Chapter 202: Inter-Guild Tournament
The next day, Bob and I spent the whole day resting. By resting, it didn't mean we were just lying on our beds. We went to the guild hall and held a strategy meeting with all the participants.
"You got it, Alan? In Last Man Standing, the objective is to survive as long as possible. But since many adventurers from the same guild will enter, there is a tendency for them to work together," Maya explained. I nodded like a good student.
Last Man Standing would be the first main event after the opening ceremony. It would set the momentum for all the guilds going forward. I felt a bit of pressure, like preparing for a final exam after studying for so long.
And to make things worse, most of the other participants in Last Man Standing ; Maya, Evelyn, and William had high expectations of me. Blackburn, as usual, remained quiet.
After that, I tried to hold a meeting with Lee and Mark, since the three of us would be entering the Solo Duel. I warned them that Cerdic, the S-rank member of Goldfang, would also be participating. And the response?
"I know who Cerdic is. He has been in the tournament for many years already. In fact, he is the current Solo Duel champion," Mark said.
"This meeting is useless. Why do we need a strategy when I'm the one fighting alone in the arena? Just a waste of my time," Lee snickered at me.
The two of them then left the hall with their usual group, leaving me dumbfounded. I tightened my grip on the paper in my hand and clenched my teeth.
"Calm down, Alan. Those two are always like that. Just let them do things their own way. Besides, they're not weak. You can rely on them," Selene said, trying to calm me down.
Later, the participants for the last and biggest event, the Group Battle, gathered to discuss among ourselves.
"The group battle will be an all out fight against other guilds. In the previous tournament, each guild had to capture flags. It was a fierce battle. The winner was Primal Beast. They have a crazy half rabbit girl who ran amok and nearly destroyed the whole area. That is why we need to be extra cautious of them," William explained.
"How about the Red Eyes group? Are they dangerous?" I asked.
"Yes. They have been our nemesis for a long time. Their roster is always filled with unique and unpredictable members every year. Last time, they placed second. This time, I'm sure they will go all out to win."
"Nemesis, huh." My mind drifted back to what happened last night. Sooner or later, our paths would cross again.
"Don't worry, everyone. This year will be different. Why? Because you have me, the great S rank! Hahaha!" Bob suddenly stood on the chair and laughed.
"Yes, that's right," Evelyn cheered, while Maya simply shook her head with a smile.
"And don't forget our trump card, Alan," Selene said as she placed her hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah, Alan too. Although it won't be as great as the time he saved the princess," Bob smirked.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" I stood up and chased Bob around.
Laughter filled the entire hall.
---
The next day, the long awaited tournament finally arrived.
Thousands of visitors made their way toward the colosseum where the opening ceremony would be held in the afternoon. Everyone was excited. Stalls and bazaars filled the streets. Flags of various colors waved in the wind. Firecrackers were launched into the sky using magic, making the entire city feel lively.
"Come in! Come in! The opening ceremony will start shortly! For those who haven't bought tickets yet, please do so at the nearby counters!" The staff shouted through voice amplifier stones.
Inside the colosseum, all the participants from each guild were seated beside the arena, including the Dawnbloom Guild.
"There are so many people! It's more than I expected," I said as I stood up, amazed by the size of the crowd. This scene made even the World Cup final look small.
"Urgh! Why is my costume so tight? Did they take the wrong measurements?" Bob complained beside me as he checked his attire. For this tournament, each guild had its own uniform to distinguish themselves. For Dawnbloom Guild, our attire was black with yellow stripes. Honestly, it looked pretty cool.
"Are you getting fatter every day?" Maya said to Bob, who was, of course, in denial.
"Hey, Alan, Bob." A voice suddenly came from beside us.
"Linus! You're finally here. How was your training?" I asked.
"It was great. You can expect more from me in battle on our next journey," Linus said with a confident smile.
"I honestly hope we don't have to fight any more bad guys," I replied with an awkward smile. But as I looked at him, Linus seemed to be radiating a strange aura that I couldn't quite describe. It felt like he had truly grown stronger, and that was good news for our party.
"Alright, I'll sit in the spectator area and cheer you guys on. Do your best!"
"Of course!" Bob clenched his fist.
Soon, the colosseum was filled to the brim. There were hundreds of thousands of spectators from all over the kingdom, all eager to watch a grand show. However, there was something I noticed. Most of the kids were wearing the same red mask.
"That is the Champion Mask," Maya explained when I asked.
"Champion?"
"You'll see later."
(Good afternoooon everyone!!)
I was startled when a voice suddenly echoed across the arena. It was the commentator, a tall man with white attire, black hair, and a long moustache. He slowly descended from the air and landed at the center of the arena.
(After five long years, we finally meet again for this highly anticipated competition. The Interguild Tournament of the Floren Kingdom! Are all of you ready?)
"Yeaaah!!!"
The colosseum shook with thunderous cheers. And finally, the stage for the grand battles was set.