Day Two of the Combat Tournament: The Final Tournament.
The atmosphere was bustling, a far cry from the qualifiers. The castle gates and the passage leading to the Coliseum were overflowing with people, making it nearly impossible to walk.
As I was jostled and pushed through the crowd, I finally managed to reach the waiting room for the contestants. I wondered if Roel had made it safely to the audience seats. Inside the waiting room, several competitors who had advanced to the finals were already present. Nikka was there, as was Hecaton. However, Tiferia was still missing. Could she have overslept…?
As I entered, a woman clad in armor that left little to the imagination approached me.
“Are you Rua?”
“Y-yes, that’s me.”
“To make it to the finals at your age, you’ve got some talent. I’m Amane, an A-Rank Adventurer and the Master of the Leopardess Guild.”
It seemed that while the Adventurer’s Guild was a union for all adventurers, there were also groups that formed parties as organizations. They were similar to regular parties, but they managed loot as an organization, which would then fund their travels. Seigel had mentioned this while we were in Kizel Valley, and from what I gathered, it sounded rather troublesome.
“I love strong women. If you’re interested, why not join the Leopardess Guild? You’re always welcome.”
“Th-thank you, but I…”
“That’s fine. Just think about it.”
It was a relief to see that not all A-Rank adventurers had a nasty aura like Hecaton. There were people like her too.
“Tch, a bunch of throwaways discarded by men…”
“Ah?! Did you say something?!”
In front of us stood a man with long bangs that obscured one eye, exuding a dark vibe. He was tenderly stroking the sword sheathed at his side.
“I know all about you. You’re just a bunch of women who’ve been hurt in parties or on journeys, or who have some kind of trauma from the past, right? In other words, a gathering of losers.”
“Are you looking to get seriously injured before the tournament even starts?”
The kind expression Amane had just moments ago twisted into one of fury. Her veins bulged, and her muscular body swelled to a point that made her seem almost unrecognizable as a woman. Trauma… what could that mean? Had she been betrayed by a party member?
“You’re Queed, right? Underestimating A-Rank just because you’re a man will lead to your downfall.”
“Now that you mention it, I had a similar experience back in the day. A naive girl came up to me, asking to form a party, and I couldn’t help but take her in. I wonder what happened to her after that… Hahaha!”
As Queed provoked her, Amane looked ready to pounce when Nikka stepped in between them.
“If you start a fight here, you’ll both be disqualified. If you want to settle this, do it in the tournament.”
Nikka winked, trying to calm the two down. Amane’s excitement still simmered as she glared at Queed, who laughed mockingly before returning to his seat, resuming his tender caress of the sword.
Amane, still fired up, plopped down heavily in her spot. Queed had called them losers, but if they kept getting back up and challenging their opponents, they weren’t losers at all. I had lost countless times myself. If someone mocked me for losing just once, I would show them what it meant to be defeated.
“Hehehe, not yet, not yet. Soon, I’ll be able to taste blood.”
His muttering while stroking the sword made me feel uneasy, so I decided to stop looking at Queed.
“Ah, sorry for being late! It took me about an hour to get ready…”
A man wearing a crown-like headpiece and a luxurious robe entered with a refreshing demeanor. His hair curled at the ends, making me want to stick a pencil or something in it; it was a strange hairstyle.
“Sky Crown, huh… I’ve heard you’re a specialist in Star Magic, but you probably won’t be much help in a one-on-one duel.”
Hecaton immediately shot a snide remark. I expected Sky Crown to retort, but instead, he just laughed loudly to brush it off.
“That might be true! But effort shines bright, just like those stars!”
With only a ceiling above us, there were no stars to be seen. Yet, Sky Crown pointed at the ceiling, seemingly satisfied with himself.
“Hmph, what trash…”
As Hecaton stood up, shaking his large body as he headed toward the arena, a soldier entered.
“The opening ceremony will now begin! Everyone, please follow me!”
Opening ceremony? What could that mean? The ceremony began without Tiferia, who still hadn’t shown up.
///
The multiple arenas from the qualifiers were gone, replaced by a large central arena. It was circular, surrounded by spectator seats. I wondered if Roel was among them. The F Block from the qualifiers had been right next to the audience, but now, with so many people, I couldn’t tell at all. The heat was stifling, a mix of the crowd and the sun.
“We will now begin the opening ceremony! First, the entrance of the contestants!”
We lined up at the entrance, waiting to enter the Coliseum. The number of spectators was overwhelming compared to the qualifiers, and they erupted into cheers as we stepped in.
“Allow me to introduce myself as the host of this grand tournament! My name is Kashia! Now, without further ado! The champion of Block A, the Crusher who has shattered the dreams and hopes of his opponents with that hammer—Hecaton!”
Hecaton raised one hand in response to the cheers.
“Why is a murderer participating again? Is this tournament a joke?!”
“Die!”
Amidst the cheers, I heard a mix of insults. Oh right, Ritta had mentioned that he had been disqualified last year for killing someone. It seemed that was intentional…
“Next up, from Block B, we have the underdog from C-Rank! The One-Punch Girl who took down A-Rank contenders with her fists—Rua the Blaster!”
What was this? I felt a strange itch of embarrassment. The commentator was overly enthusiastic. One-punch? Sure, I hadn’t used a sword, but…
“Ahhahahaha! The One-Punch Girl, huh?!”
“Don’t laugh! I-I’m cool, right?”
I thought I heard Cynthia laughing from somewhere, with Roel trying to support me. I could only look down as I entered, too embarrassed to lift my head.
“From Block C, the A-Rank shooting star who swept away the competition—Nikka!”
“I’m counting on you!”
There was decent support for him. Oddly enough, Nikka entered with a nervous demeanor, almost like he was timid.
“Next, we have the heroine who has been said to reign at the pinnacle of the Hundred Emperors! The A-Rank Hundred Emperors’ Heroine who plunged the men of Block D into the depths of fear—Amane!”
“Amane-san! Don’t lose to any man!”
“Anyone who doesn’t see how cute Amane-chan is is a novice!”
“I want to be spat on and told I’m pathetic by Amane-chan!”
She was incredibly popular among both men and women. But were those people acting strangely? Amane waved at them, showing her generous spirit.
“From Block E, we have another dark horse of this tournament! After a single flash, only the word ‘defeat’ remains! The B-Rank nihilist—Queed!”
“I’m counting on you! I’ll become your fan!”
I heard some jeers, but there was still a decent response. Given his earlier attitude, he must have a lot of confidence.
“And finally, hailing from the distant star of Block F, we have the royal figure radiating nobility, a rare user of Star Magic—the Star Crown, Rupie!”
“Today, many stars are shining. Over there, and here too!”
“Ahhh! Prince, look this way!”
He was incredibly popular with the ladies. Prince? Rupie responded to the cheers, spinning around while raising his hands in celebration. Suddenly, sparkling stars flew from his hands into the audience.
“This is today’s happiness, a gift from me. And tomorrow’s happiness is something you must seize for yourselves, just like grabbing those stars.”
“I can’t take it anymore…”
It seemed someone fainted from sheer joy. I couldn’t keep up at all. Was it my lack of knowledge?
“And from Block G… uh, wait?”
Tiferia still hadn’t arrived. Even the soldier, who had been so lively, looked confused.
“Sorry for being late! I overslept…”
Tiferia trotted into the venue, a piece of bread in her mouth. I couldn’t quite understand, but I felt she was the only one who would do something like that.
“Uh, um! From Block H, we have the strongest knight of the Kingdom of Avangarde! The Master Knight, who has mastered everything—Tiferia-chan, whose single strike can sway the kingdom’s finances!”
“She’s here! I want to eat that bread!”
“I’m a woman, but I’d let Tiferia-san take me!”
The cheers were on a whole different level. It felt as if the air and ground trembled simultaneously. The entire venue was focused solely on her.
“Hmph, noisy trash…”
“Is it not interesting?” Hecaton grumbled. More than that, he seemed restless, eager to fight.
“And now, from Block G… um… a mysterious man, Inoro!”
The entire venue fell into a hush. I hadn’t even noticed him in the waiting room; he was wrapped in what looked like black cloth covering his entire face. Dressed in a dark robe, he appeared entirely shrouded in black, giving off an eerie vibe. No one in the audience offered a cheer.
“Was he in the preliminaries?”
“He was, but he seemed pretty ordinary. The only thing notable about him is that he uses magic…”
“Now, we have a word from His Majesty the King! Silence, please!”
The King was finally making his entrance. Two soldiers stood high above the audience, and an unfamiliar old man with a stern expression was there too. In the center, a lavish chair awaited, but no one had taken a seat yet. After a brief moment, someone emerged from behind the chair. With neatly arranged brown hair tied back, he wore the same royal crown as Rupie and a thick robe. The old man slowly settled into the chair, and the venue fell into complete silence. Surely, he must have something interesting to say.
“Over four hundred years since the founding of Avangarde. This tournament has been held annually since then. The purpose is, needless to say, to provide an opportunity for promising warriors to hone their skills and to select the bearers of our nation. Our country lacks the technology of other nations and relies heavily on imports for most of our crops. Thus, the only thing we must cultivate to excel is ‘strength.’
We are now in the age of adventurers, and the benefits they bring cannot be underestimated. By fostering adventurers, we shall enhance our strength even further. Adventurers, and even those who are not, I take great pride in the eight who remain here. You are the ones who will bring prosperity to our nation, and I have high hopes for you. Those gathered here, etch their struggles into your memories…”
I was starting to feel drowsy. It had been an early morning… How long was this going to last? I wished it would start soon.
—The King’s speech was becoming rather soothing.
///
“I wonder what the outside world is like?”
I often found myself pondering about the outside world. My usual conversation partner was Kurinka. She was quiet and gentle. I adored Kurinka.
“If Rua-chan becomes an adventurer, what will I become?”
“What do you mean?”
“Adventurers have classes, you know. There are those who fight with swords and those who use magic.”
“Really? Then what should I do?”
“You seem like you’d struggle with magic.”
Kurinka giggled softly. Maybe I should fight with a sword instead.
—A burning house. My father and mother huddled together, clutching their heads in agony. They looked so pained. They were shouting at me to run away. Even when I rushed over, they pushed me away. “Run! Just run!” was all they kept saying. Why?
When I escaped outside, monsters were destroying the village. Where was Kurinka? We had promised to play today. I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find her.
In the distance, I saw something. Amidst the raging flames, there stood a figure. A black demon. It had only one wing.
The demon slowly turned to face me. That demon was… yes, that demon was—
Run away!
Someone screamed.
I fled.
When I looked back, someone was being pierced by the demon.
I ran through the deep forest, endlessly.
Monsters attacked.
Just as their claws were about to tear me apart—
///
“…And since then, our nation has…”
“Zzz… snore…”
I was finally shaken awake by someone. It seemed I had dozed off. Amane, sitting next to me, awkwardly gestured with her chin towards the King, who was looking down at me.
“I-I’m sorry.”
With my foggy mind, that was all I could manage to say. The King sighed softly before continuing his speech.
“…That is all! I wish you all the best of luck! I hereby declare the opening of the 402nd Avangarde Tournament!”
The audience erupted into cheers. It had finally begun.
After taking a breath, I stood up, and the King was still watching me. He didn’t say anything, just stared, so I awkwardly laughed it off. Hmph, I’m not good with complicated talks. Today, I would show the King what I was made of in battle. That was my resolve.