cut the rope!”
At that moment, a gruff voice rang out from across from Ero. It was the toad who had cut the bridge. As soon as he gave the order, the debris piled up on the lowest floor bubbled like boiling water.
The audience’s attention was focused on the bizarre phenomenon. A moment later, translucent green reptiles crawled out like a burst dam, starting from the hole where Leonardo had emerged.
“What is that?”
A sticky mucus trailed along the trajectory of the creatures. The audience frowned at the disgusting sight.
<Team Big Boss’s Page! He uses Summoning magic! Are those salamanders?>
<I thought he lost consciousness after being hit by Bell’s umbrella, but I guess not. That’s an enormous number, Ryan needs to hurry—.>
Leonardo, who was swinging like a pendulum, also happened to look down at his feet. The grotesque creatures that had risen like bubbles were stepping on the surface of the transparent barrier and climbing upwards all at once.
The mucus on the foothold had an adhesive function, and the climbing speed was very fast. In an instant, they surpassed the height he was hanging from, and they were about to cover the bridge on the 2nd basement floor where the rope ladder was connected.
Tsk, Leonardo clicked his tongue and rhythmically swung his upper body as if riding a swing. He pushed the ladder out with his feet, then twisted his upper and lower body at the same time to lash the rope of the ladder like a whip. With that recoil, his body, hanging at the end, floated in the air.