The Corrupt Guildmaster, Certain of the Adventurers’ Strength
The final subject of the selection exam.
The free-for-all began.
In the free-for-all, the remaining adventurers were gathered in the plaza and made to engage in mock combat until only six people remained. Each wore a wooden tag around their neck; the moment it was taken, they were disqualified.
“Sol! Ada! Spread out and cut down the numbers of adventurers!! We’re taking the national quest!!”
The A-rank party Fangs of the Great Beast, brought here under Cassandra’s lead. Their leader, the lancer Zeiss, issued orders as the remaining two members split left and right and dashed off.
“Uwaaaa!?”
“Fangs of the Great Beast are way too strong even on their own!?”
“D-don’t come near me!?”
Three adventurers faltered. Three arrows passed cleanly by their necks. Without injuring them in the slightest, the arrows sliced only the strings of the wooden tags hanging from their necks. The severed tags clattered to the ground.
“Sorry about that?”
Ada, the archer of Fangs of the Great Beast, picked up the fallen tags. Seeing her defeat three people in an instant, the other adventurers seemed to lose their fighting spirit. Some froze in place. Fangs of the Great Beast did not miss that opening.
“Instant Freeze.”
The moment the mage Sol spoke the spell’s name, cold air erupted from the ground, freezing the adventurers’ feet solid.
“I—I can’t move…!?”
“This is bad!?”
“Run!”
“I told you I can’t move!!”
“Nice one, Sol!”
A gust of wind swept in toward the immobilized adventurers. The instant Zeiss leapt into their midst, the strings around their necks were severed, and another three were eliminated.
“So you need both of you working together to beat them~?”
“Shut it, Ada! Sol, say something too!”
“This is simply a situation where Ada’s sniping ability shines. It’s not like we were falling behind.”
Scattering those around them and trading banter, the members of Fangs of the Great Beast moved with ease. As expected of an A-rank party. Even in a chaotic free-for-all, they were completely at home.
“Alright! You two keep thinning the numbers! I’ll take care of the biggest nuisance—Aron Marondy!”
“You just want to fight him.”
“Come on, Sol. It’s the most efficient way anyway.”
Once again, the split Fangs of the Great Beast assaulted the adventurers. The difference in class between them and the B- and C-rank adventurers who had barely made it this far was obvious. Nearly thirty remaining adventurers were reduced to less than half in mere minutes.
“There you are!!! Aron!!!”
Zeiss, leader of Fangs of the Great Beast, lowered his spear and charged. The moment he kicked off the ground, a violent gust erupted, blasting nearby adventurers away.
That leg strength… a skill effect?
“Hehe. Zeiss-chan’s body is blessed by the wind. Every one of his actions is supported by wind magic.”
“That’s Zeiss-san’s skill, ‘Spirit Tamer’!”
Cassandra added her explanation, while the young swordsman Wilx puffed out his chest proudly. “Spirit Tamer”… huh. That ability wasn’t something I knew from the original story.
Still, with that performance… it was safe to say Zeiss possessed a skill on par with Aron’s. And he was using that power not as magic, but as physical enhancement… He was an interesting talent in his own right.
“Graaah!!!”
The wind burst behind Zeiss. His spear thrust, accelerated to the speed of a gale, shot toward Aron.
“Guh…!? Fast!?”
Aron barely evaded the spear tip. Immediately afterward, he stacked strength enhancement and speed enhancement, sweeping his blade sideways in a single flash. Zeiss leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the slash.
“Aron!! I will leave Zeiss to you! I’ll handle formation commands!”
“Yeah! I’m counting on you, Sylvia!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sylvia, the female mage and leader of Red Dragon’s Wings, dash off as the two fought. So Sylvia was moving too. That expression… it looked like she had already decided whom to cooperate with.
“Now then, let’s see the true strength of the adventurer said to be Zilkein-chan’s guild’s strongest.”
“There’s no way he can beast Zeiss-san!!”
The confidence Cassandra and Wilx showed—was Zeiss really that powerful?
But—
“Just watch. Aron and the others will win.”
“……”
“W-why are you so damn confident!?”
Cassandra’s smile vanished as she turned her gaze forward. There, Zeiss and Aron were locked in a fierce exchange. Each of Zeiss’s attacks was accelerated by wind and unleashed at Aron. In response, Aron activated enhancement magic as he evaded, gradually increasing his physical abilities.
And when Aron’s enhancements reached the domain of his unique skill Godhost, a balance was born between the two.
By then, Aron could properly handle Zeiss’s relentless spear strikes, blocking them all with his sword, deflecting them, and launching counterattacks. Watching their clash, Cassandra and Wilx let out audible gasps.
“That boy… he’s beyond my expectations. Zeiss-chan is using his skill, you know? And he’s keeping up with him…”
“N-no way…!? Someone on the same level as Zeiss-san actually exists…!?”
He is the original protagonist, after all.
In the original story, Aron possessed the strength to single-handedly slay demon-men who transcended humanity. While the current Aron hadn’t reached that point yet, he now had his awakened Godhost power, plus the pride of being entrusted with this battle by Sylvia. Given his personality, that alone would let him draw out power beyond his current limits. There was no way he’d be overwhelmed.
Aron was fine. But what about the others?
“Lizette, I’ll support you with magic, go on ahead!”
“Got it! Hey, you stuck-up mage! Don’t underestimate my speed!!!”
Sylvia, having joined up with Lizette, was now facing Sol, the mage of Fangs of the Great Beast. As the tall Sol chanted his spell, a massive block of ice formed overhead.
“Ice Shards.”
The huge ice mass shattered, and countless fragments rained down on Lizette and the others. That spell… an advanced water-attribute magic. Quite the power.
But Lizette should be able to handle it.
“No way I’m getting hit by something like that!!!”
With knives in both hands, Lizette kicked off the ground. Her skill Black Bolt, which boosted her speed up to tenfold, activated. Lizette accelerated beyond human limits, weaving through the gaps between the ice shards. In her wake, a black afterimage traced a lightning-like pattern.
“Black Lightning… I’d heard rumors, but it seems it’s true she joined the Luminage Guild.”
“Huh!? Black Lightning…!? That’s the nickname of a top-class assassin! Why is someone like that in this guild…!?”
Even Cassandra was startled by Lizette’s movements. So Lizette was a talent capable of shocking even other guildmasters. Bringing her in had definitely been the right call.
“Got you! Southern Slash!!”
Lizette closed in on Sol and crossed her knives. Sensing the activation of a special move, Sol leapt sideways and raised his staff.
“A big move…!? I won’t let you! Explosive Blaze!!”
The instant Sol aimed his staff, a slight tremor ran through his hand. His eyes widened as he looked ahead, there stood Sylvia, leader of Red Dragon’s Wings, holding a silver rod and smiling faintly.
“Sorry. My paralysis can break through even high magic resistance.”
Sylvia’s unique skill was Pierce. It allowed her to ignore a target’s magic resistance. Combining that with a status ailment…
The greatest weakness of status ailments was that they were nullified by high magic resistance. While it was possible to temporarily reduce resistance by repeatedly inflicting ailments, hardly anyone would go to such lengths alone.
But Sylvia could compensate for that weakness by herself and fully unleash the power of status effects.
Her skill might have been inferior to Aron’s or Lizette’s, but she made full use of it through deep magical knowledge and clever application.
Sol, previously expressionless, raised his eyebrows. His Explosive Blaze, its trajectory disrupted by paralysis, flew past Lizette and detonated far behind her.
“Thanks, Sylvia!!”
Maintaining the motion of her Southern Slash, Lizette deftly maneuvered her knives and sliced only the string of Sol’s wooden tag.
“Sol of Fangs of the Great Beast, disqualified!!”
At Emidia’s declaration, Sol spread his hands and shrugged.
“Honestly… I underestimated them…”
As Sol sighed, the young swordsman Wilx stared in disbelief.
“S-Sol-san lost…? N-no way…”
“…… Ada’s fighting over there now.”
Unlike Wilx, Cassandra remained calm. Her gaze was fixed on the battle where Fiel and the warrior Galius were fighting the archer Ada.
“Galius-dono, I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah! Leave it to me!!”
Galius broke away from Fiel. Fiel held her sword in her right hand and stared straight at Ada.
“What is this woman!? My arrows aren’t working…!?”
Panicking, Ada fired arrow after arrow. Three shots in quick succession, each was reflected the instant it struck Fiel’s body, forcing Ada into evasive maneuvers. Her face twisted in frustration.
“Ada-san’s arrows aren’t working…!? W-why…!?”
I decided to explain things to Wilx, who couldn’t hide his shock, the power of Fiel’s unique skill.
“Fiel’s unique skill, Eisen Maiden, reflects physical attacks.”
“Reflects them!? That’s even allowed!?”
As Wilx stared in disbelief, Fiel advanced step by step toward Ada, sword in hand. Each arrow was reflected, unable to halt her approach. Ada grabbed another arrow from her quiver.
“Damn it… then I’ll just pierce you! Bullet Arrow!!”
Ada nocked the arrow. Mana gathered in her hand, spiraling tightly. She drew the bowstring to its limit and aimed at Fiel’s shoulder.
I see. A technique that increased power by imparting a spiral, turning the arrow into something like a bullet.
“There it is! Ada-san’s sniping technique!! It’s powerful enough to pierce even a rock golem! That female knight’s finished!!”
Wilx was right, if that high-powered shot landed, it would pierce through Fiel’s Eisen Maiden.
Heh. But would things really go as planned?
“Fiel is a professional in anti-personnel combat. Of course she’s anticipated this.”
“Take this!!!”
The moment Ada released the arrow, the spiraling projectile flew straight for Fiel’s shoulder—
“Ha!!!”
—only to be sliced cleanly in half by Fiel’s sword.
“Wha…!?”
“Ada-dono. Your sniping is too precise. By watching the arrowhead, it’s easy to tell where you’re aiming. You cannot pierce me with your bow.”
“That’s just a bluff…!!”
Yes, if anyone else said it, it would sound like a bluff. But Fiel could do it. She had even kept up with Lizette’s extreme acceleration.
That was the result of years of accumulated anti-personnel skill, further refined through battling the formidable Lizette. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the current Fiel surpassed even her original-story counterpart in one-on-one combat.
Ada nocked another arrow and fired another Bullet Arrow. Once again, Fiel cut it down. No matter how many she fired, the arrows were struck aside, and Ada instinctively stepped back.
“This woman… is a monster…”
The instant Ada faltered, the warrior Galius leapt in.
“Got youuu!!!”
He brought his axe down. Ada dodged in a panic, but Galius discarded the axe and grabbed the string of her wooden tag.
“Our strategy wins!!”
Galius shouted as he tore the string away. Watching the battle, Emidia raised her voice.
“Ada the archer! Disqualified!!”
Ada collapsed to the ground. Seeing this, Zeiss, who had been fighting Aron, kicked off the ground and pulled back.
“Ah… that was completely my fault as a leader.”
Zeiss leapt backward, and Aron looked at him with confusion.
“… What are you planning?”
“My party members went down. As leader, I have to acknowledge defeat. But—”
Zeiss’s aura changed. His eyes glowed green, and in the next instant, a violent storm erupted from his entire body.
“No leader lets his comrades get taken down without revenge!!!”
Accelerating like a gale, Zeiss closed in on Lizette in an instant.
“What!? Same speed as me!?”
“You pests should stay down!!”
Zeiss drove his fist into Lizette’s solar plexus.
“Kah!?”
Spinning with the momentum, he aimed the spearhead at Lizette’s neck string. The moment it was about to touch, Fiel’s sword intercepted the spear.
“I won’t allow it!!”
“So you’re good at defense, huh? …Then!!”
Zeiss spun sideways, tracing a spiral trajectory as he charged straight at Fiel.
“Spiral Thrust!!”
The high-speed rotating strike slammed into Fiel’s left shoulder.
“Gyaaaaaaaah!!?”
Fiel screamed. Clutching her wooden tag with her remaining right hand, she collapsed to the ground, shielding it with her body.
“You bastard!! How dare you do that to Fiel and Lizette!!”
The warrior Galius swung his great axe at Zeiss. But just before the blade could touch him, it was deflected off course as if repelled by some unseen force.
“What!?”
“You should stay down too!!!”
Zeiss spun sideways again and kicked Galius square in the face.
“Gah!?”
Galius was sent flying, slamming into the ground without even managing a proper fall. In an instant, Zeiss had neutralized three adventurers.
That brief display just now… by using the power of wind spirits, he was pseudo-replicating Lizette’s acceleration and even Fiel’s defensive ability. And on top of that, his finishing techniques… impressive.
“… I’ll deal with the rest of you later.”
Zeiss spat the words out. Before him stood Aron, sword at the ready.
He hadn’t gone for Fiel’s or Lizette’s tags. If he let his focus waver even slightly, Aron would close in, he had sensed Aron’s presence the whole time. As expected of the strongest adventurer in Ilios.
Watching the fight, the surrounding adventurers murmured in shock.
“He took down three people instantly?”
“He’s way too strong…”
“That’s the power of the Fangs of the Great Beast leader…”
“There’s no way we can beat that…”
“As expected of Zeiss-san…”
Wilx’s eyes sparkled. Beside me, Cassandra murmured seriously.
“It looks like Zeiss Rickelsen has fully unleashed the power of his unique skill ‘Spirit Tamer.’ I don’t know a single adventurer who can defeat him like this. With only Aron-chan and the remaining female mage… they can’t win.”
The moment Zeiss shifted his aim toward Sylvia, Aron leapt into his range and unleashed a diagonal slash. Zeiss kicked off the ground to evade and spread his hands.
“I won’t let you touch Sylvia…!!”
“Is that so? Then—!!”
As his eyes glowed green once more, a ferocious storm raged around Aron and Zeiss.
“A barrier made by wind spirits! Zeiss-san’s planning to take Aron down in a one-on-one duel!”
Wilx’s words—so it was a wind barrier. Blocking Sylvia’s magic and creating a pure duel with Aron.
“Give it up, Zilkein-chan. Zeiss-chan was exceptional from the start. Aron Marondy can’t win.”
Even by my assessment, that was true. There was still a gap between a serious Zeiss and the current Aron. A one-on-one would be harsh.
I scanned the surroundings. Blocked by the barrier, all adventurers besides Sylvia were down. Fiel and the others couldn’t move…
Hm?
Through the raging wind, I could see the old mage and Sylvia.
(Yolm-san, if we do… can we break that barrier?)
(Hmm, it should be possible. In that case, I’ll fire a Gale Shot. You use advanced wind magic…)
Sylvia and the old man were exchanging words. I see, earlier, Sylvia had asked whether cooperating with other adventurers was allowed. She hadn’t just contacted Lizette and Fiel, but also the old mage Yolm. She had understood the meaning of my words.
Two mages. A wind barrier.
“Heh.”
“What’s so funny?”
Cassandra looked at me suspiciously. I declared it to her plainly.
“I’ll tell you, you made a fatal mistake.”
“What… did you say?”
“Perfect timing. Zeiss will play the role of a pseudo-boss for us.”
Cassandra looked confused. Ignoring her, I turned my gaze back to Aron and Zeiss.
“Let’s goooo!!!”
“Come…!!”
The two men kicked off the ground at the same time within the raging storm—
What do you think about this chapter?
