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Test Your Skills, Glory Awaits the Victor – Part 04

The waiting rooms for the candidates were separate and spaced apart to avoid any accidents from unexpected encounters.

The stir coming from the arena indicated that the opening ceremony had started. Gerhardt, the previous winner, was present, and the entire arena was rumbling from the roaring cheers.

Hikaru, with his mask and hood on, was in his waiting room being briefed on the rules of the tournament. The person giving the explanation, a cow Beastman, regarded him suspiciously, which was understandable given his appearance.

“Before the tournament begins, please register here,” the Beastman said. “We do this for all the other candidates.”

The staff held out a square metal plate, ten centimeters in size, with a copper-like color for the metal part, and framed with stone. They held onto the stone part to avoid touching the metal.

Competitors were referred to as candidates because winning would give them the right to become the leader of the Confederacy.

“What’s this?” Hikaru asked.

“It’s a magic item that records mana patterns to make sure that there is no fraudulent activity such as false identities.”

“I see.”

Interesting. Hikaru placed a hand on the device, and it glowed white.

“What? White?” the staff mumbled.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, no. Usually it’s an easily recognizable color, such as blue or red. I’ve been using this item for over ten years, and I’ve never seen it glow white before. This one as well.”

The staff presented another device, and Hikaru placed a hand on it.

“Please keep the other one,” they said. “If you win your match, bring that one tomorrow. It will prove that you are the same person. As for the rules of the match: there’s none in particular. As long as you’re fighting with your own strength, you may use any weapon or tool you like. Victory is awarded when the opponent gives up, loses consciousness, becomes unable to stand, or is out of the arena for more than ten seconds. Once the match is over, you must stop attacking.”

“What if you kill your opponent?”

“The main purpose of the Ruler’s Rumble is to promote understanding and interaction among the races in Einbiest. Would you want to understand and interact with someone who has killed a representative of your own race?”

“But didn’t Gerhardt kill the previous leader?”

“That was an unfortunate accident!” the staff snapped, then quickly caught themselves. “I apologize. It’s a very dangerous tournament in which death by accident is possible. That is why we are asking everyone who participates to agree to the high risk.”

Soon after, Hikaru was summoned for the opening ceremony. There was a special passage from the waiting room that led directly to the arena, narrow and dim with no windows or lighting. After walking about fifty meters, he emerged into bright sunshine and rousing cheers.

“The next candidate is Silver Face, nominated by the Sinners and Ratmen!

Hikaru raised a hand to shield his eyes from the bright light. A wave of cheers hit him, jostling his body.

The venue was massive, about the size of a track-and-field stadium or a soccer field, with hard-packed dirt. In the center were four knee-high match stages, built of stone.

The stage labelled Fire was painted red, Wind green, Water blue, and Earth gray. Four matches were fought simultaneously until the quarter-finals.

There were sixteen first-round matches today. Some matches could last longer; records showed the match between Gerhardt and Kouga to have started at noon and lasted until dusk.

“As you all know, this is the first time in the history of the Ruler’s Rumble that the Sinners and the Ratmen have jointly chosen a representative. Silver Face wears a silver mask, as the name implies, but is it a Sinner underneath the mask, or a Ratman?”

Hikaru walked forward. A stage had been installed in the center of the arena, with Jillarte standing at the edge. Ten other participants were already lined up on the sage.

Wow… What a line-up. A bunch of muscleheads.

The majority of the participants were muscular men who looked like veteran warriors. Some were clearly hired warriors, like Hikaru—they were humans, not demi-humans.

Jillarte was not hard to spot. She was wearing a metal breastplate protecting her shoulders and chest, and gauntlets on her arms. Her lack of other metal gear suggested her fighting style relied on speed.

Two swords hung on her back, each with a blade about eighty centimeters long. Hikaru learned that she specialized in dual-wielding. She looked at his direction, and her face lit up, resisting the urge to wave at him.

Hmm.

Selyse Lande was already on stage, regarding Hikaru with interest. He didn’t mind. What really intrigued him was the man standing between Selyse and Jillarte.

Oh, it really is East.

Hikaru had seen the man’s face several times while in Stealth mode. He was wearing chainmail and a protector made from monster materials. It was difficult to tell that he was from Ponsonia.

East was looking at Hikaru—glaring at him as though to kill him with his gaze.

Wh-Why is he staring daggers at me?

Hikaru had no idea. He had made no personal contact with East. He remembered fighting Lawrence, but East was unrelated to that.

As he was deep in thought—East was still glaring at him—the other participants stepped onto the stage.

“Next up is a candidate you might already know! He’s a Rank A adventurer and a member of the highly successful party, Rising Falls. Please welcome the archer, Ryver!”

A loud cheer erupted. It was the person with the lower odds than Selyse.

His long red hair was tied into a single ponytail at the back of his head. He had sharp features, with very narrow eyes. He was well-built and walked with precise steps. A fellow human. Hikaru guessed that he was hired too.

Rank A… Does that mean he’s stronger than Selyse?

The Four Eastern Stars fought as a group, so Selyse would be no match for Lawrence the Sword Saint in terms of individual ability. However, Hikaru had no clue how strong Rank A adventurers actually were.

Hikaru might face Ryver if he won. If possible, he would like to check their Soul Board, but he couldn’t do so unless the guy came within five meters of him.

Come closer, come closer, Hikaru wished. But Ryver stopped just barely outside the five-meter range. My guts are stirring.

Ryver had come empty-handed and was introduced as an archer. He was probably famous, though Hikaru didn’t know him.

The participants in the opposite bracket appeared. To Hikaru’s surprise, four out of the five slots available to the Beastmen were in the other bracket. The thunderous cheers indicated they were famous among their species.

The one remaining slot for the Beastmen was the one given to Ryver. Whether he was a pawn to weaken the formidable opponents or for Gerhardt to advance easily if they faced each other, or both, nobody knew.

“And the last candidate needs no introduction! The leader of the Confederacy of Einbiest, the strongest of them all, Lord Gerhardt Vatex Anchor!”

Amidst roaring cheers, he appeared.

A giant of an individual, over two meters tall, with a red cloak fluttering in the wind. Despite his size, he was not sluggish, and his gait was light and precise.

A lion Beastman.

A look at him and one could tell that he was an extraordinary warrior.

Tension ran high among the candidates, but Gerhardt had his eyes on only one—a girl from the Dragonfolk.

---

After the opening ceremony, the first day’s matches began. Lavia and Paula bought drinks and snacks and watched from the reserved seating section.

“Look, Lavia! Jillarte’s match is starting!”

“Yeah.”

Lavia nodded as she ate her hotdog. The hotdog stand in Pond that she loved so much had somehow expanded into Einbiest.

There was no one around the two of them. In the bustling arena, this area was an island of calm. While a certain amount of space was designated for the reserved seating, the Sinners and Ratmen, who had nominated Hikaru, sat together in a corner of the reserved seating area. To those around them, the two in the black cloak and silver mask might have looked out of place, but it was obvious from their appearance whose companions they were.

Eight candidates entered the four platforms. Jillarte’s opponent was a shirtless dwarf with a Mohawk, swinging an iron ball.

“…”

But Lavia’s eyes were on the man on the next platform—East. He had served as a guard at Count Morgstadt’s manor and was acquainted with her. Among the knights, he was the only one who was sympathetic to Lavia’s situation.

East’s opponent was from a plant-type demi-human race called the Greenmen. Their body was lithe and green, with branches and leaves instead of hair. Their weapon appeared to be a huge axe.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting. We will now begin the first round of the tournament with four matches!”

The bell tolled. Dancers clad in colorful ethnic costumes took to the stage, while men resembling attendants walked around ringing bells. Once they left, only the candidates remained in the arena.

“First round, begin!”

The gong sounded.

Eight candidates in four platforms sprang into action.