Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 256: Chapter: 255 Terror of the Ball Crusher.[1]

One week later, the Grand Arena was more crowded than it had been in a very long time.

Normally, ten arena rings occupied the massive structure, each hosting battles simultaneously. Today, however, every ring remained empty except for the enormous one positioned at the very center.

That lone arena had become the focus of everyone’s attention.

Although only two ranked matches were scheduled for the day, the excitement surrounding them far surpassed that of most tournaments held during the past year.

After all, it had been an entire year since anyone had challenged the Top Ten rankings. Yet today there would not be one challenger.

There would be two. The significance of that fact alone was enough to draw crowds from every corner of the city.

Every seat was occupied and every entrance was filled with the crowd.

Latecomers could only stand near walls or railings in hopes of catching a glimpse of the matches.

The noise inside the Grand Arena resembled the roar of a restless sea.

Thousands of conversations overlapped with one another as spectators waited impatiently for the battles to begin.

Among the countless topics being discussed, two subjects dominated nearly every conversation.

The first had absolutely nothing to do with the tournament.

”What’s happening in this city nowadays?”

An old man leaning heavily on a wooden cane shook his head in frustration.

”Yesterday someone stole my purse. There weren’t many taels inside, but I still lost five.”

”Right?”

A young man in his early twenties immediately nodded in agreement.

”I don’t even know what the administrative department is doing anymore. I’ve heard that almost everyone got robbed recently. Men, women, children, elderly people, even disabled people weren’t spared. Yet somehow there still isn’t any news about the thieves.”

A middle-aged man standing nearby let out a long sigh.

”Tell me about it. I was planning to gamble today, but all my savings disappeared. In the end, I had to sell my kid’s toys just to get enough money to place a bet on today’s duel.”

The old man and the young man slowly turned toward him. Their expressions twisted with disgust.

”What the fuck, man?”

The young man stared at him as though he had just witnessed something horrifying.

”You sold your kid’s toys?”

The old man looked equally disturbed.

”Have you no shame?”

”Exactly!”

The old man pointed his cane at the middle-aged man and shook his head.

”Back in my day, real men sold their wives’ jewelry. Then we’d double the money and buy even better jewelry afterward.”

He clicked his tongue repeatedly. ”Tsk, tsk. Young people these days don’t know how to care for their wives.”

The young man and the middle-aged man froze. Both men could only stare at the old man in complete disbelief.

For a moment neither knew how to respond.

The old man’s statement was somehow so ridiculous that arguing against it felt pointless.

Fortunately for him, both managed to restrain themselves from saying what immediately came to mind.

While countless discussions about the mysterious city-wide thefts continued throughout the arena, the second major topic was naturally the upcoming ranked matches.

”I put all my savings on Sifert.” A burly man crossed his arms confidently.

”He has to win.”

His companion nodded. ”The odds were sixty to forty. Sure, Sifert only had forty, but it still felt safer than betting on the girl.”

”That’s what I thought too.” A third man joined the conversation.

”I heard Jasmine is strong. Apparently she also has some kind of mysterious beast nobody understands. Still, I don’t think that’s enough to beat Sifert.”

”Exactly.” The second man grinned.

”When I collect my winnings, I’m taking my wife and kids to one of the expensive restaurants downtown. It’s been a lo...”

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden uproar erupted from somewhere near the gambling stalls.

The noise was loud enough to cut through the surrounding chatter. Dozens of spectators began moving toward the source of the disturbance.

The three men exchanged curious looks before following the crowd.

As they approached, they noticed a large gathering had formed around one of the betting stations. People were pushing forward, trying to see what had happened.

Amid the commotion, a man slowly emerged from the crowd.

He walked with an expression that suggested he had just witnessed something incomprehensible.

At the same time, he kept muttering to himself. The three spectators quickly intercepted him.

”Excuse me, sir.”

The man stopped and looked up. ”Yes?”

”What happened over there?”

The first man pointed toward the gambling stall.

”Why is everyone making such a fuss?”

The stranger snorted.

”You could say something happened.” He folded his arms. ”I told that madman not to do it. I told him gambling wasn’t supposed to work that way. But young people these days don’t understand the essence of gambling.”

The three exchanged confused looks.

”What did he do?” one of them asked.

The stranger stared at them for a moment before answering, ”that lunatic just bet one million taels on Jasmine.”

The surrounding air seemed to freeze.

The three men stood motionless.

”What?”

”One million?”

”Did you say one million?” Their voices overlapped with one another.

The stranger nodded. ”One million.”

The men nearly choked. A million taels wasn’t an amount most people would ever see in their entire lives. Someone casually throwing it onto a single match sounded completely insane.

”What are the odds?” One of them hurriedly asked.

”How much would he get if he won?”

The stranger’s expression became even stranger.

”Three hundred times.”

The three men stared at him as though they had misheard, then all three erupted simultaneously.

”WHAT?!”

”Three hundred times?”

”How is that even possible?”

The first man grabbed his head. ”When did the odds become that high?”

”Wasn’t it sixty-forty earlier?”

The second man looked genuinely panicked. ”I even bet on her because of those odds. When did they change?”

The third man’s eyes widened. ”Forget that!”

He immediately turned around. ”I’m placing another bet!”

He practically sprinted toward the gambling stall. The old stranger simply watched him go before letting out a cold snort.

”Don’t bother.” The running man slowed.

”What?”

”The odds are still the same.” The stranger shook his head. Then a strange smile appeared on his face.

”That madman didn’t bet on Jasmine winning.”

The crowd nearby fell silent. ”He bet on Jasmine winning within three seconds.”

Several mouths dropped open. The stranger folded his arms and looked toward the distant arena.

”Of course, if you genuinely believe she can defeat Sifert in three seconds...”

His smile widened slightly”...then by all means, go try your luck.”

******

”After today, I won’t need to steal anymore.”

Kavin muttered those words under his breath while standing inside the competitor’s entrance.

The massive stone corridor stretched ahead of him. At the end stood a gigantic metal gate that led directly into the central arena. On the opposite side was another gate where their opponents would soon emerge.

Beyond those gates waited tens of thousands of spectators. The deafening noise from the crowd echoed faintly through the thick walls, creating a constant rumble that shook the corridor.

Yet Kavin barely paid attention to it. His thoughts were occupied by far more important matters.

A grin slowly spread across his face. ”I bet one million taels.”

The grin widened. ”Three hundred times the payout. That means three hundred million.”

Just saying the number out loud made him feel warm inside. ”Then after Jasmine wins, my match starts. I also put another million on myself winning within three seconds.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ”The odds weren’t quite as good. Only two hundred times.”

His expression became increasingly satisfied. ”Still, that’s another two hundred million.”

A dreamy look appeared in his eyes. ”Five hundred million taels...”

The number sounded beautiful, magnificent even. Most importantly, it meant he could finally stop living like a criminal....at least temporarily.

Kavin let out a long sigh.

Dark circles were visible beneath his eyes, making him appear exhausted despite his excitement.

The appearance was completely justified.

The previous week had been one of the busiest weeks of his entire life.

Day and night he had worked tirelessly.

He stole, then he stole some more. After that, he continued stealing.

The city contained nearly two million permanent residents, while roughly another million merchants and visitors arrived every day for wholesale trade and business.

Finding victims had never been difficult. The real challenge had been finding wealthy victims.

Fortunately, fate had been kind to him.

A few days ago, he had encountered a young master loudly boasting about his wealth in a restaurant.

The fool had practically announced his plans to the entire building.

Not only had he flaunted his riches, but he had also proudly declared that he would be spending the evening at one of the city’s most expensive brothels.

Apparently, there was a famous beauty there who charged one hundred thousand taels for a single night.

Naturally, Kavin had taken an interest...not in the beauty of course. His interest was in the money.

The young master never even noticed he was being followed.

While the young master was enjoying what was undoubtedly one of the happiest nights of his life, Kavin quietly relieved him of every valuable possession he carried.

Money, storage artifacts, hidden savings, emergency funds, everything one can posses.

By the time Kavin finished, the young master possessed exactly zero taels. Unfortunately for the young master, there was one tiny problem.

He had not paid for the services yet. The establishment naturally demanded payment. The young master naturally could not provide it.

The brothel naturally did not appreciate being cheated. As a result, the young master had been forced to pay off his debt through alternative means.

According to the rumors Kavin had heard afterward, the poor fellow was now working there as a male prostitute until his debt was settled.

Sadly for him, his clients were not women.

Kavin almost laughed every time he remembered it.

Such a tragic fate.

The young master had entered the establishment dreaming of romance and luxury. Instead, he had left with a lifetime of emotional scars.

Truly pitiful.

Kavin wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Whether it was a tear of sympathy or amusement remained unclear.

After obtaining the young master’s fortune, gathering the remaining money had become significantly easier.

Now everything depended on today’s matches. If he and Jasmine won, they would once again possess enough wealth to live comfortably.

Not outrageously rich like they had been in the past. Not the kind of rich where they could casually buy entire estates.

But rich enough.

Certainly rich enough to stop stealing purses from innocent elderly people.

Probably.

As Kavin continued giggling to himself, Jasmine suddenly spoke.

”Are you certain we can make it through the Top Ten and reach the Grand Tournament without undergoing the Heavenly Trials?”

The amusement immediately faded from Kavin’s face, he turned toward her. Unlike him, Jasmine appeared genuinely concerned.

Her eyes carried none of his excitement.

”We can probably reach the top two rankings here,” she continued. ”But the Grand Tournament is different.”

Her expression grew increasingly serious.

”There will be spell casters there who have already passed the 2nd Heavenly Trial.”

Kavin remained silent.

Jasmine crossed her arms. ”The difference is ridiculous, every Heavenly Trial grants runes, every rune strengthens a cultivator’s Path, the further they advance, the greater the advantage becomes.”

Her gaze shifted toward the arena gate. ”Those people won’t simply be stronger than us, they’ll be operating on an entirely different level.”

For once, there was no exaggeration in her words, the gap truly was that large.

A spell caster who had passed three Heavenly Trials possessed far more than additional strength. Their understanding of their Path would be deeper.

Their abilities would be more refined. Their runes would provide powerful enhancements impossible for ordinary Spell casters to replicate.

The difference was foundational.

Jasmine looked back at him. ”Can we really reach that stage?”

The question lingered between them as Kavin’s smile slowly disappeared, for several seconds he said nothing.

The truth was simple, almost impossibly simple.

No.

At least not under normal circumstances.

Defeating spell casters who had passed the Second and Third Heavenly Trial while remaining beneath the first trial themselves bordered on insanity.

Most people would call the idea impossible. Many would laugh at the mere suggestion. Even Kavin couldn’t confidently say they would succeed.

Yet despite that, neither of them appeared discouraged. Because both already knew the answer.

They possessed one thing other spell casters didn’t. One advantage that had carried them through countless impossible situations.

One advantage that had allowed them to repeatedly challenge opponents stronger than themselves.

Whether that advantage would be enough this time...

Neither of them knew, and if it wasn’t enough...then they would simply have to take risks, the kind of risks that usually ended with either incredible success or catastrophic failure.

Knowing their luck, it would probably be both.

As Kavin and Jasmine stood lost in their thoughts, a powerful voice suddenly echoed throughout the Grand Arena.

”Please welcome the twelfth-ranked challenger... Miss Jasmine!”

The announcement had barely finished before a deafening roar erupted from the audience.

Tens of thousands of spectators rose to their feet. Cheers, whistles, and excited shouts shook the entire arena. The atmosphere instantly transformed from anticipation into excitement.

Kavin let out a slow breath and looked toward Jasmine.

She immediately stood up.

For a moment, neither spoke, then Kavin pushed aside the thoughts about Heavenly Trials and impossible odds. There would be time to worry about those things later.

Right now, there was money on the line.

A lot of money....to be exact!

His expression became serious. ”Make sure you defeat him within three seconds.”

Jasmine nodded.

”And remember...”

Kavin pointed at her. ”You can’t speak.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes before giving another nod. Only then did she turn and walk toward the gate.

The massive metal doors slowly opened as sunlight poured into the waiting area.

The roar of the crowd became even louder as Jasmine calmly stepped through the entrance and entered the central arena.

Today’s attire was noticeably different from her usual clothing.

A crimson combat uniform covered her body, fitting closely enough to avoid interfering with movement while still appearing elegant. Her long red hair had been tied into a practical knot behind her head, allowing her full freedom during battle.

As always, her posture remained straight. The confidence in her movements alone caused many spectators to cheer louder.

She eventually arrived at the center of the arena and stopped. An official quickly approached and spoke to her.

The distance prevented Kavin from hearing their conversation.

Jasmine listened, nodded once, and waited. Moments later the official moved away and raised his voice.

”Now please welcome the tenth-ranked fighter...”

The entire arena quieted.

”...The Poison Monster, Siefert!”

The response was immediate. A thunderous wave of cheers exploded from the audience.

Compared to Jasmine, Siefert was a veteran of the rankings. Many people had watched his battles for years.

The support he received was overwhelming. Kavin instinctively narrowed his eyes and looked toward the opposite entrance.

The gate slowly opened as a small figure emerged. The figure walked with the support of a black walking cane.

Each step appeared slow and fragile. At first glance, he looked less like a ranked fighter and more like a terminally ill old man.

Yet the atmosphere surrounding him was deeply unsettling. His entire body was concealed beneath dark purple robes.

A large hood hid most of his face in shadow. Strands of purple gas continuously leaked from beneath the hood, drifting around him like living mist.

The gas twisted and coiled around his body before slowly dissipating into the air, even from a distance, the sight was eerie.

Siefert eventually reached the center of the arena and stopped opposite Jasmine.

Neither moved nor spoke. The contrast between them was striking.

One appeared healthy, confident, and full of vitality. The other resembled a poisonous corpse that had somehow learned how to walk.

Kavin watched carefully. Despite everything, he couldn’t completely relax.

His investigation during the past week had been thorough.

Siefert’s defenses were terrible. His physical abilities were mediocre.

His true strength came from battlefield control and poisonous spells that gradually wore opponents down over time.

Against most fighters, that strategy was terrifying. Against Jasmine, however, it was almost the worst possible matchup.

Her fighting style excelled at ending battles instantly. In theory, one strike should be enough.

Still...

Kavin couldn’t help feeling nervous.

What if Siefert dodged? What if he survived? What if something unexpected happened?

That would be one million taels disappearing before his eyes.

The thought alone was painful.

Taking a deep breath, Kavin forced himself to calm down and focused entirely on the arena.

*****

”Hehehe...” A creepy laugh escaped from beneath Siefert’s hood.

”Little girl...” The poisonous mist around him thickened slightly.

”Make sure you don’t hurt that pretty face.”

His laughter became even more unpleasant.

”I’m going to enjoy it later.”

The surrounding audience erupted into whistles and laughter. Siefert appeared pleased with himself.

Jasmine merely stared at him.

Her expression remained completely indifferent.

Seeing no reaction, Siefert continued.

”What a lovely body...” He slowly licked his lips.

The creepy gesture caused many spectators to cringe.

Jasmine’s eyebrow twitched. A moment later she pulled out a small bell.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

The clear sound echoed across the arena, the meaning behind it was obvious. She was impatient...very impatient.

Siefert’s smile stiffened slightly.

Jasmine continued staring at him with the same expression one might use when waiting for an insect to stop buzzing.

The gesture irritated him far more than any insult could have.....not like she could insult him....

On the other hand, she was angry....she couldn’t curse nor could she taunt the guy saying outrageous things like— ”Why? did your wife cheat on you with your husband?” Though it would have been hard for anyone to understand, still she considered it one of the most brutal insults....and honestly, it was.

But unlike Siefert, she didn’t had the luxury of speaking which was why....she planned to express her feelings physically.

Sensing the increasingly dangerous atmosphere, the referee quickly stepped forward.

”Alright!”

His voice echoed throughout the arena.

”The ranked battle between the twelfth-ranked challenger and the tenth-ranked defender is about to begin!”

The crowd instantly grew louder. ”The winner shall claim the tenth rank!”

The referee immediately retreated several steps.

Then he raised his arm.

”Begin!”

The moment the word left his mouth, the referee practically sprinted away. Years of experience had taught him one important lesson.

Standing between spell casters after a match officially started was a terrible life decision.

”Hehehe...” Siefert laughed again. ”I’ll get a taste of you right now.”

However, his expression abruptly changed. The poisonous mist around him surged violently.