Chapter 40

I sigh and try to relax as we wait for our next fight. We won against Shiga University, and our second fight was against Aichi University, another close university to Kyoto, resulting in our winning as well.

Now, we are waiting to enter the tournament's second stage, a double fight.

"Here"

I look and see Shigeru give me a bottle of water. I smile at him and say.

"Thanks"

I take the bottle and drink the water inside.

"How long until the second stage?"

"Two more matches before the first stage is over. I heard from the others that we will start the second stage tomorrow."

"I see. So we should probably leave the arena, right? I want to see the other fights."

"I don't mind. I am also curious about how the others fight."

With that word, the three of us leave the waiting room and walk to the arena. We get to the standing viewing area, where we can see a fight between two universities. I look at the screen and see that it is a match between Akita University and Kochi University.

"Interesting. Tanuki Youkai has great illusion magic. Look"

I look at the screen and see Tanuki Youkai using the enemy's body as a puppet to protect him and attack his own teammates.

"He can create an illusion that makes his enemy see his teammate as an enemy."

I can see the Oni release a roar and attack his teammate using his ax. His teammates, Bull Youkai and Karasu Tengu, run around to dodge the incoming attack while not hurting their teammates too much.

"Sadly for him, Bull Youkai is a tough bunch. It should be happening now."

I blink at Se-Ah's words and look at the screen curiously. I widen my eyes and see the Bull Youkai change the direction of his attack. He is now attacking Tanuki Youkai instead of his teammates.

Se-Ah smirks and says.

"Bull Youkai is known for its resistance against magic. The more magic they get hit with, the more resistant they become to that kind of magic. The only downside is that it was not a permanent boost."

I see. What an annoying little power to have. Lucky for me, I can change between breathing styles to fight against him. Maybe I also need to use my Take Over magic, fully fighting against him.

"Does Bull Youkai have a resistance against physical attack?"

Shigeru shakes his head and says.

"No. They did not have it. However, they have thick skin that can absorb a lot of damage."

"I see."

I nod and look at the fight on the screen. While watching the fight, my eyes caught something from the corner of my eyes. I turn to the left and see Karin and Yuki waving at me. I smile at them and look at my teammates.

"I need to meet someone."

Shigeru and Se-Ah nod their heads, and I leave the standing viewing room to meet Yuki and Karin. I walk to the audience seat and see Karin and Yuki waving their hands when they see me coming.

"Ryan!"

"Ryan! It is good to see you!"

The two of them greet each other with a tight hug. Here, I thought Japanese people did not like showing affection in public. Or is it just the Youkai race? Maybe.

"It is nice to see you two. I thought that you two would not watch the tournament."

"How can you say that?! We will come and cheer for you, Ryan."

"En! You are so cool!"

I laugh a little at Karin and Yuki's praise.

"Thank you. How is the fight?"

Karin and Yuki look at me and say,

"It was so fun to watch. All of you are training hard, and it shows in the fight. Especially you, Ryan."

"En. I don't know if you can use a katana that well, Ryan. Your movement makes you look like you are dancing, and the elements around you make it even more beautiful."

I can only rub the back of my head in embarrassment. I shake my head and say.

"So, other than our team, which one do you think has the highest chance to win this tournament?"

"Fufufufu~ A bit high for yourself, huh?"

I grin at Karin and say.

"What can I say? I was biased, after all."

Karin shakes her head and says.

"The previous champion, Tokyo University, has the highest chance of winning the tournament. With how this is a pure combat tournament, unlike last year, they are in their best condition."

Yuki nods her head and adds her own opinion to this conversation.

"All of their members for this tournament are a race that builds for a fight, after all. Two Red Onis and one Blue Dokkaebi."

Yup. They will be the biggest hindrance for me and my team in this tournament. Their race alone already gives them a huge advantage because they are a race that adapts faster in a fight. They are the genius that can get stronger the more they fight.

"Yup~ The next one is Hokkaido University. They consist of two Yuki-Onna and one Werewolf."

Right, werewolf. They are a race that stays on Sakhalin Island and has a good relationship with the Northern Region of Japan. I heard that some of the people from Hokkaido University sent their students there for an exchange program.

"The werewolf is fast and hit hard," Yuki says, "With the Yuki-Onna supporting him from the back and making sure the enemy gets slowed by their magic, the werewolf can focus on attacking his opponent."

Karin nods her head and says.

"Not only supporting him, the two Yuki-Onna are great magicians who can release a large number of spells that can cause a lot of damage. Their ice spells are the most powerful, as expected, but other than ice spells, they are also masters of illusion and healing magic that are compatible with the werewolf."

Right. That makes this team even more troublesome than the Tokyo team. Healing spells are hard to come by for Youkai. The reason? It needs to be a healing spell that is compatible with each type of Youkai.

For example, Yuki-Onna healers cannot heal Oni because they are Fire-type creatures, and Yuki-Onna is an Ice-type creature. Not only is the healing spell hard to learn, but they also need to think of the compatibility of the healing spell.

Because of Yuki-Onna's compatibility with the werewolf, they can continue to heal their vanguard with ease and only think of defending themselves from the opponent.

"Oh! What a great match! With this, Akita University will go to the second stage!"

I quickly look to the left and see the fight is over. The host smiles happily at the result.

"With the last fight over, let's see who shall be fighting the next stage! Let's spin the name!"

I can see the screen randomize the name for a few seconds before stopping.

"And here is the result! The first fight will be Gunma University against Oita University!"

I frown a little when I see who we will be fighting against.

"The second fight will be Tokyo University against Kyoto University!"

We will be fighting against the previous champion.