Match Seven… Hakuro vs
This match was a fascinating one as well.
As expected of Veldora — he hadn't just been fiddling with the brackets for nothing.
Today's matches featured many bouts where the outcome was genuinely uncertain.
On paper, Hakuro should win, but let's see how things actually play out.
The match began.
"Hmm."
Damrada murmured to himself as he lightly loosened up with some warm-up exercises.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd fought with any real seriousness.
He stepped to the center of the arena and faced off against Hakuro. Damrada showed no signs of tension — his demeanor was perfectly calm.
Damrada. A man with no interest in anything other than money. That's what everyone in the organization thought of him.
And frankly, it wasn't wrong to think so. Damrada himself admitted as much.
Damrada had pursued profit with single-minded ruthlessness, forgoing all pretense.
Fraud and betrayal? He didn't bat an eye. In principle, the fault lay with whoever got fooled — and entering a deal without any guarantees, trusting the other party blindly, was nothing short of suicidal.
To Damrada, anyone who could be easily betrayed was, at the end of the day, simply a low-caliber individual he could dispose of without a second thought. He believed that naive incompetence was worthless, and anyone who couldn't conceive of being double-crossed was an imbecile.
And so, no matter what end met those he'd betrayed, Damrada felt not the slightest prick of conscience.
That was the man called Damrada — and the reason he was被称为 a money-grubbing lunatic.
However, there was a reason behind Damrada's obsession with money.
Building an organization required capital, and the quickest way to plant roots in every corner of every nation was to spend money.
That was precisely why he'd employed every conceivable means to amass wealth.
For the sake of their
Leader,
the true master of the
Three Big Shots —
Kagurazaka Yuuki!
On the surface, the world was being smoothly brought under the control of the Free Guild.
And in the underworld, a system of control had been established through the shadow organization led by Damrada and his cohorts — the
Three Big Shots.
A perfect system of dual governance.
The infiltration of the Eastern Empire was also progressing well. Two of the
Heads,
"Power" and "Woman," had been dispatched there.
They'd arranged military strength from the shadows and had earned the Empire's trust.
When the timing was right, Damrada had been called back to swap places with "Woman."
The domination of human society was merely a matter of time, and the troublesome monsters were being steadily and carefully eliminated by inciting the Western Holy Church.
Only the Holy Nation of Lubelius had been declared off-limits — no explanation given. However, the
Leader
presumably had his own reasons, so Damrada and the others simply followed Yuuki's orders.
This time, the order was unusual.
Well, everything about this place was unusual — this
monster nation.
Damrada's assignment was to earn the trust of Demon Lord Rimuru and be recognized as a trading partner.
He'd been provided with information about the Demon Lord's preferences and other intelligence, and his plan had been proceeding smoothly. As of now, he'd successfully infiltrated.
As expected of Kagurazaka Yuuki, whose specialty was manipulating information.
Damrada was simultaneously in awe and had come to realize that he was the perfect person for this job.
After all, even a cursory investigation after infiltrating the country revealed the tantalizing scent of money everywhere.
He hadn't been told exactly what purpose this partnership would serve, but there was no doubt that it would be profitable.
For Damrada, this was a far more interesting job than dealing with the Eastern Empire, and failure was absolutely not an option.
Therefore.
(Might be fun to actually put in some effort for once.)
He settled naturally into his fighting stance without any visible strain.
It was right after that when the call to begin the match was heard.
Hakuro and Damrada locked eyes at the center of the arena.
Both exuded the aura of a master, but Hakuro was known as the "Sword Saint."
One might think Damrada, who was unarmed, was at a disadvantage — but let's see.
The instant the match started, Damrada unleashed a kick at blinding speed. There was no preparatory movement — the speed was so great that even a skilled fighter would struggle to dodge it.
It was only perceivable because one's cognitive processing had been accelerated.
But Hakuro calmly shifted his body backward, and with a fluid motion, drew the sword he'd unsheathed at some indistinct moment and brought it down.
From my perspective, it looked like Hakuro's sword would sever Damrada's leg…
A high-pitched clang rang out as Damrada's kicked leg deflected Hakuro's blade.
Damrada had been wearing what appeared to be nothing more than a loose black outfit, but it was clear he had armor equipped underneath.
He had no intention of fighting barehanded like a fool.
Well, fair enough — I nodded in genuine understanding.
When Damrada swept his leg through, the force generated a vacuum blade that shot toward Hakuro.
Hakuro met it with a shockwave from his sword strike, unfazed.
After sheathing his blade briefly, Hakuro attacked with a draw-cut launched from a special footwork technique — Flash Step.
He crossed roughly five meters in an instant using Flash Movement, cutting down the enemy within that range. A Sword Saint technique — "Mist Slash."
But Damrada caught the attack head-on with his bare arm, without the slightest hesitation — an attack that should have been invisible to the naked eye.
The slash, which should have cut through the arm it connected with, was apparently deflected off Damrada's arm without severing it.
He must have had gauntlets equipped under his sleeves as well. But to deflect Hakuro's sword, they had to be quite the piece of equipment.
On par with the Spirit Arms of the Holy Knights, perhaps.
Spirit Arms were in a completely different league from the equipment currently available on the market.
Among ancient artifacts, there were excavated pieces bearing the remnants of ancient civilizations — items imbued with massive amounts of magic power that surpassed modern equipment in performance.
If one were to classify them by grade, they would be:
Mythical Grade,
Legendary Grade,
Special Grade,
Rare Grade,
Superior Grade,
and Standard Grade.
By that classification, Spirit Arms could be classified as Special Grade — overwhelmingly superior to commercial equipment.
Hinata's Holy Spirit Arms were even higher — arguably Legendary Grade.
If Hinata's equipment was Legendary Grade, then did Mythical Grade equipment truly exist? I'd wondered that, but Veldora said he'd actually seen it.
For instance, the full set of equipment worn by the "Hero" who had sealed Veldora was apparently of even finer quality than Hinata's arms.
Seriously!? I'd thought, but when Veldora said so, it had to be true.
According to Veldora, it was possible for weapons and armor to evolve when high concentrations of Magicules accumulated within them.
Come to think of it, the weapon Carrieron had used in an earlier match was apparently Legendary Grade too. Kurobei had been absolutely ecstatic, so that was confirmed.
Currently, the weapons Kurobei crafted were of Special Grade.
If he went all-out starting from the raw materials, Legendary Grade didn't seem like an impossible dream.
Once this tournament was over, I wanted to have my own
weapon
made by him.
The
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Hakuro's training blade was an early work by Kurobei — Rare Grade.
However, combined with the Sword Saint's techniques, it could easily cut through equipment of the same grade. He could probably even slice through a prototype Special Grade piece.
For Damrada to deflect that attack meant his fighting spirit was at a level that negated physical force, or he had exceptionally good equipment.
Or possibly both.
Well, a quick Appraisal would settle it.
The only result I got was that his black clothing was a Special Grade piece of equipment imbued with obstruction effects.
But too bad for him! I had the reliable
Raphael
at my side.
《Analysis complete. The quality of Damrada's fighting spirit is exceptionally high.
Additionally, the number of confirmed equipment pieces is seventeen. All are
Special Grade.
》
That's what it said.
He looked filthy rich, but just how loaded was he?!
Could someone really afford equipment surpassing a Holy Knight's just by throwing money at it? What a terrifying individual.
Spirit Arms counted as one unit each — equipment manifested by expending one's own magic power, or rather spiritual power.
Which meant it was possible to switch equipment mid-battle too. Money really was amazing.
I felt a spark of inspiration.
When I glanced at Kurobei, he turned toward me as if wanting to say something as well.
We nodded at each other.
The next objective was decided. Equipment creation — weapons and armor — something I'd been considering for a while.
If I failed, it was straight to the treasure chests of the
Underground Labyrinth.
This was getting exciting. Our adventure was just beginning!
Anyway, I got sidetracked.
While I was preoccupied with these trivial thoughts — though important to me — the battle between Hakuro and Damrada continued.
No matter how fine his equipment was, the fact that Damrada could keep up with Hakuro in sustained combat was proof that he, too, was a master.
Transparent claw-blades formed from his gauntlets, or rather, several spatial rifts running along the extension of his fist, tore through the air at Hakuro.
Evading an invisible blade on first encounter was nearly impossible.
Yet Hakuro managed to avoid any fatal wound, deflecting the attacks with ease. Impressive, as expected.
Hakuro's Dimension Slash struck at Damrada, but was deflected by a spatial distortion shield.
It was a fierce exchange.
If Hakuro was the "Sword Saint," then Damrada could be called the "Fist Saint."
Honestly, I thought he was stronger than the Holy Knights. Comparing him to Arnous — and I meant no disrespect to Arnous — Damrada came out on top.
This wasn't merely about equipment; it was a matter of
technique.
Equipment you couldn't wield was meaningless, and Damrada utilized his gear to perfection.
That was proof that Damrada was no mere nouveau riche
collector.
Or rather, it was astonishing that a member of the human species could fight at this level.
Time passed. More than thirty minutes had gone by.
Frankly, even our earlier selves wouldn't have been able to sustain a full-power thirty-minute battle against Hakuro.
Hakuro possessed the Unique Skill "Martial Artist," and the fact that Damrada could keep up meant he, too, must be a Unique Skill holder.
It was frustrating that he wasn't using it openly, which made it impossible to analyze.
Was it an ability that acted internally? Surely he wasn't relying on pure physical ability alone.
Or perhaps it was the effect of his Special Grade equipment?
To be unable to gather information on someone fighting right in front of you — that was deeply frustrating.
But regardless of how much of a master Damrada was, the human species had its limits.
He might have been receiving supplementary assistance from items, but sustaining this prolonged a battle took a toll through accumulated fatigue.
Fighting Hakuro to a standstill for over thirty minutes straight was remarkable enough.
In the end, Hakuro exploited a momentary lapse in Damrada's concentration, placing his blade against Damrada's neck to secure the victory.
It was a truly magnificent battle.
Veldora seemed impressed too, nodding repeatedly.
He'd apparently taken an interest in the unique martial arts and swordsmanship of the human species.
He'd then badgered me with requests for explanations about the techniques, but that's another story.
Match Seven ended with Hakuro's victory.
However, Damrada had shown his true strength. He could be recognized as a trading partner.
Of course, I wasn't foolish enough to trust a man from the underworld, but maintaining a relationship where we could use each other shouldn't be a problem.
It had been a good match, and there was no particular rule saying I had to win.
Now then, about that trade deal.
What to entrust to Damrada going forward, and what goods to have him distribute.
I'd need to think about that too.
Lost in these thoughts, I waited for the next match to begin.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
Match Eight…
The final match of the day.
Shion versus Geld.
Geld had been quietly specializing in civil engineering and construction, but in combat, he served as the defensive cornerstone.
Well, we hadn't assigned formal positions within the
monster nation
yet, so capable individuals ended up shouldering multiple roles.
I'd been planning to use the results of this tournament to help finalize those assignments.
So then — who was actually stronger, Shion or Geld?
Geld had steady, reliable defensive abilities. Shion, on the other hand, had abilities influenced by her unstable emotions.
That had been my impression until recently.
Shion, who let her emotions run wild. But
now…
"Begin!"
At
Her composure was striking — not a trace of emotional turbulence. If anything, she carried a dignified presence reminiscent of Hakuro.
Beautiful, with a straight true core running through her — a magnificent stance.
Seeing this, Geld also took his position, wielding the
Siege Breaker
—a hammer that could demolish even a fortress gate — in one hand, and in the other, the
Fortress Shield
—an absurdly massive shield.
True to his role as the defensive anchor, his entire body was clad in
Heavy Plate Armor,
and with his Unique Skill "Guardian" in full effect, dealing damage to him seemed like a near-impossible task.
Shion silently raised her sword overhead and brought it down with a speed that would make even demons gasp.
It was as though Hakuro himself had possessed Shion — a flawless, elegant motion without a wasted ounce of movement.
Wait, seriously!? I stared at Shion in astonishment.
Not just me —
That girl Shion — she often spoke carelessly and still made the occasional outrageous remark, but her actions had become surprisingly reasonable. Yes, ever since that day of reconciliation with the Holy Knights.
It felt as though some inner knot within Shion had been untied. In truth, she must have overcome something.
She no longer looked down on others, and her arrogance had faded.
Well, she still made foolish comments from time to time, but they were said in jest now rather than from genuine conviction.
Just as Benimaru had stopped running wild and adopted a natural calm, perhaps Shion had also grown and found peace of mind.
And that inner peace had, with accelerating momentum, caused her dormant talents to bloom?
The current Shion fought not with brute force as before, but with the refined beauty of a classical swordswoman who had faithfully absorbed Hakuro's teachings.
In other words — her previously nonsensical, unfair advantages now had genuine technique layered on top.
As a result…
A shockwave erupted from the tip of Shion's nodachi as it descended, hurtling toward Geld.
Naturally, it served only as a dazzling feint. But seizing that split-second of disorientation, Shion closed the distance.
In a flowing motion, she delivered the follow-up strike.
Geld caught the slash with his shield, but the nodachi's abnormal offensive power shattered the
Fortress Shield.
You've gotta be kidding me! — escaped Benimaru's lips.
I understood the feeling. Even Souei wore an expression of shock.
This was no ordinary feat. Shion's
skill level
had clearly risen.
That last strike had carried the effect of the "Chef" skill on her blade.
She'd attempted to alter the outcome of "blocking the slash with a shield" into "being unable to block it and getting cleaved through."
However, Geld's "Guardian" had intervened to resist the alteration of that outcome.
And yet, despite being countered by Geld's "Guardian," the shield still shattered.
This meant that Shion's will had overpowered Geld's will.
The outcome of the fight was now clear.
In the end, just as I'd predicted, Shion prevailed after thirty minutes of fierce combat.
Geld showed tremendous grit and fought desperately, but he couldn't land a single hit on Shion.
His equipment was gradually destroyed until, in the end, Geld declared defeat, and the match was decided.
I could only marvel at Shion's growth.
I'd expected a closer fight, but when all was said and done, Match Eight was a dominant victory for Shion.
She'd grown so remarkably in such a short time — I wanted to give her honest praise.
And so the second day of the main tournament concluded, with eight competitors remaining.
The schedule for Day Three was:
Match Nine… Benimaru vs Souei
Match Eleven…
Match Twelve… Hakuro vs Shion
At this point, predictions were difficult.
Everyone was closely matched in ability — there were sure to be plenty of highlights.
Well, well. Who knows how it would turn out.
Would there be an upset — Gobta winning the whole thing or something…
With thoughts like these swirling in my head, I eagerly awaited the matches to come.