<h4>Chapter 161: For Whom We do Our Best (For a Fee) Part 1</h4>


    「「YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE MATCH!?]]


    「…… Yeah.]


    Natsume-san, Pancilgton and I all shudder hearing the news from Katsu, who looked strangely calm andposed despite this current development.


    「So the stories about organizers being able to do as they please…… It is the truth……!?]


    「Normally I wouldugh at someone from getting done in like that, but when it happens to Katsu that is a little bit insensitive, right?]


    「W, what’s that supposed to mean, Kei!?]


    「Orders from the higher-ups…… The sponsors want me to fill a vacancy that suddenly appeared fort the finals of RwH6 tournament……]


    「Haa?]


    To summarize Katsu’s story:


    During thest day of GGC, that is, the very same day as our exhibition match, the finals of RwH6…… Ruins War Haunds is going to be held. Normally it would be of no interest to us, but apparently one of the participants got involved in a traffic ident and as a result was unable to participate.


    Now, for a Pro Gamer such an ident might as well spell the end of carrier if his injuries turn out to be serious. Fortunately that yer was told that there would be no after effects from this incident, but of course he would still be unable to participate. Therefore the need for a sub member to step on the stage.


    Originally, the substitute member shoulde from the reserves of “Assault Company”, but this is where “Cyber Battalion”, one of the sponsors, came in.


    “Please add Uomi Kei as the substitute member”. Faced with that unreasonable but final request, Katsu had no real way of refusing and was forced to change the game.


    Normally, such a request would not be able to pass. However, since the times of the two event in which Katsu would be able to participate weren’t exactly matching, the sponsors just took the game that would yield better results sale-wise and prioritized it over the other. Hence, an Overkill like that.


    「You canugh at me if you like. It’s not like I have any right to get mad at you for that.]


    「I would haveughed if it was anyone else. But that’s just harsh, man.]


    「But why do they want you to suddenly be an FPS yer just like that, Katsu-kun? Isn’t that strange?]


    「Ahh…… You see, in the past, when I was just starting out I used to y FPS games and even got a sponsorship from apany or two. Haha, guess my own prowesses to bite me in the ass at the most critical moment, huh……?]


    I see, it was certainly impressive in its own way. Small wonder that a sponsor or two would remember him if his skills were actually that good.


    Katsuughs in a dry way while his facial expression shows just how tired he was, and Natsume-san looks as if she was going to fall into the depths of despair. This really does put us in a tight spot.


    「T, that being said, if you wrap the RwH 6 match fast enough, I might be able to……]


    「I’d like that as well, but our opponents are the German “Sturn Und Explosive” team, and they are real monsters. I think that it won’t end in a sh. Not in the least.]


    Those names from other games hardly even speak to me, but Natsume-san’s expression managed topensate for that quite nicely. It looks like Katsu won’t be able to participate no matter what, even though him being there was the whole reason for dragging us all the way out here.


    「I see how it is…… By the way, suppose you do your very best and wipe the floor with them, how long would that take you?]


    「The rules state that it’s the best of five. One game takes thirty minutes minimum, so with breaks it mightst even for three hours or longer.]


    「And incidentally, the Gxia Heroes: Chaos exhibition match starts at 10 a.m, while RwH 6 starts at 9 a.m.]


    No matter how well we work our asses off, one hour is a lot of time gaming-wise. Unlike FPS games, Gxia Heroes: Chaos’s matches tend tost extremely short amount of time. Since it was an Exhibition match we would surely have many rounds to give the crowd a good idea of how’s the game like, but I highly doubt that we would be able to stall for long enough to allow Katsu to rejoin us and snatch away the victory.


    In the first ce, thinking that the three of us would be able to stall for time against the best yers in the world would just be highly unreasonable.


    So that scenario was no longer……


    「This means that if we force a draw for long enough it might work out, right?]


    「Let’s just pretend that our general is just taking a bathroom break. So what should we do about our strategy? Same as before, or should we switch it?]


    「It can stay as it is, but if you could stall them from obtaining the cube or going in for the kill for at least a couple of rounds, that would be ideal.]


    「…… Wait, you serious? You don’t really mean that, right!?]


    Hearing that, we all actually opened our eyes wide in shock and disbelief. I wonder who was more shocked, Pencilgton or I? One thing’s for sure, we were at aplete loss for words.


    「I know that putting you amatours in the spotlight might be a little bit much, but I promise that I’ll make it up to you. So do your best, ok?]


    「I know that it would be terrible to forfeit the match because not having enough members, but you do realize that I hate being in the spotlight, right? So this is really going to demand much from me performance-wise.]


    「I know that this situation is less than ideal for us, but I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t have faith in your abilities……]


    「I just hope that we won’t be the ones wearing cosy, then?]