“You are all in for a show folks! For the first time, we will be having a team match! Huntsman Damian and Paladin Rose have joined forces! They’re aiming for the top spots, but can The Unnamed Team stop them?! Let’s see! Get on your feet for our finalists!” Announcer Drew said. Magic wasn’t even needed to project his voice. His glee alone did all of the work and pushed his vocal cords to their extreme. The excitement within the arena was palpable. The audience was practically rabid. While it wasn’t the final match of the tournament, everyone was excited nonetheless for what was about to happen. The only thing that could have made this better would have been a free-for-all between all platinum-ranked competitors.
The first set of doors opened within the area. Smoke poured out dramatically. The Unnamed Team stepped out into the light once again. Much like the opening ceremony, they waved to the crowd. The four weren’t sure how this match would play out, but they were happy regardless. None of them thought they’d get this far, especially after encountering other participants of the Genesis Program.
Another set of doors opened on the opposite side of the arena. The newly formed temporary team, Piercing Smite, stepped through their own theatrical smoke. Both competitors wore serious expressions as they prepared for battle. Their boots clanged against the ground. The arena had changed once again, but its form was far from elaborate. There was no environment. There were no obstacles. There were no gimmicks. All that was present was a floor consisting of polished marble.
“Are we really about to do this?” Robyn asked. She may have been familiar with her competitors, but she’d never seen them make such serious expressions before. It was only natural. The Unnamed Team was never within their crosshairs. That is, until now. The four felt shivers go up their spines. Was this what it felt like to stand before powerful beings that intended to fight? None of the four sins they encounter ever gave off this aura. Granted, the sins also never took the team seriously. This time, however, The Unnamed Team was considered a threat from the start.
“Yup, and we’re going to get stomped,” Rex said. The four were acutely aware of the imbalance between the two teams. They’d have a hard enough time with one of their opponents, but it seems their recent fights gave off the wrong message. Rose and Damian now believed they had to work together to defeat the team. Not even Alpha, who inherited a portion of Sloth’s power, could turn the tides of battle. This would undoubtedly be their toughest fight, and they couldn’t rely on exploiting errors. Fortunately, they had some semblance of a plan.
“At least we won’t lose our new skills,” Xander said. It was true that they had nothing to lose at this point. Rose and Damian weren't Genesis Program participants. They hadn’t challenged the team in the same sense The Heroes of The Voice did. It helped that they could keep their new skills and recently restored equipment. Plus, the tournament gave out cash prizes to first, second, and third place. At least one member of The Unnamed Team was guaranteed to profit from this venture.
“Let’s at least put up a fight. The last thing we need is for them to say we weren’t giving it our all and demand a rematch.” Nicholas said. He knew that they had to give a good show. If they put up a good enough fight, other adventurers would also leave them alone. That thought was worth the effort on its own. They could finally return to their old lives without being challenged every day. Nicholas took a deep breath and readied himself for the fight he was about to lose.
Alpha sprung to life from a magic circle on the ground. They had to be summoned at the beginning of each match to adhere to the tournament’s rules. Oddly enough, Alpha was wearing a poncho similar to the one Sloth wore. The cyan cloth blocked most of their body, but they didn’t mind. The dark letters from a forgotten language were still present. Glimmers of armor could be seen from underneath the fabric. It all looked very intricate and exactly like Sloth’s old attire once did. Unfortunately, the equipment wasn’t real. It was all for show and utilized the skill [Polymorph]. Regardless of its authenticity or effectiveness, this was Alpha’s way of showing they were ready for battle.
Alpha sprinted forward. The wind rushed behind their steps. The rest of the team followed suit. Alpha’s job was to disrupt the duo so the team could handle them in halves. Rex and Nicholas were assigned to Damian. A long-range fighter was bound to struggle in close combat, even if he was high leveled. Meanwhile, Xander and Robyn were to engage with Rose. Commands could be used to slow her, and arrows would whittle down her armor. It was a solid plan, but there were many things that could go wrong.
Not even in their wildest imaginations could they predict that Alpha would take an arrow to the head and fall to the ground.
The Predator Slime stared at the marble floor with wide eyes. Their form slowly lost definition. Their finer details dulled. Soon, all that remained was a puddle of slime. It sat there for a moment, showing that the ace of the team had been defeated. Alpha’s remains evaporated not long after that. It was a shock to the team. Their plan was now in shambles, and their friend was gone.
“While I am interested in how you can summon a Predator Slime, that will have to wait. I’m curious. How will you handle us without your familiar?” Damian asked. His question was genuine. There was no malice in his words. His intimidating nature remained, but there was still a hint of morbid curiosity. He wanted to see how well the team was at adapting to changing scenarios. Given their actions during the sins’ demise, they were quick-witted enough to scrape together plans from the remnants of old ones. Damian was eager to see how The Unnamed Team would defeat him.
“We’ve seen you fight the other sins. Don’t think those types of tricks will fool us.” Rose said. It was one of the few times she had ever bluffed to an opponent. Much like Damian and the audience, she wasn’t quite sure who would win. She knew she was stronger. That was evident from a glance. However, she and Damian still weren’t sure how The Unnamed Team managed to defeat so many sins. They also managed to defeat The Heroes of The Voice, an extremely powerful and well-known team. There had to be some trick. Was it a gift from the god they worshiped? Perhaps. Asher had given Rose plenty, so it was foolish to brush that possibility aside.
Regardless of what secrets the team held, Rose was prepared to give this fight her full effort. She sprinted forward, crashing into Rex within mere moments. The two crossed swords, but it was clear who the better fencer was. Nicholas circled her. He reached his hand out to use his skill [Frost Touch] but was too slow. Rose twisted her body to throw Rex off. In that same instant, she thrust out her leg and kicked Nicholas in the stomach. Chilling fingers touched her armor, but its enchantments nullified the effects.
Damian was the second to take initiative in the fight. If Rose was handling the close combat fighters, he’d deal with the [Archer] and [Beast Tamer]. Damian fired several arrows into the distance. They expertly dashed through the ongoing fight and targeted the two behind it. Xander threw himself back to avoid the arrows and fired a volley of his own. Some crashed into Rose but dealt no damage. Others landed near Rex and Nicholas, forcing them to evade and retort with dirty looks and heckling. Robyn tried to rush the huntsman, but the paladin swept her off of her feet.
The team was in dire straits, but it was about to get much worse.
The clouds darkened. Everyone, even the current combatants, stopped to watch the sky. This wasn’t natural. It had to be magic, but who was strong enough to pull off a feat like this? Plenty of magicians were stationed within the arena to ward off external help, yet this spell bypassed them. Something was wrong…
Just as sudden as the clouds darkened, they boomed. Thunder echoed. Lightning flashed. Then, a person fell from the sky, as if dropped by the heavens. They landed in the center of the arena and shook the earth. Their crimson armor shielded them from all damage and glowed from the numerous enchantments and runes placed on it. It was clear who this person was from the question they asked.
“Where are the heroes of the voice?!” The embodiment of sin, Wrath, yelled out for all to hear.
