Chapter 44

The tournament has the most matches in the first round.

During the three days before my next match, I spent my time watching other matches.

There were many skilled participants, but among them, I paid attention to two.

One was Mabel.

In her first match, she appeared in the arena carrying a two-handed sword as tall as herself.

Right after the match started, she broke the straight sword of her opponent, a veteran knight, with a single strike... and then, with one hand, she threw the opponent who had discarded his sword and grabbed her with the techniques of armor combat.

The sight of the clearly petite Mabel swinging a large sword and a large man without any effort was so unnatural that it seemed like an optical illusion.

It was undoubtedly the effect of some magic.

I wanted more information, so it was a shame that it ended so quickly.

The other one was a knight named Reinas, who looked to be around twenty years old.

He seemed to use magic as well, overwhelming the adventurer-turned-magicswordman with earth and wind magic and winning without any trouble.

He seemed to be hiding his true strength, which caught my attention... but he didn’t seem to be just a strong pretty boy, as he was waving to the audience and chasing women in the tavern after the match.

And then.

The last match of the day was about to begin.

"Well, it's finally the last match of the first round!"

"Hey, Seika-kun."

Eifa, sitting next to me, called out with a worried look.

"Are you really okay? If you have a headache, you should rest..."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's nothing serious."

I shook my hand, which had been pressing against my head, in response.

I know the cause.

And this is necessary.

"I don't think you can handle it with just that, but you shouldn't overdo it."

"I understand. Thank you. But this is the last match of the day."

Responding to Ami, I looked down at the arena from the audience seats.

Once this is over, I will have checked all the participants.

"First up—Belen, the top disciple of the Sage Fold! Fold is famous for his numerous achievements as a user of water magic, but what kind of magic will Belen show us?"

The one who stepped onto the stage was a young man in a typical mage's robe and staff.

"His opponent is—Kail from the Lugroak Chamber of Commerce's Guard Unit!"

Seeing the opponent slowly ascend the stage, I couldn't help but frown.

A teenager, probably in his mid to late teens, wearing tattered clothes that were neither armor nor a robe.

In his right hand, he held a one-handed sword—drawn.

He didn’t have a sheath on his waist. It looked like he had just brought it because he needed it.

His gray hair and lifeless gait made him look like a ghost.

"We don't have much detailed information on Kail! He has a unique appearance that doesn't quite fit the image of a swordsman or a mage, but what kind of techniques will he use? Stay tuned!"

The two faced each other on the stage.

The mage also seemed slightly intimidated.

"Then, the final match of the first round—begin!"

Almost simultaneously with the whistle, the young mage tried to point his staff at the oddly dressed teenager.

But—suddenly, his movement stopped.

"What...?"

The young man remained motionless, clearly something was wrong.

The oddly dressed teenager, Kail, slowly approached the frozen young man.

I made the shikigami, Taka, descend from the air.

I wanted to see it up close.

"What's happening!? Belen is not showing any signs of movement! Kail is gradually closing the distance!"

The audience was getting restless.

Taka had descended to a point where I could see the faces of the participants.

The mage's face was filled with fear.

I was more interested in the teenager. I made Taka circle around.

The teenager stopped.

The distance between him and his opponent had somehow narrowed to just one step.

Casually.

In a movement that seemed like a mundane scene—Kail's sword pierced the mage's neck.

Blood bubbled from the young man's mouth.

Even at this point, the young mage showed no resistance.

As Kail pulled out his sword... the young man's body staggered as if remembering how to move, and then fell backward onto the stage.

A pool of blood spread around him.

"Belen, unable to continue—! The winner is Kail! What a shocking turn of events, the first death in this tournament! It's also concerning that Kail showed no signs of stopping his sword, but what is even more bizarre is this strange match development—!"

Ami frowned, and Eifa turned away, covering her mouth.

I'm glad these kids are normal.

The venue was in an uproar, but there was a dark excitement.

It was as if they had been expecting such a development.

It seems that in this world, human death is also a spectacle.

At that moment.

Taka's vision captured Kail's face.

The teenager's expression was—void. No emotion, an expression of nothingness.

He claimed to be from the Lugroak Chamber of Commerce's Guard Unit, but that's a lie.

A mere merchant guild wouldn't keep a monster like this.

He is probably someone with a hidden agenda, sent from somewhere.

Suddenly, my interest was drawn to something.

The teenager's eyes.

His right eye was sky blue, and his left eye was deep crimson.

"Oh! We have new information! It turns out that Kail's left eye is an evil eye!! What a surprise! A heretic with an evil eye has entered this historic tournament! What kind of turmoil will unfold in the second round starting tomorrow?!"

So they exist in this world too.

A cursed sorcerer who can cast curses by focusing curse power in their gaze.

—Evil Eye User.

※Shikigami (Taka)

Has vision six times that of a human.