(A perspective change will occur in the second half.)
After killing time for a while, it was finally time for my match, so I made my way back to the waiting room.
"Ah, Orun-san, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Why weren't you in the waiting room? Honestly—"
The staff member who had been searching for me let out a barrage of complaints the moment they caught sight of me.
"My apologies. I was just taking a little walk."
"...Well, fine. The previous match has already begun, so please prepare yourself."
Just as the staff member finished their lecture, the previous match seemed to conclude. Derrick walked into the waiting room from the arena. The moment his eyes landed on me, his expression twisted with boiling rage.
"Hey! You'd better win your way through! Because tomorrow, I’m going to beat the living crap out of you in front of the whole world!"
He was as noisy as ever. I had told him to stop involving himself with me, yet he kept picking fights. Then again, I suppose I was partly to blame for his current state of mind.
"It’s heartening to know you’re rooting for me."
"I’m not rooting for you, damn it!"
Trading quips with Derrick, I stepped out of the waiting room. As I moved toward the center of the facility, the circular arena opened up before my eyes.
"That bracelet is a magic tool, isn't it? Bringing such items into the arena is prohibited. Please hand over the device or its attached magic stone."
I had heard the rules beforehand, so I wasn't surprised. I stored my right bracelet in my inventory and produced a sword belt along with two swords specifically dulled for the tournament. Then, I removed the magic stone from my left bracelet and handed it to the official. I really didn't like the idea of handing over a magic tool to a stranger.
I buckled the sword belt around my waist, tucking a longsword on my left hip and a dagger at my back. As I made my final preparations, the announcer’s voice boomed through the colosseum.
"Now then, ladies and gentlemen, only one match remains for today! Representing the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky—the clan's ace and the presumptive favorite to win this tournament—the Dragon Slayer, Orun Doura! His opponent is Loretta Waver of Jade Gale, the party currently rumored to be closest to S-rank after reaching the 89th Floor in just one month!"
The cheers that erupted were every bit as thunderous as they had been for the first match. Everyone certainly had a lot of energy. With my preparations complete, I slowly walked toward my designated starting position.
"A pleasure to meet you, Dragon Slayer. To think I’d run into the favorite in the very first round... I’m disgusted by my own luck. However, if we take you down, our party will become famous overnight. So, I’ll be taking this victory!"
"...Whether you win or lose this match, I don’t think your party’s reputation will change much. You’re already the talk of the town for surging from the 86th Floor to the 89th in a single month."
It was the truth. As of last month, the party that had made the most progress among A-rank parties was the one Barnard-san belonged to. Yet, in the span of a few weeks, Jade Gale had leapfrogged to the top of the rankings. It was a feat worthy of genuine praise. Conquering the Deep Floors in such a short period was no easy task.
"It’s not enough. We’re going to surpass Copper, surpass the Rabbit, surpass the Dawn—we’re going to be the ones who become Heroes!"
Loretta-san took a stance, gripping a longsword in each hand. I wondered if she could handle them effectively without buffs. From her standard build, I worried she might be the one swung around by the blades’ weight.
"I see. I’d like to support that ambition, but I have my own reasons for needing this win. I’m afraid I’ll be the one moving on."
I drew the longsword from my left hip, lowered my center of gravity, and let the tension drain from my body.
"Both combatants are ready. Well then—first round, eighth match—begin!"
Loretta-san closed the distance the instant the signal was given. I stayed rooted to the spot, watching her every movement. Once she entered range, she swung her right sword horizontally.
—Just as I expected, the weight of the sword dragged her along slightly.
Perhaps because the blade was too heavy for her natural strength, the attack was sluggish. I evaded it without effort. Without a moment's pause, her left sword followed a nearly identical trajectory. Judging that the momentum of the second swing would leave her wide open, I prepared to launch a counter.
—But then, a sword tip lunged toward my throat from my lower left.
"—!"
I aborted my attack instantly, pivoting my body to dodge the thrust before leaping backward to reset the distance. Loretta-san had unleashed a thrust with her right sword immediately after swinging the left. That was a maneuver only possible with a rock-solid core.
So, acting like the swords were too heavy was a bluff, I realized.
"Oh, you actually reacted to that? I was hoping to end this in one go," Loretta-san said in a lighthearted tone as she closed the distance again.
Her sword speed wasn't particularly fast, making her attacks manageable, but she made up for it with volume. She was utilizing the advantages of dual-wielding to its fullest. I found myself parrying and evading her relentless slashes, unable to find an opening to strike back.
"This is an unexpected turn of events! Orun Doura hasn't been able to go on the offensive! Is he truly doing everything he can just to survive her onslaught!?"
Our blades clashed dozens of times.
I’ve got the hang of her rhythm now. This should be enough.
Having observed her movements sufficiently while on the defensive, I finally moved to end it. Loretta-san compensated for her lack of speed with sheer number of strikes, but her tempo was consistent and predictable.
First, I drew the dagger at my back with my left hand and struck her right sword just as she was about to initiate her next swing.
"—!?"
With her rhythm shattered, I swung my longsword. Loretta-san immediately shifted to defense, blocking my strike with her left blade while backstepping to create space. When I pressed the advantage, she steadied herself and swung her right sword.
Unfortunately for her, the attack didn't reach me. I had already identified the starting point of her attacks and mapped out her exact reach. Her blade whistled through empty air, missing me by a fraction of an inch.
I swung my longsword at her right arm while it was still extended from the miss. Since the blades were dulled, there was no blood, but a sickening sensation of bone breaking was transmitted through my hilt.
I tried to follow up with my dagger, but she leaped back again, so I abandoned the idea. Instead, I threw the dagger just as she was about to land. As she twisted her body to avoid the projectile, I closed the distance and unleashed a horizontal sweep with my longsword.
Though she managed to catch the blow with her left sword, her balance was gone. She couldn't brace herself and tumbled onto her backside, her blade clattering to the floor. I leveled my sword tip at her throat.
"Yeah... it’s my loss."
"It’s over! The winner is Orun Doura of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky! Once he turned the tide, it was completely one-sided! Truly, the Dragon Slayer is in a league of his own!"
The audience’s roar reached a fever pitch in response to the announcer’s excitement. God, they were loud.
"Aww, I guess I really couldn't pull it off... You're not an opponent I could beat with a makeshift fighting style and no buffs, huh?"
"So that really was different from your usual combat style."
"Well, yeah. Not that it’s anything more than an excuse."
She had moved well, but I had wondered if that was truly the peak of an A-rank party's ace.
"And... I'm sorry about your arm."
"No, don't apologize. I knew I’d be getting hurt the moment I signed up for this tournament."
Injuries were par for the course in a martial arts tournament. Because of that, several high-level healers were on standby. She would likely be fully healed by the end of the day.
"Well then, good luck with the rest of the matches! You'd better win the whole thing. If you do, I can just tell everyone I only lost in the first round because I was up against the champion."
"I understand. I planned on winning from the start anyway."
Thus, my first match of the tournament ended in victory. Through this fight, I realized something again: the compatibility between these rules and explorers was terrible. It was a boon for me, but I hated the idea of the public thinking this was the true limit of a Senior Explorer’s power.
The first day of the Advanced Explorer Division concluded. Three more wins to the championship. I didn't expect the semifinals or finals to be easy, but for the sake of the clan—and more importantly, for myself—I couldn't afford to lose.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good morning! While the excitement from yesterday still lingers, the second round is already upon us!"
Just like the day before, the announcer’s high-octane voice whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
"Let’s check today’s match-ups! The first match: Oliver Cardiff of the Hero Party versus Wilkes Sevary of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky! The second match: Haruto Tendou of Copper Afterglow versus Olaf of Ultramarine Drizzle! The third match: Keiron of Amber Flash versus Fuuka Shinonome of Copper Afterglow! And finally, the fourth match: Derrick of the Hero Party versus Orun Doura of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky! We have S-rank clashes in the first and fourth matches! What kind of spectacle will they provide us today—"
"Wil, how are you feeling?"
Orun, who was waiting in the room with me, spoke up.
"Not bad. I’ve run some simulations based on Oliver’s fight yesterday. I’m gonna go out there and win."
Yesterday, that guy’s style was pure aggression, as if to say offense was the only defense he needed. If he was going to be that one-dimensional, he’d actually be a good match for my defensive style.
"...I don’t think it’s a good idea to rely too much on Oliver’s performance from yesterday. I won't say it's useless, but..." Orun warned me, his voice laced with concern.
"I know. There’s a chance yesterday’s style was a bait. I’ll keep my eyes open."
"It is time! Let us begin the second round of the Advanced Explorer Division! Match one: Oliver Cardiff of the Hero Party, who crushed his foe yesterday with an overwhelming barrage! His opponent: the man who seized control of his match by skillfully parrying and redirecting every blow—Wilkes Sevary of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky!"
My name was called. I walked toward the center of the arena, meeting Oliver as he approached from the other side. The guy definitely had presence. Strangely enough, I felt like he was somewhat similar to Orun.
"Go easy on me, Mister Hero."
"...Go easy? Don't be absurd. I’m going to crush you with everything I have."
I’d meant it as a casual greeting, but I got a dead-serious reply. It came with a glare so sharp I felt like he could kill a man with a look alone. At the very least, I knew he was coming at me with his best. I shifted my mindset and readied my twin-bladed sword.
"Second round, first match—begin!"
A massive gong echoed through the stadium.
"...?"
In a complete reversal from yesterday, Oliver didn't charge. He stayed perfectly still. Was he wary of me? I doubted that was the case. My style was fundamentally reactive; anyone with half a brain who watched my match yesterday would know I don't like to initiate.
Fine then. If he won't move, I’ll take the initiative and seize the lead!
"Whoa! Wilkes Sevary is the one to move first! This is the exact opposite of their behavior yesterday!"
Even as I closed the distance, Oliver stayed still, sword gripped tight, watching me. In that regard, he was a dead ringer for Orun. But Orun’s adaptability was on another level. Having sparred with Orun countless times, I was confident I could handle a counter-attack.
I swung my twin-bladed sword. Even as the edge closed in on him, Oliver didn't budge.
What is he doing? If he doesn't move now, he won't be able to—!?
Before my blade could reach him, it slammed into something invisible and was jolted to a halt. I checked the point of impact immediately. A golden mass of light hovered in mid-air.
Is this Mana Convergence—!?
Oliver didn't miss the moment my momentum died. His blade flashed toward me. Because I had been wary of a counter, I managed to react, but I couldn't dodge entirely. The tip of his sword slammed into my side.
"Guh!"
It was dulled, so it didn't cut, but it hit with the force of a speeding carriage. It hurt like hell. Enduring the pain, I caught his second strike with the center of my blade.
This is way too heavy...
I couldn't redirect the force. Taking the hit head-on was far more taxing than I’d anticipated. Still, I gritted my teeth and forced us into a struggle of strength. I planned to reset my stance and strike with the opposite end of my weapon, but Oliver pulled his sword back before I could act.
I nearly stumbled but managed to hold my ground. By then, Oliver’s next strike was already upon me. I blocked it, but I was past the point of being able to parry or redirect. I was stuck in a desperate defense.
"Oliver Cardiff is unleashing a relentless storm of blows! Wilkes Sevary is managing to block, but he’s completely on the ropes! Can he possibly turn this around!?"
Oliver’s assault didn't let up for a second, steadily draining my stamina. He didn't give me an inch of breathing room to fix my posture.
...Orun warned me. I thought I understood. I knew I couldn't beat Oliver. But is the gap really this wide? Was everything from that first stare-down until now just him playing me like a fiddle?
"WIIIIIL! DO YOUR BEST!"
(—!)
Through the roar of the crowd, I thought I heard Lucre’s voice.
What the hell am I doing, giving up already? I can't let her see me look this pathetic! Even if I lose, I’m going to leave a mark on this guy!
Even as my balance crumbled, I forcibly took his next strike at an angle. Oliver’s sword slid across the length of my blade.
"What!?"
"HRAAAAAH!"
I swung my twin-bladed sword with everything I had. The blade caught Oliver in the gut, sending him flying backward.
That felt solid. That had to have hurt...
Yet, despite taking the full force of my swing, Oliver stood back up as if nothing had happened.
That hit him clean. How is he standing!?
"I’ll admit, that surprised me. I thought I had you there."
"I’m the one who’s surprised here..."
"Then let’s move on to the next one. Can you survive this? Shield of the Rabbit."
As he spoke, Oliver’s blade began to pulse with a brilliant golden light.
Is that Heavenly Flash!? Crap!
If I had my usual weapon, I could cancel it out. But this was a pure physical tool made for the tournament. There was no way I could survive a direct hit from that monster of a technique. I’d probably die.
Desperate to stop him from firing, I lunged forward to close the gap. As I did, a smirk played across Oliver’s lips.
It was a bluff!?
I had been so sure he was charging a stationary attack that I couldn't react when he suddenly lunged into my space. The blade, shrouded in golden light, slammed into me, and the world went black.
Thank you for reading to the end. Daily updates will end with this chapter. From now on, I will return to a minimum of one update per week. I apologize for reducing the frequency at such a pivotal moment. I will do my best to update as quickly as possible, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.