Chapter 264: Pinch

“How many people did you eliminate from the arena, Bequa?”

I asked Bequa, who was looking down a little. Maybe he was depressed because Elira had taken the spotlight from him.

“Bequa?”

“…..”

Bequa approached me without speaking at all, perhaps feeling quite depressed.

“Nii-sama!”

“Crap!”

Bequa suddenly started to run towards me. And he wasn’t the only one who started running. Elira, Shana and the others also started running at the same time.

“Get away from Nii-sama!”

However, they were all blown away by Sophie’s wind magic. Bequa and the others who were blown away, fell down without even taking a breath. This would never have happened to Bequa under normal circumstances. Then they slowly got up like zombies.

“It’s cruel that you would attack your own people.”

“………It’s been a while.”

“That’s right.”

And from the front came the saint and the heroes. And the other three people with the heroes were our team members. The three of them were following the heroes in a daze.

“Oh, Sophia-chan, please don’t hit us with magic. It was very painful. If you do that again, I will kill these three, okay?”

“Don’t call us cruel. Besides, no one dies on this stage.”

“What if they do?”

First, B spoke to Sophie. Sophie did not say anything, but what he was saying was strange. He was talking as if they had been bewitched.

Then the saint replied further to Sophie who said that she wouldn’t die.

“Our excellent companions have made the effects of the magic tools on those belonging to the Lingaria Kingdom null and void. In other words, only the people of the Lingaria Kingdom will die normally even within this stage.”

“Whether it’s true or not…..”

“Yes. Of course, it could be a lie, right? Why don’t you try it? Behead one of them and you’ll have your answer.”

“………”

Surely that would give me the answer. If they’re transferred out of the scene, what the saint says is false, and if they fall on the spot, it’s true. But I can’t test it when I have this suspicion. If what the saint says is true, I’ll kill her when I try it. In short, the three who are with the heroes are probably hostages.

“I have a proposal for you, Zeros-san. Fight one on one against one of the heroes and lose without a fight.”

“…….!?”

“Then, when you’re beaten to a pulp, you can shout, “I’m overwhelmed” then, I’ll finish you off without anyone dying.”

“What for?”

The proposal from the saint was nonsensical. I don’t understand the merit of doing that. Sophie was a little angry and asked the saint why she would do such a thing.

“Of course, it’s to show the world what the heroes can do. Of course, with the four of us, we can certainly beat even Zeros-sama. But even if we won easily in a four to one match, people around us would think it couldn’t be helped because of the difference in numbers. However, if we win by an overwhelming margin in a one-on-one match, everyone will realize that the heroes are the strongest. Then, if powerful monsters, demon tribes, and other enemies appear in the future, all nations will have no choice but to rely on the heroes and the Holy taglion. That way, Holy Taglion will have an advantage over the other nations.”

“In other words, you are playing this farce because you can’t beat my brother in a one-on-one match.”

“Ah? What?”

A reacted to Sophie, who retorted to the saint. However, as A was about to move forward, the saint stopped him by holding out her arm in front of her.

“Of course you can win. But in case we lose, the reputation of the heroes will be damaged, so we are playing it safe like this.”

I had been thinking with multiple thoughts during the conversation between Sophie and the saint. It was the question, “Why isn’t she manipulating Sophie?”

It would still be understandable if she said that the reason she hasn’t manipulated me yet is to make me lose in a one-on-one fight. I think it would be easier that way….

But I have no idea why they don’t manipulate Sophie. If you think about it from my point of view, it’s easy to understand that I don’t want Sophie to be manipulated any more than anyone else. If she had been able to manipulate Sophie, I would have accepted the condition that I would lose this one-on-one fight. If Sophie became an enemy of the hero and the saint, their chances of winning would be very slim. Why isn’t the saint manipulating Sophie?

No…it’s not that she doesn’t control her, but that she can’t?

No, before that, how is she manipulating Bequa and the others? Is it brainwashing or fascination? Brainwashing is difficult to do in a short time. So is the method fascination? Or is there a method I don’t know about…?

And what’s the reason why she can’t manipulate Sophie and me?

Is it because we are evolved? No, Bequa is also evolved. Because I’m a reincarnated person? But that’s a weak basis. What do me and Sophie have in common to not be manipulated…

Ah! I figured it out! It’s because Sophie’s a severely bro-con and I’m a sis-con I’m sure sis-cons have charm resistance. Then the bro-con must also have resistance to charm! That’s why we can’t be manipulated by charm!

Now I know how they’re manipulating them and why Sophie and I can’t be manipulated. Now I just need to figure out what to do about this situation….

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