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Test Your Skills, Glory Awaits the Victor – Part 05

Selyse’s opponent in the blue ring was a Chelonian. Except for the hardened skin and the shell they traditionally carried on their backs, they weren’t much different from humans.

Holding up his shell as a shield and wielding a short spear in his right hand, the half-turtle waited for Selyse to attack.

“I bet that shell is hard.”

Selyse had only one sword at her waist. The White Ray Blade, a sword said to be able to cut through anything by fueling it with mana, was not around this time. It was too lethal to be used in this tournament.

Her client, King Ponsonia, would have told her to kill if necessary, but Selyse wouldn’t compromise her principles as an adventurer.

Wielding an iron sword with a dulled tip, Selyse rushed forward. The Chelonian stood at the ready, and when Selyse entered his attack range, he thrust his spear. His attack carried enough power to decide the match in a single blow.

“What?!”

But he felt nothing.

Instead, his short spear was sent flying.

The Chelonian watched his weapon hurtle through the air. He had no idea what just happened. All he could tell was that Selyse did something to the tip of the spear using her sword.

“Shall we continue?”

“I-I surrender.”

Before he knew it, Selyse was standing next to him, the tip of her iron sword pressed against his neck.

---

“Oh! It seems the match in the Water ring has been decided. Selyse Lande wins with her overwhelming power! I can see why the Cave Hobbits nominated her as their representative!”

The announcement did not reach Jillarte’s ears.

“Humph!”

It was all she could do to dodge the iron ball that came flying at incredible speed.

Dwarves were one of the races in Einbiest, but they were much more widely distributed throughout the continent than others. Known for their dexterity and smithing skills, Dwarves were always found near major mines.

A formidable opponent right off the bat…

Jillarte wielded two swords. She could use them as a shield, or to catch and parry the iron ball, but her weapon was still inferior. If she got caught, it would become a pure contest of strength, which she would likely lose. And there was more…

He has Support Magic applied on him…

The faint glow emanating from the Dwarf’s body was proof that Support Magic had been cast on him to increase his muscle strength. While the use of Support Magic was not prohibited, it was not endorsed as it ruined the spirit of the competition.

If his use of Support Magic was exposed, he would likely be met with a loud chorus of boos from the audience. Hence the Dwarf had just enough Support Magic applied that it wasn’t observable from a distance.

“Jillarte, daughter of the previous leader, Lord Kouga, is on the defensive! She’s being pushed back!”

The iron ball grazed Jillarte. Cheers of joy and screams of horror erupted simultaneously.

Her inferior weapon, coupled with the opponent’s use of Support Magic, made for an unfavorable situation.

Jillarte smiled nonetheless. This is nothing compared to when Silver Face faced four leaders all at once.

She dodged the iron ball and closed the distance in a flash. A loud cheer rose. The Dwarf looked taken aback, but immediately smirked. He let go of the chains and pulled out two hatchets strapped to his back.

Despite being hatchets, they surpassed Jillarte’s weapon in both blade thickness and weight.

“Like moths to a flame!”

Sparks flew as Jillarte’s sword and the Dwarf’s axe clashed.

“What?!”

“Haaaaahhhh!”

Just as it seemed like it was going to be a contest of strength, Jillarte let go of both her swords. As the Dwarf pitched forward, Jillarte kneed him in the face.

The Dwarf groaned as he toppled backwards, still holding on to his hatchets. A knife was pressed against his nose.

“Don’t you know? It’s common for adventurers to carry around a knife that can be used for both cooking and harvesting.”

“I-I surrender.”

The Dwarf went limp.

---

Jillarte and Selyse went on to win their matches. East was no slouch either, outclassing the Greenman purely using his orthodox swordsmanship.

After the last prolonged match finished, it was finally Hikaru’s turn to fight. His opponent was a Lycanthrope.

Though they resembled Beastmen, Lycanthropes were solitary in nature and possessed the unique ability to switch between human and werewolf forms. Their formidable combat prowess gave them significant influence even in Einbiest.

“You look like an amateur,” the Lycanthrope said as they faced each other in the red ring.

He was right. The fact that he could discern that just from Hikaru’s form alone indicated considerable skill.

“Rest assured,” the Lycanthrope added. “I’ll knock you out with a single blow.”

He fought bare-handed. Already in werewolf mode, his bulging back muscles hinted at speed and power.

If I give him even an inch, I’ll get insta-killed, Hikaru thought.

While the dancers performed their routine, the werewolf emitted an intense aura of hostility. Hikaru clenched a ball smaller than his fist in his hand.

“Begin!”

As soon as the gong sounded, the werewolf leaned forward and broke into a run. With large strides, he closed the distance between him and Hikaru in the blink of an eye. Hikaru, keeping his cool, let go of the small ball.

“Hmm?!”

For a moment, the werewolf hesitated whether to hit or dodge the ball. Both were unnecessary.

The ball hissed and spewed white smoke.

“Oh, the Fire ring is turning white! Is it smoke? Toxic mist?! They’re both shrouded by the smoke. It could just be a smokescreen!”

In an instant, everything became obscured. A powdery smell rendered the werewolf’s nose ineffective.

“Absolutely pointless,” the Lycanthrope mumbled.

He excelled not only in smelling, but hearing. Even amidst the loud cheers, he could clearly hear the sound of his opponent’s footsteps. The boy wasn’t moving. He could sense his presence within the white smoke.

“Eat this!”

The werewolf charged in, confident that Silver Face was not moving, and swung his right arm.

“Huh?”

But there was no one there. Nothing.

The boy showed no signs of any movement after the smoke appeared. But he was gone. He vanished—was what the Lycanthrope thought.

Suddenly, he felt a jolt on his back. A mere kick, but the blow shook him to the core and rocked his brain, muddling his consciousness.

The werewolf toppled forward, rolling, then stopped right outside the smoke.

“What?! What happened inside the smoke? The referee is running. He’s unconscious! Silver Face wins!”

A chorus of cheers—no, of groans, ran among the audience.

A small man, whose abilities and appearance were unknown, easily defeated a male member of the Lycanthropes, a powerful race.

The smoke bomb worked better than expected. With both Stealth and Assassination, I can do things like this easily. Sure, Lycanthropes are strong, but not as much as the Black or the White Dragon. And in terms of intensity, they’re nothing compared to the Fire Drakon. If anything, I was worried about killing him with the Assassination buff.

The smoke cleared to reveal Hikaru standing.

“Coward!”

“Match fixing!”

Ignoring the jeers, Hikaru stepped off the ring.