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72.05% Trickster: The Apostle of Loki / Chapter 196: Ranking Tournament 2.0 [3]

Capítulo 196: Ranking Tournament 2.0 [3]

"Next up! Robert Evans versus Celina Tromb!"

*Waaaaa!*

Probably the least interesting match was about to start, with the green-haired spear user going up against Arthur 0.5. Why was it not that interesting? Because the dynamics between their weapons were somewhat set in stone.

Celina would try her best to keep Robert at her optimal range, and Robert would have to try and close the distance where Celina would have a hard time-fighting.

The reason why I thought it to be less interesting than, for example, a mage or an archer against a melee combatant, was due to the simple reason that unless one of them had some interesting skill, I was pretty sure Robert would just win.

To be fair, I hadn't actually seen Celina fight, but even though Robert hadn't stood a chance against me, I knew he was someone that was strong enough that I wouldn't be surprised if he won the whole thing.

Though I often viewed him as a lesser version of Arthur, which he was, it was more because of the fact that Arthur was on another level, more than Robert being weak.

After all, the hero was strong even to the point of being able to contend with me after I had made Ezral spend several fortunes on mana essences. Not only that, but he was also an incredibly gifted fighter and he had a 7-star Manual.

He was still the one I felt like I needed to have control over if I wanted my future plans to go how I wanted them to, as I had no idea how far he could go, or if he would suddenly just die on the field.

That was also one of the reasons I needed to get that branch from Trelis. In the case of him being too weak, I would just give him the branch so he could power up. Naturally, if he wasn't, I would just hold on to it and see if there is something else I could use it for.

'I really need to start getting things done as James...'

Even if I felt like I most likely had quite some time, as the development of Kurat's military power was still very insufficient and the only demon count here so far was Ezral, a part of me knew that it was ignorant to think like that.

*Woooo!*

As the cheer from the crowd brought me out of my thoughts, the match was finally about to begin, with both combatants having retrieved their weapons and awaited the countdown.

"5,4,3,2,1, fight!"

And they were off, with Robert dashing in, making sure he wasted as little time as possible to get in his range of attacking.

"Ha!"

As a result, Celina immediately began preparing to keep him away, launching her spear for to make sure he couldn't run straight in. However...

"[Dance of the Swallow]."

The body of the blonde-haired boy blurred, and the next moment, he was right behind the spearwoman, letting his sword rest on her neck. "Haaa... I surrender. Man, you're too strong Robert."

"W-Winner is Robert Evans!"

'So boring...'

Robert was undoubtedly extremely talented, as he had managed to get a lot stronger than when I fought him, but what I found truly boring was his opponent. From the start, there had been no motivation or desperation in her eyes. Although she pretended to feel otherwise, I had a feeling that she honestly didn't care.

"This was the shortest match we had so far! Bruce, do you have something to say about our two contenders?"

Looking at the huge display over the arena, I saw the red-haired man ponder for a bit, before giving an answer he thought would be fair without throwing mud on Celina's performance.

"Hmm, if there's anything, then it is that Robert is insanely talented. I wouldn't be surprised if he was already [D-]-rank, or at least close to it. For a freshman who has only spent three weeks at the academy, this is quite remarkable."

And he wasn't wrong. The problem was that because I was comparing everyone to myself, Arthur, and Sophie, no one was even getting close to the performance I wanted to see. Not even Sebastian would be worth considering if he went up against one of us.

With that being said, I hadn't actually seen Sophie fight seriously in a long time, so for all I knew, she might have fallen behind, though I doubted it. Her Manual in itself made it so she was literally playing on easy mode, so if she did fall behind, I would be immensely disappointed.

"Man, that was... not so exciting."

Dr. Smith appeared to carry the same opinions as I about the duel we had just witnessed, but as Zero, I couldn't show that I agreed, "I think it was cool! That skill that Robert used seems really good, and if he can instantly close the distance like that, I don't think it was weird that it was hard for Celina to do anything."

'Which, even if it's true, is not to say that she shouldn't have tried everything and anything she could.'

"Hmm, I guess you could see it that way. Anyway, I'm going to get something to drink, do you want anything?"

Resisting the urge to ask for a beer, I instead took the chance to reinforce the innocent image of Zero, "A soda! Oh, I mean, I would like a soda, please..."

"Hahaha! Sure, I'll be right back. There was a stand just outside so it shouldn't take long."

Then, the voice of Ms. Rose was once again heard throughout the arena, "Now, the next match was supposed to be Stella Klein versus Zero Adler, but because of some unfortunate circumstances, Zero is unable to participate. Therefore, Ms. Klein is awarded the win and will advance by default."

'Ah, she can't be happy about this...'

Stella wasn't the kind of person who would see this as something positive, most likely instead being inclined to feel like she was missing out on a chance to fight.

"So, with all the first matches out of the way, we will be starting the elimination matches of this..."

As there would only be one elimination match, with Zero already being out of the tournament, it didn't take long until Akane stood as the victor over Celina. Celina who once again tried to pretend as if she gave her all, but felt a lot like a lifeless fish.

'What is up with her?'

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't understand the green-haired girl at all. She was even the one who had criticized the fact that I was appointed rank 0, and then she was still not going to give her all?

Yet, it wasn't the same kind of acting as Caroline put up. It was as if she was trying to tell herself that she did everything she could, convincing herself that she was doing her best.

"Here you go."

"Ah, thank you."

Taking the drink that Dr. Smith had brought me, I quickly put the straw in my mouth and took a bit of the sweet liquid inside of my mouth, and swallowed, pretending to be overly excited about the treat.

In the corner of my eyes, I could see a grin on the doctor's face, while at the same time feeling a tinge of sadness cover him like a cloud. In the end, I felt like I needed to dial down a bit, as I wasn't trying to make him get too attached to me. 'I'm sorry...'

****

[Mikael Smith]

Looking at the boy who energetically grabbed the drink out of my hand and drank it so eagerly that I was afraid he might choke, I couldn't help but remember the past.

There was a time when I would go out with my daughter to events like this, smiling and laughing while she was constantly devouring sweets and treats.

'-Dad, look! It's an elpant!'

'-Ah, you mean elephant?'

'-Tch! That's what I said, elpant! Elpant!'

'-Yes, yes. Isn't it scary though? It's so big, after all?'

'-Nu-uh, it's not scary! Because I'm with Dad! And if I'm with Dad, nothing is scary!'

It was as if no matter how much time passed, the memories didn't get less painful, but somehow I had started to find them becoming a bit more mellow after meeting Zero.

They were still painful, but now, they also gave me a bit of strength. Strength to move forward while trying my best to make sure to help as many people as possible. And right now, my biggest priority was Zero.

Because there was no doubt in my mind that Zero would also help a lot of people, and save a lot of people. Not even mentioning his combative power, his talent in healing was unbelievable. It wouldn't be a lie to say he was a talent that would make his mark in history, and his name would most likely never fade.

However...

'Does he really have to die? Shouldn't he also get to spend his time like this, enjoying sweets and smiling?'


Capítulo 197: Ranking Tournament 2.0 [4]

[3rd person Pov]

"Silence! We mustn't allow a setback like this to cripple us!"

The gods sitting around the table all quieted down when Prometheus finally took control of the situation. This was just one of the many meetings that had been held since Theia went into slumber, and similarly to the previous ones, a lot of the gods had a hard time calming down.

And who could blame them when their biggest source of divinity was now inactive, unable to distribute the divinity given to her?

Because that was one of the roles given to the ruling god, to make sure that all of the other gods got enough divinity to not whither away. Not only that, but it was once again time to fend off the demon invasion, and as this time was much different than before, no one could predict how the mortals would fare without divine intervention.

Continuing on, the old fire god knew that the worst thing they could do was to lose their calm, as it would undoubtedly lead to their doom. "Though the ruling god Theia is in slumber, that doesn't mean we are helpless. Firstly, for the ones who have found a mortal to declare their apostle, I believe it necessary to give them their trial as soon as possible."

Raisin his head, making the arm of his lab coat slide down a bit, Asclepius wasn't as keen on his suggestion, "Weren't you the one who said we shouldn't act recklessly? If we do this, and it turns out the mortal is corrupted, wouldn't that set us back even more?"

"Caution is a pleasure only to be enjoyed by those with leisure, and that, we do not have anymore. Now, secondly..."

"I object. Though I agree that you shouldn't drag your feet, there's no point in acting like a fool."

A smooth voice flowed through the room, and before long, another god had invited himself to the meeting, an individual that none of the other gods wanted to show up. Standing proudly in his gray suit, his white mask hiding the face that not a single one of the gods present had seen.

"You...!"

"Jack, calm down!"

Just as the ice god was about to stand up and release his frustrations on the masked god, Prometheus quickly stopped him, as he was the oldest of the new generation. Which meant that he knew the crux of the situation now that Loki had appeared.

"Loki! Is this your doing?!"

Though he tried to remain calm, the fire god himself couldn't quite keep it together, as it all looked too perfect to me a mere coincidence. "Hohoho! Are you accusing me of putting the ruling god to slumber? You should watch your tongue, you fake god of fire, as if you say too much, there is no doubt that the strands might intervene."

"What is your purpose in coming here...?"

A surge of black matter emerged from the body of the trickster god, as he casually sat down in the chair he conjured, one leg over the other.

"That's simple. As the last of the ancients, I am here to fix this mess. And you all, my dear junior gods, are going to listen to my decrees. For that is the responsibility as well as the privilege given to me by the strands of fate."

****

[Zero's Pov]

The matches had continued without a hitch, and two of the next set of matches had already been concluded.

Caroline had fought hard against Akane's beasts, but in the end, it was a matter of an extremely poor matchup. Even if she was quite agile, she could never find an opening to end the match by firing an arrow at Akane.

Then, Robert once again showed the difference in power against Gomerick, who was still using spells recklessly as if not quite understanding the dynamics of fighting. His theoretical sense was not far from superb, in relation to the spells he had in his toolbox, but when it came to fighting, he wasn't nearly as proficient.

In the end, Robert had used a hit-and-run tactic long enough for the mage to run out of mana, which inevitably translated into his defeat.

Now, however, was a match that I was insanely excited for, while at the same time thinking it was such a shame that they wouldn't get to see each other later in the tournament.

"Stella Klein versus Thomas Everstone!"

The tanker versus the beastlike Thomas, a fight between defense and offense. If it weren't for the fact that I wanted both of them to meet in the finals, my heart would probably beat a little bit faster when thinking about it. Now, that wasn't the case.

Then, as we watched the contenders shake hands, Dr. Smith opened his mouth, "Hey, Zero. Who do you think will win?"

For me, it was a hard question to answer. In this fight, Stella had to make sure to block every and all attacks that Thomas launched. If she didn't, there was no way the man wouldn't make full use of an opening with his insane mobility.

That being said, if my gut feeling about what Manual Stella was using was right, there was no way to tell what would happen. The applications of being able to manipulate space were just too many to know what she would come up with.

To be honest, it was kind of a shame that she wasn't a mage, as it felt obvious that such a skill would cost a lot of mana, and even if she had a large mana pool, a lot of it would be used on the enhancement of her body.

With them both walking back to their starting points and taking out their weapons, I knew there was no longer any point in thinking about the answer.

"To be honest, I have no idea."

"5,4,3,2,1, fight!"

****

[Stella's Pov]

"5,4,3,2,1, fight!"

Raising my shield with a smile, I prepared myself to stand up against the barrage of fists that was certain to come. And just like I thought, the big man didn't hesitate in sprinting forward, eager to make contact with me.

It didn't take long until we were in both our optimal ranges, and the big man raised his fist.

*Bam!*

"Guh!"

It was a heavy attack, but it was still nowhere close to the dragon lady that I had sparred against last weekend.

So, bending my knees and bouncing back, I pushed Thomas back and quickly slashed with my word.

Seeing my sword aimed at his neck, he used the same move as he did against Mr. Brown.

Bending his back, he not only dodged my sword but managed to counterattack with a kick as he launched himself using his hands on the ground as levers.

Just before his foot was about to hit my chin, I activated my skill.

'[Forced Movement!]'

*Bam!*

Though I had to take a step back because of the force of his kick, my shield had successfully protected me from getting knocked out.

Fixing his posture, Thomas gently smiled at me, as we both knew that this was where the fight would start for real, with us having finished our 'introductions'.

*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

This time, Thomas wasn't getting a feel for how sturdy I was, instead launching a number of punches and kicks to try and pressure me, while at the same time not wanting to make himself open for another counterattack.

And sadly, his strategy was working wonders. While I only had to use my skill for about a fourth of his attacks, it was still enough to drain my mana quickly. Adding to that, every time I tried to slash him with my sword, he just twisted his body inhumanly to dodge.

*BOM!*

"Argh!"

A huge punch landed on my shield once again, making my arm go numb from the impact. 'Shit... I can't win like this.'

My first instinct was to use the other skill I had, but after the fight with Robert, I knew it would be careless.

*BAM!*

Another huge hit came in, as Thomas was now fully intent on draining whatever mana I had left, which would undoubtedly lead to my defeat. 'Think, Stella, think!'

Yet, there was nothing that I could come up with. In the end, it looked like I was staring down the end of a dark alley, where I had no other way to go. 'Fuck! If it wasn't for this cursed Manual! If only I had a normal shield-based Manual as my Main Manual I might be able to do more!'

Unfortunately, life wasn't so kind to randomly create a miracle, as Thomas' gauntlet started shining in bright orange.

"[Penetrating Fist]!"

*BOOM!*

"Kaah!"

Even though I blocked the attack with my shield, I was still sent flying through the air, my mana-drained body unable to withstand the power behind his punch. The next thing I knew, I saw a huge metal gauntlet coming, and then everything turned black for a second.

A moment later, I was standing beside my homeroom teacher and Mr. Brown, and with a heavy heart, I had to accept the host's words that rang out in the arena.

"The winner is Thomas Everstone!"


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