The clear autumn skies remained unchanged today, casting a seasonal chill and brilliant sunlight over the earth.
Given the fine conditions, both locals and tourists in the Imperial Capital predicted—and hoped—that tomorrow’s finals would be blessed with the same perfect match-day weather.
As the crowds through the city talked fervently about this year's Fighting Tournament, Rei moved through the streets, his face hidden beneath his Dragon Robe's Hood.
He felt a surge of relief that his identity remained a secret thanks to the hood while he observed his surroundings.
He had ventured into the city many times before, but the crowds today were overwhelming.
It made sense. During his previous outings, the Fighting Tournament had been in session, meaning the vast majority of residents and tourists were packed into the arena.
With the finals scheduled for tomorrow, there were no matches today. People had flooded the streets instead, animatedly discussing the battles thus far and speculating on the looming championship.
"Yesterday's semi-finals were incredible. That fight between the Water Dragon and Crimson was as flashy as it gets. A real spectacle."
"If you want to talk about spectacle, Lord Noise is in a league of his own. I still can't believe he can cloak his blade in magic like that. It’s unreal."
"Isn't that just an ability of his magic sword, though?"
"Maybe, but don't you think it's amazing just to see someone pull off an attack like that?"
"When you put it that way, I almost feel sorry for his opponents."
"Crimson versus the Immovable... both of them are stronger than I ever expected. I have no idea how tomorrow will go."
"What if they end up wrecking the arena?"
"...The fact that I can't dismiss that as a joke is actually a bit terrifying."
"Hey, don't encourage him. That arena is a Legacy of the Ancient Magic Civilization, remember? It won’t break that easily."
"But we're talking about Crimson, who crushed an A-Rank, and S-Rank Immovable Noise. It’s going to be dangerous in more ways than one."
"I was thinking of selling sandwiches during the finals tomorrow... think they'll sell?"
"I don't know. There’s only one match. You'd probably have better luck selling drinks."
Filtering through the overlapping voices, Rei turned into a familiar back street. Before long, he reached the door he was looking for.
It was a magic item shop where he had previously been shown a quiver that could create an infinite supply of arrows using magic power.
The item’s performance had been remarkable. Despite the drawbacks—namely high magic power consumption and the fact that the arrows were essentially bound to the user—it was a magic item Rei had seriously considered acquiring.
(Still, arrows aren't exactly my specialty. If possible, like I asked last time, a spear-type version would be ideal...)
Musing on this, Rei pushed open the shop door.
Inside, he was greeted by a chaotic hoard of items.
At first glance, they all looked like magic items, but they were actually dummies—worthless props that served no real purpose.
"Hmm? Who goes there?"
A voice drifted from the back of the shop, and Rei turned to look.
There stood the old man he had spoken with before—the magic item shopkeeper.
"Oh? Ooh! You finally showed up! You haven't stuck your nose in here since that last visit; I thought for sure you'd forgotten about me."
The old man had initially regarded the customer with suspicion, but the moment he realized it was Rei, his expression brightened into a surprisingly joyful welcome.
"I've been busy," Rei said.
"Ah, I’m sure. Even an old hermit like me knows what’s happening in the fighting tournament. You made it to the finals, didn't you? And tomorrow you're up against Noise the Immovable."
"Correct. I was actually thinking about that magic item you showed me before. For throwing... I know it’s a long shot, but did you ever find something that creates spears with magic power?"
Rei asked with the faintest sliver of hope, but the old man simply shook his head.
"Regrettably, the alchemist who crafted that quiver is no longer around."
His somber tone left Rei wondering if the creator had simply left the Imperial Capital or left this world entirely.
Either way, if the original craftsman was gone, his search for a spear-generating version was at a dead end.
"I see," Rei murmured.
He wasn't particularly devastated; he had come here knowing the odds were slim.
Besides, he hadn't ruled out finding other useful items. As he looked up, however, he saw the shopkeeper wearing a broad, mischievous grin.
"...What? Did I say something funny?" Rei asked, his voice tinged with irritation at the man's smile.
The shopkeeper didn't lose his smirk. "Wait right here. I have something you’ll want to see."
He disappeared into the back of the shop.
Rei watched him go, feeling a flicker of annoyance, but he didn't leave. Deep down, he felt a spark of anticipation.
His patience was rewarded when the man returned less than a minute later.
The shopkeeper held a small, cylindrical object roughly five centimeters tall. It was hollow, with a small fastener on the side for a belt.
Rei tilted his head. It was the first time he had seen this specific object, yet it felt strangely familiar.
The shopkeeper seemed to enjoy Rei's confusion, watching him with a silent, knowing smile.
(What is it? I’ve definitely seen something like this... No, I've only seen a handful of items in this place.)
Then, the realization struck.
It was a cylinder, five centimeters tall. He had been thrown off by its compact size, but if it were taller—longer, to be precise—it would be...
"Is this the magic item from last time?"
The shopkeeper’s grin widened. "Took you long enough." He tossed the object toward Rei.
"Whoa!" Rei caught it reflexively. He still didn't understand why a quiver designed to produce arrows had been shortened to a mere five centimeters.
"Why is it shaped like this?"
"Mmm. I took the liberty of looking into you after your last visit. You mentioned you were quite fond of spear throwing, didn't you?"
Rei nodded. He had indeed told the man as much during their first meeting.
"Well, while digging around, I found out your physical ability is quite extraordinary."
"I won't deny that."
"Right. Now, spear throwing is incredibly powerful, and the range is impressive. But it requires a massive wind-up. It's a big, telegraphed motion."
"True enough."
When throwing a spear, one had to grip the spear's shaft and swing back significantly. No matter how fast Rei was, that physical motion took time.
Even with his superhuman speed, the need for a full wind-up created a split-second opening.
"That's where this comes in."
The shopkeeper nodded toward the device in Rei's hand.
"Now, like I said, the original alchemist is gone. I wasn't sure what to do with the quiver... but fortunately, I know an expert in adjusting and modifying magic items. I consulted them, and this is the result."
"...This?" Rei repeated.
The shopkeeper looked at him with absolute confidence. "Better for you to see it for yourself. Channel some magic power into it."
Casting a suspicious glance at the man, Rei funneled his magic power into the modified quiver.
He immediately felt the weight in his hand shift. Looking inside the cylinder, he saw... not an arrow, but a single arrowhead.
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Heh. A man with your skills can throw that... just like this, can't he?"
The old man demonstrated with a flick of his wrist.
(I see. Like a shuriken.)
Rei nodded, catching on. The shopkeeper urged him forward. "Go on, give it a—ah."
The man’s face fell. The arrowhead in Rei's hand had already vanished like mist.
"...Isn't the duration much shorter than before?"
It had only been about 30 seconds since the arrowhead was created. Compared to the arrows from the original quiver, the lifespan had dropped significantly.
The shopkeeper let out a small sigh. "Mmm. A side effect of the modification. But look at it this way: it's a weapon meant to be thrown the moment you create it. Given the application, I didn't think it was a deal-breaker."
"I suppose it's fine for normal use," Rei muttered. He funneled in more magic power to create another.
"Go on. Take a shot at that wooden statue over there."
Rei hesitated for a second, wondering if it was okay to use even a dummy as a target, but the owner didn't seem to care. With a sharp snap of his wrist, Rei launched the arrowhead.
A crisp thwack echoed through the shop as the projectile buried itself deep into the wood.
"I see. It's much lighter than a spear, and since it’s only fingertip-sized, I can throw it with a flick of the wrist."
Surprised by how intuitive it felt, Rei watched the target.
A few seconds later, the arrowhead dissolved into nothingness. He turned back to the shopkeeper.
"The usability is even better than I expected."
"I told you! Exactly as I predicted!"
The shopkeeper beamed with pride, but Rei cut through his excitement.
"There is one drawback, though. The power is low, which is fine if I’m just using it for feints or distractions... but it disappears too fast. If it stayed for ten minutes or so, I could cause some real trouble by letting them vanish while they’re still inside an opponent's body."
The shopkeeper blanched, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead. "Good heavens... you have a wicked mind, don't you?"
He was a merchant, first and foremost. He thought of magic items in terms of their intended function; he hadn't considered using the vanishing property to cause internal trauma.
"That's just the difference between using them and selling them," Rei said. "Besides..."
"Besides?"
Rei trailed off, shaking his head.
(I can hardly tell the man that I’m drawing on memories of manga and novels from Japan.)
"Anyway, looking at the big picture, this is definitely a useful magic item."
"...The magic power consumption is even higher than the original quiver, mind you."
"That's not an issue. I’m confident in my magic power quantity. And I appreciate that it's small enough to clip onto my belt and hide under my robe. I'll have to figure out a spot that doesn't interfere with my Mithril Knife, but I'll manage."
Being able to hide it was a huge advantage. It was a perfect surprise weapon.
While he already had the Mithril Knife concealed, that was a single blade. As long as he had magic power, these arrowheads provided an endless supply of projectiles.
"This could be a trump card for tomorrow... though I doubt things will be that easy. Still, it might catch Noise off guard for a second. At least, I hope it does."
"You’re sounding less confident by the second," the shopkeeper remarked dryly.
Rei gave a small shrug. "I'm facing an S-Rank, Noise the Immovable. If I can catch him off guard for even a second with this, I'll call that a win."
"Fair point. ...Now, it’s a bit late to ask, but are you going to buy it? This magic item is called the Eye of Nebula."
"Eye of Nebula? I like the name. ...And yes, I'll take it. What's the price?"
The price the shopkeeper quoted was steep—about eighty percent of the winnings Rei had left from betting on himself.
Rei didn't hesitate. If the Eye of Nebula was his, it was money well spent. He paid the fee and left the shop, eager to start practicing with his new weapon.