Rebel Without Flaws
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The first thing I noticed was the smell. It had been a long time since I’d smelled anything like it, but there wasn’t any mistaking that odor: fresh-cut wood and oiled leather mixed with sweat from all those bodies crammed into one place at once.
The second thing I realized as we walked through the doors of the arena was how quiet everything seemed to be—even though this crowd looked just about full enough for me to make out individual faces in every row.
There were no shouts or cheers coming up from below; only a few scattered conversations here and there, voices raised so low they might have been whispers if not for my enhanced hearing. And yet despite their lack of volume, these people made themselves heard by sheer numbers alone.
Even when they weren’t talking loudly, you could still hear them whispering amongst each other…and then again even louder after someone else joined in on whatever conversation started it off.
“It’s almost like the whole city is waiting,” said Aiko quietly beside me. “Like everyone has something riding on tonight.” She glanced over her shoulder at where Kojou stood behind us, his expression grimly determined. He gave an awkward nod back before he turned away and headed toward our seats. As soon as she saw him go, Aiko let out a sigh of relief.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy. Not because of what happened between us last night (though I did think that part sucked), but rather due to the fact that he’d come here today without knowing who would be fighting against whom. That meant he wouldn’t know which fighter was going to win until right before the fight began.
But considering Kojou himself didn’t seem concerned about that much, maybe it really shouldn’t bother anyone else either?
As I thought things over, the two of us slowly descended down the stairs leading deeper into the arena. We passed through a wide corridor lined with small shops selling food and drinks, then came upon the seating section itself.
Here, rows of chairs ran along both sides of the hall, leaving space for spectators to stand around the edges of the floor beneath the elevated stage. Above us rose the bleachers, filled with more than three thousand fans packed together tightly.
Most of them wore uniforms bearing some sort of crest indicating affiliation with one of the participating schools. If memory served, most of the students attending were from Academy City’s public high school system, while others belonged to private academies affiliated with major corporations or political families.
However, there must also have been quite a number of people present whose affiliations lay elsewhere entirely.
Aiko and I took our seats in the front row near the center aisle. On the opposite side sat Yukina and Tsukuyomi, followed by Yaze and Kanon, then finally Kojou standing next to the empty seat reserved for Akatsuki. With the exception of Kojou, none of the rest of us knew exactly who was fighting against whom, so we decided to wait for the match to begin before making introductions.
Once the six of us settled ourselves comfortably, the announcer called out, “This evening’s main event will feature twelve bouts featuring fighters representing the four great nations of Japan! In addition to the battle royale scheduled for later tonight, we’ll kick things off with the finals of the Four Great Nations’ Battle Royale Tournament!”
He pointed dramatically toward the entrance to the ring, where a group of young men wearing matching outfits entered carrying large wooden swords. They marched single file across the stage and stopped directly in front of their opponent—a man dressed head to toe in black armor, complete with helmet. Their opponents were separated by a distance of ten meters.
That was when the audience erupted into applause. This wasn’t your average sporting competition. These guys were supposed to kill each other.
With the referee at its center, the sparring area inside the ring became deathly silent. Then, as if spurred on by the roar of the crowd, the combatants charged forward one after another. The armored warrior swung his sword at the nearest adversary, sending him flying backward.
But the instant the fallen foe hit the ground, several others rushed in from different directions. All of them wielded blades of various shapes and sizes. One sliced cleanly through the air, slicing open the torso of the enemy already lying wounded on the ground.
Another stabbed straight downward, drawing blood from the neck of the victim who’d attacked earlier. Finally, two more soldiers slashed wildly at each other with their swords, creating a cloud of dust in the process.
In the midst of this chaos, the lone figure in black armor moved quickly among the fray. His movements were smooth and graceful, like water flowing over rocks. Each strike was precise and well timed, never missing a beat. It was obvious that he had no intention whatsoever of killing any of these foes; instead, they seemed to serve only as practice for him.
The first round ended up being a draw. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, but neither could claim victory.
After a brief break, the second bout commenced. Again, the scene unfolded just as expected: the armored warriors clashed repeatedly, using all kinds of weapons. Though the numbers weren’t equal anymore, the opposing forces continued to exchange blows, inflicting serious injuries on every member of the other team.
By the time the third round started, the remaining members of the opposition were practically reduced to corpses. Even though the victors still outnumbered the losers greatly, the sheer power of the attackers made it clear that they would eventually run out of enemies to defeat. And yet…
When the fourth and final round kicked off, the entire arena grew eerily quiet once again.
There was not even a hint of movement anywhere within the ring. Everyone watching held their breath as if afraid to breathe too deeply lest the slightest sound might give away their presence. For what felt like an eternity, nothing happened. No matter how hard you looked, nobody appeared to be moving. There was simply no way to tell which side had won.
Then, with a loud clang, the last surviving fighter stepped back from his post. He stared intently at the opponent standing beside him. A moment later, the latter raised his own blade, revealing a crimson red slash running diagonally down the length of it. That was enough to confirm that the fight had come to an end.
“Well done,” came the voice of the announcer. “Congratulations to Team Crimson.”
It was a decisive win. As far as anyone else there knew, the armored warriors hadn’t been able to inflict a single wound upon their opponents. However, the fact remained that they’d managed to hold their own despite overwhelming odds.
As soon as the announcement finished, however, everyone present began talking excitedly about something entirely unrelated. Apparently, they thought the outcome was suspicious. Why? Because they couldn’t believe the victor should have survived such a vicious attack without sustaining injury himself.
Of course, I didn’t share those doubts. If anything, my opinion was quite the contrary. After all, the person responsible was me.
I was the one who’d given the order to let the armored warriors go free. My objective was simple: to make sure none of the victims died. Using the very same magic spell used during the incident in Tokyo Bay, I set the captives’ bodies ablaze.
By doing so, I prevented them from suffering any further pain or anguish while also ensuring that they wouldn’t rise from the dead afterward. In short, I ensured that the deaths of the people trapped aboard the cruise ship would remain forever unavenged.
And now here we are, three years later. To think that someone actually saw fit to honor us with a medal!
My thoughts drifted back to our conversation before the ceremony.
“So why did you decide to take part in this event?” asked Tomochika.
She sat next to me on the couch in her room, looking rather bored. She wore a white dress with long sleeves and a high collar. Her hair was tied neatly behind her head, giving her a slightly refined look.
“Honestly speaking, I’m not really interested in sports. Or medals, either. So I figured participating would be pretty pointless.”
Her expression brightened noticeably at my reply. “Oh, okay then!” she said cheerfully.
At least somebody’s enjoying herself.
A few days prior, I’d received word that some sort of martial arts tournament was taking place in town. Naturally, I decided to attend. The organizers were kind enough to provide transportation, and since I already owned a suitably stylish outfit, it wasn’t much trouble to put together an appropriate ensemble for myself.
Even so, when I arrived at the venue, I found myself completely unprepared. There were dozens of participants lined up outside, each wearing elaborate costumes. They were clearly all competing for prizes, judging by the number of spectators gathered around the entrance—and most of them were female.
What is going on?! Is this a cosplay contest or something?
On top of that, many of these women seemed to be dressed as armored warriors. It was almost impossible to tell apart real-life soldiers from costumed characters. Some of them even carried swords. Others wielded staffs. Still, others brandished spears. All told, there must have been over two hundred different fighters milling about inside the building.
Naturally, I’d never seen anything like this before. While the sight certainly piqued my interest, I quickly realized that I had absolutely no idea where to begin.
Fortunately, I spotted a familiar face among the crowd. It turned out to belong to a woman named Miharu Sakurai. Seeing her brought back memories of the time we spent together in Japan, but I tried not to dwell on things past. Instead, I focused on finding a way into the hall itself.
After asking several passersby, I finally located a door marked VIP ENTRANCE ONLY. Unfortunately, when I knocked on the window, a man emerged to inform me that only special guests could enter through that particular route. Even though he appeared to be a member of the organizing committee, his tone suggested that I might find better luck if I approached another location instead.
In other words, the event was reserved exclusively for invited individuals. And apparently, I wasn’t one of them.
The problem was, I still wanted to see what was happening within the building. But how was I supposed to get inside?
Miharu noticed my predicament and offered to help. With nothing left to do, I followed her along as she made her way toward the front gate.
Once again, I encountered more than a dozen armed guards standing watch. This time, however, I opted to approach them directly. Perhaps because I happened to be a fellow warrior, they allowed me to pass without question. Once I reached the main entrance, I discovered that I was actually permitted to proceed after all.
Despite being surrounded by such a large group of strangers, I felt oddly calm. Maybe it’s just my imagination…
Inside the arena proper, I found myself confronted with yet another obstacle. An enormous stage stood in the center of the floor, flanked by rows upon rows of seats. A single spotlight illuminated both the contestants and their audience. As far as I could tell, nobody else was present aside from the combatants themselves. On the whole, it looked like a scene straight out of ancient Greece.
By contrast, the rest of the facility contained numerous halls and meeting rooms, as well as various shops selling food and souvenirs. Judging by the number of customers lining up at the cash registers, business was booming. Apparently, everyone who had purchased tickets had shown up on time.
I took advantage of the opportunity to grab a bite to eat while I waited for the show to start. Afterward, I returned to the lobby area to observe the proceedings. At first glance, everything seemed perfectly normal. In fact, it didn’t seem like anyone had any reason to suspect that anything unusual was occurring beneath the surface.
That said, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something terrible lurked somewhere nearby. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the sensation wouldn’t go away. It reminded me of the time I fought against the Demon Lord himself.
Eventually, the announcer called for silence. Then he raised his hands above his head, signaling that the match was about to commence.
***
As soon as the lights went down, a series of explosions erupted throughout the auditorium. These blasts sounded similar to the ones I’d heard during my battle with the Demon King. However, unlike those earlier sounds, these new noises came from every direction simultaneously.
It took me a moment to realize that the noise was coming from the ceiling itself. From one side of the room, then the next. And now, right overhead!
At last, I understood why the walls and windows hadn’t shattered: the sound waves traveled through the air rather than hitting solid objects. The same held true for the glass doors leading outside, which remained undamaged despite the volume of gunfire echoing across the hall.
Another round of explosions shot forth, this time accompanied by a chorus of screams. One second, the entire audience was cheering; the very next instant, pandemonium reigned supreme.
Then, suddenly, the lights came back on. Everyone began filing out of the stadium en masse. Before long, the place resembled an abandoned construction site.
“Wh-what just happened?”
I asked Miharu for answers, but she simply shook her head. “You’re not gonna believe this…”
She proceeded to explain that the tournament had become a war zone. She claimed that the fighting continued unabated until dawn, although I suspected that the truth probably lay elsewhere altogether.
Still, it was clear that the competition between the knights and samurai—and whatever other participants were involved—had been fierce indeed. There was no telling what kind of damage had occurred over the course of the night.
And there was also the possibility that someone had died. Considering the nature of the venue, I doubted that anyone would have survived unscathed.
But even so, I decided to press forward regardless. If I didn’t make my move before the sun rose, I never intended to return home at all.
So I set out once again for the castle tower. Along the way, I passed countless dead bodies scattered across the grounds. Some appeared to belong to people who had fallen victim to stray bullets or shrapnel. Others bore wounds inflicted by blades and blunt instruments alike.
Regardless, none of the corpses showed signs of life. They weren’t moving, nor did they appear capable of doing so. For some reason, though, I sensed that death was only temporary. That is, unless I intervened.
My destination proved to be a small stone structure located near the edge of the forest. Although its exterior was covered by vines, I knew exactly where to find the hidden door.
The moment I opened the portal, I found myself inside a dimly lit chamber. The space was furnished with several tables and chairs, along with a few chests containing assorted items. Most importantly, a pair of swords hung from the wall opposite the doorway.
In addition, I noticed two soldiers lying motionless on the ground. Both men wore black armor emblazoned with silver runes. Their eyes stared blankly into the distance. Despite looking dead, neither man possessed any obvious injuries.
A quick examination revealed that both victims suffered from severe blood loss. As such, their hearts likely stopped beating moments after the fight ended.
After confirming that the situation wasn’t going to change anytime soon, I made my decision. I withdrew the sword from the nearest corpse’s chest cavity. Once that task was complete, I moved on to the next body in line. This process repeated itself dozens upon dozens of times…until finally, all six warriors were laid to rest.
Now, if only I could do the same for the Demon Lord.
***
When I arrived at the top floor of the castle tower, I discovered that the hallway was filled with hundreds of armed guards. Apparently, the king had dispatched them to secure the premises.
However, I didn’t see a single person who looked remotely familiar among the ranks. Not one member of the royal family stood amongst the crowd. Nor did I spot anyone else whom I recognized from my previous visit.
To put it another way, I was completely alone. Which meant that I needed to take care of business quickly. Otherwise, the odds were good that I might end up being killed without ever having the chance to say goodbye.
Which reminded me: I still hadn’t told Yukina how much I appreciated everything she’d done for me. So instead of wasting any more time, I headed straight toward the throne room.
Once there, I used my magic to open the door. A second later, I stepped foot into the chamber.
For starters, the interior was decorated with gold leaf and marble columns. It felt like stepping into a palace fit for royalty, albeit one whose master was currently missing.
Next, I spotted the king himself seated atop the dais. He sat facing away from the entrance, his hands clasped together as he gazed down at the floor. In contrast, Princess Kaguya was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the queen occupied her usual seat beside him.
As far as I could tell, the princess was absent because she was busy tending to the wounded. Or perhaps she was taking part in the cleanup efforts? Either way, she must’ve been nearby since I couldn’t sense her presence anywhere else.
On the subject of absence, however, King Ryoji seemed to be present but mentally absent. His gaze remained fixed on the ceiling above. And yet, despite appearing to pay little attention to anything around him, he kept glancing back and forth between the window and the floor.
Meanwhile, the queen was staring off into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Her expression was grim, almost sad. But then again, whenever I saw the woman these days, she always gave me an odd feeling. Something about her demeanor suggested that something important was bothering her.
Perhaps she regretted sending her daughter to such dangerous territory. After all, the kingdom was now under attack by monsters and demons. Even worse, the Demon Lord was said to live somewhere deep within the woods.
I wondered what she would think when she learned that I had gone searching for him. Then again, maybe she already suspected that I was involved somehow. At least, judging by the look on her face, I got the impression that she believed me to be guilty.
“Your Majesty,” I began. “You’re not planning to leave this place?”
King Ryoji glanced over his shoulder before answering. When our gazes met, he spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.
“…No.”
He continued gazing upward until eventually turning to meet my gaze once more.
“It appears we will have to wait here for your return. You are welcome to stay as long as you need to prepare yourself, Your Highness.”
Princess Kaguya nodded silently. She appeared calm, composed even. Yet, considering the circumstances, I wouldn’t call either response normal behavior.
Then again, given the events unfolding outside, I supposed they weren’t exactly abnormal reactions. Unfortunately, none of us knew whether or not I’d make it out alive. If things went poorly, I doubted I would survive the encounter.
Still, that didn’t mean I intended to give up so easily. All I wanted to know was where the Demon Lord lived. That was enough motivation for me to continue fighting.
And while I may have been willing to risk death, my allies certainly weren’t.
The End