Chapter 4: Freshmen Tournament - Vanguard Division Finals
The first match of the semifinals continued to be a completely one-sided affair in favor of Seleance Royal academy.
However, with extra referees stationed inside the ring, things hadn't devolved into the same kind of tragedy as the first round. Still, discontented jeers rose from the frustrated audience.
In the end, Seleance Royal academy secured an overwhelming victory, and it was finally our turn.
Our bout, the second semifinal match, proceeded as a textbook display of sportsmanship, with both sides treating each other with mutual respect.
Dominic took the vanguard slot with a comfortable victory, leading into the second-vanguard match.
Baron's popularity was as overwhelming as ever. The moment he stepped into the ring, massive cheers erupted from the stands, and banners bearing the words 【Hero of the North】 waved across the crowd.
He didn't disappoint, putting on a powerful display that captivated the audience even further.
When it was Ellie's turn, the beastkin in the front row once again offered their respects, sending another murmur through the spectators. But Ellie herself didn't pay it the slightest mind.
Continuously dodging her opponent's sword, Ellie tapped her blunted dagger against his throat time and time again.
The loudest cheers of all, however, broke out during the second-captain match.
When Clarice entered the ring, a roar of applause went up that you'd expect for a national pop idol. The booming shouts from the audience drowned out every other sound, making it impossible to catch what Ellie was saying right beside me.
"You're crazy popular. You really are like an idol."
I called out to Clarice after her match finished.
"Um... thank you? Should I say that?"
Clarice gave me a bewildered look.
I really don't want any more rivals, but I know that ship has already sailed.
Thinking I needed to put on a great performance of my own so no one would sweep her off her feet, I stepped into the ring, only for the unexpected to happen.
High-pitched squeals echoed through the colosseum, in stark contrast to the deep shouts Clarice had received.
Few people actually called out my name directly, but that had been true for Clarice as well. Almost nobody in the venue actually knew who we were.
After winning my match without a hitch, I returned to the waiting room.
"Look at you, walking in like some superstar."
Clarice walked over with a teasing grin.
"Yeah. I mean, I'm happy, but... it's complicated."
I felt like I understood how Clarice must have felt earlier.
In the end, we swept the second semifinal match. None of us suffered any injuries, and our opponents only sustained minor bruises that a single health potion would fix by tomorrow.
Satisfied with the fair and clean contest, the audience showered us with thunderous applause and cheers.
Now, only the final match remained: Lister National academy versus Seleance Royal academy.
As the final drew near, the atmosphere throughout the colosseum gradually grew tense and hostile.
Tension hung heavy in the stands. What had started as shouts of support for each academy quickly heated up until spectators were hurling insults at one another.
Radical slurs like "Kill the beastkin!" echoed from the crowd, and the beastkin section provoked them right back, shouting, "The weak have no right to live!"
"Man, what an atmosphere... This is gonna be tough to fight in..."
As I voiced my honest thoughts about the oppressive mood,
"Yes... It feels like we're the home team, but... how should I put it? It's like the crowd wants something else entirely..."
Clarice agreed with a sigh.
Exactly. At some point, the crowd had ceased caring about victory or defeat—they were baying for blood.
As the suffocating air threatened to swallow us whole, someone spoke up.
It was Ike, who had been watching in silence until now.
"Listen up, everyone. This is your battle. You're not fighting for the crowd, so you don't need to cater to their expectations."
He's right. We're just competing in a colosseum match; we aren't out here to kill each other.
Still, if anything happened to Clarice or Ellie, I had no intention of settling things with platitudes. I would make the culprit pay with interest.
Though the odds of that happening were practically zero.
Judging from the movements of Seleance Royal academy's middle-guard and second-captain, there was no way Clarice and Ellie would lose. Especially in Ellie's case, since the opposing side wouldn't dare attack her recklessly.
Just as Ike's words settled everyone's nerves, a loud voice boomed from the ring.
"Thank you all for waiting! The final match of the Vanguard Division of the Freshmen Tournament is about to begin!"
There hadn't been an announcement like this during the Rearguard Division finals, but the man serving as ring announcer began taking charge of the proceedings.
As Seleance Royal academy's vanguard was called, a torrential storm of boos erupted across the colosseum.
Next up was Dominic. I assumed the announcer would call his name just as plainly, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
"And representing our Lister National academy as vanguard is the pride of the Deador Holy Kingdom, the Sword Saint! Slice those beastkin to pieces with your blade! Ranked... huh? Sixth...? In S-Class of Lister National academy: Dominic Augus!"
The ring announcer shouted into a mic-like device embedded with a magic stone.
I get that we're effectively the home team here, okay? But you're supposed to be a neutral announcer... What's with the "our Lister"?
When Dominic stepped onto the ring, applause and cheers broke out with deafening volume.
As if to drown out the noise, a ferocious roar from the beastkin spectators shook the entire colosseum.
Amidst the charged atmosphere, the signal for the vanguard match was finally given.
"Begin!"
At the referee's shout, both combatants sprang into action simultaneously.
Dominic moved with blinding speed, his blade flashing in brilliant, elegant arcs.
His opponent from Seleance Royal academy desperately parried with arm guards to weather the onslaught.
But as Dominic's swordplay grew sharper, the balance began to break.
Everyone was convinced Dominic would overwhelm him in short order.
Suddenly, Dominic's sword was knocked wide, knocking him off balance and drawing screams from the stands.
Seeing his opening, the opponent dropped his guard to go on the offensive—only for the flat of Dominic's supposedly off-balance blade to smash straight into his face.
Having his sword knocked aside and losing his balance had all been a clever ruse by Dominic.
As the opponent staggered from the concussion, the audience burst into wild celebration.
While the beastkin in the front row clapped fiercely to cheer their fighter on, Dominic's relentless onslaught finally forced the opponent to weakly mutter, "I yield..."
From where I stood, it certainly looked like he had surrendered.
Accepting the surrender, Dominic sheathed his blunted sword and turned his back.
Just as the ring announcer was about to declare Dominic's victory, the unexpected occurred.
The opponent who had clearly just said "I yield" launched a sucker punch straight into Dominic's unprotected back.
Caught off guard, Dominic was subjected to a one-sided assault from behind.
The referee repeatedly shouted "Stop!", but the enraged fighter paid no heed whatsoever.
In the end, the barrage didn't stop until several referees tackled and physically pinned the guy down.
"Tch! That idiot Dominic let his guard down!"
Baron shouted as he rushed over to Dominic. I followed right behind him.
Dominic's injuries were severe. The damage was concentrated on his right hand and arm—his sword arm—and the nerve tissue was completely shredded.
Lorenz emerged from the waiting area right behind us, lodging a furious protest with the Seleance Royal academy staff.
That was when Dominic's opponent spouted something absolutely outrageous.
"What's wrong with attacking a coward who turned tail to run?"
Baron snapped back at the provoking fighter.
"Dominic sheathed his sword because you surrendered, damn it!?"
"Huh!? Like I'd ever surrender to a loser like him! I just said 'What a pain!' as in, 'Man, it took way longer than expected to squelch an ant—how pathetic!' You idiots were just hearing what you wanted to hear!"
Their shouting match grew increasingly heated.
Leaving the two to argue, I accompanied the stretcher as referees carried Dominic off. Clarice, Ike, and Sasha followed close behind with worried expressions.
Karen, Misha, Minerva, and Edine were about to come along too, but Ellie held them back.
If someone didn't stay behind, we wouldn't know what official decision would be handed down. Fearing she couldn't properly explain things to everyone on her own, Ellie had asked them to stay.
Ellie must have anticipated what we were about to do. I silently thanked her for making the call to remain behind.
Dominic sobbed quietly as the stretcher jostled him, hiding his face behind his left arm.
He knew. He knew his right arm would no longer move—that he would never wield a sword again.
"A wound this severe... Even if Duchess Regan's personal holy mage treats him... it might restore his HP to full, but..."
Ike's expression hardened as he examined the injury.
He was right. If someone suffered a lost limb or destroyed nerve, restoring HP to full wouldn't regenerate the damaged limb. HP was merely a measure of one's life force.
But that was only true for standard Holy Magic users.
With Clarice, the Saintess, it's a different story...
Thinking the exact same thing, Clarice looked at me, her eyes seeking confirmation.
When I gave her a firm nod, Sasha was the first to act.
"We will take Dominic to the infirmary! Go back and help settle the crowd!"
The referees nodded at Sasha's order, calling out, "We leave him in your hands!" before rushing back to the ring.
Instead of heading to the infirmary, we ducked into a nearby private room. Sasha stood guard at the door to ensure no one intruded.
"Mars? Does Instructor Sasha know too?"
I nodded silently to Ike's question. He was asking whether Sasha knew we could use Holy Magic.
In truth, she only knew about Clarice, but now wasn't the time to get into details.
"Listen to me, Dominic. We are going to fix your injury! But we're only healing your right hand and arm, and we're going to leave superficial wounds on the rest of your body. Forgive us for that!"
If we heal him completely, it would be dead obvious that one of us is an advanced Holy Magic user.
Dominic seemed unable to process what was happening, but at my glance, Clarice immediately summoned a gentle radiance that enfolded his right arm.
Dominic gasped in utter amazement at the mystical light.
The next instant, his limp right arm gave a slight twitch.
As nerve connections reassembled, intense pain flared through him, but as the light pouring from Clarice's hands brightened, the agony faded from Dominic's face.
"Dominic? Does it still hurt?"
Clarice took Dominic's hand anxiously, looking into his face.
"No, I am fine now... You two are my saviors."
"We're teammates; of course we'd help. More importantly, about this..."
"I swear on my life... I will never speak a word of this to anyone."
I averted my eyes as Dominic made his tearful vow.
A victor's tears should only ever be tears of joy. I didn't want to see a champion looking so broken.
With the treatment finished, we exited the room and headed toward the official infirmary.
"Mars, I will stay with Dominic! You guys head back to the arena!"
"I'll stay as well! Go tell the others he's safe! I'll catch up shortly!"
Entrusting Dominic to Ike and Sasha, we returned to the ring. The colosseum was in complete turmoil, with spectators hurling venomous profanities at the beastkin section.
The matches remained suspended. Baron was still arguing with the Seleance Royal academy student, while Lorenz, veins bulging on his forehead, pressed the officials alongside the referees.
"Instructor Lorenz! Baron! Listen! Dominic's life isn't in danger!"
"I see... But with damage that bad, his right arm is... Even with a high-tier holy mage, it would take years to recover movement, and he'll never fight like he used to..."
Baron shook his head despondently.
Right on cue, Ike and Sasha arrived at the scene.
"Dominic's arm is fine. A holy mage in the infirmary treated him, and while he said it felt slightly stiff, he was already able to grip his sword!"
"What!? No way!? With an injury like that!?"
As Baron gaped in disbelief, Sasha added her own confirmation.
"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes."
"Thank goodness..."
Baron let out a long sigh of relief. He then walked over to Duchess Regan, who had descended to the ring at some point, and exchanged a few words with her. As the Duchess nodded with a relieved look, Baron turned back to us.
"I asked her to let the tournament proceed since Dominic is alright. You guys don't mind, right?"
"Of course not."
"Though it seems Dominic's loss can't be overturned. Make sure you don't drop your guard until the match-end call is made."
We nodded as if that went without saying. Once we returned to the waiting room, the ring announcer grabbed his mic.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! Regarding the previous match, Lister National academy has offered to concede the victory to Seleance Royal academy! Furthermore, Dominic's treatment is progressing well, and he will suffer no lasting effects! Please give a grand round of applause for the magnanimous Lister National academy and the courageous Dominic!"
At the announcer's words, a tremendous ovation swept through the colosseum.
"And now, we shall commence the second-vanguard match!"
When he read out the name of Seleance Royal academy's second-vanguard, relentless boos rained down without pause.
The ring announcer let the moment linger, seeming to enjoy the crowd's reaction.
"And for our Lister National academy, the second-vanguard is... Huh...? Is this right...?"
The announcer's baffled voice bled into the microphone as he stared at his cheat sheet.
He was likely confused by the class rank order. After approaching Baron to double-check and exchanging a few words, he raised the mic once more.
"My apologies! Ranked Fifth! The pride of the Lister Federation, the 【Hero of the North】! Baron Reinhardt!!!"
While cheers erupted, murmurs also stirred the crowd. Even though he always fought as the second-vanguard, people had assumed his overall rank was much higher.
Seleance Royal academy shared the sentiment; several of their members looked like their eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
As for the match itself, Baron maintained a one-sided offensive right from the start.
Thanks in part to Cyrus drilling him mercilessly, Baron possessed a wealth of practical combat experience.
As Baron dominated in close quarters, his opponent tried backing away to reset. But the moment distance opened up, Baron peppered him with 《Earth Bullet》, leaving the beastkin with no choice but to block, driving him further and further into a corner.
The relentless onslaught completely drained the opponent's stamina until Baron finally forced him to clearly shout, "I yield!"
However, just like Dominic, Baron turned his back before the referee's official call, and a wicked gleam flickered in the opponent's eyes.
That's just like what happened to Dominic! I screamed in my mind, but the beastkin opponent didn't budge.
Why isn't he moving? Wondering what was happening, I looked closely and realized small stone spears protruding from the arena floor had impaled the beastkin's feet.
The beastkin grimaced in agony, unable to move a muscle.
Baron spun back around toward the beastkin and launched a merciless assault.
"《Fire》!"
"《Wind》!"
Flames ignited on the beastkin's body, and the incoming blast of wind stoked them into a raging fireball.
"I yield! I surrender! Help me!"
But no matter how loudly the beastkin shrieked, Baron showed no mercy.
"It's still an active match until the referee calls it, right?"
That line must have been the breaking point. Unable to watch any longer, a representative from Seleance Royal academy doused the burning fighter with water and rushed in to halt the match.
"He admitted defeat multiple times!? Are you deaf!?"
The staff member bellowed in rage.
"Nah, I just didn't want anyone pulling technicalities on me again, so I was waiting for the official match-end call. But since a third party like you interfered, that means Lister National academy wins the second-vanguard match, right? Unless you want me to keep beating him?"
The staff member grimaced as if swallowing a bitter pill and conceded the loss. Then, the ring announcer's voice boomed out.
"Winner! Lister National academy! Baron Reinhardt!!!"
As his name echoed across the venue, Baron raised his sword to the heavens, receiving the loudest cheer of the day.
The arena was in complete turmoil.
It wasn't because Baron's victory had been shocking.
The cause was the announcement made for Ellie right before the middle-guard match.
"Now then, stepping up to take down Seleance Royal academy next is our Ranked Third competitor! The mysterious beauty... Ellie... Huh...? No way... A beastkin?"
Apparently, the ring announcer was given information at the last possible second, meaning he had been oblivious to Ellie's true identity until this very moment.
Handed a cheat sheet, the announcer checked with Lorenz, who confirmed the details were correct, allowing the announcement to proceed.
"My apologies! Ranked Third: Ellie Leo! I've only just learned this myself, but Ellie is the beloved daughter of Lord Barnes, the former Duke Seleance, and she is a Golden Lion! Lord Barnes is pro-human, so please hold your boos! And now, witness the overwhelming power of the Golden Lion who reigns at the pinnacle of beastkin—the next Duke Seleance!"
That announcer really says whatever pops into his head. He'd better skip town once this tournament is over.
The audience seemed equally incredulous at the announcer's words.
She had no tail and no animal ears. Her hands looked entirely human. Some even murmured that such an adorable girl couldn't possibly be a beastkin.
However, every time Ellie stepped into the ring, the beastkin spectators offered their allegiance in unison, striking a hands-over-heart posture even now, which finally convinced the crowd that she really was a beastkin.
Even after accepting her as a beastkin, the audience welcomed Ellie warmly.
Her opponent paid her proper respect as well, and the match began.
The outcome was decided in an instant.
Charging straight into her opponent's guard, Ellie unleashed a mid-kick packed with momentum. Blasting him off his feet before he could raise a defense, the match ended in a flash.
Not even the beastkin tried to dispute a victory by Ellie, while the rest of the audience stood dazed, unable to comprehend what had just unfolded before their eyes.
By the time the victory announcement echoed and cheers erupted, Ellie was already back in the waiting room, wrapped in an embrace with Clarice.
"You did wonderful, Ellie."
Tears welled in Clarice's sapphire-blue eyes.
I see... That victory wasn't just another win. It might have been a vital step toward refuting the idea that Ellie can't coexist with humans.
When Clarice released the embrace, Ellie stepped over to stand before me with her head bowed.
"Nice fight."
When I placed a hand on her shoulder, I could feel her trembling slightly.
"Alright! You're up next, Clarice! Don't get careless!"
Baron's booming voice blew away the somber mood.
"Yes, I know."
Clarice exchanged fist bumps with everyone before standing in front of me and reaching out her hand.
"Just fight like you always do and you'll win. Keep a cool head out there."
As I squeezed Clarice's hand reassuringly, an announcement rang out over the arena speakers.
"Now for the second-captain match! Backs against the wall, Seleance Royal academy fields Kuro! I for one can't wait to see what underhanded tricks he pulls this time!"
Same biased commentary as always.
"And representing our Lister National academy as second-captain—yet another lovely lady! Furthermore, she holds Second Rank despite her stunning beauty! Clarice Lampard!"
As Clarice entered the ring to her call, thunderous applause shook the colosseum.
The men in the crowd hollered Clarice's name repeatedly, with plenty shouting proposals of marriage.
The beastkin lined up in the front row scanned Clarice from head to toe with leering eyes.
Her opponent Kuro was no exception, ogling her with lustful eyes as drool practically spilled from his mouth.
Amidst the noise, Clarice raised her sword at the starting signal.
Clarice's martial style, like her magic, was fundamentally defense-oriented.
Expecting Kuro to make the first move, she waited, but surprisingly, he held his ground.
As neither fighter made a move, the spectators held their breath in anticipation.
"Surrender nicely and I won't hurt ya. I'll make sure to knock ya up with at least ten of my kids."
As his filthy delusions expanded, his crotch pitched a tent to match.
"You're disgusting. Surrender already."
Clarice showed her unreserved revulsion.
Kuro bared his teeth in a grin.
"Heh, I don't mind taking it by force either. Have it your way then—"
Kuro's eyes were completely consumed by Clarice's beauty, as if he had lost all reason.
Whether he disbelieved her Second Rank title or simply let his lower half hijack his brain, he lunged at Clarice driven purely by lust.
Clarice sidestepped his wild rush effortlessly, bringing her blunted blade down in a swift counter.
Gross as he was, Kuro was still the second-captain of Seleance Royal academy and a formidable combatant.
Just as he barely dodged her stroke to launch his counterattack, it happened.
Normally, he would have evaded Clarice's diagonal slash clean. But the blade grazed Kuro's erect crotch, causing him to freeze for a fraction of a second.
Capitalizing on the opening, Clarice whipped her sword back up in a rising uppercut trajectory.
Grimacing in discomfort, Kuro desperately leapt into the air to dodge—a move that backfired disastrously.
Had he tanked the strike, the sword would have caught his chin, ending the fight cleanly.
Instead, by jumping, Clarice's sword slammed squarely into Kuro's groin, and a sickening squelch echoed across the entire colosseum.
Kuro's face contorted in unimaginable agony as a silent scream escaped his throat. He crumpled to the ground in a squirming heap, plunging the colosseum into brief, stunned silence.
An instant later, screams of shock and cheers burst out together, and the ring announcer read the situation before declaring the winner.
"Winner! Lister National academy! Clarice Lampard!"
Had it been intentional, Clarice would have been disqualified, but anyone could see it was a freak accident.
Even so, guilt practically radiated from her.
"Clarice, it couldn't be helped. Don't beat yourself up over it."
I pulled the visibly shaken Clarice into a warm embrace, gently rubbing her back as I spoke.
"If things had gone worse, Dominic's life as a swordsman would've been over! That much was only fair!"
Baron chimed in, trying to encourage the disheartened Clarice.
"Right. Thank you, both of you. I know you're right, but..."
Clarice's voice trailed off.
But it was Ellie who truly snapped Clarice out of her funk.
"...Targeting the groin... never missing... that's... Clarice..."
Those words, sounding like something out of a phantom thief story, served as the opening bell.
Barely ten minutes after sharing a touching embrace, the two girls were now affectionately(?) bickering and chasing each other around.
Looking back to the ring, staff members were carrying off Kuro on a stretcher, since he could no longer get it up... er, get up on his feet.
Karen, who had been watching the spectacle alongside us, stepped up beside me.
"Brad, the captain of Seleance Royal academy, is a formidable foe. Besides, I don't think their side will just take this lying down. There's no telling what tricks they might pull, so stay on your guard."
"Yeah. If I lose as captain, they'll just spout nonsense about how humans are weak after all. I'll give it everything I've got to win."
I could feel it deep down—not just Karen, but everyone was banking on me.
Steeling my resolve to meet their expectations, I waited for the ring announcer's call—
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