Chapter 699

『Fran, how's your condition?』

「Nn, all good」

『Good. How about you, Urushi?』

「Woof!」

Urushi replied with a cheerful voice from within the shadows.

Urushi has returned to us today. Now that Sibylla and her companion were also participating in the tournament, it become easier to monitor them. The adventurer's guild must have decided to relieve Urushi from his post as his master was also participating.

Fran nodded at my words with her usual expression. She seems to be somewhat excited, but not as excited as I think she would be.

But, well, I think she should be able to remain calm and fully demonstrate her abilities in this state.

Her bearing did not change as she walked through the corridor and was showered with loud cheers from the large crowds.

It seems she had gotten used to the cheers after last year's experience.

As expected of Fran, she is so dependable.

In contrast to Fran, the young man standing on the other side of the arena looked somewhat flustered.

「C-calm down, me…」

It was the Phantom Swordsman, Dufour. He'll be Fran's opponent in the first round of the martial arts tournament.

His job is still that of a phantom swordsman, but he looked much more skilled than the last time we saw him. His status and skills have become more developed too.

However, I guess he is not used to fighting in front of a large crowd. He was clearly a bit intimidated under the gaze of more than ten thousand people.

But with Fran in his sights, he seemed to have flipped a switch.

The face of the young man who had been looking around at the crowd with an uneasy look changed into that of a warrior. Well, he still looks a little pale though.

「S-so you've come!」

His voice is so hoarse. Maybe it wasn't the crowd that made him pale, but his fear of Fran?

Come to think of it, the last time we saw him, Fran gave him a pretty bad experience. Maybe he was remembering that time. And now, the very same person was his first opponent.

No wonder he was so frightened.

「It's certainly been a while, isn't it!? T-today won't be like last time!」

『Fran, just reply with a nod for now』

「Nn」

It would be a pity if Fran were to reply with a "Who?" when Dufour is courageously putting up a brave front after all.

『Now, here we go! It's that time of year again! The Ulmut Martial Arts Tournament! Starting with the first round, here come the seeded participants!』

It's been a year since I've heard this kind of commentary. He spoke as fast as ever, introducing the participants to the audience without pausing.

『Last year, she beat all the other strong competitors and came in an impressive third place! The incredible beastman girl who set the record for the youngest winner! She's not a dark horse this year, she's the number one seed and the favorite to win! The Black Lightning Princess, Fraaan!』

Immediately after the introduction, an explosion of cheers rained down on Fran. It was as if an idol or the like had just appeared on the stage, and the cheers were even mixed with shrill voices.

It seemed that Fran was much more well known and popular than I had imagined.

Well, it has only been a year since last year's martial arts tournament in which Fran performed well. I'm sure many people still remember Fran.

The cheers showed support and encouragement for the participants.

『I can't wait to see what kind of amazing fights we'll see this year!』

Fran stood calmly as she was used to, but Dufour was visibly dismayed. He seemed to have remembered that he was being watched by a lot of people.

『On the other side, making his first appearance in the main tournament this year! The D-Ranked adventurer, Dufour! He may be young, but don't underestimate him! He's a formidable participant who made it through the preliminary round unscathed with his skillful swordsmanship!』

The audience roared at the commentary. However, the cheers were far less than at Fran's, as a clear indication of the popularity of the two.

The spectators are being too obvious! It's good manners to applaud for both sides, you know!?

But it seems that DuFour is so nervous that he is completely unaware of such things. With a slightly awkward movement, he draws his sword and readied it.

Well, it was his first time in this tournament. It also seems that the crowd were much bigger than he had expected. And his opponent was the terrifying Black Lightning Princess. I have to admit that I felt sorry for him.

Even so, I appreciate the fact that he doesn't lose his will to fight. Well, Fran doesn't seem to be aware of it at all though.

「? What's wrong?」

「I-it's nothing!」

「Mmm」

Fran, which has no word called "nervous" in her dictionary, couldn't understand why his movement was bad.

Fran followed Dufour's lead and drew me out. Seeing this, his eyes twitched slightly. He's clearly afraid of me.

The calm face of Fran and the pale face of Dufour face each other in the center of the arena. Just from the contrast between them, it is easy to see who has the upper hand.

And then, it's finally time for the battle to begin.

『Well then――Let's begin!』

「Ooohh!」

Immediately after the signal was given, Dufour rushed in at once. What he unleashed was a horizontal strike with all his might. And as expected, he hid the blade with his skill, the phantom sword.

He wanted to strike before Fran did. But his opponent was simply too skilled. Fran could see the invisible trajectory of the sword by the sound, and she bent down to pass under it.

「Impossible――gha!」

Fran's fist went straight into his belly, and digs into his guts. With that one shot, Dufour's legs lost their footing and his body collapsed.

「You've grown a lot. But you're not close enough to get to me yet」

「…Damn, it…」

「Your opponent could read your movements if you don't mask your gaze. Also, there's still problem with your movement too」

「…」

It seemed that seeing his phantom sword had finally reminded her of Dufour.

But I don't think Dufour is listening. Because he's already completely unconscious.

『What a stunning performance! It's all over in just five seconds! Many of you seemed to have missed it! Well, it looks like we'll have to keep our eyes on the Black Lighting Princess this year too!』

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