"The fighting tournament winner is Polyphormes Raijin!" The king announced hoarsely. The crowd cheered and roared, praising and congratulating me.
My head was held high, and my tensed muscles loosened. Covered in sweat, I smiled proudly and confidently, the bright light above me shining down on me.
The referee handed me a hefty bag filled with gold coins. According to the flyer, I would win a generous amount of gold and two rings from the king's Treasury if I won, which I have.
Not that I need it—
"Hey, dancer! Let me help you get the two rings. There are a couple of rings in his Treasury that Gaia's Treasury doesn't have." Azathoth declares as she chimes in. When the king comes to me with a large, treasure-looking chest, the king says, "Now, take your pick. There are no takebacks, so choose wisely." The king smiled satisfactorily at the entertainment he had received throughout the whole ordeal. All while opening the chest filled with rings to present them to me.
I look in awe at all the bright and expensive-looking rings. If the horny earth godmother does not have these rings, I wonder what they are.
"I will act like a metal detector. I see the two most desirable options for both of us, so pay attention." I dig into the pot of rings, with many cold rings touching my skin.
"Left, move left!" Azathoth screams in my ear to direct me.
"Alright, now move up a bit and get one that feels like a static shock to you." Static shock! What in the hell does she mean?
Bzzt.
As my body quakes in shock, I grab the one Azathoth described as the one I feel.
"Here is one ring I'll take with me, your majesty." I brought out my hand to give it to him, and it seemed the ring did not affect him when I placed it in his hand.
It still boggles my mind, though: why is he giving out rings?
You don't need to worry about it; I'll get you the next one, and fast," Azathoth commanded.
I went into the treasure chest again, with the directions to move to the far right corner. I felt something as if I were being burned.
So I rustled around the far right and found something that personally burned me.
I grabbed the ring, and my whole hand felt as if it were on fire. Upon taking my hand out to present it to the king, which again had no effect, there were no burn marks on my hand.
The king gives me the rings as he orders his men to take the chest into his vault.
He bid me farewell and announced today's conclusion.
I got a lot of praise while walking down the arena and onto the second floor to get Vijaya. I left before thanking the bartender. In which he wished me safe travels.
It is now very late, as the full moon is halfway through its course. But the night sky is refreshing and beautiful.
Vijaya reverted to her human form when Azathoth ordered me to wear the rings.
"Master! You were so cool! You did all the pow and boom!" She repeats my actions, but sloppily. I chuckle as I grow annoyed at Azathoth for pestering me to wear the ring that electrocuted me.
As we walk back home, I wear the electric ring on my right hand, the pointer finger. With its demerits, the whole process involved me getting electrocuted until the whole thing was on.
Azathoth, what are you up to now? Why did you—
My vision becomes blurred and obscured, hazy. What is happening? I ask Azathoth before I become unconscious.
"Finally, back into the real world! Now I must rewrite both these damn rings."
"Master? Master! What did you do with my master?" Vijaya backs away from a hijacked Polyphormes, ready to fight or run.
"How did you know?" 'I' asked curiously.
"Your eye colors are different, and your aura is overwhelming. What did you do to Master?" Yelled Vijaya as she looked at 'me' in fear.
"As for me, I'm a part of him." 'I' continue to rework both rings while Vijaya keeps her distance, not believing what she's been told.
Minutes fly as the moon was three-quarters through its cycle, with the sun starting to shine on us.
"There we are! Ah, he's right though, that one burns like hell." 'I' placed the burning ring on the right hand, ring finger.
Like a click, I was brought back consciously, without memory of what 'I' was doing.
"Ugh, my head. That wretched Chuunibyo, what did she do?" I mumbled to myself as I glanced at Vijaya, who seemed relieved as she walked towards me.
"I don't remember being out this late. We should hurry home, shall we?" I ask Vijaya, but she only nods, skeptical about something.
I look at my rings while running home with Vijaya on my back, wondering if I had put both on or just one.
Whatever the case, we're home now. But I enter from my window to avoid making a disturbance at the house. I thought I'd get my ass kicked in for staying out too late.
After some parkour attempts, I succeeded and told Vijaya to rest now.
"Vijaya, go ahead and sleep; I need it much today also."
As Vijaya moved toward the farthest corner from me, she said, "Okay."