On one hand, they could just keep the tournament going. Even with a Skill, if he'd only just got it, it wasn't guaranteed to change any outcomes.
However, all the fighters were pretty much running on adrenaline and fumes by this point. Even if injuries were conveniently healed between each match, it was exhausting both mentally and physically.
It was far more intense than bouts of safe sparring could ever be.
If he'd gotten any other Skill, it could be possible to just let him stumble trying to use it, but while Grit was a common enough Skill that it invited little romance, it was basically the perfect one for him in this situation.
It was a very simple Skill.
It converted Mana into reserves of stamina and adrenaline, letting people push past their physical limitations.
At the higher levels, it wasn't particularly great, because high ranked Skill-based combat burned mana faster than anything else, but it gave Suamley a serious edge here.
"We've decided. Vino will advance, and Suamley will get a bye to the final match instead."
Vino was the spearman's name.
He had lost, but rather than wholly restructure the tournament, he got a second chance. Meanwhile, Suamley became the event's de facto final boss, which was a bit ironic since there was an actual dungeon boss still competing.
Skills were known to emerge during tournaments like these. It was a major reason to have them in the first place. However, it was still a pretty rare event.
But it had marked the whole thing as a huge success, even before it had concluded.
***
I didn't watch the next match.
Because I'd gotten hungry, I snuck out while they were talking about the match between the flail guy and the spear guy.
Along the way to the convenience store, Suon sent me a message,
A few years ago, I'd struggled to afford anything but the cheapest staples.
Well, even after becoming an adventurer, I couldn't exactly splurge, but I could buy some basic snacks.
I got a bottle of water, some crackers, and a can of tuna.
While I was fetching them, I heard someone else enter the store, but didn't think much of it at first, until they came straight toward me.
'Ah.'
It was Zaitenmodi.
"You just boldly walk around like this, huh? What would you do if someone kidnapped you? You're pretty valuable, you know."
"I don't know. Who would kidnap me?"
"Anyone could... hahaha, though I suppose not many from this world actually would, but I certainly might."
"Why would you?"
"Hmm... good question. I suppose I don't gain much if I tried to force you. I guess you're safe for today, kid... but you really ought to be a bit more careful."
I wasn't sure why he was warning me.
After all, I already did about as much as I could to protect myself, and worrying someone overpowering me anyway was just a waste of time.
***
The store clerk watched in awe as a second dungeon boss entered his store.
Sure, Kid was a dungeon boss too, but he'd recognized her from a few years back before she'd ever become one, so it felt more like watching a local celebrity growing up. He'd been rooting for her from the very start, after all.
Besides, although it sure was something to have her as a regular, occasionally still handing in bottles in what he'd assumed was just sheer civicmindedness since she usually seemed to have pocket change these days, it wasn't like she was from far away.
He could, and even still occasionally did, simply walk to her dungeon and go inside whenever he wanted.
It was all a bit funny, but that was just life.
But... Zaitenmodi? Naraka? Where even was that? Wait... wasn't that the Demon King?
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Why was a legendary figure like that here, now, helping this local kid-turned-boss buy a cheap snack? Was she in danger?
She didn't seem to be, though.
Thanks to how similar they looked at a glance, it was almost like a daughter or a niece, begrudgingly putting up with her father or uncle's antics.
Had he been unknowingly dealing with royalty all this time, or something...?
***
Popcorn5: So, did Hero win?
Hero194: No.
RedOwl: He lost his first match.
Popcorn5: What about the boss?
RedOwl: She won her first match.
Popcorn5: That's it?
RedOwl: It's not over yet...
***
For some reason, Zaitenmodi walked with me most of the way back to the portal, before just leaving.
"You should be fine the rest of the way. See you around."
He was definitely treating me like a kid, although I sort of was one, so it was difficult to find fault in his actions, as unwanted as they were.
I wondered if I could just... accidentally miss my match, but I ran out of excuses to not be there.
"There you are, Kid! Oh... you got a snack... alright, we'll do Landle versus Vino first, while Kid eats."
'Looks like I couldn't have anyway...'
"Is it really fine to eat before a fight?"
"Hey, Kid, you know we're giving out free water bottles for this..."
I idly ate my tuna and crackers while watching the swordsman and spearman clash.
***
Suamley's victory was an important lesson for everyone watching, although the keener minds realized that Kid had won her own match in much the same way.
Unlike a spar or a sporting match, a hit wasn't the same thing as victory.
It needed to be decisive.
Of course, some people had already learned that in their own matches, but now that lesson had been displayed to everyone.
In particular, the finalists had struggled to properly learn it, because most of them hadn't gotten a good taste for defeat yet, each having beaten their opponents through superior ability, the sort that marked each finalist as likely candidates to someday receive Skills.
As a result, both Landle and Vino were cautious as their match began.
Vino had more reach of the two, and thus more control over the fight, though he had more to lose if his opponent were to overtake him.
He hadn't thought to get a dagger before now, but he realized even a cheap pocket knife could drastically alter his capabilities in a real, serious fight.
Still, to the crowd, it seemed like he was repeating his mistakes.
He took a cheap thrust at Landle, who managed to parry it and quickly get in close, trapping the spear where it could do him little good... but at the cost of slicing his hand a bit in the process by grabbing hard metal, he managed to control his opponent's sword too, keeping it out to the side.
With both fighters functionally unable to use their weapons, it seemed like a pointless dance, but Vino just stepped in closer, headbutting his larger opponent in the face.
Landle staggered back, and Vino stepped away too, each letting the other retreat, where distance once more favored the spearman.
It seemed Vino would just run Landle through while the swordsman was still disoriented, but he got parried once more, the massive man's steps a bit unsteady, yet not enough to fail him. This time, he swung hard at the spear, as if trying to force it out of his opponent's hands.
It didn't work, but it did create an opening.
Really, both of them were wide open. If Vino had any weapon aside from his spear, it'd have been his victory.
But he didn't, and that greatsword was ruthlessly fast despite its large size. It clipped through Vino's chest, his ribs preventing a major injury, before a second slash got his thigh.
That was enough to ruin his footwork, and as he tried to get distance, he stumbled and fell, just as Landle's previous opponent had.
With the swordsman giving chase, there was no chance to ready his spear.
The third slash was fatal.
Of course, the dungeon once more prevented anyone from actually dying, and even the victor was given medical attention, which ultimately amounted to helping carry him over to the portal so that his wounds could be undone.
***
It was my turn to fight again.
My opponent was another swordsman, so I was hopeful they'd be able to beat me. Moreover, they were very serious compared to most contenders, wearing armor and everything.
Although... the armor seemed a bit low tech compared to what this world had to offer, but everyone's fighting styles were basically more like attempts to learn Skills than truly refined for serious combat, so I chalked it up to that.
Otherwise, the most sensible way to win a tournament like this was to just use this world's equivalent to firearms, but not a single person brought any, except for a few of the guild officers who had them holstered like trusted sidearms.
Then again, non-adventurers were limited by weapon carrying laws, too.
Taking them to and from training grounds, including beginner dungeons, was fine for the purpose of practice, but nobody really practiced with those in the Lost, so none of the would-be adventurers had brought any.
As a result, even I got swept up and agreed to use a tactically inferior weapon without really thinking about it.
'Oh well. It's better this way anyway... probably.'
If I had a gun, I doubted I'd lose...
***
Suon watched as the two fencers approached one another.
A small girl holding a rapier versus an armored man carrying a sword and shield.
It was a pretty bad match up for Kid.
Of course, he watched through the lens of his guild phone's high definition video camera, capturing every moment, but if this was to be Kid's loss, he wished he didn't have to.
Just as he was considering 'accidentally' turning the video off, the match started.
At a glance, there was nothing elegant about either fighter.
The young girl kept her distance, her footwork nothing special, as her armored opponent approached with an abundance of caution, taking the ten year old very seriously after having seen what happened to those who didn't.
Their swords occasionally clashed, but it was more like meaningless swordplay than a real fight, the two testing one another, seeing if they could distract the other enough to throw caution to the wind and finally engage.
"Well... they both know what they're doing, that's for sure..."
It was over in a moment, like a quick flash.
Nature documentaries of serpents suddenly striking their prey came to mind.
The armored man advanced without warning, holding his shield as a barrier while striking down from behind it at the small girl.
Even if his attack missed, it ought to have been a body block for her. The shield wasn't massive, but it was pretty huge compared to her at least.
At worst, she might ding the armor covering his feet and shins, which would hurt, but the attempt would result in her getting rushed anyway.
Instead, she slipped her own sword hand in between his slash and his own shield, holding it at an odd angle to pierce the thin blade up in the tiny gap between his chest piece and the armor that was supposed to protect his neck.
The decisive stab made him vanish as the dungeon protected him from death, sending him unharmed back to the portal, whole and healthy once more.
***
My body moved on its own.
I just saw an opening, and took it...
"Dang it..."