December website update


    —The main force of ss-15 and ss-58 had been annihted.


    The audience was incredibly fired up, a wave of high praise for ss-1''s defense unit dominating the area.


    Just as the ss-1 had finished rounding up the intruders, simrly, the battle on the south of the arena reached its conclusion.


    "H-how, you''re shitting with me?! It can''t be happening!! There''s no way it can be true! That''s a bad joke, bad joke, bad joke, bad jokeeeee!!"


    Starkeus, the leader of ss-24, hollered as he edged toward insanity.


    His shriek, however, met with no response and just melted in the air. The earlier poise had vanished from his expression, now reced by a grieving expression for the current predicament.


    Then again, the shock was just that tremendous.


    Maybe anyone else would have the same reaction in his shoes. After all, the elite unit of ss-24,prising their 15 members, selected to crush ss-2 had been nearly wiped out, leaving only their leader Starkeus, and Gou.


    The one who did this was right in front of him—Brave, hisrades and… some mobs apanying him.


    "Fufu, you really are puny beings."


    A mob muttered something.


    "Tsk, I heard you had fallen from grace, <Best of the Best, the Great Star>, but to expect you''re even rotten. And the gall you have to stay in ss-1!"


    "Who''re you calling rotten, huuh!"


    The axe-wielding mob shouted back at Gou''s taunting remark.


    <Best of the Best, the Great Star>. The guild had recently started to get ahead of themselves after being counted among the three titan guilds of first year.


    But Starkeus always believed they''re mere ants he could squash anytime.


    Yet, what a turnaround it was. The same ants had trivialised them like mere toys.


    The memory revolved in front of Starkeus''s eyes as he trailed the event that led him to his current state.


    ◇　◇　◇


    It all began with the conceited raid led by ss-2.


    Starkeus believed an impregnable defense was the key to triumph over others. Being touted as the brightest mind in his ss, Starkeus entrapped the ss-2 and showed them they were mere nothing against them.


    Along with the help of ss-45, they eliminated as many as 14 members of ss-2.


    Facing the result, Starkeus found the conviction that he had been moving into the right direction... but that''s where his calction began to fall out. ss-45 chased after the remnants of ss-2, attempting to take down their base.


    The whooping 300 points would fall into thep of ss-45 should they seed in their attempt.


    What the hell are these dimwits trying to pull? The thought crossed in Starkeus''s mind.


    The only reason they had managed to rout ss-2 was attributed to his wless n. Then why were they trying to snatch the fruit of hisbour, when they had merely yed a tiny part in his grand scheme?


    Only the two sses could move on from the block, and in this case, they were ss-24 and ss-45.


    The thrill to outrun what should have been everyone''s favourite and strongest ss-1, and ss-2, would surely be a one-of-a-kind experience once they won. Starkeus believed so, and had already thought—while he didn''t word it out—ss-24 should be the first ranker.


    The instance ss-45 raked in that 300 points from the downfall of ss-2, they would acquire the throne of No.1.


    But Starkeus would never allow it. After all, his was relevant for his schemes.


    His tactic revolved around chipping the enemy''s strength when they came to raid their bases. This was one way to pave a path when they moved to swoop down other sses'' bases. At present, the match was still lively with many enemies, so it would be too early to leave their base otherwise. First, he would n out a wless defense pattern.


    On the other hand, ss-45 were neither his subordinate, nor under hismand. They were mere allies with benefit. It would be mere wishful thinking to ask ss-45 to throw the pie that had fallen on theirp. They’d already left for ss-2’s base if anything, turning a deaf ear to hismands.


    Starkeus lost his temper at the tant disobedience.


    Gou knew it was akin to stepping on a cat''s tail, and shook his head in dismay as he felt an iing headache and turned to offer some suggestion, trying to pacify him but, to no avail.


    Ultimately, ss-24 also decided to march toward ss-2''s base.


    He disyed his ample prowess as future ''adviser,'' and seeded in bringing down ss-2''s base before ss-45. Apparently, there was another ss in confrontation with ss-2’s members on the northern defense line. It indirectly helped them.


    Anyway, withck of manpower on the base, they managed to bring down the fan favourite ss-2 at the cost of negligible sacrifice. And as the first ss in their block to achieve it, ss-24, and by extension Starkeus, were bound to be stars of everyone''s eye.


    Starkeus burst intoughter as his imagination ran wild.


    Gou appeared fed-up seeing as how Starkeus looked like a new version of him, his earlier temper nowhere to be seen, but Starkeus failed in noticing it amidst his bright mood.


    But. as it goes, good time doesn''tst long—he faced a rather untimely rain on his parade.


    —They suddenly found themselves facing ss-1.


    It was one heck of a coincidence, though he had been expecting it to some extent. He was just cautious of them. However, they couldn''t have met at any bad timing.


    They encounter ss-1 when they''re drunk in their victory over ss-2. The obvious step should have been to fall back promptly, and return to base, then intercept ss-1 with their packed defence.


    In fact, the moment ss-45 saw them, they turned on their heel without a heed for anything and sprinted out of the site. They had stumbled on the way, making a fool of themselves, but to ss-45, it mattered nothing in that moment.


    They’d retreated for a simple reason; they''re frustrated. Their ss had sacrificed so much, but the result was nil. They lost too much, but received not even the leftovers. Believing that it would only be a parade of sacrifice by staying on any longer, they scampered away as swiftly as they could.


    Meanwhile, relishing in that air of superiority for pulling a fast over ss-2, ss-24 didn''t take evacuation measures. Starkeus pondered if they could bring down ss-1 as well.


    Cutting to the point, ss-24 had faltered in their escape. While on the other hand, they also had snatched the reward that belonged to ss-1.


    The aftermath was fatal.


    "How, how dirty of yooouuu! ?Thunderbolt?! Pay for your sins! —?Lightning Banisher?!"


    "Uh-huh, you have not what you shouldn’t have. ?el Drive?! ?Raging Spear War Dance?!"


    "What audacity, thieves. Receive your retribution-desu!! —?Dark Art?!"


    "Fu-fufufu. You really shouldn''t have incurred our wrath. Now we need toe up with some excuse to give it to Z-Zephyr. ...If only you, if only you dastards hadn''t butted in! —?Air Splitting sh?!"


    "Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! Zephyr wouldn''t throw us out of his n at our mess, right?! At Least take down one of them if you don’t want to stay out of the loop from Zephyr’s n! Hehe, give me your headddd!! —?Furious Axe?!"


    "There''s also this Venerable—?Sword Aura?!"


    The battle—or, the one-sided massacre happened in the span of a mere moment.


    Leader Starkeus showed considerable skill at the beginning, aptlymanding his members, but rarely such effort pays off against forces of greater nature. Immediately, they lost six of their members by the action of Brave and Knight-ish girl. Some were kicked away, some were sent flying, some wereunched into air, while some were swalllowed by lightning.


    It was a downhill situation then.


    ss-1 proved they''re strong—incredibly strong than the likes of ss-24.


    Brave, especially, swept everywhere like a raging storm, unstoppable. The cheers of excitement rose from the audience seat as ss-24 continued to lose their members one by one.


    But unlike them, ss-24 was overtaken by despair.


    Aside from Brave, that Knight-ish girl, too, was clearly two or three cuts above others.


    Starkeus had never seen or heard about those wheeled equipment. She moved like a lightning with zig-zagged movement in the surrounding, making it impossible to target her with long-range attack. Plus, she was overwhelming in melee confrontation, just a swing of her spear would throw her opponent in the air, or blow them away. A direct stab was bound to cut them a ticket out of the game.


    The realisation finally illuminated on Starkeus, that they should evacuate immediately, but his eyes open a bit toote. Dreading Brave''s fury afterward, the three of <Best of the Best, the Great Star> showed an exception performance this time, eventually deporting seven of opponent members by chaining their attack in parallel with Brave.


    The difference and momentum of ss-1 was just too strong.


    —And that''s how, situation returned to the beginning.


    Gou spent much effort in protecting Starkeus up to this point, but now that everyone aside from themselves had been wiped out, even he gave up on it. He understands both of them wouldn''t be able to escape together.


    "Starkeus, I will hold the line somehow. So, just make a run to the base, no turning back and do it with your full strength!"


    "Damn it, Daaaamn iiiiiiit!!"


    "Base needs you more than me! Now go! —Haaaaaaa ?Ballistic Fist?!!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Gouuu! —I will remembeeeeeeeer iiiiiit!!"


    Among thest two remaining survivors of ss-24, one turned to challenge Brave, while another turned his back and broke into a frantic rush for the base.


    —One minuteter.


    Only the members of the ss-1, led by Brave, could be seen in the surroundings.T/N - Gotta say, in contrast to earlier matches, these are more interesting.  Status of Ongoing Challenge (Rating on Novelupdate)Current Rating - 176Milestone - 200ETA - 30TH DEC.Also, here''s the poll link  for side stories selection. </a>