The D-Rank Guild Master of the No. 1 Guild

Akata lowered my arm and held his head, frowning.

“I think I’m feeling dizzy.”

“Yeah, Akata, this is the first time you’ve seen so many people… If you feel sick, lie down beside your seat.”

Akata, being a respectable ranker, would likely have to participate in the one-on-one duels, and I was a bit worried since he was already not feeling well.

[Mic test, one-two, one-two!]

The noisy crowd quieted down instantly. Soon, a cheerful voice, indistinguishable as male or female, boomed through the speakers.

[Welcome to the commentary box! Nice to meet you all!]

An NPC in a black robe walked to the center of the arena.

It seemed to be the NPC in charge of commentary for the day. Its face was hidden, and the overly enthusiastic voice was a bit eerie.

[You all know the rules of the Combat War, right? This is another mini ranking match. The 1st and 2nd generations will face off in intense one-on-one battles!]

It meant that there would be no fights among 1st or 2nd generation characters, only between the seniors and juniors.

In other words, Gio would not have to fight Aleon, and I wouldn’t have to fight Yudirei.

[When two guilds are selected, each guild sends one fighter to compete in a best-of-five series. The order of one-on-one matches is entirely random. Leave it to luck!]

With five matches, excluding our buff supporter Lilith, the remaining five of us would all have to participate.

[Now, a special rule!]

[Since the 1st generation characters are the seniors and the 2nd generation are the newcomers, we will give a slight benefit to the 2nd generation!]

“What? We’re not seniors at all. We’re more like has-beens,” I muttered loudly, feeling a pang of jealousy at the mention of benefits.

“But giving a bit of an advantage to the inexperienced opponents will make the game more interesting.”

Feeling my guild members’ eyes on me, I nonchalantly adjusted my tone.

[The 2nd generation guild leaders have the right to choose their first opponent for the Combat War! However, the order of one-on-one matches will be determined by random draw.]

After the explanation, the commentator briskly moved to the first draw.

First, a 2nd generation guild was picked, and then its leader chose a 1st generation guild to face.

The commentator announced the chosen guild’s name as if drawing lottery numbers.

[It’s the ‘Meadow’ guild! Meadow’s guild leader, please come down!]

It was Runehan.

Despite being selected for the first match, he showed no signs of nervousness. His relaxed and even arrogant demeanor was very familiar.

Striding confidently down, Runehan winked at the audience before stepping up to the podium in front of the commentary box.

[Do you have a specific 1st generation guild you would like to challenge? If not, we will draw your opponent by lot.]

Runehan’s gaze swept over the audience.

Among the myriad of characters, he locked eyes with me. Our matching dark eyes met, and I stood up from my seat, feeling a strong intuition.

His words, spoken as I anticipated, echoed through the arena.

“The guild I challenge is Agasa.”

[The guild chosen by the 2nd generation’s Meadow guild is… the 1st generation’s top-ranked guild!]

The commentator’s astonished voice reverberated through the speakers.

Unahar tensed visibly, realizing we’d be fighting right from the start. Gio paused mid-chew of his snack.

Even Akata, who was lying down due to dizziness, slowly rose to look at the arena.

[Now, let’s interview Guild Leader Runehan!]

Since the viewers were not yet familiar with the 2nd generation characters, the system seemed to have created an interview segment for the 2nd generation guild leaders.

Without a microphone, I could only sit in the stands and listen.

[Guild Leader Runehan, was this decision agreed upon with your guild members? Did you all decide to take on Agasa if given the chance?]

He responded slowly.

“Yes, all my guild members agreed.”

[Impressive. Are you aware that Agasa is the top guild of the previous generation?]

“Wouldn’t I have chosen them precisely because I knew that?”

A murmur of reactions spread through the audience.

That bastard Runehan. Who says he doesn’t resemble me? He’s daring to use our guild to boost his own notoriety.

For someone like me, who always used others, it was a refreshing provocation.

The commentator continued with the questions.

[Are you aware that Agasa is the only guild with three members ranked in the top 20?]

Of course, I knew. That’s why we’re called an elite guild, and it’s my pride.

With Gio at rank 2, Akata at rank 6, and me, Rudel, at rank 16, we have formidable members.

And although Unahar isn’t in the top 20, he is the strongest among the switch types, despite his significant drawbacks.

[The Combat War is a best-of-five series. This means if Agasa’s top 20 members win all three matches, Agasa will secure an easy victory. What are your thoughts on that?]

It was a pertinent observation, fitting for the Combat War commentary. Though it seemed almost too blatant a hint.

Isn’t this a bit too biased towards the 2nd generation?

“I may be a 2nd generation player with limited insight, but I’ve realized something through training. Rankings are just numbers. Unique abilities can be greatly influenced by the opponent’s compatibility.”

…Does that mean they’ve already analyzed our unique abilities and found a way to counter them?

Runehan’s eyes were gleaming with confidence.

“In other words, if we manage to defeat even one of the top 20 members, we believe we have a good chance of winning.”

Runehan made this statement while looking directly at me in the audience.

[Impressive! We were not informed beforehand about the right of 2nd generation guild leaders to choose their opponents. Did you intend to face the top guild even if you thought it would be a random matchup?]

“I’m not sure. I just have the desire to defeat the opponent in front of me.”

His voice became monotone, perhaps because he was getting tired of the interview or because something else was bothering him.

[Who do you consider the most threatening player in Agasa guild?]

“Of course… Gio, ranked second.”

[And who do you think is the easiest opponent?]

Runehan showed no fear.

He lifted his gaze and scanned our section, not just me but all my guild members one by one.

“There is an easier opponent, but I won’t mention them here.”

I want to go out there and speak, I want to be the center of attention…! Runehan’s spot should have been mine.

Suddenly, my face, burning with determination, appeared on the Colosseum’s big screen.

[Is Agasa’s guild leader Rudel offended by his junior’s provocation? That’s quite an expression!]

“Ah.”

I quickly corrected my expression, while Lilith and Unahar chuckled beside me.

The interview ended, and it was finally time for the main event.

This audience might not cheer or boo, but their interest level was unmatched.

The intense gaze of the audience bore into Runehan’s back as he wrote the list of fighters to be displayed on the big screen.

Runehan (Guild Leader)

Sabi

Tian (Vice Guild Leader)

Garam

Junias

Sabi, who followed Tian, wasn’t particularly threatening.

As I watched, I felt a mix of anticipation and determination. This was it—the beginning of a showdown that would test not only our strength but also our strategies and resolve.

It seemed they chose their main four combatants and added a random one from the remaining three to complete their lineup.

I then submitted our roster. The screen displayed the lineup:

Rudel (Guild Leader)

Geo

Unahar

Kanel (Vice Guild Leader)

Akata

This list didn’t dictate the exact order of the matches. Our lineup would be randomized based on the 2nd generation’s list to determine the match sequence.

[First up, Meadow Guild’s first fighter will be Guild Leader Runehan! Now, let’s spin the roulette to determine the opponent for the first match!]

In a best-of-five format, the opponent is selected randomly.

The game strategy revolved around the following points:

First, let their strongest fighter face our weakest, giving them one win but depleting their best card.

Second, let our remaining mid-to-upper-tier fighters secure three wins.

The ideal scenario for us would be… having our vice guild leader Kanel face their presumed strongest, Tian.

Kanel, I’m sorry… You’re a sniper, making one-on-one combat difficult for you. It’s not that I see you as weak, you know that, right?

[Agasa Guild’s first combatant against Guild Leader Runehan is…]

The loud voice of the commentator NPC trailed off as everyone in the audience looked up at the screen, holding their breath.

Runehan (Guild Leader) vs. Rudel (Guild Leader)

[Oh! Is this fate? It’s a Guild Leader match!]

The screen briefly showed a stunned Runehan before switching to my faintly smiling face.