3 bar menu

Over the Infinite Chapter 27 Part 5

 

[ Arena ]

 

The arena where the rookie battle was held.

It looks like a typical circular stadium from outside, but the inside is modern.

It might be modeled after the hidden stage in the trial.

 

「Lilika’s rookie battle is nearly a year away, but other sports are also held here.

You don’t need to register with the arena guild to participate. Tsuna, why not try that wrestling poster event? 」

「Why wrestling specifically? 」

 

Besides wrestling, there are weapon-based matches and monster fights.

Is it because of the video of the cat-eared battle that such an image is fixed?

 

On the poster pointed out by Kuro were people I’d met before.

 

「The (Wrestlers). They’re doing poster advertising? 」

「Friends of yours? 」

「Tsuna was invited by them recently. Can’t remember who with the masks. 」

「You’re going to wrestle in a mask, Tsuna-kun? 」

「No, I won’t. I like wrestling, but I’m more of a spectator. Used to practice when I had a practice dummy. 」

 

She was tough, despite his slender appearance, making for a good practice dummy. No remorse either.

 

Besides wrestling, there’s a schedule for various martial arts matches.

Not just fighting, but ball games and track events are held here too.

Different from what I imagined, it seems like a display of incredible physical abilities. Dodgeball where a mere touch means losing all HP, 100M dash in 3 seconds.

Even with my current abilities, I feel I could break world records.

 

「No magic competitions? 」

「Not many. It’s hard to draw the line with the Magic Guild. But magicians regularly participate in betting matches. 」

 

No magic-focused sports on the schedule.

I’m curious about what kind of competitions they’d have for magic.

 

「Adventurers who can’t enter dungeons on certain days fight here. Even lower levels seem to get decent prize money. 」

「Real battle experience. Better than just training. Zero Break means no level-down penalty either. 」

 

Real fights to the death. No need to hold back.

Apart from wrestling, I might consider weapon-based matches.

 

「If the two of you register, I think you’ll get a match right away. 」

「Really? 」

「Well, in the lower ranks, you two are definitely top celebrities. Sarges is too, but in a different way. 」

 

Sarges apparently can’t participate in arena matches.

I heard he’s been banned from various clans’ events, not just wrestling. Apparently, he did something absurd like his pants flying off when getting punched in a boxing match. I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the video.

 

「Do they not get scouted by the dungeon guild for fights like the rookie battle? 」

「Not really. Oh, but the exchange match is coming up soon. It doesn’t involve lower ranks though. 」

「I feel like I’ve heard of that somewhere. 」

 

I seem to remember the cat-ear girl or someone mentioning an exchange match.

 

「The guild staff, like those in the middle ranks, will have exhibition matches. It gets quite exciting. 」

「Staff like Werner? 」

「Yes, Werner, Gobtarou, even Terawalos and some receptionists. 」

 

Can that receptionist actually fight? Maybe she’s unexpectedly strong.

 

「We can’t participate being in the middle rank. How are opponents chosen? 」

「There are fixed slots for who takes how many challengers, and if there are too many, it’s a lottery. 」

「It’s not 1-on-1? 」

 

They’re against middle ranks, right?

 

「Those staff are so strong that a single middle rank would get instantly defeated.

They’re said to be nearly rank A in strength, though it’s not officially announced. They still dive into dungeons. 」

 

Incredible, the guild staff are like a den of monsters. Well, they are monster staff.

So it’s like our rookie battle, facing a superior opponent as a group.

 

「How many challengers usually? 」

「Depends on the person. Gobtarou was about ten, and Terawalos was unlimited.

Of course, if too many join, they’ll limit it. 」

 

Unbelievable, a real one-man army against middle ranks.

 

「I saw on the bulletin board that if Terawalos dies, the server crashes. 」

「It’s a special rule where only the guild staff are not Zero Break. When he died a few years ago, the server actually crashed. 」

 

How much hate is that Dullahan gathering?

 

「Lilika, are you interested in any matches? 」

 

She’s been intently reading the pamphlet.

 

「Not really. I haven’t seen many solo mages apart from my master, but there seem to be some here.

I’m a bit curious about their fighting style. 」

「I’m curious about how you fight too. 」

「Maybe we can have a mock battle sometime. Right now, it seems like there’s a big gap, so maybe after I officially debut. 」

 

Makes sense. The training environment changes drastically before and after debut.

Probably around when one reaches F rank.

 

「Ah, by the way, my team members asked me to request a mock battle with Tsuna-kun and Yuki-chan. 」

「With us? 」

「We lost in the rookie battle, too. They probably want to see how the top of our cohort fights. 」

「We lost too, though. 」

「Your opponent was my sister, and I think no other lower rank could do what you did. Even doubtful for middle ranks. 」

 

That match was barely within the rules. Still hard to believe we could have won.

 

「Just the two of us? What about Sarges? 」

「He’s better off as a spectator. He gets too happy if someone says, ‘Stay away, pervert.’ 」

 

Imagine if he suddenly uses ((Castling)) in the middle of a mock battle.

 

[ Shrine ]

 

Almost ready to head back to the guild, I stopped in my tracks at the sight of a familiar torii gate.

 

「A shrine. 」

 

I had only seen churches in this world, so a shrine was a surprise.

It makes sense for the Dungeon Master to create one.

 

「Ah, there are shrines in Japan, too. Not many people now, but it gets crowded during New Year’s. Want to visit? 」

「I’d like to. Lilika, any religious issues? 」

「I’m an atheist as a mage. I’d refrain if the other party doesn’t accept that. 」

 

Mages, dealing in mystique, are atheists? Interesting.

Then, a Japanese shrine should be fine.

 

「But even atheists should have no problem here, right? 」

「Probably not. It’s not like they’re directly worshipping any gods there. 」

 

Not a shrine priest, the Dungeon Master might not have much understanding of Shinto either. My knowledge is limited to names from myths.

 

「Let’s race up the stairs. 」

「Are you a child? But with our enhanced bodies, it should be easy. 」

 

It seems like it would be a quick climb, but I wonder if Yuki is the fastest in terms of speed alone.

 

In the end, we walked up normally and entered the shrine.

The buildings and grounds felt exactly like a shrine, strangely familiar yet out of place in this world.

 

「Really quiet here. 」

「Look, there’s a shrine maiden over there. She’s actually wearing a miko outfit. 」

 

Looking where Yuki pointed, I saw a shrine maiden sweeping with a broom in a corner of the grounds. Long black hair, red and white miko clothes, and a broom. A perfect combination indeed.

 

「Does she fly or something? 」

「Maybe not with those sleeves. 」

「That’s Mizunagi-san. She’s also an adventurer, kind of a side job for her. 」

 

An adventurer as a shrine maiden? That means it’s possible to dungeon dive with her.

 

「She’s mid-rank but quite famous since many adventurers visit here during the New Year. 」

「What’s her class? 」

「(Miko). She’s a rear-guard who uses a bow and support magic. Not many have the aptitude, so she’s quite rare. 」

 

She fits the role perfectly. Do men become (Negi) or something similar?

[2. TL Note: The term “Miko” refers to a Shinto shrine maiden in Japan. Traditionally, Mikos are young women who perform various duties at Shinto shrines. “Negi” is a term used to denote a Shinto priest, specifically a male priest. The role of a Negi involves overseeing religious ceremonies, rituals, and festivals at Shinto shrines.]

 

I approached to greet her, the perfect excuse for a conversation.

 

「Hello, Mizunagi-san. 」

「Oh, hello, Cloche-san. It’s rare to see you around this time. 」

 

Approaching, she turned out to be charmingly beautiful. Gentle and the epitome of a classic beauty. Right up my alley.

 

「Who are these people…? 」

「I’m Tsuna Watanabe. This is Yuki, the white one, and Lilika, in the robe. 」

「Why are you so formal? 」

「Uh… Watanabe? Like the kanji? 」

 

Good, a topic connected to my surname. Nice move, Dungeon Master.

 

「Yes, that was my name in my previous life. Dungeon Master recently restored it. We’re new adventurers, so you might not know us yet. 」

「I was surprised to hear about you out of the blue, but I know who you are. Yukito-san over there, too. 」

「You know who I am, as well? 」

 

I wonder if our names are that well known.

 

「I think most adventurers know about you. I watched the rookie battle and your Trial videos. I’m just mid-rank but maybe we can dungeon attack together sometime. 」

 

A favorable impression indeed. Could this be an opportunity?

 

「Which clan are you in? 」

「I’m unaffiliated. Mainly freelance, helping parties needing support. My class is not easy for solo. 」

 

「Let’s definitely team up. We’re about to be D-ranked, so I’ll come to get you. 」

「You’re too eager. 」

 

The conversation was short due to her working, but it was a great experience.

Meeting a traditional Japanese beauty in another world feels miraculous.

I think there are more reasons now to work hard for the promotion to the D rank.

 

「That was great with Mizunagi-san. 」

「If she’s a rear-guard specializing in support, she’d be valuable. Let’s invite her once we’re mid-ranked. 」

 

Our current team is mostly front-liners.

It’s great we visited the shrine.

 

「Miyumi-san is also an archer, but Mizunagi-san is closer in rank. 」

「Don’t compare her to that one. She’s out of our league, and I won’t party with her. 」

 

I won’t spend countless hours with her. No need to worry; the higher the rank, the harder it is to progress.

 

「Does Mizunagi-san have a lot of competition for partying up, Cloche? 」

「She’s quite popular. A tricky class but strong, and skilled in cooperation. 」

 

I’ll search for her videos once back at the dorm.

I will show off my perfect coordination and let her see how great Tsuna can be.

 

「Does she count as a mage, too? 」

「If you’re talking about using support magic, then yes. She’s in the same field as Lilika, though very different in style. 」

 

Categorizing anyone who uses magic as a mage seems rough. But it’s interesting how Lilika is particularly interested in magic-related topics. Perhaps a sense of kinship with fellow practitioners?

 

「Today was a meaningful day. 」

「Yours feels a bit different, Tsuna, but yeah, it was fun exploring. 」

 

We’ve come this far without much chance to look around.

It finally feels like we’ve seen the city.

 

「There’s still more to see. 」

「It’s huge. This district alone might be larger than the imperial capital. 」

「Lilika might faint if she sees the central district. 」

「That… that scary? 」

 

The central district is like a concentration of futuristic technology.

For Cloche, who grew up here, it might not feel as impressive.

 

In any case, our tour of the Labyrinth City ends here.

There’s still much to explore, but I feel I understand what the Dungeon Master had in mind. Maybe he wanted to share the best of his homeland.

 

Or maybe he didn’t think much about it at all.