Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Once upon a time, there existed those who established the rules to form the modern world. The denizens of the world were generally classified into eight tribes and divided among the continents. All conflicts and excessive contact between tribes were prohibited, and by modifying each continent into an optimal environment suited to its specific tribe, the world had maintained a longstanding peace.
Within these rules, the ninth landmass—Duel City Babel—was the sole exception. “Let’s all enjoy our fights” was both its creed and its role. A special stage prepared for those who wished for conflict in a peaceful world.
It was, additionally, a place to find excitement in watching others fight.
Here, the duelists who desired battle would contest their abilities through duels. Grappling matches of raw power, armed battles of technique, tactical battles of war, and psychological battles of superseding an opponent’s thoughts or actions... No means were off the table when it came to victory.
“Mnnn... I want to hurry and fight!”
The closer the structure towering over the center of the duel city loomed over him, the greater the sparkle grew in Yuri’s eyes.
“—The ferry will soon arrive at Duel City Babel. Spectators and sightseers please exit to the left of the boat, duelists please disembark from the right. I repeat—”
Hearing the ship-wide announcement, Yuri went over his belongings for the umpteenth time.
“Err... I haven’t forgotten anything. I have the letter from master too!”
He leafed through his rucksack, far too large for his small stature, before lightly hoisting it over his shoulder. He walked along the deck, as instructed, and observed the forms of those proceeding in the same direction.
Human, beastman, dragon-kin, elf, dwarf, angel, demon, spirit—a mishmash of tribes under various appearances, they all shared one thing in common: the weapons each held in their hands. Even these weapons showed off the characteristics of their owner’s heritage, not a single one the same. And the act of holding weapons signified these were duelists.
By the time he was filled with elation at the sight of those he might fight in the future, another announcement signaled the boat’s stop, and the bridge to the pier was lowered. Those on standby stepped down onto land one after the other. Yuri went along with the flow onto the pier, but—
“Oi, quit dawdling, move along!”
“—Wah!? S-Sorry!!”
The moment he was off the ship, he found himself sealed in and jostled around by the crowd. Each time his large rucksack was brushed aside, his small body would be thrown left and right.
“Err... First, I have to go to the registrar to register, so—ah.”
When he tried unfolding the pamphlet that had been handed to him on the ship, another push from the crowd sent it up into the air, and splat into the ocean. Yuri watched its blearing symbols sway in the waves before he nodded to himself and stood.
“...Alright, I can just ask for directions!!”
For the time being, he decided to be optimistic and give up on the map. A look around informed him the congestion was thinning, and all that remained were a few people standing around chatting with their acquaintances. He could ask any one of them, and he would just as quickly be off on his way. Calling out to the first shadow to cross his path...
“Excuse me! I’m a little lost—”
“—Wazzat? What’s yer problem, shrimp?”
An irritated reply from a frame so large he had to look up to take it all in. This man’s height had to be three heads higher than Yuri. His protruding, sturdy muscle and thick, log-like limbs told tales of his fortitude.
All this was topped off by...large, curved horns sprouting from his head, along with a scaly tail growing from his tailbone. The Dragon Tribe, one of the eight tribes.
“Don’t talk to me if you don’t got business. I’ll slaughter you.”
Watching Yuri space out, the Dragon Tribe man showered him with threats. However, not only did this fail to ruin Yuri’s mood, his face lit up like a torch.
“Are you by any chance a duelist!?”
“Shut yer yap, if you don’t get outta my sight, I’ll—”
“Ah! That bracelet on your arm is a Duelist’s Proof, isn’t it! That’s amazing!”
“Yer not listening to a word I’m saying, are you.”
Regardless of the dragon man’s low growl, Yuri was getting worked up, sheer glee on his face.
“By the way, would you be able to give me directions!?”
“Brat, I’m surprised you thought you could get anything outta me at this point...”
“I’m sorry, I just dropped my map... I have to go to the registrar to register myself as a duelist. Could you tell me where that is?”
“Meaning...you just got here today?”
“Yes! I’m going to become a duelist today!” Yuri meekly lowered his head...causing the corners of the dragon man’s lips to rise.
“That makes things quick. Why don’t I lend you a hand?”
“R-Really!?”
“The name’s Haring. Since I’m at it, I’ll lead you straight to the registrar.”
Hearing the dragon man...Haring’s reply, Yuri clenched his fist victoriously. He had heard from his master that a large majority of duelists sported rough temperaments, but there were those who warmly welcomed newcomers as well. Haring looked rather hard to approach, but it wasn’t right to judge a book by its—
“Aight, then pay the guide fee,” he said as he thrust out a large hand right before Yuri’s eyes.
“Y-You want money?”
“’Course I do. You plan on puttin’ me to work with no compensation?”
“Err, I didn’t bring too much money with me...”
“Then give me all you’ve got.” Haring stepped in, pushing Yuri into a corner. “If you don’t wanna pay—then duel me.” His fiendish features warping into a sickly smirk, he turned his sharp, pointed eyes to the boy. “In this duel city, you either settle matters with money or have the other guy lose and obey you. That’s the rule.”
From an outside perspective, Haring’s words sounded insane, but he’d said nothing wrong. Disputes, quarrels, troubles...every problem could be resolved with a duel. That was common sense in the duel city; Yuri had learned so from his master.
“You get it now, rookie? If you’ve got no money and can’t fight, you won’t get anywhere here. Want a guide? Then catch some other goodie-two-shoes or fool.”
Seeing Yuri frozen in place, Haring disinterestedly exhaled before turning to leave—
“Then a duel it is!!”
“............Huh?” Haring’s feet stopped at Yuri’s proud, spirited reply.
“You do look strong, Mr. Haring! It would be a blast to fight you!!”
“No, wait a sec!! Yer supposed to lose yer nerve and pay up or run!”
“Eh? But you can fight, can’t you?” His stance all up for dueling, Yuri tilted his head, perplexed. “I’ll give it my all, no matter who I’m up against!”
His face was one of innocent delight, genuinely desiring a fight. Seeing Yuri’s smile...Haring irksomely frowned.
“Tsk... What an irritating brat.”
“Huh? Please wait! Weren’t we going to fight!?”
“No money? Then I got no business with you. In the first place, you haven’t even—”
Just as Haring was finally going to shake him off and cut all ties, an endlessly thoughtless voice resounded.
“Aaaah! Someone’s up to no good!!”
Long and silky hair of silver thread swaying in the sea breeze, round turquoise eyes brimming with energy. And—flapping, pointed ears and tail.
“Big Sis definitely doesn’t approve of bullying the weak!” With those words, the Beast Tribe girl raced up, angrily swinging around a large sword. The moment he saw her, Haring let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Goddammit... Of all people, it just had to be the stupid Flame Deva Fox...”
“I don’t wanna be called stupid by a guy who’s got croissants growing outta his head!”
“Don’t you mock a Dragon Tribe’s horns! Then what about those dog ears of yours!?”
“I’m not a dog! I’m a fox! The nerve!” she said, her large tail swishing back and forth. “So anyway, Haring—if you’re doing mean things to a newbie again, you’re really in for it.”
Such spirit and malice unthinkable of such a young woman hit Haring head-on.
“Tsk...” he tutted again, “Can it. Bloody brainless fox.”
And, with that parting line, he went on his way, his large body swaying. After making doubly sure he was gone, the girl shuffled over to Yuri.
“Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?”
“Oh, no! I’m perfectly fine!”
As she suddenly peered straight into his face point blank, Yuri lurched back in surprise. Determining that he was fine, the girl gave a vibrant, lighthearted smile.
“That’s great! It wouldn’t be fun if you got injured or traumatized right off the bat!” She ruffled up Yuri’s hair before proudly thrusting out her chest to introduce herself.
“I’m Athena Crossford! What’s your name?”
“It’s Yuri Eniastar! Are you a duelist, Athena!?”
“’Course I am! I’m a pretty strong one too!”
Voila, she turned her chest away as she held her left hand at his eye level. Glimmering on her left wrist—a bracelet embedded with a silvery-white gemstone. This was the Proof that displayed a duelist’s strength and rank.
“The fact that your jewel is white means...you’re Silver Rank!?”
“Mmhmm... And I’m crazy strong for a Silver too! I’m nearly up to Gold, and I’m peerless with my Silver peers, the young up and coming—”
Her words were interrupted by a cold voice from behind. “—Calling yourself peerless just makes you sound weak. You should give up on that one.”
A girl whose hair was a shade reminiscent of the depths of the ocean. While she was young in appearance, her calm demeanor carried a peculiar dignity and wisdom.
“Athena, quit playing around, and get to seeing if there are any other registrants.”
“I’m not playing! I’m teaching Yuri how amazing I am!”
“Even when you just lost to me?”
“I didn’t lose! I got the audience on my side, so it all evens out!”
“Fine, then we’re even. You still owe me a dessert,” came her indifferent reply before she swept back her two blue tails of hair. “So, did you come to this city to register?”
“Yes! Yuri Eniastar, I want to be a duelist!”
“I am Fram Aizberg. Athena and I were entrusted with guiding any lost registrants,” the girl said as she held out a small hand.
“Err... Fram, you’re from the Spirit Tribe, correct?”
“That’s right. I’m probably somewhere around four hundred years old.”
“That sounds rather arbitrary...”
“When you live long enough, it just becomes a pain to keep counting.”
The members of the Spirit Tribe were beings formed from an immense amount of magical energy. Their appearance and physical abilities weren’t much different from humans, but their bodies of mana were close to immortal, eternal. They could live a thousand years without changing in appearance.
In order to decrease mana expenditure, they tended to take on smaller, younger forms, and this could be considered a characteristic of the tribe.
“Now then...it doesn’t look like there are any other potential registrants around. Athena, lead this child to the registration office.”
“Leave it to me. What about you, Fram? Want me to piggyback you?”
“You shake too violently, I’ll have the child carry me.”
“Y-You want me? I think my backpack will get in the way...”
“I don’t care if I have to be over the bag. For us spirits, even the lightest exercise chips away at our mana and tires us out, so I refrain from walking on my own feet as much as possible.”
Without waiting for Yuri’s reply, Fram took a light leap and mounted the rucksack. Perhaps he should have expected it from her young appearance, but her body was so light he couldn’t even feel the difference.
“Fram! I’ll drive safely next time, please come back to your Big Sis!”
“What is this seventeen-year-old whelp mouthing on about?”
“The Beast Tribe considers ten an adult, meaning seventeen makes me a Super-Big Sis!”
“Yes, please come again when you’re an adult mentally.”
As Athena closed in on her, Fram flapped her legs to ward her away.
“For the time being, what am I supposed to do...?” Yuri asked.
“Right. Do you see that tower over there? That is our destination.”
He followed Fram’s outstretched finger and found his gaze back on the tower that rose high into the heavens.
“That tower...Babel Tower isn’t only the symbol of the city. It’s also an office where the duel city’s management, duelist registration, and other necessary civil duties for our daily lives are carried out. You want to hurry up and duel, don’t you?”
“Yes! I want to duel ASAP!”
“Oh, you’re quite the spirited child.”
“I mean, I came to this city because I wanted to fight!” Yuri proclaimed, his eyes sparkling brighter than the stars at night. “I want to fight a lot of people...and win a lot!”
He spoke his mind with sincere eyes. Seeing that, the two girls exchanged a look and laughed.
“You’re quite an interesting child.”
“Yep, yep! Your Big Sis welcomes kids who love to fight!”
“Right! Well then, as his guides, shall we do the line?”
They both nodded before saying in unison, “Welcome to Duel City Babel! We always await new battles!!”
◇
Under the guidance of Athena and Fram, Yuri finally set foot into the duel city. Along the way, he found himself restlessly taking in the sights.
“Wow...the eight tribes really do live together!”
A truly wide assortment of folk strutted the streets. A human clapping her hands to call in customers; a beastman busily running around with his tail in the air; a dragon-kin whose manly curled horns and scales glimmered in the sun; an elf whose long ears twitched back and forth; a dwarf carrying around a basket about as big as she was; an angel basking in the sun, their pure white wings fully spread; a demon whose black wings drooped as he scowled reproachfully at that same sun; a spirit taking it easy in the middle of a bonfire—
The sight of all eight tribes all in one place was unique to the duel city, and its influence made its way into the cityscape. There were elevated elven inns surrounded by greenery; small buildings only a dwarf could enter; rest areas for each element of spirit to recharge; shops with sunshades put out for demons; the diverse cultures of the tribes were clear to see.
Yet, Yuri couldn’t see any walls between them.
“I heard this was where all sorts of tribes gathered, so I thought there would be more difficulties living together.”
“Hmm, well, there are some things you worry about living shoulder to shoulder, but generally, most people who come to the duel city are like, ‘dueling is number one, everything else comes second.’”
“Right. And even if there is a problem, this city always offers an applicable resolution,” Fram said, as she prodded at Yuri’s head and pointed. At the end of her outstretched finger—a man of the Human Tribe, and another of the Beast Tribe.
“Oi, bastard! Don’t think you can just set your stall on my property!”
“Aah? What’s that!? It’s not more than a fingertip over your property line!”
“What part of that is a finger!? Are you talking about those big, meaty beastman claws of yours!?”
“Well you try and find someone who says a nail isn’t part of a finger!”
The two men quibbled in front of their stores, and after glaring so hard that sparks were flying—
“Then let’s settle this with a duel!!”
Right after they cried out in unison, the cheers and roars erupted down the street. Weapons and howls were simply normal in town, and the onlookers were already gleefully heckling the pair.
“Oh, Hank and Richard are at it again! Do your best, both of you!”
“You can really just fight in the middle of town!?” Yuri asked in amazement.
“Yes. Time and place are irrelevant, that is the duel city’s reason for existence.”
A duel began the moment both sides decided to fight. Whether it was the beach or the forest, inside a room, or in the middle of town, the entire city was a fighting arena. Yuri thought back to his master’s explanations as his eyes were stolen by the spectacle, only for the beastman who had initiated the duel to be sent flying right at him.
However—his body never collided with Yuri. It passed straight through as if he had no substance at all.
Yuri could hear the voices and the clash of steel, but the weapons they swung would never hit their onlookers and rubberneckers, nor would they touch the buildings or the merchandise in the stalls.
“Hmm... So this is the duel city’s Field!”
“Yep, yep. The safe and sound duel system! When the duelists are in the Field, they can’t affect anything around them in any way! Everyone’s safe and sound!”
“I’ve been wondering for a long time now, but what principle does the Field work on?”
“No clue! You’ll have to ask Fram!”
“...Why did Mirka think this girl was capable of being a guide?” Fram sighed before adding, “The Field is a separate dimension that a duelist can be transferred to through their Proof. A reality that isn’t reality. No matter what happens in this dimension, it cannot impact reality in any way, shape, or form. I can’t explain the actual inner workings myself, but at the very least, it is a technology that has existed since this city’s founding.” And there, Fram narrowed her eyes ever-so-slightly. “Additionally, the effect of death within the Field doesn’t reflect on reality either.”
“If I’m remembering right, once the Field is undone, everything is put back to how it was before, right?” Yuri asked.
“Correct. If you die from a fatal wound, the Field will be forcibly dissolved and you’ll simply be dragged back to reality. Once you’re back, it’s all put back to normal.”
“You still feel it, by the way! You can’t actually die in duels, but you still feel it; the wounds really, really hurt, and if you die, it’ll be so painful, you won’t be able to move right for three days!”
Her ears drooping, Athena made a large X with her arms. She was a veteran duelist, so if she was saying it, it must be considerably painful.
“To a duelist, death is complete and utter defeat. And the winner’s orders are absolute,” Fram stated, indifferently spelling out the philosophy of the duel city.
The winner of a duel was fully justified in everything they did. In the duel city where battles were respected above all else, this was an unshakable, unwritten rule. That was precisely why, whenever a problem broke out, it would be solved with a duel, and the result of this duel would make for an undeniably clear outcome.
“So death is defeat, and victory is justice. That’s nice and easy!” Yuri concluded.
“Child...your adaptability astounds me.”
“Normally, they get really confused or scared when they hear about artificial death, you know.”
After which, the two exchanged a perplexed look before ruffling up Yuri’s hair.
“Good boy, good boy! You’ll make a fine duelist, Yuri!”
“You really think so!? You think I can be a strong duelist!?”
“Sure you can! I guarantee it! You’ll be strongest, second to me!!”
“...What are you trying to accomplish, comparing yourself to a newbie?”
Fram delivered a chop to Athena’s head, and by the time that was over with, the entrance was finally in sight. The symbol of the duel city—Babel Tower. A symbol of battle that continued to stand where it was, never discoloring or decaying in its lengthy history.
Yuri was left stock-still, looking up at the tower, while Athena easily clambered her way up the stone staircase.
“Righty-ho, let’s hurry and get your registration over with! We must’ve met each other for a reason, so how about you let Big Sis show you around town!?”
“Are you sure about that? You were only supposed to guide me to the registrar.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it! Big Sis has taken a liking to you, Yuri! I get the feeling you’re going to get up to all sorts of interesting antics, and I’d be happy if we continued to get along!”
Seeing Athena flash her teeth in delight, Fram offered a slight sigh. “I’m sorry, it looks like Athena has taken a liking to you. You have my pity, but just give up,” she whispered.
“Is she that bad?”
“She’s strong in a fight, but as you can see, her head’s completely empty. Still, she’s not a bad kid, so do try to get along with her.”
“It’s kinda like you’re the big sister here, Fram.”
“Naturally, I’m somewhere around four hundred.”
Sounding half resigned, Fram stared at Athena in the distance. However, her eyes did not seem to belittle the girl. More so, as fellow duelists, it felt as if she properly recognized her as a rival.
Precisely because they had come to understand each other through battle, and recognize each other’s abilities, they were able to build a bond of trust across tribes and grow close enough for friendly banter. Having witnessed this relationship unique to the duel city, Yuri couldn’t help but smile.
“Well then, I should work hard to be like you two!”
“That’s the spirit. Though I think it will take quite some time to reach us.”
Once a gently-smiling Fram had settled back down on his back, Yuri followed behind Athena.
She was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. The sight that greeted him as she threw open the doors—he stopped in his tracks. A gorgeous, bright and colorful circular hall. Seamless smooth walls and a carefully polished marble floor along with the lamps placed around made the hall almost blinding in its uniform light.
While he stood in a daze, Athena was a step ahead, barreling full-throttle toward the center register. “Mirka!” she shouted, “I brought a kid who wants to register!”
Upon hearing Athena’s voice, the woman at the counter turned with a languid voice. “Yes, yes. Good work, Athena.”
Black bat-like wings extended out from her back. Those small wings performed a few test flaps as the crimson-haired woman lowered her head to Yuri.
“Pleasure, pleasure. My name’s Mirka Stein, I work for Babel Tower. Am I right to assume that boy is looking to register?”
“That’s right! Yuri Eniastar, here to register as a duelist!”
“My, my, what an energetic boy—can’t say I hate that.”
As Mirka licked her lips, her sharp, pointed canines caught the light. The sight caused Yuri to hit his hands together as if something had finally fallen into place.
“You’re from the Demon Tribe, Ms. Mirka! Do you really suck blood!?”
“Yes, that’s right. Why, I’d love to eat you up too, little Yuri.”
“Quit hitting on him and finish his registration, you pedo demon.”
“You’ve got me all wrong, Fram! I just happen to prefer the blood of younger men; there was no deeper meaning!!”
“Then Mirka, tell us what crossed your mind when you first looked at Yuri.”
“Why of course! In exchange for some blood, I want to support him for the rest of his life!”
“Don’t get any closer to this innocent child, and finish your work as swiftly as possible.”
“Oh, I was only joking. You shouldn’t take it so seriously.”
Firmly locked in Fram’s glare, Mirka pouted as she tapped against a gemstone in her hands. The next moment, a pale blue screen manifested in the air.
“This goes here, that goes there and... Yuri, was it? Before we begin registration, would you like an explanation on what it means to be a duelist?”
“Yes! Please guide me from the top!”
“Okay, okay. When you put it like that, it really makes my job feel worthwhile.”
She nodded firmly, her finger sliding over the pale screen. Eventually, she turned it to face Yuri.
“First, our duels go off what we call the Rate System. Your rate fluctuates based on the outcome of your duels. It’s pretty much a value that determines your ranking.”
The screen displayed eight differently-colored words in the common tongue. A bluish-gray, a green, a black, an orange, a white, a gold, a purple, and a red.
“The ranks are, from lowest to highest, Iron, Beryl, Chrome, Bronze, Silver, Gold...and then there’s Adamant and Orichalcum. Once your ranking reaches a certain value, this Proof here will change to the appropriate color, so it’s quite easy to tell.”
She handed over a bracelet equipped with a bluish-gray—Iron—gemstone. “This Proof is not only a duelist’s identification, it also signals an intent to duel and is used to deploy a Field. Please keep it on your left hand at all times.”
“Got it! Can this tell me the details of my ranking?”
“Of course. Just tap on your Proof like I did, and it will project a display to let you know your current status.”
After equipping the bracelet on his left arm, Yuri tapped on the jewel portion as he had seen Mirka do. Once he did—a pale screen floated above it, spelling out his present state.
Duelist Name: Yuri Eniastar
Tribe: Human
Rank: Iron
Rate Ranking: 61491st Place
Rate: 10000
With a quick look at the screen, Mirka continued with her explanation.
“That, my dear Yuri, is your current status. You’ve only just registered, so your rate is at exactly ten thousand. Your ranking is around sixty thousand.”
“Err... The fact that ten thousand puts me around sixty thousand means the people above me have a lot more rate, right?”
“Yes, yes. Just look at Athena and Fram. They’re both at Silver, so their ranking has to be within the top one thousand, and I’m guessing their rate should be over three million.”
“They have that much rate, and there’s still people ahead of them!?”
“That’s right. When you get to the top five hundred—the Gold Rank—the people there generally have over seven million. The top one hundred is Adamant, and even the lowest person there should have over ten million.”
Yuri currently possessed ten thousand, and the top was that over a thousand-fold. When he thought about it that way, he had to wonder just how many duels the higher ranking members had fought in.
“However, it’s possible for even a newbie to catch up!” Mirka exclaimed.
“You really think so!? What do I have to do!?”
“That’s easy, you just have to keep winning.”
“...Umm, is that it?”
“That’s it. More specifically, you’ll have to fight opponents stronger than yourself.”
Returning a sweet smile, Mirka fiddled with a gemstone on her desk.
“The amount of rate wagered on each duel is determined by rank. One thousand for Iron, two thousand for Beryl, and it just keeps going up from there. The winner makes off with the entire pot.”
“Meaning... What does that mean?”
“Well, to put it simply, if you win against a Silver like Athena, you’ll acquire a hundred thousand rate just like that. It’s what we in the business like to call ‘giant slaying.’”
Mirka continued smiling as she tapped away with her hands, but Yuri tilted his head in wonder.
“...In that case, is there any merit in fighting someone who ranks lower than you?”
“Well, first off, there’s proving your own strength. Your Proof broadcasts your duels all over the continent, and strong and interesting duelists can get sponsors. You can earn popularity from viewers who want to see your matches on a regular basis.”
“Ah, I’ve seen those match broadcasts! If you register your favorite duelists, you can see their duels whenever you want, right?”
“Yes, yes. Recording and broadcasting matches are standard functions of the Proof, so it will record your duels too. It also automatically archives past matches, so you could watch your old battles and work out where you went wrong.”
Mirka held up a finger to add to her explanation. “Another reason to fight a lower rank would be an easy victory. Your odds are around fifty-fifty going up against an equal, but you can earn rate more reliably against a lower-ranking opponent. This is also a chance for the lower ranker to earn a huge load of rate, so even with a difference in ranking, there are those who will assertively want you to challenge them.”
“Got it! Then I should go around challenging lots of people stronger than me!”
“Slow down there; if you don’t have the ability, you’ll ruin yourself. Do take care, okay?” Mirka calmly narrowed her eyes, her voice lowered into a remonstrative tone. “In this city, the victor is just, and the loser is worthless. If you pile up too many losses and lose all your rate—you won’t be able to become a duelist again. To a duelist, his rate is his strength, his worth, and his lifespan. To continue to fight without a thought to any of this is not strength, it is merely foolhardiness.”
Even if he didn’t die, if he repeated reckless battles, he would lose his life as a duelist. But Yuri gripped his fist, brimming with confidence.
“That’s alright! I’m not going to lose to anyone!”
He spoke out with unwavering confidence and enthusiasm. Upon seeing his sparkling expression, Mirka let out a languishing sigh.
“Mnnnnn! How honest and adorable! Want to do something nice with this lady after this!?”
“Mirka, not a step past the counter, or else.”
“You can’t! I won’t let you have Yuri!”
Mirka’s frenzied state prompted Athena and Fram to pull the boy back and out of the danger zone. Once Mirka returned to her senses, she gulped down her spit.
“Oh dear, I’m getting ahead of myself. By equipping your Proof, you have completed the provisional registration, so next, I’ll need your personal information for the city registry. This one will be a paper form, so if you would—”
“Ah, come to think of it, I’ve got a letter from my master!”
He fished through the contents of his rucksack, produced a letter and held it out to Mirka. But Mirka quizzically tilted her head.
“By letter, do you mean a recommendation? But generally anyone can become a duelist, so you don’t really need any recommendations.”
“Oh really? My master said I had to hand it in during registration no matter what.”
“Did he? I’m sure your master is a former duelist, but... Incidentally, might I ask what his name is?”
“Err... My master is called Reilly Malbork.”
“...Reilly Malbork?”
Mirka furrowed her brow as she carefully went over the contents of the letter. After she had looked it over...she slowly nodded.
“...I see, so you’re one of those kids.”
“Err, what did my master say?”
“Oh, no, the letter simply contained your personal information. I will be able to fill in the appropriate documents based on this info, so I’ll save you the trouble of filling out any forms.”
She smiled as she did some further fiddling with the gem in the counter. Soon after...the gemstone let off a faint light, and countless lines of letters and numbers streamed out, only to be sucked into and carved into Yuri’s Proof.
“And that concludes your registration. Please make sure you equip and carry your Proof with you at all times.”
“Got it! Thank you!”
After gazing at the radiant blue-gray Proof on his wrist, Yuri triumphantly nodded. “This means I can duel now, right!”
“Yes. Next, let’s go and find a duel, so I can explain how—”
Mirka tried to continue her explanation, only to be interrupted by the sound of breaking ceramics resounding across the hall.
This was soon followed by the angry yell of a man, causing them to reflexively turn in that direction. A certain individual, leaned over the counter, was raising his voice in rage.
“—Quit screwing with me!”
“P-Please calm down, Mr. Haring!”
“Can it! What do you mean they didn’t send a reward!?” His large frame, conspicuous even from afar, was topped off by the characteristic curved horns of a dragon-kin.
“Look into it again! If this is your mistake, you won’t hear the end of it!!”
Each time Haring screamed, the receptionist dealing with him leaked a short shriek.
“...Whoa, we ran into Haring again. Bad luck,” said Athena.
“That stupid dragon-kin really never learns,” added Fram.
“Are the two of you knowledgeable about Mr. Haring?” Yuri had to ask.
“Well, Haring’s the same Silver Rank as us, see,” Athena explained, “So I know a bit, and I’ve fought him before, but...since he’s like that, he’s always standing out, and not in a good way...”
“He is the sort of misunderstanding ruffian you can find on any street corner. The sort who misunderstands rank and rate as some sort of social status,” Fram flatly stated.
“Hmm... I see.” In the midst of their description of him, Yuri ended up directing all his attention on a single point. “If he’s Silver, that means he’s strong, doesn’t it?”
“His behavior aside, his skills are quite up there, I would say. While I hear he fell to Bronze for a while, he has returned to Silver.”
After taking in Fram’s explanation, Yuri gave a satisfied nod. “I see, and thank you!”
He turned to Haring and raced at him, waving his hand.
“Mr. Haring! I must thank you for what you did for me back there!”
While Haring experienced a brief window of surprise the moment he saw Yuri running up to him with a full smile on his face, he immediately sent him a look of disgust.
“You’re...that brat I met at the pier.”
“Yes! I just became a duelist!” Yuri brandished the Proof on his left hand, proudly showing it off. “And so, please fight me!”
“......Huh?”
“I mean, back at the pier, you told me to choose between fighting you and paying money! That’s why I’ve come to request the fight!”
Faced with Yuri’s beaming smile, Haring tutted intentionally loud enough for everyone to hear. “Tsk... What an incorrigible brat. Yer the least of my worries right now. Get lost.”
“Don’t want to!!”
“Why are you the one refusing with all yer might!?”
When the brunt of Haring’s anger began to point at Yuri, Athena and Fram rushed to his aid.
“Yuri! You can’t just go off on your own!”
“That’s right. If you hang around Haring too long, you’ll catch his idiocy.”
“...So this time, you don’t just got the stupid Flame Deva, you’ve got the shrimp Ice Jailer with you too.”
He acknowledged the two who came up, his disgust and repugnance only thickening.
“Oi, just take the brat and get lost already.”
“We were going to do so without your instruction. It would be rather troublesome if you had a negative influence on the newbie.”
“Also your breath stinks, stay away!” Athena added as she glared at Haring.
“Can it! At least let up on the psychological attacks!”
“Yes, excuse me! What do Flame Deva and Ice Jailer mean!?” Yuri inquisitively cut in.
“And you need to consider the situation before you start asking questions! Flame Deva and Ice Jailer are the sorta nicknames those folks who watch the broadcasts arbitrarily tack onto ya!!”
Indignant as he was, Haring provided an honest answer to Yuri’s question. He presumably thought things would only become more troublesome if he stayed silent.
“Aah, dammit... I got involved with a bothersome brat...”
“If it’s that much of a bother, then we really must settle this with a duel, right? Right!”
“I wasn’t talking to you! Stupid fox, shrimp spirit, how about you talk some sense into him!!”
“Point taken. Yuri, you don’t stand a chance, so give up.” Fram tugged at his sleeve as she shook her head to the side. “The color of a Proof is a proof of one’s strength. A newcomer won’t be able to win.”
“But my best bet is to fight strong people, right?”
“Even if that’s the case, you shouldn’t take on fights you’ll definitely lose. No matter how confident you are in your skills, these duels aren’t so charitable for you to win on your first—”
“—We won’t know until we try.”
Cutting Fram off, Yuri drew the sword hung at his hip.
A black one-handed sword. Both its body and grip were short, making it closer to a dagger than a sword. But in a boy’s hands it was surely a sword. Its pitch-black blade let off a peculiar dull glimmer, as if a remnant of light had been sucked into its void, and its center was colored with a single line the color of fresh blood.
And the moment Yuri drew his sword, the air around Haring changed.
“Pull a sword on me...and we won’t be joking and jeering no more.” His expression distorted as his voice lowered in tone; his eyes, turned to Yuri, filled with anger and murderous intent. “Right, if yer gonna be like that, I’ll kill you so hard you’ll never try it again.”
Haring held his left hand high as if to show off his white Silver Proof. After silently gazing at the bracelet a while—
“—Ah, do I need to do something specific to start a duel!? Are there any special words!?”
“Brat, are you really saying that here and now!?”
“I’m sorry! I haven’t been taught yet!”
“Oi, do your job properly, receptionist lady!”
After an angry complaint at Mirka, Haring reluctantly turned back to Yuri.
“Fine, listen up. First, you gotta point the jewel in yer Proof at yer opponent, right? And once our Proofs have recognized one another, our bodies are sent off to the Field. There’s no manners or magic words to it. If yer opponent’s up for it, you can just silently point your Proof and that’s that.”
“I see! Thank you so much!”
“Fer god’s sake... Why am I teaching a newbie...”
Seeing Yuri gratefully lower his head, Haring irksomely sighed.
This time was for real. Both parties confronted one another, their eyes locked.
“Well then—here’s to a good fight!!”
The instant Yuri proudly raised his Proof—a flash of static noise ran across his field of vision. Every person in sight was dyed sepia. This was different than reality, a dimension that existed on a separate phase. In such a muted world, only a single entity retained its color.
“Rookie, if nothing else, I’ll praise your pluck for picking a fight with me.” Haring smirked as he hit his gauntlets together. He stood in Yuri’s path, the opponent he would now have to fight.
At that moment, Yuri heard voices from outside the Field.
“Quit trying to look cool, croissant! Your head’s just right for a balanced breakfast!’”
“Rather than Yuri picking a fight, it’s more like Haring is a walking provocation.”
Subject to the relentless heckling from the girls, Haring’s body shook, and a vein surfaced on his brow.
“Can it, peanut gallery! Just because you’re outside, you think you can—”
The moment Haring lost his composure and took his eyes off of Yuri—Yuri’s flying kick slammed straight into his face.
“Koh—!?”
Though Haring raised a farcical cry, Yuri did not hesitate to swing his foot. A blow without the slightest bit of mercy. What’s more, the attack caught him by complete surprise, sending Haring’s body forcefully tumbling across the floor.
Yuri laughed, flashing his teeth.
“If there’s no starting signal—then sneak attacks are valid, aren’t they?”
The spectators watching their duel grew heated.
“Hyooh!” an onlooker whistled, “Good going, rookie!”
“There are no rules in battle! The one who wins in the end is just!!”
“What’s wrong, Haring!? Conceding the first hit to a newbie!?”
Having just witnessed Haring’s overbearing attitude, the surrounding duelists began to jeer at him one after the next. As they showered him with boos, Haring slowly rose to his feet. His face had taken quite a blow, but forget falling unconscious, his nose wasn’t even broken.
One of the Dragon Tribe’s traits was their sturdy constitution. Thick skin that could repel a blade, tough muscles to catch any blow, bones hard enough to beat out metal—all combining to form a body specialized in defense.
No half-hearted attacks would get through to a member of the Dragon Tribe. And the other ability they possessed—
“You’ve got spunk, rookie. I’ll give you that.” Haring’s face turned red with anger, putting Yuri on his guard. “I was looking down on you for being a newbie, but you asked for it. I’ll crush you with all I got.”
After a quiet murmur, the air started to tremble. The vibrations spread out until the floors and walls were shaking violently, the sand born from the tremors squirming and swelling as if it had a will of its own.
Though the Field existed in a different dimension, it recreated the surrounding environment: geographical features and buildings. And, while events within the Field couldn’t impact the real world in any way, it was possible to manipulate the objects created within it.
“I’ll kill you so thoroughly—you won’t fight again!!”
The instant he clenched his fists in rage, the area around him changed. The sand grains floating in the air gathered to envelop Haring’s body. Gradually, those grains became gravel, and gravel upon gravel formed stone. Haring’s body was transforming into something grotesque as these massive boulders enveloped him.
Long ago, before the world had its rules... In the long and bloody wars among the tribes, each of the eight tribes developed their own unique skill to overwhelm the others.
These were the tribal skills—and they were still around for anyone to use in a duel.
“This is—my Dragonification!” A roar jumbled with all sorts of grating noises echoed across the hall.
To change one’s body into that of a dragon, this was the Dragon Tribe’s tribal skill: Dragonification.
A long neck of adjoined stone. A body enshrined as a single hulking boulder. Four limbs formed from complex rock formations to support a thick and massive body—a form truly worthy of being called a ‘dragon of stone.’
“You won’t die easily...you irritating brat!!”
Its crooked mouth split as the stone dragon raised a roar to the high heavens, showing off the dull color that coated the insides of its oral cavity.
Faced with the overwhelming dragonic form—
“So this is a real Dragonification...!!” Yuri muttered. No fear in his eyes, he gleefully gazed up at the beast towering before him.
“If you’re getting serious, then I should give it my all!”
With this declaration, he kicked off, practically sliding full speed at the dragon.
“A human’s all ain’t worth nothing!!” the beast roared as a tail of joined stones swung at Yuri. The marble floor was cruelly hollowed out, fine white particles scattering as the stone tail ripped its way toward him.
“You won’t know until you try!”
Yuri leaped over the tail creeping along the ground. But the tail carried right on with its momentum, colliding with the ceiling and sending a shower of rubble and debris down.
Dodging the falling fragments, Yuri continued sprinting without rest—only to come to a sudden stop, turn, and take a large leap to the side.
“Hey now, what’s wrong!!? You won’t win running around like that!” Haring scoffed as he maneuvered the massive bulk to give chase. The moment its foreleg lifted, Yuri turned to face the dragon—
“Running is—sometimes—necessary to win!” he declared as he forcefully slashed at the stone dragon’s limb. Feeling a definite sense of cutting into something, he kicked the leg and sent his own body flying back and away.
And the moment Haring slowly lowered that leg—it fell apart with the ear-rending sound of scraping stone, bringing the dragon to its knees. Its body lurched forward, as if it had no leg to stand on, and indeed the stone that had formed its forelimb crumbled away until nearly nothing remained.
“When the body is so large, an immense load is placed on the legs supporting it. In order to move them, you have to create joints—if I can just aim for that gap, my sword won’t be repelled.”
The four legs were a complicated construction of stone, but precisely because they needed to be operational as legs, they were not simply coated in solid rock. Instead, they were a complicated arrangement that allowed for joints to form.
The moment a gap was born between stone and stone—meaning, when the leg was lifted—its sturdy armor couldn’t simply repel a blade. And if he managed to deal damage to the joint, and then its bulk was set back on the ground...the weight of the body would crumble its construction, and it would consequently fall apart from the weight of the stones that formed it.
“Your size and weight are a threat, but if you lose one of the legs supporting you, it will largely throw off that body’s balance. In such a state—your tail isn’t going to go where you’re aiming.”
And right after he said this, a destructive sound erupted behind Yuri. A lowered stone tail. Unable to hit the boy, it deviated and simply smashed the marble floor.
“Hah... You fight calmly for a rookie.”
Even with one leg crumbled, Haring’s tone showed no impatience. His superiority had yet to collapse. The stone armor that enveloped him was still sturdy as ever, and his means of attack, his tail, was still in one piece. He had missed because he attacked right after his sense of gravity shifted, and if he continued attacking until he successfully corrected for this, he would soon regain his accuracy.
“Now—keep on running until you’re crushed flat!!”
He recklessly flailed his stone tail about, sending it at Yuri again, but—
“—So that’s your angle!”
Face at full smile, Yuri sprinted full speed at Haring’s dragon.
By sealing the movements of its legs, he had restricted Haring’s main attack to his tail. This was a wide-open space, and a tail that could move freely in all directions was a threat. But there was one safe zone: directly beneath the giant of stone.
Yuri slid under, slipping beneath the stone dragon’s bosom, and carefully observed the formation above him.
“If I know your attacks won’t hit, I can take careful aim.”
With the chest of a stone dragon right above him, Yuri focused all his strength—and forcefully thrust out his black sword.
A shrill metallic shriek echoed more than a few times as the blade’s tip stabbed into solid rock. It stuck fast, but...Yuri could tell from the sensation that it hadn’t pierced into a heart, or even skin.
“You fool! Even with the Human Tribe’s Armament skill, there’s no way you can pierce through my Dragonified body!!” Haring scoffed as he lowered the massive dragon to crush Yuri underneath. It would, quite literally, be no different from being crushed under a massive boulder.
Yuri had no means of opposing the stone armor; he would be smashed to death by an overwhelming difference in weight. Even if he managed to slip out from underneath, he would lose his weapon. And if he continued to fight with this disadvantage, he would eventually lose regardless.
“Get crushed, twerp!!” Haring raised an ear-splitting roar, completely convinced of his victory.
Even so, Yuri did not move. He could see the mass approaching overhead, but he showed no motion to avoid it...and yet, his eyes had by no means given up victory.
“Certainly, with my strength, I’m unable to pierce your armor, but—” Locking in on the black sword stuck in the stone dragon’s chest, Yuri clenched his fist tight. “This should work especially well on you!!”
Against the sinking bulk, Yuri lifted his fist and delivered a powerful punch to the hilt of the sword. The sword warped and swayed, filling the hall with a strangely comforting hum. As this mysterious, lingering sound gradually faded away...
Haring’s massive body was frozen in place. It was as if time itself had come to a halt; the stone dragon stood lifeless, unmoving.
A wide grin spread across Yuri’s face as he declared—
“And that—is my win!”
Right after his proclamation of victory, the stone dragon’s body soundlessly crumbled. The solid stone returned to grains of sand before losing shape and fading away. And, as the grains of sand danced through the air...the sepia world gradually regained its color.
Returning to reality, the first thing to catch Yuri’s eye was a fallen Haring, laying flat over the white marble floor.
Right after he confirmed his fallen form, the unanimous cheers of his surroundings broke the silence.
“Whooooooah!! The rookie went and beat Haring!!”
“What happened!? Did that rookie use Armament!?”
“Oi, Haring isn’t getting up! Don’t tell me he went and croaked!?”
Despite the onlookers loudly speaking over one another, Haring neither reacted nor moved. The exposed whites of his eyes were completely still. While he had been convulsing at first, even that stopped as he remained motionless on the ground.
“H-Huh!? Is he going to be alright!?” Yuri frantically called out.
“Don’t worry about it, rookie. It’s not like he’s dead, he’s just feeling intense pain, like his body’s being ripped apart and every blood vessel’s bursting, among other terrible experiences.”
“That doesn’t sound alright!”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. Everyone goes through it once in their life. It’s supposed to be as harsh as death, and you’ll be left an empty husk with no motivation to do anything for about three days, but once you’ve recovered, you’re right back to normal.”
The onlooker spoke of it so lightly, with a chuckle here and there. Athena had said something similar, but Yuri never thought it would be that bad.
Physical death did not exist within duels. Precisely because of this, to make sure duelists didn’t fight without care for their own lives, an artificial death experience was introduced. It forced the duelist to comprehend first-hand that they had faced a decisive defeat. A system to give meaning to death.
“Err... Umm, I’m sorry for killing you without really understanding what would happen!”
After lowering his head to an unconscious Haring, Yuri hightailed it out of there. Whatever the case, he managed to achieve victory in his first fight.
“So I...really can properly win against other people...!”
He burst into a joyful sprint as he reflected on the feeling of true victory.
“Athena, Fram! I actually won! It was my first time fighting against anyone other than my master, but I can actually win—”
As he walked up to them waving his hand, excited to share how it felt to win his first fight—the three of them grasped him firmly by the shoulder.
“Huh? Athena, Fram, even Mirka... What’s wrong?”
“Congrats on your first win...is what I’d like to say, but...!”
“...Thankfully, you won, but you should listen when someone is warning you.”
“Yuri...when registering, you have an obligation to hear my explanation in its entirety.”
Though the three of them threatened him with cheery faces, Yuri hesitantly posed the question.
“Oh, well...since I won, can’t we just say all’s well that ends well?”
The three of them shook their heads, the smiles still plastered on their lips. What followed was an ample lecture.
◇
Around the time the duel city was being colored by the setting sun...
Yuri and the gang had come to the southern parts of the city, commonly called the sightseeing district. As its name implied, the sightseeing district contained numerous stores geared toward the tourists who stopped by from the other continents.
Not only restaurants and stands targeted at specific tribes, the district boasted all manner of specialty stores that took on all sorts of shapes. A majority of those stopping by the duel city would find themselves quite overwhelmed by all this. Yuri had the guidance of the girls, so he had eaten a fine dinner, but—
“—Yes! Next question!”
Athena, sitting across the table, mercilessly pointed a finger at Yuri. “Apart from deploying a Field, what can a duelist’s Proof do!?”
“Yes! It serves as a duelist’s identification, but it can also record and stream duels and manage fight money and other finances. It has communication and map features restricted to the city, and it lets you see other peoples’ duels and view the city bulletin board.”
“Correct! Full marks from me!”
Every time Yuri energetically answered a question, Athena would lean in and ruffle up his hair. She had gone through them all now, and Fram and Mirka breathed sighs of relief.
“That’s good... I would seriously have to hold my head if it turned out you were as hopeless as Athena,” noted Fram.
“Unlike Athena, you pick things up fast,” Mirka mercilessly joined in.
“Why are you two ganging up on me!?”
“Because you forgot everything by day two, and were crying, lost and alone.”
“You forgot how to use your Proof’s communication feature, and in the end, we had to search all over for you...”
“I’m fine now! I remember everything now!!” Athena smacked the table as if to insinuate this was all completely uncalled for.
“But little Yuri,” Mirka said, turning the conversation back to him, “You really do have to listen to the explanations, okay? It turned out fine since there were a lot of people around, but we would have some real trouble if you’d gotten into a contractual duel.”
“A contractual duel is a duel where you decide on the ramifications of the outcome beforehand, right?”
“Yes, yes. The usual term of ‘the loser must obey the victor’ is a tacit understanding, but you can make a more official agreement by exchanging a contract,” she explained before letting out a deep sigh. “If you hold a contractual duel, the loser must unconditionally abide by the details of the contract. There are quite a few duelists who’ll misuse this, tricking newbies who don’t know a thing. It really is troublesome.”
Eyebrows bent angrily, Athena puffed out her cheeks. “Right, right! Haring was doing something like that before!”
But, hearing that, Yuri tilted his head. “Yeaaah...he didn’t seem like that much of a bad guy to me...?”
“Haring aside, just know it can happen, and be careful. I get that you like fighting, but listen to the warnings of your predecessors.”
“Erk... Sorry...”
Yuri’s body curled up under Fram’s firm rebuke.
Mirka lightly clapped her hands together.
“Yes, yes. That should be everything, so how about we call it a wrap? We’ll be returning to our duelist housing, but what inn did you book, Yuri?”
“Me? I didn’t book an inn.”
Yuri tilted his head, and Mirka tilted hers back.
“Oh...then where do you plan on staying?”
“I was thinking I’d camp out for a while. The ferry pretty much emptied my pockets, and I had to camp to get to it anyway. My master told me I have to live strong no matter where I find myself!”
Yuri spoke with high spirits, but Mirka drew her hands closer to her face with each passing word.
“Yuri...you’re not allowed to camp outside in the duel city...”
“You can’t!? But camping is the greatest way to spend time and doesn’t cost a coin!”
“You’re the first human I’ve met to sing such praise of camping,” Fram tiredly noted.
Athena added, “Yuri, you’re feral in the strangest places...”
While the two of them exchanged a sigh, Mirka held her head and groaned. “Mnnn... But it will be hard to book a Human Tribe inn on such short notice...”
“Athena, you know a lot of people. Do you know anyone who works at an inn?”
“Yeah...at this point, it will be hard for even the people I know.”
“I’m sorry, this is all because of my lack of planning...”
A dark atmosphere loomed as the four of them hung their heads. All of a sudden, Mirka’s face snapped up.
“No...we do have one surefire option!”
“We do!? Do you know someone who’ll—” Yuri tried to ask, but he was cut off as Mirka grasped him by the shoulders.
“Yuri...you can just stay with me!!” she proposed from a drooling mouth.
◇
Duel City Babel, the circular artificially-made continent, was largely divided into four districts.
The southern sightseeing district was always flourishing with tourists and duelists; it was always the district that saw the most people. While the northern artisanal district wasn’t visited as often, it contained rows of weapon and armor shops geared toward duelists. A great many merchants opened specialty shops there to make sure the fighters were always in perfect condition.
The western purgatory district was a special zone even within the duel city, closely packed with artificially-made dungeons. Here, duelists could test their skills against magical creatures and collect materials as a source of income.
And the remaining eastern district was the residential district where the duelists lived. It was divided into eight blocks, separated by tribe, with each block given scrupulous consideration in creating an environment suited to its specific tribe.
Within it, the Human Tribe block was the only one to allow other tribes to take up residence.
Despite differences in appearance, the eight tribes were humanoid without exception, and in the Human Tribe block, which essentially had all the necessary facilities as long as one had hands and feet, there were generally no major drawbacks to anyone’s livelihood. As the rent was cheaper than the tribe-specific blocks, there were those of other tribes who found it preferable.
Yuri and the others had gathered in a room in an apartment complex in that Human Tribe block.
“Urgh... Why am I tied up...!”
The landlord, Mirka, bawled as she was tied to the bed. Fram looked at her with nothing but coldness in her eyes.
“It’s for Yuri’s safety. There’s no telling what you’ll do to him while he’s asleep.”
“Shouldn’t it be the opposite!? You should tie Yuri up so he doesn’t do anything crazy!”
“Yuri won’t do that!” Athena protested.
“But what if I want him to?!”
Watching the bed grate as Mirka thrashed back and forth, Fram quietly closed the door to the bedroom.
“Yuri. We brought our futons over. Let’s sleep in the living room.”
“Umm... I can’t help but feel guilty just abandoning Mirka like that...”
“It’s fine, perfectly fine! That’s generally how you deal with that girl!” Athena lightly stated as she flopped down onto the futon laid out over the floor.
“Come to think of it, the two of you live in the same building as her, right?”
“Mirka bought up an abandoned duelist lodging facility, and we ended up here somehow or another.”
“...Wait, she bought the entire building?”
“Right, right. We were surprised, too, but Mirka does strange things on a regular basis.”
“There’s no doubt some screw’s gone loose.” Fram plainly stated.
“You’re both merciless toward your landlord...”
“I am grateful. She does look after us regularly,” Fram said with a glance at the bedroom. She would never say it to her face, but she did place some trust in her.
“Even so, you sure were strong back there, Yuri! It takes some nerve to pick a fight with Haring, but you went and won just like that! You took me by surprise!”
“I have to agree. I was sure you would lose.”
The result of a duel was not decided solely by strength and talent, but by experience, knowledge, and trial and error as well. This city was the only place in the world where fighting other tribes was permitted, making it inevitable that all newcomers shared a fatal lack of experience. It was nigh impossible to win against seasoned opponents. In fact, in all duels, more often than not the more experienced fighter came out the victor rather than the stronger one.
“And...I never thought you would win that way.” added Fram.
“Err, did I do something wrong?”
“No, I’m impressed. You won with pure technique.”
When it was spelled out, what Yuri had done seemed exceedingly simple. By punching the sword stuck in Haring’s chest, he used the immense vibrations and shock to forcefully stop his heart. As a result, Haring was visited by death, but to execute that attack required complicated and fine-tuned technique.
“You realized that your opponent was wearing solid armor that would block a slash but amplify a vibration. You effectively used this information to devise a strategy against your opponent. You have both the physical capabilities and accurate sword techniques to make it possible... That isn’t the sort of thing you learn overnight, and it’s not nearly as easy as it sounds.”
But his victory wasn’t only technical. He had led Haring by making it look like he was running away; he had restricted attacks to his tail by destroying a leg; and by getting under him, he had made it so the only viable attack for Haring was to crush him with the dragon’s massive body—not to mention using the opponent’s weight to heighten the impact of his own blow. In his control of the match, Yuri had far transcended the realm of a newcomer.
“If I’m remembering right, you had a fighting master, right?” asked Athena.
“Yes! I learned all sorts of...things about fighting...under my master...” The moment his master came up, Yuri’s eyes gradually lost their glimmer. “My master was a really harsh person...!”
“Ah! Yuri’s eyes went cloudy for the first time!”
And as his shoulders trembled, Fram cocked her head as if she had caught on to something.
“I heard the name at the desk. Reilly Malbork. Did he used to be a duelist? I think I’ve heard that name somewhere before...”
“Mnn, I’m pretty sure I—Aah!!”
Athena’s ears pricked up as she lifted her face. “That person was on the same team as my brother ten years ago!!”
“Now that you mention it...the name might have come out in conversation a few times.”
“Yep, yep! He was a mix-blood but was still really strong!” Perhaps recalling the stories she heard from her brother, Athena began to prattle on with a gleam in her eyes. “If a Human Tribe member is mix-blood, they can’t even use their Armament Tribe Skill, but he was an amazing person who continued to win with sheer technique and tactics! My brother was always talking about him!!”
Armament, Release, Secret Art, Hyper Dash, Dragonification, Divine Might, Familiar, Creation. These tribal skills were abilities that could completely change the outcome of a duel.
The attributes of the eight tribes greatly differed from one another, and using the special traits of one’s tribe—at the right place and the right time—could immediately reverse the flow of the match. It was difficult to win without using tribal skills.
As an experienced duelist, Fram couldn’t help but display a sliver of surprise. “If your brother praised him, he must really be amazing.”
“My master is incredible! It wasn’t just swordplay... The appropriate measures to take against each tribe, how to lead an opponent’s train of thought, how to restrict their movement! There were loads of other things too—”
“Yes, yes, you already proved how amazing your master is just from how you fought. But if you get too excited, you won’t be able to sleep.”
Seeing that Yuri was getting eager again, Fram gently patted him on the head. “You really love dueling, don’t you, Yuri?”
“Rather, you’re about as enthusiastic as me!” Athena exclaimed.
“Yes! I really am!” Yuri cheerfully replied. “Once I came to the duel city, I dreamt of fighting every hour of the day!”
“I totally get you! But it’s important to sleep and rest your body!”
“You heard her. Well then, let’s sleep for tomorrow.” After a good stretch, Fram pulled the string on the magic lighting device and extinguished its glow from the room.
As the moonlight streamed in through the window, Yuri abruptly asked, “Come to think of it, why did the two of you choose to become duelists?”
“Mnn... It just sorta happened for me. My brother was a duelist, see. I’d watched him since I was a little kid, and I thought it looked interesting!”
“For me, it was simply because the earnings were good. I struggled to earn money at first, but now my name has spread, and I have a stable income through my fight money.”
“Hmm... So there are all sorts of reasons to duel,” Yuri muttered as he stared at the ceiling.
This time, Athena asked back. “What about you, Yuri? Why did you decide to be a duelist?”
“Umm, I don’t really have any major reason,” he said, smiling as he explained why he set off on his path. “Winning fights is really fun.”
“Hmmmm...? That’s it?”
“Yep, that’s it! It’s fun to win, and really irritating to lose! That’s why I do my best to win. I’ll do anything to get stronger.”
From an early age, Yuri had learned all sorts of techniques and strategies under his master. He wasn’t lying when he said he had done everything he could.
“And that’s why—I won’t lose to you two either!”
He laughed innocently as he held out his fist, causing Athena and Fram to laugh along.
“Hmmm! You really are a good kid, Yuri!!”
“Right. That desire to win is an important trait for a duelist.”
“Yes, thank you!”
“You’ll definitely become a fine duelist, your Big Sis is rooting for you!”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what sort of duelist you’ll become.”
And Yuri replied proudly, exuberantly, “Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Like that, night fell on Yuri’s first day in the duel city.