What... Tournament? Has this old man gone senile?! Roland stared at the head elder, utterly dumbfounded.
He couldn't fathom how a tournament was remotely related to their previous discussion.
This old man just warned us not to overuse our powers... and now he wants us to fight each other? Pui!
In stark contrast to Roland's dismay, Eugene practically lit up with excitement.
"I agree with you, head elder," Eugene said, the corners of his mouth curling into a wide grin. "What better way to test our powers than by fighting another vessel?"
He then turned his head toward Roland, his eyes locking onto him with a heated glare. The air around Eugene shimmered, growing warmer as a palpable pressure radiated from his body.
It was clear he was ready to pounce at any moment—his eyes blazing with a deep, seething fury.
That guy definitely has it out for me... Roland grumbled inwardly, his face twitching slightly.
Meanwhile, Alice sat silently with her raven-black hair tied into a neat ponytail. She looked mildly irritated, but chose not to voice any complaints, silently accepting whatever was decided.
"Head elder, I request to fight Roland Erkhart first!" Eugene declared eagerly, his voice brimming with anticipation.
"Hoho, if that is your wish, so be it," the head elder said, stroking his white beard with a chuckle. "Now then, what about the rest of you? Which of you three will face each other?"
His gaze shifted to Cryus, Alice, and Aurora, who had yet to express their agreement or disagreement.
A short silence fell over the hall before Aurora finally spoke, her voice soft and almost musical.
"I think it's best if I sit out. How should I put this... I don't think my abilities are suited for one-on-one combat."
Hearing this, the head elder nodded in understanding, offering no objection.
Thus, the fighters were decided.
"The matches will proceed as follows: Cryus and Alice will battle first, followed by Eugene and Roland. The winners of each match will then face each other," the head elder announced, clearly pleased with the outcome.
Dammit... Roland's displeasure was written all over his face. I didn't even get a say in this! That old man had it all planned out from the start!
Still, as Roland grumbled inwardly, he quickly found a silver lining.
This might be a good chance to see the others' unique abilities firsthand. Sure, they'll learn mine too, but I could just choose to not show the extent of my abilites."
Even so, he still wasn't fond of the idea of getting pummeled by the muscle-bound Eugene.
"By the way," the head elder added with a smile, "the winner of the tournament will be rewarded with an ancient beast corpse. I trust that's enough incentive for you all to give your best."
With that, he stood up, dismissing the candidates and instructing them to gather at the training grounds by eleven.
This short break was meant to give them time to prepare any strategies they wanted — an advantage Roland desperately needed.
It's already ten-thirty... Roland checked his golden pocket watch, his brows furrowing slightly. Still, this should be enough time for me to come up with something.
This situation felt eerily familiar — just like during his trial, where he was forced to devise strategies to overcome opponents stronger than himself. The only difference this time was that he was fighting someone who could adapt and react in real-time.
I can't afford to be careless, Roland thought grimly, tightening his grip on the watch.
...
At exactly eleven o'clock, the five candidates and three of the elders gathered once again at the training grounds.
In contrast to earlier, the area had already been cleared out in preparation for their tournament.
How efficient... Roland couldn't help but comment inwardly.
Each fighter had reduced their excessive clothing to allow for freer movement.
Eugene now wore only a tight black tank top, showing off his muscular physique.
Archduke Cryus had shed the first layer of his navy blue military outfit, leaving only the essentials and removing the medals that adorned him.
Alice, however, made no adjustments — her attire already perfect for combat.
In contrast to them, Roland had added even more clothing. Once again, he donned his black coat, the ruby brooch barely visible beneath the folds. His left hand pressed down on the black half-top hat he now wore, while his right hand gripped a gold-inlaid cane.
"Oi, Roland. Are you really going to fight dressed like that?" Eugene asked, unable to hide his surprise.
"You should worry more about yourself, Eugene," Roland replied coolly.
"Fine. Suit yourself — it's your funeral," Eugene snorted, walking toward the bleachers where the six elders were already seated.
Hmph! You may think this is foolish, but every piece of this is part of my preparation, Roland scoffed inwardly, following close behind.
As Roland and Eugene took their seats on the bleachers, Cryus and Alice stepped onto the training grounds, their swords sheathed at their waists.
"It's an honor to spar with you, Archduke Cryus," Alice said, drawing her blade and holding it in front of her.
"I look forward to it," Cryus replied indifferently, unsheathing his sword and positioning it at his side.
"Hoho, it seems they're ready to begin," the head elder commented with amusement.
"Too bad half the elders had to leave..." another elder chimed in. He was a middle-aged man with thick glasses and a long white coat. "Or perhaps it's better they're gone — now I can fully study their battle."
This elder... he's the youngest among them. I wonder what his role is, Roland thought, glancing at the man before shifting his gaze back to the head elder.
"Head Elder, what exactly are the rules for combat?" Roland asked.
"Oh yes! I nearly forgot," the elder said with a chuckle.
This senile old man... Roland grumbled inwardly.
"The match continues until one fighter is incapacitated or surrenders," the head elder announced with a smile. "Also, please refrain from severely injuring your opponent — this is only a friendly match."
Cryus and Alice both nodded, their focus locked onto one another.
"If there's nothing else, you may begin!" Elder Regan called out.
With that, the match commenced.
Alice bolted forward, swiftly closing the distance. Cryus, however, remained still, completely unfazed.
As Alice neared him, Cryus suddenly plunged his sword into the ground, its blade piercing through the stone.
In the next instant, a dark red blade of flame erupted from the earth beneath Alice's feet.
Sensing something was off, Alice darted backward just in time to avoid the sudden strike.
"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, then resumed her advance, weaving in a zigzag pattern to evade the erupting flame blades.
In a flash, she was upon him, bringing her sword down in a vertical arc.
Cryus sidestepped to the right while simultaneously swinging his own blade upward, dark flames trailing behind it.
Alice twisted her body mid-air to dodge the attack and used the momentum to spin fully around, delivering a powerful kick to the back of Cryus's thigh.
The blow caused him to buckle slightly, but he responded immediately — thrusting his sword toward her and releasing a blade of black flame that pierced her right shoulder.
Alice, mid-attack, was forced to retreat.
Now it was Cryus on the offensive. His attacks were tight and precise, each swing releasing thin, fiery arcs of dark red flame. Some even slashed through the stone floor of the training ground.
Despite her shoulder injury, Alice continued to block his strikes, though she was being pushed back steadily. While she managed to deflect most of the slashes, the flaming arcs still clipped her at times — tearing her clothing, though unable to pierce her skin.
Those flames can cut through rock... but not her skin? Roland noted.
Then, under relentless pressure, Alice spotted an opening.
She ducked low and dashed to the left, just as Cryus's blade swept past where she had been.
Without hesitation, she raised her sword and pointed it at him.
Before Cryus could react, a blade of orange flame burst forward from her sword — piercing straight through his abdomen.