Semifinals (1) — The All-Kill
All-kill!
A genuine all-kill.
Swish!
As Baek Jinwoo strode into the arena hall with his chest out, the guild members clicked their tongues.
'Crazy bastard.'
'A monster.'
'A monster who commands monsters.'
Hong Ari had pulled off an all-kill too, but that was against Venezuela, a minor nation.
What Baek Jinwoo had done was on a completely different level.
He'd demolished France — a major power in the round of 16, one fielding three heavyweight world rankers.
And he'd done it with a single summon.
"Whew. You all asked for a show, and I went and gave you one. I should've given you the chance instead. My bad."
Watching Baek Jinwoo laugh sheepishly, the guild members were left speechless.
That's right.
This man is our master.
The captain leading Korea from the front.
Thud.
Hong Ari was the first to step forward.
"...Apologize for what? You did great. You did fucking great."
Next came Kang Geonho and Ki Jaehyeok.
"That was incredible, Guild Master."
"Once you stepped in, hyung-nim, the result was a foregone conclusion."
Apparently the shock had worn off. Instead of screaming their lungs out in celebration, they found themselves snapping back to clarity like someone splashed with cold water.
'I can only imagine how bleak our level looks to the Guild Master.'
'To meet Jinwoo-nim's expectations, I have to work harder.'
'No time to celebrate. Back to training.'
Baek Jinwoo had declared it to the entire nation: Korea would make the semifinals, no matter what.
This match had proven once again that it was no empty boast. If they wanted to be disciples worthy of that ambition, the only answer was to grow stronger.
"Alright, everyone!"
Hwang Juwon bellowed.
"How many days until our next match?"
"One match a day, so if you do the math... exactly one week from now," Ahn Gijeong replied.
"Germany versus Ethiopia. We face whichever of them wins tomorrow."
Germany.
Ethiopia.
Both were major powers — but not France-level.
'Which means...'
'If we can beat the quarterfinals too, we're practically guaranteed a semifinal spot. Ha...'
'We're really going to the semifinals?'
The guild members' eyes began to blaze with passion.
How long had they dreamed of this moment!
Of course, from the semifinals onward it wouldn't be easy.
They'd be facing the so-called Five Great Powers.
"Hyung-nim."
Ki Jaehyeok clenched his fists.
"I want special training for the whole week."
"Same here! We want to dominate our matches the way you do, Guild Master!"
The guild members were burning up. Baek Jinwoo watched them with a proud smile.
"Yeah?"
Perfect timing.
When a goal is within arm's reach, the effects of training multiply!
"Then let's head over right now. We're starting back at the top with stamina training."
The league being underway changed nothing.
It was training, training, and more training.
* * *
Time passed.
The quarterfinalist nations were confirmed: England, Mexico, South Korea, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, the United States, and Russia.
All superpowers as everyone had predicted, and naturally, all five of the Five Emperors' nations made it through without a single upset.
The England vs. Mexico match will begin shortly.
Nation representatives, please enter the arena hall.
And the first quarterfinal match!
The result was never in doubt.
A crushing English victory!
Mexico didn't even get a glimpse of Rachel or Olivia.
Walsh and White — England's World Rank 24 and 31 — had wiped them out entirely.
That was the real shocker.
Walsh held World Rank 24, and White World Rank 31.
But Mexico's Rank 1 was Jonathan Pacheco.
A player ranked a staggering World Rank 20 — far above both of them.
And that same Pacheco had been utterly steamrolled by Walsh.
The world was even more stunned, because it was common knowledge that at the highest ranks, even the smallest gaps translated into overwhelming differences in power.
'Walsh beat Pacheco? That's insane.'
'Whoa, England's control really is something else! You can't measure them by ranking alone anymore!'
'Kya, the world rankings are about to get shuffled all over again.'
There was one reason this was possible.
The world rankings weren't updated in real time — they only reflected once a year.
Last year, Pacheco had clearly held the advantage. It meant that over the past year, Walsh had closed the gap completely.
Even Baek Jinwoo, who'd watched the match in real time, felt a flicker of disappointment.
'I wanted to see one more of Rachel's summons.'
For the record, she only ever used a single summon as well.
The Golden Dragon.
An S-rank summon whose full details even Baek Jinwoo didn't know.
Back in the days of Battle of Summoners, there had barely been any players, and no S-ranks had been released at all.
Baek Jinwoo had spent ten years acquiring exactly one S-rank — Myeolmang-yong — so that said everything.
'How does she get an S-rank in just a year?'
She'd been using nothing but that one since the second World League, so she'd probably obtained it within the last year or so.
Anyway.
He'd always thought so, but Rachel really was a lucky one.
'Then again.'
Even if Rachel did come out, the odds of seeing her other summons were low.
It was the same logic as Baek Jinwoo using nothing but Hungyo.
When a single Golden Dragon could handle every opponent, there was no reason to show more.
Just as Baek Jinwoo wanted to hide his information, she could easily be thinking the same thing.
In any case.
Time passed again, and the next day.
The South Korea vs. Germany match will begin shortly.
Nation representatives, please enter the arena hall.
The long-awaited quarterfinal had arrived.
The first match goes to Player Song Yeonhee!
First pick: Song Yeonhee!
"Hup!"
She shivered, nerves getting the better of her.
"Song Yeonhee."
"Yes, Guild Master!"
Baek Jinwoo regarded her with a gentle expression. He could afford leniency with Hwang Jiwoo and Song Yeonhee, if not with the other rankers.
Their rankings were far lower, and they'd only just begun proper training.
'Though only for this league.'
Starting next year, they'd get no slack whatsoever.
Skill, and nothing else!
Pure free competition.
"Just think of it as experience. All you need to do is gauge how well your puppetry holds up on the world stage."
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Go."
Thump!
Baek Jinwoo gave her back a light pat and pushed her forward.
And she came away from the Germany match with a respectable two kills.
'Geniuses really are geniuses.'
Fire Thunder, Water Thunder, Wood Thunder, Metal Thunder, Earth Thunder.
Her puppet-handling was already at a remarkably high level.
"Hah, hah!"
When the match ended, Song Yeonhee staggered back, gasping for breath.
Unlike other players, her summons demanded enormous stamina — she had to control every single string herself.
"You did well."
"Come on — a domestic ranker scoring two kills in a quarterfinal? That's unreal!"
"Great job! Great job!"
Baek Jinwoo and the guild members showered her with encouragement. Panting, Song Yeonhee stuck her tongue out sheepishly, her fists clenching tight.
She wore the look of someone who'd just caught onto something.
The second match goes to Player Kang Jiho!
"Jiho!"
"Go get 'em! Forget Song Yeonhee — you're going for the all-kill!"
"Show them the power of the Mad Demon the Guild Master brought back!"
The A-rank Mad Demon.
Kang Jiho's murim warrior — essentially a berserker straight out of the martial world.
Naturally, Hungyo's tutelage had guaranteed its performance, and once its hidden potential was unlocked, there was no telling how broken it would become!
KWA-GAGAGAGAGA!
The Mad Demon went berserk.
Swinging its massive blade, it butchered the German rankers' summons, and roughly every five minutes on average, it began cutting down another player.
The result: four kills.
Because of the Mad Demon's nature, its damage was colossal but healing it was difficult — it ended up forcibly unsummoned from HP depletion.
'Well, still.'
Baek Jinwoo nodded in satisfaction.
Four kills wasn't bad.
He was still a long way from pulling them up to England's level, but Jiho and Ki Jaehyeok clearly had real talent.
They didn't have any special constitution or trait — they were simply good at control.
The third match goes to Player Hong Ari!
Hong Ari of the A-rank Phoenix!
For the opposition, it was a descent into hell.
In truth, Hong Ari had already surpassed Kang Geonho.
Setting Baek Jinwoo aside, she was the guild's true second-in-command.
No wonder she was Vice Guild Master!
- KRIIIIIIIIIIIII!
FWOOSH-ROAR!
The Phoenix let out a full-throated cry and incinerated everything in its path.
Another four kills!
South Korea had shattered Germany with a flawless, crushing victory — using only three of its national team members.
'Right.'
He'd expected it to be easy up to this point.
But from here on, it wouldn't be.
In the quarterfinals, the United States and Russia would clash — and whoever won would face South Korea in the semifinals.
'So.'
How would the battle between Xenos and Moscowman play out?
* * *
Two days later!
- AMEEERICAAA! America wins! Xenos takes down Beskov with just a single summon left standing!
- This is incredible, Willyyyliam~! Xenoooos!
"Oh."
Baek Jinwoo, who'd pushed back the training schedule to watch the match, let out an admiring breath.
Didn't they say the scrappy fights were always the most entertaining?
The two were so evenly matched that it made for great viewing.
"Xenos definitely has good instincts. Moscowman's a bit lacking. If I'd been playing, I'd have won 100%."
America had taken the victory.
But both sides had dragged out their hidden ancestors for a bloody all-out war, exposing every single summon they had.
And the result?
'There's no way I lose.'
Baek Jinwoo was certain.
He was confident he could beat even Xenos without breaking a sweat.
Assuming there were no other summons hidden away beyond what they'd shown, that is.
'Still.'
He had no intention of letting his guard down.
It was his first real-world league, and there was no telling what variables might erupt when facing powers on the level of the Five Emperors and beyond.
'Besides.'
Starting with the United States, he might have to use summons other than Hungyo.
There was a drawback: he'd have to show them his cards before facing England, the strongest of them all.
One thing to hope for, though.
'I need to be matched up as late as possible.'
Holding out as long as he could as Korea's national representative — and then, when only a little remained, slamming it all down at once and ending it. That strategy was the best.
"Phew."
If that was the plan, there was only one thing to do.
He'd have the guild members internalize everything he'd analyzed from the American players.
Swoosh.
Phone in hand, Baek Jinwoo made the call.
"Vice Guild Master."
- Yo.
Hong Ari's voice came through.
"What are you up to?"
- Everyone's taking a break watching the broadcast. We were about to gather up for training again — why? Something wrong? Special training ended yesterday, remember?
"Before training, have everyone gather in my room. There's one last thing I need to teach you."
- Oh, yeah? Okay! Got it, sirrr~
Tap.
He set the phone down, and the foreign broadcast continued pouring through his screen.
- And with that, the semifinalists are confirmed!
- Indeed. England! Japan! South Korea! The United States!
- England, Japan, and the US were expected — but South Korea has to be called the genuine dark horse.
- Which makes it all the more exciting! Can South Korea really topple the United States?
Overseas too, everyone had no choice but to keep their eyes on South Korea.
'The semifinals. For real this time.'
According to the analysts back at headquarters, the rewards the system granted for first, second, third, and fourth place were entirely different.
The reasoning: a third-place match was held before the finals.
If the rewards were the same, why bother with a third-place match at all?
They concluded there had to be a reason.
'Let's see it, then.'
What kind of reward this damned system had in store.
The Five Emperors — and what exactly had allowed Rachel to grow so powerful.
This was going to be very interesting indeed.