Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 100

101

‘As expected. Is it because they’re a professional team contending for the championship? It’s not as easy as it was in my amateur days.’

The Fire Phoenixes’ circular formation was incredibly solid. Each time the God Knights’ gladiators attempted to break through, they were repelled by well-timed offenses and defenses. I thought Rafine and Oscar’s combined attack would be enough to penetrate, but perhaps due to a lack of coordination, their attacks were out of sync, leading to a loss of offensive power.

However, an unexpected figure initiated the breakthrough: Venus. Charging forward with both shields raised, she disrupted the opposing team’s formation before they could react. No matter how many spear tips were launched, they were all deflected by her shields. Seeing this opportunity, Oscar supported her from behind, and the center was immediately breached.

“Charge in!”

Erfina’s voice, audible even from the dugout, spurred the God Knights’ second string to surge into the broken formation. Several Fire Phoenixes gladiators rushed to block the breach, but it was already too late. Rafine, having entered the center, relentlessly swung her dual swords, making it difficult for them to even hold their ground. Eventually, the circular formation was torn to shreds, and the God Knights’ unilateral offensive began.

“Kyaaa! No!”

Sharp screams echoed from all directions as the Fire Phoenixes gladiators desperately swung their swords. However, they couldn’t withstand the God Knights gladiators, who were scattered but coordinated in their combined attacks. Soon, the team captain fell incapacitated by Rafine’s hand, and the God Knights secured victory in the second round as well.

Interestingly, Emma managed to take down two opposing team gladiators. Although these points were gained through clever, opportunistic plays, they were still points and would be recorded.

‘Hehe. Black Society really hit the jackpot. Emma earned two points in her professional debut.’

The Black Society’s fervent desire was for Emma to achieve noticeable success upon turning pro. Naturally, these two kills were invaluable to them. Tangible records were far more persuasive than just a professional title when it came to influencing government officials.

Beomseok glanced at his watch and made a determined decision. Since the second round ended so quickly, the reserves had plenty of stamina left, so he intended to have Emma play in the third round as well. Although she wasn’t yet at the level of a starter, it was good to give her as many opportunities as possible to establish a foundation for growth.

He stood up and approached Diana.

“Diana, I’d like Emma to play in the next third round as well.”

“Emma, you say?”

Beomseok carefully observed her reaction. It would be one thing if the team only had his elf, but pushing her too much could be seen as favoritism and cause dissatisfaction among the other elf gladiators.

“Yes, well, she scored two points, but I can’t figure out how. She’s not usually that skilled. So, I want to watch her play and see if it’s luck or actual talent.”

Diana pondered for a moment and nodded. Having been a professional herself, she had often seen gladiators who gained a significant number of points despite declining skills. These gladiators were typically intelligent and had excellent judgment, and Emma seemed to have a similar style. With the second round won and the game proceeding smoothly, it wouldn’t hurt to put her in and test her. The worst that could happen was a longer game, and if things went well, they might discover an unexpected starter.

“Okay, I’ll do that. I’ve been wanting to see Emma’s play as well.”

“Good. Then draw up the roster accordingly.”

With that, Beomseok went to the dugout entrance to greet the incoming second-string gladiators individually. He informed Emma of her upcoming third-round appearance as she removed her helmet and urged her to prepare thoroughly.

In terms of strategy, being selected for the third round meant being given a chance to become a starter. Emma went to her bench with a nervous look. She didn’t expect to immediately secure a starting position, but if she played well, that path could be significantly shortened.

Beeeep!

– The third round is about to begin!

The God Knights, facing the downtown area from the center, glared sharply across the river, preparing to attempt a crossing.

Strangely, the Fire Phoenixes team was adopting an aggressive formation, unlike anything they had shown so far. Having already suffered two losses, any further attempts at a draw were meaningless. What they needed most now was a victory.

‘Good. We’ll crush them and take the three points.’

The God Knights’ goal for this year was 40 points. It was a low score if you thought it was low, but it was not easy if you thought it was high. To reach this score, they needed a record of 13 wins and 2 draws. This could be a difficult goal for the God Knights, who had given up away games at the beginning of the season, so it was better to settle today’s game and take the points.

He immediately turned around and looked at Emma.

“Emma, you need to keep up.”

“Yes, I understand.”

She stuck close behind Beomseok. Her mission in this third round was to fight alongside him as a pair.

Beomseok was the ace of the God Knights and participated in all the important matches. If she could create good tactical options with him, she would occasionally have the opportunity to play as a starter. Naturally, this was a great opportunity for Emma, and she had no choice but to be enthusiastic.

She turned her gaze to Rafine, who was performing a free role. She was today’s key player, and the main force’s tactics would be determined by her movements. She had to carefully observe her actions and prepare in advance to execute team plays effectively.

‘Hmm. She’s got two markers on her.’

Rafine, who had already crossed the river, was engaged with two gladiators. Judging by the intense battle, the opposing team had deployed some capable gladiators. If that was the case, the main force would be significantly weakened. The main battleground was likely to be here.

Emma immediately prepared to cross the river and looked at Beomseok.

“Everyone, cross the river!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the vanguard of the God Knights, led by Beomseok, pushed off the ground. Emma, following closely behind, quickly stuck to Beomseok’s rear, preparing for the Fire Phoenixes’ attack. Since her swordsmanship was extremely poor, facing an opposing team’s starter alone would be suicidal. She needed to stay with him at all times and execute coordinated plays.

Spear. Clash. Spear. Clang!

“Oscar! Matilda! Charge forward and make room for our midfielders to enter!”

Oscar and Matilda wildly swung their swords, gradually widening the space. Erika and Reimei crossed over first and quickly rushed forward to assist the vanguard.

Meanwhile, Emma, who was following Beomseok, was struggling against two gladiators. It was natural to be outnumbered since not all team members had crossed over yet. Fortunately, Beomseok was helping from the side, but if this situation continued, she could be taken down unexpectedly.

However, this crisis didn’t last long. Chiria and Mireuri joined in, dispersing the enemy’s attacks.

‘Whew. That’s a relief.’

Emma, now facing only one Fire Phoenixes gladiator, regained her composure. Although the threatening sword tip still flew at her, it was definitely better than facing two. She maintained a defensive stance, focusing all her efforts on surviving. She knew better than to act beyond her abilities in pursuit of flashy plays, as that would only lead to her downfall. In a gladiator match, the one who manages to stab the opponent at the last moment, even after being constantly pushed back, is the victor.

‘I need to stay calm and defend, looking for an opportunity. If I do what I did last round, I can definitely get a point.’

Soon, the opportunity Emma was looking for arrived. The number 8 gladiator, who was fighting Beomseok, was constantly being pushed back and was approaching her with his back turned.

No matter how unskilled she was, the opponent wouldn’t be able to block a sword strike from behind.
The problem was the number 2 gladiator, who was currently attacking her. He was focused on her, so she had to exploit that brief opening.

‘What should I do? It’s a good chance.’

Emma’s dilemma didn’t last long. Accumulating death points wasn’t good for a professional gladiator, but trading it for a kill point wasn’t too bad. The records that people looked at when evaluating a gladiator were the number of matches played, rounds, and kill points. Death points were just additional reference material. If she could guarantee a trade, it was worth trying. And if she played it well, she might not even have to accumulate a kill point. A full-body incapacitation, which resulted in a death point, only occurred when major vital areas such as the head or torso were hit.

Having made her decision, she subtly shifted her position to the most suitable spot to attack the number 8 gladiator. And as the number 2 gladiator’s attack caused her sword to deflect, she put all her strength into striking the number 8 gladiator’s back.

Thwack.

Without even a moment to see the number 8 gladiator staggering forward, Emma brought her left arm to block the number 2 gladiator’s incoming sword. The impact of the powerful force caused her left arm to droop. She had successfully traded an arm for a kill point.

She retrieved her sword with her right arm and prepared for the next attack. But there was no next attack. Just as the number 2 gladiator was about to put momentum into his sword to completely subdue Emma, Beomseok brushed past him.

Thwack.

“Emma, you’re quite something. Thanks to you, I took care of both of them at once.”

Emma, glancing at the number 2 gladiator collapsing, smiled contentedly and followed behind Beomseok. She had now scored 3 points and earned his recognition, increasing her chances of participating in future league matches. Until recently, she had been worried about whether she would even be able to participate in league matches with the number of team members more than doubling.

Clash. Clang. Bang. Clash.

The number 4 gladiator, struck by Oscar’s sword, lost his balance and was knocked away. It was difficult for an ordinary area league professional gladiator to withstand the force of a massive greatsword. Of course, he had experience from a long professional career, but it was useless as he had never encountered such a wielder of brute force during those years.

“Just fall back comfortably!”

The number 4 gladiator’s body floated in the air, buffeted by Oscar’s greatsword swinging left and right. His arm, damaged by the accumulated impact, barely moved. He desperately wanted to ask his surrounding teammates for help, but most of them were already lying on the ground, making it impossible. And the few remaining teammates were looking at him with pleading eyes.

Emma was approaching this blind spot. Although she couldn’t use one arm, she could still thrust her sword. She waited for the timing and stabbed the number 4 gladiator in the side just as Oscar brought his greatsword down.

With a thud, the number 4 gladiator staggered and fell. Oscar, dumbfounded by the sudden steal, glared at Emma with a sulky expression. Just as she desperately wanted points for the Black Society, Oscar also needed points for the MVP [Most Valuable Player] title. Rafine, who had recently joined, was shaking his position as the team’s second-in-command, which he had only recently managed to snatch from Erfina.

“Emma! He was mine!”

“Sorry. I’ll buy you something delicious when I get my paycheck later.”

Emma, feeling somewhat guilty, apologized and left the scene. She then ran to another hunting ground where Beomseok was headed. The main force was being cleaned up, but there were still two opposing team gladiators remaining where Rafine was. Although she had scored a total of 4 points today, she was still hungry.

Waaaaah! Waaaaah!

The opening match between the God Knights and the Fire Phoenixes, held at the Lima City Colosseum, ended with a one-sided score of 3-0 in favor of the God Knights.

Experts had already predicted this, but many fans who were unaware of the details were cheering in disbelief at today’s victory. The Fire Phoenixes were ranked 3rd in the league last year and were considered championship contenders every year. They had been constantly pushed back and led to such a thrilling victory today.

The fans left the Colosseum, chatting and expressing their excitement for the God Knights.

“Director Diana! Please tell us your thoughts on today’s game!”

“Rafine! Where did you train to have such skills? Can you tell us which professional team you belonged to before!”

“Emma! Look over here for a moment! Let’s take a picture!”

As Beomseok and the God Knights team members passed through the hallway, they were bombarded with persistent questions from reporters. In particular, Rafine, who was expected to be selected as today’s MVP [Most Valuable Player], and Emma, who had stolen (?) 5 kills with her intelligent plays, were the center of attention.

Beomseok stepped forward, waving his hand and shouting at the reporters. There was no end to answering questions here one by one.

“Okay. We will take questions in the press conference room. Please clear the way.”

Nevertheless, the reporters relentlessly followed, continuing to pursue their business. Even if they went to the press conference room, they could only ask a limited number of questions. It was better to get even one more answer when there was an opportunity. In the end, Beomseok barely managed to enter the conference hall by forcibly pushing his way through.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

Today, I will explain the League Cup. The League Cup is a tournament in which the 20 teams belonging to the league compete to determine the final winner.

This tournament is conducted in a tournament format, with a total of 5 matches.

1st Round: 6 teams are selected from the bottom 12 teams.
2nd Round: A total of 12 teams compete, including the 6 winners from the 1st Round and the teams ranked 3rd to 8th in the league last year, to select 6 teams.

3rd Round: The 6 teams from the 2nd Round and the teams ranked 1st and 2nd last year participate in the quarterfinals.

4th Round: Semifinals.

5th Round: Finals.

However, the actual game is played in 10 games. In each round, the home and away teams play 2 games, and the team that takes more rounds wins. The problem is that there is a high possibility of a 1-1 tie through the home and away games. Therefore, in this tournament, the team with the most round wins in the total of 10 home and away games wins. Therefore, in the first game, whether it is a home or away game, all 5 rounds must be played.

I hope everyone has a good day. I’ll see you again tomorrow on the weekend.