“You seem bored,” her mother said. “Are you only interested in matches that Eryk takes part in?”
“That… that’s not true.” Kari blushed, though she did her best to pretend she wasn’t. “I just… don’t think these fights are particularly interesting.”
“Hmm… they do seem to lack a certain panache, do they not?” her mother asked as two more people arrived in the arena.
They were a large man wearing the armor of a Nevarian Spiritualist and a smaller man dressed in black pants, brown boots, no shirt, and a long trench coat made of blue leather. It looked like the coat was from the hide of a water-type Demon Beast. While the big man, Bardi, wielded a battle axe, the smaller of the two, Sigrid, had a pair of dirks, which he twirled around in his hands with the ease of someone who had experience using them.
“In terms of talent, those two are no more lacking in it than your young friend, but I will admit that he has a unique way of fighting that I have never seen before.” At that moment, Rainer lifted his hand and announced that the match had begun. Her mother leaned back in her chair just as Kari was sighing in relief. “That said, I believe you are far more emotionally invested in the fights that Eryk takes part in than you are in any of the other fights.”
Kari’s cheeks became a stark red as her mother sent her a knowing smile. Huffing just a bit, she turned to the battle that had just started and tried to ignore the sense of smugness coming from behind her.
So what if I’m more interested in Eryk’s fights than anyone else’s, she grumbled to herself. That is only natural… isn’t it?
* * *
I was no longer paying much attention to the battles. By using Spiritual Perception, I had already measured Bardi Torden and Sigrid Bladene’s strengths. Neither of them were a serious threat. Even if they had a lot of skill, all the skill in the world would not allow them to deal with someone who could just overpower them.
There were times when finesse and skill were important, and there were times when having it would make little difference. This was one of those times.
“Eryk, how do you think I would measure up to those two?” Fay suddenly asked, reminding me that while I might not be interested, there were others who found the battle happening in the arena to be exciting.
I paid more attention to the battle. Currently, Bardi and Sigrid had activated their Spiritual Auras. Both of them had fire affinities, which seemed to be the most common affinity within Nevaria.
Bardi raised his axe above his head and twirled it around in a circle, creating what appeared to be a fire cyclone. When he swung his axe down, the cyclone went with it, slamming into Sigrid, who suddenly moved his dirks so fast they appeared as multiple flashes of light. Several lines appeared in the cyclone. Then the cyclone exploded in a gout of fire that reversed course and crashed into Bardi, forcing the man to take several large leaps backward.
While Bardi might have been able to avoid his opponent’s counterattack, Sigrid was unwilling to let him off, and he leapt forward and thrust out his dirks numerous times. The tips of his blades were glowing red hot. It looked like the Spiritual Fire Technique that Sigrid was using used the friction from his high-speed movements to ignite just the tips of his weapons. That would probably be ranked as a D-rank Spiritual Fire Technique.
“Neither of them have your raw power or your talent,” I declared at last. “If you were to fight either of them, they would lose.”
Fay looked stunned, but then her eyes became a tad brighter. “You really think so?”
I nodded. “The only thing they have that you don’t is a weapon.” I turned to her and frowned. “We should probably consider getting you a weapon at some point. Since you appear to be primarily a fist fighter, I believe a pair of gauntlets meant for hand-to-hand fighting would help.”
“I have been thinking about getting a weapon,” Fay admitted. “Granted, I’m not really what you would call a warrior, but ever since we began training, I’ve felt a lot more fulfilled. I think growing stronger and using my martial arts is where I really shine.”
“I’m the same, more or less.” I turned back to the battle. “I don’t have a whole lot of talent outside of my ability to fight.”
While Fay gave me a strange look, I watched as Bardi swung his axe and missed. Sigrid continued to pepper him with small attacks that didn’t seem like much at first. However, as the damage began accumulating, the larger man’s Spiritual Aura fluctuated wildly before, with one last thrust from Sigrid, it shattered and the man was knocked off his feet. He wasn’t hurt. Not really. But before he could get back up, Sigrid crouched over him and placed both dirks against the man’s throat.
“Ha… I forfeit,” Bardi said after a second of silence.
“The winner of this match is Sigrid Bladene!” Rainer declared, and the crowd cheered.
There were three more battles that took place for the first round: Siv Skumring vs. Kell Kriger, Torgny Leucht vs. Ulf Ulfric, and Vidar Jordyn vs. Astrid Kriger. Kell won against Siv, Torgny defeated Ulf, and Astrid beat Vidar. Of the three battles, the two that really caused me to pay attention were the battles with Torgny and Astrid.
The battle with Torgny had been particularly brutal. Torgny wielded that battle axe of his like it was an extension of his own body, swinging it around with ease and cutting through his opponent’s techniques as though they were made of butter. Ulf had been overwhelmed from the very beginning. However, what really shocked me was that immobilizing technique Torgny possessed.
Torgny had used some kind of technique that created several pythons made of fire, which clamped down on his opponent and kept them immobile. He’d done that to Ulf. While Ulf was screaming his head off after the fire snakes bit into his flesh, Torgny had swung his axe so hard it shattered Ulf’s Spiritual Aura and probably broke several bones in the process.
“Torgny will be the most dangerous opponent in this competition,” I said to Fay as Rainer told the crowd there would be a fifteen-minute remission. The current series of battles had lasted for about two hours, which meant it was now early afternoon.
“What makes you say that?” asked Fay. “I thought Astrid would be more troublesome to deal with.”
“She has a lot more talent and skill than Torgny,” I began, “but she also knows how to hold back. That attack of Torgny’s was nearly fatal. To be honest, if Ulf didn’t have his Spiritual Aura activated when Torgny’s attack struck him, I’m fairly certain he would be dead.”
“So the most dangerous among them is Torgny, but he’s going to be facing Astrid.” Fay tilted her head, her brow furrowing. “Who do you think will win?”
“I’m not certain. They are about even in terms of talent and experience, though I’d say Astrid has a slight edge. That said, anything can happen in combat.” I shrugged my shoulders. “In either case, I need to use the restroom. You should too, if you can.”
“I think I’m good.” Fay blushed a bit. Perhaps she found the idea of using public restrooms embarrassing.
“Okay. I’ll be back in a bit.”
The restrooms were on the first floor and there was fortunately a sewer system underneath the Colosseum. It looked like the architect who designed this place had wanted to make sure the smell of feces didn’t ruin the citizens’ entertainment.
After taking care of my business in the men’s restroom, I had just walked out when Kari emerged from the women’s restroom at the same time. The two of us gazed at each other in surprise. Kari’s cheeks turned a light pink, but then she smiled at me.
“You defeated Grant,” she said. “Congratulations on your victory.”
“Thank you.” I nodded. “However, that man was just a sideshow. The only reason my battle with him was important is because of the agreement he and I made where he would no longer attempt to force you and Fay into an arranged marriage with him. My real purpose for battling in this tournament is to take first place.”
Kari looked at the stone floor and drew several circles on it with her sandal
-clad feet. “You are… always working really hard for my sake, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” I nodded. “Wouldn’t you also work hard for the person you love?”
Kari’s expression became startled, but then her eyes softened as she nodded. “I suppose I would.” Her cheeks turned red and she looked away. “Um… after the tournament… if possible, I would like to see you.” She turned only her eyes toward me. “Is that okay?”
An embarrassed Kari was undeniably one of the cutest things I had ever seen. Seeing her like this set my heart racing, and it somehow made me also feel a little embarrassed myself.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind,” I told her.
“Okay.” She nodded really fast, her expression brighter than the sun as she smiled at me. “I’ll see you after the tournament then.”
“Yeah. See you.”
I watched Kari as she disappeared up a staircase, then turned around, but I didn’t begin walking. Someone was blocking my path.
Torgny was a lot taller than Grant. Taller and far more muscular. His broad chest and shoulders weren’t the least bit hidden by his thick breastplate and pauldrons. His arms were covered in segmented armor. The breastplate only covered his chest, and he didn’t have anything underneath it, meaning his powerful abdominal muscles were also being displayed. Black pants cinched with a belt went into brown boots that were encased in shin guards.
“Do you need something from me?” I asked with a calm gaze.
“How are you still alive?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” I frowned at him.
“No. Never mind.” Shaking his head, Torgny walked past me. He spoke just as he was passing me. “It doesn’t matter. Regardless of how you survived, you will not escape from me. I am far stronger than Grant.”
I turned my head to watch as Torgny disappeared into the men’s restroom, frowning, and then walked back to the waiting room, where Fay was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She greeted me as I returned. As I chatted with her, I wondered what Torgny meant by his words. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t think of anything.
* * *
“The second round of the Spiritualist Grand Tournament will now commence,” Rainer announced to the enthusiastic crowd.
I stood on one side of the arena amidst the cheers from the audience. On the other side was my opponent, Hellen Brynhild, a woman with a powerful and somewhat masculine appearance. She wore the armor of a Nevarian Spiritualist captain. Unlike the standard leather armor that the rank and file wore, hers was made of steel and covered her entire body. Her broadsword was already out. It was gripped firmly within her hand.
“Ever since I first saw you fight in the preliminaries, I have wanted to test myself against you,” Hellen admitted to me.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“I’ve never seen the strange techniques and weapon you use in my entire life.” A strange smile crossed her face before she looked up, and it took me a moment to realize that she was looking at Kari, once more sitting on the balcony with her mother and brothers. “Of course, my interest in you was piqued long before I saw you fight. There’s been a rumor going around that you and my pupil are quite close. What’s more, I hear you are responsible for the Alchemist Association getting back on its feet.”
“You are correct in that I did have a hand in helping the Alchemist Association reclaim some of its former glory,” I admitted.
“And did you also have a hand in Kari’s recent growth?” she asked, a benign smile on her face. “She’s grown so much stronger in the past two months than she has in all the years I’ve trained her that it’s almost shocking. I cannot fathom a single reason as to why her talent and abilities would suddenly increase so much in such a short frame of time when they have been stagnant for so long.”
I frowned at her. “Perhaps you are merely confusing a lack of talent for a lack of motivation. Kari is an incredibly talented and strong girl. However, her family has clipped her wings and locked her in a cage. She probably did not have the motivation to train since becoming stronger wouldn’t grant her the freedom and adventure she sought.”
For whatever reason, the woman’s smile widened after hearing my words. Perhaps she was pleased by what I had said, or maybe she found my words amusing. She chuckled a bit.
“Perhaps,” she admitted. “In that case, I would like to see what the man who has motivated her to train so hard is capable of. I hope you don’t mind.”
The woman flicked her wrist, causing her blade to cut through the air. I glanced at the sword and noticed that a small layer of water had coated it, increasing its sharpness. That flicking motion had activated her Spiritual Technique.
“Water Blade, huh? Very well. You are more than welcome to come at me.” I swung my ruler, causing several layers of dirt to fly off the ground from the air pressure my swing generated. “I would be more than happy to show you what I’m capable of.”
Rainer seemed to realize the two of us were ready. He didn’t even bother asking us and instead raised his hand into the air.
“The battle between Hellen Brynhild and Eryk Veiger has now commenced. And… fight!”
Unlike with my previous battle against Grant, this time, I was the one who started the fight. I swung the Dragon’s Tail Ruler in a vertical arc, channeling lightning through it to undo the locks that allowed the segments to separate. Linked together by my Spiritual Power, the segments moved like the tail of a dragon as I willed them to attack Hellen.
I narrowed my eyes as Hellen stepped forward to meet my dragon tail attack head on. She raised her sword just as my attack struck, but then something happened. Hellen stepped to the side and used her blade to gently knock my attack away. It happened so fast I was sure most people would have missed it, but I saw how her counter worked. It was almost like she was using the momentum of the Dragon’s Tail Ruler against me.
Channeling more lightning through my weapon, I willed the segments to curve around and attack Hellen from behind, but her instincts were impeccable. She leapt to the side just before my attack struck. The tip of the Dragon’s Tail Ruler crashed into the ground. The earth shattered in that spot, cracks spreading across the arena floor to resemble a spider’s web.
“That is a very unusual weapon,” Hellen said as I retracted the segments, locking them back into place. A simple straightforward assault of this level wasn’t going to work on her. “I have never seen anything like it in all my years as a Nevarian Spiritualist.”
“I call it the Dragon’s Tail Ruler.” I set the weapon on my shoulder. “The blade is made in segments that lock together when I’m not channeling Spiritual Power through it.”
“And you use the lightning element to link them together like a chain, which lets you control the movement of the segments.” Hellen nodded. “You have a very impressive amount of control. The only thing I’m curious about is how you can control your Spiritual Power so precisely without the need to use dances to properly channel your Spiritual Power.”
“I’ve always been a bit special.” I shrugged.
“So I see.” Hellen narrowed her eyes as she wove her sword back and forth. The water coating her blade undulated. “In that case, I hope you would permit me to see just how special you truly are.”
I smiled. “Feel free.”
The woman rushed forward faster than most humans could, but it was not fast enough that I couldn’t see her. It was certainly no Flash Step. I kept the ruler on my shoulder as Hellen suddenly spun around and swung her sword, creating a massive wave of water that shot from her blade and threatened to consume me.
I used the Flash Step.
To an outside observer, it would have looked like my body suddenly flickered out of existence for a moment, almost like a blink. The wave of water slammed into me. Then my body suddenly blurred, the wave swept past me, and then I reappeared again. A loud crash echoed behind me as the wave slammed against the wall, though I could tell from the sound that it hadn’t caused any
damage.
Hellen narrowed her eyes as she swung her blade several more times, spinning and shuffling on the balls of her feet as she wove the sword in her grasp into intricate patterns to channel Spiritual Power through it. Sixteen crescent-shaped water blades shot from her sword. They came in different attack patterns that followed the flow of her movements. A vertical slice, a horizontal cut, a diagonal slash. Each attack was different, which created a myriad of patterns that would have been hard for a normal person to avoid.
The first one reached me. I used the Flash Step. My body seemed to blink before the crescent blade shot past me. I did this fifteen more times. When all sixteen crescent blades had flown by, I turned my head to look at the wall, which now had sixteen gouges in it. That was going to require some impressive repair work.
“That strange ability of yours,” Hellen began in a curious voice, “is it the same movement technique as that girl, Fay Valstine?”
“It is,” I allowed. There was no sense in hiding it.
“However, your use of that technique is far more fluid than hers.” Hellen narrowed her eyes as she analyzed my ability. “Not only are you clearly more experienced with using it, but you do not have to use any movement to activate it.”
“That is also correct,” I said.
“May I ask who taught you this technique?” asked Hellen.
“No one,” I answered. “The Flash Step is a Spiritual Technique that I created by myself.” I paused, and then smiled. “With some help.”
* * *
Eryk’s words caused everyone to become silent. While the majority of people didn’t know much about Spiritual Techniques, everyone was aware of how difficult it was just to learn a Spiritual Technique, nevermind create one. That Spiritual Technique Scrolls taken from ruins were so valuable they sold for millions of valis could be directly contributed to the fact that it was impossible for all but the most talented of individuals to create their own techniques.
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 4 Page 13