"Ladies and gentlemen, we are drawing closer to the last match of the first part of this opening day! After that, there will be a short break of a couple of hours, giving both you and our participants time to eat and rest. But for now, the fighters for the next match are already in position, so let us begin," declared Chiacchera in her ringing voice.
As usual, she turned toward one of the gates in the arena's right wall and extended her arm toward it. "The elf about to enter through that gate is another of the pillars who support our queen—and, by extension, our kingdom. She oversees the fields that feed our people and a famous prodigy of the martial arts style, born in this kingdom, known as 'The Leaf Falling from the Tree style' or 'Falling Leaf style'..."
The gate rose with a low rumble. From it emerged a short elf, her face lit up by a perpetually energetic smile. She wore a simple white tank top, which accentuated her generous curves, covered by an earth-brown sleeveless blouse. Her long, wheat-blonde hair had been tied back into a simple ponytail, and across her forehead was a bandana the same color as her jacket.
She hopped into the center of the arena with playful energy, her ample breasts bouncing as her golden eyes sparkled with joy and excitement.
"The Minister of Agriculture—Agratà Presa!!!" Chiacchera cried.
The reaction was immediate. The crowd exploded into a frenzy of cheers and applause. Banners with Agratà's name waved in the stands, while voices shouted over one another in admiration:
"You're so cute, Agratà, we love you!"
"I don't care who your opponent is, you'll win for sure!"
"Boing…"
"Agratà! Agratà! Agratà!"
"As cute as ever!!!!!"
"Please marry me!"
The welcome she received was without question the warmest of the tournament thus far. Not even Aislyra had drawn such wild devotion when she had stepped into the stadium. This was less the entrance of a fighter than the stage debut of a pop idol.
Even Pinusal couldn't help but smile at the minister's lively arrival.
And Agratà responded exactly like a performer addressing her adoring fans. "Thank you all for your support! I promise not to disappoint you!" she declared with a radiant, dazzling smile.
"Wow… I didn't expect Agratà to be this popular. She really does look like an idol," Lucas murmured, amazed at the audience's fervor.
"Idol?" Aislyra asked, curious.
"It's a type of singer from Musashi's country. Although, when he was alive, I doubt that existed as a job. But in my time, they attract extremely "passionate" fans."
"So… something like a famous bard?" Aislyra suggested.
"I haven't met one myself, so I can't say for sure. But I guess so," Lucas admitted, then added, "Still, why does she seem to be loved so much more than the other ministers? It can't just be her personality, right?"
"That is certainly one reason, but not the only one," Sequoria replied smoothly. "The role of Minister of Agriculture has always been tied to the wellbeing of the people, for it oversees food—one of life's most essential needs, therefore tends to be beloved by the people. Naturally, this does not guarantee popularity, since the people are also less forgiving of failures in this position than any other. But Agratà is different. She not only fulfills her duties with precision and enthusiasm, she also radiates an optimism and charm that resonates deeply with the citizens. Her cheerful demeanor and striking looks—particularly among the men—have made her perhaps the most beloved Minister of Agriculture in the history of our kingdom." Her voice carried calm authority, but also evident pride.
"I see," Lucas said with a slight smile. He had not yet had the chance to speak properly with Agratà due to her ministerial duties and his queen's position, but she struck him as a genuinely kind and optimistic person. He could easily understand why her popularity soared.
'I hope that someday I'll have the chance to talk to her alone…' Lucas thought wistfully, even as he knew how unlikely that truly was.
As Lucas reflected on the minister's personality, he suddenly recalled something Chiacchera had mentioned during Agratà's introduction. "What exactly did Chiacchera mean when she said Agratà was the prodigy of the style called 'The Leaf Falling from the Tree'?" he asked curiously.
"Don't worry. You'll understand as soon as the match begins," Aislyra replied with a knowing grin.
Hearing this, Lucas refocused his attention on the arena.
"On the right side of the stadium, entering now is a wandering martial artist who travels from town to town, challenging every practitioner he finds to prove the superiority of his own technique. The master and sole practitioner of the Rhino Horn Style—Saino Grey!!!"
From the gate emerged a towering, massively muscular man, nearly two meters tall. His upper body was completely bare, showing a frame sculpted like stone. The only garments he wore were a dark gray karate belt and a pair of worn, light-gray pants. Even his feet were bare, pressed firmly against the arena floor as if to draw strength directly from the earth.
Saino strode to the center of the arena. When his eyes fell on his opponent, a flicker of surprise flashed across his face—but just as quickly, he masked it and gave a brief, respectful bow.
"It is an honor to face the famous prodigy of the Falling Leaf Style. My ultimate goal is to challenge your master, but defeating the probable next master will be the perfect preparation," Saino declared. His deep voice carried both arrogance and unmistakable respect for the young elf before him.
Agratà nodded, her cheerful smile never fading. "I understand. But I promised my master that I would challenge her myself in this tournament, so until then, I cannot allow myself to be defeated." Her tone carried respect, yet what shone most clearly was her innocence and optimism.
"Naturally. If you surrendered without a fight, it wouldn't even serve as a warm-up. Challenge me with everything you have, and I'll do the same," Saino replied, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.
Pinusal stepped between them, as was custom, and asked, "Do either of you have anything more you wish to say before the match begins?"
"I've already spoken my piece," Saino answered bluntly.
"Nothing more. Let's begin," Agratà said, her radiant smile still fixed on her face.
Pinusal nodded firmly and began the countdown. "Very well then—ready… set… GO!"
The instant the signal was given, Saino activated his physical enhancement. He slammed his bare foot against the ground with such force that the arena floor shook, a great cloud of dust and stone fragments erupting into the air. Using the cover, he leapt back several meters, widening the distance between himself and Agratà.
The dust cloud should have obscured him, yet Saino immediately realized something unsettling—Agratà's golden eyes had never lost track of him, not even for an instant. Even so, she made no move to interrupt his maneuver.
"So it's true… practitioners of the Falling Leaf Style never attack first when facing another martial artist of a different school," Saino reflected. Then he smirked. "In that case, you won't mind if I take full advantage!"
He extended the fingers of his right hand, shaping them into a rigid point resembling the tip of a spear—or more accurately, the horn of a charging beast. Drawing his arm back like a coiled harpoon, his entire body tensed. Every muscle bulged as he poured his mana into his frame, pushing his physical strength to its absolute peak.
"Secret Technique—Gray Horn!!!" Saino roared.
In the blink of an eye, his massive figure vanished from sight. To the audience, it seemed as though he had teleported, for he reappeared directly before Agratà, poised to drive his horn-like strike straight through her.
"Fast!" exclaimed Aislyra. And she was right—Lucas, whose eyes had been sharpened through his training with her, had only just managed to follow the movement. Without question, Saino was the fastest combatant he had seen in the tournament so far.
"But…" Aislyra added, her tone almost playful.
With all his immense speed and power, Saino's "horn" aimed directly for Agratà's stomach. Yet, with flawless timing, Agratà caught the man's enormous arm—almost twice the size of her own—and, using his tremendous strength against him, hurled him headfirst into the arena floor behind her.
Saino knew that the Falling Leaf Style specialized in redirecting an opponent's force, but he had believed his overwhelming speed would be enough to surprise her, overwhelming her before she could respond. He hadn't meant to underestimate Agratà, but clearly, he had.
The moment his massive body crashed against the ground, a thunderous shockwave shook the arena, raising a cloud of dust even larger than the one he had created at the beginning of the fight. Agonizing pain coursed through him—his head-first landing nearly snapping his neck. Fortunately, the Rhino Horn Style didn't just focus on devastating charges but also on building a body as durable as the beast it mimicked. Though wracked with pain, Saino believed he could rise again in a few seconds. He hadn't lost yet.
But unfortunately for him, even the teachings of the style of the leaf falling from the tree were not only limited to using one's opponent's strength against them.
Agratà turned toward her fallen opponent, her sunny smile never leaving her face, and chanted in a ringing voice "Rock Armor: Hand"
Forming her right hand into a fist, a thick layer of stone several centimeters deep encased it. She then concentrated her physical enhancement spell into that same arm and prepared a decisive strike aimed squarely at the giant man's stomach.
The philosophy of her art was simple: When a leaf falls from a tree, one must always confirm whether it has become nourishment for the earth. In other words, if an opponent has been knocked down, one must ensure they are truly defeated. If not—then one must finish it with all his strength.
And all the while, Agratà's radiant smile shone with warmth and joy. But for Saino, staring up at that dazzling innocence, it was the most terrifying sight he had seen in all his thirty years of life.
Her small fist, now encased in solid rock and tripled in size, came crashing down on her opponent's chiseled stomach with explosive force.
The impact was catastrophic. Pain beyond imagining surged through Saino's body as his eyes rolled white and he lost consciousness almost instantly. His body sank several centimetres into the arena floor, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the point of impact.
A hush fell over the arena as Pinusal stepped forward to check the fallen giant. For a few seconds, the crowd held its breath. But when the referee confirmed Saino's condition, lifted Agratà's arm high, and declared her the victor—an overwhelming roar swept through the stadium.
"AGRATÀ, YOU'RE THE BEST!"
"WE LOVE YOU, AGRATÀ!"
"THIS TIME YOU'LL DEFINITELY DEFEAT YOUR MASTER!"
"AGRATÀ! AGRATÀ! AGRATÀ! AGRATÀ!"
"SERIOUSLY, PLEASE MARRY ME!!!"
With her trademark sunny smile, Agratà walked around the arena, raising both hands to wave enthusiastically at the crowd. "I hope you all enjoyed the show! This victory belongs to you as well—your cheering kept me focused even when Mr. Saino used that super-fast technique. Thank you so much—you are an amazing audience!"
Her words only fanned the flames of excitement, the applause and cheers swelling to even greater heights.
The uproar did not die down until Agratà finally left the arena, her bright presence lingering in the hearts of the spectators. And so, another of the kingdom of Yggdora's ministers had advanced past the first day of the preliminaries.