The reason a Rendil soldier had come to the coliseum was simple.

“The Crimson Mad Dog is wreaking havoc at the northern gate. We’re trying to hold them back with all available forces, but it’s not enough.”

We—meaning myself and the other Eastern gladiators—had been summoned by Eorite to gather in the coliseum plaza.

The purpose of the gathering, as relayed by the soldier from Rendil Castle, was clear: they needed additional strength to fend off this threat.

‘An opponent so formidable that they need even us gladiators?’

Standing at the front as the champion, I listened to the soldier's explanation.

These were soldiers—men trained specifically to defeat enemies and defend the castle.

Individually, they might not differ much from us gladiators, but in large-scale battles, their coordination and training would make them superior.

And yet, they were requesting help from us. It felt as though they were borrowing a cat’s paw.

‘Is the Crimson Mad Dog a group?’

That seemed likely. There were bandit groups like the Yellow Turban Rebels, after all.

If the soldiers were struggling so much that they needed gladiators, then this enemy must be a formidable armed force.

‘Could this be a raid by a militant group targeting Rendil?’

The motive wasn’t clear to me.

Rendil was nothing more than a city-state in the middle of the desert. Its only noteworthy attraction was the coliseum, a place of entertainment.

There didn’t seem to be much worth looting here.

‘Or maybe that’s exactly why they’ve targeted it—an easy prey.’

On second thought, small nations like Rendil would be weak, making them tempting targets for opportunistic groups.

As I considered Rendil’s situation, the soldier addressed me directly.

“Especially you, Champion. We have great expectations for you. The king himself has promised grand rewards to those who contribute significantly, so we’re counting on you.”

He looked at me with a gaze filled with respect.

‘No pressure…’

Honestly, being expected to accomplish something great just made me uncomfortable.

I had no illusions about pulling off some grand feat.

While this body seemed to possess exceptional combat capabilities, the person inside was still a novice with only a few months of experience in actual combat.

‘If things look grim, I’ll just find a way to slip out.’

My only goal was to survive, win 30 matches, and earn my freedom as promised by Eorite.

Then, I’d leave Rendil for good.

“Now, warriors! Let us save Rendil!”

““Ooooooh━!!””

“…Oh, uh, ooooh.”

The other gladiators, unlike me, were burning with enthusiasm.

Did they have some kind of patriotism?

It was unexpected. I thought they’d be as annoyed or fearful as I was, but their reactions were the opposite.

“To think we’ll see the Crimson Mad Dog in person. This is thrilling.”

“Heh, yeah. Let’s see if the rumors are true.”

As we moved northward, I overheard snippets of conversation among the gladiators.

What? Is the Crimson Mad Dog some famous entity?

Curious, I turned my head slightly and asked, “Excuse me… What are these rumors about the Crimson Mad Dog?”

“Oh, Champion! I’m sorry, were we being too loud?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just curious about these rumors you mentioned.”

As the coliseum’s champion, my position was almost revered, and people treated me with a certain reverence.

One of the gladiators scratched his head awkwardly before responding.

“Well… the rumors… But Champion, aren’t you said to not have much interest in women?”

“…Pardon?”

Is that really a rumor about me?

Eorite’s doing, maybe?

No, it was probably gossip spread by one of the courtesans who’d visited me.

‘Well, it doesn’t really matter.’

I didn’t care about my reputation as champion, so I simply nodded.

“In that case, you might not find this interesting. It’s that kind of story.”

“…That kind of story?”

“Yes. I’m sorry for bringing it up and distracting you, Champion. We’ll be more careful.”

What could it possibly be for them to react like this?

A story someone like me, rumored to be uninterested in women, wouldn’t care about?

…Maybe I should have just pretended to be interested in women.

Deciding to drop the subject, I faced forward and kept walking.

It didn’t matter anyway.

The Crimson Mad Dog, whether an individual or a group, was just another militant force attacking the city.

Whatever it was, I’d find out soon enough.

Before long—

━BOOOOOOM!!

The sounds from the direction of the gate grew louder.

‘What kind of battle is happening over there?’

As we got closer, the noise intensified, and plumes of dust rose above the northern gate.

It was starting to make sense why the soldiers were overwhelmed.

At first, I thought I could just observe from the sidelines, but now, my hands were trembling slightly with tension.

‘This… might be more dangerous than any coliseum match.’

The massive impact sounds grew even louder, joined by the terrified screams of soldiers.

“D-Damn it! Fill the gaps immediately if the front line falls! Don’t let them break through!”

“Grab their legs if you have to! Just stop them from moving!”

“S-Save me! It’s a monster! How are we supposed to stop that━!!”

The cries came from soldiers clad in matching armor, wielding similar weapons, scrambling in disarray.

There were a lot of them, far more than I had expected.

‘Even with that many, it’s not enough?’

Finally, the northern gate came into view.

Beyond the wide-open gate was a scene of utter chaos.

Figures were darting around, carrying wounded soldiers and fleeing in terror.

Pandemonium.

That was the only word to describe it.

“Alright, boys! Let’s charge!!”

Nearby, an experienced-looking gladiator raised his weapon and shouted.

The other rough-looking gladiators lifted their weapons in response.

““Ooooooo━!!””

Then, as if their adrenaline was surging, they charged forward with wild expressions.

‘Well… they seem strong enough to handle it.’

Watching the gladiators rush ahead, I let out a faint smile.

It would be fine.

These were warriors who had survived countless death matches.

While they might lack teamwork, their individual strength was undeniable.

Surely this would be enough to handle the armed group—

“Graaaaaah!!”

Crash!!

“Aaaaagh!!”

Someone was hurled over the wall, slamming into a nearby barrel.

It was one of the gladiators who had charged ahead moments ago.

‘…Did they just fly?’

My faint smile froze on my face as I stared at the sight, slack-jawed.

Was there some kind of monster outside?

How else could anyone throw a grown man so high?

...Well, okay, maybe I could do that, but still.

“G-Guh… Champion.”

The gladiator, crumpled in the barrel, groaned in pain as he looked up at me with desperate eyes.

“I… I believe in you….”

Like a side character urging the protagonist to rise, his gaze seemed to call out to me.

Then, before he could finish speaking, his head slumped forward.

“Hah…”

He wasn’t dead—his breathing was steady.

But still.

‘Looks like I’ll have to step in.’

I had hoped to stay out of this and let the situation resolve itself, but that didn’t seem to be an option anymore.

Sighing, I took a step forward.

“C-Champion…”

“It’s the Champion!! The ‘Odd Helmet’ has arrived!!”

“Champion, we’re counting on you! Please help us!”

“Ooooooh! Make way! Peasant, the Odd Helmet, is taking on the Crimson Mad Dog!!”

As I reached the back of the crowd, someone noticed me and shouted.

Immediately, the soldiers parted, creating a path for me.

The widening corridor felt suffocating as I walked forward, heads bowing in anticipation.

“Look, it’s the Champion!”

“We’re witnessing the Champion in action…”

“Please show us a legend… Champion!”

Their faces were filled with childlike awe, as though watching a hero from a storybook.

If I weren’t wearing the helmet, I might’ve fled in embarrassment under their gazes.

I walked forward, bearing the weight of their expectations, as the sounds of combat grew louder.

━━BOOOOOOM!!

Another massive explosion shook the area, and a body flew over my head.

‘…What the hell is this?’

The closer I got, the clearer it became—this wasn’t a large group.

So then, what was it?

Was it a monster?

What kind of being could make this many soldiers so helpless?

And then, I saw it.

“…Give him back━━!!!”

A woman’s voice, loud and filled with anguish, pierced through the chaos.

As I passed the last soldier blocking my view, the source of the commotion came into sight.

━━A figure bathed in red.

The first thing that struck me was the vivid crimson, radiating pure rage.

Her burning gaze, filled with seething fury, matched her snarling mouth as though she were about to tear into someone.

She was the very embodiment of the Crimson Mad Dog.

And she—

With an expression that carried both boundless fury and the agony of despair—

Let out a desperate, almost wailing cry.

“Give me back Ken━━!!!”

In that moment, staring directly at her, a single thought crossed my mind.

‘…She’s beautiful.’

It was love at first sight.

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