Chapter 76

Having successfully won our first match, I returned to where the president and the others had been watching from the wings.

Then,

"Amazing, Allen! You did a great job!"

"That was a fantastic front kick! I was really impressed!"

"Thank you... but..."

They praised my victory wholeheartedly.

"Thank you."

After responding with a smile, I turned my gaze towards the audience and made eye contact with Reia.

Waving at Reia, who had been cheering for me loudly, she beamed with a radiant smile.

As I was doing this, the clear voice of the commentator echoed.

"Who could have predicted such a result!? Allen Rodor might just be the 'dark horse' of this tournament...! --Now, let's move on to the second match, the 'Second Lieutenant Battle'!"

The second lieutenant of Senren Academy was Lirim Tsorine-senpai.

"I'm cheering for you, Lirim-senpai!"

"Make the most of the good momentum Allen created, Lirim!"

"I hope you do well..."

"Hehe, leave it to me!"

With that, she marched onto the stage with high spirits.

■

After that, Lirim-senpai showed a fierce offensive like a raging fire and won the second lieutenant battle without any trouble.

Then, in the middle battle, Felis-senpai managed to secure a victory despite a tough fight.

Thus, having won all three matches—vanguard, second lieutenant, and middle—we achieved a three-match sweep.

"The winner of the preliminary A group's first match, a memorable one, is the united five academies, Senren Academy! Congratulations!"

We successfully won our first match against the strong school, Werewolf Academy.

Then,

"Great job! Every match was fantastic!"

"Hey, is this the year of the 'undefeated' Senren Academy's revival!?"

The audience sent us their blessings and thunderous applause.

"--Now, let's move on to the second match, the match between Higurashi Academy and Kirishima Academy! Please head to the waiting room, everyone from Senren Academy and Werewolf Academy!"

Following the commentator's instructions, we headed to the waiting room.

As I opened the door to the waiting room after walking down a long corridor,

"..."

Almost all the swordsmen in the waiting room stared at me intently.

Some glanced at me sideways, others gave me appraising looks, and some stared at me directly without any pretense.

(This isn't just my imagination, right...?)

Feeling uncomfortable in this unusual situation,

"Hehe, everyone is really interested in Allen, aren't they?"

"You made quite a striking 'Sword King Festival debut'! Kuu, I'm so jealous!"

"...No, it's just annoying."

The president and the others laughed it off lightly.

"Don't worry about other people's gazes. Relax and prepare for the next match, okay?"

"...Yes, you're right."

With that, I chatted happily with the seniors as usual while waiting for the second round to begin.

■

After that, we continued to win match after match with a relentless momentum.

Most matches ended in a three-match sweep—vanguard, second lieutenant, and middle.

While Lirim-senpai and Felis-senpai occasionally lost, the president, who was the vice-captain, secured victories, and we advanced all the way to the final of the A group preliminaries.

"Now, let's move on to the final match of the day—Senren Academy versus Seiza Academy!"

The female commentator raised her voice to the loudest it had been all day.

"In the Sword King Festival, the top two schools from each group advance to the main tournament, so both academies have already secured their spots. --However, whether they advance in first or second place will make a huge difference in the future!"

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"In the main tournament draw, the school that advances in first place will face the second-place school from another group! The school that advances in second place will face the first-place school from another group! So, both Senren Academy and Seiza Academy will want to aim for a first-place finish here!"

Hearing the main tournament draw for the first time,

(I see, we can't afford to lose...)

I fully understood the weight of this final match.

The first-place finish in each group is likely to be one of the 'Five Academies,' including Hyokuto Academy.

If we continue to win, we will eventually face the Five Academies.

However, it would be better to face them as late as possible.

(In the main tournament, we have to complete four matches in a single day, excluding the final...)

The four matches: Best 16, Best 8, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals.

Each match will be a fierce battle, and the physical toll will be immense.

(Given the format of consecutive matches and a tournament—avoiding unnecessary exhaustion and injuries, it would be advantageous to face the Five Academies as late as possible...)

As I was thinking about this,

"Now, let's move on to the introduction of the participants!"

The commentator began the customary introduction of the participants.

"First, the vanguard of Senren Academy—Allen Rodor! He has won all his matches so far, and he has achieved the remarkable feat of winning all his matches without taking a single hit, making him the dark horse of this tournament!"

Without missing a beat, she moved on to the next introduction.

"Next, the vanguard of Seiza Academy—Sven Rozlick! He belongs to the rare Southern-originated Jukken style and, like Allen, has won all his matches so far with an excellent record!"

A swordsman slowly walked onto the stage after being introduced.

Sven Rozlick.

Long black hair on both sides, a calm and gentle face that looked a few years older, and a height of about 170 cm.

He was dressed in Seiza Academy's uniform, which resembled a noble's attire, with white fabric and yellow lines.

As he walked onto the stage, he stared at me intently.

"I'm Sven Rozlick. Please do your best."

He extended his right hand for a handshake.

"Likewise—please do your best, Sven."

I firmly shook his hand.

(Sven has such a straightforward and good gaze... and he is very polite...)

This should be a good match.

As I was thinking this,

"You... have had a tough school life, haven't you...?"

Sven, still holding my right hand, muttered something incomprehensible.

"...Huh?"

"Ah, sorry... It's a side effect of my 'Soul Armor'... When I shake hands with someone, I can experience their life... up to this point."

"Such a thing...!?"

"Yes... For example, 'Grand Sword Academy'... It's not a good place at all... To have grown up without being corrupted in such a harsh environment...!"

As he said this, Sven's face turned pale, and he suddenly shook off my hand.

"Haa, haa...!?"

He was hyperventilating, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"This is...?"

Could he have experienced the memories from the 'Time Prison'?

(If so, I've done something I shouldn't have...)

I don't know how many years of experience he went through, but from his reaction, it must have been extremely painful.

(...Damn.)

I should have declined when he mentioned his ability.

"Hey... Sven, are you okay...?"

As I approached him, who had turned pale,

"Ah, ah...! Don't come near me, you... monster...!"

He jumped off the stage and ran towards the waiting room.

"Eh...?"

As I stood on the stage, stunned,

"...What on earth just happened!? Allen and Sven, who were shaking hands, suddenly ran away! ...Well, we'll have to wait for the decision of the Sword King Festival organizing committee, so please bear with us for a moment!"

The commentator said this and left her seat.

"..."

The gaze of tens of thousands of people pierced me, the only one left on the stage.

"...There must be something 'hidden' about Allen Rodor."

"...Yeah. The way Sven was trembling... He must have been threatened in some way."

"No, maybe Sven's reaction was an 'act'?"

"What do you mean...?"

"It's simple... Allen Rodor offered him a 'deal.' 'Give up the match in exchange for a large sum of money.'"

"I see...!"

I couldn't hear what the audience was saying from where I was, but...

I had a feeling my bad reputation was spreading.

(Sigh... Why do I always end up in situations like this...)

I thought it would be a good match, but this happened.

As I sighed deeply,

"--Thank you for your patience! ...After deliberation, the decision for the vanguard match is a forfeit win for Allen Rodor!"

The commentator announced my forfeit win.

At that moment, the murmur in the audience grew louder.

Probably, the audience was not satisfied with this result.

Then,

"--Well, well! Despite the unexpected incident, let's move on to the second lieutenant match with renewed spirit!"

The commentator, with a voice that could drown out the murmur, moved the preliminaries forward.

■

After that, the match against Seiza Academy was intense.

In the second lieutenant match, Lirim-senpai narrowly lost after a fierce battle.

The match was back to a 1-1 tie, and in the middle match, Felis-senpai managed to secure a hard-fought victory against a strong opponent.

In the remaining vice-captain match, the president won without any trouble.

As a result,

"The winner of the intense battle in Group A is the united five academies—Senren Academy! Please give them a big round of applause!"

We advanced to the main tournament of the Sword King Festival as the first-place finisher in Group A.