Chapter 501: The Roar of the Number Ones

I stood at the entrance tunnel to the Crucible Arena, my bat resting on my shoulder, listening to the roar of twenty thousand people shaking the volcanic rock beneath my feet.

"You nervous?" Natalia asked.

"Terrified."

"Liar."

I grinned at her. "Yeah."

Braxton appeared at the mouth of the tunnel, his synth-cigarette dangling unlit from his lips. "You’re up first. Try not to trip walking out there. I’ve got money riding on you looking competent."

"How much?"

"Enough that if you embarrass me, I’m transferring you to the Vipers."

"Love you too, Professor."

He snorted and walked away.

The PA system crackled to life, and suddenly I heard the most aggressively cheerful voice I’d ever encountered in two lifetimes.

"GOOOOOOD MORNING, NEW VEIN ACADEMY! ARE YOU READY TO WITNESS HISTORY?!"

The crowd’s response was deafening.

Some guy was standing at the center stage, his outfit so obnoxiously bright yellow and green that I briefly considered asking Celeste to freeze him as a public service. His hair stuck straight up like he’d been electrocuted, and his grin stretched wide enough to swallow a small child.

"I’M MAXIMUS HYPE, YOUR HOST FOR TODAY’S INTER-GUILD TOURNAMENT! AND LET ME TELL YOU, WE’VE GOT A SHOW FOR YOU TODAY! FIVE GUILDS! EIGHTEEN COMPETITORS! AND ENOUGH DRAMA TO MAKE THE GODS THEMSELVES JEALOUS!"

Nel whispered in my head.

The Audience is eating this up. Ratings are already spiking.

Tell them I said hi.

You’re insufferable.

Yeah, but I’m their favorite kind of insufferable.

"FIRST UP! THEY CAME FROM THE BOTTOM! THEY ROSE FROM NOTHING! THEY’VE GOT THE WORST FACILITIES, THE WEAKEST SPONSOR, AND SOMEHOW—SOMEHOW—THEY’RE SITTING AT NUMBER ONE! GIVE IT UP FOR YOUR ONYX HOUNDS!"

The roar that followed made my ears ring.

"That’s us," Raphael said, cracking his knuckles. "Let’s go show them what trash looks like when it bites back."

We walked out into the arena as one unit.

The sunlight hit me first, warm and blinding after the tunnel’s darkness. Then the noise hit. A wall of sound so thick I could practically touch it.

The crowd was on their feet.

Half of them were waving signs with my face on them. Some said "STRAY DOG NATION." Others said things I refused to read out loud because Emi was watching.

Wow,

I thought.

Guess I do have some fans.

Natalia walked on my right, her purple combat suit catching the light, her hair glowing like ice in the sun. Skylar moved on my left, her hands in her pockets, her headphones around her neck. Behind us came the rest of the pack.

Raphael with his permanent scowl.

Hikari bouncing like she’d been mainlining sugar.

Isabelle moving like royalty slumming it with peasants.

Marco with his arm around Malachi’s shoulders.

Jaime shirtless, flexing for the cameras.

Juan looking like death warmed over.

Emi waving at the crowd with both hands.

Cel walking with Noah at her back, her expression unreadable.

Akari blowing kisses at the camera.

Soomin clutching her lucky seashell.

Jacob looking like he might vomit.

Seventeen disasters in ash gray and black. Seventeen people who weren’t supposed to matter. Seventeen souls who’d decided that the world’s opinion could go fuck itself.

We reached our designated area, a section of the arena floor marked with the Onyx sigil.

The crowd was still screaming.

I caught sight of a girl in the front row holding a sign that said "NAKANO CAN BREED ME." Skylar followed my gaze and snorted.

"Your fans are very supportive."

"Shut up."

"AND REPRESENTING THE ONYX HOUNDS AS THEIR CAPTAIN! THE MAN WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION BUT I’M GONNA GIVE HIM ONE ANYWAY! THE STRAY DOG! THE ZERO WHO BECAME A HERO! THE BOY WHO KILLED AN A-RANK WITH A BASEBALL BAT! SATORI! NAKANO!"

The noise somehow got louder.

I raised my bat in acknowledgment, which was apparently the right move because half the stadium lost their collective minds.

Maximus wasn’t done.

"NEXT! THEY’VE HELD THE TOP SPOT FOR SEVEN YEARS RUNNING! THEY’RE PERFECT! THEY’RE POLISHED! THEY’RE ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS ABOUT BEING IN SECOND PLACE! THE ARGENT SENTINELS!"

The Sentinels walked out in formation so tight it looked choreographed. Probably because it was.

Julian led them, his golden hair perfect, his silver and blue armor gleaming like he’d spent the morning polishing it. Aaron followed like a human tank. Behind them came the rest of their squad, each one looking like they’d stepped out of a recruitment poster.

They took their position with military precision.

The crowd’s applause was respectful. Polite. Nothing like what the Hounds had received.

Julian’s eyes found mine across the arena floor.

I smiled.

He didn’t.

"THIRD! THEY BELIEVE IN BLOOD! THEY WORSHIP POWER! THEY’VE GOT THE SECOND-BEST RECORD AND THEY’RE COMING FOR THAT CROWN! THE SCARLET PHANTOMS!"

Reyna walked out like she owned the entire island.

Her crimson hair burned in the sunlight. Her combat suit hugged every dangerous curve. Her emerald eyes swept across the arena once before landing on me and staying there.

Behind her came Diego, Leo, and Kira, all wearing matching expressions that promised violence.

The crowd loved them.

Reyna stopped at her designated position and crossed her arms, her gaze never leaving mine.

I winked.

Her jaw tightened.

Natalia’s hand found my arm, her fingers cold even through the fabric. "Don’t."

"Don’t what?"

"Whatever you’re thinking about doing."

"I’m not thinking about anything."

"Liar."

"FOURTH! THEY OUT-THINK! THEY OUT-PLAN! THEY’VE GOT MORE STRATEGY IN THEIR PINKY FINGER THAN MOST GUILDS HAVE IN THEIR ENTIRE ROSTER! THE COBALT VIPERS!"

The Vipers emerged like shadows given form. Kenjiro led them, his expression bored, his hands in his pockets. The rest of his team moved with the same quiet confidence.

They took their position without fanfare.

The crowd’s response was muted.

"AND LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST! THEY’RE THE GOOD GUYS! THE TEAM PLAYERS! THE ONES YOUR PARENTS WANT YOU TO BE! THE VERDANT STRIKERS!"

The Strikers came out waving at the crowd like this was a parade instead of a tournament. Their green and white colors looked almost cheerful compared to everyone else’s murder palettes.

They reached their spot, still waving.

The arena fell into a lull as all five guilds stood in their designated areas.

Then Maximus pointed toward the VIP box.

"AND NOW! TO OVERSEE THIS GLORIOUS SPECTACLE! THE PROFESSOR WHO MAKES GROWN HUNTERS WEAK IN THE KNEES! THE WOMAN WHO COULD END ALL OF US WITH HER SMILE! PLEASE WELCOME YOUR HOST FOR TODAY’S EVENTS! PROFESSOR! HANAE! MORI!"