Chapter 5: Deadly Poison

I was in the entrance of the passageway that led to the stage, waiting to be called for the first match of round three. Because having Sera and Rion with me would draw undue attention, I had asked them to stay in the VIP room.

“Have you all finished filling your bellies?! Lunchtime is now over! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for round three, where the chosen sixteen will be battling each other for the championship!”

The venue shook with cheers in response to Ronove’s broadcast. Honestly, how do the Gaunians manage to stay so fired up for so long? The spectators have been screaming at the top of their lungs for a whole half day now.

“Before we begin, however, I have an announcement. Kilto-sama, who was helping to explain the details of the matches earlier, has become unwell and collapsed, so he is not with us this afternoon. I hear the voices asking, ‘Do we really need him when we have his magic item?’ And honestly...I agree! This is why yours truly will be attempting to commentate on the rest of the tournament all by myself! No, not attempting—I will do it! I don’t need no prince with a sister complex helping me anyway!”

“Wow, she’s wound up...”

I couldn’t tell if Kilto was out of commission from the shock of Goma losing or if the Beast King had done something to him. All that was clear was that the prince had left his seat vacant. As a result, he had just gotten outed by Ronove as a siscon. As a kindred spirit, I could not help but empathize with his pain.

“Well then, that’s enough bad-mouthing from me; let’s move right on to the matches! For the first match of round three, Block A, we have the Rank S adventurer ‘Grim Reaper’ Kelvin facing off against the champion of Gaun and thousand-man commander, Jereol Gaun!”

When Jereol’s name was called, the cheering that filled the venue rose by another notch. This man, who was considered most likely to be the next Beast King, had a heart overflowing with love for his country and possessed battle prowess that was second only to that of his father. According to Ronove’s introduction, he was considered a champion by the citizens of Gaun.

I remembered Goma mentioning that he was the one who had taught her how to fight. There was no doubt that he was far more capable than Sabato was, and in fact, he was much closer to the perfect image of what Sabato was aiming to become. Jereol did not seem like someone who would resort to schemes and plots like Leonhart was wont to.

Oh, wait, this is no time for me to be thinking about that. Jereol’s already up on stage. Let’s head out.

“I’m glad to see you have been keeping well since our dinner the other day, Kelvin. I knew you’d make it this far—I’ve been looking forward to this encounter very much. Ah, in terms of adventurer ranking, I suppose I am the challenger.”

“Please, Your Highness. I have been looking forward to this just as much. Let’s have ourselves a good match, Prince Jereol.”

“Indeed! Hold nothing back. However, do stop calling me ‘prince.’ It makes me feel all stiff and formal when I hear it.”

We exchanged a handshake, then assumed our starting positions.

Huh. It’s the same impression I got during our brief time talking at the feast, but unlike most members of royalty I’ve met, Jereol seems like a stand-up guy. He’s emanating the aura of a normal person, something that’s been distinctly lacking in my surroundings recently. Him being lionized as a champion actually makes sense. I very much hope a certain prince of Trycen and the Oracle of Deramis can take a page or two from him. Look how bright his totally normal aura is! Wait, why is it blinding even me, a fellow totally normal guy?

“Without further ado, here goes the first match! Ready... Fight!”

Although Ronove had already given the starting signal, unlike my other matches so far, I did not immediately charge in. Jereol also stayed where he was, simply studying me with his gauntlet-clad hands lifted in readiness. Unsurprisingly, his stance was exactly the same as Goma’s.

“Interesting. I had expected you to come at me right off the bat.”

“That’s fine too, but good fights ought to be enjoyed to the fullest. That said, there’s no point if neither of us moves, so I’ll do the honor.”

I pushed off with my back leg and dashed forward. His eyes widened slightly upon seeing me charge in from the front, but it was clear that he had no trouble following my movements. I’m going as fast as Sabato did in round two, but I suppose that wouldn’t be enough to faze him. Well, let’s start with a little warm-up.

“Hah!”

“Ugh?!”

I unleashed a barrage of slashes with my sword, not giving him any room to breathe. However, he managed to receive, parry, and deflect everything with his gauntlets.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing, ladies and gentlemen?! Was the sizing up at the start of the match only the calm before the storm?! Kelvin-sama’s onslaught is showing no sign of letting up! As a normal person, my eyes can’t follow any of this! But Jereol-sama is parrying everything so far, so I’m sure he can. Of course, it is for times like these that we have the inheritance Kilto-sama left behind—let’s check the footage!”

We’re not going to wait for you to watch the footage in slow mode, just so you know. Hmm, judging from the feedback from my sword strikes, and seeing as Jereol is focusing solely on defending, it looks like this is about the limit of what he can handle. In that case...

“Wow, wow, wow! Look at that fierce exchange! The way Kelvin-sama’s attacks all seem to flow into each other is incredible indeed, but the way Jereol-sama is catching and deflecting them is also— Wait, what?”

Ronove’s nonstop commentary faltered when she looked back at the stage.

“What...kind of a joke is this?” Jereol growled, panting as he glared at me. “Why did you put your sword down?!”

“Kelvin-sama just stabbed his sword into the stage and let go?! Wait, he managed to stab his sword into this stage?!”

As she said, I had just let go of my sword. I was now empty-handed.

“‘Why’? I just said it, didn’t I? Good fights ought to be enjoyed for as long as possible. And aside from that, every time I try barehanded sparring with my companions, I get beaten black and blue. I’m curious to see how far I can get against people outside my party.”

“And for that, you throw away your weapon. Here, at the Beast King Festival. Where you can’t use magic. Against me, Jereol Gaun.”

“Pretty much. I picked up the Combat Technique skill recently, so I want to take it out for a spin. If I can’t beat you, I have no hope of beating your father or Prettia, right?”

I did feel a bit bad about comparing him to those two, but it was true that champion or no, he had a ways to go before reaching their level. If I really had to rank him, I’d probably put him around Azgrad’s level. Even though I couldn’t use magic, I didn’t see any chance of me losing to him. However, I did want to warm up a little in preparation for my coming matches, so my aim was to do a little sparring with this champion of Gaun.

“Hmph! I hope you don’t forget that I am a general of Gaun. I’m not going to make this easy for you.”

“It’s an honor.”

Instead of responding to my words as provocation, he touched the bracelet on his upper arm. Analyze Eye told me that it was called Agile Bestial Bracelet and had the same effect as what Sabato had worn while fighting Rion.

Jereol had clearly read between the lines of what I was saying and decided to go all out. He still had his eye on victory. He exhaled to settle himself, then shouted, “Here we go, all out!” and pounced at me with the speed and ferocity of a beast.

Now then, just how well will this Combat Technique skill from Sera—who’s definitely watching with a smug smile—measure up?

◇ ◇ ◇

“And you went and lost too. Now the only people from our side still in the competition are me and Yujil. After dropping out in round three yourself, I guess you can’t really criticize Sabato and Goma, hm?”

“I’m truly ashamed.”

The champion of Gaun looked deflated, his ears drooping from a thorough upbraiding from his wife. About half an hour after the end of the match with Kelvin, he had been summoned by his father. The bandages wrapped around his body left no doubt as to the outcome.

Kilto was already lying on the ground next to the Beast King, limp and seemingly lifeless. Jereol had instinctively sensed that the topic was a land mine and therefore decided to ignore the sight of his younger brother’s unmoving form.

“On the other hand, all four from Kelvin’s side are still going strong. This does make us, as the host country, look a little bad.”

“Father, I am still in the tournament too!” Yujil cried. Leonhart’s second son was famous for both his skill with the bow and his handsome looks. His popularity with the Gaunian citizens was second only to Jereol’s.

“That’s the spirit, my son. In that case, I suppose I shall go with the appearance of your first love for our match. I have every faith that you’ll be able to overcome even this tribulation!”

“Huh?”

Unfortunately, this prince also had a rather severe case of gynophobia as a result of the various “trials” Leonhart had put him through under the pretext of training. After much consideration, he decided to withdraw from the tournament. Thanks to this, the Beast King managed to proceed straight to the finals of Block B.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Ha ha, well this is a bad look. Not being able to lift a single finger against a child the age of my own daughter...” chuckled the nameless swordsman who was on his knees after having lost to Rion.

Kelvin and his friends had been wary of this fighter, as he had been one of those who had secured a slot in the tournament by seizing a ticket and there was almost no information about him anywhere. However, when it came time to actually fight, Rion had maintained an overwhelming advantage over him from start to end. The two did exchange a few sword blows, but the match was decided within ten seconds. The man himself had been the one to declare his surrender.

“So, this is all that my years of training by myself in the mountains amounts to.”

He scratched his scraggly hair and sheathed his sword, which had been a katana like that which practitioners of Wild Beast Style used. Rion couldn’t quite tell whether the emotion in his eyes was disappointment in himself or a thirst for greater strength.

“No, you are very strong, mister! It’s my first time meeting someone who could put up such a good fight against me, aside from my family members!”

“Aha ha ha, sounds like you have quite an interesting family.”

“They’re the best! I love them very much!”

The swordsman’s wry chuckle was met by Rion’s innocent beaming face. Despite the significant jump in difficulty with round three, after Kelvin’s victory, Sera, Dahak, and now Rion had managed to pass through without issue. With that, it was confirmed that all four of them were among the top eight in the tournament.

“Oh, and I’m not a child—I’m turning fifteen next year. Don’t forget it!”

“Uh...really?”

“Yep!”

After that, this exchange repeated itself a few more times.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Aaaand there we have it! Goldiana-sama successfully makes it through round three, once again entirely unscathed!” Ronove declared.

The original arrangement had placed Dahak’s fight as the last in round three, but for some reason, Goldiana’s opponent suddenly came down with severe nausea, causing the match to be pushed back to the end of the round. Now that it was done, the two names from each block of those who would be participating in the finals were confirmed. Not only were the spectators on the edges of their seats, so was Ronove—although in her case, it was for a different reason. The butterflies in her stomach were due to the two figures currently beside her.

“Goldiana-dono’s muscles look even firmer than they did last year.”

“Ah, you can tell too, Jereol? From the look of it, even with my perfect aim, I wouldn’t be able to penetrate his muscles with my arrows.”

The newcomers to the commentator’s box were none other than Jereol and Yujil Gaun, the two who had dropped out in round three.

“Um...Jereol-sama, Yujil-sama, it’s an incredible honor being able to work with you, but why are you here?”

“Well, how can I say it? It’s...a punishment assigned by our father, to put it succinctly. Or you can think of it as us wiping Kilto’s ass, basically.”

“I...see...”

“Ronove-san, can you move farther away please? See, you’re a woman, and if you’re too close, I’ll become too nervous to commentate properly.”

“I...see...” Ronove shuffled away, feeling a sense of foreboding.

Of course, having Jereol and Yujil there to explain things was going to be a huge help. However, in light of what had happened with Kilto, Ronove was understandably apprehensive. She was worried that another one of her country’s princes might end up exposing his strange idiosyncrasies on air. Her recent track record of fellow commentators hadn’t been the best, what with the events surrounding Kilto and the Oracle of Deramis. If Jereol, Gaun’s champion, also ended up exposed as having a skeleton in his closet, it would be a huge blow to the country’s reputation. As a beastkin who had been born in this country, Ronove was proud to call it her homeland. As such, she sincerely prayed from the bottom of her heart for this arrangement to work out without any more crises.

“W-Well then! That is it for round three! Coming up next are the finals for each block! The four individuals who remain victorious at the end will have a shot at the championship! With that said, let’s go over the matchups in each block once more!”

The magic item developed by the late Kilto now displayed the tournament table in large form. Ronove was starting to get a knack for how to use the contraption.

“First is Block A! We will be seeing Rank S adventurer, Kelvin! Versus! Martial artist, Grostina Brujowana!”

“I was indeed surprised by how overwhelming Kelvin’s strength was when I fought him. Personally, as he was the one who beat me, I find myself wanting to see him bring his A game.”

“But don’t forget, Jereol, his opponent, Grostina-dono, comes from the same school as Goldiana-dono, who is a Rank S adventurer. He is sure to put up quite a fight.”

“I see... That’s a relief...”

“What was that, Ronove?”

“Oh, nothing, Jereol-sama! I was only talking to myself. Moving on!” Ronove averted her eyes, but the playback machine did glitch a bit under her control.

“Next is Block B! We will be seeing Kelvin-sama’s younger sister, ‘Black Meteor’ Rion! Versus! Rank S adventurer and Beast King, ‘Reflector’ Leonhart Gaun! As the last remaining representative of Gaun, will His Majesty be able to carry the torch of Gaun into the finals?! This is one fight you cannot miss!”

“We ended up placing all the burden on our father’s shoulders because of our lack of ability.”

“Hm? Speaking of which, Yujil-sama, didn’t you forfeit round three? What led you to make that decision?”

“Uh...well, things came up...”

Sweat suddenly burst from every pore on Yujil’s body. There was no way he could answer honestly and admit that he hadn’t wanted the public to see the face of his first love. To his knowledge, he had never told anyone who it was, merely keeping his emotions to himself and locking them away inside his heart. He couldn’t even imagine how his father had found out. The sure knowledge that the Beast King would take advantage of his emotional weakness during the fight and the wretchedness he knew he would feel upon losing to his first love had given him immeasurable anxiety. As someone who had already taken on the Gaun name, he had tried hard to convince himself to appear. However, he just couldn’t do it. He knew he would never recover from a blow like that.

“Ronove, the time.”

“Oh, right! Where was I? Ah, yes, Block C! For Block C, we will be seeing ‘Empress’ Sera from Kelvin-sama’s party! Versus! The previously unknown girl who has risen to prominence like a shooting star, Bahl-sama! Not only are they both unbelievably good-looking, they have also made it all this way by burying their opponents with a single attack! Unlike what their elegant features suggest, this is definitely shaping up to be a full-on close-quarters slugfest!”

“Hmm, this is something I can say of all the matches, really, but even I have no idea who might win. Not only is every remaining person stronger than me, they have yet to display their full abilities. This is especially true of that Bahl girl—I cannot help but find it strange how she hasn’t already made a name for herself with such overwhelming fighting prowess.”

“She might be from somewhere remote on the Western Continent, brother. I’ve heard that there are small independent countries located in places that cannot be easily accessed.”

The Western Continent was filled with a large number of nations of varying sizes. New nations were declared every year, and no one knew the exact number on any given day. In light of this, just as Yujil had posited, there was indeed a possibility that Bahl’s lack of a reputation was due to her coming from one of those unknown countries.

“And last is Block D! Here we have Rank S adventurer, ‘Peach Ogre’ Goldiana Prettiana! Versus! Another member of Kelvin-sama’s party, the large hammer-user Dahak! Just like Bahl-sama, Dahak-sama has also burst onto the scene out of the blue from relative obscurity. Could he be the hidden ace of his party?!”

“I-Indeed...”

“That’s...of course. I’m sure he is.”

Ronove’s guess was a pretty fair take for someone not privy to the actual details of what had happened during the Demon Lord incident. Jereol and Yujil, who had learned from Sabato that the black dragon previously under Trycen’s control had joined Kelvin’s party, found themselves struggling for a good reply. Thankfully, Ronove moved on.

“That said, his opponent is the champion of the previous Beast King Festival, Goldiana-sama! What incredible spectacle will we see?! Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes wide open!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Just before the final match of Block A began, Sera, Rion, Dahak, and I were gathered in the passage that led to the contestant entrance.

“I can’t wait any longer to see you give that hateful man a thrashing, brother! Cave his face in!”

“Uh, I’ll fight him, but I’m not gonna kill him, all right?”

Dahak was breathing heavily, so filled with hatred for the man who he determined to be his love rival that the narrow passage was filled with his thick, violent killing intent. The space surrounding Rion was the only area with clean, fresh air, as it was constantly being purified from its proximity to her.

“I think this opponent seems promising, Kelvin! After all, he’s Goldiana’s junior disciple!”

In contrast, Sera was being quite liberal with her praise of the man, her attitude towards him seemingly informed by her trust in Goldiana. Of course, his performance in his previous matches was also a factor in her evaluation. Probably. Maybe.

“I’ve watched a few of his matches,” Rion chimed in. “He uses soft martial arts, which is an interesting contrast to Prettia-chan’s hard techniques.”

I nodded. “I noticed that too. He’s the type who deflects everything and then strikes when he sees an opening. I’ll have to be careful not to charge in heedlessly. Well, I’ve already eaten Efil’s food and buffed my stats with magic. I’ve made all the preparations I can, so whatever happens, happens.”

“You just want us to think, ‘Gosh, you never take anything seriously, Kel-nii,’ but you actually do have something up your sleeve, right?”

“Aha ha, of course not. All right, guys, it’s about time for me to go.” I slid my sword into my belt and turned towards the stage.

“Win this and wait for me, Kelvin! I’ll join you right after!”

“Make sure he never gets up again, brother! Never!”

“Hak-chan, it’s about time you calmed down. Here, I’ll pat your head for you.”

I headed for the brightly illuminated stage as Sera shouted her encouragement and Rion used her small hand to purify all of Dahak’s resentment and envy behind me. Before me stood Grostina, my opponent, bathed in the rays of the sun. Instead of the knuckle-dusters that he had used for all his fights so far, he was now holding a very poisonous-looking purple whip.

Noticing my gaze, he gave me a wink and sent a flying kiss in my direction. For the first time ever, I felt hesitant about joining a fight.

When I got onto the stage, I studied my opponent. He was standing with his toes turned inward and wearing a white outfit that looked very similar to male ballet tights. The top half of his body was covered in fancy ornaments like something I imagined a noble would wear, but the bottom half of his body was... Let’s just say I wasn’t sure where to look and didn’t even want to look. It blew my mind that the tournament organizers had prepared such an outfit, but I was even more shocked that someone had worn it. The man was even wearing purple lipstick. Somehow I got the feeling that even the spectators were a little bit turned off.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Kelvin-chan,” Grostina crooned, staring down at me like a hunter eyeing his prey while stretching and relaxing his purple whip with snapping motions. I found myself unconsciously backing up half a step.

Th-This can’t be! I’m hesitant to fight?!

“Ah, sorry to keep you waiting. We weren’t able to introduce ourselves properly this morning. You’re Goldiana’s junior brother disciple, right?”

“I’m her junior sister disciple, Kelvin-chan! Don’t get that wrong, nu-uh! The heart of a maiden is fragile like glass. If you’re a gentleman, you should be careful about that sort of thing! You don’t want to be making girls cry, do you?”

“Uh, o-okay...”

I’m the one who wants to cry right now! Wait, “maiden”?! What part of you looks fragile?!

“I’ve heard oh so much about you from my dear sister. She said you’re very, very strong, right? But this Beast King Festival is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her. I’m here to help her make her dream come true, so I won’t be losing to you!”

“Now you’re speaking my language! I’ve promised Sera and the rest that I’ll win, so I’m not gonna lose either!”

“In that case, I’ll have to ‘entertain’ eeeevery last inch of you.”

Grostina cracked his whip against the stage once. The sonic boom it generated indicated his proficiency with the weapon. I drew my sword and brought it up as he adopted what looked like a dancing pose. We then waited in silence for Ronove’s signal.

However, even though we were both clearly ready to start, Ronove’s announcement never came. Grostina and I both shot a look at the commentator’s box.

Ronove noticed our glances and gasped. “I’m so sorry! My mind kind of just blanked out for a moment back there.”

Jereol cleared his throat. “A-Ahem. I am now used to Goldiana-dono’s appearance, but I recall being quite speechless when he first appeared as well. I understand how you feel, Ronove, but you will eventually get used to it.”

Whew, so that getup surprises the Gaunians too. In that case, who on earth prepared that outfit?!

“I-I think it’ll be a while yet before I get used to that...impactful look. But let’s move on for now. Are both sides ready? Here we go with the finals of Block A! Ready... Fight!”

Grostina seized the initiative. From his strange dancing pose, he masterfully manipulated his whip to attack my right hand, the one I was holding my sword with. In other words, he was trying to rob me of my weapon. However, the speed of the whip was still within the limits of what my eye could follow. So I calmly used my sword to parry the attack and charged forward. I had to get close, as the difference in reach between our weapons was far too great.

“YAH!”

Suddenly, I felt my sword being pulled by an incredible force. I immediately dug my feet into the floor and resisted the pull. A taut purple line stretched between the two of us. The whip that I thought I’d deflected was wrapped around my blade. It creaked under the strain as Grostina pulled even harder.

“Oh my! You’re stronger than you look! I never expected you to match my strength!”

“Gee, thanks!”

“Match,” huh? I cast buffs on myself beforehand and possess the Herculean Strength skill and I’m only matching you? You’re the monster here, that’s for sure. And the fact that the whip isn’t snapping in spite of how much we’re both pulling must mean he’s done something to it.

“I was sure I’d dodged the whip. What’d you do?”

“Oh, just a little technical something. Want me to tell you if you beat me?”

“Well...sure. I’ll take that offer.”

Of course, I don’t expect him to reveal his tricks in the middle of the fight. If I had to venture a guess, he’s using Concealment and Covert Action together somehow. Reminds me of a certain newcomer-crusher I met when I first came to this world.

Cracks ran through the floor of the stage. If things continued the way they were going, I was the one who would be at a disadvantage.

In that case...

“Oh?”

“’Scuse me.”

I let go of my sword and jacked up the effects of my Sonic Acceleration all the way. With the taut line between us broken so suddenly, Grostina lost his balance for a fraction of a second. I took advantage of that opening to plant a full-powered roundhouse kick straight into his face.

“Oh, now you’ve gone and touched me.”

I could see myself reflected in his eyes as he toppled backwards, sent flying. A chill ran down my back. In that split second, I felt a discomfort in my right foot, the one I had used to attack him.

“Dear oh dear, letting go of your sword. Someone likes living dange— Oof!”

Of course, that was hardly enough to prevent me from delivering a follow-up attack. Even as Grostina was falling, I rushed to stand next to where his abdomen was and raised my foot as high up as my head before using all my strength to bring it smashing down in a devastating ax kick. My opponent was slammed into the ground so hard that the cracked stage actually broke in half.

“WHAAAAT?! The stage that Caesar-shi worked so hard on all for today’s sake has been destroyed!” Ronove wailed in lament. “However, don’t worry, ladies and gentlemen! In case such a thing happened, those organizing the tournament ordered ten more stages from Caesar-shi as spares! With the help of his wonderful disciples, he managed to deliver our order within the deadline!”

“Well, Gaun does host this event every year at the same time. I know he has been working on improving his stage’s durability year after year, but the contestants who manage to make it this far are always those with rather unbelievable stats...”

I’m hardly in the right position to say this since I’m the one who broke it, but...you guys sure you aren’t overworking poor Caesar-shi?

“Heh...heh heh heh...”

“Aaaand of course you’d get back up.”

As I was picking my sword back up, I heard laughter coming from within the cloud of dust that gave me goosebumps. It wasn’t as if I had expected to finish the match with that attack, but the way my opponent’s silhouette stood told me he still had lots of fight left in him.

“Gosh, I didn’t expect you to press me in that state.”

“Because of your Poison Reservoir?”

“Dear oh dear. Kelvin-chan, did you peek at my Status? Ah, which means you must have taken countermeasures. That leg of yours looks none the worse for wear after kicking me twice, after all. Gosh, you’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

Even though I can’t see a description, a Unique Skill named “Poison Reservoir” is almost certain to be related to poison somehow. I did feel a slight numbness, but thanks to the all-powerful item made by Mel, Goddess’s Ring, my foot’s far from being out of commission. I guess we can say the countermeasure worked out fine.

“My poison is so powerful that just a drop would paralyze even the largest monster. It’s not as if I was underestimating you, but...clearly I’ll have to get as serious as when I face my dear sister. I’m swapping out what I have in my Reservoir!”

Grostina fetched a small, pink, cutesy bottle from between his pecs. These guys sure like taking things out from the front of their clothes. And the shape of that bottle...

“Is that perfume?”

“Yep. Or at least, it’s a perfume bottle. But what’s inside is not perfume, no no no.”

With a practiced hand, he sprayed the contents all over himself.

Now hold on a damn minute. I didn’t notice it earlier because the bottle itself is pink, but the liquid inside is a vicious purple color!

“Since you’ve already figured it out, I guess I might as well explain it. My Poison Reservoir enables me to take in all poison that I come into contact with and inflict its effects on any man who comes into contact with me. You can imagine how effective that is. And on top of that...”

An aura similar to what Goldiana could generate sprang up around Grostina, only with this one being purple instead of pink.

“Red is the sign of being inexperienced, of having taken only the first step in staining one’s ki into one’s own color. There is a school of martial arts on the Western Continent that teaches how to manipulate one’s ki, a power completely separate from magic. Dear sister took that school’s techniques as a base and refined them to form Goldia, her own school of martial arts. Thank you for waiting! I am the Fleeting Flower Blooming in Broad Daylight here to snipe your heart: Grostina Brujowana!”

“That’s...fine and all, but, um, I actually only knew the name of your Unique Skill, not what it does.”

“No kidding?!”

Grostina was so surprised, his guttural roar came out in what was likely his real voice. He—no, she—was apparently a bit of an airhead.

---

Grostina Brujowana (34 y/o, Fe[Male], Titan, Pugilist)

Level: 113

Title: Fleeting Flower Blooming in Broad Daylight

HP: 2,143/2,143

MP: 812/812

Strength: 1,565 (+160)

Endurance: 1,531 (+160)

Agility: 1,188

Magic: 509

Luck: 777

Skills: Poison Reservoir (Unique Skill), Combat Technique (Rank S), Whip Mastery (Rank S), Covert Action (Rank A), Concealment (Rank A), Service (Rank A), Cooking (Rank S), Sewing (Rank A), Cleaning (Rank A), Dancing (Rank A), Herculean Strength (Rank B), Iron Wall (Rank B)

Passive Effects: Concealment (Rank A)

---

The aura surrounding Grostina was now a giant whirlpool, presenting a great threat separate from the effects of her Unique Skill. Was this a sign of one who had mastered the usage of ki? I felt my heart beating with anticipation as I stood before this menace.

“Well, no matter. The rules of the match are still in my favor, so I don’t mind a little handicap.”

“That so? Now, if you attack me with everything you have, that would make me even happier.”

“Oh, no worries on that front. As one of the most powerful moves in Goldia, this technique drains my ki very quickly. In other words, I’ll be coming at you fast and hard. And when I’m using this technique...I never intend to hold back in the first place!”

The whip that was the same shade as Grostina’s aura screamed towards me. Its speed had gotten remarkably faster, which meant its destructive power had also likely been proportionately bolstered. I knew better than to attempt to block it with my sword. It looked so poisonous, it made sense to avoid all contact.

“Hmph!”

However, my Agility was still significantly higher than my opponent’s. I dodged the tsunami-like rush of attacks while closing in on Grostina, hearing hissing behind my back whenever the whip made contact with the stage and presumably melted its surface.

Do you plan on finishing Caesar-shi’s stage off? Caesar-shi is going to cry for real this time!

“You’re now in my attack range!”

“Come closer if you want!”

Grostina’s whip just happened to be occupied, between attacks, whereas I had gotten close enough to reach him with my sword. However, his face was still filled with confidence, almost as if he knew that whatever I planned to do would be ineffective. Even so, I thrust my weapon forward without hesitation.

“OWWW! Huh, but my Violet Fairy—”

My sword had pierced her aura and buried itself within her bulky pecs, causing blood to spurt out. It was true that my weapon was too dull to deal any significant damage in light of how high her Endurance stat was. However, I had cast Ground Cleave, a Rank A Green Magic spell, on it before the start of the match. It was a rather plain spell that did not have any visible effects, but what it did do was bolster a weapon’s sharpness and endurance so much that it could make the dullest blade the equal of a sword forged by the greatest blacksmith.

“But you’ll now pay for that!”

“Ugh!”

The instant my attack landed, an intense pain—most likely the effect of the new poison from the bottle that Grostina had just applied to herself—assaulted me in turn. The effect of her Unique Skill could even be channeled through my weapon. Considering the amount of pain I was feeling, this poison was nothing tame like a paralyzing agent. I was experiencing its vicious bite even with Mel’s ring on.

“That’s a relief! So you’re not completely impervious to poi— Ah!”

Sorry to interrupt your speech, but your chin was wide open and just waiting for a kick. As Sera often puts it, “my feet moved before I had time to think about it.” If there’s an opening, I’ll take it! GAH! The pain’s even worse now, but it’s fine, I’m used to pain. Mainly thanks to Sera.

“Looks like someone’s got restless legs!” Grostina grinned after spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“It’s your fault for talking too much.” Dammit, his aura is now stuck to the leg I just attacked with. It kinda looks like one of Clotho’s tentacles. And now I’m consistently being debuffed with pain.

“You can’t get it off, right? My ki is very clingy. It won’t let go easily once it catches hold of something. Just think of it as a bit of birdlime that’s a little poisonous!”

“Just a little?! I’m going to die of shock from your joke! That’s what’s gonna get me!”

Even during our verbal tête-à-tête, Grostina and I continued attacking each other. As she brandished her ironlike fists and poisonous whip, I unleashed kicks in between stabbing and gouging with my sword. I had the advantage due to landing far more attacks—being the one with higher Agility—but her aura was sticking to me in more places every time I touched it, sending more and more poison coursing through my body.

Halfway through, I tried severing the aura tentacles using my sword, but learned that it was pointless to do so, as the bits attached to my body would still remain. Despite being equipped with the Goddess’s Ring, the situation was getting increasingly worse for me. The poison was already starting to affect my vision and consciousness.

“An...opening!”

Grostina ducked through my defense and planted a punch squarely in my right flank. My brain registered several of my ribs being broken.

“Gah!”

I felt no pain. I was already beyond feeling pain, thanks to the poison. However, I did get the wind knocked out of me, and my lungs refused to suck in fresh air.

“Ha ha...ha... This is...the end—”

“You’re right about that, at least...”

At the very moment she was convinced of her victory, Grostina let her guard down. I forcibly burned what little air was remaining in my body and channeled all the power I could muster towards thrusting my sword into her chest. In the same motion of pulling my hand back, I unleashed a side kick that caused the very sharp and very durable sword to make a complete mess of the inside of her body.

“Ha...ha ha, how...stimulating...”

The purple aura dissipated and Grostina’s giant build fell backwards. I wasn’t sure if I had imagined it, but I thought I felt the ground shake from the impact. Just as I had been slowly worn down by the poison, Grostina had also been bleeding profusely and exhausting all her power. At the end, we were both at our limits. All that was left to do was... Well, I couldn’t muster the energy to lift my fist high up, so I settled for lifting it shoulder height, uncool though it may have been.

“Th-The winner has been decided! Winner of the final match of Block A goes to ‘Grim Reaper’ Kelviiiiin!”

I felt a strong urge to throw up, but I pushed it down and went over to give Grostina first aid. I pulled out the sword and closed the wound, all while mentally thanking her for a truly action-packed and memorable fight.

“Ughhhh...I’m this badly off even with resistance, huh? I just might have died if it wasn’t for Mel’s ring.”

As soon as I left the stage, I crumpled onto the lawn. I couldn’t muster even a drop of strength in my legs anymore. In fact, I could barely feel the grass that I was touching. It was true that I had won the fight, but considering our respective states, it was hard to tell who the real loser was.

A loud voice reverberated inside my head. “Medics! Tend to Kelvin-sama immediately!”

There’s no need to make such a big fuss over me. See, I’m using White Magic to heal myself even now. Please don’t blow things up out of proportion. If you do—

“KELVIN!”

“KEL-NII!”

“BROTHER!”

See? You’ve gone and fanned everyone’s worries unnecessarily.

Soon after, I felt a soft and warm sensation behind the back of my head. Apparently, Sera was resting my head on her lap.

“Kel-nii, your recovery’s kind of slow. Are you okay?”

Rion’s face suddenly popped into my blurry field of vision.

I’m fine. I can even see Sera’s bountiful breasts hanging over me clear as— No, that’s a lie. To be honest, I’m having a really tough time. I can’t even focus enough to chant my spells.

“It...seems like my spells aren’t as effective because of the poison. With my body the way it is now, I can’t use any high-ranked spells. It’ll take some time for me to make a full recovery.”

Ah, it’d be fastest to call Melfina ov—

“Nn...”

Before I could finish my thought, I felt a warm, marshmallow-like sensation on my lips. Rion’s face was so close that I could make it out clearly even in spite of my fuzzy vision. In short, she had taken me by surprise and we were now kissing, with her pressing her lips so tightly against mine it was as if she intended to suck all the poison out of me.

“Nn...nn...”

As time passed, I gradually regained the senses that I had lost, feeling the grass beneath me and the soft, cool breeze blowing on my body... That, and the sensation of Sera’s knees quivering from the strain of the position.

“Pwah! Whew... How do you feel now, Kel-nii? All better?”

“All the poison is gone. I can manage my own healing now. Thank you, Rion.”

“Ehe he he...”

Rion dove into my arms and I hugged her close, closing my eyes blissfully. There was no way I couldn’t not pat her head.

“Wait a moment! Rion, all you needed to do to use Absolute Purification was touch his hand!”

“It’s much more effective through my lips. Oh, I see what you mean. Don’t worry, Sera-nee. I’ve never done this to anyone other than Kel-nii!”

“E-Even so, you can’t do it in the middle of the coliseum with all the spectators watching! And that wasn’t what I was getting at!”

“Sera, don’t worry. This is just one of the ways that brothers and sisters communicate with each other.”

In other words, it’s nothing more than a greeting for siblings like us!

“NO SIBLINGS COMMUNICATE LIKE THAT!” the spectators all roared in unison, breaking the silence in the air.

Rion and I exchanged looks of confusion, figurative question marks appearing above our heads.

◇ ◇ ◇

The infirmary of the Gaun Mixed Fighting Arena was for contestants who had suffered injuries to rest and recuperate in. It was quite deserted at the moment but not entirely unoccupied. There was one person lying in a bed, and beside that bed, a large man—no, woman—was peeling an apple.

“Stimulating!”

“Good morning, sleepyhead. I’m glad to see you’re more energetic than I’d thought, Grostina.”

“D-Dear sister?! Where is...”

Grostina had suddenly returned to her senses in a very peculiar manner, but Goldiana paid it no mind and welcomed her back with an affectionate look.

“Before anything else, here, eat this for some nourishment,” she said, holding out a bunny-shaped apple slice in a truly older-sister-like manner. “The tournament is on pause right now as the organizers replace the broken stage. And this is the arena’s infirmary. Hon, you lost to Kelvin-chan and fell unconscious.”

“Whaaat?! Really?!”

“What would I gain by lying to you? The only time I would lie is in love’s tug-of-war. But enough about me. Make sure you thank Kelvin-chan properly when you have the chance. You were really badly hurt after the fight, but he healed you. There isn’t even a scar on you, is there?”

Grostina opened the front of her outfit and checked herself all over.

“My body that was abused so much now looks brand-new!”

“That’s not a very classy way of putting it, hon.”

“I’m just that happy about it! Oh, but sister...”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m so sorry for losing my match, even though you went out of your way to invite me. And I ruined your plans for realizing your love...”

Goldiana smiled warmly at Grostina, who was visibly depressed. “There’s nothing to apologize for. I know now that I was in the wrong. Because it’s my love, I’m the one who has to seize it with my own hands. The path may come with setbacks and challenges, but the more I apply myself, the deeper my love becomes. That’s why I’ll be giving it my all. Starting with taking the championship today.”

“Dear sister, are you...”

“That’s right! When I win the Beast King Festival, I’ll tell Gerard-sama how I feel!”

“Oh my, that’s so dreamy!”

What a cruel, merciless declaration of war this was. Would the prince—no, the old knight’s—heart be moved by these two young, dreaming maidens? Only time would tell.

“Speaking of which, sister, what do you think of Kelvin-chan? Isn’t he pretty attractive too? I was so excited during the match just now when his long and hard thing came inside me and went wild!”

“How wonderful that sounds! But Grostina, that remark will cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so don’t say it in public, okay? Causing trouble for other people is a hard no-no.”

“Dear oh dear, I’m so ashamed of myself.”

“More importantly, Kelvin-chan already belongs to Sera-chan. Laying hands on a friend’s man is absolutely out of the question. I want her to be happy. That said, if I end up meeting him on stage, I’m not going to hold back.”

Thanks to a certain knight’s noble sacrifice, Kelvin was spared from terrible danger.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Huff...huff... Run faster, Goma!”

“Th-This is the fastest...I can go!”

Sabato and Goma were sprinting. While boisterously drinking their woes away at a tavern, they had suddenly heard about Kelvin being severely injured during the tournament. Sabato had immediately bolted out and rushed towards the coliseum, with Goma close on his heels. Soon, they reached the venue, and the receptionist gave them Kelvin’s location out of deference to their identities as members of the Gaunian royal family. It turned out he was receiving treatment in one of the VIP viewing boxes.

“Uh...wouldn’t he normally be in the infirmary?” Goma asked quizzically.

“Who cares about irrelevant stuff like that?! Let’s go!” Sabato howled.

The two took off once again. The viewing boxes were close by. Living up to their titles as Rank A adventurers, they managed to reach his room in no time at all.

“Kelvin, is it true that you collapsed?!”

Sabato threw the door open, in such a hurry that he even forgot to knock. What he expected to see was Kelvin lying in a bed, wrapped in bandages from head to toe and teetering on the verge of death. The scene that actually greeted him, however...

“Come on, Master. Just one more bite! Say ahhh...”

“A-Ahhh...”

“Huff, huff...sister Efil, I just finished growing another Starry Leaf of the World Tree!”

“Thank you, Hak-chan. If you grow just one more, I’ll have enough to make another bowl of World Tree congee.”

“You got it! HAAAAAH! BURN, MY SOUL! I CAN DO THIIIIS!”

“Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, gulp gulp, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cure, Benediction Cu—”

“Kelvin, is there anything I can do for you? Don’t be reserved; tell me whatever you want!”

“Please undo Blood Dominion and let me move my arms and legs.”

“You know I can’t do that! You need complete bed rest!”

The scene was much worse than what Sabato had imagined. Kelvin was sitting on a high-quality sofa inside the room, surrounded by all his companions. While Efil was spoon-feeding him congee with vivid green leaves in it, Mel was single-mindedly casting White Magic on him from the side, countless empty MP potion bottles lying at her feet. Rion was glued to his right arm, happily running her own arms up and down it. Sera was standing behind the sofa, seemingly in the middle of discussing something with him while massaging his shoulders. Lastly, Dahak was sitting on the ground in front of a potted sapling, shouting something as sweat came out of his every pore.

It was absolute pandemonium.

“Oh, it’s Sabato-san and Goma-chan!”

As Sabato stood there, dumbfounded, his brain struggling to process what he was seeing, Rion noticed their entrance.

“Kelvin, you... Weren’t you badly hurt?”

“I knew it’d be like this.”

Goma sighed softly and gently closed the door behind her.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Huh?! You healed yourself right after the match?!”

“With Rion’s help. But the doctor told me to rest up before my next match, just in case. And that’s what led to all this.”

After speaking, Kelvin turned over and accepted the spoonful of congee that Efil was holding out. All throughout, Melfina continued casting Benediction Cure, covering his body with starry sparkles almost too bright to look at directly.

“Huh?! How did ‘rest up’ turn into this?!”

“Heh heh heh,” Sera chuckled, standing up. “This is the treatment plan that we thought up for Kelvin’s sake!”

“A...treatment plan, you say?”

“That’s right! Treatment plan!”

Sera proceeded to elaborate. Dahak had been tasked with quickly cultivating Starry Leaves of the World Tree, the base ingredient for the highest possible tier of recovery medicine. Efil was using those leaves to cook the best congee her abilities would allow, aiming to purify and detoxify Kelvin’s body from within. Then Melfina’s persistent casts of White Magic would rid him of every last hint of the debuffs, and Rion would stick close to him to eliminate even the slightest trace of anxiety in his mind through her Unique Skill. To top it off, Sera was using Blood Dominion to control his arms and legs to forcibly ensure that he had complete bed rest.

“And there you have it.”

“Kelvin, you...sure are loved, clearly. I almost thought you were just into that kind of fetish.”

“Like hell I am!”

“GA HA HA HA! You sure have it tough, my king!”

Gerard, who was busy playing with his grandchildren at another table, was acting like what was happening to Kelvin was none of his business.

Sera tilted her head. “Gerard, I’m not sure you have time to be laughing. I have a feeling you’re the person in the greatest danger right now.”

“H-Hold on, it’s not a joke when you’re the one saying that, lass. Your intuition’s almost eerily accurate.”

“Well, it’s just my intuition. I wouldn’t worry too much about it if I were you.”

The old knight suddenly fell silent as if something had just come to mind. Suddenly, the commotion in the room was interrupted by Ronove’s voice coming over the loudspeakers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have just finished replacing the stage! Without further ado, we are proceeding with the final match of Block B! Rion-sama and Leonhart-sama, please make your way to the stage!”