We had signed up for the Flying Board tournament after being swept up in Hina’s contagious enthusiasm. Now that the day of the event had finally arrived, the three of us were standing at the venue in the remote regions of the Hydra Kingdom.
With its expansive lake and jagged rocky peaks, it was a fantastic setting for a race through the sky.
"It’s... actually quite crowded, isn't it?" Aoi noted.
"You’re right. There are a decent number of stalls, and the air has this strange heat to it... Just like Alice said, it clearly has a cult following," I replied.
"Kaito-senpai, Aoi-senpai, let’s go check out the stalls!"
While it wasn't exactly on the scale of a major festival, the number of stalls was respectable. And while there weren't enough spectators to call it a mainstream sport, there was a visible, sizeable crowd.
It was hard to know how to react. The atmosphere felt exactly as a minor sport's tournament should—"moderately lively."
Hina, who loved festivals, was already in high spirits. Caught up in her cheerfulness, Aoi and I shared a wry smile and decided to browse the stalls until registration opened.
In truth, there didn't seem to be a formal waiting room for the participants. Once we signed in, we were apparently free to do whatever we wanted until our specific group’s race began.
Since the organizers provided the Flying Boards themselves, we didn't have to prepare anything. We’d simply come dressed in clothes that were easy to move in. In that regard, it was a very low-barrier event to enter.
As we wandered between the stalls and bought some food, a stall owner called out to us.
"You kids in the race?"
"Yes, it’s our first time," I answered.
"I see... I’ve been watching the Flying Board races here for over forty years, and I’ve got a feeling about you. You’ve got a certain vibe. You're promising, I tell ya."
"Oh, thank you very much."
Was I actually supposed to be happy about that? I thanked him while inwardly chuckling at the absurdity of having my talent for a mysterious minor sport recognized.
Then, with a somewhat defiant grin, the owner continued.
"Take a look over there. The heavy hitters are making their entrance..."
"Heavy hitters?"
Following the owner’s gaze along with Aoi and Hina, I saw two groups glaring at each other. One was a trio of muscular men in yellow tank tops, and the other was a trio of women wearing elegant ball gowns.
"Hmph! These bodies have been forged even further since the last race. This year, victory belongs to us, Yellow Pipe!"
The macho men declared their intent while striking various poses. They seemed to be the bitter rivals of the women's trio.
I had serious doubts about how much of an advantage muscles provided in a sport like Flying Board, but their raw intensity certainly came across.
In response, the women’s trio faced the macho group with arrogant smiles.
"Such gaudy muscles are meaningless. Victory is decided by elegance. We, Scarlet Blue, shall be the ones to take the championship."
I couldn't help but wonder if I was the only one who wanted them to pick a single color for their name. Beyond that, I had no idea how "elegance" was supposed to help them navigate the boards.
As I pondered this, a third group—three people wearing matching black cloaks—approached the two bickering teams.
"Good grief. Battle is a matter of magic power... To think this place is filled with fools who don't even understand that. It seems the trophy belongs to us, Black Muscat."
I really felt like they could have done something better with that team name. As expected of the "top contenders" in a niche sport, they were all needlessly eccentric. Since this was a race using specialized magic tools where magic use was forbidden, I didn't think magic power amounts actually mattered.
In fact, at a glance, I suspected Aoi actually had more magic power than all three of them combined... regardless, their passion was undeniable.
"Hmph! We won't let arrogant magic-supremacists win. Our muscles will stand in your way!"
"Fufu. We shall show you a victory won with grace."
"...To think you can't even perceive the gap in our abilities. How pitiful. Act tough while you still can."
It was one of those situations where the temperature difference was just too high. When people get incredibly fired up over a sport you know nothing about, it’s impossible to match their energy. That was exactly how I felt right then.
"So even Black Muscat has arrived... Those three teams engage in a fierce battle every year," the stall owner remarked.
"Right... I see. By the way, who won last year?"
"A rookie team."
"...I see."
Wait, what? All three of those teams just showed up acting like the kings of the mountain, but they lost to a rookie team last year? They were... quite something, in their own way.
"...Aoi, Hina, I think we might have come to a very strange place."
"...It's certainly a unique world," Aoi agreed.
"...Ah, sorry for dragging you guys into this. I'm starting to feel bad," Hina admitted.
"Well, let's just ignore them and enjoy ourselves."
"Right!"
Since we weren't aiming for the championship anyway, we decided to just relax and have fun.
Serious-senpai: "They're just eccentric losers who aren't actually that strong... They're the kind of characters you only see in gag developments."
???: "Sounds a lot like you, Serious-senpai."
Serious-senpai: "............Excuse me?"