Liberi Reader

Okay. Before the official competition was ten days of prelims, which is what you just took part in.

Every day, there've been two to three prelims held all over the city.

Were they all melees like that?

No. I don't know whether to call you lucky or unlucky, honestly. You crashed the single most dangerous kind.

There's been a huge variety of prelim types, like eating contests, racewalks, sprints, et cetera. The scrimmage topped everything else for risk.

But the reward was just as high?

That's right. No other prelim reward would've ever been as generous as the pure gold statue you got.

And that's why so many people join the scrimmage, even though it's so dangerous.

Hold on, you just said the competition permits contact. Then the people who come in from the other prelims...

Aha, your reactions tell me you two are very astute.

I imagine you're worried that the competition won't be kind to entrants who won the more entertainment-focused prelims.

I'll cut straight to the chase, then. No, it won't be an easy time for them.

Like I said, people want to see more than simple stamina matches. It's a fight to excite. That's why the weaker ones are up against greater threats.

...Hmph.

But you don't need to worry too much, Miss Ch'en. The Mayor's taken that into account. There's an article in the rules on it.

Oh?

Have you noticed another problem?

The competition doesn't restrict Originium Arts. If someone could boost their own speed with it—

—just to exaggerate, if they could reach the goal in an instant, then that'd be tough luck to everyone else, right?

I assume people like that must exist.

How couldn't they? Even without Arts, Kuranta naturally outperform others in a race.

They do exist, of course. To counteract that, the Mayor is giving the viewers the right to choose.

The audience decides who the true winner is?

To be precise, the audience decides who doesn't deserve to be a winner.

After every round of the competition, there'll be a viewer voting segment, and the votes could completely reshape the final rankings.

Using flashy means to gain victory is naturally self-explanatory.

Winning too boring might get you eliminated, but drop enough jaws and you could tip the scales when you'd otherwise fall just short.

Of course, there's no guarantee that's how it goes.

With all of that, no one knows who the winner truly is, until the final moment.

Too boring?

Right. And not just in combat.

Dazzling fights are the most direct way to make eyes boggle, but blindsiding with actions can net you cheers too.

That's the rule that gives contestants a fighting chance, even if they're wipeouts in combat.

A lesson learned from Kazimierz.

Right, true. I remember the Major had similar rules.

You two really have seen it all. The Mayor's visited Kazimierz several times before. Apparently, her trade agreement with Lungmen was signed there too.

So Wei Yenwu went out there as well...

In any case, these are rules that favor the strong, so expect plenty of those who scraped through the prelims for a prize will have to forfeit at the official thing.

That's why the number of teams competing always changes a little.

In short, this is a contest with no differentiation, no limits, and no holds barred on the road to victory—but—the winner needs the whole city's approval.

I'm not that invested in winning or losing this.

I know that. Your goal is to use the championship to carry out your mission from Ms. Candela, right? I'll be there to help with that, too.

If we lose immediately, there'll be no investigation to speak of.

I know.

Haha, that's for sure. And the two of you have probably noticed, the battle for popularity runs through the whole championship. In other words, it began the moment the preliminaries did.

And given how you entered midway into the scrimmage and stomped all over peak danger, it might not be a stretch to say your team is the hottest topic right now.

You can think of winning as a service to your goal, and enjoy what the competition has for you.

We'll see. Let's talk concrete details.

Sure thing.

Come over here. I'll explain with a map.

The competition's split into three rounds.

Round 1, you're looking for gold in an empty neighborhood.

There are twenty bars of pure gold to find in this area, and competing teams need at least one. Hand them in to staff at the workers' area afterward, and you're through.

In a residential neighborhood?

Right. During the competition, everyone living in this area will be housed in hotels elsewhere, and the city government will cover their expenses.

They'll cover the costs of any and all damage to housing, equipment, et cetera, as a result of the competition, too.

Most look forward to it, thanks to that. There are even some dying to compete, just so they can smash their own homes up to get them rebuilt free of charge.

......

Find gold, fight over it, and then make for the handover. Heh, violence seems almost assured.

That's right. Some choose to search, some to steal, and some to cut down on rival numbers first.

Round 1 won't end until the last of the gold is handed in to staff.

If my guess isn't wildly off, the gold is also part of the prize?

It sure is. Nothing's stopping you if you want more gold and don't actively hand it in, but you shoulder all the corresponding risk as well.

If one person acquires all the pure gold, then what?

Hm... theoretically, it's possible, but practically, it's never happened before, so I'm not sure myself.

Is that what you're planning, Miss Lin?

I haven't the interest.

Once Round 1 is over, there'll be two days' downtime, where the victors are invited to take part in all sorts of spin-off events, and attend a bunch of fancy dinner parties.

Good for bolstering your popularity outside the arena, in a sense.

Then it's Round 2. You should be relatively familiar with it; it's a traditional triathlon event.

Traditional?

Traditional.

First you run a route along the beach, then cycle a circuit around the city, and finally, return to the start at the beach for a swim, all the way until the finish: a cruise ship in the middle of the sea.

But, of course, there's all kinds of ways to win.

During the race and cycling, I assume you're allowed to leave the main streets.

Certainly. However, the Mayor has put a substantial fighting force to block the shortcuts, so essentially, taking them means a violent breakthrough.

Heh. As expected.

After Round 2 ends, there's two days of downtime just like Round 1, but these ones will be more of a pure rest.

The victors get the pleasure of all the entertainment and facilities aboard a cruise ship normally reserved for the rich, free of charge.

Honestly, it's the part a lot of competitors aim for when they're entering, but it's not the end of things.

Why not?

Because of Round 3, the final round of the competition. Highly simple, and highly cruel.

It's a battle royale with the whole ship as fair game. Survive until you're the last team standing to be crowned winner.

Which means, in Round 3, there's practically no space for clever tricks.

Understood.

Oh, right. You probably remember me saying back at the arena, team size limit is seven.

In principle, the more teammates, the more you can do.

But the more you have to split the money.

That's right. And it's not like there aren't limits, too.

You aren't allowed communications equipment during the contest. That means you need to have your plan ready from the start, and if your team splinters, then you've got to be ready for them to come at you.

But so long as one person completes the objective, the whole team can advance?

Yes. That's why there's pros and cons to your team being big or small.

How long until it officially starts?

Two days. These two days are downtime.

Looks like I need every last minute, then.

Head through there. You'll find a small firing range and a training ground.

Got it.

Will you be fine, Miss Lin?

I'll be fine. I have an Arts Unit.

Only she would switch weapons for fear of her power going out of control.

Lin Yühsia.

What?

I've been putting up with you forever. I think you've been putting up with me forever. There's a training ground inside. Let's fight it out.

You're going to lose wretchedly.

Drop the braggadocio.

Heh.

Well... this is something.

We've landed two real wild cases.