WIEDERGEBURT Chapter 41

Kari observed the current fight between Marko and Catalyna Kriger. While she wouldn’t say it was a boring match, as the two were trading fast-paced strikes and numerous C-rank Spiritual Techniques back and forth with incredible finesse and skill, she would admit that she wasn’t very interested in this battle.

Down below, a beautiful woman in her early 20s swung a large sword that was bigger than a broadsword but smaller than a claymore. It had jagged edges. As she swung it, nine crackling spheres of lightning appeared in front of her, which shot off seconds after they were formed. Their target was the powerful-looking man whose hands were clad in gauntlets made of steel and brass. The man’s fists glowed a light green as he punched each sphere into oblivion, using the earth element to negate the power of lightning.

“These two are fairly impressive,” Mikkel murmured. “Neither of them have reached the Second State of Spiritualism, but they seem to have mastered a lot more Spiritual Techniques than other people their age.”

“Hmph!” Geirolf scoffed. “I know more techniques than they do.”

“The Spiritual Lightning Technique that Catalyna is using is called Nine Spheres Lightning Chappel,” Earland said with his arms crossed, eyes focused only on the battle. “It’s a C-rank Spiritual Technique that uses the motion of her swing to generate compressed balls of lightning and launches them at an opponent.”

“And Marko’s technique is Glowing Fist of the Giant, right?” said Mikkel. “I think it’s creates a giant fist that can be used as both attack and defense. It’s supposed to be a B-rank Spiritual Earth Technique, but it doesn’t look like Marko has mastered it to the point where he can create a fist out of his Spiritual Power, so he’s just coating his hand in it instead.”

“That seems to be the case.” Earland nodded.

“Don’t ignore me, you two!” Geirolf snapped.

As they spoke, Catalyna leapt back, spun in a complete circle, and then swung her sword up and down. Lightning exploded from the sword and transformed into a powerful dragon with glowing white eyes. It roared and charged at Marko. Meanwhile, Catalyna ran swiftly behind the beast, hiding within its shadow.

Marko pounded his fists together exactly three times, generating an intense green glow before he slammed his hands on the ground. A wall suddenly appeared in front of him. The dragon crashed into the wall and broke apart, sending pale arcs of electricity scattering everywhere. Catalyna, who seemed to have some idea about what her opponent would do, ran up the wall instead of around it. She landed on top of the wall and swung her sword down, shooting an arc of powerful lightning at Marko.

This attack was something that Marko expected. He had already summoned another wall. However, after Catalyna fired a powerful blast of lightning at him, she used his inability to see to her advantage, slipping around and attacking him from behind. Her powerful swing crashed into Marko, sending him to the ground.

“Looks like that is it,” Empress Hilda muttered as Marko’s Spiritual Aura flickered and vanished. “They seem to know quite a few Spiritual Techniques, but they haven’t mastered any of them.”

“They were wasting a lot of Spiritual Power,” Kari said. Although she was mostly talking to herself, her mother still glanced at her. “If those Spiritual Techniques they were using were B-rank or above, they wouldn’t have been able to keep that pace for very long.”

“You are correct. You have a good eye,” her mother complimented.

“The winner of match four is Catalyna Kriger!” Rainer announced. “The next match is between Bardi Torden and Sigrid Bladene.”

As the crowd roared in approval and the contestants left the arena, Kari placed her left elbow on the armrest, leaned her head on her hand, and sighed.

“You seem bored,” her mother said. “Are you only interested in matches that Eryk takes part in?”

“That… that’s not true.” Kari blushed, though she did her best to pretend she wasn’t. “I just… don’t think these fights are particularly interesting.”

“Hmm… they do seem to lack a certain panache, do they not?” her mother asked as two more people arrived in the arena.

They were a large man wearing the armor of a Nevarian Spiritualist and a smaller man dressed in black pants, brown boots, no shirt, and a long trench coat made of blue leather. It looked like the coat was from the hide of a water-type Demon Beast. While the big man, Bardi, wielded a battleax, the smaller of the two, Sigrid, had a pair of dirks, which he twirled around in his hands with the ease of someone who had experience using them.

“In terms of talent, those two are no more lacking in it than your young friend, but I will admit that he has a unique way of fighting that I have never seen before.” At the moment, Rainer lifted his hand and announced that the match had begun. Her mother leaned back in her chair just as Kari was sighing in relief. “That said, I believe you are far more emotionally invested in the fights that Eryk takes part in than you are any of the other fights.”

Kari’s cheeks became a stark red as her mother sent her a knowing smile. Huffing just a bit, she turned to the battle that had just started and tried to ignore the sense of smugness coming from behind her.

So what if I’m more interested in Eryk’s fights than anyone else’s, she grumbled to herself. That is only natural… isn’t it?

***

I was no longer paying much attention to the battles. By using Spiritual Perception, I had already measured Bardi Torden and Sigrid Bladene’s strengths. Neither of them were a serious threat. Even if they had a lot of skill, all the skill in the world would not allow them to deal with someone who could just overpower them.

There were times when finesse and skill were important, and there were times when having it would make little difference. This was one of those times.

“Eryk, how do you think I would measure up to those two?” Fay suddenly asked, reminding me that while I might not be interested, there were others who found the battle happening in the arena to be exciting.

I paid more attention to the battle. Currently, Bardi and Sigrid had activated their Spiritual Auras. Both of them had fire affinities, which seemed to be the most common affinity within Nevaria.

Bardi raised his ax above his head and twirled it around in a circle, creating what appeared to be a fire cyclone. When he swung his ax down, the cyclone went with it, slamming into Sigrid, who suddenly swung his blade so fast it appeared as multiple flashes of light. Several lines appeared in the cyclone. Then the cyclone exploded in a gout of fire that reversed course and crashed into Bardi, forcing the man to take several large leaps backward.

While Bardi might have been able to avoid his opponent’s counterattack, Sigrid was unwilling to let him off, and he leapt forward and thrust out his blade numerous times. The top of his blade was glowing red hot. It looked like the Spiritual Fire Technique that Sigrid was using used the friction from his high-speed movements to ignite just the tip of his sword. That would probably be ranked as a D-rank Spiritual Technique.

“Neither of them have your raw power or your talent,” I declared at last. “If you were to fight either of them, they would lose.”

Fay looked stunned, but then her eyes became a tad brighter. “You really think so?”

I nodded. “The only thing they have that you don’t is a weapon.” I turned to her and frowned. “We should probably consider getting you a weapon at some point. Since you appear to be primarily a fist fighter, I believe a pair of gauntlets meant for hand-to-hand fighting would help.”

“I have been thinking about getting a weapon,” Fay admitted. “Granted, I’m not really what you would call a warrior, but ever since we began training, I’ve felt a lot more fulfilled. I think growing stronger and using my martial is where I really shine.”

“I’m the same, more or less.” I turned back to the battle. “I don’t have a whole lot of talent outside of my ability to fight.”

While Fay gave me a strange look, I watched as Bardi swung his ax and missed. Sigrid continued to pepper him with small attacks that didn’t seem like much at first. However, as the damage began accumulating, the larger man’s Spiritual Aura fluctuated wildly before, with one last thrust from Sigrid, it shattered and the man was knocked off his feet. He wasn’t hurt. Not really. But before he could get back up, Sigrid thrust his sword at the man’s throat.

“Ha… I forfeit,” Bardi said after a second of silence.

“The winner of this match is Sigrid Bladene!” Rainer declared, and the crowd cheered.

There were three more battles that took place for the first round: Siv Skumring vs. Kell Kriger, Torgny Leucht vs. Ulf Ulfric, and Vidar Jordyn vs. Astrid Kriger. Kell won against Siv, Torgny defeated Ulf, and Astrid beat Vidar. Of the three battles, the two that really caused me to pay attention were the battles with Torgny and Astrid.

The battle with Torgny had been particularly brutal. Torgny’ had wielded that battle ax of his like it was an extension of his own body, swinging it around with ease and cutting through his opponent’s techniques as though they were made of butter. Ulf had been overwhelmed from the very beginning. However, what really shocked me was that immobilizing technique Torgny possessed.

Torgny had used some kind of technique that created several pythons made of fire, which clamped down on his opponent and kept them immobile. He’d done that to Ulf. While Ulf was screaming his head off after the fire snakes bit into his flesh, Torgny had swung his ax so hard that it shattered Ulf’s Spiritual Aura and probably broke several bones in the process.

“Torgny will be the most dangerous opponent in this competition,” I said to Fay as Rainer told the crowd there would be a fifteen minute remission. The current series of battles had lasted for about two hours, which meant it was now early afternoon.

“What makes you say that?” asked Fay. “I thought Astrid would be more troublesome to deal with.”

“She has a lot more talent and skill than Torgny,” I began, “but she also knows how to hold back. That attack of Torgny’s was nearly fatal. To be honest, if Ulf didn’t have his Spiritual Aura activated when Torgny’s attack struck him, I’m fairly certain he would have died.”

“So the most dangerous among them is Torgny, but he’s going to be facing Astrid.” Fay tilted her head, her brow furrowing. “Who do you think will win?”

“I’m not certain. In a battle, they are about even, though I’d say Astrid has a slight edge. That said, anything can happen in combat.” I shrugged my shoulders. “In either case, I need to use the restroom. You should too, if you can.”

“I think I’m good.” Fay blushed a bit. Perhaps she found the idea of using public restrooms embarrassing.

“Okay. I’ll be back in a bit.”

The restrooms were on the first floor, and there was fortunately a sewer system underneath the Colosseum. It looked like the architect who designed this place had wanted to make sure the smell of feces didn’t ruin the citizens’ entertainment.

After taking care of my business in the men’s restroom, I had just walked out when Kari emerged from the women’s restroom at the same time. The two of us gazed at each other in surprise. Kari’s cheeks turned a light pink, but then she smiled at me.

“You defeated Grant Leucht,” she said. “Congratulations on your victory.”

“Thank you.” I nodded. “However, that man was just a sideshow. The only reason my battle with him was important is because of the agreement he and I made where he would no longer attempt to force you and Fay into an arranged marriage with him. My real purpose for battling in this tournament is to take first place.”

Kari looked at the stone floor and drew several circles on it with her sandal-clad feet. “You are… always working really hard for my sake, aren’t you?”

“Of course.” I nodded. “Wouldn’t you also work hard for the person you love?”

Kari’s expression became startled, but then her eyes softened as she nodded. “I suppose I would.” Her cheeks turned red and she looked away. “Um… after the tournament… if possible, I would like to see you.” She turned only her eyes toward me. “Is that okay?”

An embarrassed Kari was undeniably one of the cutest things I had ever seen. Seeing her like this set my heart racing, and it somehow made me also feel a little embarrassed myself.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind,” I told her.

“Okay.” She nodded really fast, her expression bright. “I’ll see you after the tournament then.”

“Yeah. See you.”

I watched Kari as she disappeared up a staircase, and then turned around, but I didn’t begin walking. Someone was blocking my path.

Torgny Leucht was a lot taller than Grant Leucht. Taller and far more muscular. His broad chest and shoulders weren’t the least bit hidden by his thick breastplate and pauldrons. His arms were covered in segmented armor. The breastplate only covered his chest, and he didn’t have anything underneath it, meaning his powerful abdominal muscles were also being displayed. Black pants cinched with a belt went into brown boots that were encased in shin guards.

“Do you need something?” I asked with a calm gaze.

“How are you still alive?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” I frowned at him.

“No. Nevermind.” Shaking his head, Torgny walked past me. He spoke just as he and I were standing next to each other. “It doesn’t matter. Regardless of how you survived, you will not escape from me. I am far stronger than Grant.”

I turned my head to watch as Torgny disappeared into the men’s restroom, frowning, and then walked back to the waiting room, where Fay was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She greeted me as I returned. As I chatted with her, I wondered what Torgny meant by his words. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t think of anything.

***

“The second round of the Grand Spiritualist Tournament will now commence,” Rainer announced to the enthusiastic crowd.

I stood on one side of the arena amidst the cheers from the audience. On the other side was my opponent, Hellen Brynhild, a woman with a powerful and somewhat masculine appearance. She wore the armor of a Nevarian Spiritualist captain. Unlike the standard leather armor that the rank and file wore, hers was made of steel and covered her entire body. Her broadsword was already out. It was gripped firmly within her hand.

“Ever since I first saw you fight in the preliminaries, I have wanted to test myself against you,” Hellen admitted to me.

I quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I’ve never seen the strange techniques and weapon you use in my entire life.” A strange smile crossed her face before she looked up, and it took me a moment to realize that she was looking at Kari. “Of course, my interest was piqued long before I saw you fight. There’s been a rumor going around that you and my pupil are quite close. What’s more, I hear you are responsible for the Alchemist Association getting back on its feet.”

“You are correct in that I did have a hand in helping the Alchemist Association reclaim some of its former glory,” I admitted.

“And did you also have a hand in Kari’s recent growth?” she asked, a benign smile on her face. “She’s grown so much stronger in the past two months than she has in all the years I’ve trained her that it’s almost shocking. I cannot fathom a single reason as to why her talent and abilities would suddenly increase so much in such a short time when they have been stagnant for so long.”

I frowned at her. “Perhaps you are merely confusing a lack of talent with a lack of motivation. Kari is an incredibly talented and strong girl. However, her family has clipped her wings and locked her in a cage. She probably did not have the motivation to train since becoming stronger wouldn’t grant her the freedom and adventure she sought.”

For whatever reason, the woman’s smile widened after hearing my words. Perhaps she was pleased by what I had said, or maybe she found my words amusing. She chuckled a bit.

“Perhaps,” she admitted. “In that case, I would like to see what the man who has motivated her to train so hard is capable of. I hope you don’t mind.”

The woman flicked her wrist, causing her blade to cut through the air. I glanced at the blade and noticed that a small layer of water coated it, increasing its sharpness.

“You are more than welcome to come at me.” I swung my ruler, causing several layers of dirt to fly off the ground from the air pressure my swing generated. “I would be more than happy to show you what I’m capable of.”

Rainer seemed to realize the two of us were ready. He didn’t even bother asking us and instead raised his hand into the air.

“The battle between Hellen Brynhild and Eryk Veiger has now commenced. And… fight!”