The arena fell into a profound silence.
On the stage, Rei stood with his Death Scythe in hand, scanning his surroundings. The two men who had happened to be outside the range of his fire arrow sweep stood frozen, captivated by the sight before them. They stared blankly at the other participants lying collapsed across the stone floor.
Unbelievable. That was likely the only word for the shock the two standing participants felt.
Fortunately, the magic power Rei had infused into the spell was significantly less than that of a standard Shower of Flame Arrows. Because of that, while the people collapsed on the stage had suffered various burns across their bodies, no one was dead.
"...I assume this preliminary is over, but is something wrong? Do you want me to keep going?"
Rei’s voice echoed through the stillness.
Hearing those words, the referee finally snapped back to his senses and made a loud declaration.
"Qualifying C Block is over! The three advancing to the Main Tournament are Rei, Aust, and Dolf!"
The referee’s voice rang through the arena, finally pulling the spectators out of their stupor. A cheer began to rise—initially a low murmur, then a roar that shook the stadium.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Amidst the thunderous applause, about thirty members of the Management Committee climbed onto the stage and began carrying the fallen participants away. As they were moved off the platform, the hideous burn marks simply vanished. However, even with their bodies restored, few were able to immediately stand and walk. While their physical wounds were mended by the arena’s enchantments, the psychological trauma remained—a fact made vividly apparent by their hollow expressions.
"Amazing... What in the world was that?! This is Crimson! Truly Crimson! I’ve been doing live commentary for years, but it’s rare to see such a flashy display in the qualifying rounds! Personally, I have mixed feelings about the result, but I have no choice but to acknowledge this level of strength. We can only say that the other two qualifiers were lucky in more ways than one! Now that it’s over, Crimson has proven his skill and shown he doesn't fall short of his reputation! Honestly, I have no idea how rumors were circulating that he was some kind of giant!"
The Live Commentator seemed swept up in the excitement of Rei’s magic, shouting with a feverish intensity. Rei merely tilted his head in confusion. He knew his spell had been flashy, but he didn't think it was so exceptional that no one else could replicate it. He couldn't quite grasp why he was being praised so much.
Observing Rei’s skepticism, one of the two men who had qualified—the man with the halberd—spoke up.
"You have a puzzled look on your face."
There was no sign of hostility or rivalry in the man’s voice. Whether he simply didn't care about the name Crimson or was just good at hiding his emotions, Aust spoke with a faint smile.
"Using magic naturally requires an incantation. But if you try that while surrounded by forty-nine other people, you’ll usually be crushed by whoever is closest. Because of that, the standard in these battle royals is to avoid magic entirely, or to only use spells with the shortest possible chants—meaning they aren't very powerful. And yet, you just dropped a massive area attack like it was nothing."
"I see."
Rei nodded, recalling how he had told Most to carry a dagger as a fallback for when enemies closed the distance. Even for a mage, handling a chaotic melee was a tall order.
"Well, anyway. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just happy I successfully qualified for the Main Tournament thanks to you. Look, the guy over there looks like he has a bone to pick, though."
Rei followed Aust’s gaze and noticed the other man staring intently at him. His eyes were sharp and filled with focus, though Rei sensed no true malice.
"..."
The two exchanged silent glances for several seconds until the Management Committee finished clearing the stage. The referee approached the three of them.
"The qualifying round ends here. Regarding the Main Tournament, your lodgings will be contacted after all blocks are finished. You all clearly stated your accommodations on your entry forms, correct?"
"Hm? Oh, I’m fine," Aust answered. The man who had been staring at Rei merely gave a silent nod.
Rei also gave an affirmative nod. Although he had entered through the Chancellor after the registration deadline, he was here as a member of Daskar's Entourage, so there was no reason to worry about communication.
Seeing no issues, the referee spoke one last time.
"Just so you know, if there's a change in your inn, please inform the arena staff or the Management Committee immediately. This concludes Qualifying C Block. Qualifying D Block will begin shortly, so please clear the stage."
The referee seemed incredibly busy; after delivering the brief message, he hurried away. Rei watched his back and was about to step off the stage when a mumble reached his ears.
"Next time... I won't lose."
It was the man who had been glaring at him—Dolf. To a warrior who had trained specifically for this tournament, advancing to the Main Tournament through what he perceived as Rei’s mercy or mere luck was likely a humiliation.
(He's young.)
Aust thought to himself. Regardless of the circumstances, he had no complaints as long as he got the result he wanted. However, he supposed Dolf felt differently about the dynamic of their victory.
"I see. In that case, I look forward to facing you in the main tournament," Rei said simply before departing.
"Here, this is your share."
Elk handed over a bag heavy with Gold and Silver Coins with a grin. It was the payout from the bet Rei had placed on himself.
"...It turned out to be even more than I expected," Rei muttered as he glanced at the contents. Elk sighed and nodded as if it were obvious, while Daskar, who was seated beside them in the VIP Spectator Seats, spoke up.
"They likely knew a person named Rei was in the bracket, but no one suspected it was actually Crimson. Look around; there are quite a lot of resentful gazes directed at you."
Rei scanned the surrounding area. There were indeed many spiteful glares being thrown his way. Since they were in the VIP section, those directing the resentment were undoubtedly guests invited by the Bestia Empire. However, Rei noticed that these glares were different from the raw hatred he usually received from Imperial citizens; they weren't obsessive or fueled by blood-feuds.
"This is..."
Min, who had been reading as if she couldn't be bothered with the men's idle chatter, noticed Rei’s confusion and explained in a low voice.
"The people here are dignitaries invited by the Empire, not the Bestia Empire's actual nobles. They don't have a personal grudge over kin killed in the war. ...Well, for the most part."
"I see."
Rei gave a short reply and felt a small weight lift from his shoulders. Even if he claimed not to care, being the target of pure hatred was never pleasant.
"In the end, most of them are just jealous that you made a killing on the odds," Elk added. "Or maybe they’re annoyed because the adventurers they were sponsoring got wiped out."
Given those underlying reasons, Rei had no choice but to be convinced.
"It seems the next block is starting," Min muttered, closing her book.
Since the previous round was Qualifying C Block, the next was naturally Qualifying D Block. Min had a specific reason for paying attention to this one.
"Oh, Rhodos is coming out. Now then, let's see how far my foolish son can go."
As Elk noted, Rhodos was among the participants on the stage. Elk turned his gaze toward Rei, who had already stored the bag of winnings inside his Misty Ring.
"So, what’s your take? He’s been training with Ruzy and the others lately, hasn't he?"
"Yeah. It’s a bit frustrating to admit, but as expected of your son, his talent is the real deal. His abilities are growing every single day."
The praise clearly pleased Elk, and an irrepressible smile broke across his face. Beside him, Min looked equally proud.
What doting parents, Rei thought, though he kept his expression neutral. Daskar, sitting nearby, shared the sentiment but maintained his noble composure even more strictly than Rei.
"As for the preliminary... I'm not sure. The brackets are entirely luck, so if there are elite fighters in the mix, it might be tough. But since three people advance, he should be fine as long as there aren't three or more world-class veterans clustered in his block."
While Rei was explaining, the live commentary for the notable players finished. At the referee’s signal, the melee began.
"Good luck, Rhodos," Min whispered.
Rei turned his attention to the stage. What he saw was a much more standard, chaotic brawl than his own experience. In C Block, Rei’s presence had been so overwhelming that everyone else was forced to keep an eye on him. In D Block, however, there was no such singular threat, leading to the all-out chaotic melee that Rei and the others were now watching. This was how a tournament preliminary was supposed to look.
"Go! Right there! Watch it, you idiot! You're being targeted from behind!"
As if he could hear Elk’s shouting, Rhodos dove to the side of the opponent he was clashing with, using the man as a human shield to block a Spear thrust from behind.
"Nice!"
Seeing the spear tip plunge into the man’s torso and get stuck, Rhodos severed the spear shaft to neutralize the weapon, then struck the spearman’s head with the pommel of his sword to knock him out.
"He's prioritizing efficiency... but that’s a bit nasty," Daskar muttered.
Despite his words, a smirk played across his lips. While physical wounds would be healed by the Legacy of the Ancient Magic Civilization once they left the stage, certain things remained: fear, and damage to equipment. The man whose spear Rhodos had just snapped would be physically fine, but his weapon was ruined. It was a harsh but undeniably effective tactic.
"Oh, look at that one over there."
Elk and Min followed Daskar’s gaze. At the far end of the stage was an elf with a bow. There had been archers in Rei’s block, but this elf was clearly on a different level. He was weaving magic into his shots.
"Is that Spirit Magic?" Rei muttered.
He thought back to Filma, the elf he had met during the Rank Up Exam. She had been an archer who used Spirit Magic as well, but the elf on the stage seemed significantly more skilled than Rei remembered her being. Of course, it had been a year since Rei last saw Filma; there was no telling how much she had grown in that time.
(She did have non-standard combat sense. Considering she specializes in long-range Spirit Magic and the bow, she probably doesn't act solo like I do, but...)
While Rei mused, the melee progressed rapidly. Finally, only three participants remained standing: Rhodos, the elf, and a man who looked like a thief. The round was declared over.
"Yes! Well done, Rhodos!"
Hearing Elk’s cry of joy, Rei decided he would give Rhodos the praise he deserved for winning through with only minor scratches.