“Is the match already starting?!”
Roel hurriedly returned, albeit a bit lost. The Coliseum was vast, with multiple entrances to the spectator area, and if one didn’t memorize the routes, they could end up wandering for ages.
“It’s just about to begin. You were quick, Roel-chan.”
“Well, it’s your match, Lua-chan…”
“Oh, it’s starting!”
As Seigel announced, the first match of the B Block preliminaries was about to commence.
///
“Baste-san! Over here!”
“I’m betting on you, you know?!”
Most of the cheers were directed at Baste, Lua’s opponent. Baste was repeatedly wiping his round glasses.
“And… begin!”
I aimed for Baste’s solar plexus right off the bat. If I could take him down before he unleashed any nasty magic, that would be ideal. With a brief grunt, Baste should have collapsed.
“Ugh… cough… you held back, didn’t you…”
Despite hitting him with the same strength I used against Benkei, Baste barely managed to stay on his feet. But then, I felt my own strength waning.
“It seems ‘Mite Down’ hit just before your attack… I figured a muscle-bound type like you would go for a quick strike. Looks like the hardening magic was timely as well…”
Baste explained while clutching his stomach. So that was it. I must have let my guard down too much… I was worried I might accidentally kill him if I went all out, so I held back.
“Let me show you. This is the winning pattern! Guard Force! Guard Force! Guard Force!”
I could see Baste’s body hardening more and more. I wondered just how tough he could get if I left him alone.
“Now for the finishing touch! Seal! Blind! With this, your vision and skills are sealed!”
Even as he spoke, Baste was still holding his stomach. It must have hurt him quite a bit. Well, enough of this; it was time to end it.
“Next up, Venom Fist… ugh!”
I delivered a stronger body blow this time. Baste crumbled without even the strength to hold his stomach. Seeing him twitching, I realized I might have gone a bit overboard.
“…Hah! The winner is Lua!”
As if coming back to reality, a soldier grabbed my arm and raised it in victory.
“That’s unbelievable?! That girl took him down in one hit…”
“Is she an Adventurer? But as a connoisseur, I know all the famous ones; there’s no way I wouldn’t know her.”
This time, the cheers were different, as if they finally believed in my victory.
“No way, I didn’t expect it to be that decisive… She’s no ordinary Poison Salamander, that’s for sure…”
“Lua-chan is probably holding back to avoid killing her opponent.”
“Yeah, if she went all out, Baste would be split in half.”
“Like some kind of monster…”
I felt like they were saying whatever they wanted, but regardless, I had won. I thought about staying here since going back was a hassle… but I noticed several others were already waiting. They were all staring at me, and I suddenly felt embarrassed.
///
In Block F, a match to determine the representative was about to take place. Argil was furious at the contemptuous attitude of his female opponent, who stood there without any weapons or armor.
“You’re the first to underestimate the Death God Argil this much… How about we make a wager? If I win, you give up your S-Rank title, Master Knight Tiferia?”
“Huh? No way.”
With her white hair fluttering in the wind, Tiferia answered without even looking at her opponent. For her, preparing dinner was far more important than this match.
“Maybe I should just eat out… sigh.”
“What did you say?”
“But that would be bad for my skin…”
“You little…!”
Those who had faced the one known as the Death God had surely lost their lives. His infamous reputation stemmed from the destruction of his own party due to his overwhelming power. Initially, it was a source of discomfort, but now it was a point of pride. There was no way Argil would let someone who mocked him with such disdain live.
“Now, let’s begin the final match of Block F! Are both participants ready?”
“Start it already…!”
“Y-Yes!”
Argil was in such a state that even the referee soldier might have been killed. The soldier, sensing the danger, hurriedly fled the arena as the match began.
“To stand before me without even your precious armor or weapons! I am Argil, the Death God! Ranked 7th in A-Rank, close to S-Rank! Don’t think you can sit back and relax forever!”
Argil cast wind magic at a speed that could be called silent incantation. A tornado-like gust erupted in the center of the arena, and several scythes Argil summoned began to dance within it. The tornado grew larger, enveloping the arena. The wind shifted erratically, causing the scythes to change their trajectories. It was a storm of scythes, slicing through everything in their path, having cut down countless monsters and even his own party.
“Whoa… I can’t get close…”
The referee soldier barely managed to distance himself from the chaos, looking helplessly at the raging battlefield.
“This wind doesn’t even budge…”
The scythes were clearly targeting Tiferia. Despite the deadly space forming around her, where an ordinary person would be sliced to pieces in an instant, Tiferia stood there languidly.
“Sigh…”
With a sigh, she shattered a scythe flying toward her with one arm. Despite the strong winds, Tiferia remained completely still, just like before the match began.
“Right, if I cook with Ritta-chan… maybe I should have her make it for me…”
Behind her, Argil approached on the wind. A scythe’s blade was mere inches from Tiferia’s neck. Of course, killing during the tournament would result in immediate disqualification. But for the Death God, the tournament was of no consequence. Compared to Tiferia’s neck, it wasn’t even worth weighing the options. That lack of hesitation was the trigger.
The scythe’s blade struck Tiferia’s neck. However, the scythe, capable of slicing through steel, couldn’t even break Tiferia’s thin skin, stopping Argil in his tracks.
“N-No way… What did you do?!”
“Huh? Oh, you’re still here?”
With that single line, the wind ceased. Argil thought Tiferia had used some skill. But he quickly dismissed that notion. The storm vanished along with his fighting spirit, and by the time he understood everything, Argil was declaring his surrender.
“It’s over.”
Leaving the dazed Argil behind, Tiferia exited the arena.
—Still here, are you?
The more experienced one understands. It’s not that they can’t compete; it’s that they aren’t even acknowledged as opponents. From the very beginning, she hadn’t fought anyone.
“This is S-Rank…”
For the audience expecting a battle between Tiferia and Argil, the conclusion made no sense at all.
“What just happened? Is it over already? No glimpse of Tiferia-chan’s panties or anything, what is this?”
“It looked like Argil just stopped attacking on his own. Hey! If you’re not going to try, just go home!”
The fear that could only be felt by those involved never reached the third parties.
///
In the distance, the wind had stopped. I wondered who had been fighting. But what intrigued me wasn’t the wind; it was the opponent. The heavy pressure I felt for just a moment, a presence so strong I could sense it from afar. While I was distracted by that, my own opponent had been decided. If I could defeat that person, it seemed I would pass the preliminaries.
“The winner is Greyman!”
“The key to victory lies in high-performance equipment! Remember that well!”
Greyman shouted those words to the audience. His armor certainly looked impressive. It gleamed silver, reflecting the surroundings like a mirror, adorned with dragon-like decorations on a long sword. Around his neck hung several gemstones connected by an unclear accessory. It looked gaudy, almost making it seem less cool. Greyman seemed unfazed by that.
“Good job, Greyman! The difference in equipment is what matters in battle!”
“You get it! That’s right! Those who just polish their little tricks better wake up! It’s all about pouring in the cash!”
Something felt off about this, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Was that equipment really that amazing? I had never worn armor myself. I remembered picking something up in the Abyss Cave once, but it was too cumbersome and hot, so I took it off almost immediately.
“Greyman just recently rose to A-Rank; he’s the one to watch.”
“Tch, the young ones today always want shortcuts. Even with that gear, it’s still the user who matters.”
“I neither deny nor affirm that. Because reality is always the one to prove it.”
“Chug, chug, hmm… chug, chug.”
“Roel-chan, that’s your tenth cup! You’re going to need to go to the bathroom again!”
The spectator area was lively.
“Now, after a fifteen-minute break, we will proceed to the final qualifying match.”
A break, huh? Watching Roel chug her drink made me realize I was thirsty too. I wondered if I could buy something from the vendor in the audience. Ignoring the surprised faces of the people as I jumped into the stands, I spent my meager allowance on a refreshing Momoru Soda.
“Lua, that’s quite rude. I know it’s a hassle, but you should come up the proper way.”
“Okay!”
I never expected Seigel to call me out like that. But honestly, with all those girls hanging around him, it didn’t seem very convincing.
“Lua, give that young punk a good smack!”
“If I smack him, he might die… gulp.”
I wondered why Gantetsu was so angry. And Roel was definitely drinking too much.
“So, this is Lua, huh…”
Tiferia was rubbing my arm. Wait, when did she get here…?
“Hey, Tiferia. I see you’re competing again this time. What’s brought you here?”
“Hmm, rub rub…”
“Ignore him, yeah, I figured.”
Seigel was completely disregarded. As Tiferia’s hands wandered all over me, it started to tickle, and I instinctively swatted her hands away.
“Oh, I’m sorry…”
“N-no…”
“Don’t do anything weird to Lua-chan!”
“You… are an Adventurer?”
“Yeah.”
“I see…”
With that, she leaped down to the arena just like I did. Seigel better watch out.
“Still as fluffy and elusive as ever. But that’s what makes her appealing.”
Be careful. Feeling a bit ridiculous, I took a sip of my drink and jumped down again in the same manner.
“Hey, wait!”
The match was about to start, and my opponent was that Greyman. He was flaunting his gear to the other Adventurers.
“A good Adventurer wears good equipment! A shabby one has shabby gear!”
“How do you even get that? You rarely see stuff like that in the market…”
Greyman looked quite pleased as he basked in the envy of those around him. His gear must be worth several of my Mithril Swords.
“Oh, the match is about to begin. My next opponent is… oh, it’s you!”
“Yep, it’s me. Nice to meet you.”
“I’ve watched your matches so far, and you definitely have potential. But I’ll declare this: you can’t win against me.”
He pointed his index finger at me, pressing it as if to emphasize his point. Fine by me; I’m ready to take him on.