"To all our viewers watching through the magic screen, respected elders, beloved children, ladies and gentlemen, this is the Top 100 Tournament of the Magic Martial Arts Competition. I'm Big Beard Maru, and I'm joined by the beautiful and charming Doll Miss to commentate on the upcoming matches. Let's cheer together and rock the entire Kamalon Arena that can hold a hundred thousand people!" Big Beard Maru roared crazily into the magic loudspeaker, and the fully packed Kamalon Arena, with a capacity of a hundred thousand, erupted in cheers.
"First, let's warmly welcome the host country's King William II and the Temple's envoy, the Cardinal Gaopei Luo, to the arena," said Doll Miss, Kamalon's most famous court musician and a beloved soprano idol among the nobility. Despite being only nineteen, she had been famous on the continent since the age of five.
The number of men idolizing Doll Miss was no less than the number supporting Rody's Beloved Fan Club. However, this doll-faced idol was more passionate about music than love, and her chastity and lofty pursuits gave her a near-Saintess-like reputation among the common folk of Kamalon.
Getting her to host this Magic Martial Arts Competition was a feat; it's said that King William II and the Queen had spent nearly a month persuading her, gifting her a sacred musical instrument as a present to convince this musical idol to appear before everyone. Everyone in Kamalon recognized Doll Miss, but they were curious why an ordinary-looking person like Big Beard Maru could host the Magic Martial Arts Competition in front of a hundred thousand people.
With the arrival of Kamalon's King William II and the Queen, the crowd welcomed them with waves of cheers. The new king's rule differed significantly from the old king's, with tax exemptions and aid to the poor, earning King William II great public support upon his ascension. The people felt that the vast empire needed fresh vitality and a younger, more dynamic king. Thus, the old king's assassination and internal strife were quickly forgotten, with people now eager to please the new king.
Cardinal Gaopei Luo, accompanied by several bishops and a dozen Temple Knights, appeared solemnly in front of the crowd. Unlike King William II, who waved and nodded to the people in a friendly manner, the Cardinal solemnly walked to his VIP seat.
"I declare the Top 100 Tournament of the Magic Martial Arts Competition officially begins..."
Invited by Doll Miss, King William II stood up, cleared his throat, and announced the start of the Magic Martial Arts Competition. Immediately, magical fireworks shot into the sky, with all musicians and minstrels, as well as the Temple's chorus of young girls, singing in unison. War drums captured in the orc war, twenty huge drums, were played simultaneously by the strongest and most robust men.
The dazzling fireworks lasted for nearly ten minutes, providing a visual feast. People's palms grew numb from clapping along with the music... Just as a hint of fatigue began to show, the entire arena fell silent.
Everyone held their breath in excitement, eagerly awaiting the main event to unfold.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome the top 100 contestants of the Magic Martial Arts Competition to the stage!" Big Beard Maru shouted loudly.
"Wait a minute," Doll Miss, the co-host, started joking with her partner. The audience saw her blinking her big eyes on the giant projection screen, playfully grabbing her hair, and asking curiously, "Who are you? Why are you standing next to me?"
"Beautiful lady, please allow me to introduce myself, I am Big Beard Maru!" Maru quickly bowed to her in greeting.
"Never heard of you," Doll Miss shook her head.
"Maybe the name Big Beard Maru is hard to remember, but if I introduce myself like this, you might have some impression... I am Big Beard Maru, who was responsible for filming and reporting the glorious victory of Magical Kid Rody and his elite squad against the orc and demon invasion with zero casualties. I was the one who often ran behind everyone, excitedly shouting about our victory!" Maru explained in one breath, causing the audience to burst into laughter.
"I've heard of Magical Kid Rody, but I have no impression of you running behind him," Doll Miss said, covering her mouth with a giggle. "By the way, Big Beard Maru, why were you running behind Magical Kid's behind? Were you trying to research if his behind is also extraordinary?"
The crowd erupted into laughter and applause at her words.
"No, I have no interest in behinds. I followed Magical Kid because he was winning too quickly, and I wanted to pick up the slack, but my legs are short and couldn't keep up with him," Maru replied with a regretful expression. "If I could have killed a few orcs or demons, maybe Miss Doll would have some impression of me."
"Don't bother with such useless endeavors," Doll Miss answered seriously.
The audience was rolling with laughter, not expecting such a comedic effect from a pairing of a lowly mercenary and a famous diva.
"Big Beard Maru, now I'm even more confused!" Doll Miss scrutinized her co-host, shaking her head.
"What is it that Miss Doll doesn't understand?" Big Beard Maru asked respectfully.
"Why isn't it Magical Kid coming? Why isn't he your co-host instead of you, who has short legs and likes to run behind others' behinds?" Doll Miss's question had the audience almost in stitches, even the nobles who wanted to maintain a gentlemanly demeanor couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Magical Kid has to participate in the Magic Martial Arts Competition," Maru answered earnestly. "Besides, if he stood here with you, it would be dangerous for many people."
"Hmm?" Doll Miss feigned confusion adorably, bringing a smile to everyone's face.
"First, your supporters would clash with Magical Kid's Beloved Fan Club, which would be a big mess... Can you imagine a bunch of handsome men and beautiful women angrily clashing? That's something nobody wants to see! Moreover, with you standing here, half of the people in the arena, all the men, are only looking at you. If Magical Kid were also here with you, then the other half, the women, would only be looking at him, and nobody would watch the Magic Martial Arts Competition," Maru explained with a chuckle. "Miss Doll, the main reason I'm standing here is to reassure everyone to watch the matches. Look, I'm very safe-looking, extremely safe. So safe that even standing next to you, I can make everyone feel at ease to watch the competition!"
"This guy, he's killing me with laughter..."
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"So funny!"
The audience laughed heartily at the witty opening remarks of the two hosts, responding with warm applause. The atmosphere in the arena quickly heated up with their jokes, and everyone was full of anticipation for the contestants about to enter and the upcoming matches. As for Rody's Beloved Fan Club, they screamed his name and stood up in their seats, frantically waving their colorful ribbons and balls. Over three thousand people dressed uniformly, creating a veritable sea of pink.
Seeing their actions, countless magic reporters immediately pointed their memory crystals at them and started filming non-stop. Magic mages from various countries even switched to some of Rody and his elite squad's previous battle footage to show the scenes of Big Beard Maru breathlessly chasing after the Magical Kid, which made everyone watching on the magic screens laugh until tears flowed.
"Alright, since you look so safe, you can stay here!" Doll Miss laughed, "Actually, I do need a lackey..."
"I volunteer, I'm particularly good at this job, did quite well under Magical Kid!" Big Beard Maru eagerly offered himself.
"Lackey, go and bring me the crystal ball," Doll Miss pointed with her jade hand.
"Yes," Big Beard Maru exaggeratedly rolled up his sleeves, dashed off, and returned holding a small crystal ball aloft as if it were a heavy boulder. He then knelt on one knee, offering it to Doll Miss.
As soon as Doll Miss picked up the crystal ball, all the magical lights in the arena went out. The entire arena was left with only the faint light from the crystal ball. When Doll Miss suddenly covered the crystal ball with her wide sleeve, all the magical lights in the arena instantly came back on, making it as bright as day. To everyone's surprise, in the brief moment of the lights going out and coming back on, nearly a thousand fully armored swordsmen and hundreds of robed mages had appeared in the arena.
The swordsmen drew their swords and posed impressively, while the mages raised their staffs or wands, launching magical fireworks into the sky, eliciting rounds of applause with their spectacular performance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please look at our Top 100 contestants entering the arena. The first to enter are the twenty-five elite contestants from the host nation, the Kamalon Empire, riding tall and majestic horses, determined to bring glory to their country in the Magic Martial Arts Competition. Among them, the most popular contestants are the great swordsman Jelstoni from the capital Blai and the dragon knight Nutidora..." While the audience was absorbed in the performance, they hadn't noticed that the contestants had already been arranged to enter at the entrance, a surprising move that caught everyone off guard and added to the excitement.
"Jelstoni! Nutidora!" The people of Kamalon, of course, gave enthusiastic applause and cheers to their own country's contestants.
"Long live Kamalon..."
All the swordsmen and mages quickly lined up in two rows, clapping and shouting, welcoming the top 100 contestants to the arena. In close-up shots, the excitement on each contestant's face was clearly visible. As Kamalon's contestants passed the main stage, they drew their swords and saluted to King William II, waving to the audience throughout, causing waves of cheers.
Representatives from other countries politely applauded but were also on guard. There were only a hundred contestants in the top 100 tournament, including those from the Temple and the popular contestants who were automatically promoted, totaling 109. Unexpectedly, Kamalon alone had twenty-five contestants.
King William II, though inwardly pleased, still felt it was insufficient. During the selection and elimination rounds, Kamalon's contestants faced many strong opponents. The four contestants who exceptionally refused automatic promotion—red-haired Sal, Ice Mage Jiao, Magical Kid Rody, and Elf's Son Chris—eliminated many potential contestants from Kamalon. Otherwise, Kamalon would have had at least thirty-five contestants advancing.
The equally strong Noren and Gale empires each had over ten contestants. The most powerful Magic Empire, Mille, apart from two swordsmen, all the rest were mages, totaling sixteen contestants, the second highest after Kamalon. Among them, the most popular was Ice Mage Jiao, the hot favorite to win the championship. It was almost certain that the champion would be among him, red-haired Sal, Dragon Knight Nutidora, Prince Vincent, and the Temple's Holy Spear Knight Holi.
Magical Kid Rody, Elf's Son Chris, Silver Fang Jelstoni, Temple's Holy Eye Sariwen, and Demon Slayer Sword Lott were considered top ten contenders.
In the previous draw, Magical Kid Rody was placed in the so-called Group of Death, otherwise his chances to reach the top three would have been higher. In Group C of the Death Group, there were not only Sky Knight Prince Vincent and Silver Fang Jelstoni but also Holy Law Adleman, former brother Demon Slayer Sword Lott, and even Ice Mage Jiao, making it a terrifying group. Escaping from Group C was more difficult than returning from a hell escape. Chris also drew the unlucky Group D, with Holy Spear Knight Holi, Dragon Knight Nutidora, and several other strong contestants from different countries.
As for red-haired Sal, he was fortunate to be placed in Group A, which, apart from the Temple's Pompeius, had no highly popular contestants. Holy Eye Sariwen in Group B faced almost no competition, considered a sure qualifier.
"Ice Mage Jiao..." Countless people saw the cool Ice Mage Jiao leading all the contestants from the Mille Empire. Everyone betting on him cheered wildly, and the Mille delegation stood up, frantically waving their flags.
"Red-haired Sal, red-haired, red-haired!" Naples, like Felic, was a tiny country, barely known had it not been for red-haired Sal. As the man with fiery red hair stepped out alone, the King and royal family of Naples stood up, cheering wildly and waving continuously at him.
"If it weren't for this young man, Kamalon Empire's William II wouldn't have arranged for this small country's king to be seated on the main stage."
One by one, contestants entered the arena, either walking, riding horses, or mounted on flying dragons and griffins, in the most flamboyant postures and proudest attitudes, following the announcements of Big Beard Maru and Doll Miss. The preliminary eliminations and strength tests had already made the audience somewhat familiar with them.
Therefore, as soon as well-known contestants appeared, many people stood up to welcome them with applause. Although not necessarily from their own country, that didn't prevent the audience from betting on and supporting their favorite contestants. The Temple's contestants were few, only six, with five of them riding holy magic horses, waving kindly to the people in the holy light and saluting Cardinal Gaopei Luo at the main stage.
As for the silver-armored lady knight at the back, wearing a silver mask and wielding a silver lance and armor, she looked gallant. Although her face was unknown, this female knight sent by the Saintess, who defeated the highly acclaimed strongest contestant from the Gale Empire, Kyo Jonadu, in the elimination round, had suddenly drawn attention. She was also a popular candidate among the top ten, but being in the same Death Group as Magical Kid Rody and Ice Mage Jiao, her chances of making it to the top ten seemed slim.
Had she been in Group A or B, people would have bet heavily on her support much earlier. However, the Saintess's female knight was also a welcomed figure, receiving applause and cheers, despite her cool demeanor and lack of populist gestures.
The last to enter were Magical Kid Rody and his elite team. Although they were from different countries, they chose to enter together, symbolizing unity and friendship. The Temple had expressed dissatisfaction with this arrangement, as the last group to enter should have been them, representing the most authoritative and righteous of all people. However, the Magic Martial Arts Committee and King William II had considered that if Magical Kid Rody were to enter before them, they would likely not receive applause or much attention, as everyone's eyes would be fixed only on the most popular Magical Kid.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the most exciting moment has arrived!" shouted Big Beard Maru, his voice filled with excitement. "Friends, let's give our loudest cheers, welcome our hero, our great inventor, welcome Magical Kid and his magical team, welcome you, Rody..."
"Ah! Rody, Rody, Rody, Rody!" Almost everyone stood up, waving their arms to welcome the Magical Kid who walked out of the contestant area with his several companions. People were shouting frantically.
"Clap, clap, clap, clap..." The applause rose like a storm.
"Welcome, Rody!" Waves of people spontaneously formed, rippling sideways, with some nobles initially maintaining their dignity, sitting still. But as they felt increasingly out of place, they, too, stood up, elegantly raising their hands. The massive human waves, while spreading, also conveyed joy, bringing strangers closer in an instant.
Everyone, hand in hand, regardless of gender, cheered wholeheartedly.
They were not only welcoming the miraculous young man but also seeking to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere of the Magic Martial Arts Competition, sharing in the joy with everyone.
Not just the commoners, but even the young King William II, along with his queen and Prince Noren beside him, joined the crowd in creating joyful waves, laughing heartily without caring about the dignity of his kingly status.
"Long live Rody, Rody, we love you, love you, love you!" The ardent fan group began dancing, following the choreography they had rehearsed in advance.
They couldn't leave their seats, but they expressed their feelings through synchronized hand movements.
All the magic reporters were trembling with excitement. Apart from assigning people to capture the waves welcoming Rody by King William II, others were tasked with filming the dance of the fan group. A few even photographed the stoic High Priests sitting motionlessly. Of course, most focused their memory crystals on the young man whose smile was as radiant as the sun.
Countless magic reporters, to the left and right in front of him, ran alongside as he moved forward, seeking the best shooting angle.
Rody reached out to the audience above, and millions of hands responded immediately. Although they knew it was impossible to shake hands with him, people enthusiastically reciprocated his greeting, his approachability... The pop diva released her most stunning war symphony, accompanied by a thousand-voice choir and thunderous war drums, nearly exploding the atmosphere. Countless people were moved to tears, and many more were electrified by the ambiance.
"I dare say, this young man might not be the strongest, but he is the most welcomed in people's hearts, their champion. Even before the competition has started, he has already stolen it," King William II shouted to Prince Noren of the Noren Empire beside him. Despite being close, he had to yell due to the overwhelming cheers.
"He's stolen not just the championship but also the hearts of beauties," the old prince laughed heartily, clearly fond of Rody.
"You're right. I'm starting to regret bringing my queen here..." King William II watched his queen cheer passionately, as happy as a little girl, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"Hmph." From the distant temple seats, amidst the roaring of thousands, a meaningful snort coldly echoed.