The Elite Four.
This is what we call the four strongest warriors in Tempest
who have been chosen to protect Demon Lord Rimuru!
Benimaru, Shion, Diablo...
and the fourth seat will be claimed by one of
the fighters who have made it through the preliminaries.
However!
Among them are those who joined this tournament to defeat Demon Lord Rimuru!
Will the winner claim a position in the Elite Four
or simply be added to Demon Lord Rimuru's head count?!
The Tempest Martial Arts Tournament will now begin!
"Elite Four," huh?
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Episode 69: The Martial Arts Tournament
We're not allowed to join the martial arts tournament?!
But why, Great Rimuru?!
I mean, if you guys are in it, you're gonna win.
Ah...
The truth is, since you three are by far the strongest of my subordinates,
I want to give you positions in the new group I'm starting up, the Elite Four.
Elite Four?
It has such a delightful ring to it!
But I'm having trouble deciding who the fourth should be.
So I want to give the title to the one who exposes the true strength
of Hero Masayuki and wins the martial arts tournament.
I see!
So that's what you had in mind!
I just came up with it on the fly to keep them out of the tournament...
but it seems to have turned into a big thing.
I, Soka, will be your host for today's event.
I will now introduce the six fighters who made it through yesterday's preliminaries!
First up is our most popular participant:
The young Hero, Masayuki!
What are those?!
There are pictures floating in the sky!
Light magic, eh?
Wouldn't have thought to use it that way.
None have witnessed his magnificent swordsmanship,
because the very moment he draws steel, his opponent is already dead!
Masayuki!
Revel in how lucky you are to behold his brave countenance!
No one has witnessed his swordsmanship?
How did he get this far in the tournament, then?
Well, I was unable to discern his true ability in yesterday's preliminaries.
Huh?
And our second fighter is a seasoned warrior: Jinrai!
Also known as the Mad Wolf,
he is Hero Masayuki's right-hand man!
Because of him.
That man, a companion of Masayuki's,
mowed down the competition in the
preliminaries and gave his victory to the Hero.
That's how Masayuki won his way to the top without even drawing his sword.
So we still don't know what the Hero's really capable of, huh?
Third, the Flowing Swordsman: Gaiye!
Amid a vibrant rain of blood,
the graceful beauty of his movements will capture the hearts of all onlookers!
Our fourth fighter:
Bovix, head of the Bovoids!
And fifth, Bovix's eternal rival:
Equix, head of the Equinoids!
Aren't those the guys I named so I could make them dungeon bosses?
Yes.
They entered the preliminaries at the last minute in hopes of joining the Elite Four,
and they mowed down all the monsters around them to win their way to the top.
These two brawny beasts will be among the bosses in the new dungeon opening tomorrow!
Those of you who feel confident enough,
check out the dungeon where they await in search of wealth and glory!
She's even plugging the dungeon for us.
That Soka's really something!
Next, the mysterious masked man who showed us
his incredible strength in yesterday's preliminaries!
Is he a hero of justice or a servant of evil?
Lion Mask!
S-Soei, is that...
There is no doubt. It must be him.
What's this?
We have a message from an anonymous individual.
"Lion Mask, do your best in my place!
As I'm sure you know, you can't let your identity be exposed!
Well, I wish you luck!"
So it says.
Wait, did Milim seriously send one of her men in her place?
Now that these six have been introduced,
only our two special guest participants remain:
the two true warriors said to be closest to the level of the Elite Four!
First, our very own head soldier: Gobta!
The genius, elite warrior whose nihilistic mask is admired by many!
When did I get entered in this, exactly?
Jeez, Soka, go easy on the backhanded compliments.
I mean, calling Gobta "nihilistic" and a "genius"?
Hm?
Were you about to say something, Raphael-san?
And that does it for the opening acts.
It's time to bring out number eight, our star participant!
Tempest's guardian god, boasting impenetrable defense:
the High Orc savior, Geld!
And now all our participants have taken the stage!
Who will lay claim to the glory of victory?
Great Rimuru will now honor us with his opening speech.
Sensei!
Awesome!
Everyone,
if you come through today's competition and win the final tomorrow,
I will grant you our nation's highest honor.
The final seat in the Elite Four and the right to challenge me
are all yours if you win.
So give it all you've got!
Hero Masayuki draws number 3!
Now all the brackets have been confirmed.
Wh-What the heck is going on?!
He's up against his buddy Jinrai in the first round,
and the other match-ups are powerhouse duels, too.
Masayuki has an obvious advantage here!
Now we'll never get to see what he's really capable of!
Did that damned Masayuki manipulate fate somehow?
Now, let's get right to the first round!
How will this fateful match-up end?!
Round 1 is Bovix versus Equix!
Our long, long rivalry ends today.
Prepare yourself, Equix!
It is I who will become one of His Majesty Rimuru's Elite Four!
You may as well seclude yourself in the dungeon and retire, Bovix!
Now... begin!
I have the extra skill that Great Rimuru bestowed upon me:
Ultraspeed Regeneration!
So what?!
In the face of the Magic Jamming skill he gave me,
your attacks are powerless!
What a tremendous clash!
Now this is a true battle between two A-rank monsters!
This ends it!
Gotcha.
What?!
Die!
Horse Ultra Spear!
Not good enough!
What?!
Take this! Lightning Horn!
The match is over!
The winner is Bovix!
I...
win!
Whatever! I'll win next time!
Look at that!
Despite all the wounds he received,
he's already started regenerating!
This is the true talent of an A-ranker!
They will indeed make excellent dungeon bosses!
Now, on to the second round:
Hero Masayuki versus—
The winner is Hero Masayuki.
What's this?!
Jinrai the Mad Wolf has thrown the match!
Hero Masayuki wins by default!
Fantastic!
Yay! He won by default!
Leave it to Master Masayuki!
I don't get it.
Now, let's move on to the third round:
the Flowing Swordsman, Gaiye, versus Gobta!
Demon Lord!
I am stronger than the hero you just witnessed!
When I win, you will fight me!
Huh?
Both the Hero and the Demon Lord shall grovel before me!
Such insolence toward Great Rimuru will not be tolerated.
L-Lord Diablo, you're a judge!
Let's just let Gobta handle this.
Now... begin!
Gaiye leads with a fierce attack right off the bat!
They don't call him the Flowing Swordsman for nothing!
It's over!
What?!
That armor is too great for a wimp like you!
You're way too fast!
You won't get away!
Keep running around like a clumsy, little wimp!
Is he trying to make a laughingstock of Gobta?
I don't like it at all.
I'd like to see Gobta try a little harder instead of just running.
And yet...
Gobta is watching closely.
If he couldn't see his opponent's sword movements,
he wouldn't be able to keep escaping them like that.
Huh...
Gobta!
Show us what you've got and beat this dude!
If you win, I'll give you that new fishing rod you wanted!
F-For real?!
Then I'll show you the ace up my sleeve!
A wimp like you is unworthy of such bravado!
Summon! Come forth!
Hah! Summoning, eh?
But Black Fang is no match for—
The match is over!
The winner is Gobta!
Yeah! I did it!
He knocked Gaiye unconscious with a single, glorious blow!
Huh? Why is Ranga there?
Silly Ranga.
He wanted to join in so bad, he forced his way into Gobta's summoning magic.
The heated battles in this colosseum aren't cooling down yet!
Our fourth battle is a highly anticipated match-up that's sure to be intense:
Lion Mask versus Geld!
Th-This is definitely a fierce match!
Lion Mask's sharp edge and sheer number of blows
versus Geld's impenetrable defense and massively heavy blows!
We can't take our eyes off this battle for even a second!
Well, aren't we having fun?!
You're just taking my hits like they're a gentle breeze!
I'm the one who'd like to complain!
It's a clash of techniques and strengths!
Neither is yielding a single step!
W-Wow!
I've never seen a fight like this before!
You can do it, Lion Mask!
I'm impressed you've held out this long against me.
My compliments.
What an honor.
But I must ask you one thing.
Why don't you use your skills?
Because you won't show me your true identity.
I see!
You wanted to win by fighting on the same terms as me!
How amusing!
I can't use Beast Transformation,
but out of respect for your spirit, I'll show you one of my true abilities.
Roaring Lion Punch!
W-Well done...
The match is over.
Their very long match has ended at last!
The winner of this intense battle is Lion Mask!
You should feel proud, Geld.
You're still standing after being hit with my secret technique, Roaring Lion Punch.
I hope to fight you in earnest one day.
I feel the same.
I haven't had such a fun scrap in a long time.
And now the winners thus far will fight to advance to the final round.
The damage and exhaustion they incurred will likely determine their outcomes.
Now for the fifth match: Hero Masayuki versus Bovix!
Yes, as she said.
Huh?
You put up an incredible fight earlier.
Huh? Th-Thanks...
And that's why it's such a shame.
Now that you've used up most of your strength,
I'll probably win.
What?!
But if I were fighting you at your full strength...
And if we were in the labyrinth, where you have an advantage...
Wait, don't tell me...
I plan to take on the dungeon myself later.
The one where you'll be waiting.
So what do you say we have our fight then, when you're at your full strength?
You are exactly right!
I won the fight with Equix by a hair,
and now I have no reserves left.
Very well!
I will believe what you say and wait for you in the labyrinth.
He's... He's withdrawn!
Bovix has handed the win to Hero Masayuki!
I knew it.
He took pity on his wounded opponent!
What a compassionate man!
That's my Master Masayuki!
Masayuki! Masayuki! Masayuki!
Wait, why are they treating this like some heartwarming story?
Is this that "hero's charisma" I keep hearing about?
I don't get it.
And now it's time for the final match of the day!
The masked beast who won his fierce battle earlier, Lion Mask,
versus the young warrior whose quick wit led him to victory, Gobta!
Which one will advance to tomorrow's final?!
There he is! Lion Mask!
Give us another incredible fight like last time!
Good luck to you, too, Gobta!
No running away this time!
You promised a new fishing rod if I win! Don't forget!
Yeah, it's the latest model with a reinforced reel!
So you'd better win!
Of course, I know it's gonna be Carrio—
I mean, Lion Mask who wins.
I can't think of anyone better suited to test Masayuki's true strength.
Now... begin!
I'm not the same ol' Gobta today!
Don't make me laugh, boy.
Take my advice and withdraw from this match right—
Ranga, I'm counting on ya!
Right! Got it!
Tiger Talon!
Take that! And that! And that!
Oh, come on! Running away again?!
Fight him already!
I am fighting!
Well, Ranga is!
Elephant Stampede!
Lion Mask is shooting his aura in a rapid-fire barrage from the sky!
Are Gobta and Ranga left with nowhere to run?!
R-Ranga has fled out of bounds?!
Huh?
He's open! Get him!
But you were just out of bounds!
Summoning the same beast a second time is not against the rules.
Gobta really thought that far ahead?
Ranga takes advantage of the opening to attack!
But Lion Mask has dodged it, as well!
So it's the wolf I should be watching out for!
O-Oh, my! Lion Mask's face has been revealed!
His mask is what Gobta was after!
Now both your hands are out of commission!
Take this! Icicle Lance!
Tsk! Crafty bastard!
Lion Mask is trying his hardest to keep his identity hidden,
but now he's completely on the defensive!
Wh-What kinda cowardly fighting style is that?!
Take this fight seriously!
Oh, shut up!
In this world, winning is all that counts!
That's what Great Rimuru said, too!
He would.
That definitely sounds like him.
Please don't drag me into this.
All right, I get it.
I'll give the two of you a tactical win this time.
I withdraw from this match.
The match is over!
What an upset!
No one could have expected this!
Gobta is the winner!
I did it!
And this concludes today's matches!
Tomorrow's final will be Hero Masayuki versus Elite Four candidate Gobta!
Look forward to it!
This has been your host, Soka!
That was incredible!
Master Masayuki looked so amazing, even just standing there!
I think I liked Lion Mask more.
I liked Geld! Those two were just unreal!
Oh, Sir Lion Mask...
It looks like they've seen how awesome I am.
Those kids have good eyes.
What are you talking about? You couldn't even win!
It seems the excitement still hasn't died down.
The stalls have been flooded with customers, too!
They say they're making insane profits!
The kids were happy, too.
I guess the second day turned out pretty successful, too.
But I can't believe Masayuki's opponent in the final is gonna be Gobta.
Oh? But I think that Gobta boy shows a great deal of promise.
Huh? You mean...
I'm saying Masayuki-kun might just lose tomorrow's match.
Great Rimuru?
Hey, I recognize Gobta's talents, too.
He might even have some new power awaken while fighting the Hero.
But I mean... He's Gobta.
I feel like Raphael-san was about to say something again...
Did I keep you waiting?
Next time,
"Settling the Score with the Hero."
Settling the Score with the Hero