Chapter 115

The opening match of the semifinals commenced with a highly anticipated showdown pitting the English national team against the Japanese squad.

At ten o’clock that morning.

The complete roster of the South Korean national team gathered inside a spacious VIP lounge.

Since analyzing high-caliber bouts serves as an excellent training tool in its own right, they had arranged to observe the live feed as a group to break down the strategies.

“Wow, England’s line-up is absolutely terrifying.”

“Japan is stacked too, but let’s be real, they don’t even compare to England.”

“There is a reason they secured three consecutive league championships.”

While Japan could legitimately argue for second or third place on the global stage alongside the United States, an enormous chasm still separated them from the English powerhouse.

To truly grasp that disparity, one only needed to look at the peak of the respective rosters.

[England’s Top Rankers — Three]

1. World ranking 1st — Rachel Rose

2. World ranking 6th — Olivia Abernathy

3. World ranking 7th — Gareth Bale

England boasted three competitors in the single-digit global ranks.

These were individuals recognized among the absolute top ten players on Earth.

Meanwhile, on the Japanese side:

[Japan’s Top Rankers — Three]

1. World ranking 2nd — Yoshida Hikaru

2. World ranking 14th — Shirato Sakura

3. World ranking 30th — Takahashi Shusuke

The imbalance was immediately obvious.

Takahashi Shusuke, in particular, was a player they had run into previously during the warm-up exhibition.

He had been utterly dismantled by South Korea’s terrifying guild master.

Even so, there was one specific reason Japan remained such a dangerous threat.

It was fundamentally the same reason South Korea was considered a top-tier contender.

Given the knockout nature of the tournament, this outcome was inevitable.

Regardless of the overall depth of the roster.

A single individual—the absolute pinnacle of talent—could anchor the entire squad.

And Japan possessed exactly that kind of ace.

Yoshida Hikaru.

A master of micro-management.

A competitor celebrated for his unmatched talent in reading the movements of summons and instantly punishing their vulnerabilities.

Ultimately, the entire matchup hinged on how long Yoshida Hikaru could anchor his team.

More specifically, whether or not Yoshida Hikaru possessed the capability to overcome Rachel Rose.

“Hey everyone, grab a cold iced americano and take a look at this!”

The competitor who had stepped out to fetch the refreshments was Hwang Jiwoo.

Perhaps she was carrying some lingering guilt over not being selected to enter the arena a single time since the Battle Royale concluded?

She seemed to be going out of her way to act helpful and attentive toward her fellow guild members.

“Wow, where did you even manage to track these down?”

“Seriously, finding an iced americano anywhere in London is next to impossible.”

“Appreciate it, thanks a lot.”

As she watched each teammate take a drink, Hwang Jiwoo offered a cheerful grin.

“The major chain cafes carry them. Oh, and look here! This extra-large one is specifically for our guild master!”

She hadn’t purchased identical drinks for the whole room.

She had specifically requested the absolute largest portion size exclusively for Baek Jinwoo.

“Why… why did I get this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Because you’re the leader around here!”

Was she attempting to be genuinely charming?

When the remaining guild members cast skeptical glances in her direction, Hwang Jiwoo’s friendly demeanor vanished into an irritated frown.

“What! Why are you all staring at me like that! I stood in that line and paid for every single one of these out of my own pocket! If any of you have an issue with it, go line up and buy your own!”

Ah.

She wasn’t being sweet at all. She was just being her usual stubborn self.

Despite her youth, she always spoke her mind without filtering it, her face puckering into a defiant expression.

“N-no, it’s nothing at all.”

“We were just glancing over, that’s it.”

“We don’t have a single complaint, Noona!”

The rest of the guild quickly averted their eyes, drops of nervous sweat forming on their foreheads.

“Thank you.”

Baek Jinwoo took the drink with a warm smile.

He recognized that this was her personal method of showing appreciation, and he respected the underlying sentiment.

“Alright, look, the broadcast is starting up!”

“Who is taking the stage first?!”

Every single member of the guild leaned in with rapt attention.

Baek Jinwoo shifted his seat closer and locked his gaze onto the monitor.

Predictably.

The opening contest proved to be an absolute thriller.

And the spectators gathered in London were matched in their roaring intensity.

“OLIVIA! OLIVIA!”

“SMASH HIM! CRUSH HIKARU!”

“WAAAAAAAH!”

Even tucked away inside the VIP lounge with its high-grade acoustic insulation, the deafening cheers from the arena floor reverberated straight through the walls.

Both nations initiated the bout by deploying their lower-seeded competitors.

Though labeled “lower-seeded” by the standards of these two powerhouses, any one of those players would easily rank as a premier competitor back in South Korea.

It was all a matter of perspective.

Following a series of opening exchanges, Olivia Abernathy stepped up to represent England, and her dominant streak began.

The dark-tinted scourges wielded by her Adjudicator (A-rank) ripped through the defenses of the Japanese rankers, shattering their composure entirely.

“Thunderfall.”

CRACKLE-ZZZZT!

The defining ultimate ability of the Adjudicator—the moment Thunderfall rained down, every opposing summon froze in place, completely locked up by the electrical discharge.

Right at that very instant.

SQUELCH!

The scourge whipped forward, burying its tip directly into the weakest point of the target summon, instantly draining its vitality pool to zero.

— Olivia Abernathy! She secures yet another consecutive point!

— Her execution is absolutely breathtaking! This represents an entirely different tier of Adjudicator mastery compared to anything we have witnessed previously!

The Adjudicator was widely recognized as a premier choice tailored specifically for player-versus-player combat.

It made sporadic appearances throughout the World League circuit, commanding an astronomical valuation on the open market.

Yet Olivia Abernathy’s variant functioned on a completely separate plane of power.

The precise runes she had embedded within it remained a guarded secret, but the summon was incredibly swift, devastatingly precise, and…

Her mechanical control was flawless.

— Predictably, the Japanese team has no answer for Olivia Abernathy.

— Is there a real chance she might just run through the entire opposing line-up on her own?

— Are we on the verge of witnessing a semifinal match conclude without Rachel Rose even needing to step onto the battlefield?

The English commentary team was completely ecstatic.

When an athlete exhibits that level of dominance, the final result is practically a given, but…

Wouldn’t an overwhelming, sweeping triumph make the thrill that much more memorable for the home crowd?

In short, if Olivia Abernathy managed to clear the field solo, it would fundamentally reshape the global leaderboard once the World League wrapped up.

World ranking 1st — Rachel Rose

World ranking 2nd — Olivia Abernathy

That was the exact scenario the English contingency was envisioning, but the Japanese side had no intention of rolling over quietly.

— The forthcoming challenger is Yoshida Hikaru!

— One of the legendary Five Emperors!

— That is correct! Japan’s ultimate anchor finally steps onto the grand stage!

Step.

One of the celebrated Five Emperors.

A Japanese competitor sporting a sharply defined, elegant jawline stepped into the light of the arena.

At long last.

Baek Jinwoo’s expression sharpened as he leaned closer to the display.

The elder brother of Sugoi.

He had analyzed a vast repository of recorded matches featuring Yoshida Hikaru in the past, but this marked his very first occasion analyzing the current year’s version of the player.

Within the upper echelons of competitive rankers, the optimal combinations and meta strategies shifted continuously.

The version of Yoshida Hikaru from previous seasons and the competitor standing there today might as well be completely distinct entities.

Barring the possession of an extraordinary EX-rank summon like the one Baek Jinwoo commanded, or an S-rank entity like Rachel Rose’s… if a player relied strictly on developing A-rank entities, the standard meta-strategy involved raising as wide a variety as possible to assemble a customized deck for each specific scenario.

So what had he chosen to bring out?

Swish!

Yoshida Hikaru swept his arm forward, and a massive summoning circle materialized.

The broadcast commentators lost no time identifying the creature.

— Tai Chi Maiden! He has summoned the A-rank Tai Chi Maiden!

— That is a defensive vanguard unit, correct? A martial arts-inspired summon built around Chinese tai chi principles!

— Characterizing her as merely a vanguard unit doesn’t quite do her justice. She fits much better into the bruiser-tank category! Yoshida Hikaru’s Tai Chi Maiden is fully capable of outputting incredible offensive pressure as well!

Oh?

Baek Jinwoo’s eyes sparkled with interest.

A wind-aligned variation of the Tai Chi Maiden.

If his memory served him correctly, this precise elemental pairing was a tactic that Sugoi had utilized on a regular basis back during the days of Battle of Summoners.

Which could only mean one thing.

Baek Jinwoo correctly anticipated the subsequent summon a second before it appeared.

Wind Archer.

— Unbelievable, the following entity is indeed the Wind Archer! A ranged marksman aligned with the wind element! Is he shifting his strategy entirely into a mono-wind composition?

Not a chance.

Baek Jinwoo let out a quiet chuckle.

Neither the Tai Chi Maiden nor the Wind Archer possessed the sheer burst scaling required to serve as a primary damage threat.

However, they excelled at one particular setup.

Group control.

In order to forcibly compress all five opposing entities into a single dense cluster and wipe them out simultaneously…

A player required a fire-aligned summon featuring massive damage multipliers.

Wind paired with fire.

Every seasoned veteran of BoS understood that those two elements shared a spectacular natural synergy.

And the absolute most destructive fire-aligned summon in existence was…

— Phoenix! It is the legendary Phoenix!

— Yoshida Hikaru brings forth the Phoenix!

“What?!”

Hong Ari leapt straight out of her chair.

She had clearly been caught completely off guard by the fact that Yoshida Hikaru was utilizing the exact same species of summon that she herself specialized in commanding.

“Keep your eyes locked on the screen,” Baek Jinwoo instructed softly.

“This is going to significantly expand your perspective on the proper utilization of a Phoenix.”

Gulp.

Hong Ari swallowed nervously, keeping her eyes glued to the display.

And then.

KA-BOOOOOM!

The high-stakes clash between Olivia Abernathy and Yoshida Hikaru detonated across the arena floor.

“PERISH!”

Olivia Abernathy shrieked, and her Adjudicator let loose a devastating cascade of electrical energy.

BZZZT-CRACKLE!

A vicious bolt of pure, high-voltage lightning tore through the air, tracking directly toward the Tai Chi Maiden.

— Ngh!

The Tai Chi Maiden attempted to pivot and evade the strike gracefully, but the dark whip shifted mid-air like a striking viper, and the impact connected solidly.

SPLAT!

A spray of crimson burst forth.

The Tai Chi Maiden was instantly stained with deep red.

However.

— HYAAAAAAH!

Focusing her internal Yin-Yang energy directly into both hands, the Tai Chi Maiden let out a fierce battle cry, planting her feet firmly into the ground.

She had been forced back a couple of paces by the sheer momentum, but she refused to fall.

Fwing!

The Wind Archer pulled back the bowstring to its limit and let fly, sending an invisible projectile of condensed wind whistling across the battlefield.

“Damn it.”

Olivia Abernathy’s pupils dilated.

She had already thoroughly simulated this exact tactical pattern over countless hours of dedicated preparation.

“Adjudicator!”

Olivia Abernathy actually commanded three Adjudicators in total.

The remaining two that had been waiting on standby pushed off the arena floor simultaneously, lunging forward with explosive speed.

I cannot allow that projectile to connect. Absolutely no matter what.

The Wind Archer’s special projectile generated a massive gravitational singularity that forcibly dragged anything nearby toward its point of impact, but… it possessed one glaring vulnerability.

The projectile itself possessed a fragile 1/1 health point pool.

Which meant.

Her only task was to locate the trajectory of the arrow and strike it down before it landed.

FWSSSHHH!

The moment the leading Adjudicator detected the energy signature of the incoming wind arrow and whipped its scourge forward, the passage of time appeared to freeze for both competitors.

An extraordinary display of competitive focus.

Right as the Adjudicator’s weapon was on the verge of canceling out the wind projectile, the arrow’s flight path abruptly altered.

That was the mechanical finesse of Yoshida Hikaru.

Not on my watch!

Olivia Abernathy’s eyes flared with intense focus as she shifted her entire body weight firmly onto her left leg.

In perfect response, the path of the lashing scourge bent to shadow the arrow’s new line.

Sssst!

Yet the projectile instantly veered right back to its original path, perfectly countering her manual adjustment.

Are you losing your mind? That whole movement was a calculated feint?

Olivia Abernathy stumbled back slightly in pure disbelief.

A melee vanguard utilizing a physical body feint was standard practice, but a ranged marksman manipulating the mid-air trajectory of an arrow to execute a bluff?

This was execution operating at the absolute pinnacle of competitive gaming—archery transformed into pure performance art.

Even so, Olivia Abernathy still maintained a final Adjudicator in reserve.

I anticipated a trick like that. That is the exact reason I held back the final scourge from the initial strike.

FWSSSHHHH!

The trailing Adjudicator’s scourge smashed directly into the incoming wind arrow.

Pssshk!

A single precise strike shattered the projectile into harmless particles.

Clean hit!

Olivia Abernathy celebrated silently.

She had successfully neutralized a direct offensive setup from Yoshida Hikaru—the legendary master of micro-management—for the first time in the entire match.

Furthermore, that specific wind arrow consumes a massive 70% of total mana reserves. It serves as the ultimate ability among ultimates.

That Wind Archer was completely drained of resources.

Which meant what?

I actually have a path to victory here!

Olivia Abernathy’s gaze blazed with a desperate hunger for the win.

WHIRRRRRRRL!

Right at that exact instant, a violent, spinning tempest detonated directly from the center of Olivia Abernathy’s own team formation.

“What?”

She snapped her head around in utter confusion.

An entirely separate wind arrow was already embedded deep into the arena floor right behind her position.

“H-how is that possible?!”

Two separate wind arrows? How could he have the resources for that?

She gaped across the arena at Yoshida Hikaru with wide, disbelieving eyes.

He was wearing a calm smirk, casually lifting a hand to wave in her direction.

“Farewell, Olivia Abernathy.”

Positioned right alongside him on the battlefield was a second, fully refreshed Wind Archer.

You have got to be kidding me—

He had deployed an additional marksman from the start as a failsafe option in the event his initial projectile was successfully neutralized.

KRRRRUMBLE!

The massive singularity spinning outward from the wind arrow began violently vacuuming in all five of Olivia Abernathy’s active summons.

And directly into that crushing vortex, the follow-up combination landed in perfect succession.

— HYAAAAAAH!

The Tai Chi Maiden unleashed a sweeping Gale strike into the cluster.

Then came the final, devastating finish.

— KIRRRRRRRRR!

The Phoenix unleashed a torrent of scorching fire directly into the center of the gathering maelstrom.

Fwoosh, FWOOOOSH!

The already blistering rivers of flame caught the churning currents of the wind attribute, expanding outward into an absolute inferno of apocalyptic proportions.

Inevitably.

Olivia Abernathy’s trapped summons could only watch as their health bars evaporated in massive, catastrophic chunks.

A singular tactical engagement.

That one miscalculated read on the battlefield had cost her the entire match.

Yoshida Hikaru had proven exactly why his legendary reputation was entirely deserved.