Martial Tournament (3)
I had high expectations for how strong an opponent would need to be to provoke me. But…
“Sigh…”
Only a sigh slipped out. He was nothing more than a newborn pup. To think he’d trust in that massive frame of his and charge in so stupidly. Who in their right mind couldn’t dodge movements that honest? How utterly boring.
I swept my gaze around in search of the next opponent.
“What the…?”
Every single eye was locked onto me. The crowd had frozen solid, as if time itself had stopped. Their faces were those of people who had just witnessed something impossible.
Did something happen? I turned around. Behind me lay a single crumpled heap with his rear stuck up in the air.
I had no idea why they were making those faces, but I decided to do what I came here to do. Opportunities like this didn’t come often. There was no chance to cross swords back at the convent. So it was best to enjoy myself while I could.
“Anyone, come at me.”
I flicked my sword in invitation.
At that exact moment, the audience that had been frozen in shock erupted into cheers.
“Eek! That scared me!”
The explosive roar slammed into my ears like a bomb. It was the kind of sound you’d hear on a battlefield—the roar of courageous knights. I pressed my hands tightly over my ears. Was it because of this young body? The sounds came in so clearly that loud noises felt especially jarring. I’d been completely fine even when a basilisk roared right in front of me.
As the stands grew rowdy, the participants began moving again. The laughter of clashing swords rang out from every direction. How long had it been since I last heard this refreshing sound?
Let’s see… I slowly turned my head, scanning for my next opponent. Who would be good? Anyone would do, but if possible I wanted someone who actually knew how to fight. Preferably someone smarter than the last guy.
“Oh…!”
I spotted one. An adventurer wearing a Platinum Rank emblem on his chest. Clad in black armor, he gave off a distinctly dangerous aura. Perfect. It was him. A Platinum Rank opponent should offer at least some entertainment. He was worthy of my sword.
I dashed straight toward the adventurer. My foot slammed into the ground. My robe fluttered wildly against the headwind. In a single bound I stood before him, looking up at his face. I swung my rusty sword without hesitation.
Clang!!
The sword laughed. The clear ring seemed to say it was delighted to be active after so long. Yes, at least block something like this. If he couldn’t stop a straightforward slash, I’d have to confiscate that emblem.
I’d start with the easiest attacks and slowly raise the level. I was curious how far he could defend—and how far I could push my own swordsmanship.
Could he block the next one too?
A one-handed sword had the advantage in close quarters. I slipped into the adventurer’s range and thrust toward his abdomen.
-Thud!
The instant the sword tip tried to pierce his armor, the adventurer slammed his elbow down onto the back of my hand.
“Ugh…!”
Since I wasn’t using body reinforcement, the full impact traveled through my hand. The bone in the back of my hand had definitely cracked. In the blink of an eye, my small, pretty hand swelled up like a chubby fern frond.
I endured the pain and gripped the sword tighter. What good was a swordsman who let go of his blade? Anyone who dropped their sword in battle wasn’t a swordsman at all. They were nothing but a bug.
Should I heal it? I could fix it with Holy Power. But I decided against it. I needed to give him at least this much of a handicap so he could still enjoy the fight.
Still, I had to admit his reflexes were impressive. To think of using an elbow block in that situation. A normal person would have panicked at that range and taken the hit.
Then how about this? Could he block it?
I unleashed a flurry of attacks on the adventurer. Every strike was honest and direct. This was my own form of consideration. I deliberately left openings, as if inviting him to attack, hoping he would play with me longer.
“This is…!!”
Ooh, finally! The adventurer who had only been blocking and dodging finally attempted a counterattack. He swung at my wide-open flank.
I quickly folded my arm and blocked with my sword. It was an awkward angle, but my flexibility let me stop it easily.
“Eut…!”
However, the fundamental difference in raw strength sent my body flying sideways. I landed stably just before I would have rolled across the ground.
This body was excellent in every other way. Light. Fast. Flexible. My mana affinity was outstanding, and I even possessed Holy Power rivaling that of high-ranking clergy from birth.
Depending on my choice, I could walk any path I wanted. I could become the master of the Magic Tower. Or go further and become an archmage. I could even enter the grand cathedral and rise as a high priest.
Of course, the path I would take remained unchanged. Once a swordsman, always a swordsman.
Anyway. If this body had one flaw, it was that—excluding mana and Holy Power—it was simply the body of an ordinary girl. Small and frail. If I didn’t control my breathing properly, my stamina was pathetic. Without body reinforcement I couldn’t even manage a single push-up.
Well, that wasn’t really a problem. I always kept a certain amount of mana circulating through my body anyway.
I reset my stance. Shall we continue?
With a joyful heart, I charged in once more.
Adventurer Ranking System
Bronze Rank. Silver Rank. Gold Rank. Platinum Rank. Mithril Rank. Orichalcum Rank. Adamantium Rank.
Among them, Platinum Rank adventurers—roughly ten percent of all adventurers—possessed the strength to solo high-risk monsters.
Rain was one such Platinum Rank adventurer participating in this martial tournament.
What the hell is this kid?!
Rain sensed pure madness from the girl standing before him. She was toying with him. She deliberately exposed weaknesses as if inviting him to attack, then giggled with delight whenever he took the bait. To enjoy being attacked… was she some kind of pervert?
That wasn’t all. The girl was overflowing with composure. She clearly had the power to crush him at any moment but chose not to. Her attacks were gradually growing fiercer. Rain was barely managing to defend himself by the skin of his teeth.
Was she the daughter of some swordsmanship family? Honestly, Rain had been certain of his own victory. When he observed the other participants in the waiting room, none had seemed stronger than him. If he had to name one who gave him pause… it was that massive man currently foaming at the mouth and collapsed on the ground. That man was infamous for his brutality within the local adventurers’ guild.
Yet this girl had cut him down in a single stroke. Just who was she?
Petite frame. A weapon that couldn’t even be called proper. But her skill was real. She surpassed every opponent he had ever faced.
…What should he do?
Even defending was reaching its limit. He could no longer follow her with his eyes. One moment of carelessness and that rusty sword would tear through his armor. He had planned to conserve his mana until the finals, but the situation no longer allowed it. He would need to fight with full power just to have a chance of defeating her.
Rain’s blade thrummed as mana surged into it. He would end this with one decisive cut using his sharp Sword Qi.
This technique had once sliced a man-eating monster clean in two. To be forced to use it on such a small girl… that alone showed how highly he evaluated her.
“Oh! That’s the Lighthead family’s swordsmanship, isn’t it?”
She knew this technique?
The swordsmanship Rain used was indeed that of the Lighthead County. He had learned it while serving as a private soldier for the family.
“It’s a style with excellent cutting power. Hmm, hmm!”
The girl nodded in approval.
“But…”
Rain thrust his sword forward. The Sword Qi roared like thunder as it flew toward the girl. Her crimson eyes flashed from within her robe. She drew her sword vertically.
Four claw-like lines tore through the air like a lion’s strike. The thundering Sword Qi was ripped to shreds.
“It shatters against even slightly stronger power.”
Watching his own Sword Qi scatter like dust, Rain felt utterly hollow. If she could block that, what was he supposed to do next? He hadn’t used all his mana, but seeing that his attacks had no effect at all had crushed his will to fight. It was humiliating. Had he always been this weak?
As Rain looked at the girl, he realized she was either a genius or a monster.
“I like you. Let’s continue this in the main tournament.”
She couldn’t drag this out too long. While she was busy here, she had expected the other participants to finish the first round on their own. Yet fierce clashes were still echoing from every direction.
The girl moved on to the other participants.
“Ack!”
“Guh!”
“W-wait…!”
Screams rose from the contestants. They fell like reeds before a gale. Their numbers dwindled at a frightening speed. Overwhelming difference in skill—that was the only phrase that could describe the girl right now.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!”
The announcer’s urgent voice boomed through the magic amplifier. The girl, who had been about to bring her sword down on the next opponent’s head, froze.
“Hiiik!”
The participant stared at the blade halted right before his eyes and nearly fainted in terror.
“First round over! It’s over!”
Sixteen survivors. The round that should have taken at least two hours had ended in just thirty minutes.
“All surviving participants, please wait in the waiting room until the bracket is decided.”
The girl let out a disappointed “Huuung” and sheathed her sword. Then she returned to the waiting room with adorable little steps.
The spectators’ excitement burned hotter than ever. In contrast, the faces of the participants still in the arena had gone ice-cold. Many of them were thinking the same thing:
Is there even any point in continuing?
Everyone except one person.