Chapter 36: Asuma-Sensei
Arthur stood there, calculating things to come. The preliminary matches were far different from what he'd estimated.
Sasuke—Victorious. Hinata—Victorious. Alice—Victorious. Margaret—Victorious. Alex—Victorious. Naruto—Victorious. Jasper—Victorious. Jada—Victorious.
Things had gone awry.
He'd planned for every scenario, studied every character, and yet, the results of the preliminary matches had only slightly thrown his constructed strategy into disarray.
The most significant upset was undoubtedly Naruto's victory. While he may have defeated Kiba like in the original, his overall growth through whatever training William and him were undergoing was misjudged.
Then there were the player characters: Alice, Margaret, Alex, Jasper, and Jada.
All of them had emerged victorious, their enhanced skills and knowledge displaying themselves fully, giving them a significant edge.
Arthur sighed. He knew that his upcoming fight would be a cakewalk. Regardless of his opponent, it's the players that would be his real adversaries. He was the underdog compared to their traits.
Assuming he won his next match, there was still one bigger event to think about: the next arc, Orochimaru's invasion.
This was written to take place after a one-month break once the preliminaries concluded.
Arthur weighed down the variables in his mind—the unpredictable nature of things.