I’m grateful for my ruby-rank body and my mental ability. Under other circumstances, my head would be exploding from all the alcohol I drank yesterday. The light of the intense sun barely slips through the small gaps in the curtains.
“This sun is just for decoration.” I comment softly as I close the curtain again, the icy wind having brushed strongly against my face.
I quickly get ready to explore the city. I want to see as much as possible and try all the local food available before returning to my territory. For a moment, I considered heading directly back to the academy, but there’s no point since the semester has already ended. It’s better to go straight home and contact everyone from there.
The streets are lively from early morning, the typical bustle of any capital echoes everywhere. I missed the fast pace of people in large cities a little, though there’s one thing that doesn’t quite fit.
“Where do you want to go now? What do you want to eat?” Lully asks me.
I thought the idea of accompanying me today had been a joke. I didn’t think her mother would actually give her permission to explore the city with me. It was quite a surprise to find her coming down the stairs, already prepared and even carrying some kind of item that slightly changes her appearance.
The three bodyguards move around us constantly. They never stay still for even a moment. They’re well trained to identify problems before they develop, not letting any suspicious movement or person go unnoticed.
“I just want to sit for a while in the city square.” I answer with a broad smile. I enjoy simply sitting and watching people move around, understanding a little of how the city works.
“Don’t you want to go to the fair? They say there are many more attractions this year than last year.” Lully suggests going to the fair again. It’s probably the fourth time she has asked me, she really wants to go.
“Yes, we can go now.” Nearly an hour has already passed, I’ve seen enough and it’s time to move my legs again. I can see a huge smile on her face and sense a bit of panic from the bodyguards, who remain invisible as usual.
The food at the fair is quite good and we’ve played several games. I even won a few prizes for the girls. I had to give Lully a stuffed animal resembling a platypus because she couldn’t stop staring at it. She lost three times trying to win it, while I got it on my first attempt.
“Let’s go over there, there’s a huge crowd gathering.” She points toward a certain area. Before I can answer, she’s already jogging toward the mass of people.
I quickly follow her, I don’t want to lose her in the middle of all this chaos. I can sense the desperation of her bodyguards as they move around, eliminating any suspicious individuals from consideration. We manage to make room through the crowd, pay the entrance fee, and enter the VIP area where seats are available.
“It’s a fencing competition. Don’t you want to participate?” Lully asks with hopeful eyes, I can feel the excitement in her voice.
“Actually, I do...” I reply while looking at the participants. There are only a few of them registered, at most there will be four or five rounds. According to the brochure, each match lasts three minutes unless there’s a winner beforehand. If time runs out without a winner, a panel of judges chooses one.
“Go sign up. My mother says you’re good with swords, it would be unacceptable if you didn’t take first place.” She gently pushes me out of my seat.
Registration is simple. It takes less than five minutes before I’m standing with the other participants waiting for the event to begin. The announcer continues entertaining the crowd and trying to attract more contestants.
“Kid, the modeling competition is over in the other corner, this one is fencing.” A tall, bald, heavily built man speaks to me.
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“Don’t bother him, it’s not his fault he’s handsome and has hair.” A woman beside him, apparently his companion, punches him lightly in the shoulder.
She turns toward me. “Don’t pay attention to him. He likes teasing other participants, but he’s a good person. He’s just jealous of your hair.” The woman, with large light-brown eyes and perfectly tied black hair, speaks to me.
“It’s fine, comments like that don’t bother me.” I answer with a casual smile. I didn’t feel any malice from the bald man, that’s why I ignored him and didn’t feel threatened.
The matches pass quickly. None of my early opponents present much of a challenge. I’m only using a single sword to defeat them, and none of them last longer than two minutes. We’re all in the “same rank” thanks to special bracelets that regulate the amount of mana and Imra available, making the competition as fair as possible and allowing fencing skill to determine the winner.
The first semifinal is between the bald man and his companion. They’ve both stood out among the competitors, usually winning their matches near the end. They dominated most of the time, though it took them slightly longer to defeat their opponents.
Their match is quite entertaining. Neither of them holds back, both give everything they have to defeat the other. It’s fun when fights are completely offensive in nature.
The exchange of blows is intense and exciting. Neither wants to surrender even after accumulating several wounds across their bodies. Another function of the bracelet is determining when a participant can no longer continue, very similar to the collars used during the tournament.
In the final seconds, the bald man becomes desperate and attempts a powerful slash when the smaller woman appears to lower her guard. This was part of her calculations because she dodges the attack by mere centimeters and counters with a direct thrust into her friend’s stomach.
With only two seconds remaining on the clock, the bald man’s bracelet activates, declaring his friend the winner. The entire audience applauds, cheers, and whistles after the incredible performance they delivered.
My semifinal isn’t nearly as exciting as theirs. Watching such an entertaining fight got me too excited, and I fought more aggressively than usual. My opponent couldn’t withstand the pressure of my attacks and lost shortly before the ninety-second mark.
“I knew you’d make it to the final.” The smaller woman introduces herself. “My name is Kathe. May the better of the two of us win.” She extends her sword toward me.
“I had a lot of fun watching your last match against your friend.” I extend my sword and tap the tip of hers as a sign of respect. “My name is Maki, it’s a pleasure.” We both withdraw our swords and wait for the announcer to finish speaking.
She’s quite talented. The competition is focused on fencing, but how you use mana and Imra to enhance your body also plays a role. Kathe has excellent control over both, she’s a very experienced ruby rank.
The moment the bell rings, Kathe launches herself toward me like a missile, her sword aimed directly at my chest. I block her first thrust with the flat of my blade, and she quickly repositions to attempt an upward vertical slash.
Every one of her attempts is blocked or avoided. I notice a small opening just before her next attack. My sword moves like a fast and hungry serpent, she fails to evade it and a deep cut appears across her abdomen.
She retreats with wide eyes, the surprise in her gaze says everything. I wink at her to make things more interesting, and the smile that had disappeared from her face returns immediately as she charges again without fear.
The sound of clashing swords echoes throughout the area, the strikes from both sides are incredibly fast and precise. She’s now paying much more attention to counterattacks and has managed to block several of them despite already having been cut more than five times.
I can’t relax either. I have to move constantly to maintain the best offensive and defensive positions. The fight continues, Kathe becomes increasingly injured as the seconds pass, while I’ve only received a single slash near my ribs after one of her impressive attacks.
The sound of the bell signals the end of the match. Kathe drops to her knees, exhausted and covered in cuts, while I’m breathing somewhat heavily with only a single wound. The winner is decided by vote, and I receive every vote, declaring me the victor.
“Incredible... I’ve never been surpassed by someone younger than me. You must have gone through hellish training during your childhood.” She accepts the hand I offer to help her stand.
I remember my previous life, the hundreds of times I ended up vomiting or suffering broken bones during training. “Yes, it wasn’t easy.” I reply.
“Your face seems familiar. I think I’ve seen you somewhere before. Are you famous?” Kathe examines me more closely as we walk back toward the VIP seats. Lully and the bald man are each waiting in their respective places.
“No, I’m not famous... well, maybe a little, but I’m not a model or a singer.” My answer is quite honest.
“I hope I see you again someday. Goodbye.” I say farewell when we reach the VIP section, where I can already see Lully waving her arms with a huge smile.
The bald man simply watches us seriously. “I’m sure fate will make our paths cross again someday, Maki.” We exchange a firm handshake, both wearing broad smiles. “I hope I remember where I know you from when we meet again.” We say our goodbyes.