After defeating the Asura Ape, Shel, Marle, and Lilin entered the half-destroyed building. Dash approached, pushing the aquarium along with Arvia. When they got inside, the situation was completely messy. There were lots of smashed tables and a bar split in half, with broken ceiling lights still flickering and illuminating the whole room.
Dash glanced next to the bar; there was another entrance wide open that seemed to connect directly to the mine. Besides himself, Arvia, Shel, Marle, and Lilin, there was no one else inside.
"Where did those miners run off to? Did they run down the chasm?" Shel asked.
"Maybe. It's clear this bar leads to the mine and is a rest stop for miners. Are you sure you were brought here, Arvia?" Marle asked, turning to look at Arvia.
"Yes, I was brought here through the mine from Golddale City and forced to fight in the arena. If I didn't, my sister would have been forced to fight in my place, or they'd force her to kill me," Arvia said.
"Crack," everyone immediately looked at the door, hearing the sound of what seemed like wood being stepped on. Dash instantly positioned himself in front of the aquarium to guard it, then Shel, Marle, and Lilin stood beside him, while Arvia jumped into the aquarium to protect her sister. Several people who looked like miners came back in.
They were from the bear-type beastkin race, orcs, and large-bodied demons with red skin. They all looked terrified, glancing around while gripping their pickaxes tightly. Then, a man from the beastkin tribe looked over at Dash and the others.
"Where's the ape?" the man asked.
"It's dead. Here's the proof," Marle replied, holding up the Asura Ape's second arm.
Seeing the Asura Ape's arm in Marle's hand, the miners looked incredibly relieved. Some even dropped to the floor, collapsing and letting their pickaxes fall beside them. "Click," suddenly, a sound like a door opening was heard from behind the destroyed bar.
A large-winged, bearded, long-horned demon wearing clothes like a bartender stepped out from behind the bar. After him, a beautiful human woman with sharp eyes and her hair in a bun, wearing a red gown, walked out.
When they saw the bartender standing behind the bar with an annoyed look, seeming to survey the damage to his establishment, the faces of Shel, Marle, and Lilin grew fierce. The reason was that the man's face looked exactly like the face of the demon mafia boss they had killed and taken the horns from.
"Splash," Arvia suddenly emerged from the water and stood up in the aquarium. She pointed toward the bartender and the woman in the red gown next to him.
"That's the person who bought me and forced me to fight," Arvia said, pointing at the bartender and the woman.
Without waiting, Shel, Marle, and Lilin immediately lunged at the bartender, who looked confused and shocked. The three instantly drew their weapons and were ready to strike, but suddenly, "Traaang," Arvia was already in front of Shel, Marle, and Lilin, blocking the stone axe, ice swords, and spear aimed at the bartender with her own sword.
"Hey!" Shel, Marle, and Lilin yelled.
"You've got the wrong target!" Arvia shouted.
Arvia then turned around and, "Shiiing," she raised her sword and aimed it at the neck of the woman who looked relaxed and was staring at her. Meanwhile, the bartender backed away, raising both his hands, his face pale and drenched in sweat, having almost left the world for good.
The woman smiled. She reached into her gown and pulled out a rolled-up letter, then she opened it and touched the magic circle within. After that, she looked at Arvia, but Arvia kept pointing her sword at the woman's neck. The woman was shocked that nothing happened to Arvia.
Then her eyes went to Arvia's neck and she realized the slave collar was gone. She immediately looked over at the aquarium and pointed the paper toward it, but nothing happened.
"Wh-what? How is your slave collar off? Who took it off?" the woman asked.
Arvia didn't answer. She stabbed the paper the woman was holding, which was actually the slavery contract that could control the slave collar to command the slave named in the contract. Arvia then tossed the paper into the air and slashed it repeatedly with incredible speed until the paper was cut into tiny pieces and fluttered down like paper rain.
Terrified, the woman started looking at Shel, Marle, Lilin, and Dash, who was standing in front of the aquarium with his arms crossed over his chest. She also noticed that none of the four were wearing slave collars. Immediately, her body trembled and her face turned ghostly pale.
"Y-you're the new fighters brought from the inn... H-how did this happen?" the woman stammered, stepping back and gripping the bar counter that was still standing and undamaged.
Arvia didn't answer. She stepped forward and pressed her sword again to the woman's neck, who became even more scared seeing the sword tip at her throat. Then she looked at Arvia and forced a smile, though sweat was pouring down her face.
"He-hey, don't be mad at me. I was just helping you and your sister so you wouldn't be sold to the nobles and used as playthings until you died. Please, let me go," the woman said.
"You forced me to fight, and if I didn't, you were going to make my sister, who you drugged, fight instead," Arvia said in a deep voice, clearly angry.
"Th-that was my husband's idea, not mine... I just wanted to take care of you... and ask you to work for me, honestly... I'm not lying... just ask my husband in the arena, he's the ring announcer," the woman said, immediately throwing her husband under the bus.
"Oh, your husband is the masked man who announces the fights in the arena? If so, too bad, he's already gone to the next world," Dash said from a distance, pointing up at the ceiling.
"Wh-what? W-wait a minute... that means your revenge is taken care of, so please let me go... I'm innocent... or I can pay you... please let me go... I'm sorry," the woman said, forcing a laugh.
"Fine, I forgive you," Arvia replied.
The woman's face showed relief, but only for a moment, because right after, her eyes bulged as she looked down. Arvia's sword had embedded itself in her neck, piercing right through to the back.
"Wh-why... I... already... said... I'm... sorry," the woman stammered hoarsely, blood gushing from her mouth.
"Yes, and I forgive you. But letting you go... no," Arvia said.
"Shiiing," Arvia instantly sliced the woman's head clean off. "Thud," her head fell to the ground with open eyes, while her body still leaned against the bar counter, only to fall a minute later, following her head. Arvia flicked her sword to shake off the blood, then slid it back into its scabbard on her hip. After that, she turned around.
"What about him?" Shel asked, pointing at the bartender.
"Yeah... his face looks just like the Demon Mafia leader," Lilin added, pointing at the bartender's face.
"You're mistaken! That's my brother! I'm not like my brother, I never mess around and I run this bar honestly... please don't kill me!" the bartender screamed.
"Huh," Shel, Marle, and Lilin exclaimed in shock, while Dash just smiled watching them.