As Rei had predicted the previous night, the sun floated in the clear autumn sky.

There were a few clouds, but not enough to hide the sun.

As it was now autumn, the sunlight shone down softly.

On such a perfect autumn day, the voice of the commentator echoed throughout the stadium.

『Come on, come on, come on! There are only three matches left in this long running fighting tournament, including today’s two semi-final matches and the finals in two days! For me, it’s a shame that these exciting days are coming to an end……I’m very sad, but I also feel excited. After all, today’s match will pit two of the strongest fighters in the Bestir Empire against each other……and the day after tomorrow will decided the strongest person in the Bestir Empire! I’m sure everything feels that as well!?』

『WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-!』

The cheers of the audience echoed inside……and even outside the stadium.

Those cheers seemed to voice their hope that the fighting tournament wouldn’t end, that they could enjoy this festival forever. Those were the feelings put into the cheers.

『Now then, what’s the point of all this talking? Let’s get on with the match. The first match will be fought by……these two!』

Along with the live commentary, countless fist sized balls of light danced around the participant entrances.

The audience let out gasps of admiration at the fantastic sight that could only be seen in the semi-finals.

The first person to appear from colourful balls of light was an Elf.

Normally, there was no set order for the participants to enter, but as could be seen from the countless lights, they served as a unique presentation for the semi-finals.

Judging from his appearance, he was a male Elf in his mid twenties. Of course, as an Elf, he apparent age wasn’t something to be relied on.

Perhap because he prioritised ease of movement, he wore leather armour made from monster skin and had a long sword sheathed at his waist.

Along with his well proportioned features as a Elf, he had a gaze as sharp as a bird of prey as he looked ahead to the entrance from where his opponent would appear, waiting for the battle that was about to take place.

『Digma Rels Lage is an A rank adventurer, better known as the Water Dragon. He’s very skilled with the sword but his most noteworthy ability is his water spirit magic, as his title suggests! The water spirit magic used by Digma is both beautiful and brutal. As everyone knows, he has defeated his opponents with his water magic and sharp sword skills. To be honest, if it had been a previous fight tournament, he would definitely be a top candidate for victory.』

The commentator was right, Digma would have been this year’s top candidate to win.

However, two other title participants had showed up, Crimson and Immovable.

One was an adventurer from the Mireana Kingdom, a long time enemy of the Bestir Empire, and had played a big role in the Spring war.

The other was an S rank adventurer, one of only three in the world.

From the perspective of the Bestir Empire, the villain and ally of justice could not be clearer.

Most of the topics regarding the fighting tournament had been taken up by those two, with many other well known participants, including Digma, lost among the crowd.

However, Digman himself had very little interest in such topics.

He didn’t seem particularly happy to be praised by the commentator as he focused instead on the opposing entrance.

『Now, next……I don’t think there’s any need to introduce who this person is anymore. A person who wields a huge scythe and has defeated many powerful warriors with ease. He is so famous that there is no citizen of the Bestir Empire who hasn’t heard of his name. An adventurer from the Mireana Kingdom……Rei, the Crimson!』

As colourful balls of light danced once again, a robed and hooded figure appeared.

In his hand, he held a scythe, the weapon that had come to symbolise Rei, as the commentator had said.

Looking at the dancing lights, Rei walked towards the arena with a slight smile on his face.

He leaped lightly onto the arena.

As Digma watched his movement, his expressionless face, which hadn’t even changed after hearing his praise, change into one of slight surprise.

Rei had only made a small jump, but Digma hadn’t been able to find any openings in his movement.

Before leaping, Rei hadn’t made any preparatory actions, such as bending his knees slightly. With just the movement of his toes, he had moved onto the arena.

A movement that had no rhythm.

Only Digma, who had reached a certain level of skill and strength that could be described as top notch, could understand it.

「I see. He has reach the level to cause such a commotion.」

The words that Digma spoke were like a melodious bell.

If someone had heard his voice from somewhere other than the arena, and if it had been a woman rather than Rei, his beautiful voice might have made that person fall in love immediately.

But to Rei, his voice was nothing more than a voice.

If his voice had been imbued with some kind of magical power, something like a cursed song, it would be different, but it was just his voice.

「I’m happy to hear that. Well, I’d like you to show your true skill as an A rank adventurer with the title of Water Dragon.」

「Hmph, a B rank adventurer, Crimson. Why don’t you show me what you’re capable of?」

Digma echoed Rei’s words as he pulled his long sword out of the sheath at his waist.

『Now, the two of them are holding their weapons as they look for each other’s openings. Digma, a magic warrior who specialises in water spirit magic and Rei, a magic warrior who specialises in fire magic. They might seem similar, but they are opposites of each other. This is something you won’t be able to take your eyes off, I have no idea what people who aren’t watching this match would be watching instead.』

Pushed on by the commentator’s voice, the audience cheered.

「Good luck, Digma-sama!」

「I wish the both of you the best in avoiding injuries to the face!」

「Digma, show us your pride as an adventurer of the Bestir Empire!」

There were many other voices both cheering and jeering, and amidst those voices, the referee’s shout echoed out into the surroundings.

「Match, start!」

With those words, Rei was the first to step forward.

As if to see the skill of an A rank adventurer, he dashed forward with the Death Scythe in hand as he closed the distance to Digma.

On the other hand, Digma didn’t seem particularly nervous as he used his spirit magic while holding his sword.

『Spirits of water, turn into a whip.』

With those words, water appeared around Digma before forming a whip that swung at Rei.

The attack was swung towards his body from the side as Rei used the Death Scythe, empowered with magic power, to slice it apart. Rei clicked his tongue as he closed the distance to Digma.

(Tch, since it’s spirit magic, it’s activated quickly. I guess I have no choice but to counter it with the incantation shortening technique I learned in the fight against Demon Wind.)

Spirit magic was in essence asking a spirit to do what you wanted using words.

Compared ot magic that took the form of an incantation before activating, the speed of spirit magic was considerably faster.

However, spirit magic also relied on a spirit to make something happen. In other words, if the person was disliked or abandonded by the spirits, no spirit magic would be activated.

Spirit magic was a type of magic purely influenced by an individual’s qualities and personality.

Compared to that, the magic Rei used wasn’t affected by such things.

Of course, there were differences in talent with regards to the amount of magic power one had, the speed at which incantations could be said, and the construction of magic itstelf. But, there was no doubt that those with magic power could use a certain level of magic. Even if spirits disliked them, they wouldn’t be completely unable to use magic. It’s advantage was the lack of any uncertain factors.

『Spirit of water, fly.』

The next spirit magic to be used created a water ball the size of a head as it shot towards Rei.

However, there was no way that a water ball flying in a straight line would hit Rei. As he got close to Digma, Rei tilted his head to avoid the water ball before swinging the Death Scythe as soon as he got within range.

At the same time, a high pitched metallic sound echoed out.

When Rei heard it, he was not surprised, but rather had an expression of understanding.

As an A rank adventurer with a title, it was naturally easy to guess that Digma had a magic sword.

There was a stalemate for several seconds.

It was a stalmate as the blade of the Death Scythe pushed up against the blade of the long sword. But, rei suddenly sense the presence of something approaching him from behind and he instantly swatted away the magic sword as he jumped to the side.

A moment later, a water ball flew past the space Rei had been just before.

「The water ball from before!?」

As he distanced himself from Digma in surprise, he also realised what had happened.

There was no way that the man known as the Water Dragon could only shoot out water balls.

In fact, the water ball circled around Digma before flying towards Rei again.

「Don’t think that the attack you did before will work on me again!」

With a shout, Rei swung the magic empowered Death Scythe.

He planned on cutting apart the water ball as he did the water whip earlier.

However……

『Spirit of water, scatter.』

With those brief words, the head sized water ball heading towards Rei dispersed into five smaller water balls.

「What-!?」

Rei let out a surprised voice at the sudden change, but he didn’t stop the Death Scythe.

As the Death Scythe continued its swing, it succeeded in destroying two of the five water balls.

However, the fact that only two were destroyed meant that there were three water balls left. They split paths with two on the left and one on the right as they attacked Rei.

Jumping back to put some distance between him and the three water ablls, Rei started an incantation.

『Fire, appear as I will.』

Flames appeared at the tip of the Death Scythe’s blade.

The shortened incantation, that Rei had learned in his previous match, completed before the water balls reached him.

『Flowing Flames.』

The Death Scythe was swung as the magic activated, causing the flames to follow its path.

The water balls that hit the flames evaporated and disappeared in an instant.

「What-!?」

This time, it was Digma’s voice that was heard.

He never expected the water balls he had created to evaporate in one strike.

When water and fire magics collided, it was water that normally won. If fire were to win, it usually meant a clear difference in magic level or the amount of magic power contained within it.

(I saw the fight with Demon Wind, but didn’t think that even my magic could be evaporated.)

Digma was internally shocked, but didn’t show it on his face as he placed more strength into the magic sword he was holding.

Being an Elf, Digma held absolute confidence in his own spirit magic.

At the very least, he didn’t think he would be defeated by a human mage.

His thinking wasn’t wrong. Elves boasted a higher level of magic power compared to ordinary humans and were also superior in terms of proficiency and technique.

……Yes, if his opponent had been an ordinary human.

Although he was surprised by Rei’s magic power, Digma gripped his magic sword as he stepped foward.

『Spirit of water, penetrate.』

Digma stepped forward to take advantage of the moment Rei finished his magic as he fired out a water arrow.

In a short space of time one couldn’t imagine, three water arrows were shot out.

The arrows flew with a glint so sharp that it was hard to believe they were made of water as they flew towards Rei.

Rei intercepted them with the Death Scythe.

Empowered with magic, the blade of the Death Scythe instantly shattered the three arrows at once. But at the same time, it gave Digma the necessary time to get close.

The gap created by swinging the Death Scythe was less than a second.

But, for Digma, it was more than enough time.

He snuck under Rei’s guard as he swung his magic empowered sword.

The blow to Rei’s torso would have been fatal if he didn’t avoid it.

It was an unbelievable attack considering the rules of the fighting tournament, but Digma had used such an attack because he didn’t think it could do that much damage to Rei.

And that judgement was correct.

「Hah-!」

With a sharp breath out, the Death Scythe was swung again.

However, it was too late to bring the blade back, so Rei struck out with the shaft.

Another metallic clash echoed out as their weapons collided.

At first glance their exchange seemed even, but……

「Woah-!?」

The one who was forced back……or rather blown back, with a voice of surprise, was Digma, forced away by Rei’s physical strength..

Although he was sent flying, he still managed to regain his balance in the air, so to the audience, it just seemed like Digma had leapt backwards.

Just like that, Digma swung his sword through the empty air, causing a whistle as it cut through the air.

「Hmph, I see. As expected of Crimson. So then……let the second act begin!」

With a sharp cry, Digma stepped forward again.

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