Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 39
The next morning, I rode in a carriage through the bustling streets, making my way to the arena.
Today, we were scheduled to hold two semifinal matches in the morning. Tomorrow, the finals, awards ceremony, and closing event would take place.
Receiving encouragement from my teammates, I headed to the waiting room for my first match.
As I was stretching, the Grand Master, Lady Dorozitte, casually strolled in.
“Soushi, it’s finally here. What are your thoughts on Momental?”
“After hearing about Karma’s battle yesterday and discussing it with Frei last night, I’ve concluded that he is the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’s’ infamous mud puppet.”
“So, you don’t believe he’s being manipulated or is devoted to the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’?”
“Yes, I am almost certain of it.”
“Then that means Momental himself is no longer in this world?”
“Unfortunately, that possibility is quite high. It’s the worst-case scenario, and I hope I’m wrong.”
“Hmm, it seems we can’t afford to be optimistic. What about Marquis Fulcrum?”
“That too is a strong possibility. If that’s the case, I believe there will be an action taken once Momental falls, but it would be even more terrifying if nothing happens at that moment.”
“Indeed. Naturally, she has been under constant surveillance, and today and tomorrow, we will be watching her particularly closely. So, Soushi, focus on your match while we handle that.”
“I will do just that. What worries me is the possibility of Undead being summoned. I’ve instructed the team to be prepared. Frei is a specialist against Undead, so you can rely on her.”
“Of course, I have faith in her abilities, especially since she is said to be the next Saint of the Arshuram Religion.”
Lady Dorozitte winked playfully, her demeanor light-hearted even in such a serious situation. It was a reminder of the confidence that comes with leadership.
However, it seems Frei is indeed regarded as the next Saint. I believe she possesses more than enough qualifications and strength for that role.
“Well, if you’ve said that much, I suppose we need to adjust our approach a bit. I wish you good fortune in battle.”
With a wave of her hand, Lady Dorozitte left the waiting room.
About ten minutes later, an attendant came to call me.
Here we go. I suppressed my racing heart with the weight of the ‘That Which Equalizes All Things’ and the ‘Immovable Fortress Wall’ as I made my way to the stage.
“The direction of the Rainbow Dragon, Soushi, guided by ‘Soul’s Guidance’! First appearance in the main event!”
Raising my mace as I stepped onto the stage had become a routine by now.
The roar of the crowd crashing down from the stands resonated deep within me.
“The direction of the Dawn Tiger, Momental, from the ‘Water Lily Lion’! First appearance in the main event!”
Momental stepped onto the stage, raising his longsword high.
His face appeared confident, but there was a certain emptiness in his eyes. The slight smile at the corner of his mouth seemed more like a hollow grin devoid of meaning.
In the center of the stage, we brought our weapons together.
“Let us give it our all.”
In response to my polite words, the young man remained expressionless and replied flatly, “I will not let Count Okuno and Princess Marishielle fall into your hands.”
It seemed he was still intent on maintaining the facade of Momental.
“Good luck to you,” we exchanged words as we stepped back, taking our positions about thirty meters apart.
It was just out of reach for my ‘Shockwave.’
“Begin!”
This battle, carrying significant weight for some, commenced like any other match.
As usual, I held ‘That Which Equalizes All Things’ and ‘Immovable Fortress Wall’ in both hands, slowly advancing forward.
Momental stood still, watching me intently, but as I closed the distance to about twenty meters, he began to move in a circular motion, preventing me from closing in any further.
At this distance, my ‘Shockwave’ would reach him but likely wouldn’t land a solid hit. He seemed to have gauged that distance perfectly.
When I started to run, he used ‘Swift Run’ to create space between us. It appeared he had no intention of letting me get closer, but this would lead us both to a stalemate.
As I prepared to sprint again, Momental thrust his longsword forward. From the tip of his blade, about thirty stone spears shot out, all shattering against my ‘Immovable Fortress Wall.’ The impact was quite strong, revealing that his magical power was worthy of an A-rank.
After about thirty seconds, he unleashed another spell. This time, thirty fiery spears erupted, but they appeared to be entwined with something resembling black shadows.
It felt ominous, but I had no choice but to take it on my shield. The flames splattered against the surface of my shield, raining down upon me. Fortunately, my resistance skills would protect me from that, but the black shadows clinging to my body were unsettling.
As I was distracted by that, the young man launched another volley of fiery spears. Had he used ‘First Strike’? His activation was swift. The pause between the first and second was likely a feint.
The black shadows felt unpleasant, so I intended to blow away the magic with ‘Shockwave,’ but it seemed that plan had been thwarted. I braced myself with my shield, but the shadows continued to cling to my limbs, dissipating into nothingness.
At that moment, Momental twisted his handsome face into a grin.
“I’m coming!”
Before his words even reached me, he lunged forward. Of course, it was ‘Swift Run.’
I swung my mace to unleash ‘Shockwave’—
“Ugh!?”
A sound escaped my lips involuntarily. My upper body felt unusually heavy. It was as if something was entwined around me, hindering my movements, or like I was trying to move through a viscous liquid, suddenly feeling that resistance.
Could it be the influence of that shadowy thing from earlier? In an instant, I gathered my strength and swung my mace, but my speed was barely half of what it usually was.
Before I could complete my swing, Momental was right in front of me.
He brought his longsword down in a diagonal slash. I barely managed to deflect it with my mace. As I attempted to push him away with my mace, he circled to my left using ‘Swift Run.’
He aimed to get behind me, outside my shield.
I twisted my body to follow him. My lower body moved almost normally compared to my upper body. Ironically, the disparity in freedom made it incredibly difficult to maintain my balance.
His sword struck my shield repeatedly. I pushed my shield forward, but he was no longer there. Was he planning to circle further left, outside my shield, and behind me?
“Impressive. To move so well even while under the effects of ‘Shadow Prison.'”
Despite his words, there was a strong hint of mockery in his eyes. He seemed confident in the skill or magic known as ‘Shadow Prison.’
It was indeed a troublesome technique, a skill that obstructed movement even over defenses. Perhaps it was a more powerful version of the ‘Status Ailment Infliction’ that Mariane used.
However, this skill felt particularly unsettling. It might not be Momental himself, but rather the one controlling him who wielded such power. Come to think of it, Isunani had also used strange magic. It seemed those associated with the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ possessed various troublesome skills.