The magic battle expo entered its second day, which would see the remaining second round matches and the third round matches unfold. Sain, who’d already won his second match, was free to spend his morning doing some leisurely spectating as the second round wrapped up. He then ate a modest lunch, so as to avoid negatively impacting his performance later in the day. At one in the afternoon, the third round of matches commenced.
“It’s almost time,” announced Melia.
Alicia and Marni each offered some words of encouragement.
“Go show them what you’re made of, Sain.”
“...We’re rooting for you.”
“Right. Off I go then.”
He turned away from the three girls and made his way toward the lecture hall that served as a waiting room. With the conclusion of the second round, only the third round, semifinals, and grand finals remained. The dwindling pool of remaining contestants left the waiting room noticeably emptier than before, and Sain felt himself tense as he stepped in.
“Sir Sain.”
Hearing a voice behind him, he turned to find himself face to face with his next opponent, Yuria Eldis.
“I look forward to our match.”
She offered her hand. He took it with a grin.
“As do I.”
They shook hands in a display of mutual respect. It was an unspoken agreement to honor the spirit of competition and to each give it their all.
...Or so he thought, because for some reason, she didn’t let go, turning what was supposed to be a simple handshake into an awkwardly long period of mutual hand holding. He glanced at her and found her cheeks flushed and her eyes glassy.
“Uh... do you mind...”
“Huh?”
She looked at him and blinked a few times.
“Maybe letting go of my hand?”
“What? Oh! I didn’t— Oh my gosh! I’m sorry!”
Flustered by the realization of what she’d been doing, she quickly pulled her hand away in a panic before pointing at his face and declaring, “I... I won’t lose to you!”
Then, she spun on her heels and fled the scene, leaving him utterly baffled. She’d been acting strange ever since the field exercises concluded. It wasn’t that she was avoiding him, but every encounter between them felt like some sort of weird dance he didn’t know the steps to. Failing to decipher the meaning behind her actions, he ultimately shrugged and made his way toward the arena.
“Our contestants for the third match of the third round are Sain Fostess and Yuria Eldis!”
The commentator’s announcement was met with a roar of approval from the crowd. Inside the ring, Sain and Yuria stood facing each other.
“Contestants who’ve made it to the third round have been interviewed by the news club beforehand, so allow me to share a few tidbits.” The female commentator proceeded to read off a script containing material from the interviews. “When it comes to Sain Fostess, he’s someone who talks as big as he dreams, having proudly declared that his goal is to become the dark knight. His eccentric appearance has always been his defining feature, overshadowing any other strengths he might have had, but his steady progress through the brackets has surely shown that he’s not just all talk. However, he’s up against Yuria, who will undoubtedly be a formidable foe. His journey through the tournament may very well stop here.”
Younger children could be heard from the stands shouting their support with phrases like “Go go Darkness Dork!” The corners of Sain’s mouth twitched, unsure of whether they should curl up or down. The thought was nice, but the execution left much to be desired.
“As for Yuria Eldis, she’s the eldest daughter of Viscount Eldis, and her desire to avoid tarnishing her family’s reputation is surely pushing her to try for first place. According to the pre-match interview, she has no intention of underestimating Sain and is taking this match very seriously. What’s more surprising is that she apparently considered Sain a force to be reckoned with even before the magic battle expo started. According to her, she saw a glimpse of his true strength during the field exercises.”
That made him lift an eyebrow. He glanced at Yuria, who replied with a small smile. It was an earnest gesture, and he was glad to receive it.
I know I saw her as a worthy opponent, but it’s nice to know the feeling is mutual.
“Putting their comments side by side, it’s clear that both contestants see each other as a formidable foe.”
“They do indeed. It’s going to be a treat to discover what strategies they’ve prepared against each other.”
The commentators discussed the impending match with audible enthusiasm.
“Oh, on that note, I forgot to mention something...”
The sound of papers being flipped echoed throughout the ring.
“Apparently, Sain is officially dating his attendant, Melia.”
“Am not!” shouted Sain on pure reflex.
Clearly, his words had been misconstrued at some point. His hasty denial failed to convince the spectators. A barrage of increasingly loud and hostile remarks ensued, coming from a predominantly male segment of the crowd.
“You keep your hands off our angel, punk!”
“Go to hell!”
“Block off the exits! We’ll get that bastard when he comes out!”
Even from where he stood, Sain could see the burning rage in their jealous eyes as they stared daggers at him. The sheer intensity of their resentment made him break out in a cold sweat. Then, he heard a softer but equally unsettling voice from across the ring.
“...Huh?” For some reason, Yuria looked even more distraught than he did. Color drained from her face, leaving her eyes empty and lifeless. “Is that... true?”
“No, it’s no—”
“Let’s start the countdown!”
He was cut off by the announcement. With the countdown underway, he had to focus his thoughts on the task at hand. Yuria was no pushover. He couldn’t help but notice, however, that her expression grew darker and more furious with each passing second.