A-Class Rank 128 Decision Tournament

The Great Arena of Ainsworth, A-Class town. I had returned to the same venue where the A-Class Tournament had been held.

"And here we go — the B-Class Tournament to decide A-Class rank 128! Your emcee is yours truly, Seika Shikina of TriAngel!"

Whoaaaaaa!

Thunderous applause rose from the crowd. So she really was popular…

… And I couldn't sit on the sidelines for this one.

"For commentary, this man! S-Class rank 24 Master, Naoto Akai-sama!"

Whoaaaaaaa…!

Cheers rained down on me.

S-so embarrassing… H-how had it come to this.

When I'd announced I was going to watch the B-Class tournament, before I knew it Seika had been pegged as commentator.

And in that same flow I'd been roped in as the analyst…

"Naoto Akai-sama, whose stellar performance at the A-Class Tournament is fresh in our memories, will be analyzing these juniors — the B-Class Masters!"

Seika addressed me with her professional smile. Ugh, she was enjoying this…

"P-pleased to be here…"

Clearly unaccustomed to public speaking, I was an amateur on the mic.

So nervous! I really wanted to be let off…

"I'll back you up on the knowledge side."

Lyuka, seated beside me as my assistant, was a lifesaver.

"As assistant we have Faerie Princess Lyuka-san, please welcome her."

"Pleased to be here."

Lyuka bowed once, calmly.

Whoaaaaaaa…!

The venue stirred at her beauty. She looked far more popular than me.

"This time, the B-Class Masters who have announced their participation in the A-Class rank 128 promotion tournament number 8!

"First up, rank 512! Triumphantly promoted this year, Lasheid!"

"Oh, Lasheid."

Right, so he got promoted safely.

"Lasheid, second son of the legendary S-Class Master Leonhardt, has long been a future hope and is now beginning to come into his own.

"How about it, Naoto-sama?"

"Right. I've fought him once before… and he was a very tough opponent. I look forward to seeing how strong he's grown since becoming a B-Class Master."

I managed to answer, stammering through it.

Good thing someone I could at least talk to a little had come.

… But did he have any feelings about becoming my subordinate?

Maybe he was content with reaching A-Class.

Well, the chance to climb to A-Class by fighting fellow B-Class Masters was a rare one.

Even so, only 8 participants — what was that about?

"Next, B-Class rank 511, also a promotion this year — the rookie Master, Eve!"

"Oooh…"

I groaned without meaning to.

C-cute…!

A beautiful girl with bluish silver hair. Slightly slanted eyes that came across as cool and beautiful.

And her chest was very full… A black gothic dress with little exposure, but that itself was erotic.

Whoa, totally my type!

"How about it, Naoto-sama?"

"Eh, ah… s-she's cute, isn't she."

Oooh…

A stir went through the crowd.

Eve glanced at me. Ugh, I'd better look at her seriously or she'd get angry.

… But Eve was blushing.

Huh, her reaction wasn't bad… She looked cool, but she might be unexpectedly innocent.

After that came B-Class Masters I didn't really know.

I gave safe, generic encouragements like "Do your best."

Eventually…

"Last up, B-Class rank 69, Kensei Yamagata! Like Naoto-sama, an isekai-transferred Master from Japan!"

Oh, so he'd entered after all.

So he wasn't satisfied with B-Class.

Was he aware he'd become my subordinate?

Not knowing would honestly be too uninformed.

… Had he come, in his own way, for Kanan's sake? Even though Kanan was already another man's.

If so, it was sweet of him.

I felt bad treating him coldly, but…

Still, for some reason he stirred up that subtle irritation you feel toward a girlfriend's ex…

Well, if he won, so be it…

But for my part, I had no choice but to root overwhelmingly for Eve.

I mean, she was cute! That such a cute girl existed… promoted from C-Class this April, was it? I'd been totally oblivious.

"Eve debuted last October as a rookie. Debuts from October onward count as this year's debutants.

"She's a noble daughter, so her debut timing was adjustable."

Lyuka explained. To support my analyst role, she'd apparently looked up rookie info too.

"From October onward counts as this year? So she'd be the same year as Ruria…

"And she's already at B-Class. She'd be A-Class if she wins here. That's a straight shot to the elite course."

"Yes. The dividing line is whether you can participate in the October B-Class rotation matches."

"Even so, debuting in September would make it practically impossible, wouldn't it?"

"Practically impossible, but not completely impossible, so it counts as last year's debut.

"Therefore, people who can adjust their debut timing essentially never debut from May to September."

So Ruria would have to catch and overtake Eve, or she couldn't claim the same-year No. 1 spot.

Well, there were past precedents of two elite-course debutants in a single year, so she didn't have to insist on No. 1, but… Ruria probably wanted to aim for it.

… Nice. A same-year rival — something heated about it. And both of them were stunning beauties. The class of year 300 was looking glamorous.

"By noble, is Eve at the level of someone covered in history class?"

"No. She's of an S-Class duke house, but not at a level recorded in history.

"Her predecessor was a Master named Lazaro, who retired ten years ago.

"His highest rank was S-Class 8th. A general mid-tier S-Class Master who lingered in the middle ranks for a long time."

"So as bloodlines go, Ruria's the higher of the two."

"Yes. The Four Heavenly King Wallace… and afterward held S-Class upper ranks down to his late years. A Master at the level of being recorded in history."

In that case, did Eve have a sense of rivalry? Or was Ruria conscious that she couldn't afford to lose?

Well, no way to know without talking to them.

Among my B-Class acquaintances, Stein and the like hadn't entered. He undoubtedly had A-Class-equivalent strength, but…

He must hate the idea of being my subordinate.

"Now, today's tournament is a 1-day tournament. Naoto-sama, please explain the format."

"Yes. A 1-day tournament is 3 vs. 3, with all matches through the finals held in a single day. In other words, technique counts don't recover between matches… so unless you have 9 members or conserve technique counts, you may run out and fail to bring out your true strength. Each entrant needs to be careful."

I read off the cue card.

Round 1 was Lasheid vs. B-Class rank 430 Master, Zaiken.

Rank 430 made him a king-tier B-Class Master. Generally, content with the king's seat, such people lost ambition and tried to settle into their position. He and Eve aside, the rest of the entrants were rank 501 or lower.

Whatever had moved him to enter was unclear.

… It might have been more interesting to say all that, but unlike Silvana, I couldn't make such unvarnished comments.

And the result was…

"… Lasheid is stronger than before. His tactics built around Amira are sharper too."

So I praised him. A solid Lasheid victory. Not a lie, of course. He'd properly gotten stronger — he'd earned his rise to B-Class.

Well, I'd gotten much, much stronger — that I had the delicacy to think and not say.

Round 2 was Eve vs. B-Class rank 503 Master, Zelk.

The focus, of course, was Eve.

"… Go forth. Eritta, Saia, Ashe."

… But the Garumon she fielded were of low quality.

Three low-tier SR-Class Garumon. C-Class-equivalent. Honestly not at B-Class fighting level.

Well, this might just be what a Master fresh up to B-Class would have.

Zelk had…

All values 5000+. Upper SR to lower SSR. About right for the lower end of B-Class.

"In Garumon quality, as the rankings would suggest, Zelk has a clear advantage.

"Can she really pull off victory in the B-Class rotation match with these?"

I commented honestly on what I saw.

"According to our info, Eve is fighting 3 rounds today, so for this Round 1 she's reportedly procured three fresh store-bought Garumon."

So Seika informed me.

"That's… surprising. Certainly, for store-buys these are decent quality, but to fight at B-Class with them? She must be quite confident in her command skill."

I voiced my thoughts and fixed my eyes on the match.

"Go, Rere!"

"Yes! Elven Bow!"

"Eritta, defend!"

"Defending!"

Klang! First, a standard block.

"Mihai, defend!"

"Saia, charge power."

Zelk's attacking commands whiffed past the defense.

That was right — even at B-Class, few Masters could watch their opponent's attack and call "defend" in response. A-Class Masters had to manage it, of course, or it wouldn't even be a contest.

But Eve just pulled it off. That was solid.

… I should bring that up.

"From that one exchange, you can see Eve's skill. Her command ability is far above Zelk's."

"Oh? So Eve has a chance at victory?"

"Yes. I'd say it's command ability that more than fills the gap in Garumon quality."

"Whoa! Naoto-sama's seal of approval! Go, Eve!"

"…"

Eve's cheeks were red. Maybe she wasn't used to being praised.

"Ashe, Dark Aura on Saia."

"Oren, Wind of Defense!"

A defense buff, then turn end.

Next turn.

"Mihai, Great Shield! Cover Rere!"

"Saia, full-power thrust on Oren!

"Ashe, Dark Ball on Oren!"

Written out like this, Zelk looked like an idiot caught off guard, but he did at least position Mihai in the middle so it wasn't obvious who he was covering, ready to move once the attack came. The minimum care was there.

But like a goalkeeper trying to read whether the striker would shoot left or right by the angle of their planted foot — Eve's reads were just precise.

The defense was casually slipped, attacks concentrated on Oren, and he went down in a single turn.

"W-what the…"

"Rere, attack Ashe!"

"Eritta, shield Ashe!"

Klang!

Eve's defense was on point.

… Ah, I didn't even need to watch the rest. Zelk was barely at the "somehow B-Class" tier, and Eve was several tiers above him. Even leading several-tiers-weaker Garumon, Eve would've won.

"Eve wins! Every action precise! In the end she won by an overwhelming margin!"

"Yes, impressive. Reading the opponent's movements and issuing commands — something you can't do well unless you're A-Class or higher — she pulls off flawlessly.

"What's more, giving clear, easy-to-understand orders to newly added Garumon is no easy task.

"She's an extremely capable competitor."

I could talk fluently about Eve.

Round 3 I more or less skimmed, making suitably non-committal comments.

Round 4 was Yamagata-kun's turn.

In Sawako's place, a girl named White Knight Emelia seemed to have joined.

He solidly protected Ruriria and Cybell, demonstrated the gap in strength, and won crushingly.

He might indeed be a cut above the other entrants this time.

… Depending on how strong Eve actually was.

"Now, with no break, the semifinals begin!

"Semifinal Match 1 is Lasheid vs. Eve!"

Seika's emceeing was rock-steady — she sounded like a pro, nothing to worry about.

Luna's awkward fumbling had been adorable, but it did give an unstable feel.

This pro vibe was reassuring. As a rookie analyst myself, it helped me too.

"Now, let us begin."

The three Eve called forth were…

"Sakura, Helen, Maya!"

Whoa, three beauties to rival an idol group.

These had to be Eve's true members.

Oh, unusual classes I'd never heard of lined up. They looked strong.

As befit Garumon inherited from a former S-Class Master.

"Helen! Ice Doll!"

The ice doll that appeared blocked the attack. So Helen was the defender.

Blue hair, a soft drooping-eyed face — Helen.

"Wood Curse!"

The cursed tree Sakura summoned halted Safa and the others' movement.

A pink-haired adorable girl. Bright and energetic-looking.

She was the supporter… a debuffer. Unusual.

Debuff skills were heavy on interference and often didn't get through, but she might have some means of forcing them through.

"Phantom Warrior!"

A cavalryman appeared. Maya was the attacker, then.

Black hair, glasses, a quiet, reserved aura.

A quiet attacker was unusual too…

Though their party looked mismatched in role fit, they fought with remarkably tight coordination and drove Lasheid's party into a corner.

It wasn't that Lasheid was bad. The raw combat strength was nearly even.

Command skill wasn't that far apart either.

But the level of camaraderie between the Garumon was completely different.

Compared to Eve's tightly coordinated party, Lasheid's felt disjointed somewhere.

… Beyond that, it might have come down to a difference in motivation.

After all, Lasheid really didn't want to be my subordinate, did he?

That sort of slight dullness. Maybe he just came in for a test of skill.

Then was Eve really fighting with the intent of being my subordinate? Hopeful, if so…

In any case, maybe my cheering had reached her — Eve won splendidly.

I did a secret fist pump under the table.

"Eve wins, a fine victory!"

"Yes, she was very strong."

When I praised her, Eve turned red and looked down.

In a hectic tournament there were no mid-match interviews, so what she was fighting for stayed unknown to the end.

The finals were Kensei Yamagata vs. Eve.

About Sanna — Holy Warrior meant Danba… cough, cough. Not that I'd watched, just that there was such an anime, name only…

In this world, a Holy Warrior was probably just a warrior with holy power, or a paladin variant.

A white-haired girl in a casual white dress, with big round eyes — a cheerful, energetic beauty.

The spotlight was on Eve's class. Magical Girl… a class familiar in Japan, but to see it in this world.

"Magical Girl is an isekai-imported class. Fighting by strengthening the body with magic, wielding powerful finishers — quite a strong job."

So Lyuka explained.

This girl was definitely better suited to analyst.

"Eve has a 2-person party. Maybe deliberately one fewer… A smaller headcount is straightforwardly a disadvantage. I'll be watching to see how she fights."

Oooh…

Lyuka's analysis was being highly appreciated.

"Now, the final match — begin!"

"Starlight Power!"

Right at the start, Eve and Sanna pointed their fingers to the sky, brought them together tightly, and shouted.

In that instant, both of their clothes burst off.

… It was only a moment, but the sight of the two of them fully nude was burned into my eyes. Beautiful white skin, full breasts, gorgeous pink nipples.

Both Eve and Sanna were futanari.

The next instant, the dresses the two had originally been wearing transformed into a more battle-ready, far more exposed erotic outfit.

You'd miss the moment of nudity unless your dynamic vision was awfully sharp.

"That's the Magical Girl's signature transformation. It eats one turn, but their combat power grows as a result.

"Magical Girls can in some cases turn allies into Magical Girls too.

"Eve probably can only transform one ally, hence the 2-person party."

While I was too transfixed to speak, Lyuka explained.

Oooh… she was drawing impressed gasps. From the start, Lyuka should've done the analysis…

Well, no use saying it now.

"Magical Girl Starlights. Here we go!"

Eve and Sanna had matching wands in hand at some point.

"Magical Shoot!"

"Magical Light!"

"I thought she'd be a cool type, but her fighting's intense. Forcing the offense.

"Watching her command, she seemed cleverer…"

"No, the Magical Girl style of fighting is correct.

"The more they attack, the more buffs accumulate and the higher their defense climbs.

"They possess attacker, defender, and supporter abilities in one, and amplify them further through ally synergy.

"Conversely, coordination with non-Magical Girls becomes difficult — hence the 2-person party."

"Huh."

Lyuka completely took over the analysis.

Tiara's Tyrfing wasn't getting through either, and he was taking damage, it seemed.

"It's not… magic, is it?"

"It shouldn't be… maybe some sort of guaranteed-hit property.

"Magical-Girl-line magic has all kinds of special effects."

"Star Rainbow!"

Oh, a combo attack.

"Kyaaaaaaa…!"

Despite being one short, it was a fairly overwhelming victory.

"Damn it…! He and I… what the hell's the difference…!"

Yamagata-kun slumped, exhausted.

It seemed he'd taken it up on a whim driven by rivalry with me.

Well, seeing someone he'd known climb to the heights of S-Class — that'd inspire you.

Sorry, but he hadn't really gotten stronger than before.

Difference in drive, maybe…

And so… it was decided.

"Champion decided! Promoted to A-Class rank 128, Eve! Promoted to A-Class just days after her B-Class promotion! Congratulations!"

"Ah, thank you very much."

Eve answered the interview in her beautiful voice.

"… A-ah, the one I so admire… Naoto Akai-sama, to get even a little closer to him… I-I gave it my all…"

So she said.

… She was gazing at me with moist eyes… wait, admire? This stunning girl, me!?

… Well, I was already an S-Class Master, so it wasn't strange at all.

But it still bewildered me…

"Y-yeah… looking forward to working with you."

"Yes…!"

The instant I said it, Eve was so overcome that… she suddenly kissed me.

Oooh…

A stir broke out.

"I-I'm s-s-so sorry…!"

Eve bowed her head.

… Soft, and she smelled lovely…

"N-no no, it's fine…"

A girl I might get along well with had become an A-Class Master — a good thing.

That was how I felt.