Chapter 12: The End of the Tournament

Chapter 12:
The End of the Tournament

 

NOW THAT WE WERE down to the final four, another drawing took place. I’d be up against Voltemia in the first match. It looked like I’d only be able to face Leonir in the very last match…if he won his fight. He would, though, given his opponent. One more win, and I’d be going mano a mano with Leonir in the end for sure.

“In that case,” I muttered, “I can’t lose!”

Voltemia and I stood in the center of the coliseum, facing each other. My entire body was breaking out in goosebumps from the thrill alone. Now this was my kinda tension! I wanted to get goin’ already, to just get fighting, come onnnnn! Hurry it up, hurry it up already!

“Now, at long last, it’s time for the semifinals! In this match, we have Challenger Voltemia, who advanced this far thanks to the overwhelming power of her water magic, versus Challenger Yuri, the wild child who has no need for rules!”

Hey, who’s a wild child with no need for rules? That seemed a little off, right? And not a single mention of my mighty muscles? C’mon!

The master of ceremonies continued on with his woefully unmuscley commentary. “The winner of this match will advance to the final match! Challenger Voltemia is the previous champion Challenger Babandongas’s little sister. If she wins, this will be the first time we’ll have brother and sister champions! How fantastic is that?”

The excitement of the crowd burned even brighter. Was the MC turning up the heat or matching the audience’s energy? Whichever it was, he was doing a good job.

No, I had to focus. Had to think about defeating the girl in front of me.

“It’s nice to see you again,” said Voltemia politely, bowing her head.

“Yeah, nice to see ya. Let’s give it our all, eh?”

“I plan to. I’m going to win, for my big brother’s sake.”

Voltemia’s expressionless face didn’t change. A poker face is a real asset in combat because it makes you difficult to read, but it’s never been my strong suit. When I fight somebody strong, I can’t help but smile.

“Very well, then! Let the first match of the semifinals…begin!”

I drew in close right away. Against a magician, victory went to whoever pulled off the first move. That wouldn’t be the case if my opponent was a master of muscle magic, but that wasn’t on the menu for dainty Voltemia.

That’s what I thought anyway, but right as I slid up, Voltemia unleashed a torrent of raging waters from her hand that slammed into my path.

“If you’re going to come closer, go ahead. Let’s get this over with,” Voltemia said, even as a tidal wave of water surged past her, toward me.

No way could I dodge all that. Her water attack—launched with incredible force and with a super-wide range—swallowed me up. For nearly a minute, the waters continued to flow until the flood gradually subsided.

What remained after was me, standing proudly in an imposing stance.

“That was some pretty sweet magic!” I cackled.

Short casting time, a high level of power, it was nothing to scoff at. This was fun! The best, even, hell yeah! Thrilled as I was, my breath was ragged. The current had been more powerful than I thought. I hadn’t been able to move while caught in it, and my strength was drained. It had been like being pummeled by a typhoon.

“Tenacious,” said Voltemia.

At her gesture, the water changed course, flowing into the air above her to shape into a water dragon. Nothing I could do about that new friend except take it head-on all over again. Was she trying to end this quickly with an arcane bombardment? Sorry, kid. Not gonna happen.

I kicked against the ground over and over, sending myself back to get some distance. Her water dragon lifted its head and flew over toward me, its torso twisting and coiling.

“Ha!”

I dodged it and flew into the air. My body defied gravity, rising steadily higher. By repeatedly kicking the air with my feet, I could float as long and far as I needed to.

But the water dragon chased after me, soaring up into the sky. At the sight of this dragon snaking toward the heavens like divinity itself, the audience unconsciously held their breath. Good for them, I guess!

I stopped kicking once I got high enough into the air that I could see every corner of the coliseum. Then I drew back my arm and slammed it up at the sun, firing my Pistol Punch into thin air. The recoil sent me plummeting toward the incoming water dragon at super speed.

“HOOAAAHHH—!”

I sliced straight through the water dragon, feet first, demolishing it as I went. When I landed back in the arena, the remains of the dragon rained like a gentle shower.

“All right, in that case, once more.” Voltemia summoned another water dragon.

I wasn’t making any progress at all! I stood tall, striking a guard stance to receive the oncoming water dragon. The dragon had this sense of vitality, almost like it was a real creature. I could practically hear the sound of its heartbeat drumming in the water. This magic really was incredible!

Buuut I was probably giving the kid a little too much credit. With a little more experience, she’d no doubt get a lot stronger, but she wasn’t quite there yet. I’d seen this attack twice now, in all its majesty—and all its flaws.

“Ha!”

I channeled my might through every muscle in my body. As the water dragon collided with my throbbing muscles, it bounced—you heard me—right back at Voltemia.

“Wh-what the heck? The water dragon has revolted against its creator, Challenger Voltemia! Could it be that this is a show of Challenger Yuri’s reflect magic?”

Wrong magic again, master of ceremonies. I keep trying to tell you guys, this is muscle magic.

“Wh-what?!”

Flabbergasted, Voltemia nevertheless threw up a water shield to guard against her own dragon—and good for her, sure, but she shoulda been keeping track of me.

In that instant, I slid across the ground, under her shield, and popped up on the other side to loom over Voltemia.

“Agh!” Her cold mask fell, and there she stood, staring up at me with a panicked look on her face.

“Booyah.”

With my left hand, I grabbed Voltemia’s arm to prevent her from escaping, and with my right, I socked her. Voltemia went flying, skidded through the arena sand, and didn’t get back up.

“Ladies and gentlemen, even I am left stunned after that wet and wild fight! Challenger Yuri has defeated Challenger Voltemia in superb fashion and will advance to the finals!”

What a great match! Super fun. A little fire still burned within, but it would have to wait. I returned to the waiting hall.

 

***

 

“What an overwhelming assault with his magic sword! Looks like Challenger Leonir is following Challenger Yuri into the finals, where they’ll finally face off!”

The master of ceremonies’ words echoed throughout the coliseum. Leonir was headed to the finals. Those words reverberated in my ears as I leaned into the sofa of my personal waiting room.

For the time being, my body relaxed. You gotta follow high tension with dedicated relaxation. It’s important for peak performance. And I needed my all for what was to come.

There was another brief break before the final match. It seemed like a maintenance crew was working on the venue with earth magic. I didn’t really care how the place looked; I just wanted them to let me fight already. But this was a tournament, which meant there were rules and whatever, and I just had to bear it.

“But I just can’t take it anymore!” I said, shooting up from the couch.

“What on earth are you talking about?” said Filia, who was perched beside me. “Oh, of course—you mean my incredible charm, don’t you?”

“What the heck are you talking about?”

Seriously, what went on in that head of hers? All I had in my head right now was an insatiable passion for fighting. Absolutely nothing else, no worldly desires or anything to speak of. No one in the coliseum was more hyped for the finale than me.

Not to say I wasn’t already pleased with my fight against Voltemia. Any day with a fight against a master like her was a good day already…but today wasn’t over. As long as there were worthy opponents left to fight, I couldn’t be satisfied, no more than I could stop my heart from pounding in my chest.

“Augh, I just can’t wait for the final match. Hey Filia, let’s go right now, you and me! A little fight to warm me up?”

“That is such an awful idea that I feel like even saying ‘no’ is a waste of my breath and my limited time on this planet. I categorically refuse.”

Yeowch. How had that perfectly great idea earned such a flat rejection? Wait… You know what? Didn’t matter. I bowed my head to Filia. “Sorry, Filia. I wasn’t thinking about your feelings. I was incredibly rude.”

“Eh? W-well, now, I wouldn’t say you need to apologize for it, though I certainly appreciate it,” she said, looking surprised.

No, of course I had to apologize! I had been an inconsiderate boor. Little fight? Come on, Yuri! What are you implying?

“Nah, I don’t want a little fight, I want a no-holds-barred fight! You have conveyed your passion! Come, Filia!” I cried, grinning ear to ear.

Filia clicked her tongue. Blinked at me. Was she not picking up what I was putting down? All that deep fiery passion welling up from me? Was she not feelin’ it?

“Bring it, Filia! Come on! Come onnnnnn, Filia!”

“Are you ever, ever not thinking of battle?”

Uhhh. Was that some kind of riddle?

Just then, a knock came on the waiting room door. From the other side, I heard a deep voice. “Yuri, you in there? It’s me, Babandongas. Is now a good time? Voltemia’s with me, too.”

“Now? Well, I was just about to duel with Filia.”

“He absolutely was not, Babandongas. Please come on in.”

Wow, Filia really was something; my respect for her only deepened. Suppressing the desire to fight me in order to entertain guests? Such divine restraint! She had nerves of steel, so powerful was her reasoning and dignity! To be honest, I don’t think I could ever achieve that mental fortitude.

“Wow, you really are amazing,” I said, gazing at Filia with utter awe.

“I don’t really know what kind of misunderstanding we’re having this time, but you know what? It’s convenient for me. Let’s go with it.”

Misunderstanding? Ah, she was embarrassed. So cute!

We welcomed Babandongas and Voltemia into my waiting room; they took a seat on the sofa opposite ours and Babandongas gazed about the room with a nostalgic air.

“This sure does bring back the memories. This was where they stuck me last year.”

Oh right, he was the champion last time around. Must’ve really wowed the audience with that bristling hair of his, too.

“So, what’d you come here for?” I asked.

The pensive look on Babandongas’s face washed away and he smiled. “Aw, heck, I just thought that since you went and defeated my sweet little sister, we had to come wish you best of luck and cheer you on and all. That is, if we’re not in the way. If we are, we’ll head on home, no worries!”

Filia shook her head vigorously. “Oh no, please, feel free to stay. Besides, if you two go home now, I’ll be stuck in some kind of brutal waiting room duel with Yuri, and I really am not feeling it today.”

“A…brutal waiting room duel?” Babandongas repeated.

Weird. I didn’t realize Babandongas was hard of hearing. “Brutal waiting room duel, yep. It’s a break, right? We’ve got plenty of time. And you can’t just sit around being idle at times like these. So I don’t care who it is, I just wanna fight, ya know?”

Voltemia gave me an odd look, like she was noticing something strange and mysterious. “Yuri, are you inhuman?”

“No, I’m human!”

“Correct you are, Voltemia!” exclaimed Filia.

“Uh, no, it’s an incorrect answer? Because I’m human?”

But Filia was beaming.

Voltemia tilted her head. “Hm. If Yuri is inhuman, then how is he communicating using humanoid language?”

“I’m human! I can speak words because I’m human!” Why wasn’t anyone treating me like a human being? Me, just your everyday normal guy! “For crying out loud…are you all completely devoid of common sense?”

Filia gasped. “Eh? Yuri, did you just use human words?”

Of course I did! Was I really the only person in the room with access to basic logic?

Anyway, Babandongas and Voltemia had come by to cheer me on and all, but now that we were face to face, what I really needed to do was tell my former opponent just how freaking fantastic that match had been.

“Voltemia, you were unbelievable! Amazingly strong!”

She was at most still only about thirteen or fourteen years old, but she could use magic that powerful? Awesome! She was definitely on the road to getting much, much stronger.

“Thank you very much,” Voltemia answered. But even after I complimented her, her face didn’t light up. She kept wringing her small hands in her lap. “But I really did want to win, for my big brother. He was cheering me on with everything he had…”

“An angel… My sister’s such an angel!” exclaimed Babandongas.

Jeez. This Babandongas guy looked like he was about to cry. He really needed to chill with the whole sister complex thing.

“Man, though,” Babandongas continued, “that sure was some body-strengthening power you got there, Yuri. Looks mighty similar to what I got, but not quite,” said Babandongas while blowing his nose, blinking his eyes over and over and generally trying to wipe away his messy cry.

So Babandongas had a body-strengthening power, huh? Wait, did I have a body-strengthening power too…? Nah.

“I don’t really have an ability though,” I said. Never had, either, or I’m sure I woulda learned about them before Filia had to explain ’em.

“Hm? C’mon, I saw your body change form earlier, right? Ain’t that an ability?”

Seemed he had his doubts, considering how dramatically my body had changed during the battle with Voltemia.

“What, this? It’s all training.”

I released my muscles; they flared with heat and swelled up, bigger and bigger, morphing mightily into their most hardcore form. Then I transformed back to normal as the three of them watched me silently. Released again. Then back to normal.

Release. Normal. Release. Back to normal. Release, normal. Release, normal.

“See?” Release. “Anyone can do it if they train.” Normal.

I repeatedly released and suppressed my muscles again and again, just to drive home that there was nothing miraculous about it. If you believe in muscles, like I do, and continue strengthening your body, you can do it, too. Those who can’t just don’t have enough dedication to the discipline of Muscle Itself.

“Lia,” said Voltemia meekly, “Yuri is broken.”

“He sure is, Voltemia,” said Filia. “He sure is.”

Huh? All that just from showing my muscles? Why? Well, wait, never mind—Voltemia was staring at me. It seemed like she was steadily coming to understand my muscles. There we go! Good eye, kid!

“Wanna touch ’em?” I asked.

I released my muscles once again and held my arm in front of Voltemia. When Voltemia saw my massive arm in front of her face, thick as a tree trunk and way cooler, her mouth hung open in abject surprise. “Wow, he really is inhuman…”

“C’mon, why you gotta go on like that?” What a strange thing to say! These zoomers just don’t understand the value of muscle training, I guess.

After hanging with us for half an hour or so, it was time for Babandongas and Voltemia to clear out.

“You defeated my lovely angel,” said Babandongas as they started for the door, “so now you gotta become the champ, okay? Otherwise I can’t forgive ya.”

“C’mon, big brother, I don’t like when you call me things like ‘lovely angel.’ It’s so lame!”

Oof. Owned by his own beloved lovely angel. Even so, I locked eyes with Babandongas. He’d asked something of me, and I had an answer.

“I’m definitely gonna win, because there’s a reason I gotta.”

“That so?” Babandongas nodded. “Then do your best, man. Promise?”

“We’ll be cheering you on,” said Voltemia.

With that, the two left.

It was just me and Filia now. Not that this was unusual—we were always together, just the two of us, at the inn. If anything, it seemed like it was more unusual to have company.

Filia stared intently at the door Babandongas and his sister had exited through. Just as I was wondering if there was something on her mind, Filia turned to me. Her luminous silver eyes and hair shimmered even in the dim waiting room.

“Yuri, you mentioned a reason you needed to win just now, didn’t you? Would you mind telling me what that reason is?” asked Filia, giving me an inquisitive look.

“Nothing, really,” I replied blankly.

“Oh, come now, won’t you tell me? You’re not usually the evasive type. It doesn’t suit you at all. Could it be that—hmm, is it a difficult subject for you to talk about?”

Filia looked increasingly suspicious and my thoughts ran wild. The words she’d said to me just a few hours ago, that speech about “fighting for my own sake,” still resonated within my soul. I couldn’t have mustered up the power to win against Voltemia if I hadn’t been doing it for myself, for sure. I had to be grateful to Filia for making me realize that.

However.

That didn’t change what I wanted to do. My fist trembled. The semifinals had cemented my passion and my rage: I was going to beat Leonir to a pulp for Filia’s sake. Why? Because it wasn’t just for her sake. It was what I wanted, too. It just so happened that, sometimes, these things overlapped.

That was it, then. For both myself and for her, I had to do my best for Filia. When it came to her, my passion was inevitable.

“What’s that look for? Are you excited about something?” asked Filia, peering at my face.

Her long hair swayed back and forth. Was it that obvious? Wait, when had I started to smile?

“Oh, nothing, really.”

“Always a ‘nothing, really’ with you, isn’t it?”

For some reason, I felt way better. I guess that was all Filia’s charisma, huh? And here I was saying “nothing, really” over and over. I owed her something else. Something better.

“Thank you, Filia.”

Filia sat back in her seat. “How odd. What’s been going on with you lately? Did you…catch a cold, perhaps? Are you not all right in the head or something? More than usual, I mean,” added Filia, looking quite serious as she flicked my forehead with her finger.

Same old Filia. Well, I wouldn’t say anything more. It would be embarrassing to say something like I, Filia’s partner, am here to banish the humiliation of her loss and avenge her! And I shall! with a straight face.

“Whaaa?” Filia suddenly cried out in a strange voice.

“What? What’s the matter?” I asked.

Filia’s body didn’t look any different, so what was that all about?

“Ah, don’t be…ridiculous, Yuri. I-It’s nothing, really…” Filia was bright red. Yep. Weird. Why was she making a face like that—

Unless.

“Filia. Don’t tell me you peeked inside my mind, you—”

The master of ceremonies’ voice boomed through the speaker, drowning me out. “Kept you waiting, huh? Well, at long last, preparations for the final match have been completed! Challenger Yuri and Challenger Leonir, please enter the arena!”

“What did you say?” asked Filia.

Filia hadn’t heard me, but I didn’t have any more time. The finals were going to start any minute now.

“Never mind, no big deal. Gotta go.”

I gave up on it and made my way toward the door.

“Okaaay,” said Filia. “Do you mind terribly if I say one last thing?” she asked, her cute voice ringing out clear and sweet as a bell.

“What is it?” I replied, turning around.

“Won’t you please do your best, Yuri?” She batted her eyelashes. “For my sake,” she added, smirking like a little devil and giggling.

So she peeked into my mind after all! That Filia, smiling so happily. The sheer cheek!

“I’ll remember this later, you know?”

“Oh, I’m positively shaking in my boots, Yuri. Why don’t you save some of that menace for the fight and smile, hm?” Filia saw me off with a grin and a laugh, as if she didn’t have a single shred of worry that I might lose.

Well, fine! After I became champion, I’d drag her along for some training so intense she’d feel like she was going to explode, so there! Hmmph!

A smile crossed my face as I thought that, and I stepped out into the arena for the final match.

 

***

 

The first thing that caught my eye was a massive statue of a woman.

“Our craftsmen have been working overtime to make this final round something special—take a look, warriors and watchers, at this mighty statue of the Goddess of War! Make her proud, fighters!”

A statue of the Goddess of War, huh? Well, they’d erected it outside the battlefield proper, so at least it wouldn’t get in the way. I focused on what mattered: him.

“Hey, muscle head.”

There stood Leonir, calling over to me. Slender as he was, his body held the taut sharpness of a living scythe. Power positively rolled off of him.

“Phew…” I let out a long, drawn out sigh, a palate cleanser for the lungs. Old air out, fresh air in. There was nothing I needed to get worked up about here. This was simple. Easy. I was doing it for my sake. For Filia.

I looked my opponent right in the eye. “I’m going to win, Leonir.”

“All right, after all that waiting, gentlemugs and ladybucks, are you hyped? It’s the final match! You’ve been watching, you’ve been waiting, you’ve been screaming and cheering—you know ’em both, and they need no introduction! Challenger Yuri! Veeeeeeeeersus…Challenger Leonir! Now’s the time, now’s the place! This battle right here and now will decide the toughest motherforker in Rank B and below!”

Ehh, okay, ease off, guy. Being “the toughest in Rank B and below” wasn’t an especially thrilling title.

“Ooooh, I remember! Ha! Oh, ya gotta love it,” Leonir sneered. “You’re that elf’s companion, aintcha? I bet you’re feelin’ a little animosity? You’ve been just fantasizing about takin’ me out, big guy. Just droooooooling over it. Ya freak.”

Leonir stuck his tongue out and waggled it around. Ick. Didn’t let it bother me. I already knew that, despite his decent looks, his personality was rotten to the core. Then again, if we’d faced each other before Filia gave me that talk, I probably would’ve lost my cool.

Thanks again, Filia.

“Save it. Your mouth reeks,” I said to the scum-sucking toejam standing before me.

“The hell did you—? Don’t you dare screw with me, gorilla.”

“You wish you were half as classy as a gorilla.”

“Okay, that settles it, I’m gonna rip your throat out and choke you to death with it!”

Veins bulged and throbbed on Leonir’s face. Jeez, kids these days could get so hot-headed. Really could use some muscle training. It helps with self-control, keeps you calm—there are so many reasons to try it!

“You ugly hulk, what are ya smilin’ for? Makes me wanna yartz!”

“Hm?”

Only after I touched my cheeks did I realize the corners of my mouth had curled into a smile. Oops. Even if I tried to stop it, I just couldn’t suppress my inner joy at the prospect of a good fight. It was impossible for me to be truly calm at times like this. Ah well.

“You better give me a fun fight, Leonir!”

“What the hell are ya on about, creep? You’re pissin’ me off!”

Seeing me grin really seemed to get his blood boiling. Perfect. Leonir seemed likely to attack at any moment, and frankly, I felt the same way. I glanced over at the master of ceremonies. When was he gonna start us off already? I couldn’t hold back anymore!

Luckily, he looked as though he was finally juuuuuust about to give us the go ahead.

“Things are heating up already, with the fighters having a war of words! Folks, we’re about to see an intense battle! Let’s get it started! Final match…begin!”

“HOOAAHHH!”

As I roared, Leonir launched his wind magic blade. I didn’t even try to evade, just let it hit me straight on. Even Filia, with her slender body, had withstood getting hit by this same spell over and over. Of course I could handle it. No sweat.

“Grr, don’t screw with me!”

Leonir swung his sword again and again, launching waves of wind magic. Meh. It was like standing in a spring breeze. All he managed to do was rip my clothes, nothing more. My skin was too thick for little nicks like that.

“Come on, is that all you got? Talk about a letdown,” I muttered as I approached him. Powerful as he was, he just didn’t seem to have a good work ethic. “How disappointing. I really thought you were stronger.”

When Leonir heard me mumbling, his eyes went wide and his blood vessels throbbed.

“You…you’re pissin’ me off… You’re really, really pissing me off! YOU! ARE PISSING ME OOOOOFFFFFF!”

Hmm? Leonir gathered an abnormally large mass of incandescent magical energy into his open palm. All at once, it burst into a raging flame.

“I’ll kill you! Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!”

The flame, manipulated by Leonir’s will, shaped into a magic sword. Leonir brandished his eerie burning blade and spoke with all the ecstasy of unbridled rage. “Eh heh. Ah ha ha ha. AH HA HA HA HA HA! I’ll show you the true value of my ‘flame eater’ ability! In the twenty years since it came to me, I’ve drunk so much fire, stolen and stored so many flames away in my spiritual reservoir. But now I’m gonna use ’em, you hear me? I’m gonna use ’em all just to kill you! Be grateful! And die!”

“Aw hell yeah, I’m sure grateful, but I ain’t gonna die!” I exclaimed. I wanted to dance looking at that incredible flame!

Leonir raised his sword high and a pillar of fire shot from it straight into the sky, so tall I thought it might reach the gods.

Twenty years’ worth of fire. No one could handle that much flame all at once. How could I not be over the moon? I gave up on getting in close to Leonir and shifted to a strategy centered on intercepting his oncoming attacks.

However, I knew I couldn’t rely on weaponizing his own attack like I had with Voltemia. Leonir’s techniques were less refined than hers, but his unique ability made up the difference.

“Here I go, muscle head! Die! Hiyahh!” he screamed, firing off a blast from his magic sword. A stream of flames hurtled toward me on a blade of wind, threatening to devour me till there was nothing left.

“HOOAH!”

I met the flames with my Pistol Punch—which the flames swallowed up. They barreled forward without losing a second of momentum.

“Tsk.” I poured power into my entire body, assumed my guard stance, and took the flames head-on. They blazed like hellfire. My skin crackled. Then the flame burned ever hotter, engulfing my body in screeching heat for a full minute.

“Ee hee hee! Ah ha ha ha! What a douchebag way to go, muscle head! Serves you right!” howled Leonir from the middle of the scorched battlefield. Indescribable exhilaration wavered in his laugh, as if the raging flames burned on the fuel of his pent-up anger.

“Awwww, now that I think of it, what a shame. You can’t die here, huh? Can’t wait to see that stupid face of yours, muscle head, just lyin’ unconscious, smellin’ like cooked meat. What a relief. You were such a pain, but nobody’s gonna stand up to my flame! Mwa ha ha!”

“It’s a great flame, I’ll give you that.” I stepped out of the blazing vortex and flashed him a cheerful grin. “I did suffer a few burns here and there, after all.”

Leonir’s face went rigid. “H-huh?! How? How are you still alive?”

“Training, duh. Those flames of yours are seriously great! Come on, bring it on, more! Gimme everything you got! And don’t hold back this time!” I beckoned him with curled fingers. “All this fire stuff’s got me all heated up, you hear me? Come on, come on, we haven’t even gotten started, have we?”

“Got you all heated up? You think you’re so funny, don’t you? Fine, if you want to die, then die!”

Leonir swung his sword with reckless abandon, but he wasn’t all talk: each shockwave from his blade was wreathed in flames.

A chill ran down my spine and my smile widened. This was why I just couldn’t stop fighting! Power against power!

This was a feeling I couldn’t describe with words in like, a logical kinda way. That chill running down my spine turned my bones to ice, but it was also bursting into flames, feeding a howling heat within. When I felt like this, I needed to fight.

Without taking a single step, I intercepted every one of the incoming flame sword shockwaves. Just a little cocky—the flames engulfed me once again. It was a good heat. Electrifying. My voltage was goin’ up but I needed more. More.

A stronger blow. Put more soul into it. Pour all of your nerves into shot after shot.

I could feel it. “HOOOAAAAHHH!”

“What the hell is wrong with you? Why aren’t you dodging? Are you a moron?” Leonir sounded shaken. Heh.

“You. I want to take you down head-on. Face to face.” I launched consecutive Pistol Punches.

I’d made up my mind. I wasn’t going to avoid a single one of this guy’s attacks. Filia was watching me from the waiting room, after all. This was a matter of self-respect. I couldn’t run, couldn’t dodge, couldn’t do anything remotely disgraceful in front of Filia.

She’d lost her fight, and a result was a result. I wasn’t going to find any fault with that. However, there was no way I was gonna forgive this guy for ridiculing my partner and going out of his way to hurt her. It was a strange alchemy, the part of my heart that simply loved fighting and the part that yearned to get Filia her revenge. They came together, granting me even more power.

“HOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!”

With my excitement at an all-time high, I fired off one Pistol Punch after another. My heart raced, pumping blood all through my body, and bringing oxygen—flammable oxygen—to generate ever more heat for the blaze inside. Another Pistol Punch. Another. Just shooting. The balance was shifting. I moved forward.

“H-huh?! Hey, hey, hey, what the hell! This isn’t right! What are you doing, huh? Twenty years…this is twenty years’ worth of flames! How are you pushing through it?” Leonir cried out, strained and exhausted. “Why won’t you die?!”

My fists pummeled his flames into submission, pushing the stream of fire back farther and farther.

I grinned. “My training—my purpose—outweigh your twenty years. That’s all there is to it.”

My Pistol Punches closed in on Leonir.

“No, no, nonononononono, don’t you dare I won’t let you I hate you, you’ll never—huh?”

And then it happened: Leonir’s flames poofed. His magic sword, which had once blazed halfway to the heavens, sputtered feebly, trailing smoke.

“Why? My flames—c’mon, where are—oh no. No. That was twenty years of…I couldn’t have used ’em all up. Couldn’t have…”

Yeah, okay, buddy. It sure did look like he had. That’s what happens when you get too intense and stop thinking, I guess. And here he’d said that was twenty years of fire, all saved up. Would’ve expected him to have twenty years of restraint to go with it, you know?

“Is that it? Good game,” I said.

“Not yet! It ain’t over yet! I’ll kill ya! I’ll slice you to pieces!”

He swung his bare, regular sword. The intimidation I’d felt at first, like being faced with a living scythe, had completely vanished. Guess that was all due to Leonir’s ability and not Leonir himself.

I strode toward my opponent until I stood right in front of him.

“What the hell is with you? Ha. Getting…this close to me? Idiot. Choke on this!”

Leonir swung his sword with all of his might. The blade hit my body—and shattered. It snapped against my abdomen, bursting into pieces that clattered to the ground in a pitiful shower of clangs. Last, the sword tip toppled, too. Leonir was no Grim Reaper. With Leonir’s pitiful sword skills, he had no chance of doing me damage.

“We done here?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“Done. Here. Are we?” I glared at Leonir, who just looked…confused.

“Ah…ah…aha. Ha. Ha?”

“Good to hear it. My turn.”

Leonir stood there completely dumbfounded, his sword in shards at his feet. I whacked him as hard as I possibly could with every ounce of force in my body.

KA-CRASH.

Leonir flew into the audience seating area with a hideous crack.

“I-It’s over, folks! Challenger Yuri has somehow survived the furious onslaught of Challenger Leonir and emerged victorious! The champion for this year’s tournament iiiiiiss…Challenger! Yuuuuuuriiiiii!”

Or, the master of ceremonies probably said somethin’ like that, but I was too absorbed in the aftermath of battle to hear any of it.

Having knocked Leonir so hard he flew into the stands, I called out. “Thank you. I really feel like I’ve gotten stronger.”

From the edge of the battlefield, the earth-magic statue of the Goddess of War gazed down upon me. To me, this Goddess of War looked satisfied, even if she was just an idol. As the crowd cheered, I raised my arm high overhead toward the Goddess.

***

 

I was the champion.

Nothing much happened during the closing ceremony, just a few words of appreciation from the big shots who organized the show. Oh, and Babandongas congratulated me.

“Well, I’m still frustrated my little sister didn’t win, but that was a good match,” he said.

That Babandongas. He was an overbearing fella, but damn decent.

As soon as the ceremony was over, I returned to the inn with Filia. Filia jumped onto the bed with a high dynamic dive, all four of her limbs stretched out wide, and hit the sheets with a soft thud.

“That sure was hard work!” she groaned into the pillow. “Oh, and congratulations on becoming the champion!”

“Thanks.”

The tournament had made my heart dance with joy just as I’d dreamed. Fighting those two, Voltemia and Leonir, was nothing if not a blessing. But, well, I had one minor complaint: the length of the closing ceremony.

“I just wanted it to stop, it was so pointless! Honestly, that closing ceremony tired me out way more than the fighting did. There’s nothing fun at all about talking to big shots,” I grumbled.

“I’ll give you the second half.”

“What about the first?”

“Oh, Yuri, I simply cannot understand what you mean.”

Sure, sure. “Ah, yeah, that reminds me. What was the windy thing you did? In your last fight in the tournament? That wind guy?”

“Oh, the ‘Wind God?’ What about it?”

“Hit me with it. It looks interesting.”

“No way! I am utterly drained. Besides, it takes a ridiculously long time to cast, and it’s an imperfect technique,” said Filia, making a face like she’d tasted rotten food.

What a cheapskate.

Wait a minute, had she stood there perfectly still all for the sake of summoning the Wind God? Okay, that was a little funny.

“Excuse me? There’s nothing funny about that whatsoever!” snapped Filia.

She had selfishly peeked into my mind again! Hmm. Maybe there was a way I could retaliate…

“Filia, are you still looking into my mind?”

As I asked, I delved into my most wild delusions. My opponent was Filia, of course, and I was going to use my imagination to humiliate her. Specifically, I was going to imagine things like…like us holding hands! Or gazing deeply into each other’s eyes! Or kissi—no, I didn’t think I could envision that without having a heart attack.

I turned to Filia, expecting her face to be bright red…but she’d trapped me.

“Aww, you were planning on trying to fluster me? Ha!” For some reason she was grinning broadly. Huh?

“Didn’t you see? I was imagining us h…” Deep breath, man! “…holding hands! Aren’t y-you…embarrassed?”

Oh crap, oh no. It was me. I was the one who was embarrassed! Curses!

“Goodness Yuri, for a bulky musclehead, you’re surprisingly innocent, mm? I think it’s kind of cute,” she said with a wink.

How much longer was she going to make a fool out of me? “Why are you—? This isn’t funny at all! This is…serious business!”

“Aww, come on, it is. You’re a weally naughty boy, awen’t you, Yuri? Wanna hold Filia’s wittle hand?” She wiggled her fingers at me.

“Stop talking like that!”

“Oh, and Yuri?”

“What?”

“Congwatuwations on being the champ.”

“I told you, knock it off with the baby talk already!”

In the end, I was completely annihilated. Innocent? No way! Filia was beyond mature for her age.

 

***

 

The day after the magic battle tournament was clear and cloudless, and Filia and I were walking through Mussen Morgeth. We needed to buy new clothes for Filia after hers got wrecked during her fight with Leonir.

“Come on, hurry up, let’s go, Yuri!” Filia skipped in front of me through the crowded street.

“It’s rare to see you in such a hurry, Filia.”

She kind of always went at her own pace, lingering here and there. If anything, she was always holding me back.

Filia tugged on the neck of her borrowed clothes—mine, to be precise. “That’s because your outfits are way too loose, Yuri. I want to hurry up and get stuff that actually fits.”

“I suppose we’re pretty different sizes.”

In addition, I always wore clothes a bit larger than my body in case I had to release my muscles and grow a couple feet. You’d expect my clothes to look a little off on her given they were way too baggy, but it ended up being a good look. She really could make anything work.

It really wasn’t fair at all! My loose shirt reached all the way down to Filia’s knees, hiding the shorts she wore underneath. It had basically turned into a short dress, and everyone who passed noticed her pale thighs peeking out from the hem. Every time the wind fluttered her clothes, the men around us oh-so-conveniently turned their heads to look.

“What’s the matter?” asked Filia. She hadn’t noticed the creep squad, apparently.

“Nothing, it’s no big deal. Let’s get going.”

“Yeah, let’s go! Clothes quest, clothes quest, CLOTHES QUEST!”

Even though everyone we passed was focused on Filia, for some reason I was the one feeling uncomfortable. I picked up the pace and hurried toward the clothing store.

We went to a store that was a sister store to the one we’d visited in Astarte. It probably would’ve been fine to go somewhere else, but why would we?

“It hardly needs to be asked, but you are going to buy it for me, won’t you, my Yuri?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll buy it for you.” I had promised to, after all.

Filia flashed a bewitching smile and touched a finger to her pink lips. “Hmm, I wonder if I should choose the most expensive thing in the store?”

“You’re merciless.”

My smile strained when I remembered the outfit on display near the entrance of the shop, called a “pure gold dress” or something. I wasn’t sure if anyone would even buy that glitzy thing, but I was sure even I didn’t have the money. But as a man, I couldn’t go back on a promise after I’d made it, so—

“I’m joking, Yuri. I’d like this one, if you would.”

While I’d been agonizing, Filia picked an outfit nearby, chuckling. The clothing in her hands was exactly the same as the ones she’d had before: a sleeveless dress with a white base and pink vest.

“Are you really okay with the same outfit?” I asked.

I had thought for sure she would pick something different, but…no, she nodded deeply. “Yes. I want this one.”

And so I bought the outfit for her. I’d promised, Filia wanted it, and there wasn’t anything left to say. Besides, she’d taken a liking to the outfit I’d picked for her. How could I complain about that?

Afterward, I hunted for some more clothing to add to my oft-destroyed wardrobe. After finding one that looked especially eye-catching, I turned to Filia for her opinion.

“Hey, Filia. What do you think about this?”

“Which one?”

The outfit in question was sleeveless black with all kinds of straps, and had clear openings around the stomach and back that would leave my rockin’ abs exposed. It was also constructed in such a way that it wouldn’t be torn apart if I expanded my muscles, and that was a huge plus. If I had to complain about anything, it was that it didn’t really look like actual clothing.

“Whaddya think? Pretty wild, huh?”

“Wild is certainly a…word. I see your wild and raise it to ‘crazy.’ Your taste is simply hopeless, Yuri. Is that even an outfit? It looks like a…strip of cloth, almost.”

I thought it was nice, but it wouldn’t be right to make my partner uncomfortable with whatever I was wearing, so I couldn’t go ahead with it.

Hold on, why was I worrying about my partner like this?

“Not only am I an intellectual muscle man,” I mused, “I have become quite the gentle-muscle-man.”

“Packing an awful lot of mystery into a couple sentences, mm?” Filia chuckled.

After I bought some of my own clothes, Filia changed into her new ones right away. It wouldn’t be good for my mental well-being if she were wearing my clothes forever, after all. When Filia stepped out of the dressing room, she was dressed in her now-typical outfit, that white and pink dress with green ruffles at the shoulders, thigh-high socks, and her hair done up with pink ribbon. It felt weird when she didn’t wear that nowadays.

“What do you think? Does it look good on me?” asked Filia, twirling once.

“It’s the same exact outfit you’ve been wearing for months.”

“That’s not,” she said sharply, “what I asked. I asked you if it looks good on me. Does it?”

“I mean, yeah, it looks good on you, don’t you think?” I didn’t really know much about fashion, but most things looked good on her. Of course this outfit looked good on her, too.

Filia shook her head. “No, there’s no ‘Don’t you think?’ I want to hear you say if it looks good on me or if it doesn’t.”

“It looks good on you.”

“He he he, well, of course! How could it not? This is me we’re talking about, after all!” Filia declared, grinning smugly and puffing out her chest.

Jeez, she could really go zero-to-a-hundred.

With Filia changed, we left the store. Filia walked the city streets with a bounce in her step, elated by her new clothes. Each time she bobbed up and down, her silver hair swayed with her.

It bothered me a bit, actually. Her hair was all spiked up, like springing around. Maybe her hair got all rustled when she got dressed.

“Filia?”

“Yes, what is it?”

After Filia stopped, I patted her hair down, trying to flatten it. The hair muss was kind of charming, but it would probably embarrass her. Noticing this stuff was just one more thing that made me a gentle-muscle-man.

“You had some bedhead going on, hair sticking up and such.” Pat, pat… “You’re surprisingly oblivious to this kind of stuff, huh?”

“Ah…th-thanks…”

“What? You suddenly just got all meek.”

“You’re such a cheater, Yuri,” said Filia, facing the ground but glaring up at me.

“Cheater?” I didn’t get it at all. A cheater? I never skipped out on training or responsibilities or anything, did I?

“Yes, a cheater! As a matter of fact, I’m mad at you. Yuri, you shall now give me your hand.”

“I don’t really get it, but sure.”

Filia said she was angry, but she didn’t really look it. I offered my hand to her.

And Filia put her soft hand in mine. I froze, unsure of what to do. Filia held onto my hand and cheerfully pulled me along with her.

“H-hey, you…” I stammered.

“He he he. This is payback,” said Filia, but her face was turning strawberry-red. It was captivating. On top of that, I could really feel the softness of her palms, since we were skin-to-skin!

“Y-Yuri, this might be a little too much for you to handle, huh?” It almost seemed like Filia was a bit flustered herself, but my own mental state was already not…calm. Compose yourself! Be calm, me!

I was already being teased, but if Filia found out that I was flustered, she’d tease me more than ever. I needed something to focus on to distract myself from all—whatever this was. Now why did Filia suddenly decide to grab my hand in the first place?

Let’s see—aha! That had to be it! I raised my brow. “Pretty slick, Filia…this is a game, right? To see which of us has a stronger mind?”

Now that I could make sense of! And if that was how it was going to be, I had no intention of losing.

“Pardon me?”

“There’s no point playing dumb. While it’s certainly true I’m not very good at this kind of contest, I’m not about to give in!”

Even though I was flustered, I shook Filia’s hand. No way I’d lose!

“A new kind of training, I see! I accept your challenge!”

“Yuri, your thought processes are really, uh. Something else. Can’t you do anything without trying to turn it into training?”

“What? If this isn’t training, what is it?”

“Th-this is…well, it’s that. That.” She turned away with a huff, trying to dodge the question. Even seeing her from the side though, I could make out her cheeks going from pink to red.

Too many unanswered mysteries! I spun around to face her.

“What is ‘that’?”

“Th-that is that. Let’s just drop this,” said Filia, suddenly letting go of my hand.

“Huh? Victory’s mine! How about that, eh? Gotcha!”

“Yuri, you really are just happy to be alive, huh?” muttered Filia.

Whoa, come on, it was just a game, wasn’t it? No need to be a sore loser.

Just then, a guy dashed past us. He sure seemed like he was in a hurry.

“Thief! Please, someone catch him!” a woman cried.

“Don’t you dare come after me! If you do, I’ll kill ya!” the guy snarled, wielding a knife.

He ran on ahead of us. A thief, huh? You really shouldn’t steal people’s stuff. I’d have to give him a little scolding, rake him over the coals a bit. On a personal note though, I hoped he was strong.

“Whoa, Yuri, you’re looking fired up…”

“I’m gonna catch him!”

With that, I bolted forward and skidded to a halt in front of the man.

“What’s with you?” he snapped. “Where’d you come from?! Move it or I’ll kill ya!”

“If you think you can kill me, go ahead and try.”

“H-hiyaah!”

He swung his blade haphazardly and actually managed to get a hit in. Of course, it wasn’t like something so blunt and dull as that pointy metal twig could do anything, not to my muscles.

“Huh? O-ow, it hurts!”

On the contrary, it looked like this guy was suffering a little from reverb.

“Is that all you’ve got? Come on, if you got magic or something, try hittin’ me with that.”

“Y-you’re a monster!”

Shaking like a leaf, the man turned on his heel and started running back the way he’d come. I wasn’t going to let him.

“Hoooaaahh!”

With a warrior’s bellow, I fired a Pistol Punch at the man’s back.

“Gahh…?”

My attack hit the man square in the back and it completely blew him away. Before long, Mussen Morgeth’s knight order came running and hauled him away. Aww. What a disappointing fight. When the commotion died down, Filia strolled up to me.

“Good work!”

“I don’t know if I’d call that ‘work.’”

Over in an instant, and I was completely unscathed. Oh well.

Filia examined the place where the knife had struck my body, but when she realized I wasn’t hurt, she patted my chest. I was grateful she was worried about me all the same. “Yuri, I’m surprised you took on someone with a knife without hesitating. I would’ve, even if just for a moment.”

“Does that really matter? In the end, a knife is just an eating utensil, right?”

“Sure, all knives are just eating utensils.” Filia shook her head. “It’s not often someone strings together a statement so completely out there. Just the sort of thing I expect from you, Yuri.”

Awww, I didn’t need more praise. What if it got to my head?

The woman who had been robbed came up to me then. She bowed her head. “Oh, young sir, th-thank you very much!”

“Don’t worry about it. It was fun.”

Filia rolled her eyes. “Yuri, you really can’t resist fighting, can you?”

Ugh, saying that in front of the lady, too? Even if she was completely, absolutely right! So rude!

“Even still, I was so shocked,” said the woman. “You used wind magic to catch that thief so quickly…”

Someone had the wrong idea again, eh? I couldn’t let that stand. This was my chance to tell her about the splendor of muscles. Time to set the record straight!

“Wind magic? Oh no, that wasn’t wind magic or anythin’.” I smacked my chest with a thud. It was the fruit of my labors, the combination of sweat, hard work, and muscle. And it made me capable of the type of magic only those who had tempered their muscles to the extreme could handle. In other words: “Muscle magic!”