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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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My new technique, the Wind Pill, was a type of time bomb.
It was a modified version of Majestic Presence, a Hexa Spell I often used. Not only had I succeeded in miniaturizing the projectile, but I could now also detonate it on a delay.
Unlike Majestic Presence, which was an immediate-cast spell, the Wind Pill could be thrown at a target and detonated at the caster’s chosen moment, causing immense damage.
Just like now.
BOOOOOOM!
The Wind Pill, which I had thrown into Gav’s gaping maw as he tried to swallow me, exploded above his head.
The shockwave was so powerful that I, trying to brace myself, was sent flying backwards like a piece of paper. I managed to grab onto a piece of the shattered stage to avoid being knocked out of the arena.
Gav’s massive body crashed onto the stage, sending up a large cloud of dust.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
It was a good thing he wasn’t too high up when he fell. If he had fallen from a greater height, the audience might have been in danger.
Having taken two direct hits from a Hexa Spell, Gav’s massive body lay motionless on the stage.
“…Did I get him?”
I muttered to myself, then, realizing my mistake, quickly covered my mouth.
Twitch
At that moment, Gav’s limp tail suddenly moved.
He slowly rose from the crater, his body swaying, and shook his massive head from side to side, then began to laugh.
[This is it! This is what I’ve been waiting for! A fight to the death! I haven’t felt this alive in ages!]
Unreasonable.
This man was truly unreasonable.
Seriously, after taking that much damage, couldn’t he at least pretend to be defeated?
Why did he keep getting back up like a goddamn Weeble?
Sensing that the fight was going to go on, I quickly checked my remaining mana.
…If I push myself to the limit, I might be able to manage one more big one.
As I was about to recast Whirlwind Bone Cutter, Gav, who had been laughing cheerfully, suddenly raised his short, two-clawed forelimb.
At first, I thought it was some kind of warning, but then I realized he was signaling the referee.
The referee, who had been standing at a safe distance to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, rushed towards us.
“W-What is it, Lord Gabriel?”
The referee, out of breath, leaned on his knees. Gav’s massive body began to glow.
The giant dinosaur shrank, and after the light faded, he returned to his human form.
Although, with his dragon scales and tail still present, “Dragonkin” was a more accurate description.
Gav, now in his polymorph form, crossed his arms and said in a commanding voice,
“I forfeit.”
“What?”
“I said, I forfeit.”
His casual words sent a wave of shock through the arena.
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The champion’s sudden forfeiture, just when everyone thought he could still fight, caused a great stir.
Unsatisfied with the anticlimactic ending, the crowd swarmed Gav, demanding to know why he had forfeited.
Gav’s answer was this:
“If we continued, one of us would have died. That goes against the spirit of the tournament, which is to discover new talent. So, I forfeited. Besides, I was knocked out twice, while he was still standing. It would have been a loss by decision anyway.”
It was a surprisingly logical answer.
While some were still unconvinced, Gav reminded them of his past victories, where he had accepted his opponents’ surrender, and they had no choice but to accept his decision.
And so, despite having fought my hardest, I felt like I had been handed the championship.
…What was this nagging feeling?
The ceremony to crown the new champion was held in front of all the spectators.
The throne, which Gav had occupied for fifty years, now had a new owner.
Gav, wearing a ceremonial red cloth over his shoulders, placed a laurel wreath on my head.
It was an ancient demon tradition.
I asked Gav, who was grinning from ear to ear,
“Are you sure about this?”
“About what?”
“Handing over the championship to me.”
Gav tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I was only champion because no one could beat me.”
Since he didn’t seem to mind, I had no reason to complain.
I sat on the champion’s throne, the highest seat in the arena, and the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
While the ending had been somewhat anticlimactic, everyone knew that Gav and I had fought on equal terms.
They acknowledged my victory.
I waved to the crowd in response.
I hadn’t been able to find her earlier, but now I spotted Camilla in the audience.
She was clapping harder than anyone else, her face as expressionless as ever. It was both heartwarming and amusing.
“How’s the view from up there?”
Gav’s sudden question made me shrug nonchalantly.
“Not bad.”
This kind of treatment was usually reserved for the Hero, so it was a new experience for me.
Live and learn, I suppose.
“Gyahaha, you’d better get used to it.”
“Why’s that?”
Gav slapped me on the shoulder and said,
“Because I don’t think anyone stronger than you will appear for a while.”
“…”
I have to do this again next year?
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After the tournament, I was invited to Gav’s residence.
While I was supposed to go alone, he readily agreed when I asked if I could bring my companions.
The invitation was for the evening, so I had plenty of time.
I went to the contestant waiting room to talk to Ozma.
“I didn’t think you’d actually win.”
It felt like she was both praising and pitying me. I smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of my head.
“To be honest, it was a close call.”
If Gav hadn’t forfeited, I might have lost.
I couldn’t think of a way to defeat a monster who could withstand hundreds of millions of volts of lightning and an explosion of compressed air inside his mouth.
If I had used Fat Man from the start, it might have been different, but its destructive power and wide range made it too dangerous to use.
It was a powerful but impractical spell.
But Ozma seemed to think I was being modest. She smiled wryly and fiddled with her teacup.
“Kaldrash, you’re different from me. You’re strong enough to be acknowledged by Gav. You should be more confident.”
I looked at Ozma’s profile and asked,
“So, will you keep your promise?”
Ozma nodded.
“I will. I made a promise, after all.”
She didn’t seem particularly thrilled about it, so I decided to add,
“I wasn’t just saying that. I really believe you can defeat Gav someday.”
“Me?”
I nodded.
“Your past experiences and failures don’t matter. I’ll make sure you win.”
“But I’ve failed thirty-five times. How many more times will I have to fail?”
I shook my head.
“You’re a rough diamond, Princess Ozma. You’ve just been comparing yourself to the wrong person.”
“The wrong person?”
“Gav is an adult dragon, isn’t he? He must be over two hundred years old. You can’t expect to catch up to someone with that much experience after only thirty-five years of training.”
I had heard that Gav’s age, in human years, was equivalent to his mid-twenties, but that was a flawed comparison.
Hundreds of years of experience and skill couldn’t be dismissed so easily.
“If anything, your insane talent, which allowed you to almost catch up to Gav despite being less than a quarter of his age, is what’s truly remarkable. I believe you can become a great demon, even greater than Gav.”
“…Really?”
Ozma’s expression brightened.
While my words were somewhat of a stretch, as there was no guarantee that Ozma could defeat Gav, even with more training, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
If she broke through her limits and became a Sword Master,
And if she reached the sixth tier of magic, like me,
She might actually be able to defeat Gav.
For now, that glimmer of hope was enough for Ozma.
“Then I have no choice.”
Ozma stood up and extended her hand.
“I’ll be counting on you, master.”
I shook her hand and said,
“Leave it to me, princess.”
It was a half-joking remark, but Ozma simply blushed and didn’t get angry.
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