Nameless King

"You mean to tell me that his punch formed an ice crystal on the slab, but he only used physical power?"

"Yeah, that's weird, maybe it was some kind of special technique?"

"Never mind." Ern shrugged, "The important thing is that he didn't break the rules. Everyone has secrets, he beat Zeta and broke the record, nothing is surprising about that."

"I agree." Artur nodded and crushed the ice crystal.

The first test lasted two hours. The same amount of time was left before the auction and for the second test. Out of thousands of people, only a thousand and two hundred remained, and they had the best scores and strongest strokes. Now everyone had to win two arm wrestling contests to qualify for the auction.

"Congratulations to everyone who passed the first round. Please wait a moment, we'll make the lists, and you'll know who you'll be fighting. For now, you can rest and catch your breath." Artur stated, and his men got to work. They divided into two groups, one making lists at random and the other setting up special tables in the square.

Ten minutes later, everything was ready, and Artur and his assistants announced the names of the first participants. They took their places and, on command, began to fight.

Wain watched the table at which an Inerian girl who was hitting seventy tons and a tall, muscular man. He was twice the girl's size, and his bicep was wider than the girl's waist, but she was not worried, there was confidence in her eyes to win.

In arm wrestling, physical strength was of great importance, but it was not the only thing that determined the victory. To overpower a bigger and more muscular opponent, a person had to have control of all muscles throughout the body, as well as proper movement directing power in the right direction.

"Ready?" The aide asked.

The girl and the man nodded and squeezed each other's palms tightly.

"Don't worry. I'll try not to hurt you." The man smirked.

The girl remained silent and only looked at him coldly.

"Go!"

Bam.

The girl moved with lightning speed, turning her body to the left, and there was a loud pop, the man's hand was pinned to the table.

"Okay." The assistant nodded and wrote the winner's name in his notebook.

"What...?"

The man didn't even have time to understand anything. It happened too fast.

"Pfft, shame, I thought Demon men were stronger, but you turned out to be nothing." The girl uttered, turned, and walked away.

"Fuck!" The man got angry and kicked the table with all his might, leaving a mark on the stone surface of his fist.

"Well... looks like all Inerians girls are strong..." Wain muttered.

"Watching the fights?" Ern approached him.

"Yeah, as I recall, this man struck eighty tons, but she beat him so easily. Isn't that amazing?"

"She's strong, but I think she won because of her speed. If she hadn't gotten ahead of him, she would lose in a prolonged battle."

"Are you saying that momentum is more important than strength in arm wrestling?"

"Of course, and that doesn't just apply to arm wrestling. A quick, precise, and timely strike to a weak spot can bring victory in any fight. I want to fight her. I think it would be an interesting experience.

"Huh, apparently you're confident of winning and just want to see her face when she loses."

"Yeah, you're right. Isn't it nice to beat someone strong?"

"Wain Norheim!" Suddenly a helper's voice rang out.

"Oh, looks like it's your turn, what a pity."

"I hope I don't have to fight you in the second stage." Wain said and headed for the table.

His opponent was a Demon with two long horns and blue eyes. He looked rather inconspicuous, so Wain didn't know his opponent's score in the first challenge.

"Looks like I got lucky." Demon said.

"Hmm?"

"I was hoping that I would be able to fight you, and luckily it happened. Luck is on my side."

"Is it because of the record?"

"Yes, partly, but I also wonder how an Elf can be so strong."

"Enough talk. Are you ready?" The aide interjected.

Wain and the Demon nodded and squeezed each other's palms tightly. The Demon's grip was very powerful, and it even hurt Wain a little.

'Huh, not bad.'

"Let's go!"

Crackle.

Wain and the Demon started simultaneously, but their hands stayed in place. They exerted a lot of effort but could not advance.

The table began to shake slightly from the pressure, and Demon's hand slowly approached the bottom.

Wain was slowly winning, but Demon couldn't let that happen. He clenched his teeth, and his veins swelled, he used all the strength he had and was able to start winning by bringing Wain's hand closer to the table.

Crackling.

The floor beneath Wain's feet cracked, and he pressed Demon's hand against the table with a sharp movement.

"Winner, Wain Norheim!" An aide announced and wrote down his name.

"Phew, that was cool." The Demon sighed and kneaded his palm.

"Looks like you didn't get too upset."

Demon shrugged, "The auction didn't interest me much. I wanted to compete with someone strong, and I accomplished my goal. Though, of course, I wanted to win, you're damn strong. Good luck."

"Please go out of the table and wait your turn." The aide said.

Wain nodded and returned to the observation deck. He didn't expect anyone to come here specifically for the trials, not the auction.

'Demons really like fighting more than anything else in the world. Their fighting spirit and desire to get stronger are unwavering. I was not mistaken. If the Demons become allies of the humans, it will be a serious alliance.'

The trial continued, and finally what Wain had been waiting for happened, it was Ern's turn. His opponent was one of the Axalts who came here today. He was a tall guy with long black hair and a sun sign on his chest.