Chapter 4: Wall

The Beast King Festival was a tournament for those who possessed true strength—the ultimate celebration of and for warriors from all over the world. The sixty-four participants who filled the participation slots were all masters and experts in their own fields, with every last one being among those the general public would call “monsters” with both reverence and fearful awe. Anyone who managed to make it through the first round alone would be welcomed by any country with open arms.

However, those “monsters” who survived the first halving of their numbers and reached the second round would find themselves hitting a wall. As such, round two of the Beast King Festival had a colloquial nickname: the Wall. It was said that all members of the Gaunian family who could not surpass this hurdle could never make it to Beast King. Ultimately, this was a distinction that only sixteen people could claim each year—that was how difficult it was to surpass the Wall. However, as with all things, exceptions sometimes occurred.

Kelvin’s opponent for round two was Dishu, an elf famous as a wandering master of the bow. During his first round, he had managed to use his mobility and proficiency with his weapon to lead his opponent by the nose. He had more than proved he was a true veteran fully qualified to stand on the stage of this tournament.

“Hup.”

“OOF...”

However, there was no point to his mobility if his opponent was faster than him. Similarly, there was no way for him to attack if he didn’t have time to nock his bow. To put it simply, he had just gotten unlucky with the matching process this time.

“Round two of Block A ends with another instant KO! ‘Grim Reaper’ Kelvin clinches his second win!”

The venue erupted into cheers in response to Ronove’s declaration of victory. There was now a magic item designed by Kilto floating in the air above the stage, currently displaying slowed-down footage of what had just happened in the match between Kelvin and Dishu. If Kilto did not think he would be able to properly explain the coming match, he would set the item up so that it could replay footage of what had happened after it was over. This was a measure he had come up with out of fear of his father, but since seeing what happened was much easier to understand than listening to a verbal description anyway, the audience had taken quite a liking to it.

“It looks like Dishu-sama backstepped as fast as he could in an attempt to distance himself from Kelvin-sama when the match began.”

“His sense of balance must be incredible in order to actually bring his bow to bear in such an unstable pose. However, Kelvin-sama closed the distance before Dishu’s feet even touched the ground and drove his sword pommel into his abdomen. At this point in time, who can even believe that he’s a Summoner?”

“I guess Rank S adventurers just have monstrous baseline stats. Kelvin-sama still hasn’t used his weapon like a proper sword to date! Let’s keep our fingers crossed for his next fight! Well then, next is round two, match three of Block A—”

◇ ◇ ◇

The next match relevant to Kelvin and his party was Rion and Sabato’s in Block B. After being called by Ronove, these two came up to the stage and stood around as they waited for the starting signal. Regardless of the fact that they were indeed acquainted, Sabato found himself truly facing what could only be called a wall.

“Hm?”

“Why’re you looking up at the sky, Rion?”

“I kinda feel like someone just said something really rude about me.”

“What’s that all about?”

“Even I have no idea...”

“I-I see...”

The two lapsed into an awkward silence that lasted until Sabato said, “So, um, it’s true that there’s all that stuff about my Naming Ceremony after the tournament, but I hope you don’t let it bother you. Please fight me with all you have regardless. That’s what I’m here for, after all!”

“All I have? Are you sure?”

“As sure as I’ll ever be! I’ll take everything you dish out!”

“Ha ha ha, you’re quite similar to Kel-nii, Sabato-san.”

“Huh? How so? Kelvin’s body is so skinny, and he doesn’t have luscious fur like me.”

“Nah, I didn’t mean appearance-wise. But okay, I’ll take you up on your offer and fight with my full strength!”

Rion and Sabato moved to their starting positions and drew their swords. Both Kilto, who was still busy preparing his playback magic item, and Ronove noticed what was going on onstage.

“No, hold on, please give me a moment! I’m still recharging the playback machine with MP—”

“What do we have here?! Both sides are all fired up and ready to rumble! This is surely the best moment to kick this match off! And so, without further ado! Both contestants, ready... FIGHT!”

Seeing that it was the perfect time to do so, Ronove rang the gong that started the match, throwing all of Kilto’s protests to the wind. And so began this fight between friends.

She’s coming from my left!

Right off the bat, Rion disappeared in a thunderous boom and a flash of lightning. However, Sabato had managed, by tapping into all his detection skills and bestial instincts, to successfully catch a fragment of the afterimage she left behind. The Lesser Bracelet—which could only be used by beastkin—that he was wearing served to make his senses even sharper and more perceptive.

“You’re right there!”

The piercing screech of metal clashing with metal rang out. Sabato’s sword had indeed hit something, but Rion’s figure was nowhere in sight.

She’s gone again! Where’d she go?!

Despite the cute black-clad girl not being in sight, Sabato still found his sword blocked by something in midair. However, although he could not see it, his heightened senses told him that whatever it was, it was very dangerous. In fact, he could tell that the entire area of the stage around him was filled with something that was causing every fiber of his body to scream, “You’re in danger! RUN!”

“Prison of Slashes.”

When Rion reappeared, she was high up in the sky, barely within the boundary set by the barrier surrounding the stage. However, what Sabato really had to worry about was the countless number of blades hanging all around him, frozen in place. He could not visually confirm it, but he was indeed locked inside a prison, with the bars being casts of Residual Slice.

“Close.”

With that single word, all the frozen slices began moving. What’s worse, these were not normal slices, but ones imbued with Agito, which Rion had learned from Gerard. In other words, almost every inch of air surrounding Sabato had suddenly bared fangs at him.

“Ha ha ha...HA HA HA! FINE, I’LL TAKE IT ALL ON! The path to being Beast King sure isn’t easy!”

Sabato grinned from ear to ear as he charged straight into the typhoon of attacks.

◇ ◇ ◇

“As expected, Rion won that one handily,” I commented, looking down at the stage from my viewing box while listening to Ronove’s declaration. Rion was energetically waving our way, her face beaming, as Sabato lay in a puddle of his own blood next to her. “Rion is really just too kind.”

“She is. The Agitos she set up were very shallow,” Mel agreed before taking another bite of yet another snack.

“Admittedly, her kindness is one of her strengths. Oh, hey, can I try some of what you’re eating?”

“Of course. Here you go.” Mel speared a piece with a fork and offered it to me. “It’s really good.”

I ate the whole morsel in one bite. “Wow, this is good!”

Still, I think Sabato deserves some commendation for evading two whole rounds of Prison of Slashes, even if it was a more forgiving version. That attack’s actually pretty troublesome to deal with, as you can’t see the slices and they remain imbued with the characteristics of the sword they were made with.

“Kilto-sama, blood suddenly spurted out from all over Sabato-sama’s body. What just happened?”

“I have no idea. Rion-sama was moving way too fast for me to see. Why was she so high up anyway?”

“So, it’s the usual. In that case, Kilto-sama, please show the footage using your magic item—”

“I TOLD you that it was charging! I couldn’t use it during the match just now, so there is no footage to show!”

“Whaaat?!”

The spectators in the stands booed loudly.

Well then, next are the round two matches in Block C. Let’s see what this red-haired girl can do.

◇ ◇ ◇

The other matches of Block B went by in a blur, and it was now Block C’s turn. There were two matches that I was looking out for: Sera’s and that of the red-haired girl that Shutola and Gerard had pointed out. Both of them had knocked out their respective opponents in round one in the blink of an eye, clearly proving they were a cut above the other contestants. When Sera’s match came—hers was first because her number was lower—she demonstrated that round two, so dreaded as “the wall,” was no obstacle to her performing as usual.

“The match is over! It was a shutout victory for Empress!”

Her opponent was a Gaunian soldier who had exuded the fierce aura of a true veteran. However, a single punch later, he was buried in the far wall as deeply as Guin had been, giving me a strong sense of déjà vu.

“Totally easy!” Sera sharply pointed at me in my watching box, a “How was that?!” look on her face. That was the expression she made when she wanted to be praised.

Ah, did she get a little jealous seeing how much I doted on Rion for winning?

“What are we seeing?! Is this a declaration of war from Sera-sama?! She’s pointing directly at Kelvin-sama! Everyone in his party has won every single one of their fights so far! Is Sera-sama declaring that the only opponents worth facing are her own companions?! This is an expression of absolute confidence!”

“Huh?! Uh, no, that’s not, wait—”

Sera flew into a fluster at Ronove’s mistaken interpretation. I can see how someone who isn’t familiar with her might get that impression, though.

“My king, did we just gain a whole lot of enemies from that remark?”

“Leave it. No one who would turn hostile towards us from something like that is worth bothering with. I can’t speak for Leonhart or Red Hair, but Prettia definitely understood Sera correctly. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. What does is Red Hair’s match, which should be coming up soon. Her number—”

“Third match in round two of Block C,” Ange offered, reading aloud from a pamphlet of the tournament. “It’s the match after the next one.”

“Ah, midway through Block C, then. Looks like there’s still some time. In that case, I’ll go pick Sera up now.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“I sure hope Kelvin’s not angry at me...”

Sera plodded along, her shoulders drooping dejectedly from her failure to clear up the huge misunderstanding that had come from her tiny gesture. Her current figure cut a stark contrast to how proud and victorious she had looked right after the match. Afterwards, she had tried to let Ronove know that she had misinterpreted things, but the next match had started and the matter simply got swept aside.

“Who’d you say is angry?”

“WHOA?!”

“Uh, you don’t have to be that surprised...” Kelvin smiled wryly as he appeared from around the corner. “Congratulations on getting through round two. I mean, it’s not like you would have lost against someone like that, but still.”

“Th-Thank you...”

“Oh, and...”

Sera reflexively pinched her eyes shut as she saw Kelvin reaching out with his hand. She thought she would be getting reprimanded for what had just happened, but the sensation that she felt was that of her head being patted gently.

“Huh?”

“The way we’re shooting through the rounds is drawing quite a lot of attention, just as we wanted. At this rate, all the super rare and challenging quests will soon be ours! Hm? What? Why do you look so shocked?”

“I mean, huh? But I... Huh?!”

Sera’s confusion showed no sign of abating. She had expected thunder to fall on her head but was met instead with the reward she had wanted so much.

“Ha ha, did you seriously think I’d be mad at you?”

Sera nearly blurted out, “How did you know that?!” but barely managed to bite the words back. She quickly corrected her posture and adopted her characteristic pose.

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about! Me winning is a given! Forget that—all you should be doing right now is focusing on patting my head! Put more emotion into it!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

In a complete one-eighty, Sera was now proudly demanding what she felt she deserved. Kelvin decided to read the atmosphere—and honestly, it wasn’t as if he didn’t already want to do it—and tenderly ran his fingers through her luscious and slightly sweaty hair. The soothing moment provided both of them with respite and breathing space. However, it also invited inattentiveness.

“Can you not flirt with each other in the middle of the road? Get out of my way.”

Both Kelvin and Sera flew into battle readiness, backing off a few steps to take some distance. Their heartbeats had shot up all of a sudden and cold sweat soaked their backs. They were not flustered from having been caught flirting. No, this reaction was because the flash of killing intent emitted by the red-haired girl before their eyes had set off every warning bell inside their heads.

Sera, is this the girl everyone was talking about?

::Yep, she’s Red Hair. Or, I guess, Bahl.::

Kelvin and Sera took a better look at Bahl. As described, she was quite similar in both height and age to Rion. Her fiery-red hair was tied up in a side ponytail, and she was wearing tournament-issued short pants—probably for ease of movement—and greaves designed for use in attack. They were weapons specialized for close-quarters combat focusing on leg techniques.

“What, is it custom among adventurers to stare at people’s faces?” the girl asked, her almond eyes narrowing. “That’s a pretty rude custom, if you ask me.”

“Ah, sorry. We’re just surprised about being talked to all of a sudden.”

“Hmph, what an exaggerated reaction. Well, are you gonna get outta the way?”

“Of course. Sera.”

“Mh-hm.”

The young girl passed them with a sour face. She seemed entirely uninterested in addressing them, indicating that her business there was done. Only after she turned the corner and disappeared from sight did Kelvin and Sera finally relax.

“She’s...much more of a force to be reckoned with than I thought,” Kelvin murmured. “Sera, that girl is definitely going to climb up through the tournament.”

“I imagine so. Rion was right—Dahak is no match for her. So, what was her Status like? You used Analyze Eye on her, right?”

Kelvin quietly shook his head. “It didn’t work.”

“Are you serious?!”

“Completely. Her Status is hidden with Rank S Concealment, and I can’t even tell if it’s her own skill or someone close to her.”

This was the first time Kelvin had met someone whose Status he could not see using Analyze Eye—with the exception of the Beast King, of course, who used an item that could obfuscate his numbers.

“Well, that just makes it even more interesting! I can’t wait to fight her!”

“Yep, it’s a good omen. Hmm...there is one other thing that’s bugging me.”

“What is it?”

“Somehow, I feel like she seemed quite similar to you. Not only her hair color and style, but also her eyes, for example.”

Kelvin also thought, Of course, her chest size is completely different, but decided to keep it to himself for the sake of the demon’s honor.

“You think so? I don’t really see it myself... WAIT! Kelvin, don’t tell me you plan on laying your hands on her?!” Sera slowly raised a fist.

“That’s not it! I won’t, I swear! Have you noticed how your reactions are being influenced by Goma lately?! I’m nowhere near as tough as Sabato is! A serious punch from you is no joke!” Kelvin was vehement in his denial, as he understood that his life was on the line. “What I wanted to say is...do you have a little sister?”

“No, I don’t. Or if I do, I’ve never met her—I grew up in a big mansion all by myself. And it was centuries ago. I never heard of father having concubines either.”

“Oh wow, I didn’t expect you to be so forthcoming with the details.”

“It’s not like it helps me to hide any of it, right? My father and mother were very close! Hitting Viktor was one thing, but my father would never, ever raise his hand against my mother!”

Gustav was a king who had both heavily doted on his daughter and greatly treasured his wife. And somehow, in the middle of all that, Viktor would get hit as collateral damage. Kelvin found himself feeling somewhat sorry for the late demon general.

“Well, I’m just saying that’s the impression I got.” Kelvin shrugged. “She didn’t have wings or horns that I could see.”

“More importantly, the fact that she passed through here means her match is soon.”

“Ah, you’re right. Let’s return to our viewing box quickly.”

The pair quickly headed for the VIP room where their companions were waiting. To no one’s surprise, Bahl won her match handily. Just as Kelvin and Sera did, she finished her opponent within a split second, completely shutting him out. Due to this, her true strength remained a complete mystery.

◇ ◇ ◇

The matches in round two had largely finished. With fewer than half of the original sixty-four contestants remaining, the temperature was rising higher still. It was now the second match in Block D, and Goldiana Prettiana and Goma were facing each other on stage.

“YAH!”

“Hmph!”

Goma drove another full-powered punch into Goldiana’s abdomen, but his abs of steel did not budge an inch. Goma’s fist, however, was gradually getting more and more beaten up.

Ugh, he’s taking all of my attacks head-on without even trying to dodge. He looks entirely unhurt while my fist is about to reach its limit. So, this is what a Rank S adventurer is like.

Goma backed off to get her thoughts in order, hiding her blood-soaked hand. She was wearing Ogress’s Necklace, an accessory she had purchased with the money earned from quests she had completed as an adventurer. This was an item that could be activated to buff her Strength stat, but its effects had run out long ago. Then again, even when it had been in effect, she had not been able to so much as scratch Goldiana.

“Goma, the eyes! Aim for the eyes!”

“Kilto-sama, as commentators, we’re not supposed to show favoritism! And your advice is really underhanded too!”

Indeed, the venue was growing so heated that a fight seemed about to break out even inside the commentator’s box.

“Well then...Goma-chan, you already understand the difference in strength between us, don’t you? Can I convince you to just give up and throw in the towel? I don’t like raising my hand against young maidens.”

“Is that why you haven’t attacked me even once?”

“That’s right. You have a pretty face, Goma-chan, and I don’t want to leave a wound on it. That fist of yours is almost done, isn’t it?” Goldiana winked at where Goma was hiding her fist.

“You noticed. Well, I might be a woman, but I am a Gaunian too. I’m not going to give up just because I know I can’t win! RAAAHHHH!”

Goma sped towards Goldiana in zigzagging movements, going so fast that Kilto could barely keep up with his eyes. She seemed to want to decide the fight with one last attack.

Looks like that really is all the speed she can muster, Goldiana thought. It’s a fine line between courage and foolishness, Goma-chan. But I do like people who stubbornly stick to their beliefs!

The moment Goma kicked off, for the first time in the match, Goldiana shifted from standing upright to assuming a fighting stance. He pulled back an arm with his index finger—which was thicker than most women’s wrists—extended.

“In that case, have this parting gift from me, Goma-chan. Bee Stylet!”

His huge arm was unleashed so fast that space almost seemed to warp around it. The extended finger was pointed directly at Goma, who was still in the middle of running towards him. However, she was far away and not in range yet, no matter how much reach Goldiana’s arm had.

Goldiana-san misjudged the distance? Or was it just a feint? No, this is—

Goma felt something rushing at her. The instant she registered it, she was violently blown back. When she landed on the lawn, she was unhurt, but she also was unconscious. The referee made his way over and confirmed that she was out of the fight, then turned to Ronove and shook his head.

“The winner of the second match of round two, Block D, is ‘Peach Ogre’ Goldiana Prettianaaaa! Another Rank S adventurer moving on to the next round!”

“Medics! Get your asses over there right now! If anything’s happened to Goma, your heads are gonna fly!”

“Kilto-sama, you’re on air right now! Oh goddess, whose idea was it to make this person a commentator?!”

The kerfuffle in the commentator’s box was soon brought under control, and Goldiana was again declared the winner. After the huge giant finished waving at the crowd in response to the cheers, he rushed over to Goma’s side. His girly way of running was very much at odds with his appearance. To be blunt, it was just creepy.

“Mm, it looks like her face didn’t get hurt. That’s a relief. Right, honey?”

“Uh, are you talking to me?” The beastkin Goldiana had addressed looked taken aback.

Instead of answering him, Goldiana stuck a hand down his shirt, right between his full and bountiful pecs, and rummaged around a bit before pulling out a bottle filled with what looked like ointment.

“Once Goma-chan fully comes to, can you give this to her?”

“This is a salve for her wounds?”

“Oh no, silly. It’s a moisturizing cream that will do wonders for her skin. She stays out in the sun a lot, doesn’t she? And I’m just beside myself worrying about her skin. This is the best moisturizer I’ve ever come across. Tell her to contact me when she needs more. All right, I’m off!”

“Uh...” The medic stared speechlessly, holding the bottle that had been forcibly shoved into his hands, as Goldiana skipped away, whistling cheerfully.

“Hold on! He just took out a bottle of who-knows-what from his chest! That’s got to be against the rules!”

“You sure are reaching, Kilto-sama. Um, to clarify, the accessory that Goldiana-sama brought on stage was the Bra of Maidenly Secrets. It is a Rank C item with storage capabilities.”

“A b-b-bra?!”

“Taking an item out and using it during a match is not permitted, but since the match is already over, there is no problem here. I mean, we can’t very well specify what underwear contestants choose. But I’m as surprised as you are that such an item exists. It doesn’t contribute anything to his ability to fight, but according to Goldiana-sama, it is his ‘lucky underwear,’ something that he would wear for special occa—”

“R-Ronove-san, I’m sorry, I feel a little sick right now. Please change the topic...”

After this match, there were quite a few male spectators who also rushed to the toilet with their hands clapped over their mouths.

◇ ◇ ◇

The last match in Block D’s round two was between Dahak and Akgas. They were both quite tall—not a match for Goldiana, of course—and were equipped with the largest weapons issued by the tournament organizers: a hammer and an ax, respectively. Them facing off against each other made for a rather impactful scene.

“I’m so touched. So she really was an angel after all...”

At least, the composition of the scene was impactful. For some reason, though, Dahak was pressing a hand to his eyes. Not his mouth, but his eyes.

“Uh, you okay there? Are you feeling sick?”

Dahak was so obviously out of it that even his opponent was worrying about him.

“I’m fine. I’m totally fine. I’m just so touched right now by the scene of that gentle and beautiful goddess caring for her fallen friend.”

“I...see. Uh, good for you, I guess.”

“I’m sorry I made you worry. I’m totally fine now. Let’s do this, Akgas.”

“Hah, I’ll take your word for it. Now that Sabato-sama, Goma-sama, and Guin have all been defeated, losing is not an option for me. I’ll be collecting on that debt from the Grand Scarlet Canyon, Boga!”

“Boga’s the rock dragon! I’m Dahak! The black dragon!”

Dahak smashed the stage with his large hammer a few times. Of course, Akgas’s mistake had been intentional. It was his strategy to provoke his opponent, and it was working.

“Looks to me like the two contestants are just raring to go! Are we ready to kick things off, Kilto-sama?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure, why not.”

“Kilto-sama, please don’t turn apathetic just because the contestant you were cheering for dropped out! We are on official duty here! Do you want the Beast King to scold you for not doing your job properly?”

“I just... I just can’t. Right now, the pain and sadness I’m feeling surpasses even my fear of my father! Gomaaa!”

Kilto collapsed in the commentator’s box, wailing. It even looked like he was emanating a dark aura of some sort. True to his own words, he was clearly not fit for work anymore.

“Ugh, he’s gone. Screw it! I’m moving things along at my discretion! Contestants: ready, fight!”

“You’re being pretty dismissive about it too!” Dahak growled in response to Ronove’s half-desperate starting signal. However, the match had begun.

FLASH!

“What?!”

A bright light exploded in the middle of the stage like a flash grenade, robbing both the contestants and spectators of their vision. Dahak, who was closest, bore the full brunt of it. Akgas had used a Flash Arrow, an expendable item normally applied to arrows that he had modified into an accessory. It was still a single-use object, but its effect was tremendous.

With my inferior stats, the longer the fight lasts, the more disadvantaged I’ll be. So this split second is my only window for victory!

Akgas, being the only person who had properly covered his eyes when the Flash Arrow went off, rushed up to Dahak and brought his great ax to bear. The reason he had chosen a weapon that would leave him wide open when he used it was that it enabled him to start the match with the most powerful attack he was capable of.

Eat this!

The light faded, revealing Dahak’s figure. Akgas swung his ax with every drop of strength he could muster...

“Ahpft!”

...and fell flat on his face.

“Damn, that scared me! If I didn’t have this ring sister Mel gave me, that just might have landed.”

“Huh?! You...can see?!”

Dahak was lightly rubbing his eyes but clearly hadn’t been blinded. The Goddess’s Ring made by Melfina dangling from his neck, glittering silver, granted him resistance against all status debuffs. What’s more, there were now vines wrapped around Akgas’s feet, making it impossible for him to stand back up. He struggled to break free, but the tendrils were too tough to tear apart. Now that he was lying flat on the ground, the tables had been turned.

“Well, you ready for this? Clench your teeth, ’cause you’re gonna take a little trip through the sky!”

“Noooooo, what a blunder!”

With that, the round two matches were over. With only sixteen participants left, the Beast King Festival was slowly and steadily approaching its climax.

However, when Dahak returned to the party’s viewing room, he was given a thorough dressing down by Kelvin for falling for Akgas’s provocation and surprise attack so easily. As it turned out, he was the only person in his party who had been affected by the flash.

◇ ◇ ◇

With the round two matches over, the tournament entered an intermission. It was nearing lunchtime, so the audience filed outside to fill their stomachs with food from the stalls, trading spirited speculations about who was going to win. The stage was now occupied by beastkin dancers who were passionately showcasing traditional Gaunian dancing, keeping those who remained in their seats entertained. However, even in the midst of this festive air, there was still a group that was down in the dumps.

“We’re so screwed.”

“This is very bad.”

“We’re done for.”

“What a blunder.”

Sabato and his companions—all of whom were now out of the competition as of round two—had gathered in the waiting room that had been assigned to Sabato. Here, the mood was akin to that of a funeral. Their positions were all different—one was sitting with their head hanging and hands covering their face, one was sitting with their back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling, and one was lying facedown on the floor—but they all looked equally lifeless.

“I mean, dropping out in round two is just... Oh goddess...”

“What are you saying, Sabato-sama? I got kicked out in round one! I got all that hype drummed up about me being the top hundred-man commander, and for what?”

“Do you think father would consider the extenuating circumstances?”

“Ga ha ha ha! I wish! But considering His Majesty’s personality, I’m afraid chances are slim, Goma-sama.”

Sabato and Goma had been aiming to earn the Gaun family name in the Naming Ceremony that would be taking place once the tournament was over, but now they had a much more pressing issue on their hands.

“Taking on the Gaun name is the least of our worries. What was the point of our journey?”

“In this case, it’s more that we got unlucky, Sabato-sama. We were against, what, Rank S adventurers, one of whom was the previous champion, and companions of a Rank S adventurer. Beating them is as impossible as beating the Beast King himself.”

“At least Kelvin-san and Mel-san healed all the injuries we suffered.”

“That they did. I don’t have a single scratch on me anymore. But Goma, father isn’t gonna care about that. If only we had made it into the top sixteen...”

“There’s no point thinking about what-ifs now. Our treatment is probably going to be decided once it’s clear how far our brothers and father will make it. Ugh, I feel depressed just thinking about it.”

Being able to participate in round two of the Beast King Festival was, in general, an enormous honor. The way the Beast King saw it, however, this was barely an achievement, and naturally he expected more from his children. Sabato and Goma shivered just imagining what punishments he had in store for them.

Sabato suddenly leaped up and shouted, “SCREW THIS! Guys, our situation isn’t gonna improve by us looking down and feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s for moments like these that alcohol exists! Let’s drink this mood away!”

“Now that’s an idea I can get behind!” Akgas cheered.

“What’s with you two all of a sudden?” Goma directed a somewhat disapproving look at her companions. “You do realize it’s still early in the day, right?”

Guin chuckled morbidly. “So, we’re going to our last supper, huh?”

“Don’t worry about the small stuff, Goma! This is us changing gears! No matter what we do, father’s thunder is going to fall on us. So we might as well restore our spirits before it comes! Hey, Guin, let’s hit up a ‘special place’ afterwards too!”

“Sabato-sama, I have a great recommendation!” Guin cried, suddenly filled with energy again. The promise of immediate eros had instantly overwritten the promise of eventual terror in his mind.

Goma sighed. “At the very least, please don’t go overboard. Remember that we still are members of royalty.”

Cheer returned to the waiting room as the four started discussing what to do next. Unbeknownst to them, a woman with the appearance of Risa, Jereol’s wife, was currently standing with an ear pressed to the wall between the two rooms.

Hmm, I’d expected them to feel down for a while longer. Looks like their mental fortitude has indeed grown a bit. I had ideas in case they continued sulking, but I guess they’re off the hook this time.

A roar of cheering went up, coinciding with the moment Sabato and his party ended up being forgiven by the Beast King without being any the wiser.

◇ ◇ ◇

Now that the tournament was breaking for lunch, we were having a small celebratory feast in our VIP room.

“Congratulations on making it through round two, everyone!”

“Congratulations, Rion-chan, dear brother, and everyone! You all looked so cool!”

The tiny maid and princess both toasted our victories. All four of our participants had absolutely dominated the opposition so far, and it had apparently gone over well with the kids.

“Rion’s gallant figure shall be forever engraved upon my soul!”

There was also one big kid in scary-looking armor, but I didn’t let it bother me.

“Thank you for the support, Ruka, Shutola,” Sera replied. “However, it’s more that we haven’t really fought anyone significant up until now. It’s been a bit of a letdown, actually.”

“Though Dahak’s opponent did manage to catch him off guard.”

“Please spare me, brother. I’ve already reflected on myself and won’t let it happen again!”

Dahak, who had only just been freed from his punishment of sitting in seiza, was gasping for air. In fact, it looked like the session of sitting in seiza had taken a greater toll on him than the match itself. This punishment, which had originally been Ruka’s idea, was proving effective against even dragons.

“Now that there are only sixteen people left, would it not make sense to expect your next opponents to be quite skilled?”

“Efil-chan’s right. The Beast King is still in the tournament, as are his sons and Goldiana-san and his companion. Who else? Oh, right, some of those who joined by seizing a ticket are still in too. I think it’ll probably be difficult to have any more instant KOs going forward.”

“Wait, Ange. What was that about joining by seizing tickets?”

“What? You didn’t know you could do that?”

Ange gave us a full explanation of how to participate in the Beast King Festival, even exposing the unspoken rules.

“Uh, no one ever told me. If I’d known, I’d have gotten enough tickets for everyone who wanted to participate.”

“Uh, Kelvin, that would probably really trouble the organizers. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why the Beast King practically gave you those four tickets.”

Ugh, so there really are strings attached to all free meals! If I’d looked into it properly, I might have been able to allow Efil and Melfina their time on stage too!

“Honey, there’s no point beating yourself up over it. It’s not like Efil and I wanted to participate that badly anyway. In fact, I’m very happy with the current arrangement!”

While on my way up, I did walk past several chefs who had collapsed in the hallway. I cast White Magic on them by way of apology, so they should be waking up soon. There’s no doubt that Melfina’s the one who’s getting the most out of this trip. She’s enjoying herself even more than the kids are.

“I wanted to join, though...”

“No, Ruka! It’s still too early for you!”

“Don’t treat me like a child, Grandpa Gerard!”

Ange cleared her throat. “Ahem. Well, let’s leave that aside for now. So, about that red-haired girl, Bahl: she’s in the tournament because she managed to seize a ticket from someone. That’s why Gaun doesn’t know anything about her either.”

“How’d the Adventurer’s Guild find that out so quickly? Anyway, that unidentified red-haired girl has finished all her matches so far with a single kick—there’s no doubt that she’s strong. Sera, don’t you lose to her.”

“As if I would! There isn’t even a chance in a million!”

I can’t help but hear that declaration as a jinx, Sera.

“You’ll be meeting her at the Block C finals, Sera-nee. Good luck!”

“Thanks, Rion. But you’ll have your plate full too. The Beast King’s in your block.”

“Ah, speaking of the Beast King, he will be fighting Prince Yujil in round three,” Efil chimed in. “It looks like it will be a father-son fight.”

I accepted the tournament table that she was holding out to me and confirmed what she’d said. It made sense to expect Leonhart to win, but I did think it a bit of a waste.

If they’re going to crush each other, then I’d rather Rion got to fight them both instead.

“And as for you, Dahak...when you get to the finals of Block D, you’ll be meeting Prettia on stage.”

“You bet I am! Brother, this is fate. This is destiny! I’ve got to show Prettia-chan my manliness!”

And I wish you all the best. Gerard and I are both praying earnestly for things to go well between the two of you.

“And lastly, my opponent. Ah, Jereol Gaun. He’s Sabato’s eldest brother, if I remember correctly?”

“Yes, Master. He is also the one who served as referee during Ruka’s matches with the soldiers. It is said that he is the second strongest person in all of Gaun, right after the Beast King.”

“Brother, it’s finally time for you to get serious!”

“Thanks for the support, Efil, Dahak. That’s right, this is where things really start for me.”

One major reason I was participating in the Beast King Festival was to overcome one of my weaknesses: close-quarters combat. However, none of my encounters so far had made for good practice, let alone helped me to overcome anything. I had even assigned the skill points I’d gained from my Evolution to close-quarters combat, so I was itching for the opportunity to see how far my new build could take me.

“Looks like lunchtime is about over. You guys, our aim is to dominate all the top positions. Let’s meet each other on the stage in the finals!”

A resounding “YEAH!” came from all my companions.