CH 52.1

Imperial Wrath

In addition to us the 『Order of the Divine Workman (Adept Orders)』, there seems to be other clubs called the 『Valorous Ones (Braves)』 and the 『No Figures (Nameless)』 from the first year third group that are participating in the main competition.

In the cases where first-years like us create a club, with the party that forms it serving as the base, in other words, it seems to be mostly a classroom-scale gathering.

Based on what I’ve eavesdropped from the chatter, both of them seem to have won their way through the tournament.

I have a hunch that it’s the boiling development of: let’s meet at the final.

「As if. At any rate, let’s lose in the next match okay.」

「Objection.」

I’d like to say that defeatists should be sent to Siberia.

On Wednesday, the second day of the main tournament, the morning period is a class as usual.

Displaying the tournament bracket on the tablet on the table, Seiichi taps on the screen.

「If we win the next two matches, our B rank will be set in stone, and we’ll advance to tomorrow’s tournament, though.」

「Leave it to me. I’ll trample them all down.」

「No, open your ears dude. Our next match is against a B-ranked club called the 『Wanted Men (Wild Bunch)』. They are of the martial arts faction with rumors of being PKers, you see. At the very least, they should be used to PVP battle, right?」

PKers (Party Killers) should refer to those who commence attacks at you unilaterally in the dungeon.

If it was in a game, you could just laugh it off, but in real life, it’s a murder for pleasure that entails assault and offense.

It’s an act of a brute.

Fortunately, our party has never encountered any PK in the dungeon, or rather, we have never even met another party.

「I bet they’ll normally come at us, with the intention of killing us.」

「Hmm.」

I see, as there’s an absurd treatment means in the name of potions, it makes sense that it would escalate into a fight to the death as opposed to a match.

After all, according to the rules of the main round of the tournament, it is not a foul play even if you cut off your opponent’s head.

What counts as a violation of the rules is 『an attack that results in a serious loss of the flesh』 as well as 『destruction of the head』.

The latter in particular is forbidden, and a heavy penalty will be incurred in case you violate it.

Conversely, as long as it doesn’t come to those two, even attacks that result in the death of the opponent are allowed.

Normally, even if the flesh can be completely regenerated with potions, I think things like death from hemorrhagic shock are inescapable.

Or, a pain that is too great may also cause a person to die of shock.

Even if the flesh is restored to its original state, there’s no meaning to it if the person is already dead.

However, it seems that the 『Arena (Colosseum)』 has a safety function in place that’s different from that of Rashomon.

How should I put it, it’s sickening that the treatment of various things like death in this academy is so light.

「Oh, that, you see… If we are done in at the Arena (Colosseum), will we lose that?」

「I don’t know. It’s just that, since the Flower Group also tends to participate in the 『Martial Arts Tournament』, I do think it’s fine, but there’s no need to take the risk of giving it a try, right?」

Mai, who is resting her elbows on the desk and her profile on top of it, nods her head.

「You’re right. I don’t want it to get hurt anyway.」

「Can’t we withdraw from the match?」

Seiichi nods his head in response to words of the seemingly anxious Shizuka.

「Unfortunately, giving up before the fight is not allowed. Even if you’re going to lose, you’ve got to be properly knocked down, something like that.」

「Eeh~. For a beautiful girl like me, I get the feeling that it’s going to turn into a development like that of an erotic doujinshi, though?」

「… Can you blow yourself up in the name of a magic control error?」

「Hey! C’mon, deny it. Huh, am I seriously in a chastity crisis?」

Based on what I saw during yesterday’s matches, the referees would affirm the give up when the player has become unable to continue fighting.

It appears that the spectators will also be increasing in number around today, so if you do a sloppy match, they will raise jeering at you, and even after the tournament is over, it seems that you will receive enmity from the other clubs.

「… Smashing them with a full power explosive magic, in a way that will get myself caught up in it too…」

Mai is mumbling and murmuring defeatist remarks, but if she handles it poorly, I get the feeling that she’ll blow her opponent to smithereens.

「I’m a little worried about Otoha-senpai.」

「I believe we’ve most likely made her get it.」

She seemed to have gone quite ahe last night, but I’m worried whether she really gets it or not.

Shizuka-san whispering in her ear and brainwashing her was a total dystopia.

「As for Himecchi… She’s a fully automatic killing machine, so I guess there’s no helping it.」

Shizuka averts her gaze, but I think it’s impossible for me too.

◇ ◇ ◇

What was hung at the waist was the 『Water Tiger King Katana』 in its glassy black sheath, and what was put on the body was the 『Saber-tooth King Tiger (Panther Tiger)』.

There was brilliance in the frigid bearing.

For the tournament venues of the main round’s third day, the arena stage was turned to three parts.

Speaking of the coordination of the stage settings, by activating the functions of the 『Tartaros Arena (Colosseum)』, it could be freely reorganized.

On the spectator seats, which were in circular staircase style, there were the presences of those who were there to jeer, to kill time, and even scout personnel from top ranked clubs.

「They seem to be underestimating us quite a bit.」

「Danna-sama….」

On the opposite side of the 『Order of the Divine Workman (Adept Order)』, who were waiting on the stage wing, there were the figures of the 『Wanted Men (Wild Bunch)』.

For them, it was a throwaway match that wouldn’t even amount to a battle.

For a current B-ranked club to be faced with F-ranked first year students, such was the natural perception.

The difference in level, which was the absolute standard value of ability.

The unchanging difference regardless of whether they were of the vanguard class, rearguard class, or non-combat class was in the total amount of SP.

It was the shield that protected the flesh as well as the foundation that broke down the opponent’s SP defense.

In the academy, what so-called a full-fledged dungeon conqueror referred to those who had reached the third step class change.

If it was converted into cumulative level, it was 60.

And then, the handful who reached the fourth step class change were called the elite.

It was said that there was a wall before the cumulative level of 100 which was required to reach it.

With the exception of those who had broken through and obtained a fourth step class, even the ace members of the A rank clubs were mostly in the level range of around 80.

Once one reached that step, a slight difference in level could be a measurement error.

If the level difference was as much as a double score, originally it wouldn’t even amount to a battle.

Taishou: Touma (Raijin, Level 3), Cumulative＊＊＊

Fukushou: Mai (Sorcery User, Level 27) Cumulative 57

Chuuken: Seiichi (Ninja, Level 26) Cumulative 56

Jihou: Otoha (Knight, Level 22) Cumulative 52

Senpou: Saki (Sword Master, Level 28) Cumulative 58

「The case of Oto-chan-senpai being the one with the lowest level.」

「If we had a bit more time, we would’ve been able to have another class change, huh.」

Mai was peeking at the memo in Seiichi’s hand, where the information from Interface was written down, from behind him.

「Can you see the other party’s information even from here?」

「Yeah, no problem.」

「Yup. Touma-kun’s that, it’s really convenient, isn’t it? I suppose I can’t see a thing at such a distance.」

The Senpou opponent listed on the player register was a 『Gladiator』, a third step class of Fighter branching.

It was a standard vanguard class that could be said to be a legitimate evolution of Fighter, and it had no special skills it was excellent at, but neither did it have weak points.

He was a level 5 『Gladiator』, and even though he had just had the class change, he still surpassed Saki in terms of cumulative level with 65.

「But given things, I guess Saki-chan would end up normally winning, huh.」

「I know right~.」

In the waiting areas for the clubs that were waiting for their match, only regular players and reserves were allowed to enter.

Shizuka and the other members of the club were watching from the spectator seats.

「Hmm. This feeling before a match, it feels great, doesn’t it? It’s like… You know, your blood run cold, or something.」

「Otoha-senpai… You properly get it, don’t you?」

「I, I get it okay. So, so please don’t tattle to Shizuka-chan about it.」