“The Tournament of 『Courage』 Block A Finals! From the left corner, the Deputy Commander of the 『Azure Wind Knight Order』—Cicel Yurensto!!”
“I apologize for being late.”
“And waiting on the right for quite some time⋯⋯ showcasing extraordinary performances with mysterious martial arts and supernatural powers, the ultimate all-round entertainer—Mysterious Wizard X!!”
“Heung. I’ve been waiting.”
Cicel bowed her head in apology. How could she not appreciate the chance she’d been given? Even though this wasn’t a life-or-death battle, this was still a huge consideration. It could have been an easy chance to claim victory.
Though X’s eyes were hidden behind her mask, her demeanor was somehow warm. Could she be someone Cicel already knew?
X crossed her arms and proclaimed boldly.
“Victory gained that way⋯⋯ has no meaning! True respect comes from putting on a proper performance!”
“⋯⋯I see. Then I shall face you without holding back, X!”
With gratitude acknowledged and formalities concluded, there was no need for further words. Their dialogue now would be exchanged through steel. Cicel’s blade cried out and X’s Iron Blood Fierce Fist bared its fangs.The stage was set. The two strongest competitors in the tournament were about to clash──!!
===============================================================
Irid and I were watching the finals from the VIP seats.
I was freeloading in a spot meant for high-ranking individuals, which meant the view was great, and the service was excellent.
The moment my cup ran empty, a beautiful Priestess standing nearby immediately refilled it. Being waited on like this felt splendid.
Even in these small gestures, I could glimpse the corruption rotting within the current Church of the Goddess.
The fear coiled within the Priestess’s mind, the suspiciously body-emphasizing priest uniform—everything about the atmosphere suggested that harassing the Priestesses in these seats would be overlooked without issue.
The outfit itself was incredibly easy to remove—with just a single string untied at the back, the entire thing would fall apart like a pre-peeled egg in less than three seconds. But the design was worth consideration. I took note of it.
If these garments weren’t provided by a wealthy, depraved patron, then the implications were troubling for a religious institution.
Neither Irid nor I had any interest in such things, so we simply focused on the match.
“How did you match my spe──”
“Strike first while planning for later attacks(後發先制)⋯⋯ speed without technique is useless!”
Oh, would you look at that?
Our Yuna was doing great!
Despite Cicel’s blazing speed, Yuna dodged and deflected every strike easily. Seeing the Tower Master—who would usually just shoot things with beams—moving her body like this, made my heart flutter a bit.
The reason Yuna was facing Cicel in melee was simple. If she fired her signature Yuna Death Beam, her identity would be exposed.
That would be too obvious, wouldn’t it?
So, how could Yuna—who had no connection to physical combat—be so good at it? Simple.
The same reason I was able to punch Roderus. Because she’s smart.
She was handling close combat by running the Combat-Assist AI she had taken from me.
Cicel’s raw speed could also be countered with simple calculations.
Sure, Cicel was fast—physically.
But mentally? Not so much.
If you could predict her movements, dodging was simple.
Her attack trajectories were linear so the calculating wasn’t that difficult. There was almost no variation in speed either. If I could read ten moves ahead from the audience seats, Yuna could probably calculate at least five moves ahead.
“Phoenix Smasher──!!”
“Keuk!”
Yuna would play along for a while, then end the match with Cicel’s victory. I sat back, relaxed, watching Yuna play with her little sister.
Then, Irid, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke.
“The one fighting Dame Cicel⋯⋯ is it not the Purple Magic Tower Master?”
For a brief moment, I debated whether to hide my surprise, but I decided to be honest and jumped up from my seat.
“⋯⋯How did you know?
“It is obvious just by looking. First, the hairstyle is identical. Then there are the same hair accessories, the same necklace. I will not even mention the voice.”
“There were more hints than I thought. I assumed the Purple Magic Tower Master would’ve modified those details⋯⋯ but she’s just hanging around comfortably.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem though. Only a select few even know what the Purple Magic Tower Master looks like.”
Hmmm.
I had thought Yuna’s disguise was impenetrable—with an exception made just for me.
She wasn’t the type to be careless or lack a sense of danger. If Yuna had wanted to disguise herself completely, she could have, and if needed, she could have even transformed into an eight-chi-tall giant.
But the reason why she didn’t was be because of⋯⋯.
Cicel.
Could it be that Yuna wanted to be recognized by the family member she hadn’t seen in a long time?
Maybe she was too shy to reveal herself directly, so she left subtle hints, hoping Cicel would notice.
I shared my theory with Irid.
“⋯⋯Then why doesn’t Dame Cicel recognize her?”
“I don’t know⋯⋯.”
“Well, whatever works for her. It seems she’s changed⋯⋯ like my sister… and at least her life doesn’t seem to be in danger. You showed yourself before me because things went well for you too, I assume. Good work.”
“I am humbled by your grace.”
I pretended to bow deeply, and Irid immediately grimaced in disgust. Judging by his expression, if I did it twice, he might actually walk away. Was it really that despicable?
“What, you don’t like courtesy? You seem fine being waited on by the Priestess right now.”
“I just don’t want it from you. You’re not usually like this⋯⋯ Right, wouldn’t you be thrown off if the Purple Magic Tower Master suddenly started treating you with extreme politeness?”
“I think I’d love it, actually.”
“I’m telling you not to be overly polite, not to be insufferable, Crazy Wizard!”
I understood his point.
It was like if a high-ranking executive from a business partner suddenly started sucking up—it would be more unsettling than flattering. Apparently, my charisma occupied a larger space in Irid’s mind than I had thought.
I figured I had shown him plenty of my playful, goofy side—
But maybe he was still keeping some distance?
Sluuurp.
I thought about it while drinking my orange-flavored beverage.
We had already exhausted all the usual small talk. The moment we met, I had asked if he was eating well, if he had gotten a girlfriend, if he was keeping up with training—all of it. He even complained that I sounded exactly like his sister.
Repeating the same routine wouldn’t be charming, but sitting quiet was boring. I wished there was some topic to help close the distance.
Ah, what about love advice?
“I…”
Nevermind.
“Were you about to ask something just now? Since you have fulfilled my sister’s wish, I will provide any information I can—within my limits.”
“NoNo, it’s nothing. You’re single anyway, Prince.”
“⋯⋯Do you wish to die?”
I got scolded.
As I endured Irid’s thorough lecture, the crowd suddenly erupted into cheers, followed by the announcer’s lively voice.
“The winner of the 『Courage』 Tournament, Block A is—Cicel Yurensto!”
“⋯⋯It was a good fight. Mysterious Wizard X.”
“Heung, that triple consecutive drift you pulled at the end was… quite impressive.”
“Your Fierce Thunder Dragon Fist too⋯⋯.”
My plan had worked.
===============================================================
“I- I’m back⋯⋯.”
A nervous voice. Yuna poked just her head through the doorway, awkwardly greeting me. The runaway Tower Master had finally returned after her long wandering.
I was happy.
Even though she had already visited once as Mysterious Wizard X, she still felt awkward returning as herself. That was why she kept fidgeting.
To break the tension, I jumped up, ran over barefoot, scooped her up in my arms, and spun her around.
“Ohhh, my precious cute Yuna! Let’s see how much you’ve grown!”
“Kyack! Kyaaack-!!”
“Hmm… Seems like you’ve gained about 13 grams⋯⋯.”
“S-Stop itttt⋯⋯!!”
Though she squealed in protest, she didn’t struggle to get down. She must be happy to see me too. I buried my nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. Now life felt worth living again.
Yuna took my hand and guided it to the top of her head. I patted her head vigorously. She let out soft, happy murmurs, her breath warm against my neck.
Wasn’t this what life was all about⋯⋯?
A quiet moment settled between us, and then—
“Hey, I’ll help you a lot⋯⋯ so I don’t want you to push yourself too hard.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be careful from now on.”
“…I-If… if my d-dear h-h-husband gets a scratch⋯⋯ on his face, I’ll be sad. A-And… to use s-strength, at n-night, health is…”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
I think I completely blanked out for about ten minutes after Yuna dropped that nuclear bomb. When I finally regained my senses, my face was burning, and Yuna—caught in the blast radius of her own words— was equally dizzy.
I wonder if there were any tonics in this fantasy world.
After about thirty minutes of cuddling, our hearts finally settled down. Right. How could I leave this Yuna behind and go anywhere else? I needed to take care of myself and live a long life.
We continued with meaningless chatter.
“How have you been?”
“What did you eat?”
“I watched your match. You fought well.”
“Be careful of mosquitoes.”
Then—
Still clinging to me like a sloth, Yuna’s eyes flickered toward the whiteboard hanging on the wall. It had the expected tournament bracket.
“Uh, it’s not Block B yet, right⋯⋯?”
“Ah, no. The matches haven’t finished yet.”
We were about to enter the round of 16.
“⋯⋯Aren’t there… quite a lot of you?”
Having 13 out of 16 participants be me was… quite a lot.
It had turned out this way due to a series of overlapping incidents, like competitors withdrawing out of fear of the serial killer.
But there was no problem.
“Yeah, it’s a lot. But if they lose, they’re out, right? I’ll push through with the ones that need to advance and drop out with the rest. The names in red are the ones that absolutely need to be eliminated, and—“
“And?”
“Sol-whatever—this one written in light blue—is on our 『Reformist Faction』 side⋯⋯ he is the one remaining neutral. No need to worry about him. He’s not here because of skill, just lucky enough to advance by default since my clone died.”
Once this was settled, the first tournament would be over.
Three more tournaments remained. At first glance, it seemed like a lot was left, but things should be much simpler from now on. I wouldn’t need to provide mental care, nor would I need to force Metamorphosis mutations.
If I just beat everyone down and handled the rest behind the scenes, this would end quickly.
For now, let’s just focus on the finishing touches and ending it well. Eliminate the red names and⋯⋯.
Bang . A messenger burst through the door.
“Mr. Wizard, good news! Saintess Tara asked me to inform you that candidate Olbain has withdrawn from the tournament due to a carriage accident⋯⋯!”
If I made Sol-whatever advance⋯⋯.
Bang. Another messenger slammed the door open.
“Sir Wizard, urgent news! Sir Bennett asked me to inform you that candidate Sol Renus has voluntarily withdrawn after his criminal record was exposed by Redburn’s political maneuver⋯⋯!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”
Did two competitors just disappear back-to-back?
No, it was fine. If only my side had dropped out, that would be one thing. But since the opposition lost people too, this was actually an advantage. Plugging in one of the Neutral Faction members wouldn’t be an issue. None at all.
“Seueueup⋯⋯?”
Something sent chills down my spine. I stared hard at the tournament bracket on the whiteboard. Now, the only real human left in the tournament was Finn.
And Pim—who had advanced by default after my hologram clone died in the serial murder case. Of course, his skills were unmatchable to any of the strongest candidates. He had zero chance of winning. He would probably lose to Beauty Mark Guy if they ever fought.
And if he lost—that meant I would win.
And if I won—That meant I would have to touch the Holy Sword.
Which meant, I would get hit by Divine Punishment and probably die⋯⋯?
Right. Phill, you lucky bastard.
I’m going to make you the champion. Since winning by default too many times would look suspicious, I’d have to put on a bit of a show.
But the chill down my spine refused to go away. Just in case, I activated one of my holograms stationed outside to track down Pim.
He was at the reception desk. Trying to submit a voluntary withdrawal form.
I shot up from my seat.
“Who does this bastard think he is, trying to assassinate me⋯⋯!!”
At this rate—I was going to die from winning!
With Yuna still in my arms, I yanked my hood up and rushed out.
===============================================================
Adventurer Finn had entered the tournament without much thought.
He figured that having tournament experience would give him bonus points when applying to mercenary groups later. Besides, it seemed like it would be a good learning opportunity as well. Since his work was on a break, he had casually submitted an application.
“Finn, advances by default!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Thanks to his matched opponents getting assassinated one after another, he had somehow ended up in the round of 16. And looking at the remaining contestants in the round of 16⋯⋯ The ground was being pulverized and fireballs were flying everywhere.
This was way out of his league. Round of 16? Him?
Tournament experience was only valuable up to a point. In the early rounds, strong opponents might go easy on weaker ones. But by the round of 16, wouldn’t opponents face you with full force without letting their guard down?
“Hoho! Young man, you have great ambition. I shall teach you one lesson before finishing you off.”
“Thank you very much!”
Instead of this wholesome battle Finn had in mind—
“Hoho! Young man, advancing this far without a fight? I can’t let my guard down. I shall use my full power, so try to survive!”
“Please save me!”
This was more likely to happen.
If Finn lost an arm in a tournament he joined for the experience, his life would be ruined. This wasn’t what he signed up for.
Better to surrender early.
The reception desk staff, looking a bit too bored, spoke dully.
“If you want to withdraw from the tournament, please fill out and submit the form.”
“Ah, yes. I already filled it out. Right here⋯⋯ uh, huh⋯⋯?”
Where did it go?
The form that had been right in front of him had disappeared. When he reached for another one, a sudden wind swept it away.
After juggling the paper like this for ten minutes in front of the desk, the staff’s face grew visibly irritated. He probably assumed Finn was deliberately playing pranks.
“I’ll come back l- later⋯⋯!”
Finn retreated for now.
He tried several more times, but every attempt ended in disaster, as though he were cursed with terrible luck. When sudden rain soaked the form completely, he almost felt resentful towards the Goddess herself.
Trembling with anxiety under his blanket, Finn came up with a brilliant plan.
Right. He could surrender once he was in the arena. He’d just shout, ‘I surrender,’ the moment the match started! Then he could drop out without any big accidents!
It was a perfect plan. Finn slept soundly that night, and the next day, he stepped into the arena. As soon as the announcer started the match──
“I sur⋯⋯!!”
“Keuaaaack-!! Invisible formless poweeeeeer iiiissssss-!!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯render?”
Finn won instantly.
“What a performance! Adventurer Finn subdued his opponent in the instant he was about to surrender himself!!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯??”
⋯⋯Did Finn’s desperate desire to surrender trigger his Metamorphosis? No, that couldn’t be it. He knew well enough he didn’t have the aptitude nor the talent for that.
Maybe his opponent’s chronic illness just so coincidentally happened to flare up.
And then came the quarterfinals.
“Keuuuuck! How could you defeat me so quickly, the moment the match started⋯⋯!!”
“I s—”
Now, Finn couldn’t even get the first syllable of his surrender out. He was forced to win again.
Finn started to sense something was very wrong. He must be caught up in some grand scheme or whirlpool of fate beyond his understanding. Nothing else could explain this.
Pin clutched his head in disbelief.
“I can’t become one of the 8 Hero candidates like this⋯⋯!”
That would be a major disaster!
Mercenary groups would start looking at him and hire him, thinking: “Oh, you were a Hero candidate
But once they learned his true worth, they’d think: “This guy was a hero candidate…?”
He didn’t want that kind of inflated resume. What Finn wanted was simply some good experience!
For the semifinals, he brought a sign with “Surrender” written in big letters.
Even if it made the match anticlimactic, it was a matter of his survival.
WAAAAAA──!!
But when Finn noticed the audience’s strange reaction and looked at his sign—
The word “Surrender” had been changed to “Tournament Domination.”
“W-Who is it⋯⋯!! Who’s doing this to me?!”
“Such a powerful attack, I’m dyiiiiing!”
“Stop losing on purpose! Who are you people and why do you keep deliberately losing?!”
Fate.
Finn felt the weight of fate crushing down on him. Whether it was someone else’s scheme or the Goddess’s manipulation, this was a fate he couldn’t resist.
Did he have to submit to this massive flow? Was he going to be swept along and forced to win? No. Never. He refused to accept this!
“⋯⋯I can’t win like this-!”
Even a weak person⋯⋯ can try to resist fate⋯⋯!!
And then came the finals.
Finn stayed up all night without water or food, showing up at the arena looking like a zombie. Surely people would realize that someone in this state couldn’t win a match!
The audience was also murmuring, pointing out his skeletal body⋯⋯.
How about that, fate? Can you still bestow victory upon someone like me⋯⋯?
His opponent, an elderly swordsman, stepped forward, stroked his abundant beard, and spoke quietly. Though he was speaking softly, his voice was suspiciously clear and loud enough for everyone in the stands to hear.
Finn immediately sensed he was fucked.
“⋯⋯They say those who reach enlightenment forget the seven emotions and six desires through meditation, and forge the sword of their mind. Indeed, it is so. Your spirit is truly fierce.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“It seems I have already lost. You are the victor.”
Waaaaaa-!!
No, wait. Wait!
Finn tried to protest, but he didn’t even have the strength to shout. Only a raspy metallic sound came from his parched throat. He should have saved some energy to speak⋯⋯!
And so—
“With this, the Tournament of 『Courage』 is settled! Two of the eight Hero candidates have been decided! They are—Cicel Yurensto of 『Azure Wind Knight Order』, and Finn the『Invisible Sword』!!”
He was victory’d.
***
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