And then.
「NUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!」
Like a tiger.
Like a lion.
He roared toward the heavens.
He raised his right leg and brought it down.
A motion like stomping in sumo wrestling.
Centered on the spot where his foot landed, the ground caved in with a thunderous crash, creating a depression about thirty meters wide.
A violent gust blasted out around him.
「Hahh…」
Glaston exhaled.
With his roar and stomp, his focus was now complete.
At this moment, Glaston radiated an overwhelming fighting spirit, a devilish presence, and raw battle energy.
-0-
＜Henry’s POV＞
After leaving the courthouse, I changed clothes and headed straight to the arena.
Now I’m dressed like an adventurer.
At my waist is a sword provided by the tournament organizers.
Wearing this, I stand before Glaston.
Just now, Glaston had stomped the ground, causing it to cave in.
He may use underhanded tactics, but as someone who rose to the top of a warrior nation, his ability to gather focus in an instant is impressive.
Rotten or not, he’s still a first-rate warrior.
「Challenger Henry」
Glaston called out.
「You’ve done well to reach me. I’m glad to face you in the King Selection Tournament!」
With the face of a warrior, Glaston spoke.
All doubts, confusion, and unrest about what I had done were now gone.
He continued.
「It’s time. Following the tournament’s ritual, let us begin with the formal greeting――――Judge?」
「Y-Yes!」
The female judge responded.
Then, using an Amplification Magic Stone, she announced:
「Now that the time has come――――we will begin the King Selection Tournament!」
「「「UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!」」」
The crowd erupted in cheers.
At last, the King Selection Tournament had begun.
The judge continued.
「Let me confirm the final rules. The King Selection Tournament is a battle to decide the next king. It continues until one side dies. The one who survives becomes the new monarch. If King Glaston wins, nothing changes. If Henry wins, a new king is born」
The most important point is that the fight continues until one of us is dead.
In other words, this battle requires us to kill the other.
The judge continued explaining.
「Participants may bring and use their own weapons and armor. There’s no requirement to use the equipment provided by the tournament. However, all gear must be ranked A or below」
Here’s how I interpret that rule.
(Limiting equipment to A-rank or below is a measure to prevent the king from having too much of an advantage)
The king, backed by the nation’s wealth through taxes, can easily obtain AA-rank or S-rank gear of immense power.
If allowed, he could win not through skill, but by brute force with superior equipment.
While having the strength and money to equip powerful gear is itself a form of ability, even so, it would lack fairness.
That must be their judgment.
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