Episode 15.6

"You, name?"

"Lecan."

The umpire was going to hand over a club to Lecan, but he declined.

"No need."

"What?"

The umpire glared at Lecan for a second before walking off to his opponent and handed the man his club.

"To the east, Lecan! To the west, Hugled! Match, start."

Once the match kicked off, Lecan's opponent, Hugled swiftly took a stance. His shield is rectangular. Not too thick though. He hovers his shield in front of his body vigilantly while carefully watching ahead behind the shield's cover.

Lecan slightly lowers his waist, completely covering his entire body behind his giant shield.

Jeers and boos coming from the spectators were the loudest so far.

"Oy oy! How're ya gonna see ahead!"

"Can you even move that shield?!"

Of course Lecan can see ahead of him. And the back. Everywhere. Directions and obstructions mean nothing to <3D Perception>. Lecan has a complete grasp on the action his opponent makes beyond his shield.

The man appears to be bewildered. The club in his right hand is swaying randomly, reflecting the state of its holder's mind.

Lecan suddenly grabbed his shield horizontally with both his hands and mowed it upward over the ring.

Lecan was trying to knock his opponent out of the ring with the attack, but his opponent's shield got caught on Lecan's shield due to the way it was set, launching Hugled high up into the air.

He flew high up in the air before crashing on the tent.

The shafts supporting the tent fell out, the tent ended up falling over the three elderly men.

The place was wrapped in silence for a moment before erupting out.

"Nice goin'. Big dude!"

"That was awesome. Raw powah!"

"Did ya see that, the look on those shitty Shaman Association's old men was priceless!"

Lecan looked at the umpire.

"T-that's it! Lecan won!"

Lecan took a seat on the winner's hangout.

More matches progressed on, and the first round was finally over.

Eleven people remained in the winner's hangout.

"And now we will commence! The second round! We're not accepting bets anymoreee. Watch and see if your bet win the tourneyyyyyy!"

The audience cheered, then the umpire named the contestants who would lead the opening to the second round.

"You and you, get up."

He called Gonza to the east side.

"What's yer name?"

"Gonza."

The umpire apparently can't be bothered to memorize contestants' names.

Then a match between Gonza and Cless begun.

Gonza was kept on the defensive, patiently observing his opponent's ability.

Cless pressed hard on Gonza with relentless assaults, and looked like he had the upper hands at a glance, but he'd most likely get done in by a hard counter.

Just as Lecan predicted, Gonza was the winner.

Gonza stole a glance at Lecan when he was going back to his seat after taking in the cheering.

"Next up, Lecan, get up. And, you."

The umpire who seemingly couldn't bother to memorize contestants' name appeared to remember Lecan's.

"To the east, Lecan! To the west, Paltio! Match, start!"

Paltio is a bearer of the next biggest shield after Lecan among the participants.

It's a square shaped flat shield with a smooth surface. Lecan saw through his caliber as an experienced adventurer. Paltio also declined his club. Must be pretty confident in his shield skill.

Lecan took a step forward, and just like in his first match, grabbed his shield horizontally and swung it upward.

Paltio quickly crouched, set his shield's lower part on ground, leaned the upper half backward and hid himself behind it. The execution was flawless without any hesitation.

With that stance, Lecan's attacks would be repelled away no matter how strong they are. Lecan himself would likely lose his balance. That is if he simply swings his shield.

Lecan changed the trajectory of his shield, and when he had it over his head, he adjusted the angle and struck down using the shield's lower part.

At this point, Lecan's shield is situated perpendicularly against Paltio's, robbing him means to parry it away or force his way out of it.

Paltio's shield is set on ground. Meaning he cannot move.

In a state where he couldn't move an inch, Paltio's shield took a direct blow from a full swing down of Lecan's shield with his entire weight behind it.

CLANK, with a tremendous sound, Paltio's shield got bent and cracked.

Paltio himself has suffered a grievous injury, he's got no strength left to fight back.

Lecan immediately stopped moving and waited for the umpire.

However, the umpire wouldn't budge or speak.

Lecan raised his shield.

Paltio would die if he launched another attack.

But it can't be helped.

The umpire finally spoke at the exact moment Lecan was about to swing down his shield.

"T-that's it. Lecan won!"

Lecan relaxed and dropped down his shield.

The umpire ran up to Paltio and removed his shield.

Paltio's left leg was bent to an impossible angle.

The upper half and lower half of his body are off base and bent, blood is gushing out of his mouth. His spine is broken, his entrails appear to have taken enormous damage.

"Red potion! Hurry up!"

With the umpire's order, the MC man grabbed a large red potion from the basket and rushed back.

The umpire skilfully put that inside Paltio's mouth, restoring his off-base body back, straightening up his leg and stopping the bleeding.

Lecan sat back in the winner's hangout.

Eventually, Paltio walked down the ring while borrowing the MC's shoulder, the umpire cleaned up Paltio's shield and surveyed the remaining contestants to pick for the next match.

Someone stood up.

It's Gonza.

"I'm abstaining."

He immediately walked off just like that without waiting for a reply.

"Me too."

"I too will excuse myself."

"I'm outta here. Like hell Imma up against that."

Other contestants left, leaving only Lecan behind.

Lecan stood up in the emptied winner's hangout.

"Guess it's my victory then."

The umpire sent a glance behind Lecan.

With his <3D Perception>, Lecan sensed how the eldest man among the three elderly, the one with a necklace on him nodded.

"Victor, Lecan!"

A huge cheer resounded.

Followed by jeers as loud as the cheers.

Lecan ignored all the spectators who called out to him and briskly walked to the desk.

<Shield of Wolkan> is put on top of the desk.

The necklaced old man stood up and turned to face Lecan.

"Congratulations on your victory. You have gained the right for this <Shield of Wolkan>. Come, do place your hand on your prize."

"<Appraisal>"

"What?"

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

<Name: Shield of Wolkan>

<Type: Shield>

<Endurance: Flawless>

<Graces: Anti-Magic Defense, Anti-Physical Defense, Contract (Pirua) Expand (Pashoot)>

※ Expand must be commanded by the one who does Contract.

<State: Cursed>

※ Those who hold this shield will have their muscles atrophied to near death state

※ Those who hold this shield cannot remove it

※ This curse ignores Curse Resistance

"Fumu."

Lecan put down the great shield on his right hand to the ground, drew the <Dagger of Harut> on his waist and scratch the surface of <Shield of Wolkan> with it.

"T-that's, that dagger, n-no, it can't be."

<Dagger of Harut> would suck away any curse afflicting someone if you scratch them with it, thus it should do the same to a cursed item.

"<Appraisal>."

The curse has been lifted.

Lecan held the shield on his left hand.

"<Contract>."

The shield transformed into a gauntlet that fit right on Lecan's left hand.

"Fumu. I'm keeping this."

"H-hold it right there!"

"Is there a problem?"

"T-that <Shield of Wolkan>."

"A prize for the winner."

"N-no. I mean no, that's"

"What's wrong with this shield?"

"It's a valuable item, the only one Shaman Association has."

"I see. So it is valuable. You have my thanks. Well then."

The necklaced old man kept prattling on and on behind him, but Lecan gave him no crap.

He picked up his great shield and walked to the spot Eda and Arios were waiting.

"Thanks for waiting, let's go."

"Lecan, congratulations on winning."

"That was amazing. In more ways than one."

Someone called out to him.

"O-oy, you."

The one calling him was a middle-aged adventurer carrying a shield full of scratches.

"What is it."

"Are you really all right, what about the curse?"

"Curses don't work on me. I have means to lift them off."

"What?"

The place fell into silence, everyone who was present there heard what Lecan said.

When Lecan's group was about to depart, a round of applause resounded before turning into a huge cheering.

"Well done!"

"That felt great!"

"Tournament of Misers is finally over now!"

"You're awesome, Wall Man!"

"Wall Man!"

"Wall Man!"

With sounds of cheering in the background, Lecan murmured.

"Wall Man?"

"Isn't it because you were swinging around a wall-like shield?"

"Or maybe the way you fought unwaveringly was reminiscent of walls."

In any case, that nickname doesn't sit right.

But it doesn't really matter to Lecan.

(Can't wait to check out this new shield.)

Lecan is in a good mood.