"Now, this isn't a championship match or anything, but the final contestants today are championship material," Renry explained. "They aren't Champions yet, though."
"How do the championships work?" Reivyn asked with interest.
"Eligibility for the tournament is determined by these matches here," Renry explained. "Participation, growth, strategy, and tactics are all more important than winning a lot of matches. It's never happened that I'm aware of, but it is possible to qualify for the tournament while losing every single preliminary match.
"There are two types of champions: Champions and The Monarch. Champions are graded against the Class standard. One has to make it to the final half of the tournament, and then the judges grade each match in extreme detail. If the Striker performs to the standard, he'll be labeled a Champion for that season, even if he loses the match.
"This is another reason why supporting team members is so important. Take that first match we watched together. That Striker is still low-Level, but if he sticks with the team that he has and picks up a Healer and Trainer, he has a strong possibility of becoming a Champion in a couple of years. Team members for someone becoming a Champion, as long as they're members of the team before the tournament starts, also get a Champion designation.
"The Monarch is the Striker who wins the tournament, and they're always a Champion."
"I see," Reivyn said, stroking his chin as he took the information in. "How many contestants usually become Champions during the tournament? How easy is it?"
"It's not easy," Renry said, shaking his head. "Out of a couple of thousand initial entries into the tournament, there's usually only about 20 Champions. There's no hard rule that prevents there from being more, but meeting the standard is hard, and it's almost unheard of for someone without the specific Striker Class to achieve it.
"Not only that, but the standard is evolving. This year's standard is going to be based on the performance of last year's, and last year's was from the previous year's."
"What are the benefits of becoming a Champion?"
"Aside from being able to charge more money for tickets and getting a higher cut, the most important benefit is an increase in Experience gains while competing against other Champions. The System grants an Achievement and tracks it. Everyone wants to compete against a Champion, even other Champions. Their time becomes precious, and they can charge a premium. The Monarch is more so.
"Not only competing but getting training from a Champion will also increase Skill Leveling speed as with a talented Teacher. Champions are always incredibly busy, but every Striker lives to become one.
"The last important benefit is the international tournament. Only Champions are eligible to go. It's basically the same thing as the local tournament, but at a higher standard. Becoming an International Champion improves the System's benefits. It's a round-robin tournament where everyone fights everyone, and Strikers participating in the international competition usually gain at least a couple of Levels in a short period of time."
"I take it that the Champions are at least mid-Tier 4?" Reivyn asked.
"Typically," Renry affirmed. "Every now and then, someone in the low-Tier 4 range will make it, but it's rare. Most people just haven't had enough time to polish their Skills enough by that point. Mid-Expert Mastery is the bare minimum."
"Shh, shh, here we go," Herrick called over from where he was standing next to the glass.
Reivyn and Renry stopped talking and focused their attention on the ring down below. With his enhanced Perception and the runic connection to the sidelines, it was as if Reivyn was there in the midst of the action.
The two competitors visibly stood out from the previous Strikers. It wasn't just that their color schemes were more complex, having more than one solid color for their outfits, nor was it their bodies which were well proportioned and spoke of a life of intense training. Their entire demeanor was different. There was a bit of swagger even when they were just standing still.
The Striker in the corner closest to Reivyn wore black and gold with a sort of star pattern. His opponent wore blue and red. The red seemed to bleed into the blue, creating a sort of macabre visual effect.
The two Strikers charged at each other as soon as the match started, not wasting any time. They were very experienced fighters, and there was no need for them to test each other out. The Strikers on stage were a level above even the second-to-last competitors. Their bodies seemed to move and bend in ways that didn't seem possible.
Fists flew, legs struck, and knees sought ribs. They didn't avoid all of each other's attacks, but their movements seemed to take these hits into account ahead of time. The team members on the side were just as silent as the other professional teams had been. They were staring intently at the opponents clashing in the ring.
"Instead of the Strikers testing each other out, the Strategists and Tacticians are doing so," Renry explained. "By having their Fighters go out and just assault the other right off the bat, the team members on the sidelines will be able to come up with an appropriate strategy starting the next round. At a certain level of competition, preparing an elaborate strategy from the very beginning just doesn't make any sense."
"I can see that," Reivyn said. "It's the same kind of thinking that any plan will only last as long as the first arrow is released."
"I've never heard that saying before, but it makes sense to me," Renry responded. "Right now, we can expect to see the Strikers just unload on the other, and starting next round, there will be more rhyme and reason to their strikes."
Just like Renry said, the two competitors alternated between going toe to toe and bouncing around the ring. They displayed a mastery of several different forms of fighting that others had specialized in up to this point, and Reivyn knew that they were just as good, if not better, than most of the previous competitors that focused on one type of conflict.
There had been little in the way of active Skills up to this point, though there had been a few, now they were on full display. Reivyn watched as the one in black and gold appeared to manifest hundreds of fists at once, and they struck at his opponent in an endless barrage. It was impossible to avoid all of those attacks, and the competitor in blue and red activated a defensive Skill. He ducked into himself, and a sort of barrier appeared around him. The hundreds of fists seemed to slide across the barrier as if it was slicked with oil.
As the multi-fist Skill of the black and gold Striker ended, the blue and red Striker activated a movement Skill that saw him lunge instantaneously within the guard of the black and gold Striker. He performed an upper-cut strike, but the black and gold Striker had anticipated the move. His body bent at a 90-degree angle, and he struck out with his leg, taking advantage of the movements to launch a counterattack of his own.
The first match continued at a frenzied pace with strikes and counter strikes, dodges, and blocks. The number of maneuvers in the first match almost eclipsed all of the previous matches combined. Higher Levels meant higher Stats and Skills. Not only were their base numbers much higher than the previous Strikers, but their fighting experience was much higher, as well. They were able to move about and strike at a much higher rate than those that had come before.
"And you said that these guys aren't even Champions from last season?" Reivyn asked, turning to Renry.
"Nope," Renry said. "These guys didn't make it past the first half of the tournament, so they weren't qualified to even be evaluated. Even then, we'd have to see more from their teams before we could guess at whether or not they have a shot at the designation this season."
"How would you gauge their personal abilities?" Reivyn asked.
"They're at the threshold, there's no doubt," Renry replied. "Without knowing how well their teams will direct them, nor how well they'll be able to adhere to that direction, I would say that they're just at the cusp." Renry looked over at Reivyn with a significant look. "There are over a hundred such individuals each season, but even so, only about twenty make it."
"Wow, I can see why you say it's hard," Reivyn said with a chuckle.
Reivyn put himself in the shoes of the black and gold Striker in his head. The Striker was performing moves that he had never attempted, but he could tell that he wasn't quite at the Master level just yet. With a bit of practice to familiarize himself with his Pugilist Skill rolled into his Weapons Master Skill, he could see himself easily pulling off the moves. He would just need to learn them and practice them a bit for them to become second nature.
He shifted his mental focus and put himself in the other Striker's shoes, as well. It was the same thing. Other than the specific Class Skills that they displayed, Reivyn didn't have any trouble imagining himself performing any of the moves he saw in the ring.
With a bit of Mana Reinforcement, I think I would be able to keep up with their pace, too, Reivyn mused. Speaking of...
"I know you said that it was rare for people without the specific Fighter Class to make it to this level, but for someone that doesn't have that Class, are there any restrictions on using Mana Skills?" Reivyn asked.
"It depends," Renry said. "Offensive abilities are obviously off-limits. Mana Shields are also a no-no. Most Strikers use Stamina to fuel their Skills, so adding another resource element to the matches wouldn't be fair. That being said, in the rare case that someone is able to internalize their Mana to increase their abilities, they're allowed to do so.
"The few instances of non-Strikers making it to being a Champion, they've all had the ability to cycle their Mana internally to give their Stats a boost. Stats aren't everything, though, and it's usually the Skill level that prevents them from making it so far. There aren't many Adventurers or soldiers that specialize in Pugilism, after all."
"I've known a couple, but yeah, they wouldn't be able to compete at this level," Reivyn said.
"Are you thinking about competing?" Kefira asked from where she was seated behind them. Reivyn and Renry turned to look at her. "I know you're a Master Swordsman and Spearman, but I haven't seen you fight very much with your fists."
Renry cast an appreciative look at Reivyn at Kefira's statement. It was very rare for someone so young to achieve Mastery level in a weapon Skill, much less two of them.
"I haven't practiced the moves that are on display down there, but my Skill with my fists is almost on par with my Swords Skill," Reivyn said. Renry gave him a shocked look. Herrick quirked his eyebrows with suspicion. "With a bit of dedicated training, I think I could hold my own against someone at the level of the last competition. I would need to reach Tier 3 and gain several Levels to make up for the Stat difference, though"
"Wait... what?!" Renry exclaimed. "You're only tier 2? And you have three Skills at the Master level?"
"My dear Reivyn here is an officer in the Imperial Army," Kefira simply said. She left the statement there. Reivyn had said previously that he wasn't a lord. Becoming an officer in the Imperial Army without the backing of a noble family required one to have extraordinary abilities, so the statement spoke for itself.
"If you saw how his father trained him, you wouldn't be surprised," Serilla spoke up for the first time. "The two of them are insane."
"Are you seriously considering competing?" Renry asked after calming down for a moment.
"It's something to do," Reivyn said with a shrug. "If I can get good enough to fight against a Champion, that would be even better. Without the time to run a couple of Dungeons, my Experience acquisition will be much slower than it has been in the past."
"You're not the first amateur with such an idea," Renry said. "If you truly have the Skills to back it up, it shouldn't be much of a stretch for you to be able to do so. If you don't have mid-Expert level or higher, I wouldn't recommend wasting your time.
"If you're telling the truth, though, I can introduce you to a couple of gyms. I was planning on taking Herrick to one tomorrow. He's not interested in being a Striker, per se, but he wants to explore the entire industry to see if something fits. Every good team member on the sidelines has at least some experience as a Striker in the ring."
"What about you?" Reivyn asked. "You said you dabbled, but you didn't go into any specifics."
"I've participated as everything except a Healer in my day," Renry answered. "I had obligations that prevented me from taking the Class, though, so I never went professional."
There was something about his words that struck Reivyn. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he suspected that the man wasn't being fully truthful with how he worded his statement.
"Alright," Reivyn said with a nod. "Then, if you don't mind, I can trust you to steer me to a good gym with a good team."
"I can do that, no problem," Renry said.
"I have other obligations with the military for the next month, so I won't be able to dedicate my time to training," Reivyn said. "That being said, I have time in the mornings that I train every day, anyway, and I'll have some evenings and weekends off."
"If your Skill level is already in the Master range, then you won't need to do too much more than some specific training on the appropriate moves. You're not planning on going pro or taking the Class, so it should be fine."
"Alright, let's set it up."
The two ended their conversation and returned to watching the match. The first round had ended, and now the two Strikers were acting completely different than they had in the first round. Instead of going all out and putting everything on display, they seemed to be attempting to lead the other Striker in a certain direction.
With the display of mastery over the types of fighting, it would be difficult to create too much of a difference. The biggest thing each team tried to do was lead the opponent into a specific style they could counter.
Reivyn could see the machinations of the Tacticians and Trainers at play. There were subtle differences in how the two Strikers fought against each other. Their strikes seemed to be more tailor-made for their opponent, specifically.
Even though the frantic nature of the fight had calmed down a lot, it wasn't any less exciting. The anticipation of watching and waiting for a strategy to succeed was just as fun. Watching one of the Strikers nearly fall for a ploy, only to spring their own trap to counter it, lead to a certain sense of satisfaction. Reivyn, especially with his history of leading soldiers on the battlefield, greatly enjoyed this aspect of the match.
As the rounds continued, though, one team proved to be superior once more. The black and gold Striker was able to trap his opponent in ploys more often, and he steadily accrued more points to his side. It wasn't just that his team was a step better. Renry pointed out that he was also able to implement the strategy and tactics more easily than his opponent.
After fifteen rounds, the match ended with the black and gold Striker winning with a decent margin.
Reivyn and those in the booth with him waited for a bit after the final match before leaving. Everyone was streaming out of the venue at the same time, so even if they left early, they would still have to meander in line for quite some time before they got out. None of them were in a particular hurry, anyway.
"So we can meet outside in the square, here," Reivyn said to Renry. "What time were you planning on heading to the gym tomorrow?"
"Probably around nine or so," Renry said. "That'll give the members of the gym time to get into their training sessions so we won't interrupt them, and it'll be early enough that Herrick can get started on a full day."
"Nine sounds fine to me," Reivyn replied. "I don't plan on sticking around all day, though. I only have so many days to spend with Kefira right now."
"I'll help you explain it to the owner," Renry offered. "If you can show your Mastery level, they'll be more inclined to let you do what you want, especially since you're going to be an amateur, anyway."
"Alright. We'll see you, then."
With that, the group finally left the booth. Renry and Herrick separated to walk out of a different exit, and Reivyn followed Kefira as she led them to an exit that would take them to the other side. The day wasn't over, and she planned on walking through the city a bit more before heading home.
"I knew you would be interested in watching the matches, but are you sure you want to try it out for yourself?" Kefira asked. "Do you have time for that?"
"Should," Reivyn said. "I don't plan on putting too much time into it. The allure of the Experience gains from fighting a Champion is definitely a huge enticement, but I'm actually more interested in the Strategists and Tacticians. Renry said that every good Strategist and Tactician has experience in the ring as a Striker. I see potential in translating the Skillset to warfare. Right now, as a commander, I'm able to give commands and come up with strategies and tactics, but the Strikers can bring those strategies and tactics into how they operate on a fundamental level. If we can imbue soldiers with that same thing, it could save lives."
"I can see how they're similar, but they're completely different things," Kefira said. "For Strikers, it's multiple teammates affecting one person. For soldiers, it would be one or two people affecting hundreds of people."
"I know," Reivyn said. "That's one of the reasons I want to get into it. I need to do some research, and what better way than to experience it myself?"
"You don't always have to be thinking of ways to improve yourself, you know," Kefira said with a wink. "You're allowed to relax and just enjoy something for itself."
"But this is what I enjoy about these things," Reivyn replied. "Plus, if I weren't this way, I wouldn't be me."
"And I love that about you," Kefira said. "I was just teasing."
The two, followed by Serilla, made their way out of the Striker's Guild amphitheater. The matches had taken up most of the day, and the sun was close to the horizon already. It hadn't seemed like it was that long while they were inside watching the matches. Time had gone by really fast, but looking back on it, Reivyn could see how it took so much time.
There wasn't much time to do a lot, so they simply strolled through the streets. They watched the people around them and conversed about the different things they could see. Business was still running in the commercial districts, and it didn't seem like it was going to let up any time soon, but Kefira's family generally liked their children to be back in the palace near the time of sunset. It wasn't a hard rule, and there were certain things to do that were only available in the evening, but they weren't out to do anything like that today.
They just had a leisurely walk through the crowded streets, circling around before heading back in the direction of the palace. There were no plans to have a banquet with the entire family, so Reivyn led Kefira to the guest house where his parents were staying. If Reivyn was going to be staying with them instead of the little house in Kefira's courtyard, he was going to take advantage of the situation and have as many home-cooked meals from his mother as he possibly could.
That extended to bringing Kefira along. It wasn't just that he wanted his girlfriend to experience the same great food; it was a good opportunity to continue building a rapport between them.
He also planned on explaining his plans to his father.
Who knows? Maybe he'll have some insights on combining the abilities of the Strategists and Tacticians, and he might be interested in exploring the field, as well. It would be a good source of Experience for his followers between delving Dungeons.
A plan for maximizing Experience gains and Skill leveling was forming in his mind.