Chapter 222: , the author didn't provide furigana back then.

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Anote:

My real life is a whirlwind.

It's not that I'm extremely busy, but my work is hard.

And I've been posting so infrequently that I'm not confident that I'm setting up the competitions properly and consistently...

The setting of the story is the priority, I'll fix any discrepancies later. So don't worry about it.

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Day 2 of BATTLER, 9:00 am.

The main event at this year's Battler was the WGCS National Final Qualifier by Zero Wars VR.

However, the entire BATTLER venue was also hosting several game competitions, booths for new releases, and entertainment events such as yesterday's Punching Power Contest.

Including the food stalls that Suupaa and Nana enjoyed yesterday, the event overall was a huge success.

The Zero Wars VR live-action section is doing especially well in the midst of it all. They had already filled up all their seats, and right now a crowd of spectators had gathered to watch the game from the stands.

"Now it's time to begin! The highlight event of this year's BATTLER! It's the final qualifying round for the WGCS All-Stars, the battle to determine the strongest team in Zero Wars VR! The curtain is now rising on the heated competition among the 48 teams that made it through the qualifying rounds!"

"The host is the ever-familiar me, the Sebas-chan."

"And me, Michael! Zero Wars VR is honestly still very new to me! But I'm as enthusiastic as anyone! I, who had some free time on my hands, decided to assist as MC, so here I am!"

Standing on stage are the two MCs doing today's play-by-play, plus one other woman.

Sebas and Michael were the MCs who were hosting the [Punching Power Competition] yesterday, and the other woman was also someone who could be called a regular face if you had been following the official Zero Wars VR tournament.

"We also have Department Manager Tanaka from the [High-Weapon Development Division of Zero Wars Management Company] here today as a commentator. Tanaka, please give some words to the audience."

"Yes, I am Tanaka from the management company. Pleased to meet you all."

A modestly dressed woman in bottle-bottomed glasses and a white lab coat spoke to the audience in an flat tone.

[The High High-Weapon Development Division of Zero Wars Management Company] is the agency that is responsible for the development and coordination of weapons in Zero Wars. Based on the official setting they are the so-called [Management Company] is the term used when management members come to official events.

Tanaka is in charge of presenting at official events, and she usually travels to official Zero Wars-related events.

Therefore, along with Sebas, who tends to be assigned as MC for Zero Wars users, Tanaka is also a 'usual' member of these kind of event.

"The time was 9:00 am, which is still very early! But there are a total of 11 matches today, so we need to keep things moving quickly!"

"I see, okay then. The first match will start in 30 minutes. Let's reconfirm the rules first. Now, Mrs. Tanaka, if you please."

"Thank you. So, in the main round, each of the 12 teams will be divided into 4 blocks, A to D, and play 2 matches each. The top three teams will advance to the final round, where the remaining 12 teams will play three matches. The top two teams in the final round will be awarded the right to participate in the World Gamers Championship All-Stars."

"The so-famous WGCS! It's every gamer's dream stage! By the way, what is the method used to determine the standings in each round?"

"There are two points that determine the ranking. One is survivor points. Those points are awarded based on the team's survivor ranking in the match. And the other is kill points. This one are awarded based on the number of kills earned by the entire team before being eliminated or winning. The team with the highest sum of these two types of points is the winner."

As Tanaka explained verbally, an image was displayed on a giant screen in the hall.

This kind of explanation was absolutely necessary because there will be some of the audience and viewers of the broadcast did not understand the rules.

"So, it's not enough to just survive! And you can't just kill mindlessly! The rules will favor people who steadily balance these two aspects. Because that kind of team will still have a chance even if they get defeated in the middle of the match. So what's your choice? Do you want to go steady!? Or go for the hunt!? Or you can prioritize your survival! The strategy you choose will determine how you get around in this round!"

"Indeed, I think the team's strategy is the key to winning. Now then, let's look at the favored teams of this year's tournament. Michael."

"Roger that! Please note that the teams of note were selected by fan vote, and the top 5 teams were selected from the 48 teams competing in the main tournament! It's not unfair at all, so don't shoot the messenger!"

The content of the screen changes as Michael vigorously shouts to her mic.

What was displayed were the names of five teams. As Michael explained, these were the names of the five teams that had been chosen by the fans as the favored teams in this year's competition.

"Fifth in the fan vote! A something we see often! Names you see often! A team with the most popular names in the world! The [Onigiris]!"

"What was that introduction? Is that requested by them? But yeah, their names are unique, all four members are active ranker players with consistent abilities. Looking at the names of the team members, one will wonder if they were originally a group of close friends? However, surprisingly, as the plural word in their team's name suggests, this seems to be the first time they cooperate together. Still, they managed to win the qualifying rounds with solid play."

Team [Onigiris]. The team is led by team leader Mentaiko, with members named Kombu, Tuna Mayocchi, and Ginjake, all of which sound like ingredients for onigiri (rice balls).

All members are regular players at official Zero Wars VR tournaments, but the truth is that all four of them used to belong to different teams and decided to team up this time.

Until now, they have been enemies, and from today, they will be allies. They are a team united by the not-so-solid bond of onigiri ingredients.

"Mentaiko, the team leader told us, Onigiri is like a mother that embraces all the ingredients. We will win the victory with our overwhelming bubbles."

"I totally don't have any idea what that means... What is the relationship between onigiri and bubbles! Anyway! The [Onigiris] will play in Block A right after this!"

Tanaka retorted to the team's enthusiasm that Michael read. Unfortunately, it was only natural for the team to be retorted for that kind of introduction.

"Next up was fan favorite No. 4! The team concept is an all-star specialist! Gathered here are the experts in their respective fields! Team [V-Yanen]!"

"Each member is a specialist in one skill. Short, medium, and long-range, as well as item holders. In particular the leader, Master V, who has mastered the use of items other than ranged weapons, always shows very interesting play, her style using only bomb items is a must-see action."

Team [V-Yanen] the first time they emerged, people were quite surprised. Although the team name may seem like a joke, they are the so-called amateur-veteran team that has already been in this business for nearly two years.

Each team member has a unique skill set that allows them to excel in one range, so their strengths and weaknesses are clearly defined.

The uniqueness is most evident in their team leader, Master V, who has uploaded more than 100 videos of her victories without using any shooting weapons.

On the other hand, if the team did not play to their strengths, they could easily lose to lower ranked opponents, which in turn giving the team a strong impression of being shaky.

"This is Master V's comment to us, [The wall we want to beat has come out from its hiding. We will prove that we are the best]."

"This is a clear declaration of war! We'll find out soon after this who it's addressed to! After all, as a group of specialists, they have an irreconcilable enemy waiting for them!"

Having pride as a specialist, they want to prove that they are the strongest in their respective field.

With this in mind, [V-Yanen!] was looking forward to the opportunity to fight their unrequited nemesis, Suupaa the monster.

The reason why the members of [V-Yanen!] are so pumped up to fight against Suupaa is simple: because Suupaa is the one who has dominated almost all video views in the Zero Wars VR. {jealousy lol}

"Next is the third place in the fan vote! No team battles, no matter what! We're going our own way! Pro Gaming Team [Tenjou Tenge]!"

"This one is a team that completely abandons the advantages of 'team' and instead uses a special strategy that spreads out all their members on the field as if they were playing solo. Since this strategy relies on the surprise effect, they tend to get beaten up if the surprise fails, and they don't get to make the first move. The team is at a disadvantage against a team that has search ability; still, the true strength of this team lies in their individual ability to overcome this disadvantage..."

Professional Gaming Team [Tenjou Tenge]. Or, to be more precise, we should call them the [Tenjou Tenge of Zero Wars VR Division.]

It is rare for a strong professional team to consist of only one gaming division. And true enough, the team name itself can be heard in most of the game titles that are trending nowadays.

The team concept is [uniqueness]. As professionals who are expected to produce results, [we will play in a way that is unique to us].

Rather than forcing the concept of unity on its members, [Tenjou Tenge] gathered together only to facilitate those who could play in this way.

"There are players who are not suited to team play, even if they have the ability, so it could be said that they took advantage of that. Above all, the ranking of the fan votes shows how popular this team is. The leader of the team, Yuta Karuwaza, commented, [I will do my best for the fans and the company I belong to.]."

"What a polite comment, so far from being self-centered! Is this the secret to [Tenjo Tenge] 's popularity!? It will be interesting to see if he can hold up in this tournament!"

The comment from Yuta Karuwaza, a 17-year-old team leader of Tenjou Tenge, was quite safe and polite.

The fact that the members of the team have the same sensibilities as ordinary people despite their absurd team concept, is another reason why this team is so well-liked.

"Well, well, well! Fan Vote #2! The usual way is the royal way! No need for strange ideas! Strength triumphs all! Forged by the former Ace from [Alcatraz], Photon! Here comes the team [Toshu Kashun]!" {Winter, Autumn, Summer, Spring; tln*}

"The one is a solid team with a powerful ace as its leader. It is safe to say that the leader, Photon, is a familiar face at Zero Wars VR competitions. He usually participates in tournaments as a solo player, but he took part in a team this time. Photon specializes in medium-range with full metal rifles and is friends with team members Clevus, Taka, and Heddaa from their Alcatraz days."

"I see! As I recall, Alcatraz was a group made up of only those that could climb to the top 500 of the monthly ranking!"

"Yes, that's right. The group has already disbanded, but it was a team with a long history since the first Zero Wars. I think several people participated in this competition as well as Photon himself is an old veteran who has been competing on the world stage since the days of Zero Wars 2."

The "Alcatraz" was originally a group consisted of top players from both professional and amateur sides who wanted to improve their skills. Players from all of the Zero Wars series, from the first generation to VR, were intermingled in the group, and it is said that their members exceeded 500 at their peak.

The aforementioned Yuta and Master V had been members of Alcatraz, and the group was once so well known that not a day went by without hearing the name "Alcatraz" at an official tournament of any series.

The reason why Photon is stands out is that he was one of the core members of Alcatraz's management in the past and was one of the players who achieved a lot.

He placed third in the individual division of the World Championships during the Zero Wars 2 era. he has also won two individual divisions of national competitions in Zero Wars VR.

As a result, even after the group was disbanded his name is still associated with the group to the extent that when people think of Alcatraz, they will think of Photon.

"Photon, the leader of the group, told me, [We will go to the WGCS by winning the first place, no matter what it takes. We will definitely win!]. What a spirit, they seem eager to show off their ability!"

"Those are a group of talented people led by a veteran! The style differs from that [Tenjo Tenge]; you could even say they were a total opposite! Was it an expressive comment filled with overflowing enthusiasm? or a trembling voice to motivate themself!? Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing them play it cool with all your experience! ...Then let's go to Fan Vote #1!"

Team [Toshu Kashun] is a major contender before the tournament begins.

Led by Photon, [Toshu Kashun] has such a consistently supported by its high individual ability, they were a team that they actually made it through the qualifying round with a very strong result of 8 teams kill with their member surviving.

The reason for the upsets lay in the hands of just two players.

"This is a team that had Suupaa in tow. She is the worst kill machine of all players! Perfect record holder! A Legendary player! The one heralded as the strongest player in the history of Zero Wars VR! With such legends in tow, one team is now storming into Zero Wars VR! This team is founded by the only woman to have defeated The Emperor! The professional gaming team [HEROES] led by the revolutionary Rinne!"

"You know, I first thought [No way] when I heard that Suupaa is going to participate in Zero War VR. And it was no exaggeration to say that her presence has shaken the world of Zero Wars VR."

"Yes, I agree. We as a management company were also very surprised. For those who don't know, Suupaa is a player who has a shocking record of being ranked No. 1 in the Monthly Ranking Match for 12 consecutive months. At the time, we received many inquiries from users asking if she was a cheater or if she was a human being. There was even a suspicion that she was an AI prepared by the officials. Of course, we were surprised to find that there was no cheating at all and to be honest. I think we were even more surprised than they were."

Master V and Photon clearly declared war on Suupaa, who is the most obvious target in this year's tournament.

And the fact that Suupaa is not a cheater has surprised the management more than anyone else.

All the records are within the theoretically possible range. And Suupaa herself, despite her inexplicable search ability, has not made any tampering in the system. So, no action was taken to delete her account.

This is an extremely rare case in which an official was forced to declare "no cheat" for a player.

From then on, all of Suupaa's play was put under strict surveillance, and that surveillance still continued until she finally achieved the great record that Tanaka had told us about.

"It was a monstrous record that shook not only the users but the management company as well! Even in the qualifying round, in a half-member team competition with half the number of members, as usual, she managed to grab an astounding 26 kills alone! Sebas, is this the reason why they got the number one fan vote without any tournament experience?"

"I have no doubt about that. In addition, Suupaa is famous for never having participated in a tournament before, so I think there are expectations for her with the title of the world's strongest player in ranked matches."

"I see, I see! I have a feeling that Suupaa's performance will be the key to this tournament, both as a play-by-play commentator and as a player!"

"Rinne, as the one who managed to rope Suupaa into her team, has stated that she is not very good at VR, but she is also a very talented player who had won the WGCS championship in the consumer version of Zero Wars 3. She has a reputation for being the best strategist around, so we are looking forward to seeing her and Suupaa's combination."

Few fans actually have high expectations for Rinne's play, as she has made it clear that she is not good at VR.

However, the expectation that "Rinne will definitely do something" has existed since before the start of Butler.

As if to meet that expectation, Rinne brought in a monster named Suupaa, whom no one had even been able to contact before.

There are more than a few fans who have been rooting for HEROES, partly because they are happy that Rinne is going beyond their imagination and waiting in anticipation of the unveiling of Rinne's miracle drug called Suupaa.

She has made a lot of money by investing in VR and has been listed as the world's richest person, along with her father.

She also won the WGCS when she was only 19 years old.

She easily talks about how she lost 2 billion yen in virtual currency.

On the other hand, she also holds an unofficial game tournament with total prize money of 100 million yen.

From the start, people always have viewed Rinne as someone who [could do things we couldn't].

"There is a lot I could say about the other two, but I don't have enough time, so I'll leave that for later. The group leader, Rinne, told me, [It's been a while since I've wreaked havoc. So you can look forward to it]."

"A fearless provocation! And this Team Ace has already proven herself in the preliminary rounds! Will any team be able to break their stronghold with their best players! Or could it be that they are not as strong as we thought? Please look forward to the HEROES competition in Block C!"

The game will start soon. It will be a hot summer for gamers about to begin.

Tl note:

[Toshu Kashun], I translated it as [Fuyuakinatsuharu] in ch. 220, the author didn't provide furigana back then.

And pardon me for the speed, as you can see... those walls of text!!! I had this series translated up to ch.224 but I struggled with its proofread. Please be patient.