The schedule for the event proceeded without a hitch.
Once the competition shifted to track and field, the Ogre God Nation and the Modified Human Faction proved to be in a league of their own.
In weightlifting specifically, Athlete Satoshi, a Chlorella-treated human, and Athlete Bival of the Ogre God Nation fought tooth and nail. Athlete Satoshi was a twenty-five-year-old Corporal in the Galactic Empire Space Marines. He was the third son of a farmer and had enlisted right after graduating middle school.
Ten years in and still a corporal, huh? Well, if some brat fresh out of the military academy showed up as a second lieutenant, I’d probably want to punch him too...
I felt as though I’d caught a glimpse into the systemic issues plaguing the Imperial Army.
Apparently, he had been famous in the weightlifting world since before the Zork War. As for Athlete Bival, he’d only been weightlifting for about a year. You might wonder why his introduction is so brief. It's because he’s one of my underlings.
In the end, Athlete Satoshi took the win. Bival is definitely going to get teased by the others later.
Then the combat sports—wrestling, boxing, karate, and judo—began. In these events, experience makes all the difference. Most of the matches were won by citizens of the Galactic Empire. That was only to be expected.
Now, the real issue was the sumo. Combat sports with similar rules exist across the universe, but we hadn't exactly invited professional sumo wrestlers to participate. It couldn't be helped if our guys lost. Besides, the Ogre God Nation folks have incredible physiques.
"Pupi-! Look at that guy from the Sumo Club! He’s getting outmuscled by an Ogre God Nation guy!"
I was wearing a foolish grin as I mocked them, but I froze the very next instant. Master Katori was beckoning me over. I couldn't hear his voice, but I knew exactly what he was saying: Leo, you’re up next.
Wait, which event? Swordsmanship? Oh, right. Of course.
I put on my protective gear and shuffled reluctantly toward the waiting room.
"This is an exhibition match between His Highness Archduke Leo and the Sword Saint, Master Katori!"
"No way! No, no, no, no, no!"
I threw a total tantrum, but reality was heartless. Isono, Nakajima, and Melissa approached me. With a serene gaze, Melissa said, "The Captain needs to weaken him, at least a little, or we'll be in trouble."
"Pigyaaa!"
"We have to fight him after you, so do your part!" Isono and Nakajima added, clearly in league with her.
And so, I was shipped off to the slaughter.
"Ora ora ora! I'm not afraid of you, Master Katori!"
"Hah, you've got some guts!"
I readied my wooden sword and tried to take in the whole scene. This was always my weak point. A wooden sword lunged from the corner of my vision. I dodged, the wood grazing my hair. But if I just kept evading, I was going to get pulverized. I had to counter while I dodged.
I aimed a strike at his wrist, but he slipped past it... and then came a thrust! I couldn't dodge the Triple Strike! Fine, I’d take the hit—I just needed to tackle him. I took a blow to the forehead, but I twisted my face at the last second, making the strike slip.
Thud!
My tackle slammed directly into Master Katori.
"What?!"
Master Katori, who usually felt as immovable as a heavy tank, was sent flying. Of course, he’d jumped back himself to mitigate the impact. He rolled across the ground to kill the momentum before springing back to his feet.
"Not bad at all!"
"I can't believe he's still going after that... I want to go home."
"Magnificent! An attack made with total disregard for the risk! I’m genuinely moved!"
"Give me a break..."
All I could do was grumble. His speed and everything else were on an entirely different level. My training time had plummeted recently—I mostly just used the simulator. My muscle mass was the same as it had been during the Zork War, but my skills had definitely dulled.
However, my spirit was sharper than ever. Perhaps it was the experience of nearly starving to death. More than that, the weight of being responsible for the lives of the people of Chronos had forced me to grow.
I still couldn't see Master Katori's attacks, but I could predict them. My intuition was finally returning.
"Ha! Good movement!"
"Yeah, thanks."
We traded blows. We both knew that if either of us flinched or tried to create distance, it would be over. I couldn't even hear the crowd anymore; the only thing echoing in my ears was the heavy thrumming of my own pulse.
Crack!
The sound of both our wooden swords snapping rang out. I thought it was finally over, but Master Katori threw his broken sword aside and lunged for a grapple!
"Funga!"
I jumped back and threw my leg out... Tomoe Nage!
Of course, Master Katori wasn't going to be stopped by that. He landed with the supple grace of a cat. I took a stance and let out a roar. "Oryaaaaa!"
Master Katori countered with a spirited shout of his own. "Eeeeeei!"
Just as we were about to clash again, Wifey called out "Wait!" and brought us to a halt. It was finally, actually over.
"Fuhee..."
"Leo... you’ve grown strong. I'll admit it—this was my loss."
"Master..."
We shared a manly hug. That should have been the end of my lessons with him, but then he whispered in my ear.
"Heh heh heh... I’m looking forward to our next session. I’m going to train even harder and get stronger, too."
Goddamn it! He has no intention of letting this end! You literal devil! And the crowd didn't even seem to enjoy it that much!
I was busy muttering my complaints when the stadium suddenly erupted.
"The King is incredible!"
"He really is the Strongest of the Empire!"
"You're the best, King!"
Even the kids were cheering for me. Hahaha! I got a bit carried away and started waving back.
After that, the tournament continued. For the men, it was Eddie, Isono, Nakajima, and the Swordsmanship Club. For the women, it was Melissa and the Girls' Swordsmanship Club. They played by official rules with protective gear, of course. Eddie won the men's division, and Melissa won the women's. They both received massive cheers.
As for me, I had pushed my mental capacity so far that I had reverted to a "banana" state.
"My Lord. Here, have a banana."
"Banana..."
Munch munch.
Wifey burst out laughing. "The Lord Groom has such a charming side!"
"Banana!"
I tried to protest, but Wifey only laughed harder. The Sports Festival was a massive success.
Once all the events were finished, we held the closing ceremony.
"A moment of silence for all the Chronos soldiers who sacrificed their lives!"
Currently, public opinion in Chronos is shifting toward the idea that "soldiers are incompetent." I won't allow that. Even if I'm the only one left, I will continue to show respect for those who fell. People love to judge the military based on results, but I should at least be allowed to push back against the "incompetent" label. They were attacked out of nowhere, and I believe they did their absolute best.
That night, fireworks were launched for the post-festival celebration. We were all satisfied with how the event had concluded.
It was a few days after the ceremony... I think? It was one of those lazy afternoons where everyone had let their guard down.
The Zen Divine Race suddenly launched an attack on Chronos from the Magellan Democratic Federation—the small nation neighboring our borders.