Edie’s match was over in an instant.
The Manslayer swung his blade down.
No—the slash changed trajectory mid-swing.
Would he parry? Or would he evade?
Edie chose to evade.
He dodged by moving a mere half-step diagonally. The distance between him and the blade was a scant centimeter. He had seen through the strike completely.
Before the Manslayer could even finish his downward swing, Edie had already launched his counterattack.
It was a simple, unremarkable thrust.
However, it was delivered with every ounce of his power.
The strike caught the Manslayer square in the throat. He went tumbling across the arena floor.
...Is the guy actually an Ogre?
I’m making a mental note to never, ever fight Edie.
Maintaining his zanshin, Edie spoke clearly.
"That was dangerous..."
You’re the last person who should be saying that.
But those words hadn't been directed at the thrust itself. Acting with the grace of a true sportsman, Edie helped the Manslayer back to his feet.
"I didn't expect the trajectory of the attack to change mid-way. Honestly, I was torn between two choices, but I went with evasion. If I’d misread it, I would have lost."
"I suppose luck was on your side," the Manslayer replied. "It is my total defeat."
The two shook hands, and that was that.
It was a display of genuine sportsmanship. Edie’s placement in the tournament was a massive success.
None of the spectators voiced a single complaint. Well, a few tried, but they were promptly beaten to a pulp by the more "in-the-know" pirates in the crowd.
I could understand why. Some didn't want a word of disrespect reaching the Manslayer's ears, while others were simply thinking, That was a high-level match, you idiot. Either way, the more competent pirates were the ones shutting down the hecklers.
As for Nakajima, his performance was nothing short of appalling.
Nakajima had always been prone to going berserk, but in truth, no one had realized that Isono had been his literal limiter until now.
"Ora ora ora ora! Walk-ins are welcome too! Gyahahahahahaha!"
Humanoid Fighters were being swatted out of the sky left and right.
The pirates were using black-market or modified civilian machines, whereas Nakajima was piloting a high-end specialized unit. On top of that, he was a veteran who had conquered the multiplayer "Hell Mode" of that notorious death-game simulator. They never stood a chance.
Nakajima wasn't using a hammer this time. To honor his ties to the Ogre God Nation, he had opted for a Spiked Kanabo. He had even customized his machine with a South Asian-inspired aesthetic.
The now-transformed Reaper continued to demolish the pirates. As he did, more and more challengers appeared—fearless idiots, the lot of them.
Since this didn't constitute Lese-majesty, we made sure to rescue them. They’d likely be sporting some injuries, but they’d live.
"Nwahahahahaha! Your guard is wide open!"
Nakajima, in full Berserker mode, was on a total rampage. Eventually, because they were idiots, the pirates even brought out warships.
They couldn't deploy the large vessels, so they sent in several Destroyers. However, no matter how many times they fired their Main Cannons, they couldn't land a hit. After all, you can't clear that simulator unless you can dodge Death Blasters.
By the end, he was actually swatting away missiles and Ballistic Weaponry with his metal club. The pirates could only stand there, mouths agape, frozen in shock.
"A-Are you kidding...? Did we just pick a fight with some seriously dangerous people...?"
One commander, likely a captain, turned pale, snot dripping from his nose in terror. Around him, the fools continued to egg him on.
"Come on! Just a little more! Keep attacking!"
The in-the-know People who heard this just shook their heads. He wasn't being hit at all. In fact, he had enough strength to spare to bat the attacks back. It wasn't even an issue of machine performance anymore; it was the pure, overwhelming gap in pilot skill.
Nakajima finished off a Destroyer.
A rifle? Who needs one? Close quarters is more than enough!
He actually made that a reality. By the time he was done, the pirate captains weren't just pale; they had turned white as sheets.
It was an Impossible Game. There was no way to win.
And yet, the fools were still shouting things like, "Gah! So close!"
...Middle management is a nightmare everywhere, isn't it?
From that day on, Nakajima was officially marked as a Berserker by every neutral and hostile faction in the area.
...Come to think of it, doesn't Isono always miraculously avoid getting that kind of reputation? That guy is so sneaky.
Then, it was time for Claire and the others' turn in their Humanoid Fighters.
I had asked the Pirate Guild to provide some absolute scum for them to fight. In response, they had assembled a "Dream Team" of trash consisting of high-profile Bounty heads.
"Hyah-ha! They said once we catch the women, we can do whatever we want with 'em!"
"Gyahaha! I'm gonna tear their limbs—"
The head of the Humanoid Fighter carrying that particular pirate was suddenly vaporized.
It was a display of Ren’s precision shooting. She followed up by systematically sniping and destroying its limbs. The now-immobilized machine was left to drift aimlessly through space.
Claire grabbed another piece of trash and hoisted his machine over her head.
Wait, hold on a second!
Without hesitation, Claire locked the machine’s upper and lower sections. An Argentine Backbreaker.
Ah, she is absolutely furious. Can I run away somewhere far away too?
The sound of shrieking metal filled the air. With a sickening series of crunches and snaps, the pirate machine was literally torn apart. It was a permanent farewell for the upper and lower halves.
Seeing that, another pirate threw up both hands.
"I-I surrender! I didn't say anyth—gyabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Melissa delivered a single, decisive blow—a literal Cleaving in Two. From the tip of the head to the crotch, it was another permanent farewell.
The pirates, who had expected a show where they would get to torment Claire, were stunned into silence. A funeral-like atmosphere settled over them, as if they were all collectively realizing, Yeah, it’s only natural they’d get killed for saying that...
Unlike during Nakajima’s match, no one dared to offer a walk-in challenge. They wouldn't even be allowed to do anything. There wasn't even a "one-in-a-million" chance.
They thought they were entering a playground to bully girls, but it turned out they had stepped into a cage with enraged carnivores.
We did perform rescues for these ones as well, for the most part. The pirates were weeping openly. They seemed utterly traumatized.
"Mama! Don't lock me in here anymore!" one of them was screaming.
I don't know... that's some dark stuff right there.
Regardless, I think we successfully met our goal of shaming them. Probably.
"Alright, work's done for the day," I thought, sipping my tea, when a Correspondence Course came in. It was from the Foreign Affairs Bureaucrat assisting me.
"Your Excellency the Grand Duke. A message has arrived from Lord Eyens of the Pirate Guild."
"Eh? Who's that?"
Another new name!
"He is the head of a major faction within the Pirate Guild."
"Huh. Got it. What’s the message?"
"I will read it aloud! 'I wish to express my gratitude to Lord Isono, Lord Anheim, and the Galactic Empire for allowing us to save face. Accordingly, I would like to request a formal meeting.'"
Whoa!
What Isono predicted actually happened!
I suppose he gave a specific shout-out of thanks because Edie also ended things with such sportsmanship. So, it really was for the best that we didn't push them too far!
And so, the event with the Pirate Guild began to roll in a very unexpected direction.
...Well, I suppose that’s just par for the course for us.