Time passed, and the first sixteen matches of the first years finally concluded. The second round was set to begin, bringing with it eight matches in total.
Naturally, the first match of the second round was Reinhardt’s turn.
“Reinhardt, come on!”
Olivia screamed aloud.
‘From now on, the second round will be a best-of-three series.’
The moderator added that the quarterfinals, the final round of the day’s main event, will be best-of-five, instead of best-of-three.
Reinhardt made eye contact with them in the first round, but this time he wasn’t looking at them.
You’d think he’d give them a second look.
Harriet thought so.
“… Wait.”
Olivia’s giggling face hardened.
“That’s kind of weird.”
Ellen noticed something too. Both Ellen and Olivia seemed to sense something that the rest of the audience didn’t.
“Why? What’s going on?”
Olivia replied, her expression growing serious.
“Reinhardt’s condition… It doesn’t look good.”
“I think something’s wrong.”
Both Ellen and Olivia knew instinctively that something was wrong with Reinhardt’s condition.
Meanwhile, to the right of their seats, amongst a throng of Class B students, Saviolin Turner watched Reinhardt with her arms crossed.
Like Olivia and Ellen, she knew what was wrong with Reinhardt.
More accurately, of course, than the other two.
“Reinhardt isn’t used to Magic Body Strengthening.”
“… I thought so.”
Charlotte knew that, more or less.
“When you’re drawing on a power you’re not used to, there are limits.”
“Limits?”
Reinhardt had always been successful at drawing on new powers in times of crisis. But this time was different.
This is a tournament, not a real battle, and you’ll be fighting back-to-back matches.
Unfamiliar enhancements were bound to tire him the more he used them.
“Reinhardt will be vulnerable to back-to-back fights.”
If Reinhardt were to use Magic Body Strengthening, he would inevitably become more and more fatigued as the number of fights increased.
Not all of the Royal Class students in attendance were here to cheer Reinhardt on.
However, on some level, they all knew Reinhardt would win.
Ludwig and Scarlett’s skills were impressive, but Reinhardt has the power of Magic Body Strengthening.
But now they realized that this would only serve to hinder Reinhardt.
Charlotte looked at Reinhardt with concern.
“If he didn’t use it… Do you think he could win?”
“That would be best, but… It may be possible today, but tomorrow would be….”
Slapdash power came at a price.
‘We will now begin the first match of the Temple Tournament Round of 16!’
With a shout from the emcee, the first match of the second round began.
The second round ended 2-0 in my favor.
I wasn’t in danger of losing.
However, there were a couple of risky moments in the first set when I tried not to use Magic Body Strengthening.
Even though my opponent was from a normal class, he wasn’t someone I could ignore in the end, and I had no choice but to use it again in the second set.
A student from the regular classes who failed to enter Orbis class could potentially become more skilled than Orbis Class students after training for a year.
I tried Self-Suggestion, but it didn’t work as well as I thought it would.
Although I did manage to win two sets without using any techniques.
When I returned to the waiting room, I was greeted by Ludwig and Scarlett.
The waiting room had its own internal monitors, so we were able to watch the match. From there, Ludwig and Scarlett had apparently watched my match.
“That was great, Reinhard.”
“Good job.”
“…Er.”
Magic Body Strengthening.
I realized that it was a double-edged sword.
No wonder.
It’s a technique I’ve only used twice before today. I succeeded the third time, but now I’m paying the price for using a technique I’m not yet familiar with.
I didn’t pass out, but my body felt like a soaked cotton ball.
I didn’t even have enough time to recover before I had to go to the next match.
It’s not a normal injury, and it’s not something that can be healed by the priest on standby.
I was fine until the second round.
However, the upcoming quarterfinals of the tournament were best-of-five, and tomorrow’s semifinals were also best-of-five.
I’m not confident I could beat Gladen Amorelle, Ludwig, or Scarlett without Magic Body Strengthening.
If my condition carries on to tomorrow, or if I use too much energy in the semifinals tomorrow.
I might not win.
I was under the illusion that Magic Body Strengthening was something I could comfortably do.
I sat still in the players’ waiting room, watching the next match of the second round.
-Boom!
A bear, or perhaps a human chariot, was running wild on his opponent.
Magic Body Strengthening was a technique to increase physical performance by leaps and bounds.
-Thud!
‘Richard Haulman of the Irazon Class has won the first set!!’
He rushed his off-balanced opponent to take the first set.
If nothing else, he’s sure to overwhelm me in strength.
He’s my last opponent today. He’s a bit of a bad matchup for me right now.
I wonder if I can defeat him without using Magic Body Strengthening.
My fingers were twitching uncontrollably.
Since the rule is that the loser had to leave the waiting room, the number of people in it, which was quite large just a moment ago, had dwindled.
First year Irazon Class.
Richard Haulman.
It was now clear that I would be facing the human tank I’d just argued with earlier in the quarterfinals of the first year tournament.
“Lilka’s in that class.”
“Oh… Really?”
Gladen Amorelle explained to me what she knew. Lilka Aaron was in the same class as that asshole.
I’m not close to her, but I’m kind of worried.
“He’s got a reputation for being a brutal bastard, and they say he didn’t get in because he was weeded out during the personality screening for the Orbis Class. Though I’m not sure if that was really it..”
There is a possibility that the rumor that he nearly qualified for the Orbis Class were just rumors, but I saw with my own eyes that his skills were not just a sham, since he managed to reach the quarterfinals.
His personality is similar to his skills.
“He’s just like me.”
“Hahaha… It’s not like I don’t get what you mean.”
Gladen Amorelle smirked. This girl had somehow gone from being a douchebag to just plain nice.
Of course, if it were her against Richard Haulman, Gladen Amorelle would definitely win.
I’ve seen Ludwig, Scarlett, and this guy.
This guy is definitely the best in her group, all other abilities aside.
Assuming I didn’t use Magic Body Strengthening, I wouldn’t be able to beat her. Self-Suggestion has reached A-rank, but I didn’t know if that was enough to give me a decisive advantage.
Maybe if I use the power of Word Magic, but I haven’t figured out how to make that work yet.
-Bam!
The winner, Richard Haulman, throws open the waiting room door and swaggers in, glaring at me.
“You ready for this, Royal Class scum?”
“….”
My victory was in doubt.
It was because I took Magic Body Strengthening for granted.
The giant smirked at my unresponsive face, his sneer unmistakable.
“Why are you silent? Are you afraid?”
I looked up at him, crossed my arms, and chuckled.
“I heard you failed getting into the Orbis Class because your personality is shit.”
“Yeah. I didn’t get in, not that I couldn’t.”
“Was it really that? I think it’s because they couldn’t stand to see the look of your face. Don’t you think so?”
His face contorted, and I chuckled.
This was it.
If a problem seemed insurmountable, you just had to shake things up..
“You’re so fucking ugly. Are you wearing a mask?. Dude, those eyes look like they’re rotting, so take it off and wash it in gravy. It stinks like a pig anyway.”
In this case, nothing was better than a personal attack.
“You son of a bitch…!”
“Go ahead. You wanna get disqualified?”
I got right in his face. I chuckled as I watched his eyes bulge out in fury. He clenched his fists, but didn’t raise it.
If he did, he would be disqualified.
I laughed at Richard Haulman, whose fists were shaking.
“I thought you had a bad temper. I don’t think you’ve got a problem with character, are you sure you didn’t fail because of your face?”
“You little….”
“Rei-, Reinhardt… Stop it….”
Eventually, Ludwig and Scarlett dragged me away. Gladen Amorelle thought I was going to get in trouble, and has long vacated the waiting room, leaving alone a trembling Richard Haulman
We weren’t the only ones in the waiting room.
All the other kids were looking at me like I was a mad dog.
Some asshole from the regular classes wanted to pick a fight?
Well, I had a certain kind of personality too.
“… Reinhardt, I really don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
Eventually, Ludwig, a man of true character, spoke up.
“I’m so glad I’m in the same class as Reinhardt….”
Scarlett sighed heavily.
Everything went as expected.
Scarlett, Ludwig, and Gladen Amorelle advanced to the finals of their respective brackets without any upsets. Each of the first-year brackets were headed to the final round of the day.
The only variable was that Magic Body Strengthening was gnawing away at my condition.
I could win two sets in a best-of-three match, but if I collapsed in a heap of blood in the last three sets, I’d still lose.
‘Waaaaaah!’
Now it was down to a match between the quarterfinalists, and the reaction from the audience was enthusiastic.
Of course, I still don’t see what’s so fun about this.
For someone who grew up watching a wealthy man in armor fly through the air and shoot laser beams out of their hands, it’s a pretty boring pastime.
This world was lacking in culture.
You’d have to have a superhuman fight against a superhuman to make a spectacle, but a tournament filled with first years isn’t that.
The Open Tournament will be more spectacular in that regard.
Finally, the last match of the day.
I watch Richard Haulman stand across from me. He’s looking at me with eyes that screamed murder.
Why do I keep putting in those little jabs?
Honestly, part of it was just to see that look on his face.
If your opponent was someone who lost their cool easily, there’s no reason not to make them do it.
It’s best to win without using Magic Body Strengthening.
If I used it to get a physical advantage, I wouldn’t worry about losing. But for now, I’m not going to.
Right now, I should note the difference between me and my opponent and make a plan based on that.
My weapon of choice was the longsword.
It was a two-handed sword, but it’s not so unwieldy that it couldn’t be wielded with one hand, so I had the option of alternating grips.
The blade is about a meter long.
However, Richard Haulman’s weapon of choice, a longsword that reaches a length of about 2 meters, was a greatsword, often referred to as a zweihander.
The blade is roughly 1.8 meters long, roughly about my height.
A weapon that has a longer reach and is heavier than mine.
His weapon had a ricasso that allowed him to wield it over the guard, as an overly long sword is a disadvantage for weight balance when thrusting.
It had an extended handle, so to speak, and a second guard, the parrying hooks, which were designed to defend over the ricasso.
It looked like a regular sword with an extra handle and guard.
Judging by his physique, he should be able to handle this greatsword with one hand to some extent.
He had the advantage in reach and height.
Just like in the duel with Lilka Aaron, where she was ultimately forced to stick to kicking due to her short stature. The difference in stature alone could already determine the advantages and disadvantages.
I had no choice but to admit it.
At the very least, my opponent had the advantage.
But when had I ever fought a favorable fight?
This monstrous man wielding a monstrous sword will eventually be weaker than the opponents I’ll face in the future.
It’s only the quarterfinals.
I’ve gotten stronger, but in the end, I’ve recognized that I wasn’t perfect, and I couldn’t be.
I just had the disadvantage of having to fight with one of my most important abilities sealed away.
If I’m going to use Magic Body Strengthening, it has to be in the semifinals or finals.
But not here.
‘And now, the quarterfinals of the Gardias Temple First Year Tournament! We have Reinhardt of the Royal Class against Richard Haulman of the Irazon Class!’
‘Waaaaaah!’
‘Reinhardt, come on!’
Olivia’s shout could be heard in the distance.
There was also.
‘Reinhardt!’
A voice I didn’t think I’d hear.
Even as the showdown began, I couldn’t help but turn my head in surprise.
Ellen was shouting with her hands in the air.
‘Win!’
I didn’t expect Ellen to do that, so I was surprised. Harriet and Liana, who were sitting near her, looked surprised as well.
It was just one shout.
But everyone who knows Ellen knows that it’s very unlikely for her to do that, so I think that’s why they’re surprised. Olivia watched in amazement from beside her as Ellen screamed at the top of her lungs.
Ellen did something she didn’t usually do, something I didn’t expect her to do.
Ellen looked at me and yelled.
‘If you don’t win, I’m going to beat you!’
Out of everyone, I was the most surprised.
I wasn’t using Self-Suggestion..
It’s not that I’m feeling better.
And yet.
Strangely enough….
My hands stopped shaking.
Until now, I’ve been relying on Self-Suggestion for everything.
It became my foundation as I believed in myself, and so far it has carried me forward. Every victory I’ve ever had has come from it.
But this time, it didn’t come from there.
This time, it wasn’t a supernatural ability, a technique, or even Magic Body Strengthening.
Win.
Ellen’s words stopped the trembling in my fingers.
It shouldn’t have made anything better, a cheer shouldn’t have restored my body’s fatigue that was caused by the instability of my magic circuits.
But why the hell.
Why did it feel like everything was okay.
“Whew!”
Why?
A human chariot was hurtling toward me.
“….”
But it never once crossed my mind that I was going to lose.
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