Draven’s PoV

As I scrolled through my social media feed, a particular video caught my attention. Many of my irritating viewers were bugging me to see it. It was marked as 'viral' in the CoA community, with thousands of views and comments. Intrigued, I clicked on it, not knowing what to expect.

Upon seeing the title, I immediately had a terrible feeling about this. Moreso, as the video started to play, my curiosity quickly turned into disbelief and then anger.

“Fucking piece of shit!” I cursed out loud.

As the video ended, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth. The anger was palpable, a burning fire in my chest that refused to be extinguished as I was reminded of the events that transpired last night. In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I found myself unable to contain my emotions any longer.

“Why does that hypocrite have to butt in!? It is all her fault!”

Without thinking, I grabbed hold of a nearby hotel lamp and hurled it across the room, my rage fueling the force behind my throw.

*THUD

The object soared through the air, propelled by my pent-up emotions, before crashing against the wall of my hotel room with a resounding thud.

Looking at the mess I made, I tried to calm myself down. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused on slowing down my racing heart and calming my mind. I guess just make some excuse later so I don’t have to pay for that since it is all that motherfucker’s fault after all.

As I sat there to regain my composure, a familiar sound broke the silence. A notification pinged on my phone, drawing my attention away from my thoughts. Curiosity piqued, I reached for my phone and unlocked it to see what It was.

To my delight, I discovered a message from my teammate, informing me that the bracket for the 1v1 tournament had been posted on the official website. A surge of excitement coursed through me, momentarily overshadowing the remnants of my earlier frustration.

I quickly navigated to the website and eagerly scanned the page for my name. As I scrolled through the list, my heart raced with anticipation. Finally, I found it—our team’s name, neatly placed within the bracket. Seeing the opponent I would be facing for my first match, I cannot help but smile.

“I’m up against, the Round Table for our first match in the placement battles,” I muttered, excitement bubbling inside me.

If I remember correctly, the match is a single elimination. So that means if I beat their representative of that hypocritical team, they will go immediately to the lower bracket for the main tournament.

“Hehe… Hahaha,” I laughed manically at the God-given opportunity to destroy their tournament run.

“How fun, looks like I will get my revenge sooner than expected,” I murmured to myself.

A savage grin crept across my face. Revenge, huh? I couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of destroying their representative for the 1v1 and leaving them in a state of utter humiliation. I’m sure it will feel… extremely cathartic.

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Arthur’s PoV

Looking around, the room we are currently in was spacious, with high ceilings and large windows that allowed natural light to flood in, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The walls were adorned with tasteful artwork, adding a touch of sophistication to the surroundings. The plush carpeting under our feet made each step feel like a gentle embrace. Even if this is just a room for one person, it can accommodate the rest of my team quite well.

I called for a team meeting in my hotel room, making sure that all of my team members were present. As I glanced at every one of them, I could see a range of expressions in their eyes. Tristan and Gwyn appeared curious, while Astrid maintained a stoic and emotionless demeanor.

"Why did you call us here, dude? Don't tell me you want a team bonding experience or something. Some of us are quite busy with our own preparations, you know," my best friend Tristan attempted to lighten the meeting's mood with a joke.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Yeah, I was in the middle of sleeping," Gwyn chimed in, supporting Tristan's statement.

"I don't think sleeping can be considered as being busy," I deadpanned.

“It is though. Rest is extremely important, especially before a match,” she immediately replied with such certainty that I almost doubted myself.

"Alright, let's get straight to the point," I remarked, clearing my throat. "I convened this meeting to discuss the incident involving Astrid and a Team Unfiltered member, as showcased in the viral clip which I'm sure all of you already watched," I explained.

I glanced at the perpetrator and I couldn't help but notice Astrid's unchanging expression, although there was a subtle hint of guilt on her face that she failed to hide.

"I'm not here to scold you, but I hope you could've resolved it much more peacefully, rather than resorting to violence instantly. Like calling out the authorities or something," I explained my piece.

“Hmph, I think that guy deserves it. He can’t respect ladies like I do,” Tristan butted in at my sermon.

“I think you’re not much different from him though,” Gwyn pointed out an obvious statement, which I have to agree to.

“What?! I’m not as discourteous as that guy. To me, no means no!” Tristan replied with indignation.

As if remembering something he immediately asked.

“…Speaking of consent, Astrid, you want to eat dinner with- “

“No,” Astrid interrupted him before he even finished his sentence.

“I’m not even finished! Fine have it your way, I’m gunning for Elizabeth anyway, she is far more friendly than you! Better not regret this in the future.”

“…Good riddance,” she replied without care.

I let out a sigh. Tristan was clearly downplaying the seriousness of Astrid's actions, making our conversation less grave. However, I had to take a firm stance since our reputation was on the line. Even though the video clip showed that Astrid was not the one who instigated the incident, her response had been too excessive.

I softened my voice, adopting a gentle tone before continuing. "I don't really have an issue with what you were trying to achieve at that time. It’s commendable even, to assist another participant, even if they could be our future competitor. It's the way you went about it that concerns me. Please promise me that you'll refrain from resorting to violence right away and try to resolve conflicts without anyone getting hurt," I attempted to resolve the situation with her agreement.

Astrid stared at me with her usual expressionless face before giving me a nod of confirmation.

“…Understood,” she replied curtly.

“Thanks, that is all I ask for,” I responded with the warmest smile I could muster.

“Hey, Art! Please stop showing your protagonist halo in front of me, it's honestly sickening to watch,” Tristan interrupted with his usual antics which made my eye twitch in irritation.

“Is that all for the meeting? I want to go back to sleep…” Gwyn thankfully reminded me of the other agenda I wanted to discuss.

“Not quite. We still have to decide on who to participate in the 1v1 tournament tomorrow. And unfortunately, we are up against Draven’s team in our first match. I’m sure they will send Draven since he is the strongest of them all,” I mused.

Tristan gave us a smug look before saying his piece. “I think the answer is obvious. No need to decide on who to match against that prick. I’m sure there is no one here better to represent the team other than me- “

“I vote Art.”

“…Art.”

Gwyn and Astrid said in unison.

"Damn you, lady killer. If it weren't for your protagonist halo, I'm sure they would choose me to represent the team over you," Tristan retorted with a strong sense of outrage, expressing his deep resentment towards me.

"Just make sure to defeat that Draven guy, or I won't forgive you, all right?!" he added.

I sighed for the umpteenth time. I guess I’ll just have to do my best at the 1v1 tournament to not let my teammates down.

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Hana’s PoV

"Um, hello, Onee-chan," I nervously greeted my sister over the phone.

"Hana, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to check up on you."

"Is that all?" she responded skeptically.

It seems like my sister truly knows me well.

"Hehe, it seems like I can't keep anything from you," I paused before asking what I truly intended to do. "Actually, I will be representing our team in the 1v1 tournament tomorrow, so I wanted to know if you would be coming to watch me play tomorrow?" I inquired, feeling a bit of anticipation for her response.

She paused for a while, already hinting that she would give a negative response. “… Forgive me, Hana, we are really quite busy. I can only attend the venue on the weekend for the main tournament.”

"No worries, just check out the news the following day, and you'll witness my triumph as the 1v1 champion!" I exclaimed, masking my disappointment with feigned enthusiasm.

“I’ll also watch it live to cheer you on. So do your best,” she replied in an attempt to comfort me.

We engaged in some casual conversation about mundane topics after that, until I overheard someone on the phone calling for my sister to resume practice.

"I have to go. We have an upcoming scrim match," she stated in a regretful tone.

"All right, take care out there, Nee-chan!"

"You too. Take care and good luck with your match," she replied.

As the phone call ended, I let out a big sigh.

As the disappointment settled in, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. My sister, who had always been my biggest supporter, wasn't able to attend the important match. It was a blow to my morale, and I could feel my spirits sinking.

Kaito, a close friend and teammate, must have sensed my disappointment. “Seems like it’s a no?” he asked curiously.

“She won’t be attending until the main tournament,” I told the truth.

“A shame I have to wait for a couple of days. It’s fine though the longer the wait, the better!”

He paused, seemingly realizing that this situation was not solely about him missing out on his long-awaited autograph.

"O-of course, I'll cheer you on to the best of my ability to make up for your sister not being able to watch in person!" he stammered, attempting to lift my spirits.

Sensing that my mood had not yet improved, he swiftly changed the topic.

"A-anyway, have you seen the recent update? The bracket for the 1v1 placement match has already been posted on their official website!"

"Oh? Who are we facing?" I inquired, unable to contain my curiosity.

He grinned at me before answering my question. "Take a look at this! We have the best possible first opponent! Ta-da!" he exclaimed while handing me his phone.

I searched for our team, Sakura e-sports, and discovered which team we were up against tomorrow.

"Paradigm? Aren't they considered one of the weakest teams in the competition?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"I know, right?! How lucky are we with the draw!" he exclaimed excitedly.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t really care who we're up against. I aim to beat everyone in the 1v1 after all,” I declared with determination.

Disappointing my sister with a poor performance on my tournament debut is the last thing I would like to do. I don’t want others, especially her fans, to mock her for having a weak sibling. I joined this tournament to prove myself and not merely exist in my sister's shadow in the first place. And perhaps one day, I can stand alongside her in the same team as her equal. Therefore, I cannot afford to lose.