I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space

Chapter 338: Choosing Honour Or Not

“What a shameless woman…” Arthur murmured under his breath, his jaw nearly dropping as he stared toward the woman standing proudly in the arena. She looked young.. barely nineteen or twenty at most and yet she had spoken without even a hint of hesitation, even when knowing her words would be echoing across this entire colosseum and entire coloessium spectator’s would listen to her.

His initial shock quickly turned into alarm.

He had been relieved only moments ago, convinced he had finally found a way to pull his sister out of this absurd political situation. But now now another woman had appeared, boldly inserting herself into the heart of the competition, not to win glory or rewards, but to demand a place beside the king himself?

If this went through, she wouldn’t just be some contestant anymore. She would stand in the same position as royalty. As family.. And if she given the birth.. wouldn’t her son be same position as him and sister?

Arthur clenched his teeth.

He couldn’t allow that. Not under any circumstances.

Without another thought, he gently removed his arm from Razeal’s shoulder, his expression tightening with urgency. In the next instant as he was already moving.. his body cutting through the arena space as he rushed forward, stopping just two steps away from his father and the woman who had just thrown the entire colosseum into chaos.

“Father, you cannot do this,” Arthur said quickly, his voice firm but restrained. He met King Julius’s gaze directly, forcing himself to remain respectful despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. “This is wrong.. Totally wrong.”

King Julius looked at him in silence.

There was no immediate reprimand. No sharp response. Just a long, heavy pause as his eyes lingered on his son.

Before the king could speak, Martha Voltan stepped forward instead.

“Prince Arthur,” she said calmly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “This is not for you to decide.” Her tone was polite, but there was steel beneath it. “This is tradition. A king must fulfill the request of the winner of the royal competition.”

She turned slightly, gesturing toward the arena as a whole. “As far as I am aware, only requests beyond the king’s ability may be rejected. If a request is within his power, then refusing it would mean abandoning his honor and dignity.”

Her gaze sharpened. “What you are doing right now is attempting to dishonor both the king and the royal competition.. the greatest tradition of Atlantis itself. Please step back.”

Arthur’s hands clenched at his sides.

“Yes, it is true that this is tradition,” a clear, calm voice suddenly cut in, carrying effortlessly across the arena. “And yes, it is true that the king cannot easily refuse.”

Martha’s eyes lifted.

From above the spectator stands, two figures descended slowly, their movements smooth and deliberate, as if the water itself were carrying them down.

“But that does not mean my brother has no right to speak,” the same voice continued. “What you are asking for turns this from a matter of obligation into a family matter also.”

The voice belonged to Sofia.

Martha’s gaze flicked between the two women descending. One of them she did not recognize at all.. her appearance striking, almost unnaturally so, with one blue eye and one red, her sky-blue hair flowing freely behind her. That woman clearly was not the princess.

So Martha’s attention shifted to the other.

At first glance, she frowned slightly.

The woman beside her did not resemble the image Martha had always associated with the Princess of Atlantis. Her hair was yellow, her eyes the same shade. Not the deep ocean-blue spoken of in stories. Not the presence of the sea itself.

Then before Martha could form another thought the woman’s body began to shift.

It happened smoothly, fluidly, as though her form were dissolving into water. Her figure rippled, contours flowing and reforming, until it looked as if a translucent bubble had burst around her.

In the next heartbeat, her appearance changed completely.

Short yellow hair cascaded downward, lengthening and deepening in color until it became a rich, oceanic blue, falling elegantly down her back. Her eyes shifted as well, losing their former hue and turning into the deep, endless blue of the sea itself. Her features refined, becoming breathtaking sharp, regal, overwhelmingly beautiful in a way that made even the surrounding water seem dull in comparison.

She wore a royal blue dress that shimmered softly, as if woven from the tides themselves.

She descended gently, her bare feet touching the arena floor without a sound, pale and almost glowing against the stone.

And just like that, Maria and Sofia landed beside Arthur.

Maria stared.

Maria, from the side, stared at Neptunia in complete silence. Sofia’s appearance had changed entirely from nothing to so much. Her gaze lingered on Neptunia’s face for several moments before an irritated glint surfaced in her eyes. Even she found it… unacceptably beautiful.

Her eyes drifted lower, briefly settling on Neptunia’s chest. Maria’s lips twitched at the sight of how bountiful it was. Definitely a D-size, she thought coldly. ’She was really hiding big things behind ber this fake appearance hah..’

Maria continued to observe everything in silence, her expression unreadable, her thoughts sharp and unmoved.

“Princess Sofia…” Martha whispered, the words leaving her lips almost unconsciously as Sofia stepped into the arena alongside the unfamiliar woman.

But Sofia did not even spare her a glance at her.

Her attention went straight to the king.

“Father,” Sofia said, her voice steady but cold. “Mother will not accept this. So you should step back.”

Her gaze did not waver as she spoke. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty only certainty, sharp and absolute.

Then Sofia turned toward Martha, her eyes finally locking onto hers.

“Or you should listen to me,” she continued, her tone flattening. “Because if this is allowed… Mother will kill you. I am just trying to help you here.”

The words were not shouted nor were they dramatic.

They were stated like fact.

“You should think carefully,” Sofia added, her voice firm. “Ask for something else.”

“Mother…?” Martha blinked, genuine confusion flashing across her face.

No one in all of Atlantis knew who the wife of King Julius truly was. It was common knowledge that he had children, yes but the woman herself was a mystery. Rumors said she had died after childbirth. Others said she had disappeared. No one had ever spoken of her openly.

And now the princess was saying she was alive.

Not only alive, but powerful enough that even the king could not oppose her.

Kill…?

Martha’s thoughts spiraled for only a brief moment before she shook her head..

“I cannot do that, Princess,” she said gently, a faint smile returning to her lips. “This is my dream. The only thing I want.”

Her posture remained straight as her tone stull respectful but unwavering.

“If it is unacceptable,” Martha continued, “then the King may reject it. I will accept that decision. But I will not change my request.”

She lifted her chin slightly.

“I came here knowing that the King would fulfill any wish I made. If not, I would never have entered this competition.”

Arthur frowned deeply, irritation and disbelief clear on his face.

“This isn’t ambition anymore,” he muttered. “This is greed.”

He looked directly at Martha, frustration clear on his brows.

“Do you even understand the gravity of what you’re asking for?” Arthur continued. “Why stop here? Why not ask for the throne itself, if power is all you want?”

His voice sharpened.

“Do you really think there are children here? That we can’t see what you’re doing?”

Martha turned to him calmly.

“Please don’t misunderstand me, Prince Arthur,” she said. “I have no such motive.”

“Then what is it?” Sofia asked, her gaze hard, unreadable. “Why ask for this?”

Martha’s eyes flicked briefly across the arena Arthur standing rigid with anger barely contained, Sofia standing tall with the weight of royalty pressing down on her shoulders, and King Julius himself, who had remained silent the entire time.

Silent.

Watching.

Letting this dishonorable performance unfold rather then stopping it.

Still, Martha’s smile did not fade.

“My dream,” she said softly, “was to become the greatest warrior of the sea.”

She paused, her eyes lowering for just a moment before lifting again.

“But I know my limits. I know my talent is not enough.”

Her hands clenched slightly at her sides.

“The thing I cannot achieve… my son will.”

Her voice steadied.

“My son will fulfill my dream. That is all I want.”

She met Sofia’s gaze directly.

“And I know the sea does not grant greatness easily. Not every child can become the strongest warrior.”

Martha turned slowly toward King Julius.

“That is why I came to beg the greatest warrior of the sea.”

Her eyes did not lower.

“King Julius has the right to reject this. And I will accept it.”

She inhaled deeply.

“But a warrior who cannot keep his honor… who breaks his word after declaring he will fulfill any wish.. how could such a man call himself a warrior?”

Her voice sharpened.

“Much less the greatest warrior of the sea.”

A heavy silence settled over the arena.

“So if the King rejects me,” Martha continued calmly. “I will leave and search for another warrior one who is worthy enough to be begged.”

Her gaze hardened.

“Because a Worrior who cannot keep his word is not great.. Nor worthy enough to see him.. as his seed will never bring me greatest worrior.. Since he never was one in first place.”

She looked straight into Julius’s eyes.

“Am I wrong… King Julius?”

Whose eyes suddenly lifted, as if struck by her words and finally realizing what he was doing. He drew a deep breath, then shook his head slowly.

“What a shameful image I’ve presented,” Julius said quietly.

He looked down at Martha, his voice firm now, stripped of uncertainty.

“I must apologize.”

His gaze shifted.. to Arthur, then to Sofia.

He closed his eyes briefly, as if steadying himself, before opening them again.

“Sofia. Arthur.”

His voice suddenly surged outward, reverberating across the entire colosseum, shaking the spectators where they stood.

“Step out of the arena. Nowwww.”

“But, Father…”

Arthur bit down on his words halfway, his voice catching in his throat as he tried one last time. The protest slipped out almost instinctively, not as a challenge, but as a son who still hoped still believed.. that there might be another way.

“Step down as I said.”

King Julius did not raise his voice, yet the words carried far more weight than a shout ever could. The air itself seemed to tighten around him as he spoke, his presence swelling, pressing outward like a vast tide held back only by his restraint.

“This is my honor and my dignity as King,” he continued, his gaze steady and unyielding. “She is not wrong.”

The words landed heavily.

“It was my declaration,” Julius said, his tone sharpening, steel threading through every syllable. “I gave my word before the entirety of Atlantis. I said the victor could ask for anything, and I would grant it.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“And yet I have already disrespected her.. by allowing interference, by letting my own children stand here and attempt to sway her will.”

The king exhaled slowly.

“That alone was dishonorable.”

Arthur stiffened.

“To allow your presence here, to let your voices pressure her decision.. this is something I should never have permitted in the first place.”

The king straightened fully now.

“Step out of the arena.”

His presence flared.

“This will be my last warning.”

The majesty radiating from him was no longer restrained. It was not merely authority.. it was the weight of Atlantis itself, the dignity of a ruler who had carried the sea on his shoulders for over a century. The spectators could feel it pressing against their chests, forcing silence and submission.

Arthur’s jaw tightened.

Sofia closed her eyes for a brief moment.

In that instant, both of them understood.

They were not defending family anymore.

They were trampling on their father’s honor.

“Yes…”

Arthur exhaled slowly, the word heavy with resignation.

“Yes, Father,” Sofia echoed, her voice calm, but subdued.

Neither argued further.

They exchanged a brief glance one that carried frustration, helplessness, and understanding all at once.. before Arthur turned away.

Without another word, he stepped off the arena floor, his footsteps measured and controlled, heading toward where Razeal stood.

Sofia lingered for just a fraction of a second longer. She looked back at her father one last time, something unreadable passing through her eyes, before she turned as well.

She reached out, taking Maria’s hand firmly.

Maria, who had stood silent the entire time but again did not pull away.

Together, they descended from the arena too..

As Sofia led the way.

The arena was left with only two figures standing at its center.

King Julius.

And Martha.

Every floating screen shifted, every projection focusing on them alone. As at same time the entire colosseum seemed to hold its breath.

—

Arthur stopped beside Razeal, his movements slower now, heavier.

Razeal had not moved throughout the exchange. He had watched calmly, his expression unreadable, his attention fixed on the arena with quiet intensity.

“So,” Razeal said at last, his voice low. “What do you think your father will do now?” Honestly he was quite curious himself now.. This drama was just some another thing..

Arthur didn’t answer immediately.

He stood there in silence for several seconds, eyes still locked onto his father’s figure at the center of the arena.

“I… don’t know,” he admitted finally, his voice subdued.

He shook his head once.

“My father can lower his honor for others,” Arthur continued. “He’s done it before. He’s capable of swallowing pride if it protects the Atlantis and his family.”

“But when it comes to his own word…” Arthur trailed off, then exhaled sharply. “He would never disgrace himself.”

“So,” he asked quietly, “he’ll accept it huh?”

Arthur didn’t respond.

Not because he wouldn’t.. but because he couldn’t.

—

At that moment, Sofia and Maria reached them.

Razeal turned, his attention finally shifting away from the arena.

For the first time, he saw Sofia in her true form .. as she walked towards him now her ocean-blue hair cascading freely, eyes deep and endless like the sea itself. There was a even a quiet authority in her presence.. Just like celestia have it too.. an undeniable weight that made it clear she was no ordinary princess either.

Razeal did not say anything.

Just simply looking at her.

Sofia met his gaze without flinching.

“Hey,” she said softly. The word simple and almost casual..

“Hello,” Razeal replied, uncrossing his arms as he turned fully toward her.

Maria stood beside Sofia, silent.

But her face had fallen.

Her eyes flicked between Razeal and Sofia, back and forth, back and forth, faster than she realized.

Her right eye twitched violently.

Her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms.

—

At the center of the arena, Martha finally spoke again.

“There’s no need to apologize,” she said calmly.

King Julius looked at her directly now.

“I’m simply glad,” Martha continued, “that you are not a dishonorable man.”

Her words were not flattery.

They were acknowledgment.

Afterall he had even sent away the prince and princess who had tried to pressure her.. something an honorable man should never have allowed in the first place. Still, Martha chose not to make a scene out of it.

She did not accuse him.

She did not press further.

She just simply stated the truth.

Then she lifted her gaze.

“So,” Martha said plainly. “Will you fulfill my request… or not?”

The entire colosseum leaned into the silence that followed.

King Julius did not answer immediately.

The weight of the sea, the weight of his word, the weight of his crown all pressed down on him at once.

—–