It seems we have an ultimate winner of the tournament. Give a huge applause to Mr. Zephyr!
"Finally, that damn announcer got my name right."
The tournament ended with my victory. The reason I had to participate in the tournament, even after acquiring power, was simple: I needed to secure my ticket to Baghdid City, and for that, I had to win. Simply joining the association didn't guarantee I would receive the ticket.
As for Eirin and Lyra, they were both well-known. Lyra, being the team leader of a hunting team in one of the B-rank cities, already had the authority to enter or leave any city at will. I did feel bad for Eirin, though—he wouldn't get the chance to advance further.
Actually, entering a city wasn't the main issue. The real challenge was leaving one. Once a hunter stepped outside the city's boundaries, they were left to fend for themselves.
Small monsters constantly lurked beyond the walls of cities, so only capable hunters were permitted to leave, and that too with the approval of the Hunters Association.
Soon, guards escorted me to a room. To my surprise, both Lyra and Eirin were already there, looking fine and in good condition.
The atmosphere felt a little awkward—I wasn't sure what to say after everything that had happened.
"Hey, Zephyr. How are you adjusting to your rising popularity? And congratulations on winning the tournament," Eirin said, his tone tinged with frustration.
"...."
I stayed silent for a moment, noticing his fists tightening slightly.
"Nah, it's alright. I just lost to you because my determination wasn't strong enough, and I was simply weak. It just means I need to get more powerful—and quickly," Eirin added, standing up with clear resolve in his eyes.
"Well, you didn't do half bad. You're the second person who made me use my brain to counterattack," I said even though I wasn't sure if those words comforted him or stung.
"...Congratulations from me too," Lyra said, her face turned away. I couldn't see her expression, but her voice lacked its usual harshness, and she seemed to struggle with the words.
"O~, our little Lyra does have a sense of compassion too," I teased, putting on a playful demeanor.
A series of punches flew my way, but I dodged them with ease.
As we were having a normal conversation, the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers, summoning all three of us.
We left the room and walked through the entrance together. The audience erupted into cheers as we stepped into the arena.
Once we entered, the emcee made an announcement, then invited the chairman to distribute the prizes to the tournament winners.
"Congratulations on taking the top place in the tournament, Zephyr," the chairman said, handing me a golden card with the word "Pass" written in bold black letters.
"Congratulations on taking second place, Lyra," the chairman added with a warm and welcoming smile as he handed her a silver card.
"And congratulations to you too, Eirin. You did well," he said, giving Eirin a bronze card.
Afterward, the chairman delivered a speech about the role and responsibilities of hunters, thanking the people for placing their trust in them.
The event finally came to an end. The three of us exited the stadium just as a car pulled up in front of us. It belonged to Lyra, who quickly took the driver's seat. Eirin and I settled into the back.
"Hey, you two, congratulations on securing the entry passes for the next tournament. To be honest, I didn't know there would even be second and third place rewards."
"What do you take us for? Just because you beat us doesn't mean anyone else could. We're not that weak," Lyra replied in a scolding tone.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. It's just bad luck you ended up facing me," I said, shamelessly bragging about my strength.
"I can't argue much because, well, the nonsense you're spouting is somewhat true," Eirin said with a chuckle.
"See? See?" I exclaimed, pointing both index fingers at him while closing my eyes and nodding my head dramatically, as if he were proclaiming undeniable truth.
Both of them burst into laughter at my antics.
The mood lightened as Lyra drove us through the quiet streets. Eventually, she dropped me off at my apartment since it was already night.
As usual, I went straight to bed, my mind swirling with plans for tomorrow.
The sudden ring of my phone jolted me out of my peaceful sleep. Groggily, I picked it up and saw it was Ethan calling.
"...Good morning," I greeted him, yawning.
"Good morning, Mr. Zephyr. It seems I've interrupted your sleep, but please get ready. We've received an urgent order from the International Hunters Association to send the tournament winner as quickly as possible," Ethan said, his voice carrying a sense of urgency.
Hearing this, I immediately became alert. After a quick wash, I threw on a pair of pants, a T-shirt, and a long coat.
Grabbing the essentials, I locked my apartment and headed straight to the Hunters Association. Flying made the trip faster, and when I arrived, I wasted no time entering the building and heading straight to Ethan's office.
Upon entering, I found everyone already gathered there, including Mr. Miller, who was seated in a wheelchair. The chairman, however, was notably absent.
I greeted everyone and approached Mr. Miller. "Good morning, Mr. Miller. You really shouldn't be moving around too much—"
"Don't say anything," he interrupted, his voice heavy. "As your senior, it's my duty to see you off."
"Depart? Right now?" I asked, my expression questioning.
Ethan stepped forward to explain. "Zephyr, you're probably wondering why. The International Hunters Association has summoned all the winners to Baghdid immediately. They've calculated the speed of the approaching monsters and concluded that the Great Walls will be breached in about a month," he said, concern evident in his voice.
"Looks like we'll have to hurry," I replied.
The three of us quickly prepared to leave the city. After bidding farewell to Mr.Miller, we left the association in a car with Ethan and arrived at the entrance of Cobalt City. To our surprise, the chairman was already there waiting for us.
We greeted the chairman respectfully.
"One more thing, Zephyr," the chairman said, catching my attention. "Take care of those two."
"Hey, Grandpa, shouldn't you be asking me to take care of them?" Lyra protested with a playful whine.
The chairman chuckled warmly. "Alright, then. Take care of these two young ones for me," he said with a hearty laugh. Then, turning to Eirin, he added, "And Eirin, don't push yourself too hard. I know you have a habit of doing that." He ruffled Eirin's hair affectionately.
"Farewell!" we all said in unison before heading off toward the A-rank city, Baghdid.
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Enjoy...