Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 34
After a brief intermission, it was time for the final match of the day.
Princess Marishielle stood on the stage, her long sword in hand, exuding an air of elegance reminiscent of her title, “The Refined Marishielle.” Her silver hair shimmered with a violet hue, flowing gracefully as she maintained a composed expression, embodying the beauty befitting her moniker.
Her opponent was a male adventurer named Aiga, who appeared to be a high-ranking mage. He had decisively triumphed in yesterday’s battle with an overwhelming barrage of magical attacks. Whispers among the audience suggested he was a formidable contender, rivaling Jaze in skill.
“Begin!”
As the match commenced, Aiga quickly distanced himself and unleashed a torrent of magic, launching what seemed to be nearly a hundred spears of fire, ice, and stone in a saturated assault.
“He’s equipped with ‘Multiple Magic,’ ‘Charge,’ and ‘Range Expansion,’ along with numerous ranged skills. He’s nearly perfected his craft as a mage against adventurers,” Sfenia remarked, leaning forward in anticipation.
Before the onslaught of magical spears, Princess Marishielle astonishingly made no attempt to evade.
Just as it seemed the magic would strike her, her sword, “Fate Whisperer,” suddenly glimmered.
She likely possessed a high-level “Honshin,” or perhaps an even superior skill. The long sword danced through the air, deflecting every spear with ease.
Not slicing, blocking, or countering, but simply deflecting.
The magical spears that lightly grazed her blade altered their trajectories, veering off and striking the ground behind her. It was as if the magic itself chose to avoid her, showcasing a terrifying mastery of technique.
“I can’t believe it. Is it truly possible to deflect magic like that? I could understand if it were a matter of brute strength like Soushi, but this is something else entirely,” Sfenia said, her voice tinged with disbelief. For a mage, her astonishment was likely magnified.
Princess Marishielle began to walk slowly towards Aiga. Although she had demonstrated her “Swift Run” ability in the previous match, her decision not to use it now suggested confidence in her ability to deflect magic.
Aiga continued to unleash a barrage of spells. It appeared he also possessed “Remote Cast,” as magical spears rained down from all directions, yet each one was deftly deflected, embedding themselves into the stone floor of the arena.
As the distance between them closed to about ten meters, Princess Marishielle momentarily assumed a stance. Would she use “Swift Run”? At that moment, Aiga thrust his magic staff forward with determination.
“You’ve thrown off the timing with ‘First Strike.’ He’s clearly aiming to finish this,” Sfenia observed.
From Aiga’s staff erupted five beams of “Holy Light.” Indeed, “Holy Light” traveled like a laser, reaching its target in an instant. However, its power against a person was not particularly formidable, suggesting it was intended as a counterattack.
“…What!?”
Sfenia was left speechless.
I too was taken aback. The five beams of light that seemed destined to strike Princess Marishielle all altered their paths just before reaching her, veering off behind her.
It appeared that just moments before, Princess Marishielle had indeed activated “Fate Whisperer.”
But could a mere flash of her sword truly redirect five beams of “Holy Light” and maintain that altered trajectory?
One could argue that it was impossible, yet there was one explanation: the power of a “Skill” that could even bend the laws of nature.
The next moment was swift. With a single strike using “Flash Step,” Princess Marishielle sent Aiga crashing to the stage floor.
“…There’s no doubt that was Princess Marishielle’s skill. However, I cannot comprehend its nature,” Sfenia mused.
“At first glance, it seems to merely deflect attacks, but I suspect it’s far more complex than that,” I replied.
“If even Soushi’s attacks can be deflected like that, it’s truly alarming,” Sfenia added.
“Indeed. And the fact that she can finish a fight in one blow makes it impossible to gauge her true capabilities,” I noted.
“Isn’t that the same for Soushi?” Sfenia countered.
“…You have a point.”
As we discussed this, the third day of the tournament came to a close.
Noticing that Lady Dorozitte was absent from the venue, it seemed there were various security measures being taken behind the scenes. Ultimately, there had been no movements related to Marquis Fulcrum.
It appeared they intended to maintain this status quo until Momental lost his match.
With that in mind, tomorrow’s battle with Karma would be one to watch closely. If she could avoid that peculiar magic, she stood a good chance of victory.
No, before that, I had my own match to contend with. Lady Somyule would undoubtedly be my strongest opponent yet. I needed to focus on defeating her first.
The next day marked the third round. It had been a long time since I had heard the phrase “Top Eight,” reminiscent of my high school club days.
Surprisingly, I felt calm, while Larni and Karma were both fidgety from the morning.
I initially thought they were nervous, but when I pointed it out, they exclaimed, “We just want to fight already!”
It was a reaffirmation of the mental fortitude of the beastfolk. Though perhaps they were just exceptional cases.
As usual, we traveled to the arena by carriage, but the atmosphere surrounding the venue was electric, befitting the quarterfinals. Some spectators were even sleeping on the roadside, likely having drunk too much at the stalls the previous day.
While I warmed up lightly in the waiting room, a knock came at the door, and Grand Master Dorozitte entered.
“Ah, Soushi! It seems you’ve had an easy time so far. You haven’t even shown a fraction of your true power, have you?” she teased.
“Not quite that much. But I do have some energy left,” I replied.
“The two opponents you faced were practically regulars in the tournament, yet you dispatched them without breaking a sweat. That’s quite impressive,” she remarked.
“Today might be a different story. Somyule won’t be an easy opponent,” I warned.
“She’s the sub-leader of the ‘Water Lily Lion,’ after all. Her strength ranks just below Princess Marishielle within the party, making her undoubtedly one of the top contenders in the Empire. Still, facing you, Soushi… Oh, but that’s not why I’m here. I actually came to discuss the matter regarding the Marquis.”
Dorozitte approached me with a serious expression, lowering her voice.
“So far, there hasn’t been any significant movement on our end, but it seems they are quite lax in preparing for war in their own territory. His Imperial Majesty has made some inquiries, but they merely claim, ‘We are adequately prepared.'”
“Is there any contact with external parties?” I inquired.
“None that resemble the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ have been spotted in the vicinity. It seems that neither Mecalinan nor the church has found any collaborators aside from a suspicious individual,” she explained.
“That’s correct. There was only one person associated with the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld,’ and even that was just a puppet-like figure,” I confirmed.
“That suggests that individual likely holds significant authority. We’ve concluded that there’s probably no communication with anyone else,” she said.
“Then it’s likely they’ll try something unique at the arena?” I speculated.
“That’s a possibility. I’ve been saying for a while that the moment Momental loses will be suspicious, so we can’t afford to let our guard down starting today,” she warned.
“Understood. I’ll avoid the spectator seats after my match,” I assured her.
“Exactly. They might attempt something on stage. The first to respond will be the competitors, so I’ll rely on you for that, Soushi.”
“I will do my utmost.”
Dorozitte nodded in satisfaction, saying, “I appreciate your cooperation,” before leaving.
As she departed, she made a playful gesture, blowing a light kiss with her index finger, a fitting display for someone with the aura of a stage actress.
Before long, an attendant called for me.
With “That Which Equalizes All Things” and “Immovable Fortress Wall” in hand, I made my way to the stage.