The second match of the Combat Tournament. Before me stands a woman with a robust physique, though she wields no weapon. Her sun-kissed, dark skin glistens under the bright light, accentuating her toned body. The extraordinary muscles I saw in the waiting room must be what she relies on when it’s time to fight.
“Second match, Lua versus Amane! Shitakka, what do you think about this battle?”
“Well, if I had to compare it, it’s like an ant versus an elephant… no, more like a dragon versus a cave rabbit. The girl’s weapon is completely clean, showing no signs of wear. This suggests she has little combat experience.”
I feel like I’ve heard that before, but thank you!
A dragon and a rabbit? Do I really look that weak? But Roel in the audience surely doesn’t think so. I need to win this fight to face Hecaton.
“Are you not going to draw that sword on your back? If you’re worried about me, that’s unnecessary. I hate being underestimated more than anything. Those who can’t show respect are the ugliest on the battlefield.”
Her brow furrows, muscles already bulging with tension. She’s clearly angry, crouched and ready for action. Underestimated… Is that how she sees me? I hadn’t realized at all. I want to show her that I’m not looking down on her, so I draw my sword, signaling my intent to fight. Amane seems to understand, as the anger fades from her expression.
“Here we go! One of the highlight matches! The Hundred Emperors’ Heroine, Amane, who has crushed her opponents with overwhelming force, is up against the dark horse of this tournament, Lua, who breezed through the qualifiers, defeating A-Rank contenders Benkei and Baste, and even the ‘Golden Armor’ Greyman in the finals! The match is about to begin!”
“I won’t show mercy, whether you’re a man or a woman!”
“And now, let the match begin!”
Can I really go all out? My strength has already pierced through Greyman’s armor. Since leaving the cave, I haven’t faced any real danger. I’ve suspected it, but I’ve become stronger than I ever imagined. What if there’s someone stronger than Vandalsia? So far, I haven’t encountered anyone like that… Well, what about Tiferia? I can’t say for sure until I fight her, but she’s unlike anyone I’ve met before. I want to battle her… just once…
Amane’s bulging muscles charge at me. Her fist collides with my sword. I had been holding it lightly, so the impact is heavier than I expected. Relentless punches follow, each one coming in a flurry. Even as I guard with my sword, the rain of fists doesn’t cease, probing for any openings.
“Are you just going to defend?! Or are you holding back…? Hundred Fist Barrage!”
The weight of her fists multiplies as they rain down on my sword. My Mithril Sword begins to crack under the relentless assault. Amane’s strength is so overwhelming that it makes me forget to attack. How much has she trained to become this strong? If she entered the Abyss Cave, she might reach the deepest part before I do. I realize I just happened to enter the Abyss Cave. If someone else strong entered, they might conquer it too. As these negative thoughts swirl in my mind, the cracks in my Mithril Sword widen.
“I don’t need a weapon! I’ve carved my path with this body alone! Do you know why?! If you rely on a weapon, the moment it’s taken from you, you’re just a woman! And then, unarmed, you can’t stand against the beasts that are men! In the end, the only thing you can rely on is this body!”
“I’m sorry, Amane…”
“What?! Apologizing won’t change the outcome!”
No, I’ve underestimated my opponents until now. There’s no way I, who conquered the Abyss Cave, could lose. I never considered the efforts of others. I apologize for that. So now, I’ll respond to that with this one strike.
“Here I come, Amane!”
I swing my sword with more power than before. It tears through Amane’s muscles, and blood sprays forth. A fissure appears in the ground, following the path of my slash. Amane, perhaps stunned by what just happened, collapses without even attempting to guard. There’s so much blood; did I go too far? As I rush toward her, the referee declares the end of the match.
“The winner is… Lua!”
A healer rushes in to cast Heal while two soldiers carry Amane away on a stretcher. The bulging muscles she had just moments ago are gone, revealing a beautiful woman’s body.
“Did you see that?”
“It was like slicing through ham! Amane’s body just… my wife…”
“Will that arena even be usable after this…?”
The audience erupts in a mix of cheers and murmurs. I glance over and see Tiferia watching me, a satisfied smile on her face. What is she thinking? It’s a bit scary. Hecaton remains expressionless, arms crossed.
“Is that perhaps the Star of Nature…? Not a genius, but a divine nature. She might be the star of war…”
Rupie seems to be rambling incoherently. Next to him, Queed is obsessively stroking his sword, looking just as frightening.
///
“Investigate that C-Rank thoroughly. I can’t believe someone like that was hidden away.”
“No, that girl should join our Guild, the Royal Knights. We can’t let her fall into the hands of a lawless guild without order or pride.”
“The representative of the orderly Royal Knights was eliminated in the third round of the qualifiers, you know.”
“It can’t be helped when the opponent is a Master Knight.”
“That kind of resignation is what makes a third-rate guild…”
“I’ll accept any insults with a duel.”
In the audience, many Adventurers react to the match that just took place. Some acknowledge Lua’s strength, while others insist it was just luck. Arguments break out, escalating to a near confrontation.
“Lua-chan, I wonder what happened. She seemed unusually serious…”
“Amane may be ranked lower than me, but she could easily rank higher in terms of strength. She must have been caught off guard, having unconsciously set the bar at the bottom of A-Rank after fighting me. Plus, Amane is quite attractive as a woman.”
///
Roel watches Lua as she steps down from the arena. Other participants sit in a row ahead of her. When her gaze lands on a figure in a black robe, she almost lets out a scream. Even from a distance, the figure in the black robe is fixated on Roel, ignoring the match entirely, staring intently at her.
“What’s wrong, Roel?”
“N-nothing… it’s fine.”
“Is that so…?”
“If you’re not feeling well, you should rest for a bit. Lua-chan’s match won’t be happening for a while.”
“I-I’m fine…”
The figure in the black robe remains utterly still.
///
“A swift conclusion! Who could have predicted this outcome…? A major upset in this tournament! The next match is between ‘Sky Crown’ Rupie and Queed!”
Queed, who had been stroking his sword, grins widely upon realizing it’s his match, a grin that’s more unsettling than anything. It’s as if he’s looking forward to something other than the fight itself. Meanwhile, Rupie stands up from his seat, frozen in place. What is he doing?
“O stars… bear witness… and countless stars of victory… come to my hand!”
He’s talking to the sky. I can’t take these people anymore.
“Shitakka, Rupie is well-known as a user of Star Magic, but what kind of fighting style does Queed have?”
“Though he has a dark appearance, he’s quite open when it comes to fighting. That annoying fringe of his might hold some key to his combat style.”
“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The two standing in the arena seem uninterested in each other. Rupie is still gesturing with his arms wide open, while Queed mutters to himself, stroking his sword. Even the referee seems a bit scared, taking a step back.
“Uh, well then, let the match begin!”
As the match starts, I wonder how they’ll approach each other, but neither moves. I might be wrong, but they seem unmotivated. Just then, Rupie makes the first move.
“Queed, you can see the star of death looming over you.”
Something descends from the far sky. The sound of it cutting through the air is enough to instill fear in the audience. Cries of panic erupt, and some people even stand up from their seats, trying to flee. A stone, or perhaps a meteor, is hurtling toward the arena, and it’s no wonder everyone is in a panic. From a distance, it didn’t seem so fast, but as it approaches, its speed becomes clear.
“Star Magic: Comet!”
The meteor crashes into the arena at breakneck speed.
No, to be precise, it was Queed’s sword.
Queed held his sword aloft, using it to ward off the falling meteorites. The meteorite cracked, splitting vertically before crashing down onto the arena.
“Hehe, hehehe, soon I’ll let you taste blood! Hihihihihi!”
His demeanor was clearly different from before the match. His eyes were bloodshot, drool dripped from the corners of his mouth, and his long hair was a wild mess, making him look like a completely different person. He trembled with a creepy laugh, hunched over as he gripped his sword.
“He’s definitely losing himself to the darkness. I might not be able to hold back anymore, but I can’t afford to make too much of a scene here. Now, which star should I call upon…?”
Rupie finally spoke in a serious tone.
“Is that… the Star Magic I’ve heard rumors about? What a scale…!”
“But Rupie isn’t fighting at full strength. No, it would be more accurate to say he can’t. His Star Magic possesses destructive power on a grand scale, making it unsuitable for this kind of battle.”
Indeed, I wondered what would have happened if Queed hadn’t blocked that meteorite earlier. It was dangerous; Roel and everyone else were here too.
“O shining illusions of the countless stars, become reality and grant me your power… Stardust Memory!”
A starry sky spread out around Rupie. It felt as if the arena had been cut out from the world and placed within this celestial expanse. Queed glanced around nervously but quickly returned his gaze to his sword.
“Everything the stars have witnessed is recorded as data. That ominous sword is no exception; the stars surely remember it. Whatever you do will be futile; a cleansing based on data from the stars will commence.”
“You’re so creepy!”
At the moment Queed swung his sword, one of the stars shone brightly and shot straight toward him, striking him directly. It felt as if his very movement had been sealed. Even though it only grazed his shoulder, Queed staggered as if his body had been flipped. Seizing the opportunity, another meteorite struck.
This time, three meteorites targeted Queed simultaneously. They were faster than before, and Queed couldn’t keep up, allowing the meteorites to graze his body once more. Even just a brush against his shoulder, waist, and leg seemed to inflict significant damage, causing Queed to scream and spin from the force, collapsing onto the arena floor.
“Gugigi…”
“If the stars had struck you directly, you would have lost your life by now. If I wanted to, I could end you with a single meteorite. I want you to surrender. Are you truly satisfied relying on that sword?”
“I’ll kill you! I’ll definitely kill you!”
A black mist erupted from Queed’s body, which was absorbed by his sword. The blade began to emanate a dark aura. Queed’s face was no longer human; his eyes bulged like a reptile’s, and his mouth was wide open in a grotesque manner. With his long hair, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone mistook him for a monster.
“Queed’s sword has undergone some kind of transformation?!”
“That’s likely Queed pouring his magical power into the sword. He’s probably aiming for a last-ditch effort.”
Is that really the case? I couldn’t shake the feeling that the sword was the one consuming him. Seeing Queed gasping for breath only reinforced my suspicion. Yet, without fear of the meteorites, Queed charged toward Rupie.
“Still going, huh? I guess I have no choice; I might have to kill you, but don’t blame me! Meteor Clutch!”
Meteorites rained down on Queed from all directions, moving at an incomparably faster speed than before. As he declared, Rupie might indeed kill Queed. But just before the meteorites struck, Queed spun around. The meteorites were severed by his sword, crashing onto the arena with a loud thud. The fallen meteorites melted away, absorbed into Queed’s sword.
“Damn it! Stars! Don’t let evil approach!”
As the surrounding stars shone brightly, countless meteorites were unleashed. The atmosphere conveyed to the audience that there was no way to evade this. Amidst the screams and cheers, Queed was seen slashing at Rupie, undeterred by the meteorites. Countless meteorites were cut down and absorbed by Queed, while Rupie seemed bewildered, not even understanding what had just happened.
“W-what is this… I’m not joking when I say… you should drop that sword immediately… or else you yourself will…”
Before he could finish, Rupie collapsed. Blood spread across the arena, and the stunned referee rushed over, shouting that the match was over.
“The winner… Queed!”
A moment later, cheers enveloped the arena. Queed’s eyes were bloodshot, ready to erupt at any moment. I wondered what he would do, but he quietly left the arena. What was that sword? I couldn’t quite articulate it, but it felt incredibly ominous. It was as if it had absorbed Rupie’s blood, for not a single drop stained its blade.
Rupie was carried away on a stretcher, still mumbling something incoherent. If Tiferia wins the next match, she’ll face that Queed. I wondered what Tiferia thought of this match.
My left shoulder felt heavy. Looking over, I saw Tiferia had leaned against me, softly snoring. I had my thoughts, but I couldn’t really say anything about others. Still, it was bothersome, so I gently pushed her back. For a moment, she stirred awake, but her eyelids quickly drooped again, leaning against me once more. The next match was coming up, though…
///
“That sword is dangerous.”
Seigel said seriously, having witnessed the entire match. Roel and Cynthia were also overwhelmed by Queed’s bizarre behavior.
“Seigel, dangerous how…?”
“There are weapons and armor that are powerful but come with some kind of drawback to the user. However, I’ve never seen anything that could overturn such a disparity in strength. It stinks; where did he get something like that?”
“At least it’s not something that would circulate in a normal market.”
While munching on the snacks that Roel had mostly taken from her, Cynthia was deep in thought. Another snack disappeared. Though she wasn’t ignorant of weapons and armor, she wasn’t an expert in that field. She didn’t possess enough knowledge to provide a clear answer.
“Not in a normal market, no.”
Seigel slowly scanned the arena as if searching for something. He had no evidence, but for some reason, he was convinced that the factor lurking here was hidden among them.