The first match of the third round in the Knight Division.
Tia versus Lu.
Before they had moved to this village, these two were fierce rivals. Now, it was a battle between two women who had both borne my children.
It was the matchup everyone had anticipated, yet the outcome was anyone’s guess. Both stepped onto the stage wearing trousers, prepared for unarmed combat.
"Fufufu. It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"
"Indeed. And since the Progenitor is watching, I won't be able to go easy on you."
"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less."
The tension between them was palpable. With Hakuren acting as the referee, the start of the match was announced.
I had expected them to maintain their distance or perhaps take to the skies immediately, but instead, they slowly walked toward the center of the stage to square off. Then, without warning, they planted their feet and began a raw slugfest.
It was reminiscent of an old American action movie—the kind of brawl where you stoically take a punch just to land one in return. It might look cool when men do it, but seeing women go at it like that was terrifying. It was even more frightening considering both of them were my wives.
They weren't using open-palmed slaps; these were clenched fists. They aimed for each other’s cheeks with precise, heavy hooks. Even more unsettling was the way they both flashed a smirk after being hit.
I made a mental note to avoid marital spats at all costs in the future.
After the exchange of blows had gone on for a while, the two took their distance simultaneously, as if by unspoken agreement. Then, the magical warfare began. Spells of fire, water, and wind that I didn't recognize flew across the stage, clashing and exploding in mid-air.
The spectator seats were shielded by Hakuren’s magic, but from my position relatively close to the stage, the intensity was staggering. I couldn't tell who held the advantage at all.
Following the magical exchange, the two took to the air for a high-speed clash. Whether they were throwing punches, casting point-blank spells, or simply ramming into each other, I couldn't say for sure. All I knew was that it was a fierce, relentless battle.
Then came the conclusion.
When the two descended from the sky back onto the stage, Tia remained standing, while Lu was down on one knee, unable to rise.
"Today, the victory is mine," Tia declared.
Tia was the winner. Both were clearly exhausted, but I was relieved to see that neither appeared to have sustained any serious injuries. I went to meet them and offered my praise.
"Darling! Tia is being a bully!" Lu wailed.
"Lu-san, that's playing dirty," Tia countered with a sigh.
The second match of the third round.
Bulga versus Makura.
It hardly qualified as a match. Bulga was far too drained from her previous struggle against Uno; she couldn't manifest enough clones and found herself unable to evade Makura’s silk.
"Ugh... I was so close..." Bulga groaned.
It was Makura’s victory.
With that, the final match was set: Tia versus Makura.
Before that, however, there was a discussion regarding a third-place playoff between the losers of the semi-finals. While Lu seemed fine, Bulga was completely out of commission. Flora refused to give medical clearance for the match, so the third-place playoff was officially scrapped. There was no real need to force a ranking, anyway.
Then, the final match began.
To be honest, it was a bit of an anti-climax.
I suppose it was inevitable. It was Tia versus Makura, and the scene immediately brought back memories of Makura’s earlier fight against Corone.
"The... the compatibility is just too one-sided," Tia muttered as she was unceremoniously bundled up in silk.
The champion of the Knight Division was Makura. One of Zabuton's children had claimed the title. Makura raised a leg in response to the cheers from the crowd, looking quite pleased with itself.
With the matches concluded, it was time for the awards ceremony. I presented the winner, Makura, with ten Reward Medals. I also handed over the wooden championship trophy and the wooden crown I had carved before the festival.
I had been slightly concerned that a crown might carry some unintended political weight, but after consulting Lu and the others, they assured me that such things weren't an issue in the Demon King's Territory. However, because I had designed it with a human head in mind, the crown didn't fit Makura at all.
I wondered what it would do, but upon receiving the crown, Makura simply perched it on its rear. A crown on its backside... well, it looked surprisingly fitting, so I let it be. Makura waved its legs at the audience, proudly showing off its trophy and its new headgear.
As the runner-up, Tia received five Reward Medals. I distributed the remaining medals—one for those who won a single match and two for those who won twice—and brought the ceremony to a close. I truly hoped they would all continue to excel.
The tournament was over, but the banquet was just beginning, set to last through the night and into the following morning. Since the stage was still standing, it was opened up for exhibition matches. I made sure to provide referees; I didn't want anyone getting seriously hurt just because they were fighting for fun.
The High Elves and Mountain Elves, still itching for combat, along with the beastmen from Howlin Village other than Galf, took turns stepping onto the stage to showcase their skills. Occasionally, the younger beastman girls would go up for what looked like training bouts, and at one point, Tia and Lu even started a formal revenge match.
Even after the sun dipped below the horizon, the fighting continued under the glow of torches and magical lights. Off to the side of the arena...
"Hey, Demon King. How about it? Care to go a round with me?" Dos challenged.
"Hahahaha. You jest, surely," the Demon King replied, skillfully dodging the invitation.
Nearby, the Progenitor was discussing combat theory with Beezel and Yuri.
"I really wish chantless magic would become more popular," the Progenitor mused.
"Since the potency drops when casting without a chant, shouldn't we prioritize proper procedures?" Beezel countered.
"I don't actually know how to use chantless magic," Yuri admitted.
"Is that so? Well, to explain it simply..."
"W-Wait! Is this wise?" Beezel interrupted. "If you teach the Royal Princess, wouldn't it put your own standing at risk?"
"Hmm? My standing can take care of itself. Don't sweat the small stuff."
"Thank you so much! I'll do my best to learn!" Yuri exclaimed.
Draim was enjoying a meal with Hakuren, Rusty, his wife, and Raimeiren.
"Grandmother," Rusty said. "I believe I need to polish my Humanization Technique further."
"I suppose so. But there's no need to rush, dear. Even Draim didn't master a perfect human form until..."
"Mother, please, let’s not tell that story," Draim pleaded. "More importantly, uh... right, what ever happened to the talk about Sekiren’s marriage?"
"Draim," Sekiren snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Are you really going to bring up my marriage prospects right in front of me?"
"I-It shouldn't matter, should it? Big Sister is essentially married into this place now, after all," Draim stammered, nodding toward Hakuren.
"Eh? Ah, well... I suppose that's true. Yes, that is how it is, but..." Hakuren trailed off, turning a visible shade of red.
"To think the great Hakuren would be blushing... what a rare sight," Graffaloon giggled.
"Graffaloon," Hakuren warned, her voice dropping an octave. "If you keep teasing me, I might just start sharing stories from your youth."
"...My deepest apologies."
It was a lively, noisy dinner. Bulga and Stifano had recovered enough to resume their duties as attendants, so everything seemed to be under control. I made sure to hand them some extra food and sake while trying not to interrupt the dragons' conversation.
Still, stories about Draim’s wife's past? I was almost too afraid to ask.
In any case, it had been an exhausting day—mostly mentally. I think I was just worn out from the constant worry about people getting hurt.
Next year, let's definitely do a different kind of festival, I thought to myself as I settled in to enjoy the rest of the festival night.