Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 32
The next day, the second round would feature eight matches.
As expected, I was scheduled for the first match, so I entered the waiting room early to prepare.
I had already observed my opponent’s fighting style during the previous matches. I had no intention of underestimating him, but I doubted he would pose much of a challenge.
When the staff called for me, I made my way to the stage.
The cheers from the crowd were even louder this time, but I had grown accustomed to it and it no longer bothered me.
As I stepped onto the stage, I glanced towards the VIP seats. Everyone was present, and I could see Larni and Shizuna waving at me. I waved back, then shifted my gaze to the upper tier, where I spotted His Imperial Majesty and Princess Marishielle. I must have been too nervous to notice the princess on the first day.
My opponent ascended the stage—a handsome man with the air of a mage.
“The main event of the martial arts tournament, second round, first match! From the direction of the Rainbow Dragon, we have Lien, the ‘Vine and Valkyrie’! This is his second appearance in the main event, with a best record of reaching the first round. From the direction of the Dawn Tiger, we have Soushi, making his debut in the main event!”
We approached each other and brought the tips of our mace and staff together.
“Both of our weapons are impressive up close. I’ll test how far my magic can reach against you.”
“I’ll see how well I can stand against your magic.”
“May fortune favor you.”
“May fortune favor you.”
I realized that I didn’t mind this kind of exchange. Perhaps I had felt the same way when I was a fighter back in Japan.
“Begin!”
With the call to start, countless ice spears, Ice Javelins, surged toward me.
I remembered that my opponent had launched them one by one last time, but that would only allow my shield to block them easily.
I positioned my Immovable Fortress Wall in front of me, but some of the ice spears curved gently, flying around the shield.
I blocked most of the magic with my shield while deflecting the spears that got too close with my mace. I decided to take a hit from one to gauge the impact, but it felt less painful than getting hit by a dead ball during a baseball game in my past life.
As I advanced with my shield raised, Lien moved to keep his distance, circling around me.
Whenever I tried to close the gap, he used Swift Run to pull away. My inability to approach in a long-range battle was my weakness.
“How about this!”
He unleashed a wide-area spell. A Flame Cyclone, combining fire and wind attributes. With his Range Expansion skill, the area of effect was about fifteen meters in radius. However, that was just enough for me to escape before it activated. According to Sfenia, not using wide-area spells in one-on-one combat was precisely for this reason.
Without hesitation, I dashed forward. The wide-area spell actually limited Lien’s escape routes. It seemed like a chance, but of course, a participant in a martial arts tournament wouldn’t make such a blunder.
He reached into his pocket and, as he drew out a whip, he struck at me with perfect timing. The whip, made from monster materials, wrapped around my leg with incredible strength.
Unfortunately for him, that level of impact couldn’t trip me up. I was a monster, suppressing the weight of nearly ten tons of equipment with my skills.
“Ugh!?”
Feeling an abnormal resistance, Lien released the whip and leaped sideways, launching a fire spear as he did. I see, the Flame Cyclone was a normal activation, while this magic was forced into action by his First Strike skill. His quick judgment and finesse were truly impressive.
However, not using Swift Run was a mistake. Or perhaps he was simply running low on stamina.
I used my Honshin skill to instantly change my direction, ignoring some hits, and appeared right in front of Lien.
His eyes widened as my That Which Equalizes All Things sank into his side.
“Well, if my magic doesn’t deal any damage, then I have no chance of winning. I concede.”
Returning from the edge of the stage, Lien shrugged and left.
“Even though several spells hit him directly, he showed no signs of injury or reaction.”
“His armor seems quite good, but more importantly, he must have high magic resistance.”
“With that shield and high magic resistance, can anyone defeat him?”
I heard the spectators’ comments as I returned to the waiting room, stowing my equipment in the Item Box and heading towards the VIP seats. Being the first match was a relief.
“Congratulations, Soushi! That was an excellent fight!” Mariane, the guild receptionist, greeted me.
“Thank you. I could see everyone’s faces well from this seat today, and I felt calm during the battle.”
I replied to Freinir as I took my seat.
The second match featured Lady Somyule, the sub-leader of the Water Lily Lion.
Her opponent was another spear user, and it turned out to be quite an intense battle. However, it seemed that Lady Somyule gradually gained the upper hand, ultimately winning with a flurry of storm-like thrusts.
As someone who also wielded a polearm, Sakurahime appeared to be quite impressed.
“Next, you will be fighting that one, won’t you, Soushi?”
“Indeed. As expected of a member of the Water Lily Lion, she has no openings and possesses high abilities. She must still have some hidden techniques left.”
“I believe so as well. To speak frankly, it’s clear that with her current skills, she cannot defeat you, Soushi. Still, if she is to face you, she must have some tricks up her sleeve.”
“Ah, I’m looking forward to it.”
As I said this, not only Sakurahime but also Shizuna and Sfenia looked slightly surprised.
“I never thought you would say you look forward to a fight, Soushi. You may be calm normally, but your spirit is that of a warrior.”
“Uh, well…”
I found it strange myself that the word “looking forward” had slipped out. Was it true that my heart had changed to become more combative, as Sakurahime suggested?
Well, upon reflection, it might be more difficult to maintain a civilian mindset when surrounded by battles like this.
As we were having this exchange, the third match was about to begin.
It was a duel between the aforementioned Momental and a nimble-looking man wielding a short bow.
From the start, the match unfolded as a complete long-range battle.
The short bow user occasionally used Swift Run to maintain distance while employing skills like Sure Hit, Curved Shot, Penetration, and Arrow Acceleration to rain arrows down on Momental.
Despite being on the defensive, Momental calmly blocked the arrows with his shield or deflected them with his longsword, managing to withstand the barrage. Unfortunately, his Flying Blade skill was easily dodged each time.
I thought he would wait until the arrows ran out, but it seemed the short bow user had an Item Box, as he had an endless supply of arrows.
With no sign of stopping, Momental eventually took a few arrows to his body. However, his high-level defensive skills prevented any serious injuries. Moreover, it seemed he possessed Regeneration, as his wounds healed quickly.
Just when I thought this would drag on, Momental suddenly knelt on one knee.
“Looks like he’s been hit with a Status Ailment Infliction.”
As Mariane pointed out, it seemed that some kind of Poison Effect was taking hold. Status Ailment Infliction in a duel was indeed formidable.
The short bow user, now in a favorable position, continued to shoot arrows from a distance without showing any openings.
Several more arrows pierced Momental’s limbs, and it appeared the match was all but decided—until—
“Magic!? In that state!?”
Sfenia exclaimed softly.
For a brief moment, the ground beneath the short bow user glimmered, and suddenly, a small explosion erupted there.
Though he avoided the direct hit with Swift Run, the blast sent him momentarily airborne.
In that instant, Momental unleashed his Flying Blade, striking true and sending the short bow user flying out of the ring.
“That was surprising. That was a dual-element mixed magic spell of fire and water. To master such swordsmanship and still be a high-level mage—he could be called a magic warrior.”
“In a way, he might be similar to Sfenia. But Sfenia, did you notice the magic from earlier?”
When I asked, Sfenia nodded.
“I did. It emitted a faint black miasma. The activation seemed unusually quick, so it’s clear that something is off.”