I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

The Joys and Sorrows of the Qualifiers

WELL, let’s get going.

“Hm.”

“Woof!”

After a full breakfast and a thorough look at her equipment, Fran left the inn. She’d wasted no time in using her newly maxed-out Blacksmith skill, and I was in top condition. She’d even thrown out the old rag she used before and bought a dedicated polishing cloth made from top-class monster materials. I really felt the difference, and her love for me truly made my morning.

“Hm hmm.”

You’re in a good mood.

“Of course! I can’t wait!” Fran smiled, clearly looking forward to today’s battles.

You’re so excited for these fights, it almost scares me. You still don’t know who you’re going up against.

“That’s why it’s exciting.”

Yeah, I guess you’re right.

“Hm!”

Fran’s blood knight tendencies were showing—she wasn’t afraid of the unknown.

Guess I’m too late…

“Hm?”

Nothing. I wonder who you’ll fight first.

Fran was heading to the battle arena for her first preliminary. The tournament itself started yesterday, and would be held over fourteen days. The first round of preliminaries happened over the first two days, with the second round following on the third and fourth. There were over a thousand entrants, and the organizers held five-man matches to get through the eliminations as quickly as possible.

The multitudes of adventurers in Ulmutt made it a spawning ground for arenas and training centers. With these facilities, the two hundred first-round matches wouldn’t take too long.

These matches were not open to the public. They were too much of a mixed bag. Matches between fellow beginners made for a dull fight, while a veteran would squash his competition in an instant. Spectators could only watch from the second round on, which would be held in larger venues.

The preliminaries whittled down the field to fifty. Adding the fourteen seeded fighters, the tournament would begin with sixty-four combatants.

It was incredibly bloody by Earth standards. Killing someone in the heat of battle was not a crime, and all the combatants signed a waiver acknowledging the risks. This world did have Healing Mages and potions which allowed someone to be brought back from the brink of death, but these were prohibited in the first round of preliminaries. The rule discouraged any participants who weren’t ready to put their lives on the line, and prevented the guild from bankrupting itself by handing out healing potions to everyone who participated.

Getting nervous, Fran?

“Nope.”

She didn’t even know why she would be. The girl had nerves of steel. But then, we were more than prepared. We were the strongest we’d ever been, and I knew Fran felt the same way.

I’ll hang back to begin with, but I’m helping out if you’re up against someone tough. That okay?

“I’d like to see how much stronger we are.”

Our first match was at the Adventurers’ Guild’s training grounds, located right next to the guildhouse. We couldn’t miss it, and we had time before the match, so we took our time getting there.

I went over the rules again to pass the time. They weren’t complicated—the matches tended to be too violent for subtle strokes. The only thing Fran had to remember was the prohibition on healing potions. Combatants were allowed to use all the spells at their disposal. There was a ban on Fiend Magic, but that was a given. Using it was paramount to outing yourself as mankind’s universal enemy.

Summoning was allowed as long as the creatures weren’t humanoid. However, you couldn’t have them present from the start of the match. That meant we could bring Jet in, provided he stayed in the shadows until the match began. He was technically our familiar, but the rule only stated “summons and the like.”

Jet, you’re our ace in the hole.

Woof!

Our direwolf was hiding in the shadows and raring to go, ready to pounce on our mark. There were no restrictions on enchanted equipment or manatech—the matches were a no-holds-barred exhibition of an adventurer’s full arsenal. Anyone who was knocked out of the ring was disqualified. Combatants could also forfeit by admitting defeat.

You got all that?

“Hm. Crystal clear.”

Are you sure?

“Hm.”

Fran nodded, though her eyes were locked on the food stalls in the distance. The long wait was making her as restless as a girl with her first crush. Still, she wouldn’t spoil her stomach by eating right before a match. She wiped the drool from her lips and resisted the food stall’s gravitational pull.

You can eat as much as you want after your fight. Just hang in there.

“Hm.”

Fran stole a final glance at the stalls. There were a lot more of them now the tournament had begun, and each one looked more delicious than the last. We hurried to the guild, but Fran stopped just in front of it.

What is it, Fran? Did she spot something she simply had to try?

“Over there.” Fran pointed to a stall. The name of the shop seemed familiar.

Is that…the Dragonhead?

The Dragonhead was a restaurant which had competed in Bulbola’s cooking contest. Now it had set up shop in front of the guildhouse.

“I’ll go and see.”

Sure.

Fran ducked into the stall. She recognized the blonde dandy who was selling soup. Phelms, the former A-Rank adventurer turned restaurateur, was looking classy as always.

“Is that the proprietress of the Black Tail I see before me?” Phelms recognized Fran and approached us. His saunter added to the refinement of his age. I imagined he must have a lot of younger fans.

“It’s been a while,” said Fran.

“It really has. Will you be taking part in the tournament?”

“Hm.”

“Well then, the best of luck to you. Though I imagine you wouldn’t need it.”

Fran asked whether Phelms was participating, and he told us that he was. More than that, he was a seed now, owing to the many victories he had racked up when he was younger. I didn’t expect anything less from the former A-Rank.

He’ll make for one hell of a tough fight.

People didn’t call him “Dragon Killer” for nothing. He killed them just to turn them into ingredients. What made Phelms even more terrifying was that he didn’t look that strong, though he had to be, considering his former rank. If his appearance could be that deceptive, then he was definitely still in good shape.

“I’m getting old, but I made an exception this year. A friend of mine asked me to participate, you see. I couldn’t refuse, since he’s been helping me out all these years.”

He would only fight after the qualifiers. In the meantime, Phelms was out promoting his restaurant. He told us that reconstruction efforts were already underway in Bulbola, and that the former Marquis Christon had donated his assets to the cause. The Adventurers’ Guild played a big part in helping out, too.

Amanda renovated the Bulbolan orphanage while Io took care of its children. Io was still making delicious Garbage Soup out of meager ingredients, and I imagined that it tasted even better now that she had basic cooking utensils and more funds to buy ingredients.

And then there was the great curry boom. Many stores imitating the Black Tail had cropped up, usually with names starting with “Black” or ending in “Tail.” They all followed the basic curry recipe I sold to the Lucille Trading Association, adding their own interpretive twist. I could barely believe it; it seemed so unreal.

Fran was happily listening to the old man, but it was time for us to go. I would hate for us to be late.

Fran.

“Hm. I have to get going.”

“Oh, sorry for holding you up.”

“That’s okay. It was nice talking to you.”

“I hope I’ll see you on the main stage.”

“Hm. Sure.”

“Now there’s a smile I like to see.” Phelms’ grin had all the ferocity of Fran’s battle-hungry smile.

“I’m going to win,” she said.

“Will you now? I must be getting on if your optimism is enough to impress me.” He smiled warmly, as if she was his own granddaughter. His lack of condescension betrayed a genuine admiration.

“Don’t you want to win, Phelms?”

“Ha ha ha! That will be difficult, considering my age. I’ll try to make the semifinals. But I do hope you can take the crown, Fran.”

“Hm! You bet!”

Phelms’ words of encouragement motivated her. I just hoped she didn’t blow all her energy on the qualifiers.

That building there, Fran.

“Really? Here?”

We made our way to a building next to the guildhall. It was a lot smaller than expected, but that made sense since the initial qualifiers weren’t open to the public. Hardy-looking adventurers entered one at a time, each looking ready to kill.

You’re supposed to report at the entrance.

“Hm.”

Fran casually walked to the reception.

“Oh, I’m sorry, little girl. You can’t watch the first round of the qualifiers. You can come back again tomorrow, though,” said the young man who manned the desk.

Even with me on her back, he didn’t take her to be a combatant. He thought she wanted to watch.

I thought the guild had announced Fran’s rank promotion, but then, this man didn’t have the adventuring look about him. He was probably a lackey of the local aristocracy. He was shocked when she told him she was a combatant. Even so, he knew she wasn’t joking, and frantically reached for the name list.

“Oh? Wh-what’s your name?”

“Fran.”

“Uh…! Whoa! R-really? You’re participating?”

“Hm.” Fran nodded. The attendant became even more worried.

“No offense, but would you consider backing out? It’s not too late. The first qualifiers are very dangerous. No Healing Mages, you know.”

The man had Fran’s best interest at heart, but it really wasn’t his place to say. Since his worry was genuine, she wasn’t offended. “I’ll be fine.”

“People die every year. I’m serious.”

“Thanks. I’ll be going now.”

“Just throw in the towel if you get cold feet! You’ll bleed out if they get you, and then it’ll be too late!”

The receptionist shouted his concern after Fran as she walked away. Despite our difficulties at the entrance, the rest of the registration process went smoothly. The contest official was an old man and seemingly a seasoned adventurer himself. He could tell how strong Fran was. In fact, he turned to look at the rest of the contestants with a sort of pity.

“Heh heh. How’d this kid wander in here?”

“I guess this makes it a four-way fight.”

“Is this some kind of joke? This tournament’s my chance to get scouted by the army! I can’t fight a little girl!”

Two mercenaries and two adventurers were already waiting in the ring. They all underestimated Fran, with one exception. I Identified the stern adventurer who’d kept his eyes trained on her. He was strong. D-Rank, probably. He had probably heard about Fran’s recent promotion.

“We shall begin.” The old contest official walked unceremoniously into the arena, now in the capacity of referee. He was treating this a lot more casually than I expected. Then again, it was only the qualifiers.

The combatants readied their weapons and took their positions, except for one young greenhorn who raised his voice in complaint.

“I know the tournament’s open to everyone, but you can’t expect me to hurt a child! I came here to make a name for myself! Beating her would only soil my reputation!”

“Even so, I do not have the authority to make her forfeit.”

“Go home, kid!” the greenhorn shouted. “This isn’t a playground!”

The veteran adventurer turned to him. “First day in Ulmutt?”

“I got here yesterday, what of it?”

“That explains it…” The veteran sighed at the greenhorn’s ignorance. He seemed to sympathize, but also to understand it would be a waste of time and effort to try change his mind. “It is time. We shall begin.”

“You can’t be serious…!”

“Look bud, if you don’t think you can beat this kid, then why don’t you drop out?”

“Yeah, just spare us your whining!”

“What?!”

The two mercenaries were losing their patience.

Teacher, can’t I just go at him now?

No. They’ll disqualify you.

Fran was getting irritated. Fortunately, the old referee chose to ignore the greenhorn’s pleas and began counting down.

“We shall begin. Five, four, three…”

“You can’t just—”

“Two, one. Begin!”

The match commenced despite the greenhorn’s complaints. The mercenaries made the first move.

“Heh heh. First things first…”

“Take down the strongest of the lot!”

They weren’t much, but they had experience in the arena and were good enough to know an opportunity when they saw it. Before we knew it, they’d teamed up and were attacking in unison. Mercenaries were known for their arsenal of weapons and were usually weak on their own. However, their fluid teamwork showed that their strength lay in numbers. As a unit, they might be more coordinated than an average adventuring party.

The greenhorn brandished a dull-looking blade to defend himself. “Cowards! So you mean to focus your attacks on me!”

Rest easy, buddy. Where did this kid get his confidence from? He might be out to make a name for himself, but this was only the qualifiers!

“You’re going down!”

“Die!”

The greenhorn wasn’t their target, and neither was Fran. Instead, the mercenaries focused their efforts on the veteran adventurer. He was a big man, and his looming silence made him seem like the strongest of the bunch. I applauded the mercenaries’ strategy.

Unfortunately, the veteran was far too strong for both of them. “Hrmph!” He swung, knocking both mercenaries out of the ring.

“How?!”

“This guy’s a beast!”

We locked eyes with the greenhorn. The dense fool was still trying to get Fran to drop out, even though the match was underway.

“Look, I am the genius swordsman from the village of Collent. I’m E-Rank! You will not leave this battle unscathed, girl. Consider this your final warning!”

He must be something of a local prodigy in his village. I was impressed he’d survived long enough to make E-Rank. He wasn’t strong enough to survive a horde of goblins, and I wondered if pure luck had carried him this far. His condescension pushed Fran over the edge. She was mad now.

“I’m telling you—”

“Shut up.”

Whack!

Before he could finish, Fran planted her foot square in the middle of his abdomen. The kick sent him flying across the arena. He rolled to a stop at the edge, the shape of Fran’s boot imprinted on his leather armor.

“Urgh! Gaah…” The greenhorn squirmed in pain and held his belly. He wasn’t coughing up blood, so I took that as a sign that his internals weren’t damaged.

Good job on holding back, Fran!

Hm! I’m getting better at it!

Not so long ago, she’d nearly killed some men when she lost her temper outside the city gates. Now, she could control her strength better. All the time she’d spent training in the dungeon was finally paying off.

“Gurh…” The greenhorn squinted at Fran in disbelief. He must’ve flown a good ten meters. This was the first time he’d suffered such a devastating attack. He was overtaken by fear and confusion.

“I won’t hold back if you still want to argue.”

“Ugh…” The greenhorn wasn’t so dense that he couldn’t feel the pressure Fran was emanating, nor the intense pain he was in. He put aside his pride and meekly rolled out of the arena.

Why’d you hold back, though? You could’ve knocked him out in one hit.

He’s dumb and loud, but he’s not a bad person.

Fran wanted to let him know what he was dealing with, and give him the opportunity to back out. Her mercy broke the man’s pride. Everyone saw he’d had ample time to dodge her blow.

“I knew this was coming…”

“Hm.”

Fran and the veteran walked towards the center of the arena.

“I don’t think I can beat you, but I’ll sure as heck try!” the veteran shouted, lunging to attack.

“Hmph!”

Fran’s counterblow immediately knocked him out. He was good, but he had awful luck fighting Fran in the first round. He crumpled to the ground, holding the spot where her left hand had struck him.

“Unfortunate…”

And that was how Fran passed the first qualifier.

“Why?!”

“Why indeed… Must I spell it out for you?”

“We have sworn an oath!”

“I understand. Your kind were working in the shadows long before we came to be.”

“Th-that’s right!”

“You fought in the frontlines, and did the dirty work when no one else would.”

“Indeed!”

“You would even sell out your comrades.”

“There is nothing we wouldn’t do!”

“Yes, indeed. That has been your oath so far.”

“You have yet to explain yourself!”

“The problem is…I’m not sure much remains of your oath today.”

“Wh-what are you insinuating?!”

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“…”

“Silence, is it? Very well. I shall give you one more chance to prove that your oath still has value.”

“What do you propose?”

“Bring me the patriarch’s head.”

“H-have you gone mad?!”

“I should ask you the same thing. What you have done amounts to treason. I have grounds to wipe you from history.”

“You—”

“I merely ask for your leader’s life as compensation for your crimes. Even that isn’t enough, really. I’m letting you off easy.”

“I would never!”

“Is that your final answer? Do you wish to be our enemy?”

“I-I…”

“I’ll give you time to think. You can even use that time to run. I only hope it’s enough.”

“You rabbit bastard…”

“That’s rich, coming from a Tailless.”

“How dare you?!”

The second round of qualifiers took place two days after the first, and were held in a more sizable arena. The one thousand combatants had been whittled down to two hundred and forty. Soon, only fifty would be left.

There were two venues with the contestants split into two groups, and spectators were allowed in. The setup was still a five-man battle royale, unlike the one-on-one matches of the finals. This format was quite popular, especially since the weakest participants had already been eliminated. In the second round, the fights truly took on a life of their own.

Betting was also allowed now. To prevent match fixing, combatants were unfortunately not allowed to make wagers. Getting caught meant instant disqualification. Back on Earth, shady groups always managed to get around this rule, but that wasn’t the case in Ulmutt. Dias had his eyes and ears in every nook and cranny. More to the point, the bookies were the most powerful syndicate in town—they held all the firepower and were very good at subterfuge, being a part of none other than the Adventurers’ Guild itself. The guild made short work of any other betting associations in town. A few might still be lurking about, but it was impossible for them to plot anything of significant scale.

Let’s go.

“Hm.”

We had plenty of time before Fran’s match, but we had to be there early. She would have to wait thirty minutes for her fight.

“That looks good.”

Are you sure you should be eating ribs so close to the fight?

“I’ll be fine.”

Fran showed no signs of anxiety. In fact, she was more herself than ever. This time, she had the chance to look around the food stalls. She sampled a bit of everything as she made her way to the arena.

This place is huge.

The venue resembled a Roman colosseum, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. I could hear the excitement even from a distance. Spectators cheered and roared, their voices echoing from the great circular arena.

Fran went around the back and made her way to the waiting room. This venue employed a proper receptionist, and they made no attempts to stop her. When she entered, everyone in the room stared in surprise, condescension, and distress. Fran took her seat and paid them no mind. She was used to this by now.

There were five waiting rooms, and the combatants for each round were spread out among them. The idea was to prevent fights before the bouts began.

“What’s a kid doing here?!”

But idiots were still aplenty. If this one had stopped to think about it, there was no way that an ordinary child could even survive the first round. The man pulled up a chair and sat next to Fran with a mocking look on his face.

“So what’d you give them to let you in here? Huh?”

“…”

“What? Can’t say?” the man jeered.

He could have been lashing out from nervousness. Either way, Fran wasn’t happy about it. But what could we do? We weren’t allowed to fight in the waiting rooms.

“Shut up.”

As I considered our options, Fran unleashed her Intimidate skill. A wave of pressure washed over the room, catching everyone inside it.

“Urk!”

“Eeek!”

“Guh!”

One combatant turned pale and fell off his seat. One let out a high-pitched shriek. One drew his weapon and fell into a battle stance. For a moment, everyone in the room panicked.

That was too much, Fran.

“Hm?”

One look at their terror was enough to tell she’d gone overboard—and they only suffered the aftershocks. Fran’s main target was sitting on the floor shivering, looking like he was about to pass out.

“Hm.”

“Eeek…!”

A mere glance made the man scurry away. He backed off until he hit a wall. After that, his only recourse was to curl up into a ball. Fran might have overdone it, but he had brought this on himself. In any case, silence returned to the waiting room, and I could only mentally apologize to everyone who got caught in Fran’s menacing onslaught. Fran bowed her head at the innocent parties and the situation was defused, but everyone was on guard after that. Fran’s menacing aura had made them aware of their weaknesses. The silence was so heavy that the cheering of the spectators seemed distant.

And Fran was still innocently going through her lunch! She even took the time to access her Pocket Dimension to get some juice.

Finally, a woman entered the room and broke the silence.

“What’s this? Is that the Swordceress I see?” she said casually.

“Hm? Lydia?”

“It’s been a while. I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Lydia was an adventurer we met in Bulbola—a cool, expressionless girl. She belonged to a party called the Crimson Maidens, who acted as our salesgirls during the cooking contest. It felt like we’d only said our goodbyes yesterday. I wondered if the rest of her party was participating in the tournament, too.

“Where’s Judith and Maya?”

“They’re fighting, too. Maya’s at the other venue, but Judith should be in one of the waiting rooms here. I sure am glad to see you.”

“Why?”

“Means I won’t have to fight you.” Lydia sighed with relief. She had already seen what Fran was capable of. “I just want to get to the main event.”

“And not win?”

“Oh, no. I know my limits. Besides, how am I supposed to win with people like Colbert and Forlund around? I’m just here to build up my reputation—to remind people not to underestimate me just because I’m a girl.”

Not everyone was out to take first place. Some, like Lydia and the greenhorn from yesterday, just wanted to make a name for themselves. The publicity and sheer number of spectators would make that easy. Lydia’s dreams of fame aside, she had mentioned some familiar names.

“Colbert and Forlund are here, too?” Those two would make tough opponents.

“Yeah, and don’t smile like that. It’s a little off-putting.”

Fran grinned with genuine joy. Her blood knight tendencies kicked in at the thought of fighting senior adventurers.

“By the way, congratulations on your promotion. Can’t believe you’re a C-Rank already. You’re blazing your way up.”

“Thanks.”

“If we happen to get matched in the main event, please go easy on me. I don’t wanna get hurt.”

“Hm.”

“Promise me, okay? I’ll be super mad if you don’t hold back.”

Lydia’s frankness might be considered a kind of strength. She and Fran talked until it was finally time for our bout.

“I’ll be going now,” Fran said.

“Good luck. Not that you need it.”

“Thanks.”

Fran left Lydia and walked down a narrow hallway for a short distance. Eventually she came to a doorway, where the blinding lights of the arena flooded through.

Are you ready, Fran?

“Hm.” Fran nodded, looking straight ahead.

If you lose here, the Beast King won’t pick up your scent.

His Majesty would most likely be watching the main event. We suspected him of endorsing slavery through his Blue Cat lackeys. And he was strong; too strong for us. If Fran did well in this tournament, chances were good that he would notice us.

It’s not too late to drop out.

“I won’t.”

A chance encounter with the Beast King had shattered Fran’s will. She’d spent the rest of the day cowering in fear for what might have been the first time since we met. No…that might’ve been the first time in her life that she was overwhelmed like that. The encounter was unfortunately unforgettable.

The Beast King might make you his target. You know that, right?

“Hm!”

Even so, Fran had no intention of backing down. Maybe she would’ve made a different choice before she heard about Kiara, but as a fellow Black Cat, there was no way she could tuck her tail and run.

Well, if we end up crossing blades with the Beast King, let’s give him all we’ve got. If we end up with a bounty on our heads, we’ll use our Dimension Magic to get away. We’ll get on a boat and flee to another continent if we have to. You just leave that part to me.

“Thanks.”

For now, we had the second round to worry about. If we lost here, we wouldn’t have to worry about the Beast King for a while.

That’s all I have to say. Go get ’em!

“Hm!”

Fran stepped out into an arena many times larger than the one we fought in for the first round. The stone ring at the center of the gigantic colosseum was surrounded by stands that held over a thousand spectators. The place looked sold out, and the chorus of cheers was so loud it reverberated in my blade.

As always, Fran remained cool and composed. Three other combatants were already in the ring. We recognized one of their faces.

“Fran! Is that you?”

“Judith?” Judith was one of Lydia’s friends and the leader of the Crimson Maidens.

“Just my luck. I’m done for!”

She dropped to her knees as soon as she saw us. I knew how she felt. Beating Fran would be very difficult for her. The other combatants looked equally worried. They all knew Fran’s reputation.

“The Swordceress… She really is a little girl.”

“Don’t let that fool you. She’s still C-Rank. Stronger than us.”

Ewan and Yosh looked warily at Fran. They were definitely in the know. With the sheer number of adventurers participating, avoiding the limelight would be more difficult.

“You know,” said Yuan. “I’m getting married at the end of the year.”

“Really? Congrats! You better give your lady a good show today.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!”

You shouldn’t say those things before a fight, Yuan. Not that anything would give him a better chance of beating Fran.

At least no one was underestimating her yet—until the last combatant entered the ring with a sneer.

“Ha ha ha ha! What’s a kid doing at a fighting tournament?”

Fran squinted in anger. As if the mockery wasn’t bad enough, it had to come from a Blue Cat.

“So how’d you pass the first round? Did you pay ’em off? The judges have a thing for little kids?”

“I beat everyone else.”

“Hah! You think I’ll believe that a Black Cat can fight? Know your place, runt! Oh, I get it. You asked that old White Dog for a favor!” This guy was one of the members of Blue Pride. In fact, he was one of its supposed leaders. “You think I’m scared of you just because of that little stunt you pulled outside Aurel’s manor? You might have maxed out your Intimidate, but that’s all you have!”

Was he saying that he was much stronger in combat? Then again, his pride probably wouldn’t allow any sort of insult from a Black Cat.

“That disgusting monster interrupted us last time, but now you have nowhere to run. I’m going to smash your jaw, runt. I’ll knock you out and strip you for the whole town to see!” The Blue Cat spat at her, his face contorted and ugly. I felt like annihilating their entire mercenary band, but Fran was quiet. Wasn’t she going to say something?

As if reading my thoughts, Fran drew a breath. “Blue Pride…hmph. That’s cute.”

“What did you say?”

“You’re some no-name mercenary band that claims to be famous on a whole other continent. I did Aurel a favor by putting you in your place. Get away from me, Blue Cat. You smell like hot garbage.”

Was Fran pissed off? It’d been ages since her last diatribe.

“You little…!”

Before the Blue Cat could finish, a roar erupted from the crowd. There were giant screens set up at the corners of the arena—huge pieces of manatech that functioned as monitors to give the crowd a close-up view. They had caught every bit of that exchange. Which, of course, included the awful things the Blue Cat had said. The crowd was booing. When Fran snapped her comeback, they rallied behind her.

The Blue Cat was furious. “That’s it! You’re finished!”

“Hmph.” Fran ignored him and turned away, infuriating the man even further. I could hear the crowd egging them on. With everyone properly warmed up, the fight commenced.

“Begin!”

As soon as the judge made the announcement, the Blue Cat leapt into action. His anger blinded him. Fran was his only target.

“Diiiiiiiiie!”

He took a great leap upwards and brought his greatsword down on Fran’s head. The Blue Cat had pretty good form, for what it was worth, but he was out to kill her—which I thought was immature, considering Fran was only entertaining the crowd with her trash talk.

Surprisingly, the other three followed the Blue Cat’s lead and swarmed towards us. They had identified her as the strongest, and called a truce. Even Judith was set on using the others as meat shields. They weren’t about to back down just because Fran was obviously stronger than all of them combined. You had to admire their boldness.

Fran smiled and readied me, making the Blue Cat her first target.

“Raaaaargh!”

“Hmph.”

“Gaaah!”

I was still in my sheath, but she swung me with all her might. The blow connected with the man’s jaw and I felt it shatter from the impact. The Blue Cat’s body spun through the air. The crowd and the other combatants were shocked by the amount of force that erupted from her small body, but she wasn’t done yet. She used the momentum to launch a horizontal swing, knocking the Blue Cat towards the other combatants.

“Heavy Slash.”

“What?!”

“Urgh!”

“Hiyaaah!”

The swordsman Yuan and the lancer Yosh took the main brunt of the hit. Even Judith was caught up behind her meat shields. They yelled as all three of them were knocked right out of the ring. Heavy Slash wasn’t an advanced move, but with Fran’s stats and skill level, it was a force to be reckoned with. Within seconds, three combatants were out of the game. But Fran was only getting started with the Blue Cat.

“Aieeee! Hurgf…!”

She struck the man’s jaw a second time, forcing him into the ground. His body slammed into the stone floor, throwing pebbles across the arena.

“Huuurk… gaaarh…”

The Blue Cat’s face was trembling and misshapen. He coughed up blood. He was still conscious—not by his own strength, but because Fran was holding back.

“Aaarfgh… I hiff urf! Wheeze…!”

“I don’t understand a word you’re saying.”

The man was unintelligible, his breathing ragged. You could say he was literally tongue-tied. “I hiff urf…”

“You’re still not making sense.” Speaking with a broken jaw was very difficult.

“I hiff urf…!” The Blue Cat made an effort to kiss Fran’s feet to show that he really had “hiffen urf.” She only looked at him with a cold, piercing stare.

“Are Blue Cats so stupid they don’t know how to give up? I guess can’t blame you.”

Fran had planned this from the beginning.

“If you can’t give up because of your broken jaw,” she muttered. “I guess I’ll strip you and lay you out for all of town to see.”

She turned his own words against him, aiming the full weight of her murderous intent on the Blue Cat.

“Eeeerk! I’m horree! I’m horree! Heeease!”

He pleaded for mercy. She tossed a look at the referee as if to seek confirmation, and he hastily made his way into the ring to stop the match. Before he could make it, Fran took me in both her hands and pointed me at the Blue Cat.

“Time to end this.”

She swung me like a golf club.

“Gwaaaaaargh!”

She went for his jaw a third time, throwing him in an arc across the stadium. He flew for a good ten meters, maybe more, and landed outside the ring, his limbs twisted at an angle. The sight of it was enough to make anyone lose their appetite. Fran shouldered me again.

Even I thought that was a little much. I was worried about how the crowd would react to such a gruesome display of violence, but they roared with bloodthirsty appreciation.

“And we have a winner! The petite femme fatale sent the giant of giants flying in one fell swoop! Her cuteness might break your heart, but be careful that she doesn’t smash your face!”

Huh. I hadn’t noticed the commentator before. The voice carried through the venue out from manatech speakers.

“She wins the battle without once drawing her namesake! C-Rank Fran the Swordceress is your winner of the eleventh round of the west block qualifiers! She will proceed to the main event!”

The crowd erupted with applause. The tournament official came to guide Fran to another waiting room.

“Congratulations, Fran. You have made it to the finals.”

“Hm.”

The finals began the day after tomorrow. The roster would be announced tomorrow morning, and there was an opening ceremony around midday. Fortunately, combatants were not obligated to attend. I didn’t think Fran would be able to stand still if the nobles and officials started talking about her. She was never one for pomp and ceremony, and the entire procession would likely bore her to tears. With all the guests of honor participating, the Beast King was surely on the list. It would be best if we sat this one out.

In fact, even the official sounded as though he was steering us away from the procession. I suppose they didn’t want bloodthirsty combatants around with all the VIPs in attendance. What’s more, the roster would be delivered to each combatant’s living quarters, discouraging them from attending in person and reducing the chance that fights would break out.

Aside from that, finalists were given priority in Ulmutt’s smithies. The tournament provided Healing Mages and potions in case of grave injuries, but contestants were still required to have their armor inspected by a blacksmith, just in case.

Having heard the official’s explanation, Fran left the room, only to run into Judith.

“I didn’t stand a chance, Fran.”

“Are you okay?”

“For the most part… Good thing you held back.” She was disappointed that Fran knocked her out of the ring so quickly. Still, her anguish in defeat was tempered by the fact that Fran hadn’t killed her in one hit.

Fran didn’t know what to do in this situation. She fixed Judith with a troubled look.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. Actually, I came here to wish you good luck. You better fight extra hard for my sake.”

“Hm.”

“And I’m putting all of my money on you! So please, win the first round at least!”

“Even if I end up fighting Lydia?”

“If you do, I trust her to your expert care!” Judith gave her a reassuring thumbs-up. We took Judith’s words of encouragement and greed and left the venue.

“I’ll do my best.”

Yeah. We’ve got Judith’s livelihood riding on us now.

It was day two of the second round. We received the tournament roster in the afternoon and spent some time looking through it. Sixty-four combatants made it to the finals, separated into blocks A to D. Each block hosted sixteen fighters. Fran was number eleven in A-Block. We looked up the other fighters she would be facing, but it didn’t help.

First up is…Zehmet?

“Never heard of him.”

He’s not a seed, so he probably made it to the finals because of his strength. We should hit the guild to see if we can dig up some info. Elza might know his fighting style.

Next, we turned our attention to the tournament seeds.

“Amanda and Forlund.”

Royce and Gaudartha are here, too!

Their names were on the four corners of the roster. These must’ve been the top seeds. The elite combatants would still have to go through the same fights as us, though.

The first seed of A-Block was A-1: Gaudartha. The second was A-16: Colbert. Colbert fought with his bare hands, but he was strong enough to send the giant Linford flying. We had yet to see Gaudartha in battle, but considering his frame and skill selection, he was bound to be some kind of power fighter. Both had the potential to kill you with one hit if you couldn’t block or dodge their attacks. We’d have to prepare a strategy before we stepped into the ring. Fortunately, we had their skills and stats as our guide. With Colbert right next to us, we would have to think of some martial arts countermeasures.

“Heh.”

Fran smirked, not looking the slightest bit worried. The prospect of going up against the Beast King’s personal bodyguard didn’t scare her. In fact, it only roused her fighting spirit. Still, she would still have to win two matches before she could even go up against Colbert. In any case, Zehmet was first on our list.

Who’s after Zehmet… Wow, really?

“Cruise Riouselle? Sounds familiar.”

I didn’t think you’d remember. He’s the C-Rank we met back in Alessa. We explored the dungeon with his party and Amanda.

“Hm?” Despite my best efforts to jog her memory, Fran tilted her head.

Remember? The good-looking guy who looked like he’d been carrying the weight of his teammates all his life?

“Uhh, maybe? I’m not sure.”

Perhaps seeing his face would remind her. I hoped so. If I saw Cruise, I would tell Fran and stop things from getting too awkward, though I wasn’t even sure he’d make it past his first round. He was up against the fourth seed in the block.

Looks like he’ll be fighting Radule. The self-proclaimed oldest adventurer in Ulmutt.

“He said he was C-Rank.”

But he’s as strong as a B-Rank, and he used to be a court mage, too.

No wonder he was seeded. Radule was stronger than his competition. With all due respect to Cruise, our time would be better spent preparing for a fight against Radule.

“Radule’s going to win,” Fran agreed. We needed to come up with a way to handle the old mage before our fight.

And if all goes well, we’ll get matched up with A-16 after that. Colbert.

“Hm! Can’t wait!”

Steelclaw had helped us a lot in Bulbola. He was more experienced than Fran, and he definitely had some tricks up his sleeve. We couldn’t completely rely on the data we got from Identifying him, since his gear might have the Fake Identity skill. All I remembered was that he had a strange Martial Arts skill called Dimitris Combat School. We’d have to do some more digging.

Beat Colbert and you’ll finally be up against Gaudartha.

“Hm.” Fran nodded, going quiet all of a sudden.

We’ll need to figure out a way to beat him, too.

“We’ll get him for sure!”

Yeah, that’s the spirit!

Beating Gaudartha would be like taking home the gold. He was an A-Rank, after all—strong enough to single-handedly bring an army to its knees. His reputation made him one of the top favorites.

You’re probably gonna get matched with another A-Rank if you beat him, though.

Amanda was a shoo-in for the semifinals, provided there were no upsets. If we beat her, we would face either Forlund or Royce in the final. I had a feeling that Amanda and Forlund were much stronger than Gaudartha—we had seen their power firsthand in Bulbola. Either way, my estimates couldn’t be that far off.

“I’ll beat them anyway.”

We’ll try, that’s for sure.

Fran was still determined. And if she was in this to win, then I had to step my game up, too.

Hrmph!

“Teacher?”

Just psyching myself up. Let’s win this, Fran!

“Hm!”

There were bound to be strong competitors other than the top seeds. We looked through the roster for familiar names and happened upon Phelms, who was in D-Block with Royce. I hoped the former A-Rank performed well. We should be in for quite a match.

Next was Elza, who was in B-Block with Amanda. It was bound to be an interesting fight, if a little hard to watch—a showdown between the two most terrifying women of the Adventurers’ Guild.

Phillip Christon was one of the C-Block seeds. What was he doing here when Bulbola was still in the middle of reconstruction? Didn’t his city need him or something? Well, he must have his reasons. He was a strong fighter, if the battle with Linford was any indication. We’d get to see him flex his skills against Forlund.

We found Charlotte in the roster, too—the caretaker of the Bulbolan orphanage. The girl was a Battle Dancer and specialized in malice purification and bewitching her foes. She was up against Elza. The poor thing didn’t stand a chance, but we should still watch her match to support her. I couldn’t find any of our other acquaintances in the roster, no matter how hard I tried.

“Lydia didn’t make it.”

I couldn’t believe she lost after all that talk before her match. So much for that!

When we were done going through the roster, we made our way to the Adventurers’ Guild. We needed information on the competition.

“Elza’s not here.”

Even if she were, should we really be asking her questions about the tournament?

“Hm?”

She’s fighting too, remember? I’m not sure if she’ll be too eager to tell us what she knows. We might end up facing off at some point, so I wasn’t sure we could trust her information. Let’s try asking Dias or the other adventurers.

“All right.”

We started looking for someone we could ask. At least, until Elza closed in on us like a frenzied shark.

“Frannie, it’s been so long! Congrats on making it to the finals!” Elza was beaming. I felt silly for thinking that our tournament rivalry would change how she felt about Fran. “I saw your fight. You sure showed them what you’re made of!”

“Hm.”

“I just wish you would’ve roughed up that Blue Cat a little more… You’re allowed to, you know?” Elza turned red with anger just recalling Fran’s match. It was safe to say that the Blue Cats were now her enemies, too.

“I didn’t want to get disqualified.”

“Unnecessary force towards the defeated is forbidden…right. Anyway, you seem different, Fran.”

“Hm?”

Elza scratched her chin. “How should I put it? You seem much stronger now, more reliable.”

“Training paid off.” All those long hours in the dungeons preparing for the tournament weren’t for nothing.

“Is that it? It feels like you did a lot of growing up while I wasn’t looking. I guess that’s what training and tournaments do for you.”

“Hm.”

“Anyway, what brings you to the guild today?”

“I’m looking for information on the competitors.”

“Really? I didn’t think you were the type to go researching your opponents.”

“Information is crucial.”

Fran loved the heat of battle, but she also considered herself an adventurer. Collecting data on monsters was standard practice. As much as she enjoyed fighting for its own sake, she took the tournament very seriously. She was here to win.

“Of course! Let’s see who you’re up against for your first round…huh?” Elza looked at the roster and tilted her head.

“You don’t know him?”

“No. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an adventurer named Zehmet.”

Whoever he was, he wasn’t an Ulmutt local or a renowned adventurer. Still, the fact that he’d made it through the qualifiers proved his strength.

“Do you know anyone who does?”

“Let me try asking the others.” Elza did just that, but all we got was…

“Zehmet? Never heard of him.”

“Me either.”

“Are we supposed to know?”

None of them knew him. Zehmet definitely wasn’t from Ulmutt. Maybe he wasn’t an adventurer at all. The tournament attracted mercenaries, knights, and mages, all of them strong in their own regard. Phillip Christon was a chief example of this.

Doesn’t look like the guild knows about this Zehmet character. Let’s move on to something else.

“Hm. Know anything about the Dimitris Combat School?”

“Oh? Why do you ask?”

“I might end up fighting someone who knows it.”

“You know someone using the Dimitris Combat School?”

“I’ve never actually seen him use it.”

Elza nodded at Fran’s response. “Oooh, I see. He’s still in training, then.”

“Training?”

“Don’t you know? The Dimitris School is famous for the impositions it puts on its students. They have to reach A-Rank with their energies sealed by a special piece of manatech.”

Other adventurers chipped in with other bits of information on the Dimitris School. Candidates wore Sealing Spheres, which locked away some of their stats and skills. Hitting A-Rank under such handicaps sounded like an impossible task, but it explained the dramatic strength Colbert displayed in the battle of Bulbola. He must’ve released his seal to fight Linford. Elza had teamed up with a student of the Dimitris School once and seen their skills up close.

“The one I knew was still a novice at the time, so they weren’t all that impressive.”

Spirit energy was the basis of the Dimitris School. Spirit was just one form of this world’s magic. When magic was applied to weaponry or used to strengthen your body, it was referred to as Spirit. When used to cast spells, it was Mana. Despite being made of the same thing, Mana and Spirit differed in their applications. You could tell which of the two a person was more adept in by looking at the skills they had.

“The Dimitris School specializes in using Spirit. I don’t know the details, but they can blend Spirit and Mana together to form some kind of hybrid.”

“Spirit and Mana?”

“Yes. They can create blasts of Spirit energy, form shields, and cause massive internal damage with a single strike. I hear the advanced students can do even crazier things.”

So firing off Kamehamehas wasn’t the only trick they had up their sleeves? If anything, internal bleeding sounded more dangerous.

“But I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that in the tournament,” Elza continued.

“Why not?”

“Students of the Dimitris School are not allowed to release their seals for the sake of personal gain. They can only do so to save innocents or crush the wicked.”

Saving Bulbola was a good enough reason to unleash Colbert’s seals, but a fighting tournament was out of the question. We might have the upper hand.

“Hm. I see.”

“Anything else you want to ask?”

We had Identify data on Royce and Gaudartha, and were probably better acquainted with Amanda and Forlund. Which left the question of Radule.

“What can you tell me about Radule?”

“The old man’s strong, for one thing. He’s not as spry as he used to be, but he more than makes up for it with combat experience. He has all kinds of spells up his sleeve.”

“Like what?”

“Land, Ocean, and Storm. To my knowledge, anyway.”

That was impressive. I’d never seen anyone that could use three advanced forms of magic. Royce was closest, with his Moonlight and Timespace magicks. There was no telling how Radule might use Land and Ocean spells together. We would have to be on the lookout.

“What makes him so dangerous is the way he uses all the elements together.”

“What do you mean?”

“The last time I saw him fight a mob of goblins, he used Land Magic to dig a crater in an instant, then flooded it with Ocean. As if that wasn’t enough, then he used Storm Magic to prevent them from escaping. A couple minutes later, their drowned corpses were the only thing left in that hole.”

“I see.”

On top of Radule’s individual spells, we needed to keep his combinations of magicks in mind. Storm Magic could produce tornadoes and Land Magic could amplify it with blades. The combination of Storm and Ocean magicks could allow Radule to cast a thick fog over the arena. The old mage was sure to have thought of even more devastating combinations.

“Anything else?”

“Hm? Not at the moment.”

“Okay. Just come to talk to me if you have any more questions. I’ll tell you all I know!”

“Hm.”

“But I won’t go easy on you if we end up fighting in the tournament. I think it would be awfully rude of me, don’t you agree?”

“Of course.”

“Oh, I knew you’d understand! Tee hee.”

Elza grinned. The two of them looked awfully similar as battle-hungry smiles flashed over their faces. Elza was a blood knight, too! And here I thought she was being honest when Fran’s bloodthirst had surprised her earlier! Was it mandatory to be a battle junkie if you wanted to become a high-ranked adventurer?

Then again, their love of fighting monsters would help them climb the ranks. Maybe they were all like that, deep down.