#727 The Festival of Battles

And so, days turned into weeks...

Until finally, the day arrived.

The day of the God Fight Olympia, a battle tournament leveraging God Figures.

The venue is practically bursting with people.

Contestants who pride themselves on being the most formidable God Figure users. 

Spectators who flocked to witness such battles.

Add them all together, and the place must be teeming with tens of thousands of people, right?

“Looks like it’s ballooned into quite a big event again, hasn’t it?”

I, too, am present at the venue as one of the competitors.

A harsh truth was revealed the other day – I can’t operate the figures without magic.

The only plausible way for us to continue our challenge in the face of this reality was...!

“Let’s give it our all today, Belena!”

“Why do I have to be a part of thisssss?!”

Yes, the idea was to have Belena act as the operator!

If I can’t control the figure due to my lack of magic, I just need to find someone who can!

Tasks that are impossible alone can always be achieved through cooperation with friends!

That’s how humanity has prevailed until today!

It’s quite a clever idea if I say so myself!

I wish I could show this to Junior and Norito!

“But why must it be me, Lord Saintttt?! If you need someone who can use magic, Batemy or even Sensei are available!”

Belena seems to resist, attempting to evade participation.

However, we can’t involve Sensei in such a hobbyist event, and Batemy, your partner, is busy with sewing.

By process of elimination, you’re the best one to ask, Belena.

“Moreover, weren’t you the one who devised the method of operating figures with magic stones?”

“Ack!”

Belena reacts intensely.

“Wh-Wh-Why do you know that, Lord Saint...?”

“Never underestimate the saint. Well, since you’re the pioneer, isn’t it only natural for you to participate? Let’s strive for the advancement and improvement of this culture together!”

Rest assured, I’m also participating as a mechanic and a supporter.

I won’t leave everything up to you.

Let’s conquer this with our combined strength!

And with the help of Susano-O Zero, too!

“No way...! Just look at the number of participants, Lord Saint...! It’s ridiculous to think we can outlast such a massive crowd...!”

“You make a fair point.”

According to the announcement from the organizers, the number of participants in today’s God Figure battle tournament has climbed above four thousand.

I was astounded to learn there are already so many figure enthusiasts out there. The culture is thriving indeed. 

The allure of cool robots seems to be a universal thing, even if gods aren’t exactly robots...

“It hasn’t been long since the launch, but its reach is already so extensive. Faith in gods truly is a potent thing...!”

Is this fervor genuinely born out of faith? I doubt it.

In any case, with this festival’s hype at its peak, I can hear cheers and roars everywhere, echoing the spirit of the event.

“Look there! Ergo Gorgonzola, the champ of the southwest district of the Demon Capital, is present!” 

“No one can rival his Rolling Hades... I anticipated he’d join, but to see him here...!” 

“And there’s Jolly Jolyn, the representative of the eastern district who masters Fire Hades!” 

“We also have Sisho Gou, who’s battling for supremacy in the north-northwest district with Emperor Hades, and Sakishima with Super King Hades!” 

“We’re witnessing an all-star lineup...! This tournament is bound to get intense...!”

Why do we have such typically powerful competitors this early in the season?

Oh well, those who get name-dropped before the tournament usually fall in the early rounds. 

I know how this stuff goes.

“Let’s push ahead, Belena! Don’t let reputations sway you. We’ll our best and aim for the win!” 

“Noooo! We’ll be smashed instantly and understand how vast the world is!”

It’s been a while since Belena got stuck in her pessimistic mode. 

I suppose it’s up to me to somehow boost her spirits again...!

“Attention, please.”

What’s happening now? 

An impromptu announcement?

“Before we commence the event, we have a few words from the organizer. These words are meant to inspire and praise the participants. Please, lend an ear.”

Hmm, the organizer? 

Usually, in such a setup, it’s the evil mastermind, but in this case, it’s...

“Let’s welcome the organizer with a warm applause, the Great Demon King Baal.” 

“Him?!”

So much for my organizer-as-mastermind theory!

Sure enough, the Great Demon King Baal would have a hand in such events! 

But his appearance under these circumstances is unexpected.

I just hope he isn’t causing extra hassles for Prime Minister Lucife Focale? 

That’s my only worry!

“Ah-ah, okay.”

The Great Demon King Baal seems undeterred by the indifferent gazes of everyone. 

He’s got some nerve, that’s for sure.

Without prompting, he starts his speech.

“Culture is a treasure. It’s humanity’s most crucial asset, leading people’s spirits to higher planes.”

Sure, sure.

“I noticed the emergence of a new culture with the recent surge in popularity of God Figures and the community that’s formed around them. As the Great Demon King, I see it as my duty to protect this nascent culture. Hence, I allocated funds from the national treasury to plan this event.”

Did you seek permission from the current Demon King for that? 

What about the hard-working Prime Minister?!

“I hope all of you—champions of this new culture—will use your wisdom, creativity, and passion to fuel the competition. Fight, fight, and keep fighting until the end! The last one standing will be declared the strongest God Figure! I wish everyone the very best of luck!”

Yeeeeaaaah! 

At the very least, people’s enthusiasm came through.

“So, let the God Fight Olympia commence!”

Okay, it’s go time.

Despite the competition kicking off in this manner and considering the thousands of participants, it would take an eternity to wrap up if we ran it the traditional way.

To start, we conduct the preliminaries, with several matches happening simultaneously, swiftly narrowing down the competitors.

“Alright, Belena! Let’s rack up those wins quickly!”

“I’m just going to get knocked out immediatelyyyy!”

Belena continues to be quite pessimistic. 

Nevertheless, the matches continue relentlessly.

Our opponents for the first round of the preliminaries are...

“Ergo Gorgonzola! Piloting the Rolling Hades!”

Well, this one looks like a challenging opponent.

“Facing him is Belena! Piloting the Susano-O Zero!”

Nearly in tears, Belena steps into the ring. 

All eyes in the audience turn to her.

“Hmm, isn’t that God Figure’s base Velesares? Opting for something other than Hades is rather sophisticated...”

“But what’s the modification concept? It looks like a mere change in appearance. I see no evidence of enhanced abilities...”

“Hmph, it’s nothing but a flashy mod. Typical of beginners who’ve just learned.”

Some of the comments were already taking on an expert tone.

But hey, look at Belena, not just the figure. 

She’s a pretty lady, after all.

“The match begins!”

“Miss, you’re unfortunate to face my Rolling Hades in the first round. But don’t expect any mercy!”

The contestant, Mr. What’s-his-name’s arrogance, is typical for a first-round competitor.

“The power of rotation is combat power! Feel the whirlwind tackle of my Rolling Hades!”

The customized Hades figure, seemingly designed with this idea in mind, spun its upper body at a high velocity. It was so intense that it appeared as if it had a motor installed. 

A direct hit would definitely sting.

“Belena! Counterattack! Use the Kusanagi Blade!”

“O-Okayyy!!!”

Susano-O Zero has been modified with my craftiness. The Kusanagi Blade is one of its tricks and its primary weapon.

Light pours from the raised sword, standing against the enemy like a colossal lightsaber.

“What the?!”

“Slash and cut it in half!”

Under Belena’s command, the lightsaber is ruthlessly swung down. The spinning Hades figure is swallowed by the giant wave of light and vanishes.

This is the slash and cut in half, inspired by the episode in the Kojiki—Japan’s oldest historical record— where Susano-o split the sea and guided people to the other shore.

My Susano-O Zero has the specs to win this championship!!!