The Magical War Games were scheduled to last five days. The festival wasn’t filled with just competitive events, though. There were also performances by famous musicians from this world, brought in by the Reauxgard Empire, along with dances, story theater, and various other shows by groups of all races too. The staff had arranged for a fair few of those things to fill the time during breaks and while the field was being prepped for the Magic Festa. To keep things exciting and all. Apparently, coordinating the schedule had been a real pain in the ass for those involved. A job well done to everyone, I say!
As for the main events themselves, the winner had already been decided for one of them, the Magic Festa, which I hadn’t had much to do with at all. It’d ended with a one-on-one match between a demon and an elf, and the elf had won. Up until then, the odds had been in their favor, so no one was really surprised. They’d performed a magical act that’d received a higher score, but it’d been a super close match, with only a few points having separated them. The whole thing had been a real spectacle, rousing the audience.
Then there was the Battle Festa. Reauxgard’s Imperial Order had successfully advanced through the first and second rounds, making it to the final one, which was a battle between three teams. Whichever team got two wins would be the winner. If there was a tie because every team got one win and one loss, the winner would be determined by goal differential. At first, someone’d suggested a sudden death format with shorter match times until one team reached two wins, but that got rejected due to time constraints. It’d make the duration of the Games unpredictable, which was a problem because it’d lead to the players being too exhausted, making it impossible to have a proper match.
In addition to the Reauxgard Empire, the teams that’d advanced to the final round were the demons, led by the stupidly powerful Demon King, and, surprisingly, Alisia’s royal guard, led by Reyd. The fact that two human teams had made it demonstrated the strength of the race’s organizational capabilities, as well as how they managed to dominate other races in this world despite their lack of physical strength.
The sight of trained warriors clashing with each other, spells flying everywhere, and the field changing dramatically during the battles was incredibly impressive. The audience’s excitement was through the roof. At this point, it was safe to say that the Magical War Games were a success.
My family hadn’t come for all five days, but thanks to my special door, they’d come and gone whenever they’d wanted to watch something. Seeing them cheering and caught up in the excitement had made me incredibly happy. As for me, I’d been there all five days. Although I’d left my seat occasionally, since I’d done so much as one of the organizers of the Games, it was my duty to show up from beginning to end. I’d needed to at least do that much, even though I was no longer the emperor. That being said, I was enjoying myself tremendously, so it wasn’t like I was forcing myself to watch.
And then...
“Go! That’s it!”
“The side is open!”
“Charge!”
“What the hell?!”
“They’re coming! Over there!”
It was the last day, the final match of the final round. The cheers were a mix of dismay and delight. Fighting on the field were Reauxgard’s imperial knights and the demon world’s royal guard. Alisia’s royal guard had already been eliminated after losing two close matches. That meant whoever won this match would be the inaugural champion. At the moment, the empire was on the losing end.
There was only a little time left in the match, and the demon world’s royal guard currently had the ball. But a single goal could turn the tide. The atmosphere in the stadium was heating up, with the cheers being what you’d expect of a final match. Folks were so loud that they were practically screaming themselves hoarse.
Instead of the VIP room, I was on the sidelines near the bench as a staff member, shouting at the top of my lungs. Of course I was. I’d been acting as the knights’ coach, practicing the game with them. My knowledge of sports had only been amateur level in my previous life, but I still knew the basics, so at this stage, where the sport wasn’t fully developed yet, I could manage as a coach.
“Don’t break formation! Don’t just focus on what’s in front of you! Stay alert! If a gap opens up, they’ll rush in!”
The two teams kept going back and forth, but Reauxgard could never seem to hang on to the ball, no matter how many times they succeeded in stealing it. The demon world’s royal guard continued their fierce attack, trying to score another point to seal their victory, while our team barely held on, aiming for a comeback. The fact that we were able to defend without collapsing against an opponent superior in both physical and magical abilities proved our superiority in terms of teamwork. At this rate, though, we’d lose when time ran out.
I knew we had to steal the ball back and go on the offensive soon. In order for the entire team to move like a well-oiled machine, an external signal was necessary, and I had to be the one to give it to them since I was their coach, even if I wasn’t perfect. I shouted encouragement while waiting for the right timing, observing it all. The opponent’s formation, the intent of their movements, line of sight, the ball’s position, the passer’s position, the field changes through Terraforming, the flow of magic, our team’s formation, our team’s situational awareness, and the buildup of fatigue.
No one could make a mistake at this point in the game. That would directly lead to a loss. However, our opponents were the royal guard led and trained by the Demon King himself. There was a good chance their seemingly innocuous movements concealed traps, and if our focus on defense weakened while we were searching for an opening for a counterattack, they could score again. If that happened, it was game over for us.
I desperately pushed down my anxiety, concentrating as intensely as I would during a battle in the western area of the Demonic Forest, and continued my intense observation. Even though I wasn’t actually moving my body, I could feel it heating up. Sweat rolled down my skin like a waterfall.
And then, the moment came. Unable to break through our defense, the demon world guards passed the ball backward... Now! I gave my team the signal we’d agreed on beforehand. The first thing Reauxgard’s knights did was cast Shot. The one who took the hit was the other team’s passer, who’d received the ball one step behind the front line. With his balance out of whack, in the next second, my people hit him with a coordinated Gust attack. The ball flew out of his hands, launching straight up. Then, it rushed back down to the ground and rolled away.
“Get it!”
“Don’t let them have it!”
It turned into a jumble of players from both sides. But the imperial knights were one step ahead because they’d been moving in lockstep since I’d given the signal, believing that their teammates would definitely land their magic attacks. They succeeded in snatching the ball from the demon world’s royal guard.
“Counter!”
“This is bad!”
“Go!”
The offense and defense switched. Because they’d clustered together to secure the ball, both sides’ formations were completely broken. All my guys needed was one shot to break through the enemy line. If they did, they could go all the way.
The imperial knights acted quickly, rebuilding their formation while running. To stop them, their opponents retreated, trying to set up a defensive line using Terraforming and Earth Wall, but it was too late. The knights jumped, ran through, passed the ball, and added a three-dimensional maneuver with Gust. They were unstoppable and crossed the goal line.
We took the lead with that point. The audience went nuts.
“It’s not over yet! Don’t let your guard down until the very end!”
There was still a very small amount of time on the clock. Even after it ran out, though, the last play was allowed to continue until the offensive side was stopped. So the demon world’s royal guard went all out with their attacks. They utilized their high physical and magical abilities, pushing the line farther and farther.
A whistle blew, indicating that time had run out, but the match didn’t end. Reauxgard’s imperial knights, while being pushed back, mustered their last bit of strength and desperately continued to defend. A second later, one of them tackled a demon running along the sideline. A single tackle on a demon with a powerful build would only slightly slow them down, but my guys knew that. All they needed was a moment.
Just then, they unleashed a Gust with pinpoint accuracy, and the demon holding the ball stumbled, unable to pass, and went out of bounds. In other words, the ball was dead. And since the clock had already run out, the game was over. The imperial knights had clinched victory.
They roared in triumph, pumping their fists high into the air. Even I shouted in excitement. Overwhelmed with emotion, all of us on staff rushed out onto the field. They’d won the championship with their own hands, proving themselves to the people of this country.
Then, finally, they approached the demon world’s royal guard, everyone shaking each other’s hands, some exchanging manly hugs, others thumping their opponents on the back and praising each other’s efforts. Both sides had given it their all to create such an incredibly exciting game. I had a feeling it was a scene the spectators wouldn’t soon forget. Thunderous applause filled the stadium, the sound echoing for a good while after the game had ended.
With that, all the events on the schedule were complete. The closing ceremony was held amid great fanfare, and the first Magical War Games came to an end.