The enormous magical device was now fully prepared in the center of the arena.
Up close, it looked even larger.
Numerous runes glowed softly across the entire structure, forming complex patterns that connected to one another. Reinforced metal plates protected the main parts of the equipment, while a large magical display showed the test results.
Hundreds of spectators watched from the stands.
The participants waited near the qualification area.
The organizer who had spoken earlier returned to the center of the arena.
His voice echoed throughout the entire venue.
"Now we will begin the strength test!"
The crowd responded with applause.
"The objective is simple. Each participant must strike the device with the strongest physical blow they can deliver."
He pointed at the machine.
"Participants who score one thousand points or more will qualify for the main tournament."
Some people looked relieved.
Others became nervous.
One thousand points was apparently the minimum score required.
For experienced adventurers, it didn't seem difficult.
But for ordinary fighters, it might be quite a challenge.
The organizer continued explaining the rules for several more minutes.
After that, the first participants were called.
A tall adventurer stepped into the arena.
He took a deep breath.
Clenched his fist.
Then struck the machine.
The impact produced a sharp sound.
A few seconds later, the display lit up.
1248.
The crowd applauded.
The man celebrated quietly before leaving the area.
Soon the next participant stepped forward.
This time, a mercenary.
He looked very confident.
He struck the machine with all his strength.
The result appeared.
872.
His face fell.
The audience reacted with sympathy.
Unfortunately, he had not reached the minimum score.
The tests continued like that.
Some passed.
Others failed.
The process moved quickly.
As I watched everything, I noticed that the scores rarely exceeded two thousand points.
Very few came close to three thousand.
That led me to one conclusion.
Maybe I really needed to be careful.
Very careful.
Scarlett noticed my expression.
"What is it?"
"I think we should hold back."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"The machine looks more fragile than I expected."
Scarlett looked at the device.
Then she looked at me.
Then she started laughing.
"You're worried about the machine?"
"Yes."
"Seriously."
Rai'kanna also looked at it.
"Maybe he's right."
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"You two are exaggerating."
I didn't answer.
I simply continued watching the tests.
A few minutes later, Scarlett's name was announced.
Immediately, part of the crowd began whispering.
Many people already recognized her.
The Heroine of Flames.
The warrior who had fought in the war against the demons.
Scarlett walked to the center of the arena with complete calmness.
She looked as if she were simply taking a casual stroll.
When she stopped in front of the machine, she glanced at me.
"I'll hold back."
I didn't believe her for even a second.
She clenched her fist.
Then she lunged forward.
BOOOM!
The sound of the impact echoed throughout the entire arena.
A shockwave spread around the machine.
Many people widened their eyes.
The display took a few seconds to calculate.
Then it showed the result.
25073.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
For a few seconds, no one said a word.
Not even the organizer.
Then the crowd erupted into shouts.
"TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND?!"
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"WHAT A MONSTER!"
"SHE BROKE THE RECORD!"
Even some veteran adventurers were left speechless.
Scarlett merely shrugged.
As if it were completely normal.
She returned to our group.
"See? I held back."
"That was holding back?"
"It was."
"I'm afraid of your definition of holding back."
She smiled.
Clearly satisfied.
Soon afterward, it was Rai'kanna's turn.
The crowd reacted in much the same way.
She too had become well known after the war.
Rai'kanna walked up to the machine.
Took a deep breath.
Assumed her stance.
Then struck.
BOOOOM!
The impact was almost as powerful as Scarlett's.
The entire structure of the machine shook.
The display lit up.
24891.
The arena fell into shock once again.
Many people began comparing the results.
The difference between the two was small.
Much smaller than I had expected.
Rai'kanna looked at the result.
Then she looked at Scarlett.
"I lost."
Scarlett smiled immediately.
"By a little."
"A little is still losing."
She returned to us, visibly frustrated.
Not because her score was bad.
But because Scarlett had scored slightly higher.
The two of them really took their rivalry seriously.
Liriel's assistant watched everything in amazement.
"Are those numbers normal?"
"No."
I answered immediately.
"Not at all."
Liriel nodded.
"They're absurd."
The assistant looked even more surprised.
Then came the moment I had hoped to avoid.
My name was announced.
Some people began applauding.
Others whispered among themselves.
The participants watched me.
The tournament champion was watching as well.
I sighed.
Then I walked to the center of the arena.
The machine seemed smaller now.
Or maybe that was just my imagination.
I stopped in front of it.
I looked at the equipment.
Then at the organizer.
Then back at the machine.
"Please survive."
I muttered.
A few people nearby heard me.
They probably thought it was a joke.
Unfortunately, it wasn't.
I took my stance.
I decided to use only a tiny fraction of my strength.
Far less than I would normally use in battle.
It should be enough.
Or at least, that was what I hoped.
I clenched my fist.
Took a deep breath.
Then struck.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The impact was so violent that the explosive sound echoed throughout the entire arena.
The ground shook.
Many people lost their balance.
Even the air itself seemed to vibrate.
At that very instant, the machine began making strange noises.
The runes glowed wildly.
The display flickered nonstop.
Numbers appeared and disappeared.
100000.
100001.
100002.
100003.
100004.
The values changed so quickly that it was impossible to follow them.
The entire device began to tremble.
I immediately realized the problem.
"Ah."
That was all I managed to say.
The machine emitted a high-pitched sound.
The runes lost stability.
Small cracks spread across the entire structure.
Then...
BOOOOM!
It exploded.
Not a massive explosion.
But enough to scatter metal pieces several meters away.
The display was hurled into the distance.
Parts of the equipment crashed onto the ground.
The silence that followed was almost frightening.
Hundreds of people stood completely motionless.
No one seemed able to believe what had just happened.
I looked at the remains of the machine.
Then at the organizer.
The organizer looked at the remains of the machine.
Then at me.
We stood there for a few seconds.
Without saying anything.
Until I finally scratched the back of my neck.
"I think it broke."
No one answered.
Scarlett was the first to start laughing.
Soon Rai'kanna joined in.
Then a few people in the stands.
The tension gradually faded.
But the organizer still looked stunned.
I walked over to him.
"I'm sorry."
"You..."
He pointed at the wreckage.
"You destroyed the machine."
"Yes."
"It has existed for more than fifty years."
"I'm sorry."
"Not even the champion managed to damage it."
I looked at the champion.
He was watching me with an expression that was difficult to read.
Perhaps surprise.
Perhaps admiration.
Perhaps concern.
Probably a little of all three.
I turned my attention back to the organizer.
"I'll pay for the damage."
He remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he shook his head.
"That won't be necessary."
"At least let me help."
"No."
He took a deep breath.
"We'll consider this an... exceptional result."
That drew laughter from the crowd.
Even the organizer seemed to be trying to accept what had happened.
A moment later, he raised his voice.
"Takumi is qualified!"
The crowd responded immediately.
Applause echoed throughout the entire arena.
Many people were still talking about the destroyed machine.
Others looked completely incredulous.
I returned to the girls.
As soon as I reached them, Scarlett flashed a huge smile.
"So you were the one who needed to hold back."
"I tried."
"Clearly, you didn't try hard enough."
"I used a fraction of my strength."
"How much?"
I thought for a few seconds.
"Maybe ten percent."
Scarlett fell silent.
Rai'kanna too.
The assistant as well.
In fact, everyone did.
Then Scarlett sighed.
"Sometimes I forget you've become a monster."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"It wasn't supposed to be."
I ended up laughing.
As the organizers tried to figure out how to continue the tests without the machine, I noticed that many people were staring at me.
Some looked impressed.
Others looked frightened.
Some were simply curious.
But one thing was certain.
After what had just happened, no one was talking about Scarlett's twenty-five thousand points anymore.
Nor about Rai'kanna's twenty-four thousand.
Now there was only one topic.
The Hero had destroyed the tournament's machine with a single punch.
And something told me that story would be told in that city for many, many years.