I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 59

“Isn’t this building going to collapse?”

Isabel looked up at the ceiling.

Boom!

Dust from the building fell.

The table was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the chairs creaked as if they were going to collapse. There was no sign of neglect.

“Still, this location is hard to find.”

As Jean said, the facilities were outdated, but the food shop’s location was different from the other buildings.

Thanks to that, intruders would have to be exposed to a high degree of risk to enter the shop.

“Hey, with all of you gathered here, you look like you’re having a laugh.”

Kiki’s knees wobbled.

The Arkania Party’s costumes were designed individually. Jean wore a black robe with three zones, Isabel wore a red robe with four zones, and Chris wore a black suit with one zone.

Each of them was a masterpiece designed by the party’s design team, but when they were together, they didn’t harmonize.

“What kind of game character wears clothes like this…?”

“Ah, they fit well together. It’s like a tomato with all the red.”

Isabel’s eyes sparkled, but Chris, who had consumed a lot of mana, didn’t care and took a sip of Madring.

“But you guys are really awesome. What kind of equipment did you gather like this?”

The S-rank artifact that was used to defeat Icef. In addition to the knight’s oath and buffs, there was also 30 Madrings. Chris was surprised.

“I’ve almost used it all up.”

In fact, most of the items were collected by Jean through his own means. Thanks to that, they were able to defeat Icef. Moreover, they had replenished their mana by almost fully consuming the supplies from the golden box and reduced their hunger to almost zero.

Although the tournament had reached its later stages, Arkania was in a good state.

“But how is it that there’s not a single participant in sight?”

The food shop near the school was located in the central part of the city. However, Isabel didn’t find a single participant while she was here.

“Yeah, something’s strange. There’s not a single person, not even an ant.”

Chris’s eyes sparkled with mana.

His state had improved, and he could now use his skills to some extent.

However, even with his enhanced vision, he could only see the buildings.

It’s really Selya who’s going up against us.

If the remaining participants had really formed an alliance, I would have been confident that we could defeat Selya.

‘Well, at least we have nine or more members, not to mention…’

How many participants went to challenge Selya? Who won? Jen’s curiosity didn’t last long, as the system told her the answer.

[Current surviving members: 6]

[Only 2 parties remain out of 33.]

Right now, the only party left, excluding Arkana, is…

“Selya has won, it seems.”

Chris drew her short sword.

The sword, with its elegant design and blue blade, had an unbalanced charm to it.

[The final rule is a tournament.]

[There are 30 seconds left until the entrance to the circular arena.]

“Is it a tournament, then?”

Isabel smoothed out her disheveled red hair and adjusted her robe-like costume, which looked like a set with her magic tool and gauntlets.

Tournament.

If it was a survival game until now, then the tournament is a game that’s too favorable for combat-type mages, who rely solely on their strength.

[Amy♥: Is that right? Broadcasting is just like that, then. The final round is a tournament, after all. Hehe.]

The rule had many variables, but there was no reason to be surprised.

As Amy said, the result was somewhat predictable, and Isabelle and Chris were party members trained by Jen.

No one trusts their party members more than Jen herself.

“Are you all confident?”

Jen stood up, holding her black sword, as the curtains opened.

The final showdown. The time has come to mark the starting point.

The audience’s applause for the final battle. With the intense atmosphere, Vernon shouted towards the screen.

“We’ve lost to Selya, the alliance of 6 parties! The remaining ones are Arkana and Selya!”

The red words “Tournament” appeared on the screen, followed by the names of the remaining participants. Although the brackets had already been decided, Vernon exclaimed with excitement.

“Let me briefly explain the rules of the tournament before we announce the brackets!”

Blumina began to explain the rules.

“The remaining 6 contestants will play a 1-on-1 battle on a small map, with a total of 3 rounds. The team that wins 2 rounds first will win the game.”

“Winning team wins! Simple rules, isn’t it? Do you remember the question I asked at the beginning of the competition, Blue Mar?”

Blue Mar thought for a moment before responding.

“Ah, I think I asked which party would win?”

“That’s right. This time, I’ll ask the viewers.”

[Pac]

Round 1:

[Chris Arun] vs [Demona Execute]

Round 2:

[Isabel Blitz] vs [Cua Warnerbell]

Round 3:

[Jean Ressel] vs [Lucia Elquines]

Vernon smiled and explained how to vote using his phone.

“You can vote three times per round. And the contestant who wins the viewer vote will get to choose…”

[Blue Delmar Swimming Pool]

[Luda Subterranean City]

[Primordial Forest]

[Circle Colosseum]

[…]

Vernon pointed to the various maps displayed on the screen.

“You can choose any map you want.”

So far, the contestants had been surviving on a randomly assigned deserted island map. But from now on, things will be different. It’s 1-on-1 combat with a map of your choice. The variables are now the artifacts and items they’ve collected.

So, choosing a map is a crucial element. The viewer vote held great significance.

* * *

A good view from the sky lounge.

Brodo, who had been watching the proceedings, asked Cassian:

“How’s the viewer reaction?”

“Well, since Selya’s party did party play, the party members without the party leader also had a high camera ratio, didn’t they?”

“That’s right.”

Brodo nodded his head.

In fact, the first half was more impressive than Lucia, with Kua and Demona’s performances dominating the stage. The two of them, like bodyguards, had already taken care of the enemy before Lucia could even get close.

“So, it seems that…… the first round is completely overwhelming, and there’s no comparison.”

First round – Chris vs Demona (82%)

As Brodo looked at the voting results, he furrowed his brow seriously.

“Was it really a mistake to send Jean and Lucia to the third round?”

It didn’t matter to Brodo which academy would win, but he couldn’t let one side win 2-0.

‘Then the ending would be completely meaningless.’

He had put the main characters in the last round to decorate the conclusion, but they wouldn’t even get a chance to participate? That was not a good picture. Brodo continued to think about it, and Cassien cautiously spoke up.

“Shall we change Jean and Lucia to the second round?”

“Now? And it’s too dramatic. The big shots fighting in the end is a tacit rule in the broadcasting industry. What’s the score in the second round?”

Second round – Isabelle vs Kua (53%)

Isabelle’s performance in the dungeon was impressive, but Kua’s performance on school grounds and the road was not far behind.

And what had the most impact on the voting results was the compatibility of the magic tools.

Isabelle could control fire, but Kua could control water.

“Ah…… this is ruined, isn’t it?”

Uh-oh.

A cold sweat dripped down Brodo’s forehead.

“Well, yes? If Arkana loses 2-0,……”

“……”

The 1-1 tournament map was clearly advantageous to the side that chose it. If Sylia took the first and second rounds, the future of the third round would be uncertain.

Lost in thought, Brodo spoke up with a serious expression.

“It’s not going to work. Let’s just manipulate the votes. The first round was won by Arkana.”

“Ah? Then wouldn’t the second round be better?”

“Think about it, Cassien. How can fire beat water logically? We need to make the first round favorable to make the game not end in a 1-1 tie.”

“Hmm. What’s the voting rate?”

“51 to 49?”

“That’s a pretty tight number.”

Cassien manipulated the voting rate according to Brodo’s instructions. Now Chris’s voting rate is 51, three times that of 17.

From noble mtl dot come

Cassen clicked the button without a hint of hesitation.

“Now, it’s just a matter of waiting.”

* * *

On the other hand, Amy stared at the monitor, taken aback by the unexpected voting results.

“Chris won the first round? Ah, ah, ah… Hmm.”

A bewildered expression.

As a self-proclaimed pro streamer, Amy couldn’t help but find the result strange. Even if she was biased, Chris’s performance was still overshadowed by Demon’s. The main camera footage was also impossible to compare.

But what’s the point of Arkana winning? The awkwardness didn’t bother Amy.

“I believed it!”

Amy wiped off her bewildered expression and raised her right arm high. The viewers, anticipating her reaction, started chatting.

– Natural lie lol

– I didn’t believe it at all, lol

– (Inner thought) What’s going on? Why did she win?

Amy shrugged her shoulders at the viewers’ reactions.

“What’s the point of performance? It’s just a popularity vote, after all? Look at Chris, okay? It’s obvious he’s getting support. The people who think they can win will naturally support them~?”

The conversation flowed smoothly.

There was no need for exceptional logic on the broadcast.

– Approval of popularity vote!

– Common sense passed lol

– It’s not about skill, it’s about being pitied, right? Don’t worry, let’s just pass!

After all, Amy was the owner of the channel, and most viewers liked her.

Amy’s words seemed to sway the viewers, and they began to agree with her.

– That’s right! Popularity is about skill! Ah, ah, ah!

– [Amy’s bold statement!] The winner-chosen vote is just a popularity vote, in fact…….

– But didn’t she get eliminated from the competition if she lost?

“Aren’t you all getting ahead of yourselves? We haven’t even started the first round yet? And Demon’s party members are so strong, what can we do?”

Amy recalled the memories of the duel arena. The fight between Daven and Chris, who used magic tools. Chris was quite fierce, even without using a combat magic tool.

‘But can we beat Demon with that?’

Demon was, after all, Sylia’s original number one. Even more so, she was a non-combat magic user and one of the strongest in Sylia Academy.

Except for the party leaders, Jean and Lucia, Demon was the top predator in this competition.

‘……Is it going to be that hard?’

Amy’s mind was calculating the probability with cold precision, but her face still wore a cheerful smile.

“Fix the channel! Arcana is going to win, of course!”

– Yes, Arcana has never lost before.

– The words are on a par with Jenie’s, but she’s not going to lose.

– Let’s see the new face’s abilities~.

The screen switched to an ad, and Amy looked at it with a serious face, muttering to herself.

“Isn’t it impossible for both of them to lose in front of us?”