Japan was buzzing as the livestream approached.
It had been three days since the announcement, and the anticipation for the rivalry match was at a fever pitch. People huddled in front of their screens, radiating an almost tangible heat of excitement.
Official rivalry matches were rare enough as it was, but a clash between top-tier guilds was an event on another level entirely. Perhaps because of the festival-like atmosphere, taverns had been packed since noon, and street stalls had cropped up in several districts. It was the result of a massive promotional blitz over the last seventy-two hours; the world was clearly watching.
Most Adventurers had taken the day off to witness the confrontation. Civilians, too, had finished their preparations, waiting with bated breath for the moment the clock struck twelve.
『Ah—mic check, one, two. Hey everyone! The Mad Doctor☆, also known as [Ex Machina], has arrived! Since this is quite the festival, I’ll be serving as your MC!』
Ena sat in the announcer’s booth of the government-managed Dungeon—a place she had modified time and time again. For once, she was actually wearing a decent amount of clothing as she spoke into the mic.
『Our commentary today will be provided by our very own [Sakimori], Yamato-gramps. Everyone look forward to it!』
『I’m here against my better judgment,』 Yamato grumbled. 『But… it’s my duty to watch over them.』
『Well, there are very few people who could even hope to analyze a clash between those two anyway. Now then, let's get right into the rules!』
With a sharp ba-bam, a hologram flickered to life on the stream. It displayed the details of the match: a forested Dungeon floor where the primary objective was to protect a magic stone.
"…How unpleasant," Laura remarked, her eyes overtly cold as she watched the screen.
"Don’t be like that, Laura. The civilians are innocent," Goro replied, though he made no effort to hide his own dissatisfaction.
Even Tsubaki, who usually feigned composure, seemed restless. Her hand remained fixed on the hilt of her katana. The three S-Ranks had gathered at Tsubaki's Mansion to watch the broadcast together.
"There’s… no need for concern, I suppose," Goro muttered.
"As for myself, I only wonder if Reima-dono will push himself too hard degozaru," Tsubaki added.
"He is my friend," Laura said flatly. "Once he decides to do something, he follows through."
They felt nothing but murderous intent toward the opposition, yet there wasn't a hint of anxiety in the room. They trusted Reima implicitly; the idea of him losing simply didn't exist in their minds.
"Now. It is time degozaru."
The clock hit noon, and the screen cut to the interior of the Dungeon.
Adventurers were already positioned throughout the zone. The guild [Illegal] had eighty members on the field—against them, [Valsia] had deployed only thirty.
〔It’s starting!〕 〔Finally!〕 〔I’m way too hyped for this.〕 〔Reima’s POV is live, right!?〕 〔Dual-windowing this for sure!〕 〔Ouma has a POV too!〕
The comment section erupted. To ensure they didn't miss a single moment of the spectacle, every viewer remained glued to their screen. Adventurers, civilians, Goro and his companions—every eye was fixed on the feed.
『Now, let the rivalry match begin!』
At Ena’s command, the curtain finally rose.
Inside the Illegal base within the government-managed Dungeon [Toumajou], the guild members were wearing deep, confident smirks.
While the defensive battle was scheduled to last two days, they were facing [Valsia]—a powerhouse where even a small group boasted an average rank of B. Ordinarily, they wouldn't have stood a chance. However, thanks to the secret measures they had prepared and the government officials who had cooperated with them behind the scenes, none of them could imagine a future where they lost.
"Gyahaha! Ryuga, get your ass on lookout!"
"—Why me?"
"Because you’re the one who made a pathetic, shameful display of yourself on that last stream! 'I-I’m alive!' Seriously, I can laugh at that forever!"
Ryuga winced at his comrade’s mocking voice, but he reluctantly accepted the order and headed for the watchtower.
"…Ryuga? Why are you here?" one of the lookouts asked.
"Guard duty. Well? Can you see the enemy?"
"You bet! We’ve got their location pinned with surveillance magic. Our anti-surprise measures are flawless, and we’ve laid tons of traps. There's no way we lose!"
The two men laughed with vulgar grins. They took advantage of the fact that their voices weren't being picked up by the public broadcast to brag about their underhanded schemes.
"Hah. Is that really enough?" Ryuga asked.
"Huh? Don't tell me you think this is cowardly? This is [Valsia], man. If anything, I want to make this even easier for us."
"Is that so… I guess I used to be just like you."
Ryuga's last words were quiet, swallowed instantly by the wind. He watched them smirk with a cold gaze. He was the only one truly on edge, because he was the only one who actually knew what Reima was capable of.
"—Mana!?"
"What? It’s barely started. There’s no way you could sense—"
"You trash, look up! He’s an outlier!"
Ryuga was the only one quick enough to sense the shift. When he looked into the distance, he saw a single figure clad in a black robe, suspended in the sky. It was a distance that required mana-reinforced vision just to discern.
The two fools didn't see him yet, but Ryuga recognized the figure immediately. He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Move! Get your defensive magic up, now!"
I walked through the sky the moment the match started.
I had set up a staircase of mana footholds, climbing higher as I concentrated my magic power to weave the incantation.
〔Is this Reima’s POV?〕 〔He’s literally walking on air lol.〕 〔How does that even work?〕
I caught glimpses of the mandatory camera and the scrolling comments. I didn't let them distract me as I continued the chant.
"The abyss's mouth lies to the northeast, a garden of fog and ice where darkness spreads."
That was the first two verses. I needed to save enough mana for my eventual fight with Ouma, so I carefully designated the range and took my aim.
"Born in the paradise of the ice prison is the demonic legacy that sips fresh blood."
Four verses. [Dain] pulsed at my side, greedily devouring my mana in preparation for the kill.
My mentor was Othinus Ambrosius Merlinus—a woman who held the [Scriptures] of the incubus Merlin and the war god Odin. My magic had been forged by her, and she had hammered the fundamentals into me from day one.
And that fundamental was simple.
"Now, release. Let the world freeze—[Niflheim Dainsleif]."
The opening burst was, after all, the supreme method of engagement.