IWYTBW - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Those Who Come Out in the Middle of Nowhere to Stir Up Trouble Are Either Scoundrels or Villains.

Three full days had passed since the Heroes Championship Tournament preliminaries began.

Seventy-two hours: enough time to decide many things. This was a galaxy-wide battle for dominance, not a friendly match for exchanging techniques and pleasantries. The slaughter started immediately, contestants eliminated by the second.

All eyes were on this triennial spectacle. StarNet broadcast live coverage from twenty planets, and holograms of popular contenders flickered ceaselessly above the royal capital. The Emperor of Azoth watched, the cabinet members watched, the Minister of Military Affairs watched. Ordinary people discussed it eagerly over dinner, beggars wandering the desolate border stars muttered about it, and every morning, millions of StarCoins changed hands in betting parlors across the entertainment planets.

Merchants, with their preternatural sensitivity, were already planning merchandise and endorsements for the preliminary contestants. From intergalactic conglomerates to small shops in residential sectors, promotional strategies were being meticulously prepared. Analysts mobilized, sifting through the exploding volume of combat footage from the past seventy-two hours, searching for new talents. With seasoned eyes, they sought to predict and invest in the next imperial star.

Like Rainbow Alice and Blood Lily three years prior, Great Dark Sky and Saint Quadrivirtue six years before, and countless other names whose glory remained undimmed.

StarNet anchors and content creators threw themselves into the fray. Their war was bloodless, but no less intense than the real fights unfolding on the twenty participating planets. Popularity, traffic… countless nobodies had ridden the Hero Tournament’s momentum to meteoric success, briefly becoming the darlings of the galaxy. So many precedents existed – why couldn’t they add themselves to that list?

Besides, this initial period of overwhelming choice, where deciding which contestant to follow or which battle to dissect was a challenge, wouldn’t last. Geniuses, natural-born celebrities, attention-grabbing oddballs… they were, after all, a minority. Once they emerged, how could other contestants hope to steal even a sliver of the audience’s gaze?

Where to place their bets, and how many to place – it was a high-stakes gamble. Win, and it was a seaside villa. Lose, and it was scavenging for scraps. Everyone dreamed of buying a house in the Star Sea District, opening their skylights to a vista of flowing starlight. No one wanted to grub around selling junk.

Yurika was one such small-time anchor.

Yurika was a Helinarian, originally named Yulia. At adulthood, he had chosen a female gender and married a male of his species. They had two children, but his husband died in an accident. Grief-stricken, Yurika decided to revert to a male identity. In this way, he felt like he could be both mother and father to his children.

With this identity, he transitioned to a career as an anchor. Initially, his channel attracted decent viewership. While his unique background initially drew curiosity, Yurika possessed a natural talent for commentary, blending analytical insight with a deeply empathetic approach. Over the years, he’d built a loyal following who subscribed rain or shine, ready to defend him against criticism.

But frankly, many anchors plateaued there. Seven parts hard work, three parts fate. Even pushing that seventy percent to the limit was futile without a dash of destiny. Yurika was diligent. He’d used his savings and his husband’s insurance to buy a house and send his children to good schools. But he knew that diligence alone wasn’t enough to reach the next level.

That day, he logged onto StarNet early as usual, activated his channel permissions at the prearranged time, and began scouting the official broadcast for promising segments. Live broadcasts were unpredictable. Battles could erupt and end abruptly, or devolve into drawn-out stalemates. And there were always those promising starts that fizzled, earning the contestants a chorus of boos. Yurika didn’t expect to stumble upon a breathtaking spectacle worthy of being airdropped over the royal capital so early in the day.

He focused his search on Longhua.

Compared to other participating planets with extreme climates – deserts, glaciers, or endless oceans – Longhua’s ecology was richer, but also more… ordinary. In harsh environments, every decision, every battle, was magnified. A narrative of “strength conquering nature for a hard-won victory” would draw massive viewership, practically guaranteeing prime-time broadcast in the capital.

Those planets were the top picks for the major anchors. Yurika knew his limitations. Choosing the more mundane Longhua was his compromise.

Scanning the feeds, his eyes suddenly lit up. He’d found… no, two popular contestants!

—Xia Chaosheng, third-year student in the Command Department of the National Defense Military University, pilot of the A-grade mecha “Raging Tides.”

—Luna Midsummer Moon, second-year student in the Combat Department of Star Alliance University, pilot of the A-grade mecha “Rose Canticle.”

Raging Tides’ plating was a striking blue and white. The streamlined chassis flowed with deceptive softness, the sinuous curves belying the hard gleam of the metal. Rose Canticle was a masterpiece of mecha engineering. A ranged unit capable of upgrades, its appearance lacked the delicate beauty of its name. Instead, like the Executioner of the Black Dragon, it bristled with winding thorns, its primary weapon a razor-edged whip. The rose is the poem of thorns, went the line from some long-forgotten poet.

In the dense jungle, the two team leaders were approaching each other, their squads – ten to fifteen strong – advancing from opposite directions. Neither side seemed aware of the impending clash. Properly managed, this could easily become one of today’s top battle videos!

Yurika could barely contain his excitement. He stepped onto his anchor-specific floating board, skimming across the holographic blue sky like a frontline war correspondent, and launched into his commentary before he’d even finished his introduction. “Hello everyone, I’m your anchor, Yurika! Unbelievably, less than ten minutes after going live, we’ve stumbled upon this potentially explosive confrontation!”

His gaze swung towards Xia Chaosheng, the live stream camera following. “We can see A-grade pilot Xia Chaosheng, of Raging Tides, approaching less than three kilometers away. A third-year student from the Command Department of the National Defense University, he reached A-grade at twenty-one, achieving a top-ten ranking in the annual StarNet finals. A true prodigy!”

He tapped a finger lightly, and highlight clips of Xia Chaosheng’s battles flashed beside him.

“And on the other side, we have the second-year student from the Combat Department of Star Alliance University, A-grade pilot, Miss Luna Midsummer Moon!” A hint of admiration colored his tone. “Rose Canticle is a ranged mecha, but its aggressively designed exterior makes it a formidable close-quarters combatant as well. Reaching high-grade pilot status at only twenty, Miss Luna is a genuine talent as well.”

His floating board pirouetted in the air, his voice barely containing his enthusiasm. “A clash of prodigies! Ah, they’ve detected each other. Rose Canticle has slowed its advance, and Raging Tides has ordered his team to halt… Is Raging Tides planning a preemptive strike? Six blue mechas have peeled off from the main force, disappearing into the jungle. Xia Chaosheng is, after all, studying command. It seems he’s already assessed the situation and formulated a battle strategy.”

Across the battlefield, Rose Canticle raised a finger, and her team’s formation shifted instantly. With Rose Canticle at the tip, the team arrayed itself behind, forming a sharp spear poised to deliver divine punishment.

“A charge formation?” Yurika frowned. “Miss Luna is aggressive, brimming with confidence in her team. She’s opted for a full-frontal assault without even probing the enemy’s strength…”

Drawn by StarNet’s keyword alerts, more and more viewers flocked to Yurika’s stream. In just thirteen minutes, he’d amassed nearly 100,000 concurrent viewers – five or six times his usual number.

[Luna’s always been arrogant. No surprise there.]

The comment appeared near Rose Canticle’s hologram, framed with a custom, shimmering border, marking it as a high-level VIP user.

Thanks to StarNet’s viewing mode, viewers could immerse themselves in the battle and leave comments virtually anywhere – even on a blade of grass. Real-time comments were usually relegated to the sidelines, since the battle hadn’t truly begun. A prominent remark like this was rare.

[She’s earned the right to be. Besides, if they’re just going to feel each other out, what’s the point of watching? Might as well watch a sleep aid video.]

[Rose Canticle is just a psycho! Why give it such a flowery name? Crazy Sadistic Maniac would be more fitting. Don’t act like you don’t know.]

[Shut your mouth! I love her madness – to the end of the world! And you? Which stepmother’s teat is your favorite contestant suckling on, you moron?]

Before Yurika could defuse the rising tensions in his stream, he gasped, his breathing quickening. “They’ve engaged! Rose Canticle is charging straight in, clashing head-on with Raging Tides!”

From above, the red team’s offensive was a lance of pure aggression. Rose Canticle ignored any semblance of strategy, advancing without retreat. It was a high-octane display, reeking of arrogance and a hunger for dominance.

Rose Canticle’s whip became a sword, lashing out at Raging Tides’ chassis. The pilot’s rasping laughter amplified through the mecha’s speakers, echoing across the battlefield. “It’s you, Xia Chaosheng!”

Raging Tides blocked the attack, silent. The remaining eight blue mechas paired off instantly, forming a defensive and offensive wall against the encircling red mechas.

“Why so quiet?” Luna cackled. “Before entering the arena, I wondered if I’d run into you. What a delightful surprise!”

Mecha weaponry was terrifyingly destructive. They were killing machines, and the Azoth Empire had carved out every inch of its territory with their blades and cannons. A clash between two equally skilled A-grade mechas was earth-shattering, a miniature cataclysm.

Raging Tides wielded a four-meter plasma blade, almost as tall as the mecha itself. When swung, it seemed to spill shimmering water through the air, but its heat surpassed even magma, capable of cleaving a marble table in a millisecond. The plasma blade met the whip-sword, showering the jungle with dazzling sparks. Xia Chaosheng said coldly, “You talk too much.”

Luna laughed, a harsh, grating sound. Her mecha was unyielding steel, its face impassive, but judging by the sound, her expression must have been twisted in a frenzied grin.

Luna Midsummer Moon. Both her name and surname were beautiful, evocative of moonlight, suggesting a goddess-like grace. But the Midsummer Moon family was anything but pleasant. In her, this manifested as volatile instability.

Raw, untamed irritability coursed through her veins, like a firehose of oxygen. At Star Alliance University, she was one of the most volatile and untouchable students. One moment she’d be chatting amiably with a classmate, the next she’d smash their skull with whatever was closest at hand, all because she’d remembered the way they’d once looked at her – as if she were insane.

Turbulent air currents whipped through the forest. The whip-sword spat volleys of plasma, condensed magnetic currents that could corrode the hull of any high-grade mecha. Despite her manic tendencies, she maintained an uncanny focus in battle. The whip had become a razor edge, yet amidst the storm of sword strikes, plasma bolts danced like a second, electric-blue whip.

Xia Chaosheng remained silent. With each furious exchange, his blade flawlessly intercepted the incoming plasma, the force of his blows mounting with each precise strike against the same point on the whip-sword. At this rate, Rose Canticle’s primary weapon would soon be severed.

Luna knew it. She raised a leg, and the humanoid mecha mimicked the motion. The slender, delicate base offered no stability, yet it replicated the human form perfectly, down to a pair of beautiful and brutal high heels!

Of course, the mecha’s heels weren’t adorned with jewels or wrapped in silk. Rose Canticle’s heels were crafted entirely from honed blades. The kick was lightning-fast, and even as Raging Tides pulled back, it left a deep, ragged gash stretching from its chest to its thigh.

“Yes!” Yurika’s lips trembled. His entire body was electrified. “I adore Rose Canticle! Every battle is the ultimate expression of violent aesthetics, proving that beauty and brutality can coexist! But Raging Tides is calmly maintaining his rhythm. Despite the name, Xia Chaosheng is an incredibly difficult man to provoke. This is truly a battle of ice and fire, cold and heat!”

The live stream had climbed to 350,000 concurrent viewers, but Yurika couldn’t spare a thought for cultivating his future patrons. He felt like he was witnessing the birth of something miraculous.

The comment section was a pandemonium. Some were screaming “My ice-cold beauty wife!” at Xia Chaosheng, others were shouting “My crazy big husband!” at Luna. Some praised the anchor’s eloquence, others analyzed the combatants’ strengths. Still others spammed ads and solicitations... a complete madhouse.

The fourteen red mechas had effectively suppressed the eight blue units. Just when the situation appeared one-sided, six mechas emerged from the jungle ambush, crashing into the fray.

Surrounded, Luna’s laughter only grew louder. She raised her whip, pointing it directly at Xia Chaosheng’s control center. “Still resorting to sneaky tactics, Xia Chaosheng!”

“Appropriate strategy is better than reckless brute force,” Xia Chaosheng said dryly.

Luna’s eyes narrowed, about to retort, when a strange cry pierced the air.

A-grade pilots possessed astonishing senses. She recognized the sound immediately: a desperate plea for help.

[Hey, someone’s screaming for help. What’s going on?]

[Are you insane? Screaming for help during a tournament? What do you think this is, playtime?]

Yurika chimed in. “Oh, a new development! Both sides have heard a cry for help in the distance… Here they come! Two… no, one person. And they’re not in a mecha!”

He corrected himself because the two people hadn’t emerged together. One was half-carrying, half-dragging the other, who was upside down, blood-soaked, and clearly injured. A trail of crimson dripped from the dangling arm, marking their path.

Yurika inhaled sharply and zoomed in. “What happened? He’s seriously wounded…”

“Help! Fellow students, please help us!” sobbed the escaping girl, her voice cracking. “We’ve already been eliminated, but they’re still hunting us!”

The pursuing roar of engines confirmed her claim. For a moment, the red and blue sides faltered, their combat momentarily suspended.

Fellow students? Were they, really?

Eliminated? Or so they claimed.

The pursuit seemed genuine enough. Their senses confirmed the carried figure was near death, his aura fading, his body temperature plummeting. But that wasn’t enough to warrant intervention. Not stomping them into the dirt was already generous.

“Take the small path and leave,” Xia Chaosheng said abruptly. “I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”

Luna scoffed. “Such a bleeding heart.”

However, this small act of mercy only intensified the girl’s sobs. She kept repeating “Thank you,” preparing to cross the battle zone.

Since the leaders hadn’t intervened, the subordinates held their ground. The sound of pursuit grew closer. Then, perhaps weighed down by her burden, or exhausted from the long flight, or simply tripped by the uneven ground, the girl stumbled and fell. The surrounding mechas recoiled, palms activating thermal energy weapons, targeting her.

“Don’t even think about running!” A third group emerged from the jungle, confronting the red and blue forces. “You think you can run after provoking us? You think the world works that way?!”

Yurika gasped. “That’s… Zhang Jiuzi, third-year student in the Psychic Department of First Tech University!”

—Zhang Jiuzi, third-year student in the Psychic Department of First Tech University, pilot of the A-grade mecha “Diviner.”

Xia Chaosheng smiled faintly. “I knew it was you, Zhang Jiuzi.”

Only now did Luna realize: his willingness to conceal the fleeing students had been a ploy to draw out Diviner.

Diviner’s plating was a pale cerulean, evocative of wind through a bamboo forest – simple, elegant. Red, blue, and cerulean converged, three opposing forces facing each other, sharply defined.

Yurika’s live stream crested 500,000 concurrent viewers for the first time, all thanks to those three eye-catching mechas and the three exceptionally talented pilots.

“This is… a truly unprecedented spectacle!” Yurika’s tongue felt tied in knots. He wished he had eight mouths to deliver the commentary. “Rose Canticle, Raging Tides, Diviner! All three are prodigies, reaching heights most can only dream of. And now, Diviner’s arrival has made the direction of this battle completely unpredictable…”

At that moment, a comment bubble drifted slowly into view, near the feet of the towering mechas.

[What are those two doing? Still lying on the ground? Why aren’t they running? Are they trying to die?]

[...Wait, what are they planning?]

[Holy shit, that person isn’t dead! He’s fine!]

The deluge of comments about the three mechas drowned out the observation. Even Yurika, struggling to keep up with the chaos, missed it.

“Beacon—”

A wave of white light exploded before their eyes, engulfing their vision, as if a flashbang had detonated in midair, obscuring most of the mechas.

“—Illuminate!”

Yurika froze. The hundreds of thousands watching along with him gasped.

Even through the holographic projection, he could tell this was no cheap flashbang. This... this was like light channeled directly into the mind, a light of pure spirit!

An angry female voice echoed from all directions, like a lamp-lighting deity. She spoke the word beacon, and a beacon blazed forth, drowning even the light of day!

“Received,” a male voice answered from within the light, tinged with amusement. “Almost done!”

Beacon what? Received what? Almost done doing what?

What the hell… what the hell kind of god-tier twist was this?! Where the fuck did these two come from?!

Yurika’s jaw dropped, utterly bewildered.

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