by Yuu Tanaka
“Dias and Aurel. They’re her friends. They haven’t stopped worrying about her since they heard she got kidnapped.”
The Beast King nodded. “For real? No wonder they were glaring daggers at me! Sure, go for it. In fact, I’ll tell them for you. I’m going to meet them, anyway.”
“Please.”
“I know you still got questions, but I’m busy the next couple days. Meet me again after you finish the tournament.”
“All right.”
“It’s a date,” said the Beast King. “Now go out there and entertain us, huh? If you make it past the third round, I might actually listen to what you have to say.” He grinned playfully.
Having lost her fear, Fran replied firmly. “Third round? I’m going to win this entire thing.”
“Ha ha ha! You guys hear that? She’s putting you both on notice!”
Royce nodded calmly while Gaudartha gave her a warrior’s smirk. “The enthusiasm of the young does good to one’s heart.”
“Indeed. Don’t think that we’ll go easy on you.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Bwa ha ha ha! You even got a response out of these two! Oh, this is great. Come over after you win and show me your big trophy. Catch you later, Fran.”
The conversation ended on a cheery note as the Beast King took Zehmet inside a tent with the surviving members of Blue Pride. Zehmet was about to turn around to say something, but Rigdith forced him to keep walking. Royce noticed Fran’s worried look.
“We’re going to discuss boring political matters. You can run along now, if you wish.”
Even so, Fran needed to know. “What’s going to happen to Zehmet?”
“Ah. Well, he is guilty of going against the absolute word of our monarch, but Lord Rigdith seems interested in him. I am sure nothing bad will befall him.”
“All right.”
Rigdith didn’t seem to be the sort to go overboard, and he knew that Zehmet would be a good ally. It wouldn’t make sense to execute him.
As we left the Blue Cat encampment, Fran was in high spirits. She was motivated before, but now it had transformed into firm resolve.
We have to get to the third round, now.
“Hm! We have to go all out, Teacher.”
The tournament was no longer a hypothetical test.
You’re right.
“We’ll definitely win!” Fran said under her breath, the flames of resolve quietly roaring inside her.
Chapter 3:
A Fierce Opponent
IT WAS THE DAY after our strange encounter with the Beast King, and the first match of the second round began while we were standing in the waiting room. Fran would be up in a little under an hour.
Despite everything that happened yesterday, Fran was in perfect condition. In fact, she felt more driven than ever. She was stressed out from having to talk to Blue Cats, but thanks to Rigdith, she was back on her game and more aggressive than ever. Dealing with Blue Cats was a special kind of stress she couldn’t work off, even after beating the living daylights out of them. Then again, maybe the atmosphere of the tournament was just getting to her.
I didn’t take her aggression to be a bad thing. If anything, I thought she did a good job of converting negative energy into fighting spirit. Still, it would be better to keep her cool if she had to fight several matches in a row. The way she was now, she’d easily make it past the third round.
“Hup! Haa!”
“Woof!”
“Hrmph!”
Fran warmed up by working on evasive maneuvers, swinging me around and having Jet come at her from multiple angles.
You know your match is gonna start soon. Don’t tire yourself out.
“Hm.”
“Woof.”
They nodded, but their game of tag only got faster. The normal human eye could no longer keep up with them. I let them carry on. This only amounted to light footwork for Fran. Soon, a knock came on the door.
“Fran? The second match has just finished. Please get ready.”
That was fast. We had only been waiting for thirty minutes. The tournament official told us that Gaudartha made short work of his opponent. He was definitely the one to beat in our block. He hurried us along to the arena.
“Please make your way into the ring.”
Cruise, the adventurer who beat Old Radule, was our opponent.
Fran, remember this isn’t your first time meeting him. Don’t say “pleased to meet you”.
“Hm?”
Just tell him “it’s been a while” or “good to see you again”.
“Got it.”
If memory served, Cruise was a C-Rank swordsman. He was more of a leader than a fighter, and his stats showed it. He was probably promoted to C-Rank more for his managerial skills than his fighting prowess. I remembered him being a cheerful man, though one with a weight on his shoulders.
I didn’t expect him to look at all like the man waiting for us in the ring. The fierce warrior stared at Fran quietly as she entered. “I didn’t think I’d see you here of all places.”
“Hm.”
Is that really Cruise? He’s a lot rougher than I remember.
Name: Cruise Riouselle
Age: 28
Race: Human
Class: Berserker
Level: 37/99
HP: 256; Magic: 175; Strength: 183; Agility: 219
Skills: Evil Sense 3; Stealth 4; Evasion 6; Royal Etiquette 2; Frenzy 4; Presence Sense 5; Sword Arts 6; Sword Mastery 8; Self-Defense 4; Command 2; Blink 8; Cold Resistance 4; Poison Resistance 5; Trap Sense 2; Dull Pain; Spirit Manipulation; Health Regeneration; Last Stand
Title: Giant Killer; The Upright; Survivor of a Hopeless Battle
Equipment: Mad Tiger Fang Longsword; Mithril Full Plate; 100-legged Spider Mantle; Bracelet of Sacrifice; Evasion Ring
The handsome face of the young noble was now marked with a scar that ran from the top of his right eye all the way to his cheek. It looked like the claw mark of a great monster. While he seemed to have retained his vision, the wound was deep.
It wasn’t just his looks, either. His Class had changed from Duelist to Berserker, and with it, his Strength and Agility were drastically increased. He was now heavily focused on offense.
Fran finally remembered the young man from Alessa, but everything about him was so different that she doubted herself. “What happened to you?”
“Ha ha ha. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Doesn’t look like it to me.”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since I saw your match with Lady Amanda. I changed my fighting style. I just got a little roughed up trying to perfect it; that’s all.”
Fran’s mock match with Amanda had been intense enough to make anyone rethink their life choices. One look at Cruise’s face told me that he’d taken it seriously enough to train almost to the point of death. I thought that was going a little too far, but at least he was trying.
“I don’t think I’m as strong as you were back when you challenged Amanda…but I’d like to see how far I’ve come.” Cruise drew his sword, and powerful mana emanated from it. It was definitely an enchanted weapon. The longsword was crafted out of the fangs of a Tyrant Sabertooth. We would have to be careful about the Vibrofang within.
“We’re at the same rank now. I need to put up some sort of a fight.”
“I’m still going to win. I have my reasons,” Fran said as she readied me.
Before, the menacing aura she emitted would’ve been enough to make him cower. Now, he only smiled as he readied his sword. Cruise had definitely grown stronger psychologically as well as physically.
“And now, a duel between swordsmen! First, the dark horse who eliminated Ulmutt’s own elder mage Radule: the C-Rank adventurer, Cruise! Up next, the youngest C-Rank in town, and the youngest combatant in the tournament: the Swordceress Fran! We’re in for an exciting fight today, folks!”
Cruise had yet to receive a nickname, but he defini
tely got some props for beating Radule.
“Third match of the second round…begin!”
“Here I go! Frenzy!”
Cruise opened the fight by immediately increasing his offensive capabilities at the cost of his defense. As its name implied, the skill also threw him into a state of frenzy, making it more difficult for him to make rational decisions. He wanted to be on the offensive from the get-go, even if it did cost him. Against someone as powerful as Fran, a good defense wouldn’t do him much good, anyway.
“Haaaaa! Down Break!”
He made a great vertical leap and brought his sword down, his own weight amplified by the force of gravity. His attack was much more refined than it’d been in the dungeon at Alessa.
“Haaa!”
“Too slow,” said Fran.
“Gah!”
She saw through his attack and parried it, then followed up with a counter to his sword arm. If she could disable him, that would net her the win. There were too many holes in Cruise’s offense. Frenzy prevented him from properly dodging. He twisted his body, letting his left arm take the hit. Fran cut it off right below the elbow, but Cruise only smiled triumphantly.
“Do you give up?” she asked.
“Hee hee. Of course not. I’m not even left-handed.”
“I thought so.”
It was Fran’s turn now.
“Urk!”
I had to applaud him for dodging two of Fran’s attacks, but his missing arm shifted his center of gravity. Her third strike cut deep into his side. She carried on her assault, knowing that Cruise was still fully conscious. She twisted me up, going for his sword arm again, but he managed to activate his skill faster than she could cut.
“Last Stand!”
His body glowed. I checked out his stats and found they were all dramatically increased, but his life force was reduced to a critical state. He’d also acquired Pain Immunity. This was a high-risk skill he could only use at the brink of death!
“Aaaaaargh!”
“Hm!”
Cruise blocked Fran’s attack with what remained of his left arm, and immediately went after her. I felt my blade cut through his bones and nerve endings. The pain would’ve been excruciating without Pain Immunity, but Cruise only let out a menacing roar.
His Bracelet of Sacrifice ensured him a second chance, allowing him to counter his enemy’s offense even when he was at death’s door. Cruise’s strategy involved letting his enemies tear him apart, only to beat them with his exposed bones. It was a good strategy in a tournament, since there was no real threat of dying. Free of that risk, he could punch an entire weight class higher.
“Gah!”
“Too slow.”
Unfortunately, Fran saw through it. She redirected his attack by deflecting the flat of his sword with the back of her hand. Cruise certainly had grown stronger, and had developed a new fighting style to prove it. But Fran hadn’t been slacking off, either. She wasn’t going to pull her punches just because Cruise was willing to put his life on the line. She threw him completely off balance, taking away his only chance at avoiding her kick.
“Hngh!”
Fran’s high kick took the wind out of him and sent him flying. He was still in the arena when he landed, but he wasn’t getting back up. Even if he couldn’t feel pain, he was out cold.
“And it’s over! Fran the Swordceress takes the win and remains the true dark horse of the tournament!”
Cruise had been the favorite to win the match—he was the senior C-Rank, after all. He had beaten Radule, too.
“That’s the second time Cruise put his life on the line, but it didn’t work this time!”
After fighting Cruise, we got seats to watch the rest of the fights.
This is the last time we can watch Colbert fight before facing him. I hope whoever he’s fighting can last a few minutes.
“Hm.”
People around us were staring at Fran, even though she had pulled down her hood. Still, no one dared to talk to her.
“Woof.”
If nothing else, Jet was at her feet, glaring at everyone around us. I had given him specific instructions to be our guard dog today, and he was doing a great job of it.
“We now come to the fourth match of the second round! The eldest son of Baron Stoneriver, he learned the way of the lance from his father and is no stranger to the battlefield: Hilden Stoneriver!”
Colbert’s opponent wasn’t an adventurer, but he sounded like a famous knight. A figure walked out, spear in hand, looking very much like a knight from the Middle Ages. His armor certainly had an aristocratic look to it, but underneath was a thickly muscled body decorated with scars. Hilden Stoneriver looked more bandit than noble. His eyes had the look of a predator who had just spotted its prey.
Apparently, he was twenty-three years old. That couldn’t be right. He had to be in his late thirties, at least. He exuded an air of confidence which bordered on arrogance. He had probably never lost a battle in his life. Hilden eyed Colbert, measuring him up and looking down on him at the same time.
“So you’re the famous adventurer?”
“Our commentator seems to think so.”
“I don’t remember giving you permission to speak, low rank.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think to ask.”
“This is the problem with you damn adventurers…”
Hilden was an arrogant aristocrat through and through. Colbert impressed me by not snapping back. No wonder he made it to B-Rank.
“I’ll beat you today, and I’ll show everyone that an adventurer is nothing more than an amateur in the face of a real knight!”
Colbert kept his peace, but raised his eyebrows at the challenge. He was the clear winner when it came to stat sheets, but did Hilden have an ace hidden up his sleeve? I hoped this would be an interesting match.
“Taste the steel of my lance!” Hilden spun his spear. His heavy weapon could be used both to pierce and to slice. It was really quite intimidating. “Raaargh!”
He opened the match by dashing towards Colbert. He wanted to bring the fight to a close with a single stab. His weapon gave him better reach compared to the bare-handed fighter, who didn’t even have anything to block with. He was confident that whatever Colbert had could be easily overpowered by the sheer weight of his lance. He swung his great spear at Colbert’s side, and a swoosh of air rang through the stadium, but that was the only thing his spear cut.
“Tch! Yaaargh!”
“Hah. That’s a mighty sharp point you got there.”
“Hurrgh!”
“Come on, you’ve almost got me.”
After Colbert dodged his first attack, Hilden intensified his assault. His rapid stabs were powerful and violent, and I could easily see him perforating an ogre. But the crowd went wild when Colbert dodged Hilden’s stabs with a single step. You would think that Colbert was pressured into playing a defensive game, but you would be wrong.
Colbert was still completely calm, while Hilden looked more frantic with each missed strike. As stuck-up as the aristocrat spearman was, he knew that he was outmatched. Understanding this, Hilden shouted with rage.
“Aaaargh! You damned adventurer!”
“Huff.”
“What?!”
Hilden brought his spear down on Colbert’s head, but his frustration made him easier to read. Colbert blocked the tip of his spear with his right elbow. He didn’t even need to dodge to begin with. Their difference in ability was like the difference between an adult and a child. Colbert used the momentum of Hilden’s spear to drop into a fighting stance. The knight had nowhere to run.
“Doesn’t matter if you’re a knight or an adventurer. Strong is strong,” Colbert stated before driving his fist right into Hilden’s solar plexus.
“Oomph!”
The punch sent the larger man flying across the arena with a loud thwomp. Impressive, considering that Hilden was decked out in full plate armor. The scene was familiar to us. We did it all the time.
“Get stronger before you start talking trash, punk.”
“Urk…”
Colbert won the match with a ring-out and a knockout.
He really is strong.
Yeah. Fast, too.
Aside from that, he fought like an orthodox martial artist.
He focused on dodging his opponent’s attacks instead of blocking them, and exploited the gaps in their defense with his fists. Our main problem was going to be figuring out a way past his evasion.
Amanda was up next.
“She has annihilated all her opponents with a single stroke so far. Will Amanda the Hariti do it again?! Her challenger is a hulking mass! His body is his introduction! The C-Rank with the strength of a B-Rank: Wicked Arm Shin!”
The crowd applauded the giant of a man. Gaudartha was big, but Wicked Arm managed to be even larger. At over three meters tall with muscles bulging all over his body, he looked more ogre than human. He might actually have been, too, since he was apparently a half-beast. Perhaps one of his parents was a rhino beastman like Gaudartha. As his nickname suggested, his arms were as thick as tree trunks.
“Bwa ha ha ha! Puny woman. I can crush you with my bare hands!”
“Are you saying you want to touch me? What a nasty thing to say.”
“Hah! That’s what they all say! They all call me big and slow! Well, I’m big, but I’m a lot of other stuff, too!”
Shin wasn’t exaggerating. He had high HP and Defense and was decked out with Harden, Regenerate, and Rush—there was no stopping him once he made his charge. Shin could rush his opponent, knock them down, and bring them to a swift end with his gigantic hammer. I couldn’t imagine how much that hammer weighed. The groove it left as he pulled it off the ground was as deep as a ditch. Even an A-Rank would have trouble dodging that, but Amanda maintained her calm smile.
“Well, you sure sound confident.”
“Har har! I can’t wait to hear your screams! All the women I’ve fought squeal good when I crush them!”
“Ugh…why do I keep getting matched up with weirdos…?” Amanda groaned as she readied her whip.
She maintained her cool, but a storm was building up behind her words. I didn’t think any woman could keep her cool for long after being mocked like that.