─In the Elinia Academy Festival [Martial Arts Competition], the victor of the first semifinal match is Irene Aslan!
The match between Irene and Tarkan was over in less than a minute.
Truthfully, the match itself was rather lackluster.
Irene's skills were superior to Tarkan's, but his performance was hampered as he had already sustained numerous injuries, both minor and severe, in his quarterfinal fight against the Lizardman Kurok.
In fights between Orcs and Lizardmen, the word 'moderation' simply does not exist.
Even a light sparring match doesn’t end until something breaks.
Although Irene had barely scraped through a victory against her quarterfinal opponent, Julia, she managed to do so without any significant injuries.
In contrast to the bitter rivalry between Orcs and Lizardmen, Irene and her opponents displayed a level of competition that could only be described as a friendly rivalry.
"Sigh."
After taking a deep breath, Irene scanned the audience.
'Ah, he's back.'
Suddenly, there was Theo, back in his usual spot.
As their eyes met, he nodded calmly.
Irene responded with a nod of her own.
Theo’s semifinal opponent was the Lizardman Lagmar.
Unlike Tarkan, Irene's previous opponent, Lagmar had not sustained any injuries in his quarterfinal match and had claimed a resounding victory with his overwhelming abilities.
'It's unexpected, but...'
Still, Theo was likely to advance to the finals.
Especially now, with his mastery of advanced breathing techniques.
'But really, the organizers of the [Martial Arts Competition] have quite the sense of humor. Planning to have Theo and me face off in the final.'
The [Martial Arts Competition] follows a single elimination rule – one loss and you're out, no exceptions.
However, the identity of your next opponent remains unknown until the last moment.
It's entirely up to the whims of the tournament organizers, aimed at creating the most thrilling matchups possible.
'Anyway...'
For Irene, such details were of little concern.
─In the most popular event of the Academy Festival, she would face Theo in the finals.
Just the thought of this had already brought a smile to her face.
Competing against her fiancé in front of numerous onlookers, and in the finals no less!
How utterly romantic.
"Damn it."
Theo's insides were festering with frustration, all due to Isabella and Lagmar.
'Not long after I moved to the players' waiting room, Isabella left the arena.'
A fact confirmed by Amy, so it must be true.
She hadn't shown herself at all since the freshman entrance ceremony, and now, after such a long time, she had finally made an appearance.
But why would she leave immediately without watching a single match of the [Martial Arts Competition]?
It implied that her visit had nothing to do with watching the matches.
'I can't even guess how much she knows. Without a proper plan to counter her moves, the best I can do is to wait and see what Isabella will do next.'
Next was Lagmar.
He's the fourth-ranked member of the Lizardman Cartel.
Winning the [Martial Arts Competition] is Theo's goal, but Lagmar, his opponent in the semifinals, is in excellent condition.
In terms of sheer physical power, Lagmar even outclasses Shagarod, the Lizardman leader.
He's not an opponent Theo can confidently claim victory against.
'Tarkan didn't manage to inflict any significant damage on Irene either.'
Just by looking, it's obvious Irene is still in too good of a shape.
Objectively, even with the use of buff magic and [Overload], his power falls at least a step below Irene's.
'Nothing seems to be going according to plan.'
And it feels too wasteful to use an imitation panacea for recovery after the match with Lagmar.
'Thinking more about it won't reveal a viable strategy, and it's just going to wear down my mental state.'
After a long period of contemplation, Theo made a decision.
Stop thinking and just go with the flow.
Rely on intuition rather than reason.
Atop the arena.
I looked at Lagmar, who was standing in front of me.
'End this as quickly as possible.'
To increase my chances of winning, I had to conserve my energy and reduce fatigue as much as possible.
Lagmar, holding a club in each hand, looked at me and said,
"Pleased to meet you, Theo. I've always wanted to face you, and meeting in this setting makes it even more special."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. I was deeply impressed by your match against Noctar in the Knight Department's 2v2 tournament. Watching your fight with that green pig made my blood boil with excitement."
Lagmar laughed, shaking his head horns.
The sight of the giant lizard's head trembling was profoundly terrifying.
"If that's the case, I'm glad. I hope for a good match."
"Of course. The green pigs I've fought so far were too trivial. Only someone like Noctar is worth my time. Expect a good fight, Theo!"
"..."
Lagmar's words were not mere bravado.
He might lack magical abilities, but he compensates with exceptional physicality and hand-to-hand combat skills.
Among the Orcs and Lizardmen, he's probably second only to Noctar.
He's almost like a hybrid, possessing the physical strength of an Orc and the intellect of a Lizardman.
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Hearing our conversation, the announcer grinned and exclaimed,
-The second semifinal match of the Elinia Academy [Martial Arts Competition] begins now!
As soon as the match began, Lagmar charged at me.
But he didn't come too close.
...Was he trying not to reveal his hand too soon?
He seemed quite adept at controlling the flow of the fight.
But I'm know about him from the game.
I remember Lagmar's weakness, briefly mentioned: his poor vision on the left side.
Swoosh!
Immediately, I lunged into a low stance and moved to Lagmar's left side.
Then, I swiftly executed a triple stab.
The targets: his neck, side, and thigh.
─But.
Clang, clang, clang!
Lagmar easily parried the stabs from his blind spot.
...He blocked that?
I hadn't used [Overload], but I was under the effect of the [Haste] buff.
Lagmar laughed coarsely, swinging the clubs in his hands wildly.
"Hahaha─! Those green pigs can be of use after all!"
Whoosh, whoosh!
The clubs cut through the air with a thunderous sound.
"Last week, fighting those pigs, I realized my left side was a weak spot. Hahaha─! This feels great!"
Lagmar didn't stop his relentless assault.
I dodged rather than blocked.
It's more challenging, but dodging is less taxing on stamina and fatigue.
Annoyed at my evasive maneuvers, Lagmar twisted his ferocious face.
"...Oh, Theo. Shouldn't you still have some cards up your sleeve? Bring them out! Are you sly like the other humans too?"
"..."
I wish I could.
But no opening for a counterattack was in sight.
...He seems slightly less powerful than Noctar, but faster.
No choice then.
I had to use [Overload].
I immediately activated the amplified [Overload] and quickly dove into Lagmar's reach.
When the distance between us was less than 5 cm.
Crack!
I struck his jaw with the pommel─the end of my sword's handle.
"Kuh...!"
A pained grunt escaped Lagmar's large mouth.
...I never let an opportunity slip by.
Continuing my assault, I swung my left elbow and struck his jaw with a loud snap!
This was a sequence of martial arts techniques I had adapted in my style, inspired by what I saw from Jang Woohee.
"Hahaha, now I see why those green pigs are so obsessed with you!"
With his jaw dislocated, Lagmar swung his club at me.
...There's no need to engage directly with an opponent who has better stats than me, even after using [Overload].
Tap, tap!
I quickly stepped back, creating more distance.
And then,
...3.
...2.
After counting three seconds in my mind, I lunged at Lagmar again, this time from the right side.
Whoosh!
Lagmar's club swept through the air, right where I had been just moments before, with increased speed.
...But as long as [Overload] is active, I won't be hit by such strikes.
I executed a series of light slashes and stabs.
As expected, Lagmar blocked all of them.
But that didn't matter.
They were just feints anyway.
Crack!
I quickly moved to his left side again and swung my left elbow, hitting his jaw once more.
His head jerked violently to the opposite side.
'Is this the end?'
The jaw is a vital spot, regardless of race.
The hit landed perfectly.
My elbow felt numb from the impact.
This should be enough to finish it.
"..."
I looked at Lagmar with a calm gaze.
But Lagmar was still standing upright.
"Hahaha..."
His body was trembling.
"To be toyed with in hand-to-hand combat by a human to this extent."
The trembling wasn't from pain.
'Damn...'
It was rage.
I furrowed my brows hard.
