第42章： 準決勝へ[Chapter 42: To Semi-finals]
ラウンド3が始まり、会場は熱気に包まれた。人々は歓声を上げ、拍手を送り、誰が準々決勝に進めるかを熱望していた。
ライラはアリーナに立ち、対戦相手と向かい合っていた。彼は背が高く痩せた若者で、短い黒髪と鋭い緑色の目をしていた。彼の剣は針のように細く、スピードと正確さを追求したものだった。彼は素早く動けるように軽い鎧を着ていた。他のファイターと違い、彼はエレメントに親和性がなかった。その代わりに、彼は剣と体を魔法でコーティングし、攻撃と防御の両方を強化していた。かすかな魔力のきらめきが彼を包んでいた。
審判が手を挙げた。「始め！」。
剣士は閃光のように剣を動かして突進した。ライラはすぐにその攻撃を防ぎ、彼の細い剣の背後にある力を感じた。剣は軽かったが、非常に鋭かった。ライラは剣の水を噴射して剣士を押し返し、飛び退かせた。彼は時間を無駄にしなかった。彼は風のように彼女の周りを動き回り、斬りつけ、素早く突き刺した。ライラは冷静さを保ち、水の魔法で彼の足元に滑りやすい表面を作った。彼はわずかに滑り、それが彼女に必要な瞬間だった。彼女は剣を炎に包んで前方に斬りつけた。炎は彼女の周りの空気を熱くし、彼女が攻撃すると、相手はさらに多くの魔法で身を守ることを余儀なくされた。それでも彼は熟練していた。彼は素早い動きで彼女の攻撃をかわし、ブロックして対抗したが、今度はライラの方が速かった。彼女は火と水のエレメントを混ぜ合わせ、突然の変化で相手を混乱させた。
何度かやり合った後、ライラは隙を見つけた。彼女はダッシュし、水の刃で相手の剣をなぎ払い、剣を相手の肩にそっと置いた。「試合終了！勝者： ライラ！"
観客は歓声を爆発させた。
試合後、セラはライラに駆け寄り、抱きしめた。「素晴らしかったわ！」。ライラは胸に温かい幸せを感じながら笑った。「ありがとう！ありがとう！私たちはまだ一緒よ" 二人は食べ物を手に取り、アリーナのそばに座り、先に買っておいたお菓子で祝杯をあげた。二人は笑い、試合の話をし、他の試合を応援した。
やがて準々決勝の時間がやってきた。
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世羅は試合会場に足を踏み入れた。彼女の対戦相手は、オオカミのような犬の頭と尻尾を持ち、筋肉質な体をしたヒューマノイドのドッグマンだった。彼の服は無骨で、皮や布を自分で縫ったように見えた。彼の剣は幅広で欠けていたが、力強い手に握られたそれは危険そうだった。
彼の名はバーコン、野生の中で育った。新人とはいえ、その動きは鋭く、経験に満ちていた。試合が始まった瞬間、バルコンは信じられないスピードで世羅に向かってダッシュした。鼻をピクピクさせながら、彼女の一挙手一投足を追った。
世羅は彼の動きを鈍らせるために蔓の壁を作ろうとしたが、バーコンはそれをいとも簡単に切り裂いた。野生の本能が彼を予測するのを難しくしていた。セラが攻撃を仕掛けるたびに、彼はギリギリのところで身をかわした。セラは勇敢に戦い、棘や根、鋭い葉を出したが、バーコンは常に一歩先を進んでいた。その動きは荒々しくも巧妙で、まるで生き残る術を身につけた野生動物のようだった。
ついにバルコンは距離を詰め、強力な一撃でセラの杖を打ち落とした。彼女がさらに魔法を使う前に、バルコンは彼女の首に剣を向けた。
「試合終了！勝者： バコーン！"
セラは疲れたような笑みを浮かべてフィールドを後にした。ライラは急いで彼女を迎えに行った。「ごめんなさい、世良」ライラは申し訳なさそうに言った。でも世良は首を横に振った。「いいのよ、ライラ。私はベストを尽くしたわ。この大会でたくさんのことを学んだ。強くなれた気がする」。ライラは友人を誇りに思い、微笑みかけた。「あなたは素晴らしかった」
準決勝の抽選はすぐに行われた。もう夕方だったので、関係者は準決勝を明日の朝に行うと発表した。皆は休息をとり、本番に備えるよう告げられた。人々が帰り始めると、ライラは入り口付近でゾラが待っているのを見つけた。
彼は温かく微笑んだが、少し心配そうでもあった。「ずいぶん成長したね、ライラ。「誇りに思うよ」。「ありがとう、パパ」彼女は彼の言葉に心が温かくなるのを感じた。「でも、気をつけて。お前が強いのはわかるが、無茶はするな。勝つことも大事だけど、安全でいることのほうがもっと大事なんだ」。ライラはうなずいた。「わかりました。気をつけるわ」。ゾーラは彼女の髪を優しくなでた。「よかった。もう休みなさい。明日は大事な日になるから」。
その夜、ライラは静かに眠った。興奮しながらも落ち着いていた。強い相手と戦い、自分もさらに強くなることを夢見ていた。
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朝が来ると、太陽は明るく街に昇った。スタジアムは再び興奮した群衆で埋め尽くされた。旗が振られ、売り子が叫び、街全体が活気に満ちていた。
ついに準決勝の時が来たのだ。
ライラは鼓動が安定するのを感じながら戦場へと歩を進めた。向かいには対戦相手のエルフ、ユノが立っていた。
ユノは背が高くスリムで、きらめく青い瞳と青白い肌をしていた。銀色の長い髪が、まるで空気そのものが髪を運んでいるかのように軽やかに浮かんでいる。彼の周りでは風が穏やかに渦を巻き、荘厳で落ち着いたオーラを放っていた。その存在感はまるで魔法のようで、彼を見た観客の多くが息をのんだ。 ユノは細身の剣を持ち、その動きは戦いが始まる前から優雅だった。彼は小さく丁寧な笑みを浮かべてライラを見た。
レフェリーが手を挙げた。観客は大きな歓声を上げ、ライラとユノの戦いに興奮した。試合が始まろうとしていた。
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Round 3 had begun, and the atmosphere was buzzing with energy. People shouted and clapped, eager to see who would move forward to the quarter-finals.
Lila stood in the arena, facing her opponent. He was a tall and lean young man, with short black hair and sharp green eyes. His sword was thin, almost like a needle, designed for speed and precision. He wore light armor that allowed him to move quickly. Unlike most fighters, he didn't have any element affinity. Instead, he used his magic to coat his sword and his body, strengthening both his attacks and defense. A faint shimmer of magical energy surrounded him, almost invisible but definitely present.
The referee raised his hand. "Begin!"
The swordsman dashed forward, his sword moving like a flash of light. Lila quickly blocked the strike, feeling the power behind his thin blade. It was light, but very sharp. She pushed him back with a burst of water from her sword, forcing him to jump away. He didn't waste time. He moved around her like the wind, slashing and poking with rapid thrusts. Lila stayed calm, using her water magic to create a slick surface under his feet. He slipped slightly, and that was the moment she needed. She slashed forward, her sword covered in flames. The fire made the air around her hot, and as she attacked, her opponent was forced to shield himself with even more magic. Still, he was skilled. He countered her attacks with fast movements, dodging and blocking, but Lila was faster this time. She mixed her fire and water elements, confusing him with sudden changes — sometimes a hot burst, sometimes a quick flow of water.
After a few exchanges, Lila found an opening. She dashed in, used a water blade to knock his sword away, and placed her sword gently on his shoulder. "Match over! Winner: Lila!"
The crowd exploded with cheers.
Sera ran up to her after the match and gave her a big hug. "You were amazing!" Lila laughed, feeling a warm happiness in her chest. "Thanks! We're still in this together." They grabbed some food and sat by the arena, celebrating with a few sweets they had bought earlier. They laughed, talked about their matches, and cheered for the other fights.
Soon, it was time for the quarter-finals.
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Sera stepped into the arena for her match. Her opponent was a dogman , a humanoid with the head and tail of a wolf-like dog, and a muscular body. His clothes were rugged, looking like he had stitched them himself from hides and cloth. His sword was wide and chipped, but it looked dangerous in his strong hands.
His name was Barkon, and he had grown up in the wild. Even though he was a rookie, his movements were sharp and filled with experience. The moment the match began, Barkon dashed at Sera with incredible speed. His nose twitched as he tracked her every move.
Sera tried to create walls of vines to slow him down, but Barkon sliced through them with ease. His wild instincts made him hard to predict. Every time she attacked, he dodged at the last second, his sharp nose warning him before the danger even reached. Sera fought bravely, sending out thorns, roots, and sharp leaves, but Barkon was always one step ahead. His movements were rough but clever, like a wild animal that had learned to survive.
Finally, Barkon closed the distance and knocked Sera's staff away with a powerful strike. Before she could summon more magic, Barkon pointed his sword at her neck.
"Match over! Winner: Barkon!"
Sera walked off the field with a tired smile. Lila rushed to meet her. "I'm sorry, Sera," Lila said, feeling bad. But Sera shook her head. "It's okay, Lila. I fought my best. I learned a lot during this tournament. I feel like I've grown stronger." Lila smiled at her friend, proud of her. "You were amazing."
The semi-final draws were made soon after. Since it was already evening, the officials announced that the semi-finals would be held tomorrow morning. Everyone was told to rest and prepare for the big day. As people started to leave, Lila found Zora waiting for her near the entrance.
He smiled warmly but also looked a little worried. "You've grown a lot, Lila," he said. "I'm proud of you." "Thanks, Dad," she said, feeling her heart warm at his words. "But," he added seriously, "be careful. I know you're strong, but don't get reckless. Winning is important, but staying safe matters more." Lila nodded. "I understand. I'll be careful." Zora ruffled her hair gently. "Good. Now go rest. Tomorrow will be a big day."
That night, Lila slept peacefully. She was excited but also calm. She dreamed of fighting strong opponents and growing even stronger herself.
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When morning came, the sun rose brightly over the city. The stadium filled up once again with excited crowds. Flags waved, vendors shouted, and the whole city seemed alive with energy.
It was finally time for the semi-finals.
Lila walked to the battlefield, feeling her heartbeat steady. Across from her stood her opponent — an elf named Yuno.
Yuno was tall and slim, with shimmering blue eyes and pale skin. His long silver hair floated lightly as if the air itself carried it. Around him, the wind swirled gently, giving him a majestic and calm aura. His presence was almost magical, and many in the crowd gasped when they saw him. Yuno held a slender sword, and his movements were graceful even before the fight started. He looked at Lila with a small, polite smile.
The referee raised his hand. The crowd cheered loudly, excited to see the battle between Lila and Yuno. The match was about to begin.
