The Legend Fighter tournament ignited right from the preliminaries.
Every group’s preliminaries showcased fierce and enjoyable matches that delighted the eyes.
“Disciple, the Legend Fighter tournament is thrilling even from the preliminaries.”
“Right? I almost missed out on the fun if I had woken up even a little late!”
My master and I happily watched from the VIP seats, munching on potato chips.
The Legend Fighter tournament was even more heated from the preliminaries than during Tetric’s time.
It was a long-awaited real gaming event, the first tournament of the national fighting game, Legend Fighter, featuring legendary masters gathering once again. With so many elements coming together, the excitment seemed to ignite the spectators right from the preliminaries.
But there was something else that surprised me even more.
“Noirin, the preliminaries are almost over; how do you think the finals will unfold?”
That little rascal Noirin was co-hosting next to JYJ.
From what I heard, while I was unconscious, they requested a skilled presenter from the J Bard Guild, someone who knew the game well.
I was in a faint state, Jiren passed due to annoyance, Karen was out because although she explained well, she lacked excitement, and being pretty, I thought she might say something weird. So, it ended up being Noirin, who really understood the game and matched opponents well.
However, watching Noirin host, he was performing beyond my expectations.
“Indeed, it seems the most important factor is how to overcome matchups.”
“Matchups! That’s right. Because of the tournament rules, matchups significantly affect the matches.”
On the large screen, Noirin was synchronizing with JYJ.
“Yes, players can only choose either Karuga or Ren once due to the rule that prevents selecting the same character.”
The striking image of JYJ with red sunglasses combined with the studious-looking Noirin turned out to be more entertaining than expected.
Noirin began explaining everything logically one by one.
“If a player chooses Karuga and the opponent selects Ren, they’d start the game with a strong Karuga joker while excluding Ren from the choices.”
There was even a bracket with character icons displayed on the screen for better understanding.
When did they create that?
“If that’s the case, the opponent would begin in a significantly unfavorable situation with a win under their belt thanks to the Karuga joker.”
“But if they conserve Karuga, isn’t that also a problem!?”
“Yes, indeed. If Karuga becomes overly strong, the last match will force them to use it, and the opponent will inevitably choose Ren. That’s not a good scenario either.”
“This is tough. It really is a brain-wracking strategic battle starting from character selection!!”
“But I believe that’s the fun of Legend Fighter.”
“Exactly! The headache from character selection is what makes this game enjoyable. I’m really looking forward to the finals tomorrow after such exciting preliminaries!”
With that, JYJ’s commentary concluded the preliminaries.
Not just from the Zers Empire but also from the Kingdom of Ra and the Yura Republic, 16 legendary fighter masters had been selected today.
I was already excited about the battles that would begin tomorrow.
“Yuren! Here you are.”
“Sylvia!”
As I prepped to head back and organized my spot, Sylvia approached me with a deeply concerned look.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine! I’ve been sleeping for four days, so I’m totally refreshed!”
At my words, Sylvia let out a sigh of relief.
“Seriously! Do you know how worried I was!? I was shocked when you suddenly fainted!”
“Sorry for making you worry.”
I barely remember everything, but I recalled handing Sylvia the completed version of Eternal Fantasy.
I must have collapsed right after that.
“Ha… This time it’s understandable with the schedule, but please take care of yourself next time. Your health is important.”
Sylvia genuinely worried about me.
I have to reiterate, Sylvia is a beauty.
Having such a lovely girl worry about me made my heart race just a bit.
“Okay… If you put it that way, you sound a bit like a wife.”
“Ah! A wife? Why are you saying such embarrassing things all of a sudden!!!”
“Am… I sorry!? Did that upset you?”
At my words, Sylvia blushed and shouted.
That’s strange.
In my past life, people seemed to like it when you said things like that… Am I just awkward?
As I sulked, Sylvia hurriedly continued talking.
“I-I wasn’t upset! Anyway, I was surprised, so please take care next time.”
“Got it! But, have you finished all the preparations?”
I handled all game development and production preparations, but Sylvia, Edward, and Gilbert were in charge of mass production and tournament setup.
In response to my question, Sylvia confidently smiled.
“Yes! Everything is perfectly prepared. All that’s left is to enjoy watching.”
“Great! Then let’s watch together here tomorrow.”
“Here? Really?”
Sylvia looked around.
Seeing the people from the Irene School enjoying snacks while lounging comfortably bewildered her.
Looks like I need to properly teach Sylvia how to enjoy e-sports.
“Exactly! Watching a game tournament with friends and snacks is the best fun!”
During Tetric’s time, Sylvia couldn’t join because she was meeting with her parents and other nobles related to the Edward Consortium.
Knowing that wouldn’t be the case this time, I suggested it to her.
“Hmm, alright then. Let’s watch together.”
With that, Sylvia happily accepted my invitation.
“See you tomorrow, Yuren.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow, Sylvia.”
Sylvia smiled and left.
Alright, let’s head back to our accommodations!
Just as I was about to leave,
Thump!
“Ugh! Julia? Why’d you hit me!”
“………”
Suddenly feeling pain in my side, I turned to see Julia glaring at me before punching my side.
The fierce expression on Julia didn’t stop at that.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
“Ow! Hey! That hurts! Aah!”
Julia’s punches kept coming and didn’t stop for a long while.
Today was certainly a day full of inner turmoil for me.
*
The next day arrived.
After a good rest, a proper wash, and dressing up, I headed to the Coliseum with the Irene School family.
Just like yesterday, the Coliseum was bursting with people.
It felt like a festival as people from various races gathered to watch.
Yes, Zephia looked best in this lively atmosphere.
“I’ll assist with the entrance.”
“Over here.”
“Oh! You’re VIPs, right? Please move this way.”
We were guided to our VIP seats.
Upon arriving at the spacious VIP area, Sylvia was already waiting for us.
“Your dress is pretty, Julia.”
“You look lovely too, Sylvia…”
Julia, wearing the yellow sunflower dress she showed me once, put in extra effort.
Sylvia also arrived wearing an incredibly beautiful blue dress and sat on either side of me.
What’s this? Even though the matches hadn’t started yet, I felt like there was a crazy burst of excitement in the air.
Just my imagination?
Anyway, as time passed and the event hall filled up with attendees, a familiar figure with red hair and sunglasses appeared in the center of the Coliseum alongside Noirin.
Seeing Noirin dressed in a suit made him look completely grown-up.
As an older brother, my heart was filled with emotion.
“Hello! Gamers who love games, it’s great to see you! I’m JYJ from the J Bard Guild, hosting the Legend Fighter tournament.”
“I’m Noirin, one of the game developers from the Irene School, assisting JYJ.”
As JYJ and Noirin began their hosting, my heart started racing once more.
No, this excitement wasn’t mine.
It was the heartbeat of the gamers filling this Coliseum.
“You’ve all had a tough time over the past few months, haven’t you? Right, Noirin?”
“Indeed. Those who love games have probably faced the most challenging times.”
“This tournament is, in a sense, a way to transform the frustrations and anger of gamers into joy and exhilaration.”
“Right! To the 200,000 gamers filling the Coliseum, forget the dark memories and enjoy the contests of gaming masters, bringing back only joyful recollections.”
I couldn’t help but admire the eloquence of JYJ and Noirin’s hosting.
Wow, Noirin is so cool!
“Well then, from now on!!! With the roaring cheers of the gamers filling this Zephia Coliseum!!!! Let’s commence the Legend Fighter tournament!!!!!!”
[“Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!”]
Boom! Boom! Bang!!!
With JYJ’s signal, fireworks exploded in the Zephia Coliseum announcing the start of the tournament.
Thus, the unprecedented inter-world fighting game tournament, the Legend Fighter tournament, commenced.
