第１１７７堀：戦いはすでに始まっている (Part1)
Chapter 1177: The Battle Has Already Begun
The battle has already begun.
Side: Milly
When Seraria first suggested hosting a social gathering, I honestly wondered what kind of mess we were getting into. But, well, that’s Yuki-san for you. He took the idea, refined it into a solid plan, and explained the details to us. And honestly?
"Wow, Big Brother really put some thought into this."
"I agree. It’s a method that’s quintessentially Yuki-san. What do you think, Milly?"
"Oh, yeah. It’s definitely something only he could come up with."
The paper in my hand outlined the rules:
**Social Gathering Team Tournament Participation Requirements**
* Form a team of three and register with Yuki. (Two-person teams are also permitted.)
* Each team is granted 50,000 points.
* These points are used to enter the tournament and can be used to increase your total.
**Point Consumption:**
* Tournament entry fee: 20,000 points per person.
* Lunch: High-grade (5,000), Mid-grade (3,000), Low-grade (1,000), Lowest-grade (500). *Note: The high-grade is exceptionally delicious.*
**How to Earn Points:**
* Clear the morning tests.
* Participate in the morning martial arts tournament.
"However, the fact that we can earn points in the martial arts tournament feels a bit calculated, doesn't it?"
"Indeed. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, Deryu and Seraria are the strongest... oh, I see what you mean."
"Did you figure something out, Eris?"
"Think about it. Everyone who’s confident in their physical prowess will flock to the tournament, right? That naturally drives the competition level through the roof."
"Ah, I see. So while they’re busy there, the rest of us can focus on clearing the tests to rack up points."
"Mhm, mhm. It means we have to use our heads. And this tournament format is also..."
As Ratz pointed out, the final tournament is shaping up to be an all-out war. After all...
"A battle royale in a restricted area. He’s definitely taking inspiration from certain games."
"The location is chosen at random, and we’re forced to head there. Once we find an opponent, we have to weigh whether or not it’s even worth engaging."
"In a setup like this, fighting itself can easily become a tactical blunder."
We have to compete for rankings across three matches, with our overall standing—including the test results—determining who makes it to the final four-team battle.
"Haha, well, you can still participate even if you run out of points, but you’re out after taking two hits."
"And conversely, the more points you have, the more hits you can afford to take..."
"The trick is knowing how many points to hoard. Positioning will be crucial, too. I see, Yuki-san really knows how to make this fun."
"What’s more, this battle royale seals all skills and dampens physical abilities to ensure equality. The primary weapons are guns randomly scattered across the field."
"They say there’s an option for melee, but with our physical stats nerfed, firearms are objectively superior."
"I’d imagine so. Otherwise, someone like Deryu would just dodge everything, and there’d be no need to use our brains."
"In a way, this makes it fair. Luck will play a role, but they say luck is a part of skill..."
"It’s going to come down to how much preparation we can do beforehand."
"Which means choosing the right teammates is the key to everything."
Teams are capped at three people. While you *can* enter as a pair, considering the final battle royale and the tournament structure, having more people is strictly better. Having allies is a massive advantage; entering with fewer people is practically unthinkable.
"But do you think people like Orelia or Princess Fiorla will actually enjoy this?"
"I don't know if they'll enjoy it, but it’ll certainly be a conversation starter."
"True. Orelia and the others stand no chance in a battle royale, so it looks like Kirika, Lady Lilishe, and Hairen are stepping in as their proxies."
"Wait, is Kirika the only sane one in that group?"
"I suspect it’s a case of 'better to have them involved than to leave them alone to cause chaos.'"
"Agreed. I think Eris is right."
Lady Lilishe and Hairen are the types who can’t sit still while everyone else is having fun, after all. But, putting that aside...
"So, about our team—I think we should stick together. We’ve experienced that kind of game before, we’re decent with guns, and we can handle the tests."
When I proposed this, Ratz and Eris nodded in agreement.
"Teaming up with people we’re used to is the safest bet. It’s supposed to be a recreational event, but let’s aim for the win."
"Agreed. Since skills and magic are sealed, this is entirely a battle of initial strategy. Though, given their intuition and experience, we can’t underestimate Deryu or Seraria..."
"Well, if we don’t plan carefully, we’ll just get shot from all sides. Besides, this is our chance to beat Deryu and Seraria, who we usually can’t touch in combat training."
Exactly. Deryu and Seraria are the strongest among us. It’s not that we *can’t* win, but our win rate is abysmal. However, that’s usually in one-on-one duels with skills and magic in play. A team battle with those restricted? That’s a different story. Sure, their reaction speeds might still be better than ours, but it won't be an insurmountable gap. In that sense, this match is truly equal.
"So, it’s settled then. Eris, Milly, and I will be a team."
"Yes, let’s do it. First, let’s get registered and start our strategy meeting."
"Right. We don’t have much time."
And so, we headed straight to the registration desk Yuki-san had set up, but...
"Huh? Is Big Brother not the one handling registration?"
"No, the Boss isn't here. I suppose he’s busy with the preparations for the battle royale; that sounds like a massive undertaking."
Indeed, instead of Yuki-san or even his subordinate Steve, the registration desk was manned by goblins. When you think about the scale of the event—using an entire floor for this tournament—the preparation alone must be a nightmare.
"...Actually, thinking about it now, what Yuki-san does for us is just incredible."
"It really is. Just because Seraria asked for a social gathering, he went and whipped up an entire event for us to enjoy just like that."