“How in the world…?” Wiseman blurted, utterly stupefied. “While they are indeed the same rank, it’s ridiculous to think a Talker could take an attack class head on…and without even using a single skill…”
“Let me tell you, my son is no pushover,” said Mace, seemingly resigned.
“I am well aware. Charles’s opening attack was perfect. It’s unbelievable that the snake was able to avoid it. The match happened so quickly I can’t be entirely sure, but it looks as if Noel was able to disrupt Charles’s inner ear—and thus his balance—to stun him for an instant.”
“I arrived at the same conclusion myself,” Mace said. “Charles was prepared for Stun Howl, but that brat—no, I should say Noel’s—attack was not class-related. That was something he’d honed through practice. Nobody could defend themselves against such a sneaky move.”
“Terrifying though it may be, you can’t generate an elbow jab that forceful with just a spin. He used Piercing Fist.”
“What?!” Mace cried. “You mean the martial art used to crush internal organs? But it comes from your home country! How could Noel have learned it?”
“Don’t ask me. I have no idea. The truth of the matter is, there’s only a handful of people who can wield it effectively in battle. Noel’s martial arts abilities are extraordinary…”
The two clan masters gulped and fell into silence.
After a time, Mace spoke once more. “So it’s true—Noel should have been born an attack class.”
“I have to agree. It feels like a cruel twist of fate that he ended up in a different class, but even then he’s displayed a strength above and beyond what anyone could have expected.”
“But if he had been born an attack class…”
“I don’t even want to think about something so frightening.”
Wiseman and Mace were both veterans and incredibly strong in their own right, yet this particular thought left them both pale and silent—the fear was plain on their faces.
“Told you so,” said Alma, grinning at Caius. “I told you Noel would win.”
“I see how strong he is now,” the prince replied. “But that’s not everything, is it?”
“If you’re talking about his skills, he’ll show those off in the next match.”
“Against Sharon Valentine…”
The former vice-master of Supreme Dragon wrote the book on modern Seeker development, and she stood head and shoulders above Charles. If Charles was a hero among Seekers, then Sharon was a hero among heroes. Should Noel find a way to beat her, there was no doubt he’d reach ridiculous heights.
“Noel Stollen,” muttered Caius.
Just how high will you rise as a star?
The prince clenched his fist to calm the excitement bubbling up within him. Even then, he could not stop the intense, frightening smile that spread across his face.
Today, the history of the empire will be rewritten.
Of that, Caius was sure.
✦ ✦ ✦
“How are you feeling?”
I was in one of the locker rooms on the top floor of the colosseum. Leon had just used his healing skills to repair my injuries, and I rose from my chair to check my condition. I still felt a little numb, but that wouldn’t impair my mobility.
“Good,” I said. “Thanks.”
Leon smiled. “It’s unfortunate you were matched up with someone so strong in the first round. You won handily this time, but as for the next match…”
“Nothing we can do about the luck of the draw. We won’t get anywhere crying about it.”
I had beaten Charles in mere seconds, but that was only because my strategy happened to line up perfectly. Charles was legitimately strong, even among those in the finals. That was why I had to give it my all—even if it meant ignoring the strain it put on my body.
“You’re up against Sharon Valentine,” said Leon. “And now she’s seen the way you fight. You won’t get her the way you got Charles.”
“I know.”
“By taking Charles down, you showed the whole world that you’re no ordinary buffer. Isn’t that enough? If you put your body under any more strain, it’s going to come back to haunt you. You should pull out.”
“Yeah.”
“The Megalith will absorb any external damage to your body, but it won’t absorb any damage caused by the stress you put on yourself. If you try to fight the next match like the last one, there’s a good chance you’ll come away with aftereffects, no matter how much I heal you.”
I nodded, thinking, I know.
I didn’t just beat Charles because I had better one-on-one skills, I beat him because I pushed my brain past its limits—I overclocked it, essentially.
I’d been the test subject for the Megalith, and I’d experienced all the pain it could give. This gave me the ability to suppress those sensations. A supplementary effect of this was the ability to use my own muscles past their limits. By ignoring the pain signals so I could reach new limits, I placed incredible stress on my body. In that sense, Leon’s worry was completely justified.
He sighed at my vague responses. “I guess it doesn’t matter what I say, does it? Why did you even say what you did? You don’t intend to win, really? Looks to me like you’ve got your eyes on first place.”
“I know when enough is enough,” I said with a chuckle. “But this chance is too good to pass up. I want to enjoy it while I’ve got it. Nothing more than that.”
While I didn’t intend to win, I wasn’t going to go down easy. Ultimate victory was little more than another potential result.
I walked over to the window and waited for the next match to begin. The locker rooms were up just as high up as the VIP lounges, making them excellent spots for watching the bouts. The other competing athletes were likewise standing at the windows of their rooms.
Wolf was in the next match. His opponent was another Seeker who’d made it through the preliminaries. regalia or not, we all knew they were going to put up a hell of a fight.
“Don’t let me down, Wolf,” I muttered. “Not after you challenged me directly.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Leon opened it to find Harold standing there.
“Hello there, Noel,” the old man said. He smiled as he entered the locker room. “A truly splendid victory. After what you showed everyone today, no one will continue to call you a cocky little brat who throws his weight around from behind his friends’ backs.”
“Why, thank you.”
Though much of the public applauded my rise to regalia clan master at such a young age, I still had detractors claiming I’d been blessed with strong teammates. As Harold said, those jeers would stop after what I did to Charles.
“He’s strong, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a cocky little brat,” Leon said.
“Hey!” I snapped, glaring in the vice-master’s general direction.
Harold bellowed with laughter. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time, and it won’t be the last.”
“Did you come here just to talk smack or what, you old fart?”
“Smack?” Harold echoed, wearing a look of mock surprise. “I would never. I came here to cheer you on.”
“I have my doubts.”
“I’m also leaving for Turmeghid, and wanted to say goodbye.”
“You’re leaving already? Bit soon, don’t you think?”
Harold’s dispatch to Turmeghid had been decided a long time ago, but I still hadn’t heard anything about an actual departure date.
“I was supposed to leave even earlier, but I managed to have it postponed. I wanted to at least see your first match.”
“I see. Satisfied?”
“Very much so,” Harold answered, smiling. “As expected, you were wonderful. Though I would love to stay around for the finals, it would make me late for my train, so I’d better take my leave.”
Two months had passed since the empire’s railway project had resumed. While official use of the railway was still a ways off, Vulcan Industries had received strong financial support from the empire and put that ginormous sum of money to use. Railway lines were already in place connecting the imperial capital to neighboring cities. People involved in the project were permitted to use the railway as part of their test runs, so it was possible to get to Turmeghid in about a half a day.
Harold bowed graciously and left the locker room.
“I sure hope he doesn’t get caught up in any trouble,” Leon said.
“As far as foreign nations are concerned, even a tiny disturbance in the area could force the arrival of the Valiant. It’s a high-priority target.”
“That doesn’t make an attack inevitable, though, right? The empire knows how important the location is, and security is airtight. A few foreign agents won’t easily be able to tackle that kind of defense.”
“Not if it’s just foreign agents, no.”
The explosion from a few days prior flitted through my mind. I was absolutely sure that the magic I’d felt in that moment belonged to something inhuman.
“What do you mean?” asked Leon.
I shook my head. “Nothing. Harold’s in charge of security, so he’ll be fine even in the event of an attack. Besides, if anyone is planning any sort of terrorist attack, this would be the place to do it—everybody important to the empire is here.”
“Right… Wait, are you saying you set up the Seven Star Cup to create a target for foreign agents? With all the key regalia members here, it would be all too easy to take those same agents down. Wouldn’t it, Noel?”
“No comment.”
I turned my gaze back to the ring, where the next match was about to start. Wolf and his opponent—Mika Fanfare of the clan Summer Memories—were in the ring, squaring off.
“The second match of Block A is a-go!” Luna shouted.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the match.