Rising Dragon Tournament (13)

Hot! Hot! Hot! It's so hot I might be BBQ’d alive.”

I mean, I might have lit that spark, but I didn't expect that to turn into a raging firestorm! It was supposed to be a trick, but never had I imagined a test trial would lead to actual mountain fire!

And obviously, if I had been struggling, then it must have been even more worse for Eclair-san. She could ease the suffocation if she fell back though.

The fire around me was relatively stronger since I had been controlling the direction to corner her. Unfortunately, I wasn't impervious to my trap either. I tried to control the presence of oxygen in the air to restrain the flames around me, but with how strong the fire was, it was but a drop in the ocean.

It was like I had thrown myself into a frying pan. And if that wasn't enough, the more I restrain the supply of oxygen, the more carbon dioxide suffocates the surrounding. I controlled the upward air to  bring in fresh air, but then, that meant more fuel to the fire. It was literally a circle of hell I am telling you!

I didn't even have an escape route left. On my drive to the corner to Eclair-san, I had completely surrounded myself with fire. I really wanted to shout at myself "What am I, a kid?!" It was like I was seeing the mess I created in my ignorance.

Damn it, I couldn't believe I did something so stupid only Leo would do! No, I must endure. Anything's better than creating dark history under the eyes of crowd. If only the temperature had been like sauna, or hot spring. Alas, this was beyond the standard of pleasant.

Ugh... ah crap, I had begun to blank out due to dehydration, lack of oxygen, and mana consumption. But I hold on. I feel like if I fall down here, they would turn me into fable... fable of a dumbass guy to mock me.

What irked me most was I dug my own grave! If only I knew how it would play out, I wouldn't have made a big show of 'spirit fusion magic.'

I tried to warn 'come on, call it quite~', while controlling, in sauna lingo, off gas (it's basically hot air, and we do it by fanning with a towel in our dorm). And yet, Eclair-san knelt on one-knee just near the exit, and instead displayed a glint like determined warrior who's going to see through it even if it meant death. She attempted to endure the raging fire with a mana guard.

Oh come on, you aren't Godorfun for god's sake!

Just as I was mentally pulling my hairs out, I found myself an unexpected ally. It was Arichi-san.

"This is enough, Eclair. You've done your best. But call it quits now!"

Was Arichi-san actually an angel?! She spoke the words I had been hoping someone told Eclair-san!

I thanked her a thousand times in my heart. Nevertheless, Eclair-san remains adamant.

"*cough*... *cough*... Not... yet win. There's no way I *cough* would let myself become the reason to... taint your honor...!"

"No, it's my fault we've lost! This tournament means nothing against your life! If you still remain stubborn on your decision, I will have to use force from my end——"

That's right, Arichi-san! Go on, and drag her away!

But, as if fate was mocking me, Kybaria-kun held Arichi-san at her spot.

"You mustn't interfere, Your Highness! Everyone's—the Emperor himself, the officials of other nations, and even the commoners—attention is nailed to this moment! In your path to kingship, you can't kneel to circumstances! Not when your subject hasn't given up, and there is still hope for victory. How will they perceive your resolve if you do so? Everyone's watching 'the empress of tomorrow'!"

"And you're fine to see your precious childhood friend under struggle?!"

"It's because she's my childhood friend that I am,,,!"

"*Cough* *Cough*... I am fine. *cough-cough*. I can hold on... can hold on! *cough-cough-cough*!"

" "Eclair...!" "

......

............

Eh.

Just this, and she's convinced?

I was, in literal sense, being cooked here for crying out loud...

And your highness, you and your subjects are looking in the wrong direction...... The three had tears pooling in their eyes, their glare pointed at the spot they believed I was at.

At least look at the right place. I am not there!

Haa... I am beat up both ways. I thought I could win, but what good would it do if I died here. At the end, having fun was all that mattered to me.

Hmm, I didn't plan it out, but... should I try it? I was about to lose either way.

I feigned calmness while fighting off dizziness, and stepped on certain thing that I had my eyes on.

*Crack* The brooch on my chest raised a noise of glass shattering.

«............Yuglia Kingdom: Allen Eliminated. Ten Points to Yuglia.»

Oh, so friendly fire still gives point~. Just I had expected. The brooch apparently reacted to remnant traces of the attribute and its damage. The current point count on Dol's behalf, I guess.

Oh well, I would have my point if I became the last man standing, so friendly fire was saved for a specific situation. And... and goddamn, so hot!! Who cares, I need to leave this place first!!!

Bearing a poker face, I walked briskly like an old man at his limit to hold back nature's call, and took my exit out of this burning hellhole from the 4th gate.

"...Wait... stop right there!"

Arichi-san raised her voice just as I was passing by her. I stopped, or had to when I perceived dread in that tone.

"Are you... is this your way to put us in your debt?"

"Not even in slightest."

"Then, then why in the world did you take that step?!"

She approached me, her expression twisted in hideous visage. I dropped my gaze at my left arm, and sighed.

"...Unfortunately, I earned the displeasure of Salamander. In an attempt to gain favour, I ended up with harm. Someone had to quit, or we would have been seeing a death among us."

Death of the world's stupidest man—I.

I casually threw the blame for my injured left arm—due to the forest fire—to spirits, and walked away from Arichi-san, and the field itself. She didn't stop this time, held back by myriads of emotions brewing on her face.

◆◆◆

I didn't immediately return to the venue. I took off my mask, and basked in the fresh air of the forest, walking aimlessly.

In my initial vision, I had come up with various scenarios about spirits that I wanted to talk about, but I was so drained from the match that no motivation had been left in me.

After walking for a while, glimpses of cherry blossom trees began to jump into my view. I stopped under one of them, took off my leather armor, and then the shirts. I wringed it, and my sweat dropped like a waterfall.

I laid under a tree's shade, leaving the shirt for wind to dry off, having put over a big branch. The drifting wind, brushing against my cheeks, hit the home for me. Leaving myself to the drifting wind, I fell into a nap inside the forest, and was woken up by the sounds of rushing footsteps.

"Ah, here he is. What are you doing here, Allen? Everyone is looking for you."

I got up, giving my body a stretch.

"Yo. As you can see, I was taking a nap, Dol. Man, I was totally spent after accidentally causing that fire. I was so close to being cooked alive... then my mana was also rock bottom. Phew, I am tired."

I greeted them with a wide smile, causing Dol's shoulder to slump.

"I apologise, Senpai. I lost. I lacked the strength."

It was the last year for Purim-senpai. I felt regretful as I muttered an apology, scratching my head. Though, Senpai only displayed a wry smile, and shook his neck.

"I know you always give your all, Coach. I appreciate your hard work."

The smile tugging on his lips was nonchalant as he bowed, truly gratified for my participation. But then—he suddenly placed his hand on his waist.

Oh, crap. That gesture was the omen for a full-fledged sermon.

"So, Coach... About how you almost cooked yourself alive—"

"Oh, wait! I forgot to ask. What was the result of the match?!"

I hurriedly switched topics.

"...After you left, the match was soon concluded. The overall winner was Fatora Kingdom. The Empire quit just a few moments after. The water mages are frantically trying to put off the mountain fire you'd started. Mujikka-sensei headed to them as well, and asked us to look for you."

Dol supplemented, showing his wry smile.

"The remaining opponent left was Fatora Kingdom. The Empire must have decided it wasn't worth defending the first place in one's life against them, and called it quits. Conclusively speaking, we're ranked second, Empire ranked third. Your move was truly shocking. Who would've expected you to willingly step on a trap?

Obviously, though Fatora Kingdom gained the crown of winner, their result manifested from being kept aside. So, in truth, Yuglia got the final laugh. Then again, it's just like you to make an unexpected move devoid of common sense when least expected. ...So, how much of it was your plan?"

Aww, what a pity for Fatora Kingdom. Even when they'd won the war, they lost the ground just because their opponents dropped out by themselves. Now, they're merely labelled as hollow champions.

"......It just happened to be so. On my part, I was serious about the championship. And, just like I said earlier, I failed due to my lack of strength."

I stated, clearing out my intention. Dol shrugged his shoulders, and added.

"Well, just what I expected, but it's becoming quite a situation, you know? How could a person with no talent for attribute conversion managed to lit a fire out of nowhere? A part of the crowd is already clamoring you cheated with some sort of magic tool. They demand either you do it once again, or risk being disqualified. ...Can you do it again?"

What the heck...

It was merely a phony trick, something that could be easily done by an ignition magic tool in combat. I care not in explaining if they'd wanted to learn about it.

I picked up one of the dry leaves from a nearby pine tree, and held it in my palm.

"Ignition."

I snapped my finger, and the lead suddenly caught fire. 'It's not a one time trick.' I explained, tossing aside the leave as it had started to burn over my palm.

Dol and Purim-senpai's eyes had nearly popped out of their socket when they saw that.

"...A-Allen. You, do you even have an inkling of what you’ve done...?"

I patted off the dust sticking to my back, and put on a shirt after it had dried off.

"Eh, it's quite a simple trick in theory. But whatever, I can't care enough to explain to a crowd who can only blabber about cheating and so on. Oh wait, can you put that fire off, Dol? I am quite scared of another arson incident."

"You, of all, have no right to say that...' Dol monologued to himself, showing his exasperation.

What I could pick up, it's already a circus out there. I guess, it's time to make myself a lost kid again. While Dol was freezing the leaves, I decided to walk away.

What about the uproar? Heh, that's what adults are for!

I chuckled to myself, throwing the matter for the grown up to solve between themselves, and glanced at the depth of the forest. Suddenly, Purim-senpai crackled the lightning between his fingers. With his hand still on his waist, he was silently listening to our conversation.

"...The ranking is now a big mess, so even if they disqualified us now, that would change nothing. But more than that! Just where do you think you're going, Coach?"

"A-ah... I, er... right! I must travel north! There's something I had to affirm with my own eyes."

"I see. So you want to walk north, the deeper part of the Empire, huh. And alone, too? What's the reason?"

"D-does it matter how I want to travel? Listen here, Senpai. I only came here to sightsee. And one of my destination of the Aurora in the north. I heard about its sighting—"

Suddenly, Purim-senpai grabbed my right hand.

"For crying out loud, what did I say about TAKING! CARE! OF! YOURSELF! MORE! I have been telling this again, and again! Blue Hug!"

"A-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga! I-It's really nothing, but sightseeing Aurora, Senpai! It's one of must-do-thing in my to-do bucket list!"

Of course, Senpai had calculated the intensity of electric shock.

"With how dangerous this adventure is, you're not completing any bucket list, but kicking the bucket itself!"

I tried to get him away, but Senpai stuck to my right arm like a koala, thwarting my escape plan.

"C-come now, Senpai. Human life is always fleeting, you never when you kick the bu—ga-ga-ga-ga-ga!"

"Can you stop talking about death so lightly for one second! No, you're not going anywhere!"

"A-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga! M-my mana is going to run at this rate! F-fine, I understand! I am not going anywhere so stooooop!"

Ultimately, with bitter tears streaming down, I had to kneel against the glare accompanied by puffed cheeks.