Volume 6 Chapter 32 Abnormal Occurrence
The Defeat of Rangella and Garboros
Masamitsu and Horace clashed once again. The air around them rippled from the force of their blows. The tide of battle had begun to shift—ever so slightly.
"Hmph..."
"Tch..."
Movements among the participants were growing sluggish.
Until a few moments ago, they were fending off attacks with flawless defense, wielding indestructible weapons. But now, their precision was dropping, and more blows were landing.
"Damn it... This is getting annoying."
Zachariah, the Hundred-Heaven Blade, handled a storm of boomerangs with both swords. Yet despite his skill, his defenses were slipping. Small bursts of magical energy began leaking from parts of his body.
"I didn't expect you to be this good at blocking," Tokohime muttered, her fists glowing.
"No doubt," Zachariah replied with a sigh.
"Hah... This is a pain."
"Well, every festival comes with a bit of chaos."
Unscalable Rivela unleashed explosions of flame, while Joyful Water Alchemist Sid countered them with waves of slime. Despite their fierce exchange, both bore scorch marks and shallow cuts.
"It takes sharp instincts... but this noise is unbearable."
"Your hearing's still sharp, old man."
"Not my ears—it's my skin. I can feel the vibrations."
"...I see."
Soul-Singing Ivan, wielding both a sacred sword and a magic blade, launched a strike. Abyssal Tree Vande received it with his axe. Both were wounded.
"Hah... As Commander of the Knights, I would have liked to avoid this."
"It couldn't be helped. You can't fix an 'underground' shortage of soldiers in a day."
Iron Cutter Sumeragi parried Sword-Eyed Cain's blade with his own. While Sumeragi remained unscathed, Cain's body bore cuts.
"Horace, what do you think?"
"Not my concern. No one's forfeiting—that says enough."
"I see."
Earth-Seeing Horace and Holy Knight Masamitsu continued their duel, untouched.
"By the way, I've heard some call you 'irresponsible'," Horace said.
"Mana can become anything. What it becomes depends on 'conviction.' In the end, it's up to the individual. Humans can't be held accountable for another's potential. That's just a lie."
"You emphasized 'humans'... So you know something, don't you?"
Masamitsu smiled.
"So it's not about avoiding involvement... but about leaving the choice to each person. If I'd understood that earlier... maybe I would've followed the president. But regrets won't change anything."
"...The Four Source Maidens."
"Yeah. But—"
Masamitsu suddenly raised his left hand, catching something mid-air.
It was an arrow—with a suction-cup tip. A piece of paper was tied to it like a message.
He pulled it off smoothly and unfolded the note. A soft smile crossed his face.
Then, without a word, he flipped his sword into a reverse grip—
—and stabbed it deep into the ground.
"...?!"
A moment later, torrents of magical power erupted from beneath the participants, forming massive blades that shot upward.
"Guh—damn it..."
"No... way..."
Each blade had changed form to suit its target, slicing toward vital points with unerring precision.
No—more than that.
Rangella, who had grown far stronger than when she once defeated the Demon Lord, had poured her full strength into this battle. Even with her enhanced defenses, Masamitsu cut her down with a single strike.
If she had been going all out like that, her awareness should've been at its peak.
Yet even so—she couldn't block his attack.
Had she kept rampaging, several fighters might have already been eliminated. A few among the participants realized that chilling truth.
And Masamitsu... remained untouched.
"...You're strong. No doubt about it."
One by one, magical torrents burst from fallen bodies as participants were disqualified.
Those who remained—
"Tch... So that arrow was from the Four Source Maidens? They really know how to stir things up."
"Just one message... and it changed the flow of battle."
Sumeragi and Ivan, who had cut down the torrents with their swords, didn't raise their blades against Masamitsu.
"We weren't exactly focused... but even without reading it, I could feel the 'frustration' inside that note. So much mana—it carried the sender's emotions."
"The president takes the Blood Duel Cup seriously. He wants us to treat it with the same weight. He understands the world's state. I doubt he opposes Her/His Majesty Valzeil's methods."
Masamitsu tucked the message into his pocket and smiled.
"Well, if they've gone this far to set the stage... I'll have to thank them properly."
"...Sigh."
Horace exhaled deeply.
"The Blood Duel Cup, hosted by the Diamante Kingdom... There were plenty who wanted to disgrace it."
He looked down at the ground.
"Still, we needed to 'distribute' things. This should do."
Then, all at once—
Not just on the stage of the Blood Duel Cup...
Three other nearby gathering zones—
From all four locations, immense magical energy surged.
"Well now... this is what makes a festival truly fun—hidden plots behind the scenes."
The God of Iron-Cutting, Sumeragi, grinned.
They had arrived.
Perhaps even the schemers didn't expect these monsters.
Colossus Death Dragon – Giga Bonequ
Billion-Sin Dragon – Zabi Lienea
Mistborne Dragon – Yate Namist
And standing tall at the tournament grounds—
Spirit Dragon – Uro Adamas
Anyone who had studied the world's history would remember a legend...
One from 400 years ago—
The tale of these four dragons.
Notes:
• Garboros - Known as the Royal Table. Captain of the Captain of the Five-Star Pirates. His appearance is not described, but he is known for his immense strength, capable of taking down powerful sea monsters alone. He is primarily interested in gourmet food and has little regard for honor or material possessions. His relationship with Horace is one of acquaintance, and he participates in the Blood Duel Cup seemingly for the experience.
• Ran - A silver-haired, busty, and beautiful young girl with a dominating spirit. She is one of the 'Four Source Maidens' and is deeply affected by her mother's disappearance.
• Masamitsu - Known as the Holy Knight. Member of the 'Moonlight Nine'. His appearance is not described. He expresses concern about Horace being in the spotlight, indicating a friendly or cautious relationship.
• Zachariah - Known as the Hundred-Heaven Blade. Court sorcerer of the Azette Kingdom. His appearance is not described. He congratulated Horace on his promotion, suggesting a respectful relationship.
• Tokohime - From 'the Sword Nation Shirogane', known as 'Unarmed Two-Hander'. Her appearance is not described. She asks about Horace's baby, suggesting a friendly or familiar relationship.
• Rivela - Leader of 'Muspelheim' and wielder of the 'Great Flame Sword Surt.' She is 18 years old, energetic, and a participant in the Blood Duel Cup. She earned the nickname 'Unscalable' for creating a huge wall of flames during a monster rampage.
• Vande - Known as the Abyssal Tree. Leader of the Underworld Tree, known as 'Abyssal Tree'. Their appearance is not described. They seem surprised that Horace is still alive, implying a history between them.
• Sumeragi - One of the Five Divine Gods, known as the 'God of Iron-Slicing.' He introduces himself with a pleasant smile and seems to have a purpose in meeting Horace.
• Cain - A 14-year-old beautiful boy with short, light purple hair. Newly appointed Commander of the Diamante Kingdom Knight Order. Highly talented and efficient, tasked with managing the 'Forest of Souls' dungeon and participating in the Blood Duel Cup. Twin brother of Abel.
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