Chapter 3: Beast King Festival

“Ladies and gentlemen, the day is finally upon us! Today is the great annual tournament hosted here at the Gaun Mixed Fighting Arena, the tournament that sends the beastly instincts of every last citizen of Gaun roaring with anticipation: the Beast! King! FESTIVAL! WE’RE STARTING!”

Thunderous cheering shook the very foundations of the coliseum. Even we could hear it loud and clear, despite being at the food court outside. I recognized the voice; it belonged to Ronove, the same person who had commentated on my exhibition match with Sylvia. I understood it was part of her job description to get the audience pumped up, but there was one thing that confused me.

“Uh...there’s still more than an hour before the tournament actually starts, right? Aren’t the commentator and audience both getting ahead of themselves?”

“There are exhibition matches starting now,” Ange replied, looking through a guidebook to the Beast King Festival that she had picked up somewhere. “They’re sort of an opening act, it looks like. It says here that this is the place for those who failed to get into the actual tournament to show off what they can do. Are you interested in seeing it? Wanna go?”

“Mm... Nah, I’m good.”

“’Kay.”

If they failed to get into the tournament, it means they’re probably weaker than even the Gaunian soldiers Ruka beat the other day. Doesn’t sound like it’d be worth the trouble.

Over the past few days, my companions and I had fully enjoyed ourselves sightseeing in the capital city. But as they say, time flies when you’re having fun, and before we knew it, it was already the day of the Beast King Festival. As always, we were still empty-handed, as all our luggage, including the souvenirs we bought, was safely inside Clotho’s Storage.

“I’m starting to get a little worried now,” Rion said. “I’ve only played around since getting here. I hope I haven’t gotten rusty.”

Ange laughed wryly. “It’s true the other contestants are all doing this in top condition. When you put it that way, I’m kinda worried about all of you too. Well, since we’re gathered here, should we go over the details of the Beast King Festival one last time?”

“Sounds good; we have just enough time,” I agreed. “First, as for who’s participating in the tournament...”

When I turned towards the other three, munching on a piece of meat that was similar to a frankfurter, they leaped up.

“That’d be me!” cried Rion, followed by Sera’s “’Tis I!” and Dahak bringing up the rear with “I’m ready to rumble!”

For some reason, they all adopted a weird pose. I knew that Sera and Rion had had trouble falling asleep last night, as if they were grade school kids before a school trip, which probably explained their strange mood.

Ah, Rion, you still have a morsel on your cheek. Come over here, quickly, before Gerard does something bizarre to you.

“After talking it over, we’ve decided it should be Rion, Sera, Dahak, and me.”

“I did expect Efil-chan to step down, but Gerard-san and Mel-san too?”

“I value the time I get to spend with Ruka and Shutola. This way, I can wholeheartedly cheer for Rion too. That is why I am giving this opportunity a pass.”

So you say, but you couldn’t participate even if you wanted to, right? It’s great that you can swap out your equipment now thanks to Self-Transcendence, but the rules of this tournament require you to use their tournament-issued gear, and they don’t have full-faced helmets. Your weird Way of the Knight won’t let you show your bare face in public, right?

“Cheering everyone on from the stands with one hand while holding food in my other suits me better. There are still so many dishes I haven’t tried yet!”

How many stalls do you plan on eating out of stock?

“Master, here is the rule book for the tournament.”

“Noooo, Efil-chan! That was my job!”

As Ange protested beside me, half on the verge of tears, Efil handed me a pamphlet that she had received from reception. It was a simple rundown of the rules for the Beast King Festival.

You may only wear gear chosen from the options prepared by the tournament committee beforehand, with the exception of one accessory of your choice. The usage of any other item is forbidden.

The use of magic is forbidden during matches, but the use of Unique Skills is allowed. The barrier surrounding the stage will differentiate between the two, turning red when magic is used.

A barrier has been erected around the stage to protect the audience, but any attempt to harm the audience will be considered foul play and grounds for disqualification. Depending on the case, it might even be treated as a crime with legal repercussions.

You win once your opponent can no longer fight—this includes being dead—or has surrendered. If your opponent dies, you will be fined.

The total participants in the tournament are the sixty-four who managed to secure a slot through the preliminaries or by being seeded. The pairings will be decided on the day of by drawn lots.

“The ones that we really gotta look out for are numbers one and two.”

“It’s only thanks to the exception in the first rule that I’m able to participate. ’Cause of my hair clip.”

Sera’s physical characteristics as a demon—her horns, wings, and tail—were hidden by her hair clip. As such, she generally could not take it off in public. If the tournament had forbidden participants from using any and all accessories, she would have become ineligible. However, this did still leave her at a disadvantage. Rion, Dahak, and I could bring our Goddess’s Rings, which granted us resistance against debuffs. Its very presence was a game changer. Similarly, the other participants were bound to equip other accessories with equally useful abilities. The fact that Sera could not do the same automatically left her starting off on the back foot.

“Huh? Your hair clip has a special function, Sera-san?”

“What? No, of course it doesn’t. It’s, uh...something I have a lot of emotional attachment to. So that’s why I don’t want to take it off! Like, ever!”

“It’s the very first thing I ever gave you, right, Sera?”

“R-Right, that’s it! That’s exactly why!”

“If you say so...”

Although Sera looked slightly flustered, Ange did not press the matter.

Be careful what you say when Ange’s with us, Sera. We’re keeping your race a secret, after all.

::Ugh, sorry...::

In this case, we managed to gloss it over, so it’s fine.

Ange seemed to have lost interest in the topic and was distracted by something. I took the opportunity to get the conversation back on track.

“So, everyone, make your own decisions about what accessory you’ll bring onto the stage. Use whatever you want. Now, about rule number two, remember you can’t use magic during matches. Got it?”

“During matches, right, Kel-nii? Got it!”

Anyone quick on the uptake would have noticed immediately that there was a loophole with the second rule. It forbade the use of magic during matches, but it basically meant that the use of magic was allowed outside of matches. For example, using magic to buff oneself immediately before a match was technically not against the rule. On the surface, the Beast King Festival seemed like a chance for meatheads to simply slug it out, but the truth was that there were ways for the crafty to get a leg up as well.

“My, oh my! I thought I recognized that handsome figure! Kelvin-chan, how’ve you been! Oh gosh, Gerard-sama’s here too!”

“What?! The man you’re chasing is here, dear sister?! Which one is he?!”

Gerard almost leaped out of his seat in response. Understandable, as I also recognized that distinctive manner of speech and the deep voice behind our backs.

There’s no doubt—it can only be that person. But hold on, did I just hear two voices?

“Prettia-chan, it’s been a wh—?!”

“I-Indeed, you appear to be in good he—?!”

Our words died in our mouths as we turned around.

“Hiiii!”

“Hi there!”

Standing before us was Prettia in his characteristic pink dress beside a bald man who was dressed up in what looked like English aristocratic gentlemanly attire. The latter had muscles that seemed about to burst through his clothes, although they weren’t as massive as Prettia’s. Going by appearance alone, he was several times easier on the eyes. However, his manner of speech was the same as Prettia’s and, for some reason, the two were making a heart by putting their hands together.

What’s that meant to be? A mental attack on Gerard? I’m not connected with him through the Network right now, but I am one hundred percent sure he’s thinking the exact thing I am: Prettia’s multiplied! So, uh, is this person also going to be participating in today’s tournament?

“Who’s that handsome piece of shit?! Why’s he getting so touchy-feely with Prettia-chan?!”

Ah, Dahak’s shocked too. In his own way.

“Rosaliaaa, I can’t see anythinggg. Why’re you covering my eyes?”

“You must not look, Shutola-sama. You are too pure and innocent to see this just yet.”

Good call, Rosalia!

◇ ◇ ◇

“Hmm, I know this happens every year, but that is quite the impressive lineup yet again.”

“You’re the one who went around calling out to them, father. Kelvin and his group did not even have the right to participate originally.”

The special box reserved for royalty, commanding a sweeping view of the entire coliseum, was currently occupied by Leonhart Gaun, the Beast King of Gaun, and his eldest son, Jereol Gaun. While the former looked proud of himself, the latter was all sighs. He was the one among his siblings who had the most dealings with their father, an arrangement which gave him proportionally as many headaches. Today, the Beast King was adopting the appearance of Risa, Jereol’s wife.

“They would have gotten participation slots anyway, even if I hadn’t done anything. It wouldn’t take all that much probing to find out that the right to participate can be seized from someone else.”

“We don’t officially sanction it, though.”

There were two ways to take part in the Beast King Festival. First, everyone who made the top eight the previous year was automatically given a slot. Second, coming out victorious in the preliminaries. The Gaunian military, which was organizing the event, also had several slots reserved for itself that normally were not supposed to be handed out to non-military personnel, much less outsiders like Kelvin and his party members. As such, the arrangement that Leonhart had made was a rare exception.

Everyone who was acknowledged as having the strength to participate in the tournament was given a ticket that symbolized their eligibility. If a contestant lost that ticket, they would be barred from the tournament, even if they were recognized as one of the winners from the preliminaries. Conversely, anyone who held a ticket could participate, even if no one knew who they were. In other words, protecting one’s ticket was part of the qualification process.

Every year, an endless number of people attacked the confirmed contestants in the days leading up to the event, but most of them would be handily beaten and arrested by the guards on patrol. Though not officially endorsed, in this country, which valued strength above all else, it could be said that the backdoor way of gaining entry to the tournament was actually encouraged in an indirect way.

“Think about it, Jereol. If Kelvin was to proactively make a move, worst case, he might have gathered enough tickets for all his party members. As a country, we were able to save face by giving up only four slots. It’s a low price to pay.”

“Father, you don’t sound very convincing spouting such a reasonable justification while doing calculations with your abacus.”

Despite having been called out, the Beast King’s fingers continued flicking the beads of his abacus back and forth furiously. By now, however, Jereol knew better than to expect his father to listen when he complained.

“The roster of contestants has changed significantly from the list of those who won the preliminaries, hasn’t it? Heh heh heh, could some of the new faces turn out to be dark horses?”

“What are you even expecting, father? Good grief. But you are right that there are a few new faces here and there among the regulars.”

The country’s reputation was indeed on Jereol’s mind, as he was the crown prince and all, but his biggest worry at the moment was Sabato and Goma, whose eligibility for receiving the Gaun royal family name was on the line during this tournament. Even he would have to stay on his toes during the matches, so he wondered whether his two younger siblings would be able to properly display what they were capable of among so many larger-than-life figures duking it out. Jereol was actually quite considerate of his siblings.

“By the way, father... Why did you choose to look like Risa today?”

“It’s a treat for you. Obviously. Here, does this get you excited? You wanna cop a feel?”

Jereol’s face clouded over. As it turned out, he was currently in the middle of a huge spat with his wife. She had even refused to see him off when he had left the house that morning.

◇ ◇ ◇

“So, what’d you guys get?” I asked.

The four of us who were participating in the tournament had just stopped by reception with our tickets and done the drawing that would decide who we’d be facing in the first round. True to its name as the largest event in the country, the tournament went so far as to assign each of us our very own waiting room. Rion, Sera, Dahak, and I were currently gathered in my room to share the results of the draw.

“Um, hold on, Kel-nii. Mine says...B-2 right here.”

“I’m C-1!” Sera stated.

“Mine is D-14, brother.”

“And I’m A-8,” I finished. “Wow, we somehow managed to all be in different blocks.”

“Phew, I’m so glad we don’t have to bump each other off early on. Kel-nii, Sera-nee, Hak-chan, I’ll see you all in the finals!”

The Beast King Festival involved a total of sixty-four contestants facing each other in tournament brackets. We were all split into one of four blocks that were labeled A, B, C, and D, and the top four from each block would be brought together at the end for the finals. All of us belonging to different blocks meant that we could work our way up our respective blocks without having to worry about bumping into each other. If things went well, we could all make it to the finals. I could not help but suspect that Sera’s Luck stat had been at least partially behind this fortuitous development.

“Don’t let your guard down, m’lady,” Dahak warned. “Prettia-chan and that baldie are out there somewhere.”

I nodded. “Dahak has a point. Aside from Prettia, the Beast King and upper officers of the Gaunian army are also participating. And some of the other participants may be really strong too, regardless of whether they are famous or not. Stay sharp no matter whom you’re facing.”

“Kelvin, you’re already grinning,” Sera pointed out.

“I mean...this is exciting.” There’s just no suppressing this urge. I’m already trying to be as patient as possible.

“I’m sure brother will do just fine. But I mean, how much easier would it be if all the contestants were like the small fry that have been attacking us the past few days?!”

“Oh, right, now that you mention it, what was with those guys, anyway? They all tried to sneak up on us in broad daylight inside the city, but it didn’t feel like they were trying to steal anything.”

Sera tilted her head quizzically. “And the Gaunian soldiers stood there watching until we beat them up. Was it actually a part of the festivities?”

“Who knows. Maybe it was the Beast King being generous and sending us reminders not to shirk our training in the interim.” What a considerate guy he is. I guess you can’t judge people by how they look. Uh, not that I know how he actually looks.

“Aha ha ha,” Rion laughed. “The only exercise I got while sightseeing were those incidents. I’m kind of scared to step on a scale right now.”

“I get what you mean,” I said. “Because of Mel, I’ve eaten way too much lately.”

“That’s ’cause you two only ate meat. Eat vegetables too! Veggies are good for you!” Dahak interjected.

“I absolutely get what all of you mean. My clothes have been getting tight in the chest area recently.”

“Sera-nee, I’m pretty sure you’re talking about something else entirely...”

Rion looked between Sera’s chest and her own, placed her hands on hers, and hung her head.

Sera is still growing?!

◇ ◇ ◇

The seats of the coliseum were filled to the brim with cheering spectators. The last of the exhibition matches that served as an opener had just ended, and the start of the true Beast King Festival was drawing closer by the minute. The excitement in the air was climbing higher and higher still, reaching a fever pitch.

“Would you like another cup of green tea, Mel-san?”

“I just happened to be getting thirsty. How could you tell? Thank you, Efil.”

“Could you pour me some too, lass?”

“Is there no limit to how thoughtful you are, Efil-chan?! So, um...can I have seconds too?”

In sharp contrast, Ange and the members of Kelvin’s party who weren’t participating in the tournament were currently relaxing in a private viewing box. All the contestants had been assigned a VIP room to seat those they were bringing along, and this one was Kelvin’s. It was large enough for Alex to comfortably sleep in and even had several dedicated chefs. Even now, a waiter was busy carrying food over from the kitchen. And although this world did not have air conditioners, Mel was using Blue Magic to keep the room nice and cool.

“Thank you for waiting.”

Dishes that absolutely dazzled the eye were lined up on the table from end to end. Although the taste was somewhat inferior to Efil’s cooking, it was still considered top-class. Even Shutola, whose tongue was accustomed to food cooked for royals, approved of the quality.

“Waiter, excuse me. We’re ordering again. Where’s the menu? Ah, right. So, from here...to here. Give me three of everything. Also, can you arrange for someone to go to the stalls outside and bring me a few recommendations? I guess...ten would do.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am. As soon as possible.”

In point of fact, this was the only room that had been assigned personal chefs. It was the Beast King’s countermeasure against Melfina eating everything in the stalls outside the coliseum. For the chefs who now had to bear the brunt of the gluttonous goddess’s appetite, it was the start of a long, long day of hell.

“Oh, they’re announcing the tournament brackets!” Shutola exclaimed, prompting everyone else to stop their conversations and turn their eyes towards the stage. Even Melfina put down her chopsticks and gave Ronove her attention.

“Thank you for the wait! We are now announcing the tournament brackets!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Ronove must have been using the mic-like item we had seen back in Parth. Even though she was doing her announcements on the stage up above, we could hear her clearly in my waiting room. She was currently going through the pairings in alphanumerical order, so she announced my matchup first.

“Fourth match in Block A: Wild Beast Style Swordsmanship instructor, Roman! Versus! Rank S adventurer, ‘Grim Reaper’ Kelvin!”

Uh...who’s that? I’m paired with some dude who teaches a sword style?

“What’s Wild Beast Style, brother?”

“Haven’t the foggiest. But the word ‘swordsmanship’ is there, so I guess my opponent will be using a sword?”

“Shutola-chan might know. Oh, right. Gramps should be sticking close to her. Want me to try asking through the Network?”

“That’s a good idea, Rion. Yes, please.”

About ten seconds later, Rion nodded to herself, murmuring, “Right, I see.”

Wow, she already got an answer? Gerard sure is reliable for things like this. He always does everything at full throttle when it involves one of “his grandchildren.”

“Turns out, they were also talking about this on their end. Wild Beast Style is a school of swordsmanship developed by a beastkin who learned the sword in Toraj. And Roman is a master of the style who’s even been elected as their next generation headmaster.”

“A master swordsman...”

Now I’m curious about how strong he really is. If he’s been confirmed to be the school’s next-generation headmaster, that should mean he’s strong, right? Well, doesn’t matter. I’ll stay vigilant either way.

Ronove continued announcing the names of the other Block A contestants, but “Jereol Gaun” was the only one that I recognized.

Which reminds me, I didn’t catch the name of the “gentleman” Prettia brought with him. Gerard rushed us so much that we entered the coliseum before I had a chance to ask.

“First match in Block B: Rank B adventurer, Gonzales! Versus! Kelvin’s party member, ‘Black Meteor’ Rion!”

Oh? Rion’s going first in Block B. Oof, I feel bad for her opponent.

“Uhhh...m’lady, this is still only the first match. Just think of it as a throwaway match.”

“Hak-chan, it’d be rude to my opponent if I fought him with an attitude like that! As Kel-nii said, I won’t let my guard down, no matter whom I’m facing. I’ll always use my full strength!”

Uh, Rion, using your full strength without first gauging your opponent’s strength is a no-no. Gonzales-san is going to be reduced to dust. We’ll get slapped with a fine.

“That’s the right mindset, Rion! But make sure to properly assess your opponent’s strength and go easy on him as much as needed. Just like how I do it.”

“Sera, what you’re saying makes perfect sense, but do you remember who it was who wrung me like a wet towel the first night of this trip?”

“The first night? Did something happen? For some reason, I can’t recall what happened that night.”

Yeeeah, it’s okay. I don’t expect you to. Sera never remembers what she did when she wakes up after getting drunk. And she always feels terrible with a hangover after nights like that, so I can never bring myself to be too hard on her. Oh, hey, Ronove’s done announcing the Block B pairings.

“So, the people we know in Block B, aside from Rion, are Leonhart, Yujil, and Sabato. That’s quite a lot of the Gaunian royalty all clumped together.”

“Which means I’ll eventually get to fight the Beast King if things go smoothly. All right! Kel-nii, I’ll do my best!”

“I’m sure you’ve got it! Let’s meet at the finals. And now, it’s Block C being announced.”

Sera’s number is C-1, so she should be called right off the bat.

“First match of Block C: Kelvin’s party member, ‘Empress’ Sera! Versus! Hundred-man commander of Gaun, Guin!”

“Guin”? Is this the same Guin who’s in Sabato’s party?

“Looks like your opponent is Guin, sister Sera.”

“Ahh, that guy? He’s technically a Rank A adventurer, right? He was with us when we invaded Trycen, but I only remember him running around. Is he actually strong?”

“He commands a force of a hundred men, according to the announcement. I imagine that would make him about as strong as the officers Ruka fought in the castle. I haven’t really had the chance to see Guin fight in person, so I can’t say for sure.”

“Hm...that doesn’t tell me a whole lot. Well, if he’s in Sabato’s party, I’ll assume he’s as tough as Sabato is! Which means he shouldn’t die too easily!”

What happened to all that talk about gauging your opponent’s strength?!

◇ ◇ ◇

Sabato’s party was currently gathered in his waiting room. He, Goma, Akgas, and Guin were doing exactly what Kelvin’s group was doing: confirming their match opponents. Of the four, one was on the floor in the so-called “orz” position.

“I’m so dead... Of all the participants on the roster, why did my very first match have to be with Sera-san?”

“Ha ha ha! What’re you saying, Guin? I’m in the same block as my old man! Unlike me, you get to fight such a cute beauty! You lucky dog, you!” Sabato pounded Guin’s back, cackling loudly as if to dispel the other man’s distress.

“Ow! OW! That hurts, Sabato-sama!”

“I’m surprised to see you so down about it, Guin. Normally, you’d be raising both hands in joy, just like Sabato is saying. You do remember how stunningly beautiful Sera-san is, right? What’s happened to you? Are you sick?”

“Guin, lad, if you’re feeling sick, you should say so. You’re...you, but you’re still one of those representing Gaun in this tournament. Don’t give our country a bad name.”

The others were merciless in dogpiling on Guin.

“You’re being really mean, Goma-sama and Akgas-san! Of course I want to look forward to this! If I’m lucky, I might even get a quick cop of those jiggly, bountiful boobies! Her alias of ‘Empress’ also kind of speaks to m—”

“Lad, you’re a terrible person. You know that, right?”

“You’re the enemy of all women.”

The others were very merciless in dogpiling on Guin.

“Ha ha! Being honest to yourself is what it means to be a man!”

“Ughhh...Sabato-sama, you’re my one and only ally! Wait, no, that’s not what I wanted to say. Sera-san wiped out the hordes of dragons in the Grand Scarlet Canyon as handily as twisting a baby’s arm, right? She also charged into Trycen Castle when the Demon Lord was still at large and took down everyone maintaining the barrier all by herself! If I fight her, I’ll be turned into a pulp, if I’m lucky!”

Although Goma and Akgas could see where Guin was coming from, his prior comments had left them in no mood to pity him. In fact, they even thought he could do with a little pain in hopes that it would help to straighten his character out a little, and their cold gazes reflected their feelings.

While the group was traveling throughout the land as part of their training, these two had often found themselves saddled with resolving problems caused by Guin thoughtlessly acting on his ulterior motives. In contrast to Touya, one of the Heroes of Deramis, who caused trouble without ever intending to, every single trouble caused by Guin had been triggered by an intentional choice on his part.

“A pulp? But with your speed, don’t you think you have a sliver of a chance? All you want is a single cop, after all. Right?”

Twitch.

“What do you think you’re saying, Sabato?!”

“Hmm, Sabato-sama does have a point, Goma-sama. Considering how fast Guin can accelerate from rest, he just might be able to pull it off. And in a fight, these things...just happen.”

Twitch. Twitch.

“Y-You too, Akgas?!”

Goma raised her trembling fist, glaring at her two companions. Seeing that, Sabato threw out his hands in an effort to placate her. “You idiot! We’re saying this on purpose to get Guin motivated! He needs winding up or he can’t get serious!”

“Goma-sama, please take a look at Guin now. Although this method is somewhat deplorable, it is indeed effective on him.”

“RAAAAHHHH! I’M GONNA DO THIS! SHANGRI-LA IS WITHIN MY REACH!”

Guin’s eyes were filled with hope. It was a twisted hope, but hope nonetheless. When such aspirations were fueled, men became capable of drawing out much more power than they themselves thought possible. Unfortunately, such was the lot of men everywhere.

“When he’s in this state, Guin’s pretty strong, Goma.”

“Ugh, well, it’s not my business if he gets killed by Kelvin-san. Forget it. I’m going to focus on my own match.” Goma perked up her ears, hoping to catch the voice of the announcer. “The match announcements—”

“—and that is all the pairings for the tournament! Without further ado, we are moving straight on to the matches! Contestants in Block A, please move to...”

“Ha ha ha, it’s all over,” Sabato laughed teasingly.

“Grr, now you’ve gone and made me miss the rest of it!” Goma wailed, crumpling into the same pose Guin had taken not long ago, her cat ears folding back.

“Please rest assured, Goma-sama. I actually did write down all the pairings. Here is the info on your block, Block D.”

“Thank youuuu, Akgas!”

The piece of paper he was proffering had the names of all the contestants in Block D written on it. Surprisingly, the old veteran had a neat and orderly side to him. Goma was so touched by the gesture that she failed to notice, within the unnecessarily fancy handwriting, the names of Akgas, Dahak, and Goldiana near her own.

◇ ◇ ◇

The arena filled with roaring and cheering as the matches in Block A kicked off. Every once in a while, the sound levels climbed multiple decibels, generating vibrations that reached even the waiting rooms underneath the stage. Was there an upset? Did a match just finish? Either way, the Beast King Festival was definitely heating up.

“That’s some incredible cheering going on up there. Did a match just finish?”

“If it did, the announcer lady would have called for me. She didn’t, which means the match is still going on.”

“R-Right, sir. I’m sorry for asking before thinking...”

Five beastkin men wearing dougi with the kanji characters for “Wild Beast Style” on the right chest were currently standing at attention, facing a sixth man who was sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the wall. This man, who had a sheathed sword propped up against his shoulder and wore a hairstyle that Kelvin would have recognized as similar to a sumo wrestler’s topknot, was none other than Roman, senior instructor of Wild Beast Style and Kelvin’s upcoming opponent. For his armor, he had selected the lightest outfit offered by the tournament organizers, and for his weapon, he had gone with a Toraj-made katana. It was clear from a glance that he was a speed-based fighter.

“You all look like you’re about to lose your minds. No, you look...afraid. What are you afraid of?”

“I’m sorry, sir. It’s just, when I think of whom you’ll be facing...”

The five men were all disciples of the school. Ever since Roman, the man who taught them the sword, had been confirmed as a participant in the Beast King Festival, they had been counting the days until they could witness his moment of glory on stage. Then everyone had changed their tune once the tournament brackets were announced.

“You mean Kelvin.”

“Yes, sir. He’s the talk of the town as the newest adventurer to reach Rank S. Last year, Goldiana barely managed a victory over the Beast King and took home the championship. They’re both Rank S adventurers too. I’m worried Kelvin is as strong as they are...”

“His name exploded into fame after the recent Demon Lord subjugation, but he had also accomplished many other feats before that. I heard he even beat Sylvia during his promotion exhibition match. He’s definitely going to be a formidable opponent.”

The disciples brought up rumors about Kelvin one after another. They were uneasy. Was this path they had dedicated themselves to really the right way? Could Roman, the embodiment of the strength promised by the teachings of their school, truly measure up against the real giants?

“Hmph. Are you satisfied with merely being a part of the Beast King Festival? Are we aiming only to get past round one or round two? Is that all we’re worth?”

“Th-That’s...”

“I ask you again, what is it we’re aiming for?”

“The tournament championship!” shouted one of the disciples with so much resolve it was as if he were giving voice to a cry from his very soul.

Roman nodded solemnly. “It doesn’t matter that Kelvin’s a Rank S adventurer. I hear his class is Summoner. Sure, he might be powerful if he’s using magic or Summoning, but he can’t in this tournament. At the end of the day, the only thing you can really believe in is your own body and the techniques you’ve developed. If you look at this situation from another perspective, you will realize this is actually a blessing in disguise. After I win against a Rank S adventurer, the name of our school will resound to the heavens. What need is there to be frightened?!”

“That...is true. It is exactly as you say, sir!”

Hope changed to courage, and courage was contagious. No one in the waiting room held even a sliver of fear of Kelvin any longer.

“The crux of our style is to close in on our opponents before they can react and finish them off with the single greatest attack we can deliver. Short and decisive is how we win. There’s no time for petty tricks. And all you have to do is believe in me.”

Roman grabbed his katana and stood up. That same instant, the venue was rocked by another wave of cheering.

“The third match of Block A is now over! Winner: Dishu the wandering warrior elf! The mastery over the bow that he just showed us was absolutely amazing. What did you think, Kilto-sama?”

“When fighting one-on-one as an archer, maintaining a certain distance from your opponent is key. And he managed to do just that and make it look easy. I’m sure we can keep our expectations up for his other fights.”

“Thank you for the comment! And it’s time for the next match! Contestants for the fourth match of Block A, Roman-sama and Kelvin-sama, please make your way up to the stage!”

As his disciples perked up their ears to listen to the announcement, Roman slipped through their line and headed for the exit, his figure emanating poise and confidence.

“Looks like my time’s come. Well, I’m off. Cheer me on.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Godspeed!”

Reflected in the eyes of the disciples was the gallant figure of a samurai heading off to the battlefield.

◇ ◇ ◇

“It just occurred to me, but are you not going to participate, Kilto-sama? Jereol-sama and Yujil-sama did last year and are doing so again this year.”

“Unlike my brothers, I am not the physical type. Under the rules of this tournament, which ban the use of magic, there is no way for me to win.”

Ronove, who was emceeing, and Kilto Gaun, whose job was to break the plays down for the audience, exchanged lively conversation from the commentator’s box, filling the empty air while waiting for the contestants of the fourth match to make their way to the stage.

“Going by that logic, won’t Kelvin-sama have a tough time in the next match? He may be a Rank S adventurer, but his fighting style is based on magic, isn’t it?”

“That’s why I’ve really been looking forward to this one, as a fellow adherent to the path of magic. Oh? It looks like one of the contestants has appeared.”

Kilto’s comment prompted Ronove to look towards the contestant entrances. Roman, senior instructor of Wild Beast Style, had stepped out from the western side.

“Well, will ya look at that. That’s one blinding sun today,” he murmured, making his way onto the stage, the katana propped on his shoulder.

“Looks like the first contestant to make it on stage is Roman-sama! The weapon in his hand is, of course, the katana! Will he be showing us the overwhelming speed that helped him breeze through the preliminaries once again?!”

As the atmosphere started to liven up, Kelvin also appeared, this time from the eastern entrance. Just like Roman, he was wearing a light outfit. It was black like his usual robe, but the different design made for a nice change. What drew the eye most, however, was not his armor, but the weapon in his hands.

“Th-That’s...”

“It’s a sword! Kelvin-sama intends on facing the senior instructor of Wild Beast Style with a sword! Wasn’t he supposed to be a Summoner?!”

In response to the jab blaring over the speakers, Kelvin muttered to himself, “Summoners can use swords too!”

What he had selected was a normal longsword. The public’s impression of him had always been that of a Green Mage, and it was only recently that this had been replaced with the image of a Summoner. Not once had there been any mention of him using a sword, and the unexpected development sent the fever pitch in the arena up another degree.

The circular coliseum had a stage in the middle surrounded by concentric rings of ever-higher seats. There was a ring of lawn between the stage and the first row that was accessible only to the contestants and tournament personnel.

“Kelvin! One hit! Finish him in one hit!”

“Good luck, Kel-nii!”

This area also served as exclusive seating where contestants could watch each other’s fights from up close. Sera and Rion were currently taking advantage of this opportunity and cheering Kelvin on from behind his corner. However, each round of their cheers was upping the intensity of the jealous glares on Kelvin. He couldn’t very well tell them to stop, so he merely suffered the uncomfortable attention in silence, smiling wryly.

“Those two are Empress and Black Meteor! Despite also being contestants themselves, it looks like they are serving as Kelvin’s seconds. Look at him being flanked by beauties! Even I’m jealous, and I’m a woman! Kelvin-sama is currently being bathed in the furious stares of all the men in the stands!”

“I do concede that Rion-chan is cute. She’s not quite on Goma’s level, but I think she makes a great little sister.”

“Uh, I didn’t ask, Kilto-sama.”

As Ronove attempted to stop Kilto from derailing the conversation to the topic of little sisters, Roman and Kelvin approached each other on stage.

“Pretty ardent support you got. It’s like night and day compared to the sausage fest in my corner,” Roman commented, jerking a thumb at the dimly lit entrance he had emerged from, where five beastkin men were looking on with fierce glints in their eyes. Companions of a contestant were allowed to accompany him or her on the way to the stage but not allowed onto the lawn itself. Consequently, his disciples had decided to watch from the back as a compromise.

“You have some pretty good companions of your own. Those are eyes that fully believe in your victory.”

“Oh? You can tell?”

“Of course. My own companions have the same eyes, after all.”

“Touché.”

During the somewhat cliché exchange, a small part of Kelvin was checking out Roman’s head. Ah, he’s wearing a topknot.

“So, young man, do you actually know how to use a sword?”

“Wha—? Oh, well, you can say that. I might not look like it, but yep, I’m pretty confident in my sword hand.” Kelvin gave the blade he was gripping a few practice swings.

“Hmph, looks like today’s my lucky day. I actually feel somewhat sorry for you, having to serve as a foil for my school’s sword style.”

“Hey, I like that confidence. Well, let’s have a good match.”

Roman’s self-assured grin cut a sharp contrast to Kelvin’s calm smile. The two turned and assumed their respective starting positions.

“Both contestants are in place, so let’s get this show on the road! Are you both ready?!”

The two men nodded in response.

“In that case, here goes. Ready... Fight!”

Boom!

The instant the match began, Roman shot towards Kelvin. His sword was still in its scabbard, but that was intentional. This was the stance where he was strongest, as his was a quick-draw style. When he saw how Kelvin still had his sword in the middle guard and wasn’t moving, Roman became sure of his victory.

Take this, Rank S adventurer! Taste the true strength of Wild Beast Style!

In the same motion, Roman drew his sword and slashed at Kelvin’s flank. Only a handful of those present in the coliseum had managed to keep up with what had happened up to that point. The number who could predict what would happen next was even more limited.

“Yahhh!”

After swinging his sword, it was Roman himself who hit the ground. Because he had made the impact with his head, the whites of his eyes were showing and his limp body was twitching. The tumult of noise in the arena died abruptly.

Roman’s sword had snapped off right above the guard, the clatter of the blade hitting the ground next to him ringing out loud and clear in the unnatural silence. It appeared to have done no damage whatsoever to Kelvin.

“Hmm, not bad as a start. I’m in pretty good condition,” Kelvin noted to himself as he sheathed his sword and walked off the stage.

The referee finally came to his senses and rushed forward. After checking on Roman, he announced, “He’s unconscious. Bring the stretcher!”

“Master!” the disciples cried, trying to dash out from the passage but finding their way blocked by Gaunian guards.

Ronove took a deep breath to fill her lungs with air, then shouted, “The fourth match of Block A goes. To. ‘GRIM REAPER’ KELVINNNNN!”

Applause thundered, but the large majority of the spectators had no idea what had just happened. Even the men who had been glaring at Kelvin with hostility were left speechless. Everyone was waiting for an explanation from Kilto.

Ronove continued, “Everyone, did you catch what just happened? No? Neither did I! However, we can’t very well just go, ‘That was sick!’ and move on, can we? Kilto-sama, please explain it to the rest of us!”

“I...have no idea either. I was able to follow up to where Roman drew his sword, but what Kelvin did next was so fast that my eyes could not pick it up at all. What on earth did he do?”

“In other words...‘That was sick!’ is all we have after all?”

“No, no, give me a second! This stage is outfitted with a magic item I developed that takes footage of what happens onstage! If I replay that footage slowly...”

Kilto desperately tried to redeem himself, deathly afraid of what his father would do or say to him otherwise. At the same time, Kelvin was being welcomed back by his companions.

“Congratulations on getting through your first round, Kel-nii!” Rion exclaimed, diving into his arms. He caught her gently and enveloped her in a bear hug.

“Not too shabby,” Sera chimed in. “Though I do kind of feel your opponent wasn’t strong enough to even help you get warmed up.”

“All I did was grab his sword and drop him to the floor. I didn’t even get to use my own. Well, I guess that’s about as much as I can expect from someone with Sword Mastery at Rank B. Setsuna’s quick draw was much faster than his.”

“Oh right, that black-haired girl. Yeah, you’re right.”

“Hm? Who’s Setsuna?”

“Oh, right, you never actually got to meet her. She’s one of the Heroes that Colette summoned...”

The crowd looked on, still thoroughly bewildered, as Kelvin and his companions disappeared into the eastern entrance, chatting nonchalantly.

◇ ◇ ◇

The first-round matches continued at a brisk pace, and soon it was time for Sera’s match with Guin in Block C. Up on stage, Sera was standing in her characteristic pose with her legs spread and arms crossed, wearing the same black outfit I had chosen. Facing her was Guin, who was wearing light armor and already in a battle-ready stance.

“Ready... Fight!”

As soon as Ronove’s voice rang out, Guin burst into action. He seemed filled with motivation, a somewhat surprising departure from his usual self, as he charged forward with all he had, his right arm outstretched.

“I’M BETTING EVERYTHING O— Peh!”

“Hm? Oh well. Yah!”

However, Guin’s hand was deflected and his face slammed into an invisible wall with all the force of his own charge. What he had crashed into was Sera’s blessing. At this point, he had probably already lost consciousness. Luckily for him, Sera did not seem to have realized that her blessing had activated. What she did see, however, was Guin suddenly becoming wide open, so she threw an appropriately powerful attack at him.

“ARG—!”

Sera had held back, but even so, the punch was significantly more explosive than the ones that Goma threw. The vicious slam to his face woke Guin up from unconsciousness before sending him back to the darkness once again, all in a fraction of a second. His limp body bounced a few times on stage, then on the lawn before ultimately crashing into the wall underneath the first row of spectator seats.

I facepalmed. “What was he even doing?” Sera’s blessing only activates when someone is trying to touch her with inappropriate intentions. What is Guin even thinking in the middle of a fight?

“Let’s just be glad Sera-nee doesn’t seem to have noticed.”

“I guess you can say he was saved by how fast he lost that one. If Sera had caught on, being wrung half to death would probably have been the bare minimum of what she’d have done to him.”

Rion and I had been able to recognize what had happened because we were watching from the outside. Sera, however, had probably only seen Guin stop for a split second before leaving himself wide open. According to her, the blessing did not notify her when it activated. Staring at the hole in the wall where he was buried, both Rion and I couldn’t help but think how lucky he had gotten.

“First match of Block C! Winner: ‘Empress’ Sera!” Ronove announced.

“Piece of cake!” Sera replied with a smug smile, none the wiser.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Welcome back, Master. Are you tired?”

“Not in the slightest.”

I accepted the towel that Efil was holding out and wiped off what little sweat was on me. After finishing our respective matches, Rion, Sera, Dahak, and I had headed upstairs to hang out in the VIP viewing box. It was the better choice when compared with the contestant waiting room. It commanded a good view of the stage and gave us a change of pace by allowing us to hang out with the rest of the group. Watching from the lawn next to the stage was good and all, but the very pointed stares the men in the stands were shooting my way were making it hard for me to focus on the matches I was watching.

Oh yes, nothing beats a properly cooled room on a hot day.

“I’d expected it to some degree, but I’m still kind of in shock after seeing all four of you knock your opponents out in the blink of an eye right off the bat. I couldn’t be prouder as a friend, but as a guild staff member, I’m just feeling chills.”

True to Ange’s observation, Rion and Dahak had also KO’d their opponents in no time. And because we were all wearing matching black outfits, Ronove had had a field day making jokes about us. As for our weapons, Rion had selected dual swords, Sera had gone with knuckle-dusters, and Dahak a giant hammer. The first two made sense to me, but I was quite surprised by the last one. According to Dahak, he had gotten used to wielding it after doing construction. I wasn’t sure how to feel about a dragon using a giant hammer as a weapon, but he managed to use it just fine even without possessing the skill for it, so there wasn’t really anything for me to say. Then again, all of my companions’ round one opponents were, at best, as strong as the Wild Beast Style guy, so it was only a matter of course that their matches were over in a split second.

“Well, none of our opponents were anyone major.” I shrugged. “Better luck for round two, right?”

Ange smiled wryly. “Wild Beast Style is actually a pretty prominent sword school in Gaun, if you didn’t know.”

“Forget those people, dear brother,” Shutola cut in. “Grandpa and I finished that list of contestants to watch out for. Do you want it now?”

“Oh? You’re already done?”

“There is no one we cannot see through with Shutola’s wealth of knowledge and my discerning eye, my king. We have indeed confirmed the most powerful participants of each block.”

Before those of us who would be participating went off to the waiting rooms, I had asked Shutola and Gerard to observe the other contestants. I had put thought into it before choosing them, and as it turned out, they were indeed the right people for the job. Rosalia and Huba were here as Shutola’s guards, so they had to keep their attention on her surroundings at all times. I knew better than to expect Melfina to stay focused on one thing, especially when there was food being served. Efil was indeed well-suited to the task, but Gerard was much more familiar with close-quarters physical combat than she was. The clincher was that Gerard would always put forward more than a hundred percent whenever he got involved with any of his “step-grandchildren.” And just as expected, he was extremely fired up at the moment.

Shutola pushed up imaginary glasses. “First is Block A. Besides you, there were only two other people who finished their matches instantaneously.”

“The first was Jereol Gaun,” Gerard added. “The guy who served as referee for Ruka’s match with the Gaunian soldiers. His skill with the fist was quite impressive. As for the second person...”

For some reason, Gerard’s words faltered. I lifted an eyebrow questioningly.

“If grandpa won’t say it, then I will. The second person was Grostina Brujowana. He is a noble from the Western Continent and a fellow disciple of the same school that ‘Peach Ogre’ Goldiana Prettiana belongs to.”

“It was, um, the man we saw before the start of the tournament, my king.”

“Ahhh, that gentleman-like person.”

I look forward to meeting him on stage...although as a man, there is a part of me that’s feeling somewhat apprehensive.

“Argh, so he’s not in my block! Brother, please pound him to mincemeat for me!”

“Sorry it didn’t work out, Dahak. I’ll do my best, if I do end up meeting him in a later round.”

“And that’s it for the people who passed the standard you set, dear brother. Right, Ruka-chan?”

“Yep! Both of those people were stronger than me!”

In case it isn’t clear, the standard I had given Shutola and Gerard was: people stronger than Ruka.

“Next is Block B, Rion-chan’s block!” Shutola continued. “The strongest person was the Beast King, King Leonhart Gaun. Not surprising, right?”

“It did surprise me when he showed up and fought with the appearance of a woman,” Gerard added.

I smiled wryly. “So he really did keep the look.”

The person who had given the opening speech of the Beast King Festival was a woman I did not recognize. Judging from the awkward look on Jereol’s face (he had been standing right next to her), I could largely deduce what was going on there.

Gerard nodded. “And the only other noteworthy contestants were Prince Yujil and Sabato.”

“There were a few people about as strong as Ruka-chan, but almost all of them were nameless swordsmen,” Shutola concluded. “The only one really worth mentioning is Sabato, whom Rion-chan will be facing in round two.”

“Oh, it’s Sabato next? Rion, he’s really tough, so feel free to hit him harder than you did Gonzales-san.”

I mean, Gonzales went flying from the air pressure of Rion’s sword swing alone. I’m sure Sabato can take more than that.

“Okay!” Rion replied brightly.

After a brief pause, Gerard cleared his throat. “Now, Block C. My king, a dark horse has appeared.”

“What do you mean?”

“To be more exact, she’s the only one worth watching out for in Block C. Sera, lass, make sure you don’t let your guard down against this opponent.”

“She’s that strong?”

“She’s a cute, young girl with red hair who is about as tall as Rion. Just as you did, my king, she finished her match in a split second. She might even be as powerful as the Beast King and Goldiana-dono.”

“Even I have never heard of her before,” Shutola added. “It’s almost strange how obscure she is despite being so strong.”

A girl Shutola doesn’t know of who makes even Gerard wary? Who on earth can she be?

Rion raised her hand. “Um, I think I might have met someone who fits that description.”

I looked at her curiously. “Where?”

“It was our first night in Gaun, if I remember right. Hak-chan, do you remember the girl you bumped into in front of our inn?”

“Huh? Me? Uh...” Dahak looked surprised at suddenly becoming the topic of the conversation, then started. “Oh, right! That impertinent little brat!”

Rion proceeded to explain how, while I was in the middle of disentangling myself from a drunken Sera, Dahak had gotten into a spat with the red-haired girl in question and that the entire incident had been his fault.

I shot him a look. “Dude...”

“I’m so sorry, brother! I apologize for throwing dirt on our family’s name!”

“Our family’s name...as in the yakuza sense? Seriously, where do you learn all these weird mannerisms? Okay, okay, stop prostrating. Getting back to the topic... If even Rion thinks she’s strong, it must mean she’s the real deal.”

“It was, like, she was really on edge. If I hadn’t stepped in, Hak-chan might have seriously gotten hurt.”

“What?!” Dahak’s startled brow shot up.

The situation last time was resolved peacefully thanks to Rion being there to defuse it, but Dahak’s readiness to get into fights is a problem. I wonder whom he takes after.

Having listened to the whole discussion, Sera said, “Well, now I have something to look forward to. So, what’s that girl’s name?”

“The announcer lady called her Bahl,” Shutola replied before turning to Ruka and asking with a cute head tilt, “Pretty uncommon name for a girl, right?”

Ruka also tilted her head cutely and replied, “I know, right?”

The sight of the two of them backchanneling each other caused Gerard to melt into a puddle of goo.

Well, sounds like we have someone new to keep an eye out for. According to the brackets, that girl and Sera will be fighting each other in the finals. Looks like things are gonna get thrilling!