Chapter 5: Freshmen Tournament - Vanguard Division Finals General Match
"With the vice-captain match ending in victory for our very own Clarice, the score is now three to one! Lister National academy has officially secured victory in the Vanguard Division—and taken the overall championship title!"
As thunderous cheers erupted across the colosseum, a man suddenly leaped down from the spectator stands, landing directly in front of the ring announcer.
He stood well over two meters tall, boasting beast ears and a silver tail. An eyepatch covered one eye, and a black, Buddhist-style stole hung loosely over his massive, muscular frame.
He forcefully snatched the microphone from the announcer's hands, sending a wave of uneasy murmurs through the venue.
"I am the head of Ducal House Seleance! Victory Leo!"
So this is the bastard who ousted Ellie's father, Barnes.
The moment the crowd realized the beastkin standing in the ring was none other than Duke Seleance, the loudest chorus of boos all day erupted across the colosseum.
"Silence! You weaklings can't utter a word unless you're hiding in a mob! If you've got a complaint, jump down here! If you don't have the guts to come down, keep your mouths shut! Otherwise, I'll execute every last one of you for treason!"
Intimidated by Duke Seleance's threat, the crowd caved under the pressure and fell dead silent.
"We may be trailing one to three, but I refuse to accept that my Seleance Royal academy has lost! The only reason you humans have won is because of your long-reaching swords, blunted though they may be! So here is my proposal! For the final captain match, no weapons shall be permitted! If you cannot accept these terms, Seleance Royal academy will never participate in this tournament again—and I hereby declare that the Duchy of Seleance shall secede from the Lister Federation!"
Duke Seleance glared up at the VIP box where Duchess Regan, Duke Fressbald, Zeke, and Grey were watching.
The eyes of the entire audience turned toward the VIP box as well.
"The captain of Lister National academy is the top swordsman in his year. Are you telling him not to draw his blade?"
There was a considerable distance between the ring and the VIP box, yet Duchess Regan's voice carried perfectly because she was projecting it with wind magic. The crowd probably can't hear her, though.
"If it comes to that, Brad is a hammer user! It goes both ways!"
Then why not just let Brad use his hammer too? Just as that thought crossed my mind, Duke Seleance spewed words that insulted Clarice.
"There is no way our Kuro could lose to some bimbo who spends all year primping her hair! We suspect that vice-captain girl's sword was rigged!"
By "primping her hair," he probably just means she's a cute girl.
Accusing her of cheating, however, was completely unacceptable. Having watched Clarice swing her blade to the limit of her stamina every single day, never wallowing in self-pity even as she repeatedly lost to Ellie in close combat, those words were something I could never forgive.
Without thinking, I glared up at Duke Seleance in the ring. Just as angry words were about to burst from my mouth, Clarice tugged at my sleeve.
"Mars, I'm okay. Please, calm down."
Clarice offered a gentle smile to soothe me.
Still, there was no way I could let those words slide. In that case...
When I looked back up at the VIP box, Duchess Regan was no longer there.
Instead, Zeke was staring directly down at me.
Zeke practically viewed Clarice as his own daughter, so he surely couldn't forgive her being insulted either.
When I made eye contact to confirm his intent, Zeke raised his right fist high into the air. Go accept Duke Seleance's terms and fight, his gesture said.
Just as I steeled my resolve and prepared to call out to Duke Seleance in the ring, Duchess Regan rushed up to stand beside him.
So that's why she vanished from the VIP box—she was sprinting down here. But that actually worked out in my favor.
As I stepped up into the ring, quiet whispers began to ripple through the hushed crowd.
"Duchess Regan, those terms are fine with me."
At my words, Duchess Regan widened her eyes in shock, rendered speechless.
Duke Seleance, meanwhile, let out a loud, boastful roar for all to hear.
"You all heard it! The brave captain of Lister National academy has agreed to fight without weapons! If we lose despite this, we will formally apologize for everything!"
"By apologizing for everything, you mean your insults to Clarice just now, as well as what happened to Dominic in the vanguard match, correct?"
"Naturally!"
Duke Seleance gave a heavy nod as I pressed him for confirmation.
Duchess Regan, however, looked far from convinced.
"What are you saying!? How is a swordsman supposed to fight without a blade!? This isn't just your match, you know!?"
Duchess Regan was utterly bewildered.
Since discussing this in front of Duke Seleance wasn't wise, I had her come back to the combatants' waiting room with us.
"Please explain to me what this is about."
Duchess Regan demanded once she had composed herself, but it was Ike who answered her.
"Duchess Regan, Mars will be just fine! I guarantee he's going to win!"
Ike's confident words gave Duchess Regan pause, prompting her to ponder deeply.
"...Mars... weaponless... stronger than me, a Golden Lion... okay..."
Ellie's quiet words served as the final clincher.
"...Very well. I will allow it. But Mars? If you feel you are in any danger, surrender immediately. Your safety must take priority."
"Understood."
Handing my blunted sword over to Clarice, I waited for the ring announcer's call.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience! We will now commence the final match of the Vanguard Division in the Freshmen Tournament—the captain match between Lister National academy and Seleance Royal academy!"
The spectators, having been silenced by Duke Seleance's threats, seized this moment to shout at the top of their lungs.
Amidst the uproar, the ring announcer introduced the captain of Seleance Royal academy.
"First, making his entrance is the captain of Seleance Royal academy—the eldest son of the current Duke Seleance and our ultimate foe, Brad Leo!"
Deafening boos erupted as people showered the ring with garbage and debris.
"Everyone, please refrain from throwing objects!"
The announcer pleaded frantically, but the crowd showed no signs of stopping. Amid the chaos, Brad climbed into the ring, casting a sharp glare in my direction.
Ultimately, the officials seemed to decide it was best to simply wait until the spectators ran out of things to throw.
"And entering now is our captain! The younger brother of Glenn, Lister National academy's strongest champion who blazed through here three years ago like a comet! Rank One! Maaarsss Bryaaannnt!!!"
The sheer weight of Glenn's legacy was astounding, as thunderous chants of "Mars!" and "Glenn!" completely overwhelmed the high-pitched cheering. Excitement reached a fever pitch, swirling a storm of heat and wild expectation around the ring.
Glancing up at the audience, I saw Gon and the rest of our Lister National academy classmates screaming my name for all they were worth.
Conversely, the Seleance Royal academy delegation fell into total disarray the moment they realized I was Ike's brother. It just went to show how terrifyingly vivid Ike's run in the Freshmen Tournament three years ago had been.
I walked out to the center of the ring and faced Brad. He stood tall and imposing, harboring no doubt in his own strength, his face brimming with absolute confidence.
"As a reminder, both competitors will be fighting entirely unarmed for this match!"
The ring announcer's proclamation drew another roaring cheer from the crowd.
Brad flashed an arrogant smirk as he glared down at me.
"Mars Bryant, Glenn's little brother, huh? Fascinating. I'm gonna crush you right here and restore Seleance Royal academy's honor! Then Ellie will be transferred to our academy and become my wife. And that absolute stunner who fought in the vice-captain match—Clarice—she's coming with me, too."
People in this world love treating women like trophies. It was the one thing I could never stand, and I wanted nothing more than to shatter that backward mindset once and for all.
"Reclaiming your honor is your own business, but leave Clarice and Ellie out of it. I won't let you drag them into this."
Brad merely shrugged, a mocking sneer spreading across his face.
"Might makes right in this world! Once I beat you, I take everything!"
Without even waiting for the signal to begin, Brad lunged straight at me.
A wave of outcry erupted from the audience over the foul play, but I had already shifted into my battle stance.
Brad charged forward with a demonic, bloodthirsty snarl.
Brad was undeniably far stronger than any of his fellow Seleance Royal academy students.
However, that was only compared to them. Against Ellie, whom I sparred with on a daily basis, he paled in comparison.
【Name】 Brad Leo
【Title】 —
【Station】 Beastkin • Eldest Son of Ducal House Seleance
【Condition】 Healthy
【Age】 12
【Level】 25
【HP】 215/215
【MP】 20/20
【Strength】 88 【Agility】 47
【Magic】 5 【Dexterity】 9
【Endurance】 93 【Luck】 5
【Special Ability】 Hammer Technique C (Lv 5/15)
【Special Ability】 Unarmed Combat B (Lv 7/17)
Sorry, Brad. Truth be told, I already Appraised all your statuses back during the first round.
You guys were potential opponents for Clarice and Ellie. Did you really think I wouldn't check your stats ahead of time?
He's strong, sure, but nothing to be afraid of. The only concerning thing is his high Unarmed Combat level.
Or so I thought, but taking a closer look, Brad wasn't clenching his fists at all—he was charging with sharp claws bared.
Finding it suspicious, I inspected him closely with Appraisal, only to discover a paralytic poison coated on the tips of his claws. Playing dirty, I see.
Brad's claws bore down on me, but I instantly activated my magic.
(Wind Cutter!)
A blade of wind sliced off Brad's oncoming claws.
"Wha!? Y-You bastard! What did you do!?"
Brad stared at me, a look of sheer astonishment painted across his face.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn't nearly so soft-hearted.
"Who knows? But relying on paralytic poison is a pretty cowardly move, isn't it? Don't tell me you lacked the confidence to fight fair and square."
Brad glared back at my taunt, his expression twisting into demonic rage.
"Like hell I don't!"
Consumed by fury, Brad threw a straight right punch.
I had been waiting for this.
Activating my Vision, I tracked the trajectory of his fist and clad myself in Sylphid.
Clenching my own fist, I met Brad's strike head-on.
The instant our fists collided, the sickening crack of shattering bone echoed through the silent colosseum.
Holy crap, that hurt like hell!
It felt like I had just punched a solid boulder. A scream almost escaped my throat, but I forced it down.
Brad, whose fist had actually been pulverized, had to be in far worse pain than me.
Yet Brad immediately clenched his left fist.
Is this guy seriously still looking for a fight?
I clenched my left fist as well and drove it forward to clash with Brad's strike once more.
Once again, the sound of Brad's fist shattering echoed through the air, accompanied by his agonizing scream.
"Gahhhhh!"
Brad collapsed to one knee, both of his arms dangling uselessly. The sheer force of the impact had likely shattered the bones in his arms as well.
"That's enough, isn't it? Just admit defeat."
To anyone watching, it was obvious Brad had no chance of winning.
Even so, Brad forced himself back onto his feet.
"Don't screw with me! As if I'd surrender to mere humans like you!"
The moment he stood, Brad threw a kick.
I intercepted it with my leg just as I had with his punches, leaving Brad with only his left leg unbroken. Standing was no longer an option for him.
Even then, Brad refused to yield. Crawling along the ground, he tried to sink his sharp fangs into me.
As if I'd let an attack like that land.
I stepped back and glanced over at the referee, but he still hadn't called my victory. If anything, his face practically urged me to finish the job even more thoroughly.
And it wasn't just the referee. The spectators filling the colosseum were thirsting for the exact same thing.
If this were a match between gladiators fighting in an arena, continuing might have made sense. But this was supposed to be a test of strength between first-year students—not a fight to the death.
If Clarice or Ellie had suffered terrible injuries, it might be a different story, but Dominic's wounds were already healed.
On the other hand, among the Seleance Royal academy students, one had suffered severe burns, and the other had effectively seen his life as a man come to an end. Holy Magic might eventually heal the burn victim, but Kuro's prospects were completely hopeless.
No matter how you looked at it, we had gone way too far.
I wanted to put an end to this match already.
Guided by that thought, I called out to Duke Seleance, who stood below the ring with a look of stunned disbelief.
"Duke Seleance? Do you truly wish to continue this any further? If he receives medical treatment right now, he might avoid any lasting physical damage. I'll leave the final decision to you."
Duke Seleance couldn't conceal his bewilderment. Open agitation was written all over his face.
"..."
As silence stretched over the ring, the spectators' eyes all gravitated toward Duke Seleance.
Taking a single deep breath, Duke Seleance finally opened his mouth.
"That is enough. We of Seleance Royal academy forfeit."
Tears of frustration welling in his eyes, Brad slumped powerlessly to the ground.
The next moment, the ring announcer bellowed into the arena.
"The winner! Lister National academy's Mars Bryant!"
As my name echoed through the arena, the stadium erupted into deafening cheers.
Duke Seleance hoisted the injured Brad over his shoulder, casting a stern glance at me as he spoke.
"You. Come to my quarters later."
After watching the duke carry Brad off the ring, I stepped down as well. Clarice and Ellie immediately rushed over to meet me—Clarice with tears welling in her eyes, and Ellie with a soft smile on her face.
"Mars! That was incredible!"
As Clarice praised me through tearful giggles, Ellie chimed in with a beaming expression.
"...Good work... Mars..."
Karen, Misha, and Baron joined us, quickly followed by Ike, Sasha, our glasses-wearing senior Edine, and even Lorenz, forming a circle of celebration.
Amidst the commotion, Zeke and Duchess Regan hurried down from the VIP box, their faces beaming with pride as they offered their congratulations.
"Mars! Well done!"
Zeke slapped me on the shoulder with satisfied approval, before another voice chimed in.
"Thanks to you, the honor of Lister National academy has been preserved. Such an overwhelming victory in the finals despite such unfavorable conditions will surely be spoken of for generations to come."
Duchess Regan showered me with the highest praise imaginable.
"I couldn't have done it without everyone's support. Thank you so much."
With the crowd's cheers still echoing through the colosseum, I basked in the afterglow of our victory alongside Clarice, Ellie, and the rest of our companions.
Once the excitement finally settled down, I headed toward the Seleance Royal academy waiting room alone.
Near the waiting room, several beastkin who appeared to be staff members gave me hostile glares.
"Duke Seleance summoned me here..."
Without a word, one of the beastkin opened the door to the waiting room and ushered me inside. Deep within the room, Duke Seleance sat sprawled heavily in a chair.
"Brat... Did you really come here all by yourself?"
A faint smile played across Duke Seleance's lips.
"Yes, just as you requested, Your Grace."
As I stepped inside, the door behind me thudded shut.
Now it was just the two of us—Duke Seleance and me.
"Ellie seems remarkably attached to you, doesn't she?"
"Ellie and I are engaged, after all."
He seemed to have already suspected as much.
Duke Seleance immediately let out a rumble from deep within his chest.
"I will not approve it! Ellie is a Golden Lion—the savior of our beastkin people! I'll never hand her over to a human!"
His own older brother Barnes was a Golden Lion, too. Who is he to spout that kind of hypocritical nonsense? I wanted to throw his words right back in his face, but I swallowed the impulse.
"Even if you say that, Lord Barnes has already given us his blessing. So..."
Duke Seleance cut me off before I could finish.
"What!? Brother did!? Brother approved your engagement to Ellie!?"
Duke Seleance leapt to his feet in shock, just as the door behind me swung open.
"Mars!? Are you okay!?"
Clarice, Ellie, Duchess Regan, and Sasha all barged into the room.
Truth be told, I had already noticed the four of them trailing behind me.
That was precisely why I had felt safe stepping into the room alone in the first place.
"...What he said... is true... Dad's... dying wish..."
Having overheard our conversation from outside the room, Ellie answered her uncle directly.
"I can't believe it... Brother... gave Ellie to a human? Is he truly a man worthy of such trust...?"
Bewilderment clouded Duke Seleance's face, but realizing Ellie's words were genuine, the harsh tension around him softened slightly.
If I was going to ask, now was my chance. I decided to bring up the question that had been nagging at me ever since I first spoke with Duke Seleance.
"Duke Seleance, there is something I would like to ask you. Why did you stage the coup d'état? Earlier, you called Ellie the hope of the beastkin. The rumors I heard suggested you overthrew your brother because two generations of Golden Lions was denying you power, but seeing how you treat Ellie, that doesn't seem to fit..."
To Duke Seleance, Ellie should have been his greatest obstacle. During her matches, even her beastkin opponents had shown her unwavering loyalty.
Wouldn't it have been natural for him to try and eliminate her first? That was the thought that prompted my question.
Of course, it was entirely possible he harbored those dark intentions deep down inside.
"Those rumors are not false. I did indeed exile my brother to seize power for myself."
Did I overestimate his motives...? I caught myself thinking, but he wasn't finished speaking.
"To my brother, power was absolute. Might made right, whether one was a beastkin or a human."
I thought I understood the concept that strength dictated everything in beastkin society.
"I do not reject that mindset. However, I could never forgive his apathy toward the weak—his belief that powerless beastkin didn't matter, no matter their fate."
Huh? What did he mean by that? Everyone present listened closely to Duke Seleance's words.
"Do any of you know how beastkin are treated as slaves?"
I thought the beastkin in Almeria seemed relatively happy, though... Just as that thought crossed my mind, Sasha uttered words that chilled me to the bone.
"I am aware that in the Kingdom of Zarcam, beastkin are subjected to atrocious conditions. They are denied proper meals, and at times are permitted neither rest nor sleep..."
"How terrible..."
As Clarice covered her mouth in shock, Duke Seleance let out a long sigh before continuing.
"That is not all. They are subjected to all manner of human experimentation simply for being beastkin. Yet my brother refused to lift a finger for the weak. No matter how many times I implored him, he insisted that the weak had only their own weakness to blame. I simply could not stomach it any longer."
I silently questioned Ellie with my eyes, asking if Duke Seleance's words were true, and she gave a silent nod.
So that was why he launched the coup d'état—for the sake of the oppressed beastkin.
That explained why the beastkin had agreed with him and rallied to his side. If I had been forced to choose between the two, I undoubtedly would have chosen Duke Seleance as well.
Making that decision must have been agonizing for Duke Seleance. Deep down, he surely would have preferred not to exile Barnes, wishing instead that his brother would use his power as a Golden Lion to save their people.
A prolonged silence fell over the room, but it was Duke Seleance himself who broke it.
"Now, I have a question of my own. Mars, do you understand what taking Ellie as your wife truly entails?"
Answering that question after hearing what he had just shared required serious resolve.
But my answer had already been forged long ago.
"Yes. By taking Ellie as my wife, I am taking on the responsibility of building a bridge between humans and beastkin."
"You realize you will inevitably be dragged into disputes whenever conflict arises between humans and beastkin?"
"I am prepared for that."
Duke Seleance locked eyes with me, searching my gaze as if attempting to peer into my soul. Tense silence filled the room, but I did not yield a single inch under his gaze.
"And what about you, Ellie?"
As Duke Seleance turned his gaze from me to Ellie, she delivered an answer that was unmistakably her.
"...Nn...? Doesn't matter... I... love Mars... That's all..."
Setting aside all political implications, Ellie simply loved me with all her heart.
And yet, that simple answer seemed to be precisely what Duke Seleance needed to hear.
"I see... You simply love Mars, plain and simple... Very well. Mars, I entrust Ellie to you."
The look in Duke Seleance's eyes reminded me somehow of Clarice's father, Grey.
"So? What about you, Regan? Knowing you, I assume you're already scheming to win Mars over to your side?"
Win me over? What did he mean by that? When I turned my gaze toward Duchess Regan, she responded with a serene smile.
"As a matter of fact, before I could make a move, the children had already taken action..."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
When Duke Seleance inquired with heightened interest, Sasha answered on her behalf.
"Allow me to explain. In truth, Karen of the Duke Fressbald family and my daughter Misha..."
At Sasha's words, the duke's single eye widened in disbelief.
"What!? If that comes to pass, then House Seleance, House Fressbald, and the elves affiliated with House Regan will all be bound to a single man... Heh-heh-heh! As scheming as ever, I see. However, I will concede that he is a man worthy of such stakes."
As Duke Seleance flashed a mischievous smirk,
"I assure you, I haven't pulled a single string. Though given what you know of my usual habits, I suppose I can hardly expect you to believe me."
Duchess Regan shook her head in denial once more.
"Um... what exactly are you two talking about?"
Completely unable to follow the situation, the revelation Sasha delivered next hit me like a bolt from the blue.
"Today, House Fressbald and House Febrant formally submitted marriage proposals to Count Bryant."
"—!?"
I instinctively turned to look at Clarice and Ellie, but neither of them looked particularly surprised.
Wait, did the two of them know about this already?
"Surely deciding a marriage without considering Karen and Misha's feelings is a bit..."
I understood that political marriages were standard practice in noble society, but when it came to my own life, it was a different story.
But Sasha quickly corrected my assumption.
"My, didn't Duchess Regan just mention it? Neither Duke Fressbald nor I orchestrated this—it was what the girls requested themselves. Surely you've noticed how they feel about you, Mars?"
I was well aware of Misha's affection for me. Karen, on the other hand, had caught me completely off guard... but then a certain detail struck me.
"Come to think of it, weren't Karen and Baron engaged? Polygamy is permitted depending on rank, but polyandry isn't allowed, is it?"
"Indeed, which is precisely why their engagement was annulled today."
Duchess Regan replied nonchalantly.
Shock after shock hit me, leaving my brain completely unable to process everything that was happening—
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