"You're incredible, Noctar! A true warrior doesn't fall until his throat is cut!"
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh! Noctar, Noctar! A true descendant of the War God! He may have lost the duel, but his spirit never surrendered!
"We can't accept Noctar losing to a human! Declare Theo an honorary orc!"
The orc spectators were once again in a boisterous frenzy.
This fervent spectacle made the rest of the audience stand and join in the cheers.
"It's really something else! After watching those mages and archers with their fancy displays, a good old-fashioned brawl really hits the spot!"
"Exactly! A battle without fancy spells or arrows, just pure physical combat, is always the most thrilling!"
“Theo, you were amazing! Though it was a bit unfair when Irene stepped in..."
"This is what a real match looks like, you moron!"
Reporters were busy snapping photos with their magic cameras, while guild and government officials stayed seated, clapping in approval.
It was then that Mari from the broadcasting seat, after a quick chat with her fellow broadcasters, hastily ran onto the field.
[We didn't plan for this, but we'll have a quick interview with the fantastic team of Theo & Irene who showed us this spectacular match! Everyone's okay with that, right?]
There was no one that disagreed.
Everyone voiced their approval by chanting the names of Theo and Noctar.
[Wow, the energy here is truly exhilarating. Let's get the interview started!]
Mari, now standing beside Theo, started,
[Theo, after showing us such a great match and defying everyone's expectations to secure a win, how do you feel right now?]
However—
"..."
Theo remained silent.
He just gazed towards the waiting room with a calm expression, then turned his back and left the arena.
"Theo, wait! Let's go together!"
Following quickly behind, Irene also left the field.
In an instant, only three remained.
Noctar, still knocked out; Gulrik, slumped and on his knees; and Mari, holding her magic microphone with a flustered expression.
[...]
Mari, caught off-guard, hastily tried to salvage the situation.
[Ahahaha, I guess Theo didn't feel the match was worth an interview! Anyway... Let’s give another round of applause for the fantastic teams of Theo & Irene and Noctar & Gulrik!]
The audience, which had been momentarily silent, erupted once more with cheers and applause.
"He's saying such a performance is to be expected...!"
"He has no time for mere interviews... Wow, that's so cool. I want to be like that too..."
The murmurs of the audience continued even as Noctar and Gulrik were being carried off the field, still unconscious.
Starting from the round of 16, individual waiting rooms are provided.
I immediately lay down on the long chair inside my waiting room.
Even [Twisted Noble's Dignity] couldn't help me now.
It was time to pay the price for using the amplified [Overload].
I was on the brink of collapsing.
During my duel with Julia, I nearly died after pushing myself for 20 seconds.
Now, I had overextended to over a minute.
I tried to staunch the nosebleed with a handkerchief.
"Heh…"
Inside, I felt liberated.
The sole reason I participated in this tournament was to win the five gold coins from the shop, but it felt like I had gained something far more precious.
'As I expected... real combat is the best practice.'
My swordsmanship has significantly improved.
From my recent duel with Noctar, I've realized what to discard and what needs to be improved.
'But who would've thought Noctar would be that strong?'
Even if the future has changed from the original storyline, it's changed too much.
In the game, Noctar was just an extra who died alongside Theo.
To see him become this powerful was unexpected.
I had planned to use the amplified [Overload] in the finals, not as early as the round of 16.
But if I hadn't used it, I would've lost.
That's how formidable Noctar was.
Still, I want to win.
I sighed inwardly.
‘There’s no point in regretting.’
Now, my priority is devising a new strategy against my next opponents in the quarterfinals: the team of Andrew & Sally.
With that in mind, my trembling hands reached into my bag, retrieving the [Elixir of Stamina Recovery].
I had saved it from the previous dungeon exploration when Siena had given it to me.
'Even with an elixir, recovering from this level of exhaustion in such a short time... it's going to be tough.'
Even after taking it, I'll need at least 6 hours of sleep to fully recover.
But some recovery should be possible.
We were the first match in the round of 16, so I should have about an hour of rest.
‘It'd have been great if Little Fist were here.’
The stamina recovery effect from the divine beast was much needed.
Although minor compared to the elixir, it's better than nothing.
But it's difficult to get up and contact Amy right now.
My entire body is shaking like a leaf.
I barely managed to open the lid of the elixir.
Gulp, gulp.
Slowly sitting up, I immediately drank the elixir down.
"Theo... I don't think just a potion will help... Let's forfeit. I'm fine with it."
Irene, who had been looking worried since the end of the match, said with a concerned expression.
"There's no quitting, Rin. We'll find a way to win. Just trust me."
Half of my words were meant to encourage, and the other half was from my heart.
Irene has a bad habit of overthinking small things on her own.
"I understand."
"...I'll close my eyes for a moment."
As I was about to lie down on the long chair and close my eyes, there was a knock.
Knock, knock.
Who could that be?
"Just a moment~"
Irene, who had been dabbing my face with a wet handkerchief, opened the door to the waiting room.
"Nice to see you, Irene."
Standing at the door with Little Fist in her arms was Amy.
Irene looked at Amy and Little Fist with surprise.
"Oh, Amy. What brings you here?"
"I saw the young master looked quite exhausted after the match, so I came to check on him. May I come in?"
"Oh, yes! Of course, please come in."
Amy, stepping into the waiting room, gave me a cold stare.
"...You've pushed yourself too hard again, young master. I've seen you like this many times."
"...Is that so?"
I felt guilty.
After all, it was always Amy who took care of me, especially when I was suffering from the after-effects of [Overload].
Amy's eyes narrowed as she spoke,
"It's good to push yourself, but you should take care of your body as well... I've told you this multiple times. Right now, because you're young, a few days of rest might suffice, but later on, it'll cause serious problems. You might even develop a resistance to potions and treatments."
"...I'll be careful, Amy. But I really wanted to win. Noctar was strong."
"I understand, young master. I've overstayed my welcome and taken up your precious rest time. Here is a stamina recovery potion I've prepared. I'll be on my way... Oh!"
Amy let out a small scream.
Little Fist, who was quietly nestled in her arms until just a moment ago, suddenly jumped out.
─Pew, pew!
With a squeal that sounded like a baby dolphin, Little Fist bounded toward...
"Oh, my!"
...and snuggled up to Irene who was sitting next to me.
Making a soft whining noise, it looked up at Irene with pleading eyes, as if asking to be petted.
"So adorable... May I pet him?"
Irene, who looked down lovingly at the little white furball in her lap, asked Amy.
Amy, without a word, turned to look at me.
'She probably thinks Amy is his owner.'
Not surprising.
After all, Little Fist spends less than 30 minutes a day with me.
"Go ahead."
Internally, I sighed.
Irene tilted her head in confusion.
"I thought that puppy belonged to Amy. Theo, it's yours?"
"That's right."
"Really..."
Irene wore an expression of disbelief.
"What's so surprising about it, Rin?"
"I just can't imagine you raising a puppy... Especially such a tiny one. I'd have guessed you'd have a hunting dog or a wolf if you had a pet at all."
"What do you take me for?"
"Someone cold and rational. Always chasing after practicality."
"That hurts, Rin."
Either way, Irene narrowed her eyes.
"Do you not remember a few years ago? The butler's puppy. When it didn't come to you, you kicked it with your foot. I noticed that from a young age, animals never really warmed up to you."
"..."
I was left speechless.
This revelation about Theo's past was new to me.
But thinking about it, Theo was quite the troublemaker back then.
But kicking it was just too much.
Suddenly, I felt a surge of anger boil within.
My cough, which had momentarily stopped, erupted again.
"Ack."
"Young master?"
"Theo!"
As Irene and Amy cried out in shock, Little Fist leapt out of Irene's embrace and flew straight into my arms.
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