The Tale of A Man Who Believed That His Reincarnation Had Granted Him A Japanese Sword And The Greatest Battle Sense, Only To Have The God Finally Inform Him "Huh, I Didn't Give You Any Combat Sense… That's Scary…" - Episode 18

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. We are pleased to announce the start of the main event of the 56th National Foundation Day Kendo Tournament, which you have all been eagerly awaiting!”

The players who left the waiting room were lined up in the corridor leading to the arena’s competition area, guided by the event staff. The event staff explained that the host would call out names, and those called would be asked to enter.

At the end of the lined-up waiting corridor, in other words, from the direction of the competition venue, cheers and excited voices can be heard. Most of the people present here as players lift their heads and stare ahead, as if steeling themselves upon hearing the voices of the spectators.

“First up is this man! The stalwart adventurer of the most esteemed adventurer clan in the royal capital, ‘Orders,’ who has received a blessed gift from the goddess, a man like thunder, with six skills! ‘Superhuman Strength,’ ‘Agility,’ ‘Fortitude,’ ‘Poison Immunity,’ ‘Wolf’s Blessing,’ and ‘Lightning Discharge!’ An S-rank adventurer, [Raijin] Roga!!”

“Alright!” With a spirited shout, Roga advanced through the corridor and headed towards the arena. Ah, I see. There’s a preliminary announcement, and then you go inside. By the way, can they also announce skills? Huh, it’s based on self-reporting? Everyone has a lot of them? I don’t have any. Such a wonderful thing.

“Next up, we have a participant from the adventurer clan ‘Orders’! A genius swordsman who came from the snowy northern countries and quickly rose to become an A-rank adventurer! Apparently, he was even dueling before the tournament. He possesses four skills! ‘Godspeed,’ ‘Wind’s Blessing,’ ‘Embrace of the North,’ and ‘Rapid Growth’! [New Star] Arthur!!”

Arthur, called by name, rubbed his lower abdomen and, as if steeling himself, made his way to the arena. Along the way, when our eyes met, he slightly bowed his head apologetically and hurried past me.

After that, more and more players were called one after another.

“If it’s skeletons we’re talking about, I’m a pro. The dead can’t speak, and now you can’t either. The priest dwarf makes a grand entrance, with skills like ‘Superhuman Strength,’ ‘Holy Prayer,’ and ‘Soul Liberation.’ Roger Enri, the Bone Crusher!!”

“Blows, slashes, magic, anything goes. I deflect and counter everything. My skills are ‘Parry,’ ‘Agility,’ and ‘Critical Hit’! Aisha of the ‘Flowing Movement’!”

“If anything goes, this is her stage! You don’t need flashiness to win! Her skills are ‘Tool Creation,’ ‘Reclamation,’ and ‘Deadly Poison,’ the ‘Shameless’ Colette Manson!!”

“Show some leniency to an old man with a short life left? Do you have any idea how many decades I’ve been an old man, you elf swordsman? I have the most skills in the tournament, thirteen in total! The oldest participant in the tournament, the silver-haired veteran, Maxim the Old Bone!”

A short man with a beard, holding a Bible-like book carefully and a mace in one hand, walked out. A blonde woman with a confident smile and a well-used round shield left a lasting impression. A shadowy man with a hood pulled low, playing with a knife in his hand, walked out. An elf-like man with long ears, muttering “ho ho ho” to himself with a gentle smile as he bent forward and left.

Various men and women passed in front of me. All of them had expressions that showed they believed without a doubt that they were the strongest. I truly realized that there were so many different people here. As more and more participants left, the only ones left in the corridor in front of the arena were the person in the owl armor and me.

“Honestly, even if it’s a request from the king, who would have thought I would end up participating as a recommended candidate from the five major merchant houses?”

A person in owl armor muttered to themselves, sighing as if it were a hassle. They seemed not to notice that I was still there, but when they moved their helmet to look around the corridor and our eyes met, they brought their index finger to the front of the helmet, raised it, and struck a pose as if to say “shh, be quiet.”

I couldn’t tell what kind of person they were because they were completely covered in armor, and I thought they looked a bit scary, but surprisingly, the person inside seems to be quite easygoing, or rather, they don’t need words because they just crush everything with their incredible strength, so they don’t seem to be the typical muscle-headed type.

“Are you also participating with the merchant’s recommendation, Owl Armor?”

“Ah, that’s right. …Speaking of which, you are from the Grosvenor family… I see. So, you are the one Olivia mentioned.”

Somehow satisfied, he moved the helmet with a clattering sound and nodded several times.

Come to think of it, during Utsuho-san’s intensive lecture, I was told that there are other big merchant houses like Lyra-san’s. I forgot what other houses there were besides the Grosvenor family, though.

“Thank you for your patience. We will now introduce the final two players simultaneously!”

Oh, it looks like the announcement for entry is finally being made. If it’s for two people at the same time, does that mean I’ll be entering with the person in the owl armor next to me? That’s great—since I didn’t know how to proceed at an event in an unfamiliar place, having someone next to me is really helpful.

“A mysterious swordsman who suddenly appeared like a meteor! According to rumors circulating in the city, they say he even cut down the lightning of the legendary [Raijin] Roga! His skills are… huh!? N-no skills!? W-what about his title… no title registered either!? W-who on earth is he!?”

“Another one is none other than the champion of the previous tournament, known to all of you! A wielder of the magic spear, counted among the Four Knights of the Retain Kingdom, who has achieved numerous legendary feats and victories! With six powerful and rare skills! We have been waiting for you!! The Knight of Dusk Hacubo!!!”

The loud cheers coming from the arena vibrate through the air in the corridor. The man in the owl armor, known as Dusk, steps forward with a quiet metallic sound and casts a glance my way. It seems to mean “follow me.”

This person in full armor had a different aura from the others in the waiting room full of strong contenders, which piqued my curiosity and prompted me to speak to them. To think they were the champion of the last tournament. There was a sense of nobility in the strength they exuded.

It’s like the shrimp tempura among the assorted tempura I used to enjoy as a treat during my corporate slave days, the one that stands out for its premium quality even among the same type. If I had eaten something more luxurious in my past life, I might have come up with a better analogy.

Basically, it’s the fault of spending money on mobile games. To be precise, it’s because of the summer swimsuit gacha, the winter Christmas gacha, the New Year’s gacha, and the Valentine’s gacha. And also because of anniversaries, external collaborations, and events featuring my favorite characters.

Following the twilight knight who is leading the way, we enter the arena. The arena has a central space large enough for a game of baseball, and a stage made of stone is set up there. The stone stage bears numerous cuts and gouges, visible remnants of the battles fought in this long-standing tournament.

Looking around, there are spectator seats surrounding the stage of the match, arranged in a tiered formation with the front being lower and the back being higher, like a step.

The stands are packed with spectators, all eagerly waiting for the match to start. You can see that there are areas in the stands with more spacious and elevated seating compared to others. These are probably reserved for high-ranking individuals or people like Miss Lyra to watch the match.

“Now that all the players have gathered, let’s go over the rules again!”

When I stepped onto the stage and lined up near the other players, the host standing at the edge of the group began explaining the rules.

Oh, I was wondering how they were explaining the players with such a loud voice, and it turns out they’re using something that looks just like a microphone. There are a lot of tools similar to those from my previous life. I think the way microphones work in this world is probably different from the original world, though.

“You will now participate in four matches in a tournament format! The matches will progress through the first round, second round, semifinals, and finals, and upon victory, you will be awarded honor and fame, along with a reward directly from the king!”

Oh really? If you win, you get something from the king. I hadn’t heard anything about this. Speaking of which.

“The main event, unlike the preliminary rounds, will be a one-on-one match using the equipment you bring! The outcome will be determined by either sustaining an injury that prevents you from continuing, surrendering, or… death!”

“However, since we have dispatched excellent healers from the guild again this time, I don’t think any deaths will occur in this tournament!”

Then, the host began explaining the detailed rules.

There are no restrictions on the weapons used, and the use of magic and tools is also permitted. The match time is unlimited, so no victory or defeat will be determined by time limit. Each participant is responsible for paying the cost if they require healing from a healer.

Also, the main point they emphasized the most was that the event organizers would not be held responsible for any deaths or injuries that occurred during the competition. They were very clear about this.

“Then, I hereby declare the start of the main event of the 56th National Foundation Day Swordsmanship Tournament!”

After the host, who had finished explaining the rules, paused for a moment and fell silent, he finally said this. With the thunderous cheers of the audience, fireworks were launched, and the swordsmanship tournament of the ancient city of Redinbara began.