Chapter 120: Martial Arts Tournament ②
The first match of the Martial Arts Tournament’s first day, Ajidaha vs. Brian, began.
As soon as the signal was given, the two moved, clashing in the center of the Arena. Ajidaha held a one-handed sword. Meanwhile, Brian swung a two-handed greatsword as if it were a mere twig. Ajidaha had the upper hand in the number of slashes, but Brian’s blows carried more weight. As a result, a pattern repeated: Ajidaha pushed forward with numerous attacks, only for Brian to occasionally repel them with a heavy strike.
It was Brian who first broke this deadlock. He deliberately took a non-lethal, probing strike from Ajidaha with his body, using the opening to unleash a sharp thrust aimed at the chest. A classic tactic of sacrificing flesh to cut bone.
However, this tactic didn’t work on Ajidaha. Brian’s attack power wasn’t enough to break through the Dragonkin’s high defense.
Conversely, Brian was caught off guard after his major attack, leaving him vulnerable to a furious barrage of counterattacks. With his wounds rapidly increasing, he had no time to use his specialty, Holy Magic, and finally surrendered when a sword was pressed against his neck.
“Winner, Ajidaha!”
The voice of the man acting as referee echoed through the Arena, and a great cheer erupted.
However, the victor, Ajidaha, simply turned his back and walked away without saying a word to Brian. I see, so it was true that the Dragonkin look down on other races. Watching Ignito-san, I didn’t think so, but he must have been an exception.
Brian, covered in wounds, managed to heal himself and somehow made it back to the waiting room. He apologized to Sayaka for losing, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, she praised his valiant effort. Just like a Saint.
…Ah, right, she is the actual Saint.
By the way, now that the first round is over, the atmosphere in the waiting room has become somewhat awkward. It’s natural since winners and losers are in the same space, but perhaps it’s also because the tension among those yet to fight is rising. A tense atmosphere hangs over the entire waiting room. Except around Ochcho-san, who is still eating skewers.
The next match, the second one, is Aurora vs. Lusar. The crowd is already buzzing with excitement before it even starts, anticipating a match between a beautiful girl and a beautiful woman. But since Aurora will probably summon Snow, it’ll end up being a Monster vs. a beautiful woman.
“Second match, Aurora versus Lusar, begin!”
Aurora and Lusar faced each other in the Arena. Oh, looks like they’re exchanging words.
“Fufufu, pleased to meet you, Aurora-san. I’ve heard about you from Hayato. Please be gentle with me today. Fufufu.”
“Yes! Likewise, it’s a pleasure to meet you! Come, Snow!”
Oblivious to Lusar’s maneuvering, Aurora replied cheerfully and summoned Snow.
A magic circle appeared before Aurora, and as Snow materialized, a stir went through the venue. A Superior Gryphon is a rare Monster. Few people would have ever seen one. When such a high-rank Monster appears before their eyes, of course, anyone would get excited. Especially since Snow looks so cool.
Oops, while I was distracted by the crowd’s reaction, the match had already started.
Snow made the first move. Perhaps thanks to Aurora’s Summoned Beast Enhancement, it charged forward with considerable speed. However, as expected of the Demonkin race, Lusar managed to keep her distance using just her raw physical abilities. Darting freely around the far-from-small Arena, the girl and the beast occasionally exchanged magic spells. That alone was quite a spectacle.
Ah, Lusar glanced at Aurora. I bet she plans to target Aurora directly. What will you do, Snow?
Just as I predicted, Lusar suddenly launched a spell at Aurora. That’s Earth Magic’s “Stone Needle.” In a fight against a Summoner, targeting the weaker Summoner instead of the formidable Summoned Beast is standard procedure. It’s a perfectly valid strategy.
Huh? Even though Aurora was targeted, Snow continued attacking Lusar without pause. What’s going on? My question was answered immediately. Just before the Stone Needle hit Aurora, it was deflected by a Barrier.
I quickly used Appraisal on Snow and saw that the “Barrier Magic” Skill had been added. And at quite a high level, too. How did it acquire that?
Whoa, no time to worry about that; Snow began a continuous assault. Perhaps judging that it couldn’t win in close combat, it unleashed a furious magic rush. Fire Arrow, Aerial Blade, oh, it even followed up with the second-tier Wind Magic, “Tornado.” But Lusar is an elite Demonkin. Being from a race skilled in magic, she skillfully used Dark Magic and Earth Magic to nullify everything.
Better at magic than physical attacks. With similar stats, it’s unavoidable that Lusar, who slightly surpasses Snow in every category, is stronger.
In the end, the second-tier Dark Magic “Dark Whip” caught Snow, slamming it to the ground, at which point Aurora declared her surrender.
“Winner, Lusar!”
Once again, the referee’s voice echoed through the Arena, followed by tremendous cheers.
Aurora returned from her match looking a little downcast. Dejected Aurora was so cute I almost spoke to her, but Hayato approached her first, so I lost my chance.
(Well, it’s fine for now. Just seeing Aurora looking energetic was enough for this time.)
After talking with Hayato, Aurora left the waiting room. Brian, who lost in the first round, was also no longer in the waiting room. I guess if you lose, you can’t stay here… too bad.
However, it seems Aurora went to the spectator seats. Theodore and the others must be there too. My detection tells me so.
Right, the next one up is Theodore’s older brother. A match against the Royal Capital’s Guild Master, huh? I wonder who Theodore is rooting for?
Still, Darius, who just left the waiting room and headed to the Arena, seemed arrogant, but he didn’t strike me as the type to scheme behind the scenes. In that case, the assassination attempt on Theodore is likely the work of the First Prince, Gide… Gide… Gidemaro? Ah, no, Gideon, was it? He seems suspicious.
Oops, while I was lost in such dark speculation, it seems the match between Darius and Grandール has begun.
Darius effortlessly wields a giant spear, pressing the attack against Grandール. Meanwhile, Grandール is currently using unusual gauntlets covering both hands to skillfully parry the spear. This looks like it could be a good fight. Albeit at a low level.
For me, the offense and defense unfolding at a yawn-inducing speed seems easier to follow for the audience than the previous matches, and they’re getting quite excited. It appears both fighters aren’t skilled with magic, so the match proceeds solely with physical attacks.
When distance opens up, Darius’s spear assaults Grandール; when Grandール skillfully evades the spear and closes the distance, his fists rain down on Darius. After repeating this exchange several times, Darius decided to make his move.
“All or nothing!”
Swinging the giant spear horizontally as Grandール created distance, he activated a spear Skill. The giant spear thrust forward at twice its previous speed.
“Kuh, Straight Punch!”
Perhaps judging he couldn’t dodge it, Grandール unleashed the Fist Arts Skill, Straight Punch, from an awkward stance immediately after backstepping. The giant spear and the steel fist collided.
It was the steel fist that was sent flying. The gauntlet, seemingly crafted from a rare ore, shattered, and fresh blood dripped from the hand. Darius wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. He cornered Grandール with a barrage of spear strikes, and finally, with Grandール fallen, pointed the spear tip at him, ending the match.
“Winner, Darius!”
The Empire’s Second Prince raised his right hand, acknowledging the cheers as he returned to the waiting room. He’s quite used to this, as expected of a prince. Back in the room, Darius cheerfully started talking to Sayaka. What’s with this guy, hitting on her here of all places!
Ignoring that jerk, let’s watch the last match of the day. It’s Ignito-san, the Republic’s representative like me, against Yorumungan, the Dragonkin nation’s No. 1. They’re both Dragonkin, but Yorumungan has higher levels and stats. Now, how will Ignito-san fight?
Right after the start, their Breaths clashed in the center of the Arena. Since both were Fire attribute, a massive explosion occurred. The blast wave seemed to reach the spectator seats, and its power further fueled the audience’s excitement.
But I could see it. Even though both Breaths were Fire attribute, Yorumungan’s was clearly more powerful, forcing Ignito-san back slightly.
Into the fray charged Yorumungan, wielding what looked like an expensive spear. Ignito-san, on the receiving end, also held a spear that looked pricey, but even so, it seemed Yorumungan’s weapon was superior.
Inferior in both stats and equipment, Ignito-san was gradually pushed back, and even the Breath he desperately unleashed was deflected by the spear. Before he even had a chance to surrender, he was struck down by the spear.
“Winner, Yorumungan!”
With the male referee’s final victory declaration of the day, the first day of the Martial Arts Tournament came to a close.