In the afternoon, the closing ceremony finally begins.

　The title fighters lined up in the center of the arena. And a super packed auditorium.

　...... Oh, I love this atmosphere.

　Everyone's expressions are stiff with nervousness. I've gotten used to it, but I haven't forgotten how nervous I am.

　I went up to the stage and received an award from Mein, the King of Castal's Kingdom. That's all there is to it, so why do I get so nervous? I know something about it.

　I guess I'm looking forward to everyone's reaction, but I'm also anxious. There is no point in being proud of winning a title all by yourself. You can only become a "title holder" when you are appreciated by many people.

　However, the results have already been irreversible. The only thing left to do now is to prove that everyone appreciates him or not. It's a very simple proof: applause and cheers.


'Sylvia Virginia Onion-Piercing General (Kishenshou)'

　See? He called.

"Yes, yes ......!

　Sylvia began to move her right hand and right foot together and stepped out like a tin toy.

　With one smile, Mine accepted the certificate Klaus had brought her and read it to Sylvia.


　...... All along, I've hated this moment to death.
　Someone else, not me, is being honored as the titleholder. I really couldn't stand that.

　But I wonder. General Sylvia Virginia Onion Piercing - oddly enough, I didn't hate it.

　No, it was more of a pleasure. The fellow who shared the pain and suffering, that guy who had worked so hard and stoically, had finally won the title. That's great. No amount of praise will ever be enough.

　I don't know what it is, but it's a feeling I've never experienced before. It's the first time I've ever experienced it. The corners of my mouth go up on their own.

And so I commend you in this honor. Mine Caster, the eighteenth King of the Kingdom of Caster. Congratulations, General Sylvia Virginia Demonologist.

　The reading ended, and then Sylvia received her award.
　Immediately, the applause swirled around like a dam.

　Sylvia, who had been given the badge of the Onion Piercing General on her chest by Mine, thanked Mine and the audience, and then tucked the certificate between her left side and wiped her eyes with her right hand as she left the stage.

　Suddenly, she spotted her father, Mr. Noir, in the audience. He was crying. She was being patted on the back from both sides by a dumbfounded Alex and Clarice who was laughing hysterically. Sylvia's tearful gland seems to be just like her father's.


'Eco-Leaflet Kongo,'

　As the excitement dies down, the next name is called.

'Yes!'

　My kitty replied cheerfully and toddled off.

　Eco-leaflet vigilance. Ah, no matter how many times I hear it, it's comfortable. That eco-leaflet is the highest level of shield technique, "Kongo". She was despised as a 'fallen beastman', but now she is.

"I hereby commend her for this honor. The 18th King of the Kingdom of Castal, Mine Castal. Congratulations, Eco-Leaflet Vajra.
Thank you!

　She is a good girl who can say thank you properly. It's a charm that she's a tattle-talker against the king.

　After showing everyone how to accept the award that she and Yukari had been practicing so hard yesterday evening, she asked Mine to wear her Kongo badge.

　The crowd applauds and cheers generously. There was no one here who wouldn't recognize her for earning the vajra because she was a beast.

　I wonder if her father, Mr. Shaw, would have understood how amazing Eco was. Eco is appreciated by so many people. It's about time to consider building a statue of ecology in the village. No, seriously.


The Shadow King of Casablanca.

　Oops, now a name is called that I don't know.

　No, no, no, I don't want to see or hear it. Arghhhh.


"............?

　I caught a glimpse of a man walking up to Mein. I couldn't help but shout.

　The man called Casablanca was hiding his face and body with a black cloth.

　The Shadow King is the title of [Assassination Technique]. Well, since he's an assassin, I almost convinced him that his face is exposed ......, but no, no, no, that's strange.

　Because that guy hasn't taken off his equipment (...). The black coat he wears is an assassin's special equipment. It's a specialized assassin's equipment, and underneath it, it's capable of storing a multitude of weapons.

　How about not taking off your equipment at this time, when you're getting closest to King Castal?


　Wait for ....... Think about it. Isn't this actually the only time you can get so close to the king that you can't even get close to him during an audience with him?

　What if that man, Casablanca, was looking at this opportunity with an eye toward it?


(Come on, Angolmore.)
(...... method. Is it a job?)
(It's your favorite time of day.)
("Hahaha, bullying the weak!")

　I summoned Angolmore in "manner mode" and watched him for a while.


　And then - my prediction came true.


You!

　The first person I noticed was Klaus, who was escorting Mein.

　As expected of a renowned swordsman. His reactions were quick and his sword muscles were sharp.

　However, it was not as good as that of an assassin.

　With a small knife slipped quietly from deep in his sleeve, he slit the throat of the target not more than two meters away. That's all. It takes less than a second.


　Success is assured ...... and you would have thought so.



''--Prostrate yourself!

　A shout.

　A moment later, a storm blew up, and everyone on the platform crashed down to the ground on their hands and knees with a crunch. Even the King of the Kingdom of Castal, Mein Castal.


''Hahahahaha!　Pleasant, painful, exhilarating!

　Angolmore, the Great Spiritual King, put on a really fun, diabolical wig and flew around in circles above Mine and the others' heads, agitating them.

　Casablanca, crushed by the wind, even as he crawled, still stretched out his arms to kill Mine. A tremendous persistence. But no more.

'Alright, that's enough.'
"As you wish.

　I approached Casablanca and carefully restrained her with the Golden Shogun's thread manipulation technique to make Angolmore stop using the "Crawl down wind".


You're saved. ......!

　Despite being forced to crawl in front of a large group of people, Mine uttered his thanks. The size of this vessel, a true king. When I replied, ''It means it's fine,'' Mein nodded with a sly smile.


''Yes, Gokaicho~''
-Oh!

　I'm going to strip Casablanca Shadow King's head gear off, because I'm sure you're all wondering, too.

　Now, the true face of the f*cked-up assassin is .......

''Who is ......?''

　Mine asks with a serious face.

　Apparently, the contents of the black robe were not Casablanca. It seems that the king knew Casablanca's face, as the quintessential king knew Casablanca's face.


''

　--But the enemy is better than us.

　It's already dead.


　I shook it, but it didn't budge.

"...... He's been putting poison in his back teeth.

　The man of the assassin is thrown to the ground after the 《Gold General Thread Manipulation》 is released. Klaus, who was observing it, utters a calm analysis.

　Speaking of poisonous items with immediate effect and lethality, I can think of about three in a flash, but when it comes to something small enough to plant in the back teeth, I wonder if it's the ...... thing.


It's good to know that it was nothing serious.
............

　Klaus clenched his fist silently and tightly as he said it while repatriating Angolmore.

　''No, that's not true.

''You were well aware of that. You have nothing to regret.''
"But the fact is, Your Majesty
'It was built on trust. Now, if some of the title contenders were to rebel here and now, what knight could stop them?
It's .......
'Your idea of escorting me in numbers is certainly valid. Even if you are a title contender, you can't outnumber them. But when they are that close, it's a different story. Even a single contestant can be a threat.
...... therefore, trust?
It's all gone, just now. Your trust has been shattered.

　It's going to need a major overhaul.

　Because the number of people who are overjoyed that Mine has fallen is still going to be there, albeit less so.

　Well, I guess it can't be helped.


Let's get on with it.


　Mine says something like that when I came to the conclusion that ...... is a good place to start.

　Are you serious?

But, Your Majesty!
I'll continue.
No, sir!　His Majesty is now in danger of being killed by someone!
"Klaus, shut up. I'll keep going.
............!

　Mine stubbornly refuses to listen to Klaus. The knights around him also protested silently along with Klaus.

　But Mein, without the slightest bit of hesitation, said: "Crisis is an opportunity.


'The crisis is the opportunity. Now is the time to show the people the courage of a king. I have a duty to congratulate the title contenders who have risked their lives in the fight. I'm not going to give an inch here: ......!


　There was no longer a soft little brother there, scared of his brother.

　We weren't the only ones. This guy had also grown up a lot in the past six months.

　...... You've gotten stronger, man.


"And you've got a best friend, too.

　Best friend, huh?

Maybe he's an assassin who's disguised as me in the Wraith, like Slim was six months ago?
'Ei!　Here, you'll be fine now.

　When I threatened him, Mine took a needle out of his inventory and jabbed it into the back of my hand.

　I see!　This is the kind of countermeasure I've been looking for. If I'd been transformed by the Wraiths, the change would have come undone with the current stab.

It was smart.

　In addition, he had lost some of his reserve. Before, you would have been too scared to stick a needle in me.

"Will you stay with me ......?
It's all good, my friend.
!

　Same words again. This time with a word behind it.

　Mine rolls his eyes, then nods with a big smile on his face.

　I take a step back, and Mine takes a wave of his hand to the side. Immediately afterwards, the knights in the escort took three large steps away.


''Second First Test, Ichisenza, Eishou, Lingou, Shisousei, Senjushou, Tenmouza, Toushinui, and Bishamon.''


　When my name was called by Mine through the microphone, the crowd suddenly went into a tizzy.

　I guess they were surprised that I would continue after all that.


　But the buzz gradually turns to cheers.

　A celebration. Yes, of course. That's the right word.

　Everyone was celebrating the birth of the Eight Crowns.

　The attempted assassination of the king was nothing to worry about. Everyone should stand up, shout, clap their hands and blow away all that anxiety.

　It's the Marvel Empire anyway. I'll take care of it.


I'll take care of it. "I hereby award this honor to Mein Kastal, the 18th King of the Kingdom of Castal. Congratulations on your second Eightfold Crown!

　The moment the certificate was handed to him, there was an explosion of applause and cheers.

　It was an unprecedented ovation. It's so big that it feels many times bigger than it was six months ago.

　I feel a tremendous sense of unity. The number of fans who were enthusiastic about the title fight was increasing, steadily and surely.

'I'll put it on then,'

　Amidst the loud cheers, Mine said so with a superior look and put eight badges on my chest.

　Then, when he finished putting on all the badges, he let me line up next to him, as usual.


'Silence!　I would now like to take a word from the Second Eight Crown. I beg your attention.

　Ooh, the unexpected happened.
　I didn't ask to be allowed to say a word this time.

Go ahead.

　Mine hands me the microphone with an expectant look in his eyes.


　...... That's right. Well, let's get the honesty out of the word.

　I take a breath and then easily break the silence.


'-- How do you think I was six months ago?'

　Ask the contestants.
　I already knew the answer to that question well enough.

'Yeah, it's exactly what you guys are thinking right now. It's grown beyond compare. To be specific, there's less and less of this. We can't allow ourselves to be compromised anymore.

　The mundane idea of "I'll just do this much" that we had six months ago is now gone.

　Each of us had come to challenge ourselves with everything we had in six months. Isn't that great?

　And now I realize that. I was a very simple man who fell in love with them for that much.

'I'm not worried about anything else. Gone is the feckless coward who couldn't be one of the serious ones without being goaded by a little shit like me. Instead, there is only a serious warrior who is desperately trying to push himself beyond his limits.

　We'll be fine. The future of this world has a bright future in the title game.


"Welcome and best wishes. And don't ever despair. And yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, and yet, you can't beat me ......


　I know. No matter how hard you try, it's not enough. You're going to die and think, "That's probably the best I can do," and they're many times ahead of you.

　It's a world of work when you get serious. Compromise is not allowed until the starting point. Once you start running into the world with a good don, you're not allowed even a moment's brain activity to think about the word compromise.

'I don't know how much hell you guys are going through down the road, but I'll be waiting for you all the way, so you can follow me in peace. That's all.


　The speech is over.
　He received a lot of applause this time, probably because he hadn't said anything that would draw the audience away from him like before.

　However, the title contenders seemed to have a slight twitch in their faces. That's funny, I thought I gave them a lot of praise.


This concludes the awarding of the title defenses and wins. Next, we will award the new awards that have been established for this title fight.

　The next event begins with a progression by Klaus.

　Oh!　Come to think of it, I didn't know that was a thing. I'm looking forward to it. Who's going to win what prize?

　As I listened to Klaus explain the reasons behind the creation of the awards, I looked over at Mein standing next to me, and Mein also looked up at the same time.

　Then Mein also looked up at the same time.

Are you nervous?
'No way, I'd say ......, but a little.'
Was it your decision?
Yes, sir.

　That's why you're so unsure and nervous.

'Don't worry so much. You've thought this through really hard, haven't you?
But I don't know much about the tactics of battle, you know?
"Knowing your ignorance, you can always ask someone else for advice, even if you're the king. My strategist says that's your strength. Did you ask many people for advice on your case?
Yeah, yeah, well.
Here you go. You'll be fine then. It'll be a good commendation that plays to your strengths.
...... yeah. Thanks, Mr. Second.

　By the time our conversation was over, the awards were ready to be presented.

　There were six award certificates brought in. As I recall, they were the Rookie of the Year Award, the Fighting Spirit Award, the Special Award, the Great Game Award, and the Grand Prize. There were two winners, so a total of six certificates.


Now then, Your Majesty will make the announcement.

　Klaus led me to the podium as Mine stepped out onto the stage. I watched a little behind him.

　First, the newcomer of the year award will be announced. I wonder who it will be.



"Newcomer of the Year--Raspberry Bell.


　I knew it!

　As expected, I couldn't help but grin.
　Razz, who came out to the stage, was also grinning a little bit.



''Certificate of Commendation, Four hundred and sixty-seventh Summer Title Game, Rookie of the Year Award.
　Raspberry Bell, sir.

　In the four hundred and sixty-seventh summer title fight, the man on the right, despite being a first-time entrant in the tournament, showed great ingenuity and superior performance, thus creating a great new wind. His originality has fascinated many people, and we can expect more success and development from him. Therefore, in his honor, we commend him.

　The Eighteenth King of the Kingdom of Castal, Mine Castal


　And I was surprised to see .......

　An award that plays to Mine's strengths?　It's not at that level. I'm seeing very well. There are things to look at, very well.

　...... to be honored by a king like this. I can say with certainty. It's a blessing.

　Raz receives the certificate of commendation and leaves the stage amidst applause that never ends.

　Now for the special award.



"Special Award--Nova Barthelemon.


　Oh!

　Oh, Nova. I know. The guy was pretty clearly the stronger of the contestants. As expected, Mein sees things very clearly.



"Certificate of Commendation, Special Prize for the Four Hundred and Sixty-Seventh Summer Title Fight.
　Nova Barthélémon, sir.

　At the 467th Summer Title Tournament, the following person demonstrated excellent skills without regret, and his tireless spirit of challenge and pioneering spirit had a positive influence on the other contestants and contributed greatly to the development of the title competition. Therefore, we commend him in his honor.

　Mine Caster, the Eighteenth King of the Kingdom of Caster


　Excellent.
　You did a good job of saying that last offset of Nova's, intertwined with her mental side.

　Nice work, Mine.

　Now for the Fighting Spirit Award.



"Fighting Champion--Champany Fana.


　Seriously!

　I couldn't help but run up to Mine and slap its back, "You know what you're doing! I almost said. I managed to hold back, though, because I didn't want to interfere with the award.


'Certificate of Commendation: The Four Hundred and Sixty-Seventh Summer Title Fight, Fighting Spirit Award.
　Lord Champagne Fana.

　In the 467th summer title match, the person on the right showed his indefatigable spirit to face the difficulties without any hesitation, making every effort to improve his skills. His unblemished spirit of courage is a good example for others and lights up the way. Therefore, I commend you in his honor.

　Mine Caster, the Eighteenth King of the Kingdom of Caster.


　...... haha, haha, haha.
　Oh man, I'm just woozy.

　That Champagne is called by his full name and receives an award from the king. That alone is enough, but when the award is written, the text of the letter of commendation says, "You did a great job!" from corner to corner. She was praised to the hilt.

　I've played matches with her, and I know it all too well. Her hard work lit up the path in a brilliant way. That's exactly what happened. Yes, she is, Shamperni Fahna is a great woman.



The Greatest Match Award--Tennozza Challenger Tournament Final, Second First Test vs. Eve.


　Oops, they finally called my name.

　That match where Eve was squashing my eyes out with her hair!　It was certainly a copious feeling.


'Certificate of Commendation: The 467th Summer Title Match - Great Match Award
　Second First Test, Sir.
　Yves.

　In the four hundred and sixty-seventh summer title match, these two wrestlers displayed their best skills as contestants, which caused great excitement and excitement to many people. Their matches were creative in anticipating the arrival of a new era, and they should be handed down to future generations. I therefore commend him in his honor.

　Mine Caster, the Eighteenth King of the Kingdom of Caster


　Yeah, that makes sense.

　A statement that couldn't be more applicable to me. The possibilities of "this world" and that was the match that Eve showed me.

　A new era is coming. That's for sure. For me, and for everyone.


　And now, for the last time at .......



"Contestant of the Year--Second First Test


　When Mine declared that, the crowd was the most excited of the day.

　'We've been waiting for your name,' he said. I guess that's what everyone thought.


'Certificate of Commendation, Four Hundred and Sixty-Seventh Summer Title Match, Most Outstanding Contestant Award.
　Second First Test, Sir.

　In the four hundred and sixty-seventh summer title match, the man on the right clearly possessed the most outstanding skills, defending the three crowns of Ichibenza, Eishou and Ling Wang, and winning the five crowns of Four Jari (the Four Jari Sage), Sen-tachi (the Thousand-Handed General), Tian-netza (the Heavenly Net), Tathagata (the Fighting God) and Bishamon (the Bishamon), achieving an unprecedented eight crowns. His supreme skill is unique, his solitary spirit inspires many people, and his sublime will is full of love for the title fight. He is truly a one-of-a-kind master. Therefore, in his honor, I commend him.

　Mine Caster, the Eighteenth King of the Kingdom of Caster


　Thank you .......
　I just thought those words came to mind.

　No one else has ever taken me so seriously, elaborated so many words, and evaluated me so hard to keep going and winning title fights.

　Thank you, Mine.

　This is a wonderful award. It's a wonderful gift. I truly believe it's a gift that should last a long time.

　And hopefully, it won't be just me.

　For the next 30 years, I'm not gonna let that go--