--- [Lett’s perspective]
“And with that, the preliminaries for the D-rank hunters are all done!” – Bob
“That’s right, Bob! I’m sure the audience is tired of waiting, so how about we go ahead and introduce all these wonderful fighters already?” – Barabara
They sure don’t like wasting time; you would think they’d draw it out as long as possible considering this event is only held once a century, but I guess not…
“In all of history, only one man has ever participated in the battle festival more than once. The first time he entered he was a young man, but that is no longer the case… Despite that, he is stronger than ever! During his first attempt, he lost in the first round. On his second attempt, he lost in the semi-finals. He keeps doing better and better each time… Will the third time be the charm?! From group 1, we have none other than Bennett Vetus!” – Bob
If this is his third time, then that means he’s well over 200 years old at least…
I didn’t think there were D-rankers who were that old.
Someone his age should have ranked up long ago…
He must have reached his limits, unable to progress any further.
But that doesn’t mean I can take him lightly…
At his age, he must have an insane amount of experience; especially for a D-ranker.
“There are a lot of people in the world… Because of that, it’s almost impossible to be the best at something; there will always be someone better… Well in this case, that is not true! Out of every hunter I’ve ever encountered in my life, there is no one else quite like her… From group 2, we the most elegant fighter in the world, Charlotte Bellus!” – Barbara
‘The most elegant fighter in the world,’ huh?
I wonder what that entails…
“Out of everyone here, this man is the one who was in by far the worst shape after the preliminaries. Yet despite that, he never stopped smiling! His love for both combat and gambling alike is second to none! He’s not one to avoid taking risks, and although that often ends up with him in desperate need of a healer, the thought of how far he’d go if he hit the jackpot sends shivers down my spine… From group 3, the man who very well might be the dark horse of this tournament, is Vicent Fortuna!” – Bob
Wait, that name sounds familiar…
Isn’t he the one that fought Rin back during the D-rank exam?
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I could be misremembering, but I’m pretty sure it’s him…
So one of them made it into the tournament as well then…
“Every one of these fighters has a spark in them, something they believe in, something they fight for… She, does not. Every one of these fighters felt some combination of thrill, anxiety, and passion, as they fought their way through the hundreds of other contestants… She, did not. Never once did she indicate any sign of emotion. Is there something deep down that she’s not showing, or is this her true self? Only she knows. The most mysterious woman here is the winner of group 4, Chloe Ratio!” – Barbara
Lots of strange characters here…
I know only four people have been called out so far, but I really hope Alex made it…
I haven’t seen him in so long, and I have no idea where he would be if not here…
“This man is hailed as one of the strongest D-rank hunters around… Had the battle festival been held a few months later, he might have been competing with the other C-rankers instead! With a tricky ability like his, there aren’t many people who can defeat him! According to experts, he’s one of the combatants who are most favored to win! Representing group 5 is Jin Umbra!” – Bob
Wasn’t he also one of the D-rankers we had to fight in the D-rank exam?!
I’m pretty sure he was Alex’s opponent…
Alex dealt with him without much trouble, but it might have been because his ability countered his.
He can turn his body into dark smoke, making all attacks slip right through him.
It’s not an invincible ability, but it’s troublesome for sure…
I’ll have to watch out for him.
“Every contestant here faced some difficulties in the preliminaries… Not this man! Every hunter on Earth uses Divinity as the source of their power… Not this man! Where does his power come from? How can he be this strong without Divinity? Nobody knows the answers… Yet, his strength is undeniable! He took out more than 300 people in the preliminaries, all without breaking a sweat! The undeniable champion of group 6, Kuro Velox!” – Barbara
Kuro…
Kuro…!
It’s him!
It’s the man who beat Alex all the way back during the E-rank exam.
To think he’d show up here…
Back then, Alex couldn’t do anything to him.
He was rendered helpless when faced with his overwhelming strength.
The power he had back then might even be enough to contend with us in the present…
I can’t even begin to fathom how strong he must be now…
I pity whoever has to go up against him…
But now comes the moment of truth…
Victor was part of group 7…
Did he make it…?
“There are many strong fighters here, but when it comes to power, there is one man nobody should mess with… A single punch was all it took to take out his opponents. Not one of them could remain conscious after taking a hit head-on! The man I’m talking about is the winner of group 7, Victor Lepus!” – Bob
Yes!
He did it!
I can’t even begin to imagine how embarrassed he’d be if I made the cut while he didn’t…
“In contrast to the other contestants, this man is not the strongest, nor the fastest. He is not the toughest, and he does not have the most powerful specialty. In many people’s eyes, he might seem ordinary compared to the monsters gathered here tonight… That could not be further from the truth! What is the most important characteristic of a born winner? Is it the things I listed before? This man would argue no! To become a true winner, you need an unbreakable spirit! From group 8 we have the man who refuses to lose, Diego Spes!” – Barbara
That’s it?
An ‘unbreakable spirit’?
‘The man who refuses to lose?’
That’s all of us!
If that’s all he brings to the table, there’s no way he’ll go far in the tournament.
But…
He was the last man standing in group 8…