Chapter 131

Everyone stared suspiciously at the big-medium-small lineup. Can they fight? Do they even want to fight? Are they about to die? The thoughts of the spectators and participants (with two exceptions) were centered around these three points. In any case, outside some unfortunate accident, killing an opponent was grounds for disqualification. “Thank goodness no one noticed,” Cayna murmured from her distant village beyond the projector. A demonstration was scheduled after the opening ceremony, so the participants had some free time. In the past, they could stay in an aristocratic villa near the Battle Arena that offered comfortable beds and limitless food, but Opus had also heard stories of unchecked alcohol and women from fellow contestants. There had been previous incidents of angry, violent drunks and poisonings by women, so apparently these were no longer provided. Moreover, the knights would remain on high alert throughout the tourney, so all participants were instructed to remain in the area. Opus already had alcohol in his Item Box and could make it himself at any time, so that was no issue. He also had absolutely no interest in women. As Opus passed through a corridor to exit the Battle Arena, he stopped when rapid footsteps approached him from behind. “Shall I dispose of them?” the expressionless Siren suggested with unsettling composure. “…” Opus had the elf and small suit of armor stand down while they awaited the approaching players. It wasn’t long before Shining Saber and Cohral appeared. “I am Opuskettenshultheimer Crosstettbomber!” Before the two could even react, Opus took the initiative and cast Dread. They cried out as an immense force threatened to crush them, but the demon soon revoked his spell. He looked at them wearily. “That’s what happens when you approach a high-level player unprepared.” He’d plainly been planning to mess with them all along. The demon guffawed, but neither Shining Saber nor Cohral had the energy to complain. “Damn it! Ya got us.” “We were only going to introduce ourselves!” “I know.” ““And you did all that anyway?!”” “Man, this guy’s just as nasty as Cayna said.” They faced Opus again but only had complaints for him. “You’re Shining Saber, the sub-leader of the Silver Moon Horsemen, and Cohral, an average guild member. I think you’ve each fallen for my traps about four times.” “You seriously remember?!” Shining Saber exclaimed. “Those names are pretty long. How about a name-changing trap?” “Pay attention, damn it! And don’t you freakin’ dare try your disgusting tricks on us!” “Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I’ll do you a favor and swap them out with magic. How’s ‘Tweety’ sound for a new name?” “This guy’s a monster!” “That’s sure putting it lightly! What is he?!” Shining Saber and Cohral, now reduced to two clueless, raging stooges, had been thrown to the wolves. Then, they were struck by a mysterious spell. “Aghhhhh!” “I don’t want to be Tweetyyy!” The men fell to their knees with their heads hung low. They checked their Stats Windows and soon realized their names were unaltered. ““It’s…it’s the same!”” Shining Saber and Cohral shouted for joy and hugged each other. Just as the men were celebrating their relief, an icy voice rang out. “Men hugging? You disgust me,” said Opus. Even if they decided to argue, it was exactly what it looked like. They simply fell into a depressed silence. “Well, I’d say that’s enough fooling around. What’s your business with me?” If anyone was sick of shenanigans, it was Shining Saber and Cohral. However, their small boat had capsized and left them too tired to argue. Despite being thrown into hell a mere five minutes after meeting Opus, the two joined the demon in the reception room of his temporary lodgings. There was no staff available, so each guest was responsible for themselves. Incidentally, damaging the building’s interior and furnishings would incur a fee, so Opus had wasted no time casting preservation magic everywhere. Apart from the knights, the participants all appeared to exert caution. Opus had Siren, and serving him was her forte. Perhaps to express her displeasure, the maid had placed water, of all things, in front of Shining Saber and Cohral. “Isn’t your maid kinda scary?” “The two of you must have accidentally made a rude comment about her chest and butt.” An instant later, a tray came flying out of nowhere and stuck in the back of the demon’s head. Siren had apparently learned a thing or two from Marelle. It was a bone-chilling sight. “So let me ask again. What is your business with me?” “Can I ask something before that?” Shining Saber ventured. “If it’s about the tray, I’ll immediately throw you from this house. Are you all right with that?” Neither Shining Saber nor Cohral could hide their discomfort, but they continued the discussion at hand. The tray in question dyed half of Opus’s head red as crimson droplets steadily dripped. “I take it you wish to know why I’ve entered the tournament?” “Y-yeah! It’s open to anyone, though. As long as you passed the preliminaries, I’ve got no complaints here!” Shining Saber emphasized. He, too, was a participant, but he also planned to invite any promising warriors to join the knights. That was his secret mission. In that sense, Cohral passed with flying colors. However, the knights could not have too many players, lest it disrupt each country’s balance of power. Be that as it may, a Transcendental appearing in the tourney was entirely unexpected. The issue was that everyone else would get steamrolled before they even knew what hit them and come off as a pathetic weakling. “It’s like nuking an ant. Up against you, that’s all even me and Shining Saber will ever be.” “Bwa-ha-ha-ha. I couldn’t have said it better myself.” “It’s no laughin’ matter. What’s your endgame? Wealth, fame? I doubt you just wanna win.” “None of the above. You can’t even begin to imagine my motives.” “Come on, you can tell us!” “Don’t act all vague and try to confuse us. Limit Breaker or not, if you dare threaten this country, I’ll strike back even if I don’t stand a chance!” Shining Saber said sharply as he placed one hand on his sword. Cohral followed suit and shifted into a crouch. The pair cast every battle skill in their arsenal as they zealously searched for the slightest opening. After a prolonged staring contest, Opus shrugged wearily. “You’re both too much,” he said while waving a hand in surrender. “Just stop. A death match won’t accomplish anything. I don’t want to fight here, so put away your weapons.” “Haaah.” “Pheeeew. I think I just aged ten years…” Shining Saber had been fully prepared to sacrifice himself, but his fighting spirit dissipated the second the tension broke. Cohral broke out in a sweat and collapsed to the floor. “Don’t scare me like that,” he complained. “We need the remaining players in this world.” “Huh?” “Players?” “You must’ve seen them countless times as a knight captain. Enemies from the game, I mean.” “You mean like the ones from that attack earlier?!” Not much time had passed since the lycanthrope known as a leohead led the local monsters in a charge against Felskeilo. Among the knights, the spoils of war included the lingering bitter aftertaste of cowardice. To their eternal shame, they had turned traitorous after being easily bewitched by the monsters. However, from Shining Saber’s perspective, the modern-day knights were physically robust but mentally inferior to the game’s enemies. Their only recourse was to let fate decide. Telling the citizens, who knew the details of the incident, it had simply been a difference in power was out of the question, so the knights’ dishonor could only be cleared by their own actions. Shining Saber could only watch his subordinates in frustration, so his goal for this tourney was to demonstrate his peak fighting prowess to the masses and restore the knights’ honor. “Are you sayin’ you know how that happened?!” “I am.” Shining Saber slammed his fist on the table; he could have smashed it to pieces if he wanted. A boom echoed, but it was only thanks to the Preservation Magic left that no harm was done. “You’re getting too worked up, Shining Saber. Try to calm down.” Cohral gave his increasingly irate companion a firm smack on the shoulder and brought him back to his senses. A certain amount of force was needed against a dragoid’s scales or it was likely to go unnoticed. “Does this have something to do with the large barrier in the Brown Kingdom? Countless monsters from the Game Era are sealed in there. Maybe they got out?” Cohral asked Opus in hopes of a conclusive answer. It was something he’d been thinking about ever since his conversation with Cayna. First of all, this world shared too many similarities with the game. The most extreme example was the Guardian Towers, and Pillage Drop Points used in war were utterly pointless here. Although an accident, monsters like that penguin wreaked havoc once awakened, and it was nearly impossible to find anyone strong enough to defeat them. “Well, we’ll talk it over at some point. I’ve said all I can,” replied Opus. He let the others have their say but cut the conversation short without revealing too much. Immediately afterward, the demon stood and approached Siren, who had been waiting patiently in a corner of the room. He reached for her shoulder. “Hey!” “Hmph. If you wish so badly to make me to talk, I challenge you to a Skill Master’s trial.” “A trial? I thought Cayna was in charge of the Battle Arena.” “That is an unrelated matter. If you win this tourney, I’ll tell you the reason.” Opus smirked and then teleported somewhere with Siren. Any attempt to chase after them was futile, so the bitter pair reluctantly gave up. “As usual, he loves screwin’ with people.” “He’s even worse than those live interviews suggested.” As both resentfully reminisced, the door to the room swung open. Assuming Opus had returned, the men readied themselves only to encounter a different Skill Master. “Sheesh. You guys deserve a medal for putting up with Opus.” “Ah, Cayna.” “Hold up, where’d you come from?! This building is for contestants only!” Shining Saber demanded, pointing an accusatory finger. Cayna flushed. “Ah, um, well…,” she began, before shooting him an angry glare. “While I was hanging out in front of the building, they let me right in as your fiancée! Hurry up and do something about that fake rumor already! Just how long are you going to let this joke drag out?!” She completely snapped. Being known as “the knight captain’s fiancée” to every knight and soldier in the country caused Cayna no end of trouble. Yet despite her complaints, that same title also gave her easy access to restricted areas. The knights’ tarnished image was likely rooted in such lax regulations more than in dishonor. “F-fiancée? Where the heck did that come from?” “This is why everyone named ‘Shining Saber’ is evil!” “Gwah?!” Shining Saber’s mistake was made with the best of intentions, so he couldn’t say anything. He fell into a painful silence, and Cayna glared at him before turning to Cohral. “What? Are you here to laugh at me?” “No. You sure do have a victim complex, huh?” “So why are you here?” “I was just wondering how you ended up in an event like this in the first place.” “Oh, that.” “You always kind of hang back in your party, right? Acting as a tank, handling odd jobs, and that sort of thing.” “How do you know so much about my party? Are you stalking me or something?” After Cohral woke in this world, he formed a party called the Armor of Victory with the young men of the village who took him in. As a player, he had always kept his true power hidden and upheld the role of the unsung hero. “No, the mages told me. They wish you wouldn’t hold back, though.” “Tch. Those guys, huh…?” Cayna had met up with the Armor of Victory on multiple occasions and come to know Cohral’s companions quite well. While he was busy talking to Opus, Cayna had gotten in touch with them and learned it was Cohral’s idea to participate in the tournament despite his discreet nature. Something about her must have made them realize he and Cayna shared a close connection (as fellow players). She gave props to the party’s mages who simply laughed and said, “We’ve known each other for ten years, after all.” “You guys will be up against the knights in the very first round, so everything worked out.” “Ah, you saw the matchup?” There were five teams in total, so a raffle to decide each battle was held before the ceremony. The seeded team was an all-mage adventurer guild from Otaloquess, and the first round was the knights versus the Armor of Victory. Opus would face a flamboyantly dressed party in the second round. The seeded party automatically qualified for the quarterfinal via a second lottery and would battle the victors. This was set to take place the entire following day, so distribution of stamina was undeniably a main topic of conversation among the remaining teams. However, one party had an outsider among them. “I gave you Valhalla, so use it. Make sure you fillet Shining Saber.” “You tryin’ to kill me?!” the dragoid snapped right after bouncing back from his pit of agony. “Hey, if Cohral is gonna use that, I’ve got an idea, too!” “Huh?” “Cayna, you mentioned a reward before! Instead of skills, give me a sword!” “‘Before’…? Oh, you mean for helping out with the white whale.” Shining Saber was talking about the time Cayna had fished out the white whale tower and made it a protective river god. She had asked the knights and princess for their help and planned to give him three skills. Her friend had been silent thus far, but this unexpected opportunity seemingly inspired him to request the ideal sword instead. “Hmm. If we’re talking swords, I’ve got just the thing. One sec.” One Guardian Ring and chant later, Cayna was in the Battle Arena tower. Having remembered the contents of Kyotaro’s Item Box, she carefully rummaged through it, found the sword in question, and returned to Shining Saber. “Hey there, sorry for the wait!” “What wait? That was speedy,” Cohral said. “There’s no effect when you come back, huh?” “That’s what impresses you?” The mood was light as Cayna handed the sword to Shining Saber. Since Kyotaro was the former guildmaster of the Silver Moon Horsemen, she figured he wouldn’t mind if she gave it to a fellow guild member. “The Sycophant Sword Runberserk?!” “It’s one rank beneath Valhalla, but considering the difference in level between you and Cohral, it should be a fair fight.” “Wait, doesn’t it have a double slash attack that sends you flyin’? I’d probably die from the aftershock alone.” “Isn’t that just another chance to show your stuff, Shining Saber?” Cayna asked with nonchalance as she handed the sword over and concluded her business. Shining Saber had no complaints about borrowing it, but he wondered about her reaction. He carefully examined every centimeter of the sword, and the dragoid’s heart danced. He wanted to swing it already. He wanted to cross swords with someone. What effect would it have? “Shining Saber, that face says you want to test it out on the next person who crosses your path…” “He’s a madman. We’re all doomed.” “You better watch it. I’ll remember that tomorrow, Cohral.” “Eek!” Cohral trembled as Shining Saber pointed the blade at him with a vicious smile. The thought of squaring up against it the next day gave him a headache, but there was no question a single hit would be enough to send his party into the abyss. To prevent this, Cohral had no choice but to put himself directly in the line of fire. Rousing himself, he firmly gripped his own sword, Valhalla, and entered a fierce staring contest with Shining Saber. Incidentally, Cayna considered her work done once she handed over the sword, and she soon headed back to Mai-Mai’s house. Cohral and Shining Saber finally realized her absence when Siren suddenly returned and chased them from the building. The first battle began early the next morning. Every participant was forcefully awoken at the same time, and they ate a hearty breakfast before heading to the Battle Arena. Although the market had just opened, the stadium was already overcrowded. People were crammed in the corridors, and anyone watching the scene would have been struck speechless for far less. After a brief explanation and a blaring trumpet tune as an opener, the tournament was soon underway. Rumor had it that a band used to play grand music for appearance’s sake, but it was kept concise after an incident where the impatient crowd jeered and threw things into the Arena. The fact that it was a place where citizens could release their frustrations was a contributing factor. When determining the winner and loser, it was standard for either both opponents to agree or for His Majesty, who presided over the battle, to make the final call. The audience could also cast a majority vote, depending on the situation. It was pretty haphazard. The tournament also used to have a referee, but this, too, was removed, since contestants constantly bribed their way to victory. It made anyone want to say, “If you’re going to fight, go all out!” The first round was five knights versus five adventurers. The spectators anticipated a messy, close-combat battle between multiple fighters and voiced their doubts when one person carrying a large sword stepped forward from each camp as representative. It was Shining Saber for the knights and Cohral for the adventurers. The clueless spectators saw this and began to openly gawk and jeer. “C’mon! We doin’ this or not?!” “Are they gonna fight one-on-one and count the most wins?” “I ain’t here to watch a solo match!” “Get serious!” The other participants waiting their turn along the walls of the Battle Arena heard this, and only Opus chuckled with amusement, despite the awkward atmosphere. “Keh-keh-keh. These fools don’t even realize what’s about to happen. I hope they’re ‘blown’ away.” “Master, your tastes truly run wicked.” “…” Opus was the only one acting like a nefarious kingpin and caught the attention of the other fighters. Whether or not he realized this was unclear. “At any rate, now we’ll get this irritating knockout tournament out of the way faster.” Opus glanced around at the participants who awaited the outcome of the battle with bated breath. His primary focus was on those awaiting their turn. Meanwhile, Cayna, who watched live via her Pair of Eyes in the Guardian’s room, nodded in satisfaction as Roxilius contacted her from the remote village. With the main tournament finally underway, the inn’s tavern had been packed with villagers since that morning. Aside from Mimily and those who couldn’t leave their fields, everyone was in attendance. It seemed the mermaid was averse to violence and had an inherent dislike for competitive fighting. “Is this not a thing in mermaid culture?” “I have not heard further details, but most likely,” Roxilius answered. “Hmm. I guess it’s a sensitive subject, so don’t be too nosy.” “Understood.” “Well then, I’ll leave you to it, Rox. Sorry to ask so much, but let me know if you have technical difficulties like static noise or the sound cutting out.” “As you wish.” She couldn’t see his face, but Cayna imagined Roxilius offering a polite bow as their conversation ended. The tournament kept him busier than ever. In addition to patrolling the village, he also had to maintain the projector and check for issues, watch the children, and monitor visitors. Roxilius also single-handedly cleaned, did laundry, and kept house, but his results were far different from the domestic Roxine’s. “I should really give him a vacation when I get back,” Cayna said. I’ve gotta show my appreciation, whether he likes it or not, she thought. “Anyway…” Cayna sat on a laughably high-backed throne she took from her Item Box and entered Relaxed Spectator Mode. A plate of cookies Roxine had made sat on a small table in the Guardian’s room, along with three cups of black tea. Kuu immediately alighted on the table and stuffed a cookie in her mouth. Crumbs flew everywhere. “Come join us, Mai-Mai.” “C-can we really have tea here?” Cayna had invited her daughter to the Guardian’s room as thanks for having her over. Mai-Mai had first sat down to watch the tournament outside from the myriad of panels floating around them, but her discomfort was evident. “You don’t mind having Mai-Mai around, right?” Cayna asked the smoky Guardian standing at attention beside her. “Indeed. There is no issue,” it replied, nodding like a true yes-man. Was it unable to stand up against a Skill Master or simply obedient? Perhaps Cayna and the Guardians could forge a whole new relationship if she tinkered with the system inside her, but she’d have to master it first. Despite the Guardian’s acceptance, Mai-Mai’s teacup trembled in her hand. “You’ll never taste it that way.” “I’m well aware!” Cayna never expected Mai-Mai to talk back like that and felt like a pigeon hit by a peashooter. At any rate, outside the tower, a battle for the ages loomed in the worst sort of way. ““Arghhhhhhhhh!!”” Shining Saber wielded his black blade while Cohral brandished his white one. Then, in the blink of an eye, both sides clashed in the center of the Battle Arena. Shiiiing! A single clang echoed, and their positions alternated. Before anyone knew what was happening, there was another sharp clash, and their positions shifted again. Simultaneous cheers and screams flew from the audience. The shouting came from the ravenous spectators at the forefront, but applause rose from the higher seats in the back. The clash between Runberserk and Valhalla immediately released a shock wave across the surrounding area. It struck each body to the core, and a powerful blast of wind sent the closest onlookers rolling. Fellow knights, the Armor of Victory, and other participants waiting their turn in the Battle Arena were no exception. And as usual, some were off in their own world. “Graghhhhhhh!!” “Arghhhhh!!” The duo’s heated swordfight unfolded in the center of the Battle Arena and blinded them to all else. Each clashed swords and then parried. They crossed paths and struck again. It was a decisive battle no one else could see. However, the surrounding area was in deep peril. Those in the arena weren’t the only ones thunderstruck. Back in the Guardian Tower, Cayna felt the same way as she watched through the screens. After all, she never expected a fight between players to produce such an aftermath. Back in the game, the surrounding area would remain untouched as long as the combating players didn’t use long-range magic or techniques. Shining Saber and Cohral were levels 427 and 392 respectively. What would happen to the surrounding area if two Transcendentals clashed? “Um, Guardian?” “Yes?” “About the barrier between the seats and the main arena…” “There is nothing.” “Ah, I see. There’s noth… Wait, nothing?!” “Correct,” it replied with shocking brevity.