WIEDERGEBURT Chapter 35

Unlike when Eryk had fought against Albert in the Honor Duel, the Colosseum stands were filled to the brim today. Kari couldn’t even begin to guess at how many people were in attendance. The lower, upper, and middle-class seating was fit to bursting with people. It was like staring into a sea of hair that featured numerous different colors.

She was once more sitting in the chair next to her mother. Her three brothers were also present, but her fathers were not. Valence, Rainer, and Dante had gone down to the waiting room, which had not been used during the Honor Duel, to get all of the participants.

“I wonder what sort of showing we’re gonna get this year?” asked Geirolf. “Last year, we had that old guy from the Kriger Family who won. What was his name again?”

“Grim Kriger,” Earland said.

“That’s the one.” Geirolf snapped his fingers as an excited expression appeared on his face. “He was pretty good for an old bastard.”

“It is often the older generation that we need to watch out for,” Mikkel added. “They tend to be a lot more cunning and ruthless than the newer generation.”

“Hmph! I can be plenty cunning and ruthless.”

“No one said you couldn’t.”

Kari listened vaguely to what her brothers were saying, but most of her attention was focused on the arena. Her fathers had just stepped out of the door and were leading all the people who would be participating onto the arena floor. There were a lot. It looked like the amount of people taking part this year was in the double digits.

At the sight of all these people walking onto the arena floor, the many people who had been waiting in anticipation suddenly worked themselves into a frenzy. They roared and cheered at the sight of all these Spiritualists who had agreed to battle for their entertainment. Feet stomped, voices shouted, and banners flew through the air from families who were present to cheer on a member of their family who was participating.

The arena was a circular area with a diameter of about 109 meters in both length and width. It was even larger than the throne room where her mother listened to reports from the people of Nevaria. Yet at that moment, more than half the arena floor seemed to be filled. This caused her to bite her lip. She constantly swept her gaze over the individuals, but there were so many she couldn’t find the person she was looking for.

“If you are looking for Eryk, he is the one with the giant ruler on his shoulder,” her mother said.

Kari glanced at her mother, still seated elegantly on her chair like it was a throne, and then glanced back at the crowd of participants. There were quite a few people with large weapons resting on their shoulders. However, she looked for the ruler like her mother suggested. It took a bit. She swayed in her seat and directed Spiritual Power into her eyes, allowing her vision to grow sharper. Only then did she find him.

Eryk stood near the front of the group, close to Valence. Like her mother had said, he was holding a large ruler in his hand, which rested against his shoulder. She’d never seen such a massive weapon before. It was a pretty brutal-looking thing and looked almost ill-fitted for his feminine appearance. However, if she were to judge it based on its intimidation factor, it was a great weapon. Looking at it made her shudder.

However, when she found Eryk, Kari discovered someone else who was with him. Fay Valstine. Her heart clenched when she saw her former friend. There was an ache in her chest that would not go away, no matter how much she rubbed it.

“There really are a lot more people than last time,” Geirolf muttered behind her. He sounded depressed, like he was pouting. “It really sucks that I can’t participate. I’d kick all their asses.”

“If you participated, I would also be allowed to join,” Earland murmured in a soft but firm voice that caused Geirolf to still.

“Way to take the wind right out of me,” Geirolf said in a bitter tone of voice.

Her mother waited for a little while longer before standing up and stepping onto the balcony. Her presence caused all those who’d been roaring with excitement to settle down. Kari stared at the woman from behind, wondering just what sort of prestige a person must wield to gain this kind of presence. Just by appearing before them, her mother had quieted an entire crowd.

“Nevaria is a place that is ruled by the strong,” her mother began. “It is the duty of the strong to safeguard Nevaria from the dangers of Demon Beasts and keep order within the city. This is why we honor those who are strong. That is also why we host this yearly Spiritualist Grand Tournament. Not only does this tournament allow the strongest Spiritualists within Nevaria to showcase their strength, but the winner goes on to receive the prestige that comes from being strong. This includes the right to challenge me for the title of Emperor.”

As her mother explained the purpose of this competition, Kari swept her gaze to the arena floor, where the many Spiritualists were still standing. All of them were looking at her mother—except for one person.

Kari felt her breath catch in her throat when she realized that Eryk was staring right at her. His bright eyes were gazing into hers with a power that seemed to transcend time. Her body felt weak under this gaze. It was a good thing she was sitting, or her knees would have already given out. Not only did she feel weak, but her cheeks felt warm, and she didn’t doubt that they had gained a healthy bit of color.

Unfortunately, Fay also seemed to realize where he was looking. She gazed up at Kari with a challenging glare. This caused the pain in her chest to become magnified. It was a sharp ache that made her feel like someone was brutally stabbing her with her own ranseur.

While Eryk might have been staring at her, the eyes of everyone else were on her mother. There was a hungry leer in them. Some of that was definitely because of her mother’s beauty. She was often hailed as the most beautiful woman in Nevaria. However, Kari was certain that many of these Spiritualists also wanted the right to challenge her in combat.

“The last victor of the Spiritualist Grand Tournament was Grim Kriger,” her mother said. “Unfortunately, those who have already won are no longer eligible to participate, so he is no longer able to stand beside these other competitors.” She glanced at something specific in the three-tiered seating, and while Kari couldn’t see what she was looking at, there was no doubts in her mind that it was Grim Kriger. She looked back at the crowd at large. “I would like to wish all those who have elected to participate in this glorious competition good luck. This is your time to showcase your martial prowess and let those among us who value your talent see how much you can shine.”

At these last words, her mother stepped back and sat down. Her words invoked roaring cheers from the ground.

***

I stood beside Fay as the three men before us stared over our group. There was Dante, the man who had refereed my Honor Duel with Albert. He wore the same laid back smile as last time. The other two individuals were a stern-faced man who was clean-shaven and looked like he’d been hewn from stone and a slightly younger man with a calm demeanor who reminded me of a still lake. The stern-faced man wore gleaming golden armor, while the calm one with the gentle smile wore silver armor.

I was sure the armor was decorative rather than functional.

The one with the calm demeanor stepped forward, his caramel eyes sweeping over everyone. He had short hair that was swept back a little. There were only two small bangs that trailed down from the center of his forehead and hovered around his brow. As he shifted, the greaves he wore made the soft clicking noises that came from metal touching against metal. Likewise, noise issued from his gauntlets and chestplate every time he moved them. There was a broadsword strapped across his back.

“For those of you who don’t recognize me, my name is Rainer. I’m the first commander of the Nevarian Spiritualists, and I will be the one whose job is to ensure that all of you follow the rules.” He paused to sweep his gaze across us again, and I could have sworn his eyes lingered on me for a second longer than it did on everyone else. “The rules of this competition are very simple: What I say goes. Winners are determined by knockout or forfeit. If someone forfeits, you must halt your attack immediately. Failure to do so will result in your disqualification. Furthermore, there is to be no killing. If any of you kill your opponent, you’ll not only be disqualified, but you will face harsh punishment. This is a contest meant to let all of you show off your skills in combat. It is not a bloodsport.”

A grave pressure seemed to emanate from Rainer, who spoke in a seemingly calm manner that didn’t match the intensity of his gaze. Even I was not immune to it. Beside me, Fay had completely stiffened up.

“Now, allow me to tell you all how this is going to work,” Rainer began again. “Currently, there are far too many people participating. This is usually the case for the Spiritualist Grand Tournament. The contest is only supposed to last for two days, but if we held the tournament as we are now, it would probably take around a week. Furthermore, this contest is meant to showcase only those who are strong. That is why we are going to be holding a series of preliminaries.”

As he continued speaking, someone came out of the door that all of us had entered the arena floor through. It was just a young woman wearing a frilly gown. She was pushing a cart across the dirt. Sitting on the cart was an ordinary box with a hole at the top. The woman, who I guessed might be a maid, stopped in front of Rainer.

Rainer placed his hand on the box and began speaking again. “Within this box are several slips of parchment with the numbers one through sixteen. There are only five of each number. Each of you will come up and draw a number. That number will determine who you will be fighting. Anyone who draws the same number as you will be fighting against you in a group elimination round. The winner shall go on to fight in the actual Spiritualist Grand Tournament.”

Given that it looked like there were upwards of 80 people present, I could see why they would want to hold this kind of preliminary round. If 80 people fought in single combat, that would be 40 separate battles for the first round, just the first round, which would probably take at least several days to conclude. Spiritualist battles could last anywhere from five minutes to several hours, depending on the strengths of the Spiritualists battling. A battle in which two Spiritualists of equal strength fought often lasted for at least an hour because it ultimately became a battle of attrition.

“We will no begin drawing numbers,” Rainer announced. “Who will step up first?”

No one stepped up for a few seconds, but soon a large man who appeared to be in his mid-forties, with a head of gray hair and a scar over his right eye, stepped up. He was wearing thick leather armor and carried a halberd. The armor was scuffed and dinged in some places. I guessed he was a mercenary. He walked with a calm, confident gate up to the box and slipped his gauntlet-covered hand inside. Soon he pulled out a slip of parchment. He glanced at it, looked at Rainer, and then walked back to where he’d been standing.

That appeared to be the que. One by one, the other people began walking up and grabbing a number from inside the box. All of the people were unique. I saw one guy with a twig-like figure who looked like a stiff breeze would break him in half. There was a woman with a stern demeanor who was dressed in heavy plate mail. A man wearing nothing but a loin cloth and wielding a battle ax also grabbed a number. I used Spiritual Perception to judge each one. All of them were decently strong, but none of them had reached the same level of strength as the three men standing in front of us.

I glanced at my companion as more people walked up to the box, only to frown when I saw how her arms were shaking. Fay had broken out into a cold sweat. Her breathing was a little unsteady, too.

“Are you nervous?” I asked.

“It is hard not to be.” Fay swallowed. “I have seen this competition many times, but I never participated before. I feel like there is this intense pressure from the other participants pushing down on me.”

“That would be their Spiritual Pressure.” I nodded. “I imagine the excitement they feel is causing some of their Spiritual Power to leak out. That normally wouldn’t cause this kind of feeling, but there are so many of them that the feeling has been magnified.” On impulse, I reached out and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Do not worry. I have been taking the measure of these people, and among them, there are only about ten or so that you need to watch out for.”

Fay glanced at my face, then looked at my hand, and then looked away. “I-I see. If you say I do not need to worry, then I will of course believe you. Thank you.”

“You are welcome.” I smiled and removed my hand from hers.

Just after I retracted my hand, I felt someone’s vicious gaze piercing into me, causing me to turn and look at Grant as he walked up to the box. Our gazes locked. While I could feel sparks of resentment flying from him, I felt absolutely nothing. That was not because this man didn’t make me feel anything. There just wasn’t anything I could do to him during this tournament. Even if we faced each other, I would not be allowed to kill him, so it was better to suppress the burning urge to see his head removed from his shoulders.

Grant stuck his hand in the box and pulled out a slip of parchment. After looking at it, he turned around, smiled, and showed everyone the number.

Four.

“I hope you don’t get the same number as me,” Grant said to me in a loud, booming voice. “I want to fight you in single combat, so I can humiliate you and show these people just how weak you really are.”

I paid him maybe a second or two of attention, and then I dismissed Grant. The man’s face turned red. As he stalked back into the crowd with anger radiating from his every poore, I couldn’t suppress my smile. The best way to piss off a noble was to ignore them as though they were beneath you.

As the number of participants coming up to the box trickled down, Fay finally stepped forward, her legs shaking only a little as she reached into the box and took out a slip of parchment. She didn’t glance at it as she walked back to me. After she came back, I walked forward and reached into the box. I could feel the eyes of Dante, Rainer, and Valence on me as I pulled out a parchment and looked at it. Two.

“Good luck,” I heard as I turned around and walked back to Fay.

“You all have your numbers,” Rainer began once everyone had finished drawing. “That means it is now time for the preliminary rounds. Those whose parchment has the number one drawn on it shall stay in the arena. Everyone else shall head toward the viewing booth that has been reserved for the participants. Dante will lead you there.”

“All right!” Dante clapped his hands and stepped forward. “Everyone who does not have the number one drawn on their parchment, follow me.”

Dante walked off and many others followed him. I was about to turn around and do the same, but then I noticed that Fay was not moving. Turning back, I looked at the girl who was shaking with nervous jitters and frowned.

“You drew a number one,” I said.

Fay nodded. She looked like she was about to hyperventilate.

Placing my hands on her shoulders, I looked into her eyes, making sure she locked eyes with me before saying anything.

“None of these people can beat you,” I said in a firm voice. “You are more powerful than any of the other people who drew the number one slip. Just remember this. Observe the other opponents carefully, watch how they fight, and don’t let yourself be caught in a two-on-one battle. You have the Flash Step to help you either gain or close the distance between people, and you’ve mastered the Spiritual Fire Technique you were practicing. You don’t need anything else to win.”

Fay nodded several times as her body stopped shaking. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Opening her eyes again, she glanced up at my face and smiled. It was such a warm, gentle expression that I couldn’t help but feel my heartbeat quicken.

“Thank you, Eryk. Your advice and encouragement means a lot to me.”

I smiled to mask my own guilt and patted her on the shoulder. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m only telling you the truth.”

The last person who didn’t have the number one aside from me had just left, so I turned toward the door and ran after the group. They weren’t that far. I could see the large mass of people walking down the corridor.

I hurried and caught up to them as Dante led us to a viewing booth on the first floor. It was large enough to hold about a hundred people, longer than it was wide, and didn’t have any seats. That said, the viewing booth did have an open window that would allow us to watch the participants as they fought. It stretched across the entire room.

“This is where all of you will be staying when you aren’t fighting,” Dante said. “I will also be staying in this room to make sure none of you fight outside of the arena.” While his smile looked lazy, there was a sharpness to it that made many of the people present shudder. “Anyone who tries to fight while I’m around will not only be disqualified, but I will challenge them to an Honor Duel, and then I will humiliate that person until they are too ashamed to even show themselves in public.”

The man’s words made me snort a bit, but I didn’t say anything as I wandered up to the window and looked out. From where I stood, I could see Fay beginning to square off against the other four combatants.

***

Eryk’s words had done wonders to calm her down. Even though Fay still felt her legs growing a little weak, as she stood there alongside the four other combatants, she did not feel the nearly overwhelming nervousness that had invaded her body earlier. This just went to show her how much his words meant. It also furthered her determination not to hand him over to Kari.

She eyed the four other people who stood in the arena with her—three men and one other woman.

The first one she noticed was obviously the hulking man wearing nothing but a loincloth. He towered over all the other competitors like a giant. His massive muscles flexed with even the slightest movement. This man’s arms were thick and veiny, and his hands were so large he could probably fit his fingers around her entire cranium. His skin was also tanner than most. He probably spent most of his time outdoors.

Standing in the next point of this pentagon was the second man, a person who looked positively tiny when standing next to the hulking barbarian. His slight frame made him seem more feminine. He was not wearing any armor, but his clothing made it clear that he was a noble of some standing. A white vest was hidden underneath a blue coat with tails that traveled past his knees. The sleeves were rolled up and fingerless gloves extended up to his forearm. Black pants, blue boots, and a broadsword strapped to his shoulder completed his ensemble.

She switched her gaze from the man to the woman on his other side.

Fay felt a little inferior when she eyed this gorgeous woman, clad in chainmail and wielding a spear with a leaf-shaped blade. Her silver gauntlets gleamed in the light. The chestplate she wore over her chainmail only protected her chest, but it would also allow her the freedom of motion to twist her torso. Unlike the two previous men, she wore a sharp-looking helmet with a pair of wings jutting from either side. A few blond bangs stuck out of her helmet and hovered around steel gray eyes.

Finally, Fay looked at the last person and couldn’t help but wonder what this man had been thinking when he entered. He was old. His bald head and face were covered in wrinkles. His skin was tanned from being out in the sun for so long, making her think he might be a farmer from outside of the city. He wore simple pants, a tunic, and carried a wooden staff that did not look like it could do much damage.

Someone stepped in the middle of their formation. It was Rainer, who slowly turned in a circle to eye the combatants. Everyone focused their eyes on him as the crowd, previously loud enough to shatter a person’s eardrums, grew quiet and restless.

“All of you already know the rules so I won’t repeat them,” Rainer said. “Remember, what I say goes. The same goes for Valence, who will be helping me referee these preliminary matches. If we say to stop fighting, you will stop fighting. Understand?”

All five combatants nodded as Rainer gazed at them with his blade-like eyes. Fay couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine.

Rainer smiled. “Good. In that case, all of you will begin this battle on my signal.”

The Second Husband of Empress Hilda walked out of the circle, standing on the opposite side of the arena as Valence, who had his arms crossed and wore a stern expression.

All the other combatants readied their weapons. The barbarian-like man clutched his ax, the noble unsheathed his broadsword, the woman swung her halberd around, and the old man tapped his staff against the ground. It was only now that Fay realized she had no weapons with which to fight.

Nothing except for her fists.

Crap.

Rainer held up his hand and swung it down. “Let the battle begin!”