After the Round of 32 matches ended, on the night streets of Staria.
Erik was still immersed in the lingering aftertaste of today’s matches.
‘They were all so amazing.’
At first, he had only meant to pass the time by watching some fights.
But after discovering Ian, watching the preliminaries, and seeing everyone’s desperate struggle in the main tournament, his heart had grown burning hot.
Right now, he was in a state where he never left the residential district, like a coward trapped in a death game, but he, too, had once been a gamer.
He admired those who pulled off incredible plays, and he wanted to show that same kind of figure himself.
There was a reason the number of concurrent users always increased whenever content like tournaments ended in great success.
And the same was true for Rosa, who was walking beside him.
“I’m going to head off first today.”
“What for?”
“Just… I feel like I’ve been neglecting hunting lately. I’m going to do a little before coming back.”
It was late, and there were matches tomorrow as well.
But she wanted to relieve even a little of the emotion knotted up in her chest.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Rosa waved to Erik and began walking away.
Erik stared blankly at her for a moment, then opened his mouth as if possessed.
“Um… Rosa.”
“Yeah?”
“Is what you said last time still valid?”
If he ever felt like going outside, she had said she would party up with him.
Realizing what he meant, Rosa’s eyes widened.
“R-really?”
“No, well… Going alone is a bit… scary.”
Erik scratched his cheek and turned his gaze away in embarrassment.
With a bright smile, Rosa walked back over to him and slung an arm around his shoulder.
“Then it can’t be helped. This big sister will teach you step by step from the beginning.”
“What are you talking about? Your birthday’s later than mine.”
Even so, Rosa could see it.
The faint smile resting on Erik’s lips.
And this was not something limited only to Erik’s group.
A wind of change was beginning to blow through Staria, where no hope had existed.
***
By the time I left Naira’s waiting room, where she was in the middle of receiving treatment, and came out of the arena, stars were already glittering in the sky.
In the end, Naira was safe.
To begin with, she had only been punched in the stomach, not in a vital spot, so there was no need to worry as much as we had with Mugi.
Still, the Boss’s attack at the final moment wouldn’t leave my mind.
Visiting her was only an excuse; everyone had gathered there to discuss the Boss.
Of course, there was no lack of regret.
The strike she had shown at the final moment had been so fierce that it was hard to easily accept the fact that Naira had lost.
But who would have thought he would grab the sword even if it meant getting his hand stabbed?
Who could have imagined that his glove was actually a gauntlet?
So all the remaining players could do was grasp the Boss’s strength through this match and resolve to prepare even more thoroughly.
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that the next time we met the Boss would be in the semifinals.
Of course, that came with the condition that either Emily or Rohan had to advance to the semifinals, but I believed the two of them could make it there.
After leaving the waiting room, I walked down the crowded street.
Perhaps the lingering mood of the festival had not yet faded, because even as the third day came to an end, the streets were still noisy.
If I followed my heart, I would have wanted to mingle with them too.
This was why I hadn’t wanted to get involved in anything like clearing the game.
A bitter smile naturally formed on my lips.
But I couldn’t do that.
I had already become deeply entangled.
Now, even if I pulled my foot out, my heart would not be at ease.
And while fighting, and while watching, I realized something.
The more cards one could use, the better.
That was why I did not return to my lodging and instead headed toward the plaza.
Just like the Boss, I needed a hidden blade of my own.
Leaving the boisterous festival atmosphere behind me, I shouted.
“Teleport, Rundel.”
***
The next morning.
Veronica was glaring at her roommate, who had returned late.
“Just where did you go until this hour?”
Ian.
She merely shrugged, seemingly unfazed by Veronica’s sharp gaze.
“I just had something to do.”
“No, you know you have a match today. Do you know how long I waited?”
“I’m sorry about that. Let’s get going.”
“Don’t tell me you went to meet some man—”
“That’s not it. I might just kick you out. Enough, just come on.”
Of course, Veronica’s suspicious stare did not disappear even after they arrived at the arena, but Ian simply checked her condition in silence and prepared for the match.
And so began the Round of 16 of the main tournament.
“You have truly waited a long time! The Round of 16 of the main tournament, which all of you have been waiting for and anticipating, I hereby declare it open!”
With the host’s declaration, cheers even louder than yesterday filled the arena.
To announce the start of the first match, the host raised his hand high.
“The participant who will open today’s matches is the human mage who moved everyone’s hearts, Mugi!”
Amid the cheers, a red-haired girl in a gray robe appeared.
The sight of her trembling, perhaps from nerves, drew laughter from the crowd, but her eyes alone shone clearly.
A moment later, the host raised his other hand high to introduce Mugi’s opponent.
“And her opponent is the strongest mage in Limbahitam. The Chief Mage, Damar!”
In time with the host’s voice, the tall dark elf Damar appeared from the opposite side of Mugi, striking his staff against the ground.
“Eek!”
Mugi’s shoulders shrank under the gaze that bore down on her from above.
But soon she steeled herself again, widened her eyes, and glared at Damar.
Curiosity appeared in Damar’s eyes.
“Hooh, what an impudent human wench.”
“I-I won’t be… easy.”
“I look forward to it.”
The first match, a battle between mage and mage.
After their exchange ended, the two pointed their staffs at each other.
“Then, from this moment on, we will begin the first match between Mugi and Damar, Damar and Mugi!”
The match began with the signal.
Their staffs spewed flames at the same time.
“Fireball!”
“Fireball.”
Two spheres of flame collided in midair.
Watching his own magic being pushed back, Damar narrowed his brow.
‘She is not at a level I can take lightly.’
Mugi’s current level was 24, thanks to the reward from yesterday’s victory.
And her Magic stat was a whopping 53.
Trusting in Emily’s protection, she had invested most of her stats into Magic, making her magical attack power stronger than that of any other player.
Before long, an ice spear forming at the tip of Mugi’s staff was launched toward Damar.
“Tsk.”
Damar fired an ice spear to match the trajectory of the approaching spear.
—Crack!
And once again, Damar’s magic was pushed back.
As if displeased with the situation, he bit his lip.
On the other hand, Mugi could see hope.
‘My attack power is higher. I can push him back enough.’
Right now, she could not reach him because of the distance, but if she pushed just a little further, she could win.
Mana swirled at the tip of Mugi’s staff.
At that moment.
“From now on, I will show you the difference in class.”
The ground beneath Mugi’s feet trembled.
“Frost Nova.”
Damar’s higher-tier magical assault had begun in earnest.
Mugi hurriedly threw herself aside.
Clusters of cold surged upward from the spot where she had just been.
At the same time, she also thrust out her staff.
A spell one could obtain when staff proficiency reached 400.
Basic Magic Skill, Third Circle Ice Magic.
An instant restraint spell.
“Frost Nova!”
Damar also had to throw himself away to avoid the surging ice.
He growled at Mugi.
“You wench…”
“Ice Spear!”
Mugi answered Damar’s anger with magic.
He urgently launched an ice spear, but he could not prevent the shards from scattering.
‘I’ll end it with this.’
In that time, Mugi completed a fireball.
Her spell, carrying searing heat, rushed toward Damar.
Damar stared blankly at it for a moment, then extended his staff.
“Flame Burst.”
The magic he cast was a fireball similar to Mugi’s.
But the moment the two spells collided.
—Boom, boom, boom!
Damar’s magic exploded.
It swallowed Mugi’s spell and rushed toward her.
“Kyaaak!”
Mugi hurriedly threw herself aside, but she screamed as she was swept up in the burning heat.
However, there was no time for her to gather herself.
“Frost Lance.”
A massive ice lance stood before her eyes.
Mugi struck down with her staff.
“Fire Wall!”
A wall of flames unfolded in front of her.
But Fourth Circle magic easily pierced through Third Circle magic.
“Kurgh!”
Struck directly by the lance, Mugi’s body rolled across the ground.
Barely regaining her senses, Mugi glared at Damar.
‘This is cheating, isn’t it?!’
She felt wronged.
She had barely managed to obtain Third Circle magic, and now he had Fourth Circle magic.
The hopeless situation combined with the pain, and tears pricked at her eyes.
At that moment, Naira’s match from yesterday came to her mind.
‘If I had another weapon like Naira, would I have been able to win?’
Mugi bit her lip for a moment, then shook her head.
To begin with, her stats were concentrated in Magic.
Even if she had a weapon, it might not lead to any meaningful change.
But if she had to lose, then at least she wanted to lose as impressively as her friend.
Naira had been cooler than any other player back then.
Mugi stood up.
‘Yeah, I knew I was at a disadvantage anyway.’
Then at the very least, she should not have regrets.
No proper method came to mind, but deciding that if her teeth would not work, she would break through with her gums, she moved her legs.
“How pitiful.”
The corners of Damar’s lips twisted into an arc.
The only method she had managed to come up with was to charge in so disgracefully; it was so ridiculous he wanted to mock her.
He extended his staff.
To utterly crush this absurd mage.
“Go to sleep now.”
Another massive ice lance flew toward Mugi.
“Fire Wall!”
This time too, Mugi created a wall of flames.
It was nothing but struggling, but to her current self, there was no other method beyond it.
Flame and ice collided, and steam thickly cloaked the area around Mugi.
That was when it happened.
—Thwack!
Mugi burst through the steam and appeared.
Her body was a mess from shards of ice, but her speed had not diminished in the slightest.
“Pointless!”
Damar’s face distorted.
All kinds of magic he possessed flew toward Mugi.
But Mugi put up only the bare minimum of defense and endured all of that magic with her body.
“Let’s see you break through this as well!”
She even thrust herself without hesitation into the blazing wall of flame where hot air raged.
“H-has she truly gone mad?”
Mugi closed the distance with a tail of flame trailing behind her.
Now, at the sight that even felt touched by a certain madness, his eyes were dyed with astonishment.
He had to admit it.
The fact that he could not stop the human before him through ordinary means.
However.
‘Do I really have to use it?’
In that fleeting instant, Damar found himself conflicted.
And in the meantime, Mugi’s staff extended toward Damar.
Damar also hurriedly thrust out his staff, but her mouth was faster.
“Fire… Ball…”
—Thud!
However, the spell was never launched.
Just before the magic could be fired, Mugi’s body failed to withstand the strain, and she lost consciousness and collapsed.
Cold sweat trickled down Damar’s cheek.
If the spell had activated, it was obvious that the one lying on the ground right now would not have been Mugi, but himself.
But the referee, who had been staring blankly at the scene, made the declaration.
“W-winner. Chief Mage Damar!”
Damar ground his teeth.
“Damn it…”
It was the ugliest victory, the kind he hated most in the world.