"Here it comes, here it comes, the All Sky Festival Qualifier!　This will be qualifying site number twelve!　As you know, in this battle to determine the strongest in the world, our heroes are gathering from all over the continent!　But!　Unfortunately, not everyone who wants to participate will be able to face the legend!　We're going to set up a qualifier first, and then we're going to reduce that number!'

　'Live action'.
　The battlefield, or rather, the competition stage, was not the only stage set up in the Beginner's Dungeon of the Beginning.

　It's not just a battlefield, or even a competition stage, but a spectator's area and several giant screens.
　The spectator seats and four screens surround the stage where the battle takes place.
　The screen was divided into several sections, showing images from multiple locations.
　It seems that the size of the images and each screen changes according to the battle situation.

　Since the deal with the beginning dungeons, Mr. Ferro has been negotiating with them in the direction of renting out the same kind of space rather than buying them out, and he has succeeded in renting enough magical space to hold the festival.

　The managers of the dungeons scattered around the world are also grateful for a source of income that doesn't depend on the conquerors. If they don't lose their entire workplaces, it's no wonder that the number of people who respond to them increases dramatically.

　I'm now waiting for my entrance with my party members.

Now, today is the first day of the qualifying rounds to be held across the continent.　I'm sure you're all still unfamiliar with the rules, so let me give you a quick explanation!'

　There were two actual people, one was a minotaur male and the other was a human (normal) female.
　The human (normal) woman's voice echoed as if to continue the words of the minotaur who had spoken so far.

'The rules are super simple!　The idea is to earn points by defeating enemies. Since the celebration is in groups of five - the total points allocated are the same for all parties!　'Ten points for each person is fifty points for five!

''A hundred parties are gathered in one venue, so the total number of points is five thousand!　When you're the last party or the time limit is reached, it's over!　If you survive, your first allotment of points counts as a point, so if, for example, only one party wipes out all the enemies, you get all 5,000 points!　I don't think it's possible, sir!

'Haha, yes!　But a hundred parties...well, five hundred people, right?　Isn't that too much?　The field is super big, so I guess it's not a problem in terms of capacity. If there are so many of them, the customers are going to be confused as to who to look at!'

　In a dungeon attack, even if there are a lot of monsters, they are not in the same space at the same time, and even in that case, there are not five hundred of them.
　Moreover, unlike dungeon attacks where you just need to concentrate on a party of five heroes, this time, each of the five hundred people in a party is a player and the main character.

'As expected, those areas will be shown on the screen with famous people at the beginning. 'As you would expect, the first part of the game will be shown on the screen with the most famous people, so you can enjoy the realism of the battles from the spectator's seats, while those who are looking for the most popular parties may want to pay attention to the huge screen for a while. Of course, it's a dream come true to have the best party in the world fighting right in front of you!

The entrance to the party is announced at the time of the ticket reservation, so the customers who are able to secure their seats will be able to watch the entrance of their favorites up close and personal. But even though it can't be helped, there is a sense of preferential treatment for famous people. Can't we do something about that?

''There's a screen that randomly shows the battle situation, but.... Hmm, if you want to be noticed, you should aim for a giant killing, or just show some steady results.

　If you want to project the famous ones first, then fight that party. If you win, of course you'll stand out.

'Whoa, what are the consequences?'

This time we'll be tallying up the points and announcing the party with the most points each time. Of course, this is in the middle of a battle. If we get a result here, we won't be treated as a mob.

　For example, they would announce a point ranking for the first five minutes of the game, or for the first ten minutes of the game.
　In this case, it doesn't matter who is famous or unknown. The name of the party that beat more players would be engraved.

''Hmph!　I see!　Then, if you're the first to skip it, there's a chance that the other parties will find out about the results of the battle and target you!''

''Yes. And the total number of points you can earn is decreasing every minute. Even if there was a party that earned 1,000 points and we wiped them all out, what we would still get is a fixed fifty points.''

　So defeating another player doesn't take away their points.

''With that pattern, the record of that party that was wiped out would stop at a thousand points!

　If the entire party has earned 1,000 points and the time limit has expired, their 50 points will be added to their party's score.
　On the other hand, even if all of them are killed off, the points earned from defeating the enemy will not be lost and will be recorded as a point.

Oh, by the way, in this qualifier, your party can continue to fight even after the leader has left the game! In a dungeon attack, the game ends when the leader leaves, but you don't have to worry about that!

　The only exception was the raid battle, but basically, if the leader fails, the attack fails.

''The qualifiers will be held under the same conditions, and after the results of all the venues, not just this one, the contestants for the next battle will be decided in order of their points!

'There are other rules in detail, but I'll explain them in the play-by-play.　By the way, this qualifier, as we call it, gives you a chance to shine in an unfortunate job, so enjoy that too!　You can read the detailed rules in the pamphlet that we gave you at the entrance, so you might as well read it!

And now the players are in!　We can't introduce everyone because of the number of people, but we hope that those players who were not introduced here will be able to take our eyes off of us on their own merit!'

　Wow, the excitement in the crowd can be felt all the way to the players' entrance.
　A number of famous adventurers, demons...no, the players are entering.
　If I were to pick out just a few of the people I was particularly interested in, I'd say

''To think that because it's a festival, I can't hide my excitement, even as a play-by-play man, to see them in action!　Their leader is the leader of the Seventh Order!　[The Balance of Justice] Astraea!

　Ms. Astraea was a beautiful woman. Her golden hair was cut so that it didn't hang over her shoulders, and her blue eyes were pointed straight ahead. She had an imposing gait, but she didn't seem conceited.

　The Order.
　To put it very crudely - during the war, the knights fell under the military and the adventurers under the mercenary army.

　Of course, there were many who adventured as they pleased, but since it was a time when humanity had to unite for victory against the demon race, there were many who fought for hire.

　There were many who chose to be neutral, like the elves, and many sub-humans who were on the demon side at the time, such as orcs and goblins, but there was a conflict anyway, and it was over.

　Adventurers and demons co-existed in the form of delivering dungeon attacks.
　The Knights became more of a security organization.

　The Knights crack down on a wide range of criminals, from sneak thief to the criminals of the century.
　Of course, this includes adventurer crumbling and demon crumbling criminals.

　Bad guys who didn't become popular, but are perfectly capable of fighting.
　There have been cases of damage to civilians by them, but there have been cases where the knights who went to capture them have been returned - I've never heard of it.

　Why?
　It's simple.
　Because they are strong (...).

　It shouldn't happen, but even if the four great spirit contractors become the enemies of humanity - at that time, the four great spirits on humanity's side should break the contract, but even if they don't - they should profess to contain them and There are.

　Of course, there are few people who can match the four great spirit contractors in terms of single-handed combat ability.
　So, this is the word as a group (,).

　It is said that their combined strength as a trained group is superior to the strongest armed force of humanity as an individual.

　The Knights are divided into thirteen different regions in charge, and each is called a corps.
　Among them, the thirteen who are called the Commander are exceptional.

　After all--''

''The leaders of the Thirteenth Order are hereditary, but it is said that there is little difference in ability between the generations!　The reason for this is partly due to thorough training, but rumor has it that it's largely due to "contractual succession"!　'Spirits usually love one person, and after he dies, they travel the world again, looking for the next love, but the founder of the thirteen knight commanders of our country was deeply and profoundly loved by the spirits, and gained 'love until the blood ceases to flow'!

　In other words, the spirit contract can be passed on from parent to child.

　However, there are still doubts about this.
　Only 【Brave Person】 can make a contract with a spirit. Isn't it probable that it is almost impossible for a child to be born a 【Brave Person】 all the time?

　Perhaps it's not the descendants directly contracting with the spirits, but in accordance with the 'promise' made to the first contractor, the descendants are also given blessings.
　Every generation has a holy sword, and they grow up with a gifted education from an early age.

　No wonder there was little variation in their abilities from generation to generation.
　Rather, to the extent that information on the details of blessings, efficient training, types of techniques, etc., are accumulated with each generation, it seems that they will become stronger faster as the age progresses.

''The Astraea Commander's [Position (Job)] is what-- 【Brave Man】!　I said earlier that it's difficult to see the difference in ability between generations, but as expected, this is exceptional!

　I don't know the details of the 'contract succession', but if it's something like if you're a [brave] person you can contract directly, then it's even more powerful.
　To begin with--''

"I'm sure you all know this, but even spirits have their own rank. Of the 4 major spirits, the main body is the most powerful, and the power of the other spirits is determined by the size of the shards when they're divided...!　And so, the 13 Horcruxes are the first Horcruxes that arose during the war, that is to say, when the four great spirits started to create Horcruxes for human beings........ It was a test run before they created many spirits for many brave souls.........　You mean like you were born with a sense of humor?　Rumored among historians?　It seems to exist!''

　For example, Fenix Party [Ice Brave] Beulah-san has made a contract with a water branch spirit.

　What she got is the 'Ice Spirit Art' spirit art. Looking at its power, it seems to be a high-ranking spirit, but it wasn't given the water-spirit art.
　The [Lake Hero] Wraith-kun, who contracted with the water spirit body, can also create a great wave if he can freeze it.

　It's a fluffy metaphor, but that's how rank is like.
　There is a difference in power and what he can do.

　Similarly, Rank No. 5 [Brave Man of Lightning] Skaha-san was given a 'thunderbolt' that can be applied to the wind alter ego, but he can't create a wind blade.
　Storm Hero] Aerial-san rarely uses 'Thunderbolt', but she can use it.

''Based on the successes of the successive [Balance of Justice], I'm guessing that her family lineage is contracted with a high-ranking earthly branch spirit!　The details are unknown, as is the case with the Knights, but a sinner in front of the [Balance of Justice] can only kneel in silence!　The players are not sinners, but will they really be able to perform their spirit arts!''

　The sinner thing is probably just a gossip that came out because of his profession, so if it's a spirit technique, he can activate it even against a player.
　The possibility of a contractual agreement that only criminals can attack is not zero, but it's hard to believe that they'll appear in the strongest deciding match without being able to demonstrate their abilities.

　However, a criminal can't even resist and kneel, an earth-related spirit art........

''Secrecy?　It's related to the spirits of the Order, but why are they participating in the festival this time?　If you're going to be the strongest, you have to be out.

It's not the same as adventurers and demons, because the knights don't have a place to show off their abilities in a way that is easy to understand. It's different to read the results in the newspaper or on the internet news, and it's much more convincing to see them in action. Normally, the Knights are not allowed to participate in events including dungeon conquest, but this time, they probably have the purpose of showing their power as a security maintenance organization as well.

　It's not just Astraea's party that will be participating.
　It will be broadcasted on video, including this qualifier, and the video board (TV) will deal with it every day.
　The public's interest in him will change depending on his performance, but that is what I will show from now on.

'Oh, sure, sure. It's a little bit different, but when you see someone who can 'space transfer' you think for a second that they are a thief or a cheapskate. Even if such bad people appear, the knights are supposed to catch them, but is it really possible?　Like. I can't help but think about it.'

It's not only that, but it's also the knight's job to control the incidents of drunken adventurers that are reported occasionally. It's also the job of the Order to control them. The same goes for stealing, but no matter how anyone misuses their powerful power, we'll always put them in a cage!　This celebration may be a perfect way to show that this is possible. Of course, you all here needn't worry about such things!

''Mm-hmm. Whether it's flames that can burn people up without leaving any evidence, or the manipulation of the earth that can bury people deep underground, or the lesser-known magic unique to our species!　All these people!　I only use it to entertain my guests!　This is very important.

'It's really important. Oops, it's getting a little long. Now for the next party--

　It's a project of this magnitude. There must be many different people's agendas involved.
　Indifference and indifference are not good, but blind faith is not good either. It's a difficult thing to do.

　Anyway.
　The members of the Order are people who wouldn't have the opportunity to fight if it weren't for the festival.

　I've never had a chance to think about it before - the rank of the 'Thirteen Spirits' can be considered second only to the Four Great Spirits.

　For a moment, I turn my attention to Dirk.
　The black chick sitting on top of my head wriggled around.

''Hmm?　Well, that's pretty good, right?　I'm sure you're strong enough to fight your best friend and not get burned right away, right?　Even if the contractor is a small fry.

　Since Dirk doesn't seem to have much interest in other spirits, it's safe to assume that this rating is pretty good.
　If it's the current rating based on the spirit's rank alone, if you combine the [Position (Job)] of a [Brave] and his strength as a knight--''

''It could be a fun thing. What I want to see over here is my partner's activities.''

　A further advantage to the people of the Order is the lack of information.
　No matter how much of an adventurer geek I am, I can't explore unpublished information.

　After the Knights' participation was announced, I did as much research as possible, but it wasn't enough.
　After the introduction of the members of the Astraea Party, the actual person mentions the next party.

''Well, they're next!　World Rank #11 [Ashburger] Garo Party!　A powerhouse who was among the top ten parties in the world until the Fenix Party made it to the top ten!　You know how strong they are!　An enemy that gets hit by Garo's "blasts" and disappears without a trace!　Enemy!　Enemy!　I'm sure his overwhelming aggression and mobility will be on display in this qualifier!

　Mr. Gallo is a tall man. His eyes are sharp and his hair is black. He has sallow skin and flashy clothing.
　He is often misunderstood because of his scary appearance, but he is a jovial man.

　He snaps his fingers as he enters and makes small-scale explosions in the middle of the sky to get the crowd excited about it.
　He's fun and gentle, but he's still an adventurer there.

　It seems that he has his own feelings about the current status of the 11th place.
　After the members had been introduced, the play-by-play woman said

''It's such a Garopa, but this time we have a partner for that fate!

　A galo party would be a galo party. I haven't heard it used by many play-by-play players, but fans use it to abbreviate the party part of the game.

　Adventurer's names are also abbreviated if they're long. Like Airpa, or Fennipa. I don't use it, though, because I have a feeling that it somehow makes it sound more interesting.

　Rather than that, yes, there are adventurers.
　They're here.
　There is a party that ranked the Garo Party as the 11th best.

''Sorry for the wait........!　Finally, they're here!　World Rank #4 【Brave Man of Fire】--Fenix Party.......!''

　The mixed sounds of roaring cheers and yellow cheers dominate the hall.
　With Fenix in the lead, 【Warrior】Alba, 【Holy Knight】Lark, 【Hunters】Lily and 【Ice Brave】Beulah enter.

''Indeed, the first contractor with the main body of the fire spirit in a hundred and thirty years, Fenix player!　His exploits no longer need to be told!　I speak because I am there to speak!　They were the catalyst for the Demon King's Castle attack craze, and they remained 'undefeated' and 'one floor boss retreat' until they experienced defeat at the 10th level of the Demon King's Castle!　They have trained since then, and the world is watching to see how they will perform in the festival...!

Black Mage] After Reme's withdrawal, it seemed to be slowing down, but recently it's getting a reputation of being stable. With the addition of [Ice Hero] Beulah, it seems that their control over the game has definitely increased, and the other three players are different from before.　You'll have to wait and see what's different!'

　I don't think it's because of what I said after the battle at the Demon King's Castle, or any of those great things.
　In fact, they're all even stronger now.

　They were gathered to make Fenix the best, and they were all recognized by Fenix as friends.
　They're getting stronger and stronger, and they're still growing.

''That [Black Mage] Leme, but what a surprise, he's also participating in this qualifier!

　There are many other talented people in this venue alone, such as the party led by the Four Heavenly Kings of the Western Devil's Castle, or a party of high rank, and many others.

''Leme, I've been called in,''

　Leader's voice.

'Yes.'

　The leader of my party laughed belligerently.
　Then he said.

"Well, shall we all go? Let's just-- let's get the first one.

　We proceeded through a wide, vaulted entrance for various species.

'Here he comes!　It's unranked because it's just recently formed, but its ability has become known to the world from its success in raiding battles--【Lake's Brave】Wraith!　And it's a wraith party he formed!'

　The cheers aren't as loud as at the Fenix party, but that's no surprise considering the popularity.
　The fact that many of them are rather confused is probably due to the composition.

　Even if it's just [Brave], [Destroyer], [Black Mage], [White Mage], and [Miner], it's probably unprecedented, and Melania-san is half of a cyclops--a subhuman.

　Also, I had half expected this, but - Joss-kun is also a sub-human.

　In addition to those two, I thought [Black Mage] was an incompetent who was kicked out of the Phoenix Party, but he's been active a little bit since he left, and somehow he's been highly regarded by high ranking people in his industry.

　The two of them who showed their abilities in the raid battles have made these three friends.
　It's understandable that they are troubled by the differences between them and the general brave party, and they are not sure how to react.

　However, the leader didn't care at all about the problems that an ordinary [brave] would have to worry about.

''Let's turn this all into cheers.''

　A smile naturally leaked out at Lace-kun's confidence.
　Because it was a word that exuded his conviction that this party could do it.

　The Knight Commander of the [Brave], who signed a contract with the second largest divisional spirit after the four great spirits, the top adventurer of the eleventh rank in the world, the four heavenly kings of another 'Demon King's Castle' who have defeated numerous adventurers, they're not the only ones, there are a lot of strong people in this party.
　Of course, we have refined our abilities even more than before - the Fenix Party.

　Turning everything in the hall into cheers for our battle.
　How difficult that would be.

　Still, I nodded.

'Yeah, let's do that.'