The Long-Awaited Final Sponsorship
Amy pondered for a moment, wondering how to explain it.
"I only know the theory of the sponsorship system myself. There were no viewers during the beta."
As Amy said, viewers could sponsor the parties they liked.
Of course, the sponsorship money went to G Channel, but the real value wasn't the cash. Streamers could use the sponsorship amounts to send gifts to the party leader.
Trait enhancements.
Artifacts.
And all sorts of other provisions.
This sponsorship system—the core of the event—was precisely why streamers were essential.
"No matter what else, trait enhancements are a must. Celia's side is so popular they easily hit secondary sponsorships, right?"
"So popularity affects the game?"
"It's a broadcast, after all. Benefits flock to popular teams—can't be helped. That's why concepts and character matter."
Amy scanned the party members one by one. From her short but intense broadcasting career, she'd learned one key thing.
Popularity was proportional to looks.
Amy herself had reaped the rewards, so she had no reason to deny it.
'First up, Isabel...'
Amy eyed Isabel like a casting director scouting talent.
Indifferent eyes and an aloof aura that shut others out.
Yet her sharp features demanded attention.
And that translucent skin people longed to touch—she definitely had beauty.
'If only she kept her mouth shut. No, even that strong personality is subtly...'
Amy gave Isabel a pass.
Her gaze shifted to Chris. Slim face, lithe build, golden hair, and distant eyes.
'Hmm, this one's pretty good too...'
As Amy stared silently, Chris offered a potion.
"Want a sip?"
"First off, don't talk."
"...What kinda burn is that?"
"Not an insult. I just thought of the perfect character for you."
Excited, Amy laid it out.
"A city hunter from Zone 1 with a tragic past! A brooding, dangerous pretty boy! Ehehe, it's boiling over. Got the vibe?"
"Uh... no. Not at all."
"It's simple. To make opponents drop out, just stare into space."
"Fine, whatever."
Finally, her turn.
Amy stared intently at Zien. Truth be told, the party leader mattered more than the other two. Her camera broadcast from his perspective, after all.
"You seem like you get it, but you're missing that pow! factor... Good-boy types aren't popular. Need a punchy hook..."
When it came to broadcasting, Amy turned dead serious, scrutinizing Zien bit by bit.
"...Can't figure it. Guess you'll have to smile. Smile for me."
"Smile out of nowhere?"
Zien faltered, but Amy grew more insistent.
"Jeez, do I have to teach smiling too? Give me a smile."
Broadcasting genius.
Sponsorship fairy.
Eccentric, sure, but Amy's instincts for the screen were uncanny—especially in events. Zien had no choice but to trust her.
"Got it."
Awkward, but if he treated it like acting, it wasn't hard. Acting was lifeblood for a Saber.
'The most memorable smile...'
Zien delved into his memories.
If he was mimicking, why not the best? And one sprang to mind.
Demon King Belial.
The incarnation of evil from an 8th-rank Gate.
One of Zone 4's calamities, he sat arrogantly on his black throne, looking down.
[Are you the hero?]
A chilling, feminine voice that sent shivers down the spine.
Belial had smiled then.
Arrogant yet beautiful. If Zien could mimic that...
He could land a killer punchline from a famous scene.
'Fought him before.'
Zien channeled the Demon King.
The immortal lord who suffered no defeats over two millennia.
He infused his smile with that supreme arrogance.
A brief silence.
Amy, watching gravely, finally spoke.
"Perfect. This is... standing ovation material."
Amy shrugged, stood, and clapped.
Worries over nothing.
"Nothing to teach. You're... you're just..."
Searching for words to match her awe, Amy racked her brain.
"Right! Face genius!"
Thrilled, Amy slapped Zien's back and laughed, ahhaha.
Isabel watched them with pitiful disdain.
"Can't watch."
The grandest event ever.
The first collaboration.
Battle Survival dominated buzz online and offline alike.
"Tomorrow's finally here."
Zien closed his phone.
Since regaining his memories, he'd grown insanely strong.
Mana—once his weakness—was now top-tier among 3rd-rank Sabers, and his swordsmanship and experience were unmatched.
But Zien wasn't satisfied.
'Still not enough.'
The day he encountered Desire in the mage tower.
He and Isabel had barely escaped. Illusion's leniency was the only reason. Otherwise...
'I'd be dead.'
And now, as Desire's clear enemy, another crisis could strike anytime.
Yet.
Zien would grow stronger.
Stronger than now, even than his past life. In time, gates and Desire would just be walls to overcome.
What to always remember: his original resolve.
'Never repeat it.'
Zien closed his eyes.
His hand's Stigma glowed red, and soon a jet-black sword filled his grip.
Tssst! Tsst!
Fierce mana churned from the blade, whipping wildly.
Chiiik!
The mana-sheathed sword warped space on contact, scattering it. With a slow slice like parting water, Black Fragrance left a rift in its wake.
This was his new Magic Art.
Isabel, who'd approached unnoticed, eyed the black fissure.
"It worked?"
"Yeah. As you see."
"Always fascinating sword. Mind if I ask its nature?"
Magic Tools had natures and forms.
Even identical gloves could wield water or fire, depending on nature.
Swords too.
Black Fragrance's nature was uniquely...
"Cutting."
"Cutting?"
"Yeah. What image do you think of with your gloves?"
"Just... burn."
"I only think of slicing."
Slicing itself.
If his first Magic Art sliced mana, this one sliced space.
"I see... Got it."
"That's all?"
Zien asked.
Isabel wasn't one for idle visits. Leaning against a tree, she spoke.
"In the mage tower..."
She paused, choosing words carefully.
"Why go that far? Not scared of dying?"
Her voice was serene.
How could one risk life for others?
A question piercing Zien's core.
Even as a Saber, he was just 17.
Merely a student.
Yet he'd bet against a 6th-rank Saber—an impossible gamble.
Before success or failure, that courage wasn't ordinary.
"That's..."
Zien had faced similar questions in his past life. But his answer now differed.
He feared death.
Hated repeating that chill, hated losing this life.
Yet he'd defied Desire to the end because...
That selfish yet selfless heart was his founding resolve.
Repeating mistakes negated regaining memories. That was why.
As Zien opened his mouth, someone dashed up from afar.
"Knew you'd be here! Zien, principal's looking for you. Turn on your phone."
Chris glanced between Zien and Isabel, whispering.
"...Overheard a bit earlier? Sounds like Central folks."
'Government contact?'
Battle Survival, D-1.
The stakes were ballooning beyond Zien's expectations.
Central, the government's pinnacle. A press conference began there. Announcer: Gate Management Minister Metis.
"With Sabers' average skill rising, no need to cling to veterans."
Amid flashing cameras, he spoke. Today's hot topic: long-debated pros and cons.
Yet as reporters hesitated, a young one shouted.
"Doesn't the government already assign gates to academies?"
Metis chuckled as if at an absurd question.
"Merely 3rd-rank at best. If this passes, students can join up to 5th-rank."
Murmurs rippled.
Students in higher gates. Always thorny. Modern education made students stronger than ever.
But a clear wall separated them from veterans: gate-cleared skills and experience. Metis believed restrictions weakened students.
"Academies have plenty with 4th-rank or better—maybe stronger than some pros. Blocking them legally is inefficient."
Gates grant skills.
More clears, more experience. Metis's creed: trade students' 3 years for veterans' via deregulation.
"Loosen rules, they grow faster. Just giving opportunity to those who want it."
"Casualties will happen!"
"That's being a Saber."
The room chilled at Metis's retort. Few could counter him on gates.
A 6th-rank near-master in his day, veteran of 100 clears. Even reporters struggled against a government hero.
"Of course, as a first case, fair process and strict criteria."
Metis smiled kindly at the reporter, pointing to the screen.
"These are the criteria. Basic safeguards."
[4th-rank - Fortress of Rebellion (Zone 4)]
[4th-rank - Dream of Illusion Village (Zone 2)]
[4th-rank - Forest Mountain God (Zone 3)]
[4th-rank - Hunter's City (Zone 1)]
[...]
Sixty gates on screen, some 5th-rank mixed in.
"Th-this is?"
The questioning reporter—and those who caught on—gasped in unison.
"Gates made for the test. Based on cleared gate data."
"How?! Gates beyond 4th-rank!"
Virtual gate limits.
Tech limits, precisely. From 4th-rank, data volume overwhelmed current tech.
But broken now.
"Government and 1G collaboration. And this: vetted student list."
11 - Zien
First-years from all academies, yet a high rank.
"Only a few will test. First case, as said."
"So passers of virtual gates..."
The reporter swallowed. Metis smiled.
"Deployed to real combat."