You Never Know How Low They Can Go

Lush green grass, clear blue skies, and a breeze brushing against their faces—the damp air drifting from the Fairy Forest, carrying the faint fragrance of earth, slipped into their nostrils and left them refreshed. The troublemaking yokai of Gensokyo all decided that today was a fine day for picking a fight, so they unanimously chose to set up a grand arena beside the town and hold the first Avalon Talent Show after Gensokyo's relocation, with no distinctions of race, profession, or rules. The proposal had originally come from Ibuki Suika, who loved challenging others to duels, but it quickly received enthusiastic support from every Heroic Spirit idling around Avalon. In the end, it even gained the full backing of a certain Rogue Goddess.

The moment I saw Viska seated among the judges, I immediately understood why Artemis had turned a blind eye to such a large-scale public gathering: with that Rogue involved in anything, who could possibly hope to keep it under control?

Still, Viska's involvement was not entirely without benefits. Though that Rogue was shameless in all sorts of ways, she could be unexpectedly meticulous and cautious in certain matters. She had used her divine power to cast a massive indestructible barrier around the platform. It could effectively prevent Gensokyo's yokai from accidentally damaging the flowers and grass within a hundred miles when they fired bullet barrages during the competition, and it would also let the people fighting inside go all out without restraint. At the very least, with this thing in place, I did not have to worry about rebuilding the surrounding area.

The previous contestants had been two Heroic Spirits, Sasaki and Longinus. Two legendary figures separated by over a thousand years and several time zones had put on a spectacular duel. For Heroic Spirits skilled in