Clash of Warriors

The tournament grounds were packed with spectators from all across the Cardinal World, their cheers and excitement filling the air.

The massive projection screens displayed the battles in high definition, both inside and outside the arena, ensuring that even those beyond the walls of Tempest could witness the spectacle.

The atmosphere was electric—fueled by boisterous cheers, excited wagers, and the occasional heated debate over which fighter would emerge victorious.

Merchants and food stalls lined the outer edges of the arena, selling delicious street food and beverages as the crowd roared in anticipation.

In the VIP section, Yuuya, Velzard, and Luminous were seated comfortably with Rimuru and his generals, watching the event with keen interest.

Velzard leaned against Yuuya, while Luminous sat nearby, her gaze subtly shifting between the battles and Yuuya, secretly enjoying his presence.

Meanwhile, Rimuru and his generals were chatting and making bets, thoroughly enjoying the tournament.

The first rounds were filled with a variety of fighters—adventurers, mercenaries, and famed warriors from various nations, all eager to prove their strength.

The first match featured a renowned adventurer from Blumund named Gareth Ironclad, known for his defensive impenetrability.

He was clad in enchanted obsidian armor, wielding a massive tower shield and a spiked mace.

His opponent was a mysterious swordswoman from Marion, known only as Lira the Tempest Blade.

She wielded dual enchanted sabers, her movements fluid and graceful like a dancer on water.

As the match began, the crowd erupted into cheers.

Gareth slammed his shield into the ground, activating his earth magic, creating a wave of jagged stone spikes that rushed toward Lira.

But she twisted and twirled through the air, her blades dancing with crackling lightning, slicing through the stone effortlessly.

"Oho! She's fast!" Benimaru commented, leaning forward with interest.

Souei's eyes narrowed, admiring her speed and precision.

"She's not just fast… her movements are calculated. Every step is deliberate," Souei noted, impressed by her refined agility.

Gareth roared, slamming his shield into the ground again, summoning a barrier of stone, but Lira's sabers struck with blinding speed, shattering the rocky defense with her lightning-infused slashes.

With a burst of power, she darted behind Gareth in the blink of an eye, placing one saber against his throat and the other against his back.

"You lose," she whispered softly, and the match was over.

The crowd erupted in applause, clearly enthralled by her elegance and power.

As the tournament progressed, the battles became fiercer, with fighters unleashing powerful magic, skills, and weapon techniques, creating explosions of energy that shook the arena floor.

In one match, a giant orc berserker from the Beast Kingdom fought against a sorcerer from Dwargon.

The orc swung his massive war axe, each strike shaking the ground and sending shockwaves through the arena.

The sorcerer, nimble and clever, used teleportation magic to avoid the devastating blows, firing elemental spells in rapid succession.

The crowd cheered wildly as the orc's axe clashed against a wall of flame, sending embers into the air.

The battle ended with a spectacular finish—the orc roaring with fury and slamming his axe into the ground, creating a wave of raw physical force, shattering the sorcerer's defenses and sending him flying out of the arena.

The crowd roared with approval, and some onlookers placed bets, eagerly discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each fighter.

As the tournament continued, Tempest's own generals took the stage.

Shion, with her signature odachi resting on her shoulder, walked into the arena with a confident smirk, her violet eyes gleaming with excitement.

Her opponent was Gorran the Thunderclaw, a notorious beastman warrior from the Kingdom of Eurazania.

He stood at seven feet tall, his muscles bulging, and his claws crackled with lightning.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the match began.

Gorran moved first, his lightning-charged claws slashing forward, aiming to strike Shion's vitals.

But in a flash, she parried the blow with her odachi, the clash creating a shockwave that rocked the arena.

"Hah! You're not bad," Shion grinned, baring her fangs slightly.

"But you'll need more than that to impress me!"

With a burst of speed, she vanished, reappearing behind Gorran in the blink of an eye.

Before he could react, she delivered a brutal kick to his side, sending him skidding across the arena floor, his claws tearing through the stone as he struggled to maintain his footing.

"Oho! She's toying with him," Benimaru chuckled, watching from the VIP section.

Rimuru smirked, seeing Shion's raw power on full display.

"She's showing off, as usual," Rimuru said with a grin.

Gorran roared, activating his beast form, his body crackling with golden lightning.

He charged at Shion, moving at blinding speed, claws slashing violently.

But Shion's grin widened.

With a single motion, she unsheathed her odachi, activating her unique skill: Herculean Strength.

In a blinding arc, she sliced through Gorran's lightning armor, sending him flying across the arena once again.

The crowd gasped in awe at her raw power.

"Whoa! That was clean," Diablo smirked, clearly enjoying the display.

"She's become more refined. Her swings are more precise now," Hakuro noted approvingly.

With one final slash, Shion cleaved through Gorran's defenses, sending him crashing into the arena wall, ending the match with thunderous applause.

When it was Zegion's turn, the entire arena fell into an eerie silence.

Unlike the other combatants, Zegion walked into the arena with a calm, emotionless expression, his golden eyes unblinking.

His opponent was a renowned holy knight from Rubelios, known as Sir Gallius the Sun Slayer, famed for slaying several high-level demons.

The crowd murmured with excitement, expecting a fierce showdown.

But the fight was over in seconds.

The moment the match began, Zegion vanished, moving at inhuman speed.

Before Gallius could even react, Zegion appeared behind him, driving his palm into his back with terrifying precision.

The shockwave sent Gallius crashing into the wall, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

The crowd was stunned into silence before they erupted into thunderous cheers, marveling at Zegion's flawless victory.

"That was brutal," Ranga muttered, clearly impressed.

"No wasted movements. One strike, one victory," Hakuro added with a satisfied nod.

As the festival continued, with the cheers of the crowd and the clash of combatants echoing through the arena, Yuuya sat calmly in the VIP section, appearing completely unbothered.

However, unknown to everyone, his Conqueror Sovereign had already prepared for what was to come.

Days before, Yuuya had summoned several of his Abyssal Beasts—terrifying, primordial creatures of unmatched strength—and positioned them strategically around Tempest, hidden in the shadows.

These monstrous sentinels stood in stealth mode, their existences completely masked by Yuuya's divine power, invisible even to beings with ultimate skills.

Rimuru, who had been casually observing the tournament, suddenly felt an ominous pulse in the distance.

At first, he assumed it was just the power emanating from the arena, but then—

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion shook the entire city, rattling the walls of the arena.

A large pillar of fire and smoke erupted in the distance, rising into the sky.

The projection screens flickered for a brief moment, and the cheers of the crowd turned to gasps of confusion and panic.

Rimuru's eyes narrowed, and his generals immediately stiffened, their senses sharpened.

The festival-goers outside the arena turned their heads in fear and confusion, murmuring among themselves, unsure if this was part of the spectacle or a real attack.

As the smoke from the explosion lingered in the distance, Yuuya's eyes glimmered with a knowing smirk.

He turned slightly toward Luminous, his gaze calm yet serious, and softly said:

"You may want to return to Ruberios, Luminous. You'll be under attack soon."

Her golden eyes widened, and she instinctively reached for his arm, her voice soft with concern.

"What? Are you certain?" she asked, her tone disbelieving.

Yuuya nodded, his voice calm but firm.

"Trust me. Go. I'll come to help shortly."

For a brief moment, Luminous stared into Yuuya's eyes, trying to read him.

She saw no fear, no uncertainty—only unwavering confidence.

Her heart fluttered slightly, but she immediately steeled herself, knowing she had no time to waste.

"Be careful," she whispered softly, before vanishing in a flash of crimson light, teleporting back to Ruberios.

Her sudden departure caught the attention of Rimuru and his generals, but before anyone could inquire, the ground shook again from another explosion.

Without hesitation, Rimuru's face turned serious, his usual laid-back demeanor immediately vanishing.

He turned to his generals, his voice sharp and commanding.

"Benimaru, Diablo, Souei—check the perimeter immediately. Hakuro, Geld, Gabiru—secure the inner city and protect the civilians. Zegion, move into the shadows and eliminate any hidden threats. Shion, stay with me and protect the arena."

The generals nodded, immediately vanishing with blinding speed, leaving only Shion and Ranga at Rimuru's side.

As they moved, Yuuya approached Rimuru, his expression calm yet confident.

"Make an announcement, Rimuru," Yuuya said softly.

"Let everyone know that Tempest is under attack… but tell them to remain calm and enjoy the festival. It will be handled shortly."

Rimuru's eyes narrowed slightly, not in suspicion, but in intrigue.

He could feel the supreme confidence emanating from Yuuya, as if the situation was already under control.

"Are you sure about that?" Rimuru asked, his tone carrying a trace of disbelief.

Yuuya chuckled, his lips curling into a smug grin.

"It's already handled."