The absolute summit of one of the Eight Tribes, Administrator Velt, declared the opening of the Babel Roulette. It wasn’t only the duel city; this would surely be a hot topic all over the world. At the same time, another spicy tidbit spread across the continents: The mix-blooded duelist, Yuri Eniastar.
While a mix-blood, he had reached a point where he could use Tribe Skills. While a mix-blood, he triumphed over the Adamant, the Beheading Elias. Their duel broadcast racked up ludicrous viewership, and even now the archived footage continued to be replayed incessantly.
A fire had been lit in the hearts of many a duelist. Seeing Yuri exceed his limit and fight on, these duelists were roused to polish themselves, and resolved to participate in the Roulette for a chance at being the top dog.
An unprecedented number of people registered for the event, while new duelists continued to flood into the city. And, as the curtain opened on a new battle—the boy at the eye of the hurricane, Yuri, was tied up on a bed.
“Erk... If you could be so very kind... I’m fine already...”
What’s more, he was weeping with a futon wrapped tightly around his body.
“Definitely not! You can’t get up until your Big Sis says it’s okay!”
“...I never thought it would come to this.”
Athena rebuked him with crooked eyebrows, while Fram let out a tired sigh. His wounds from the duel were reverted the moment the Field came undone. This was a little different from healing, per se; rather than injuries being healed, they were just set to however bad they were before the duel began.
However, the circumstances were quite different when it came to Yuri. By incessantly breaking his brain’s limiter against Elias, he had forced his body to exhibit strength beyond its physical bounds. As a result, his uninhibited state would now break out in daily life as well.
“The door, the table, the cutlery, the floor, the walls...what else was there?”
“Don’t forget what he did to the bed and bath too!”
Hole-ridden floors, cracks running down the walls, crushed window sills—the various fragments scattered along the floor, and countless other travesties to behold.
“Hah... My house is on the road to ruin...”
“I’m really sorry, Ms. Mirka...”
“At this point, your only real option is to take responsibility and become my bride...”
“Wait, I’m a boy, you know!”
“Oh, you’re cute. You can probably go either way!”
Mirka drooled liberally as she stuck up her thumb. Fram, meanwhile, ignored her, and slapped a hand against Yuri’s forehead.
“Anyhow, stay put until your brain learns how to work properly again.”
“Urgh... I want to duel...”
“You have to stay still! It’s important to rest your body!”
“Oh, Athena said something decent for once.”
“I’m always decent!”
“Well, there’s two months until the Roulette starts for real. We’re given ample time to register teams and gather members, so there’s no need to hurry for now,” Fram said as she pointed at the Proof by his pillow.
A Proof that glimmered...the green of Beryl.
By defeating Elias, Yuri’s rate increased by a large margin. He rose from Iron to Beryl as his position in the duelist rankings shot up drastically. According to Mirka, he had apparently set a historic record with the speed at which he climbed the ranks.
“For the time being, Yuri’s become a recognizable duelist. The footage of his duel with Elias is gaining popularity, so I’m sure he’ll get a considerable payout of fight money.”
“Ah, you’re right! Then, I can’t intrude on Ms. Mirka forever, so how about I go look for a room to—”
“Definitely not! Big Sis gets the feeling you’re just saying that to go out and pick fights!”
“Rather, the way you are, you’re just going to be kicked out of any room you find.”
“With Yuri, I just might end up forgiving everything...”
“......I see.”
Yuri let his head fall into the pillow out of resignation.
“Aight! Now that that’s settled, I’ll go and buy dinner!”
“Then perhaps I should tag along. What are you going to do, Mirka?”
“I need to drop by an acquaintance’s to get the room fixed up. Maybe I should put in an order for sturdy materials he won’t break too easily.”
“Alright, then Yuri. You stay here, and stay low.”
“Yes...understood.”
The three of them removed the door—split in two—from its hinges as they made their way out.
Yuri was left alone, and he found himself muttering to himself for no reason in particular.
“I really have...become a duelist.”
He had always dreamed of becoming one. He set out to be the strongest duelist, one that would never lose to anyone. And...his hand had finally reached the first rung of the ladder. He gripped his fist as the feeling of accomplishment washed over him yet again—his thoughts were interrupted as a light knocking came from the doorway.
“My apologies. Is Yuri Eniastar... What are you doing?”
“...Beg your pardon. If you could please get me out of this.”
“I see. It must have been Athena.”
“I guess you’re not her brother for nothing.”
Elias shook his head upon seeing the futon wrapped around Yuri. Once his binding was undone, the two of them ceremoniously sat on the floor, across from one another.
“How are you feeling now? It does appear that the room is a mess.”
“Ahahah... It seems I can’t quite control my strength anymore.”
“Hmm. You mean to say, you can no longer turn off your tribal traits.”
“You’re quick on the uptake...”
“It is important for a duelist to make deductions based on the situation,” he indifferently answered, before lowering his head.
“I must apologize to you, Yuri Eniastar.” He spoke pensively, as if thinking aloud would help him sort through his emotions. “Somewhere in my heart...I definitely looked down on the existence that is a mix-blood.”
The reason his friend had left the city, in lament, despair, and disappointment... Surely it was because when she was at the end of the rope, she could no longer defeat Elias by virtue of being a mix-blood. As a friend who respected her, Elias had no choice but to see it this way. He didn’t want to believe by any means that she lacked the resolve or the effort.
“Even now, I don’t think Reilly lacked drive. I refuse to believe she didn’t push herself hard enough. However...to equate the two of you would be an insult to you both.”
He hadn’t seen Yuri Eniastar as a duelist in his own right.