Morning arrived.
Following on the heels of the festival, the martial arts tournament had also stretched into a two-day affair. I began the morning preparations with that realization in mind.
Calling it "preparations" was a bit of a stretch, though; it was mostly just tidying up after yesterday’s "exhibition matches"—if you could even call them that. The cleanup was over in a flash. As expected, nobody had gone so far as to hinder the tournament itself, despite how much they’d let loose.
Well, Galf’s Son was currently busy replacing several cracked sections of the stone pavement, but I’d let that slide.
I cleared my throat.
"The martial arts tournament, Knight Division, will now begin!"
A thunderous cheer erupted from the spectator stands.
We had a large number of participants this year. From our village, there was Lu the Vampire; the Angels Tia, Granmaria, Kudel, Corone, Kierbit, Suarliu, and Suarkou; Ria the High Elf; Ann the High Ogre; Daga the Lizardman; and Bulga and Stifano of the Devil Race.
Additionally, five other members of the Devil Race who had come to act as Hakuren's Midwives joined the fray. Then there was Galf the Beastman; Ya the Mountain Elf; Junea and Suunea from the Lamia Race; and two representatives from the Giant Race.
From the Inferno Wolves, we had three entrants: Uno, Masayuki's Child, and Fubuki's Child. Representing the Demon Spiders were four of Zabuton's offspring, each about the size of a half-tatami mat. It seemed Makura was sitting this one out.
Finally, there was the Death Knight. Progenitor-san had gone through the trouble of bringing him here personally via teleportation magic.
That made thirty-two participants in total. It was a perfect number for a tournament bracket, thanks to the Midwives who had volunteered to fill out the slots. Dos and the others had guaranteed that their combat prowess was more than sufficient for the Knight Division, so I wasn't worried.
The matchups were decided fairly by lottery, with no special seeding.
Thirty-one matches took place from morning until night.
My primary impression of the sixteen matches in the first round was simply how powerful the Devil Race was. Bulga, Stifano, and four of the five Midwives advanced. The only Midwife who lost was the one matched against the Death Knight. Even though the Death Knight was using a blunt wooden sword for the match, his swordsmanship completely shut down the Midwife's options. I couldn't shake the feeling that if he’d been out for blood, he could have ended it in the blink of an eye. I was just glad it was a regulated match.
The most unexpected defeat was Uno's. He faced one of the Midwives and fell to a series of illusion magic spells. Similarly, Masayuki's Child and Fubuki's Child were both eliminated in the first round. I wondered if Inferno Wolves simply had poor compatibility with the Devil Race? Or perhaps it was the tactical disadvantage; information about Kuro and the others had likely leaked through Bulga and Stifano, while our wolves didn't know how the Midwives fought.
The two from the Lamia Race and the two from the Giant Race also failed to make it past the first round. Granmaria, Kudel, and Corone were eliminated as well. Through some stroke of luck—good or bad, depending on your perspective—the twins, Suarliu and Suarkou, were matched against each other in the opening round. After a long, grueling struggle, Suarkou emerged victorious.
That messy match was followed by another high-profile bout: Lu versus Tia. However, contrary to the crowd's expectations, that one turned into a sloppy, exhausting grind as well. Tia managed to seize the victory by the skin of her teeth. Alfred, who was watching from my side, looked quite disappointed at his mother's loss.
Kierbit faced off against Galf. Both fought at high speeds, turning the match into a contest of who could land a blow first. Kierbit’s knee caught Galf squarely in the solar plexus, bringing the fight to a decisive end.
Ya the Mountain Elf went up against Ria the High Elf. Ya put up a valiant effort, but Ria eventually won through superior technique. That was the gist of the first round.
Sixteen combatants remained for the second round: the Angels Tia, Kierbit, and Suarkou; Ria the High Elf; Ann the High Ogre; Daga the Lizardman; Bulga, Stifano, and the four Midwives from the Devil Race; three of Zabuton's Children; and the Death Knight.
Based on the fights I’d seen so far, my money was on the Death Knight. Emotionally, though, I wanted to root for Tia, Ria, and Ann. Of course, I was rooting for Daga and Zabuton's children, too.
I felt bad for Uno and the others. They looked dejected, perhaps fearing the scolding they’d get from Kurosan, Masayuki, and Fubuki, who were waiting on the sidelines.
"I’ll walk over there with you," I told them, giving them a comforting pat. "You gave it your all, right? It’s okay."
I looked over at the senior wolves. "Kurosan, Masayuki, Fubuki... please, go easy on them."
Masayuki didn't seem particularly angry, but the one who looked truly upset was Masayuki's Child’s partner. I just hoped they’d remember to be gentle. In any fight, someone has to lose. You shouldn't get too hung up on it—though I suppose in the wild, losing a fight often meant death. Perhaps there was a reason for their strictness.
The second round began. Due to the high number of them remaining, there were two matches between members of the Devil Race. Stifano won her bout against a fellow demon to advance, while one of the Midwives triumphed in their internal bracket.
Bulga faced off against Ann, only to be overwhelmed by a relentless flurry of blows.
"Her strikes are just too heavy..." Bulga groaned afterward.
Tia, perhaps still drained from her messy first-round fight, lacked her usual sharpness and lost to one of Zabuton's Children. Tiselle, for her part, slept soundly through the whole thing.
The fight between Daga and Kierbit was almost a mirror image of Galf’s match with Kierbit. However, this time Daga was the victor.
"I saw that trajectory once already today," he said, sounding remarkably cool.
Ria faced another of Zabuton's Children. She skillfully evaded the threads to close the distance, and the moment she pinned the spider down, it conceded.
"I'm sure you're trying to mimic Makura-san's movements," Ria noted, "but is that really a style that suits your natural strengths?" The defeated spider seemed to take her words to heart, retreating to contemplate the advice.
The Death Knight completely overwhelmed Suarkou.
"I couldn't lay a finger on him," she admitted.
The final match of the round was between the remaining Midwife and a Zabuton's Child. At the start, it looked like the Midwife had secured victory with her illusion magic, but it turned out the spider had been faking it. The moment the Midwife lowered her guard, she was bound in silk.
"Wait, what? No way!" the Midwife cried out.
And so, the second round concluded. Eight participants remained: Ria, Ann, Daga, Stifano, one Midwife, two of Zabuton's Children, and the Death Knight.
We took a short intermission. Volunteers performed cheering dances and songs; the Harpy Race was particularly enthusiastic, clearly seeing this as their moment to shine. Fouche sang as well, revealing a surprisingly beautiful voice. Even Michael-san took the stage to perform an unfamiliar but pleasant song. Gratz and Ronana eventually crashed the stage to sing a romantic duet. It felt more like a karaoke contest than a martial arts tournament.
I ate my meal while watching the festivities. Since I was technically the one in charge, I couldn't very well eat while the matches were ongoing. I felt a pang of envy toward the spectators who could eat and drink whenever they liked. Progenitor-san, who was acting as the referee, joined me for a quick bite. He’d been working hard.
The third round began with Ria versus the Midwife. Having seen the Midwife's tricks in previous matches, Ria was prepared; she toyed with her opponent and won handily. It seemed illusion magic was most effective when it carried the element of surprise.
Next was Stifano against a Zabuton's Child. I thought the spider had the advantage, but Stifano danced through the threads, closed the gap, and won by pinning the spider down.
"We've been training and getting stronger too, you know," Stifano said with a smile.
Then came Ann versus Daga—a clash between two of the village's veteran residents. Daga’s sword strikes were repeatedly parried or evaded, and Ann’s powerful blows eventually sent him flying. It was a one-sided affair from start to finish. Daga fought hard, but there was simply no overcoming the gap in raw power.
The final match of the round was the Death Knight versus a Zabuton's Child. The Death Knight approached slowly, his sword spinning in a defensive rhythm, and the spider conceded the moment he got close. I was confused about what had happened until I overheard Raimeiren explaining it to Kuon.
Apparently, the spider had been attacking with needle-like shards of thread alongside its normal webs, but the Death Knight had deflected every single one with his sword. Realizing the massive gap in skill, the spider had chosen to surrender. I looked closer and saw countless tiny, needle-like objects scattered across the floor. To think he deflected all of those... the Death Knight was truly formidable.
The semi-finals.
First up were Ria and Stifano. Since they had both carefully observed each other’s matches, it came down to who had more hidden tricks up their sleeve. Ria cycled through archery, strikes, and throwing techniques, eventually attempting a joint lock. However, Stifano seemed to have an answer for everything and claimed the victory.
"I think I might actually aim for the championship this time," Stifano remarked.
Next was Ann against the Death Knight. It was a fierce clash between Ann’s heavy strikes and the Death Knight’s rapid blade. Unlike the previous fight with the spider, the attacks were visible, but the sheer speed was breathtaking. They both stood their ground, trading a rhythmic barrage of blows—thud-thud-thud—until a sharp snap echoed through the arena.
The Death Knight's sword had broken. It wasn't his usual high-quality blade, but a wooden training sword. That handicap proved to be his undoing. It was my fault for giving it to him to prevent injuries. I felt terrible.
"Breaking a sword is merely a sign of my own lack of skill," the Death Knight told me, waving off my apologies. "Please, do not trouble yourself over it."
What a guy. I’d have to make him a proper shield later as a thank you. Regardless, Ann moved on to the finals.
The final match: Stifano of the Devil Race versus Ann of the High Ogre Race.
Unfortunately, the finale was over almost before it began. Right at the start, Ann closed the distance with explosive speed. She unleashed a straight punch with enough force to crack the stone pavement beneath her feet, but Stifano slipped the blow and landed a perfect counter to Ann’s jaw. Ann went down instantly.
The winner of the Knight Division was Stifano.
"Ahaha. I’m happy to win, but... sorry, I need a bit of help here," Stifano said, holding her arm. It was dangling at an odd angle; she hadn't quite managed to dodge Ann's heavy strike entirely.
"It’s not broken," Flora said, stepping onto the stage. "Just dislocated."
Flora treated Ann first, as she was still unconscious, and then set Stifano’s arm back into place. Magic truly is incredible.
Once Ann came to, she sighed. "That was the move I’d been saving for the finals... I didn't think anyone could avoid it."
I went to give her a consoling pat on the back, but then stopped. I reached up and patted her head instead.
"I appreciate the sentiment," Ann said, though she sounded a bit miffed, "but this is clearly a moment where you should have just patted my head from the start." I got scolded for being over-cautious.
Then came the awards ceremony. We transitioned directly into the banquet, and the tournament stage was opened up for Free Battles.
"Make sure there are referees," I told the crowd. "And no fighting unless both sides agree. No forcing people into bouts."
Even Free Battles needed rules. Dos and the others volunteered to referee, so I left it to them—though I explicitly told them to prevent the dragons from fighting one another.
The Civil Official Girls were finally starting to unwind over food and drink.
"Ahh... the sake is so good," one sighed.
"And the food... I finally get to actually eat," said another.
"I know," a third agreed. "We can take it easy until the cleanup tomorrow. Just don't overdo the drinking."
Watching them, I finally sat down to eat my own meal. Once I was finished, I planned to head back to the mansion to put Alfred and Tiselle to bed. After that... well, I’d see what happened.
In one corner of the venue, an arm-wrestling competition had broken out. At least people wouldn't get hurt doing that, I thought. It was a nice, peaceful way to end the day.
"My arm! My arm just snapped! Flora-san, help!"
...Or not.
I’d have to make sure to do something nice for Flora later. She’d certainly earned it.
This year's martial arts tournament was officially over.