The New Gate

The results of the preliminary round for the “Blacksmithing Division” were to be announced in two days, so Shin and the others came to watch Filma and Milt’s fights.

“They were overwhelming.”

“It’s only the first round. That’s how it is.”

Even with their restricted stats, the two of them defeated their opponents in an instant. However, since well-known and powerful players were seeded, Shibaid expected that the real thing would begin after a few more matches.

It seemed that there were rare cases of people who were skilled but not well-known. These people were usually the Chosen Ones, so the organizers would mark them as candidates for recruitment.

“I’ve been on the judge’s side before.”

Shibaid, who was the first Dragon Emperor, laughed and said that he could understand what the judges were thinking, since the Dragon Empire of Kilmont also held competitions on a regular basis.

While watching the other contestants until Filma and the others’ next turn, Shin and the others noticed a familiar face among the people in the arena.

It was Elamella, Kluck’s bodyguard. Her armor was still the same, but her weapon had a cover over the blade to seal its sharpness for the tournament.

There was no point in being an escort if they were separated. Shin looked around to see if Kluck was there to watch as well, and sure enough, he spotted him in the first row of spectator seats.

Since it was still the first round of the tournament, there was enough space between the spectators to see their faces.

Shin told the others, “I’ll be back soon,” and approached Kluck.

“Hello. Are you here to support Elamella?”

“Yes. I made Elamella’s equipment, so I’m also here to test its performance. However, she told me that there is no point in being an escort.”

Participants in the martial arts festival could borrow weapons prepared by the tournament, but the general rule was to bring your own.

Kluck told Shin that as long as the weapon was not extremely dangerous, it could be used by covering certain parts with cloth.

The performance test was mainly about strength, he said

The weapon Elamella was holding was a spear. It would be powerful not only for thrusting, but also for sweeping slashes with its length.

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However, when wielded by a  Chosen One, the handle may break if it was not strong enough. It seemed that he had experimented with various things in this area.

Achieving both strength and flexibility was a problem for craftsmen who made long weapons even in the game days.

“A martial arts tournament is ideal for getting information closer to actual combat. Besides, I can buy myself some time if necessary.”

It seemed that Kluck wouldn’t send his guards away without some preparation.

As soon as Elamella’s fight began, the two stopped talking and turned their attention to her.

Her opponent was a male Lord who seemed to use dual swords. Like Elamella’s spear, the blades were covered.

The man boldly launched an attack, trying to get within the spear’s range. As you’d expect from a fighting tournament, he was quite a skilled swordsman.

However, Elamella deflected all of the man’s dual swords and won the match without getting within range. As expected, the strength rankings were all over the place in the first round, so there seemed to be many one-sided matches like this.

“It won’t be a test unless the opponent is a worthy user.”

“My friend finished her first match in no time. If she advances a little further, you won’t be able to say that.”

The higher one went up the ladder, the more the field was narrowed down to the best. The real battle was yet to come.

After Elamella disappeared into the participants’ passage, Milt came out next.

“Huh? It’s her turn already?”

It seemed that the tournament had advanced to the second round.

According to Milt, the main tournament of the Battle Festival was divided into several blocks, and the top three from each block would advance to the final tournament.

Today, there were three blocks of matches. Filma was in a different block from Milt, so if the two of them met, it would be the final tournament.

“Yay!”

Milt waved to the audience, and a number of cheers came back. Shin was impressed by her popularity, since she had only just made it through the first round.

“Well, it’s only natural with her looks and strength.”

“Do you know her?”

“She is one of my friends who is participating in the martial arts festival. She said she wanted to see how strong the people around here are.”

Shin watched Milt’s fight while talking to Kluck.

Her opponent was a man who used a battle axe. He’s a big man, almost two mels tall, and standing next to Milt, they looked like an adult and a child.

But Milt was a girl who wouldn’t make him worry.

The weapon she used was a battle axe that Shin had collected in his item box.

It didn’t have a specific name, but it was just one step below legendary grade.

In a match where sharpness didn’t matter, it was just a sturdy battle axe.

At the signal to start the match, both of them moved.

The distance between them closed, and the man’s battle axe and Milt’s battle axe collided.

Even though the blade was not sharp, it was still a solid piece of iron. In a way, it could be said to be like a sledgehammer. When they collided, the impact alone was enough to numb the hand holding the weapon.

But that was only if the wielder was an ordinary person. Neither the man who had made it through the preliminary rounds of the martial arts tournament nor Milt were anything but ordinary. 

Both drew back their battle axes as if nothing had happened, and the man swung his battle axe with great force from above, while Milt spun and delivered a blow from below so powerful it made the wind howl.

A dull, heavy sound echoed.

The blades of the two battle axes collided, bending one and leaving the other untouched.

It was the man who lost his balance when his battle axe was sent flying.

Undeterred by the centrifugal force, Milt stopped her battle axe and aimed it at the man’s throat.

The man instinctively looked both ways. But when he saw his prized battle axe lying on the ground in a pitiful state, his shoulders slumped and both hands rose.

“The winner, Milt!”

A cheer went up from the crowd as the judge announced the winner. When Milt waved back, the cheers grew louder.

“That’s amazing.”

Kluck’s face was serious as he spoke.

Milt handled the battle axe, which was taller than her, without being affected by its weight, and the battle axe, which struck with full force and remained unfazed.

“Oh, is Elamella up next?”

After Milt’s match, Elamella came out.

Her opponent was a male swordsman with an orthodox style, using a sword and shield. As the match began, the man brought his shield forward and closed the distance between him and Elamella.

Elamella, on the other hand, did not move. She was in a waiting position.

The man entered the spear’s range.

At that moment, Elamella’s spear shook. With the sound of an impact, the man’s stance was thrown off.

The man blocked the spear’s blow with his shield. He was able to react. However, he was unable to parry it. Although he avoided a direct hit from the spear, he was pushed away along with his shield, and his body was bent slightly.

“Oh, he’s not done yet.”

As the man fell to the ground, he hit the ground with the hand holding his sword to prevent himself from collapsing completely.

However, perhaps injured by Elamella’s blow, his left arm hung limp and he had dropped his shield.

Still, the tip of the sword was pointed straight at Elamella.

The man regained his breath and came back within range of the spear. Elamella caught it with a thrust.

The man immediately blocked it, using his sword as a shield. However, the sword broke and the tip of the spear hit the man’s stomach. The tip was covered by a shield, so he wasn’t actually stabbed.

“The match is over! Winner, Elamella!”

While listening to the referee’s voice, Shin looked at Elamella’s spear.

Even when she slammed it into the shield and thrust it into the sword, Elamella’s spear didn’t seem to wear out. Of course, if the spear was legendary or higher, it wouldn’t wear out in a battle of this magnitude, but as far as Shin could see, Elamella’s spear was rare quality. And it wasn’t a high-end weapon either.

The quality of the weapon used by the opponent swordsman wasn’t high, but considering its grade, the spear should have shown some wear and tear after such a fierce battle. And yet, it was nowhere to be seen. It was probably not made just to test its durability.

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