Chapter 127: Battle of the Dragon Princesses, Semifinals
“Sob…”
Jairo, who ended up in a double knockout in the match just now, was completely depressed.
“I’m the only one who lost…”
Just when he thought he won, it ended in a draw by a miraculous coincidence, so it can’t be helped, I suppose.
“Ah jeez! It’s annoying to see you moping forever! You got disqualified, so it can’t be helped! Switch gears!”
Mina, unable to bear the depressed Jairo, raises her voice.
“But still…”
“No ‘buts’! It’s already over! If you’re frustrated, get stronger! This isn’t the only tournament!”
“Eh? Is that so?”
“They started it to commemorate the Dragon Emperor‘s appearance, so they’ll probably do it next year too. Considering the Dragon Princess Rite became such a festival, it’s obvious the town’s bigwigs will hold it next year too. So just win then.”
Well, that possibility is certainly high.
Or rather, I feel like that will happen.
“I see, I just have to participate again.”
Jairo raises his face.
“That’s right.”
“I just have to get stronger.”
“That’s right.”
“…Alright! Understood, Mina! I’ll become much, much stronger and definitely win the championship next year!”
“Ooh.”
At Jairo‘s declaration, Mina and the others clap their hands to liven things up.
As expected of being together for a long time, they get along well.
Friends who can build this kind of relationship are nice.
“Right, let’s go cheer for Meguri and Ryune!”
“Yeah!”
That’s right, next is Meguri and Ryune‘s match.
The drawback of matches progressing and numbers decreasing is that fellow disciple matchups like this increase.
“Next is the semifinals, so no matter who wins, one of our own will be in the finals.”
Yes, as Mina says, the Dragon Princess Rite is in the semifinals.
The number of contestants has already decreased to the remaining four.
Incidentally, we who are participating in the Dragon Emperor Rite also have the semifinals next.
But because Jairo‘s match ended in a double draw, the remaining contestants became three, so it seems the contestant chosen for the next match will get a bye.
I wonder who will get the bye.
◆
“Then, semifinals, match BEGIN!”
With the referee’s declaration, Meguri and Ryune‘s match begins.
“Hah!”
“Kuh!”
However, strangely, Meguri‘s movements were unnaturally sluggish, and furthermore, the difference in weapons between spear and dagger was a bad matchup.
As a result, Meguri was pushed back gradually and eventually pushed out of the arena, resulting in Ryune‘s victory.
“Winner, Ryune!”
“Yay!”
Ryune, who won the match, is rejoicing innocently.
“It ended surprisingly quickly.”
“The equipment compatibility was bad.”
If this were Mina, she could have whittled her down with magic from a distance.
Since Ryune isn’t a speed-specialized type like Meguri, she would have had plenty of chance to win if she used Body Enhancement Magic well.
“But I wonder why Meguri‘s movements were so sluggish? It wasn’t her usual movement.”
“Ah right, Rex didn’t see the previous match. In the previous match, Meguri and I fought. Since we both fought seriously, Meguri must have had fatigue remaining from the match. I consumed considerable magic power too…”
I see, then it can’t be helped.
Even in my previous life, during long battles, I had to constantly keep my physical condition in the best state considering not only that day’s battle but battles from the next day onwards.
“Oops, then I should have given this to her.”
I take out a potion from my pocket.
“What is that?”
“It’s an All-Purpose Potion I made. It not only heals injuries but can recover stamina and magic power simultaneously.”
“Something amazing appeared casually.”
“Ah, since we’re at it, how about you too, Mina? You still have fatigue from the match, right?”
“Ah-, yeah… it’s a bit scary, but well, since it’s something Rex made, there’s no danger… probably?”
Saying so, Mina receives the All-Purpose Potion, opens the lid, swallows the contents, and her body begins to glow faintly.
“Eh!? What is this!?”
The potion heals Mina’s body in the blink of an eye and recovers her consumed magic power.
“No way!? Magic power in such an instant!? What!? What is this!?”
Yeah, looks like it worked properly.
I remembered how to make it, but I never had the chance to drink it myself.
Then Ryune, who finished the match, returns to us with a beaming smile.
“I won, Master Rex!”
“Congratulations, Ryune.”
While praising Ryune who reports happily from her heart, Meguri, who looks somewhat depressed, also returns.
“Kuh, consumed too much in the previous battle… my prize money…”
“Ahaha, sorry.”
Hmm, it’s awkward between acquaintances at times like this.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Mina?”
Ryune tilts her head at Mina’s condition.
“Ah, she drank the All-Purpose Potion I made and recovered her stamina and magic power. Here, for you two as well.”
Saying so, I hand All-Purpose Potions to the two as well.
“All-Purpose Potion? Recovers stamina and magic power?”
“Looks like a normal potion…?”
Tilting their heads, the two put the potions to their mouths.
“Ah, NO! Meguri, don’t drink it!”
Then Mina, who had come to her senses before I knew it, shouted at Meguri not to drink the All-Purpose Potion.
“Eh?”
But Meguri had already swallowed the All-Purpose Potion.
Then Ryune and Meguri‘s bodies glow faintly, and the wounds received in the match heal.
“Uwah, what is this? Not just wounds, but the fatigue in my whole body blew away in an instant! And the magic power that should have been consumed in the match is surging… my body feels so light it doesn’t feel like mine!?”
Ahaha, that’s an exaggeration for a normal All-Purpose Potion.
“That potion has the effect of recovering stamina and magic power in addition to treating injuries. Also a weak antidote effect. See, carrying many kinds of potions becomes baggage, and drinking many bottles during combat leaves you full of openings, right? So I made it so that one bottle cures everything.”
“Eh? I’ve never heard of such a potion existing!? Can you make something like that!?”
“Impossible, impossible, normally you can’t make it. If you mix materials of potions with different effects together, in the worst case, you complete a poison.”
“Right…”
“If such a thing existed normally, the value of other potions would crash across the board. Moreover, to feed Meguri such an outrageous thing at this timing.”
“Ah-…”
Ryune raises her voice in agreement with Mina’s sigh.
Umm, what does that mean?
“…Thud.”
Then suddenly Meguri buckled her knees and prostrated on the ground.
“Ehh!? What’s wrong, Meguri!?”
Did I mess up the drug compounding!?
“My body is completely recovered…”
Huh? She’s properly healed? Then why is she making such a frustrated face!?
“If I had drunk this sooner! I could have fought with full power!”
“Ah…”
“Learning such a thing exists at this late hour, well yeah…”
“Yes, if I were in the same situation, I couldn’t help but say so either…”
“Reeeeeeex…”
From the bottom of her heart resentfully, Meguri was glaring at me with moist eyes.
“S-Sorry…”
Wh-What do I do in this situation…
“Yes, yes, no use crying over spilled milk now. In the first place, normal contestants can’t drink such medicine. More importantly, since your injuries are healed, let’s focus on cheering for Liliera.”
“That was it. The next match decides the opponent for the finals! Let’s all cheer for Lady Dragon Princess!”
“Th-That’s right!”
Thanks to Mina and Ryune‘s nice follow-up, I was able to escape the predicament.
“Stare…”
…It seems I haven’t escaped.
◆
“Then, Contestant Liliera, Contestant Kate, step forward.”
There was a bit of confusion, but Liliera and the other appeared at the venue.
And prompted by the referee, the two ready their weapons and face each other in the center of the arena stage.
As it is a fight to decide the opponent for the final match, the spectators were also watching the match with a serious demeanor.
“Hey, who do you think will win?”
“That’s obviously Lady Dragon Princess.”
“Right. Poor lady opponent.”
“Her opponent is just bad. Do your best not to get hurt, lady.”
…Serious?
“Match, BEGIN!”
“HAA!!”
With the signal to start the match, the two cross blades.
And the opponent’s sword snapped in two, and Liliera‘s spear was thrust at her throat.
“I-I surrender…”
Truly lightning speed; the match was decided in an instant.
“Winner, Contestant Liliera!”
“OOOOOOOOOO!!”
With Liliera‘s victory decided, cheers erupt from the spectator seats.
Thus, the final match was decided to be a fellow disciple showdown between Liliera and Ryune.
◆
“By the way, where were you until now?”
After today’s matches ended and we were having a meal that doubled as a victory celebration, Liliera asked the reason for my outing.
“I went to the Royal Capital for a bit to stall the anti-Dragon Emperor faction.”
“Ah.”
“Kyu.”
Eh? What’s that ‘I figured’ expression?
“Umm, anyway, I managed to capture the anti-Dragon Emperor faction people successfully, but only the Prime Minister wasn’t found.”
“Only the Prime Minister?”
“Yeah, the one I caught was a body double, and he insisted he was the real one and stubbornly wouldn’t say where the real Prime Minister was. Considering the weakness of the guards and the timing of being found by me, there’s no mistake he’s a fake, though.”
Yes, the body double was found with unnaturally good timing.
Easily enough to know he was clearly luring me.
“For an enemy, it was splendid loyalty.”
“Ah-.”
“Kyuuu.”
So what is that look that seems to say ‘Ah, that’s what happened’?
“Anyway, I left the body double with the Dragon Emperor faction noble. But since he looked so alike that even nobles used to seeing the real one regularly seemed deceived, I made sure to emphasize he’s a fake.”
“Ah- yeah, understood. You got them to accept he’s a fake.”
“I see, you made them accept he’s a fake.”
“Accepting he’s a fake means…”
“Meaning no matter what interrogation is done, it’s no problem because he’s a fake…”
“Well, he’s a fake after all.”
“That is so, let’s go with him being a fake.”
“Kyu kyuu.”
I wonder why, everyone is looking at the body double with gazes full of pity.
As expected, even if he’s an enemy, they show respect to an opponent so full of loyalty.
In my previous life too, there were many opponents overflowing with loyalty whom it was a shame to keep as enemies.
“Anyway, with this, the anti-Dragon Emperor faction shouldn’t be able to move for a while. Let’s finish the Dragon Princess Rite and Dragon Emperor Rite while we can, and make it known that Ryune is the legitimate successor to the Dragon Princess!”
“Yes! I will win against Lady Dragon Prince… no, Liliera, and make this spear famous throughout the world!”
“…Crap!?”
Hearing the enthusiastic Ryune‘s words, Liliera makes a stunned face.
“What’s wrong, Liliera?”
“I casually advanced all the way heeeere!”
…Umm, please do your best.
