“Magic Bullet User! Come at me swiftly! And fall into despair as my ‘Absolute Defense’ overwhelms you with its impenetrable strength…!”
Lord proclaimed confidently with exaggerated gestures, “I’m starting to feel like dying.”
“…I absolutely must ensure that no one discovers I wrote that embarrassing note. If they do, it will be my undoing. It’s just too shameful, it would crush my spirit.”
“Hehe… It appears that the other heroes have also begun to take action. I must locate G-Zero swiftly and make them my servant! Ah, the anticipation is killing me…”
“The other heroes? They’re on the move?”
I felt like I heard an unforgivable word.
“She’s someone important enough for Miss Letinoa to get involved with? And she hasn’t even officially joined the party yet… Among the heroes who are constantly seeking talented individuals, competition is only natural, right? Of course, I’m not an exception!”
“This is the worst. It’s beyond terrible.”
I didn’t want to hear that kind of information.
Dealing with Leti alone is already a handful. Having to deal with other heroes is just too much.
“Heh… You seem surprised? Maybe it was a story that didn’t concern you, a ‘D-rank adventurer’…? Oh, by the way, I heard there’s someone named ‘Jirei-rLaro’ who is also a ‘D-rank’… Now that I think about it, the name ‘Reiji’ sounds somewhat similar–“
“It’s just your imagination. Don’t dwell on it any longer.”
I stopped Lord, who had his hand on his chin, deep in thought. He may look foolish, but he’s surprisingly sharp.
“Well, whatever. If I win this tournament and get my hands on the prize magical tool, I’m certain the ‘King’ will reach out to me. That’s why I’ll ensure you lose. Absolute Defense!”
After brushing his bangs aside, Lord struck a cool pose and activated “Absolute Defense.”
According to the information I saw in the Holy Seal Handbook, the previous ‘Hard’ heroes maintained an unreasonable defense by utilizing ‘Absolute Defense’ while attacking with holy swords and large shields.
…But this guy doesn’t seem to be drawing the holy sword hanging from his waist, and he doesn’t even budge from his cool pose. What is he doing?
“You, the ‘Magic Bullet User’! Come at me already! And be ensnared in despair by the overpowering defense of my ‘Absolute Defense’…!”
He talks a big game, but Lord doesn’t launch a single attack. Ah, could it be that this guy–
“Are you saying you can’t attack?”
I remember reading that among the ‘Hard’ heroes, some irregulars, while employing ‘Absolute Defense,’ become immobilized and unable to attack.
“…Heh. My ‘Absolute Defense’ serves as both offense and defense. I don’t even need to directly wield the holy sword ‘Abyssal Black Sword’… Besides, for some reason, this sword won’t even come out…!”
While maintaining his cool pose, Lord confidently utters something pitiful. How uncool.
“So, you can’t move… Alright.”
Observing his posture, an idea pops into my head.
This guy is a ‘Hard’ hero currently employing ‘Absolute Defense.’
In other words, normal magic won’t work on him.
However, this arena has a ‘Competition Battlefield’ that restores everything no matter how much damage is inflicted.
And I’m currently in disguise… which means.
–Even if I unleash my magic with all my might, it should be fine, right?
Alright, let’s give it a try immediately.
The magic to use… that one should be perfect. It’s probably the most potent one.
“–Evil spirits dwelling in the underworld. Ghosts of the decaying reaper. Manifest my magical power, appear in this world. Execute enemies, allies, the weak, and the strong with my justice… ‘Purging Slaughter’!”
After completing the lengthy incantation, the arena was filled with numerous magic circles.
“…Huh? Wait, wait a minute, that’s impossible–“
In the next moment, ominous ghosts emerged from countless magic circles and surged towards Lord with an immense amount of magical power.
The air quivered, and my vision was engulfed in flashes. It was blinding.
A few seconds later, when I opened my eyes to assess the situation…
The entire fighting area covered by the ‘Competition Battlefield,’ except for the spot where I stood, had vanished completely.
In its place, there lay a deep abyss that seemed bottomless.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
A few hours later.
I triumphed in the first round without any issues, and after some ups and downs, I also emerged victorious in the second round, securing my place in the final match.
As of now, both my opponent and I have two wins and no losses, while Lord has suffered three consecutive defeats, and the wizard I faced in the second round has one win and two losses.
By the way, Lord has been on a losing streak as his once-confident “Absolute Defense” was effortlessly breached. Since then, he has secluded himself in his room, sulking, and has apparently decided to forfeit. I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
In the second round, my opponent was a specialist in magic combat, but I nullified their spells the moment they cast them.
Then, they began weeping and reluctantly surrendered, saying, “Why… how…?” They were genuinely tearful.
And now, the final match.
“Alright, let the match begin!”
The whistle signaling the start of the match resounded, and I carefully observed my opponent.
She appeared to be around sixteen years old.
Wearing a magical device that covered only her eyes like a mask, she possessed long silver hair that cascaded down to the ground.
Her attire, predominantly a black gothic dress, didn’t seem fitting for battle… She emanated a slightly suspicious aura.
According to the commentary, she was a prodigy who had ascended to Class B within a mere week of becoming an adventurer. However, how she achieved such rapid promotion remained a mystery.
Her fighting style was also shrouded in enigma. As soon as the battle commenced, a black mist enshrouded the area, rendering it impossible to discern her actions. Even her opponents couldn’t recall what had transpired.
In other words… she was an enigma, an unknown quantity. We had no idea how formidable she truly was.
There was a dark distortion in the magical energy surrounding her… undoubtedly a disguise. Either way, she was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
I remained vigilant, attempting to anticipate her moves, but…
“Nice to meet you. Rage… was it? I’m Enri. Since I’m still inexperienced, please go easy on me.”
Enri smiled softly and extended her hand towards me. Oh, she doesn’t seem as mysterious as my initial impression suggested. She appears to be a modest and amiable girl. Perhaps she’s a good person after all?
“Yeah, sure…”
I reciprocated by extending my hand like Enri’s and shaking it, but…
“Ouch!”
A tingling sensation coursed through my hand, as if an electric current had passed through it, and I quickly let go. What was that just now?
There was no sign of her using magic. In fact, I couldn’t detect any flow of magical energy, making magic seem impossible.
Moreover, I always had my body reinforced with “Body Reinforcement” to prevent feeling pain unless it was something serious. So why…
“–You…”
However, it seemed that Enri was equally surprised by this unexpected turn of events and stared at me in astonishment. Wait, didn’t she do something?
“…I see, too bad. We were so close… Well, it can’t be helped.”
“…?”
Enri sighed and muttered something incomprehensible.
“Referee, I surrender in this match. I can’t win here–“
And for some reason, she surrendered… Wait, why? I didn’t do anything.
“Hey–“
“If we meet somewhere else, let’s talk slowly. …Well then, see you.”
Enri bowed and briskly walked off the arena, leaving.
Everyone in the audience wore bewildered expressions at the anticlimactic outcome, and the venue fell into silence.
A few moments later, the announcer suddenly realized,
“The… the winner is… ‘D-Class Adventurer,’ ‘Rage’!!!”
And he shouted loudly.
“What is this?”
I couldn’t quite grasp what had happened, but I emerged as the champion.
———————————————-
“……This victory doesn’t feel satisfying at all… Well, it doesn’t really matter, though.”
As the champion, I was led to a special room where I reclined on a luxurious oversized sofa, awaiting the prize money and magical tools.
Although the tournament’s conclusion felt unsatisfactory, a win was still a win. The audience expressed their disappointment with the lackluster finale, but I couldn’t care less.
And now, it seemed that someone wanted to speak with me as the champion.
Initially, I wanted to decline as it sounded troublesome, but they insisted it was the duty of the champion. Reluctantly, I agreed to listen. Well, I’ll quickly collect the money and magical tools and go home!
“Prize money… what should I use it for? I already have the repayment money for Aldi, so perhaps I’ll invest in some magical tools? The magical tool ‘Spatial Transference’ from the prize seems like a good choice, the best even!”
Imagining how I could utilize the prize money and the magical tools I would receive, excitement welled up within me. It was going to be a lot of fun.
“–Lord Rage, I apologize for the wait. …Lady Elena, please come in.”
“–Excuse me.”
A gentle knocking sound reverberated, and the door opened quietly. …Hmm, Elena, I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before.
“Nice to meet you. Let’s start with introductions. I am Princess Elena Timid Noblest, the sixth princess of Magi Cosmaia. From now on, please remember me.”
Upon hearing her name, I hastily sat up from the sofa and adjusted my posture.
“Oh, my, what a surprise to have you come all this way–“
“No need for formalities. There’s no need for that between you and me.”
“Huh? No, it’s not like that…”
“Don’t worry about it. Rage–no, Lord Jirei Laro.”
Instead of using honorific language, she called me by my actual name, Lord Jirei Laro, rather than my tournament alias. Princess Elena Timid Noblest was not only the sixth princess of Magikosmaia but also the organizer of this tournament.
With her curly golden hair and sapphire-like blue eyes, she was dressed in a resplendent and noble-looking gown.
“I will… to make you my husband!”
“–Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?”
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