"That concludes the performances for all participants!"
Luckhart, acting as the master of ceremonies, waited for the applause and cheers to subside before making the announcement.
"Wow, that was truly spectacular, wasn't it?"
"It certainly was. Even outside of these 'Title Matches,' it might be a wonderful idea to hold this as an exhibition event," Stayhart suggested.
"I quite agree!"
Luckhart and Stayhart nodded to each other in unison.
"I think it would be enjoyable for both the audience and the competitors. It’s a fine idea," Sion added her approval.
"Now, we ask the audience to take their time with the scoring."
Fifteen minutes were allocated for the scoring process.
＊ ＊ ＊
"It appears the results are in."
The final scores for the talent segment were displayed as follows:
Bib #1: Natalia — Nave: 89 points (5th place overall, 2nd among official competitors) Bib #2: Shu — Merry: 88 points (9th place overall, 7th among official competitors) Bib #3: Eugene — Melanie: 88 points (9th place overall, 7th among official competitors) Bib #4: Greena — Shal: 89 points (5th place overall, 2nd among official competitors) Bib #5: Sireen — Allen: 88 points (9th place overall, 7th among official competitors) Bib #6: Sidney — Liddel: 89 points (5th place overall, 2nd among official competitors) Bib #7: Werner — Leila: 90 points (2nd place overall, 1st among official competitors) Bib #8: Florence — Clark: 88 points (9th place overall, 7th among official competitors) Bib #9: Elvis — Cyrus: 89 points (5th place overall, 2nd among official competitors) Bib #10: Rubina — Alice: 89 points (5th place overall, 2nd among official competitors) Bib #11: Jin — Reiko: 91 points (1st place overall) Bib #12: Lordtoss — Momoko: 90 points (2nd place overall) Bib #13: Marikka — Hanako: 90 points (2nd place overall)
"My, the margins are incredibly thin."
"Well, the scoring criteria are subjective, after all."
"From the next competition onward, perhaps we should treat events based on such subjective judgment as exhibitions," Sion suggested.
"Oh, that is certainly an option."
(Hmm...)
As far as Jin was concerned, Reiko taking first place felt more like a popularity contest than anything else. He couldn't shake the feeling that the audience’s favoritism had heavily influenced the outcome.
By his own estimation, he would have given her about eighty-five points.
(I appreciate the sentiment, but... well, it doesn't affect the final winner, so I suppose it doesn't matter.)
He decided to accept the results as they stood and move on.
＊ ＊ ＊
"And with that, the total scores for all events have been calculated!"
The final rankings were projected onto a large magi-screen.
Bib #1: Natalia — 620 points (2nd place) Bib #2: Shu Nidou — 560 points (3rd place) Bib #3: Eugene Foul — 200 points (10th place) Bib #4: Greena Kuzuma — 360 points (8th place) Bib #5: Sireen Eschenbach — 380 points (7th place) Bib #6: Sidney Marek — 480 points (5th place) Bib #7: Werner Randol — 540 points (4th place) Bib #8: Florence Fahlheit — 320 points (9th place) Bib #9: Elvis Alcott — 480 points (5th place) Bib #10: Rubina Garrett — 1,260 points (1st place)
"Rubina Garrett wins by a landslide!"
The arena erupted in thunderous applause.
"Rubina has shown remarkable growth throughout this tournament," Sion remarked.
"Natalia put up an admirable fight as well."
"Her background was in shipbuilding, but her overall crafting skills have clearly leveled up."
Sion appraised that while rankings had been assigned, every participant possessed world-class talent.
"Now, the title of 'Magi Craft Queen' will be officially bestowed upon Rubina Garrett. But before that, we would like to invite our special guests—Jin-sama, Marikka-sama, and Lordtoss-sama—to share a few words."
Another wave of applause rose from the stands.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Jin Nidou."
Jin was the first to speak.
"The 'Magi Craft King and Queen Competition' we began last year has finally reached its conclusion. Though I only joined halfway through, I want to express my gratitude for how much fun I’ve had throughout this journey."
He paused to catch his breath.
"Rubina Garrett will be honored as the First Generation Magi Craft Queen. Since a selection tournament of this scale is quite taxing to organize annually, I hope we can hold it every two years or so, continuing this new tradition through the generations."
The crowd cheered again.
"Through competition—the clashing of skills—we sharpen one another and elevate our craft. I believe that philosophy was perfectly exemplified here today. Please, give these competitors another round of applause for their incredible efforts."
In response to Jin’s request, a roar of applause and cheers filled the stadium.
"Next, I, Lordtoss, have a word....You were all formidable opponents. Keep up the good work and never stop pushing yourselves!"
True to his word, Lordtoss kept his speech extremely brief.
"...I am Marikka. I may have insisted on participating a bit forcefully, but it was truly wonderful. Competing against Jin-sama and Ro, and seeing the works of so many young crafters, will be a memory I cherish forever. I’m glad to have met all of you. Please, continue to hone your skills with everything you have."
When the three finished speaking, they were met with yet another massive ovation.
Leaving their seats at the commentator’s booth, the three moved toward the award podium set up in the arena.
Led by tournament volunteers, the contestants, with the winner Rubina at the head, were lined up according to their final rank. From Jin's perspective, Rubina was on the far right, and Eugene was on the far left.
An Onogoro Island Golem approached Jin and handed him a gold medal. It had been prepared specifically for the winner by Marikka and the island's management magi-brain, Testa.
Notably, there were no silver or copper medals for the runners-up.
"Rubina, congratulations on your victory."
Jin placed the medal around Rubina’s neck.
"Don't let this be your peak. Keep honing your skills from here on out."
"Yes, Jin-sama!"
Rubina replied with spirit, though her eyes were brimming with tears.
Jin then proceeded to shake hands with every participant from second place down.
"That was a tough break. But I’m sure it was a great learning experience, right? Keep at it."
"Yes, Jin-sama."
After sharing brief words like these with everyone, Jin spoke up to the group.
"As a reward for all your hard work, I’ve prepared a modest celebration... are any of you interested?"
They all replied in unison, "Yes!!"
"Excellent! In that case, gather at the Warp Gate room tomorrow. As for the time... let’s say 8:00 PM."
"Jin-sama, do we need to bring anything?" Shu asked.
"Nothing in particular....Oh, feel free to bring your automata along."
"Understood!"
With their curiosity piqued by whatever celebration Jin had planned, they all nodded eagerly in anticipation.