Chapter 434: Integrated Ranking (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 434: Integrated Ranking (1)
An hour ago.
Edwin Hector had visited Dmitry.
After paying his respects to Roman Dmitry, the prince made a declaration that left the onlookers utterly bewildered.
"Your Imperial Majesty. Please grant mages the opportunity to participate in the upcoming Ranking Match."
The Ranking Match!
It was currently the absolute center of everyone's attention.
With public opinion fiercely divided over who would ultimately seize victory, Edwin Hector's sudden declaration of participation came as a complete shock. In truth, the concept of an integrated ranking had been discussed in the past. Ever since ranking placements began to bestow immense honor and authority, mages had coveted the domain traditionally ruled by swordsmen.
Back then, however, their ambitions had fallen through. It wasn't because they faced fierce political opposition, but rather due to the inherent nature of magic itself.
Mages excelled in large-scale warfare. The wider the battlefield and the more geographical advantages they secured, the more overwhelming their explosive magical power became. But a Ranking Match was entirely different from a sprawling battlefield. Confined arenas forced close-quarters combat against fast, aura-wielding swordsmen, turning a mage's required casting time into a fatal flaw.
Of course, high-ranking archmages possessed skills that transcended these limitations, but the prevailing consensus had always been the same: there was no need for mages to dig their own graves and tarnish their prestige in a swordsman's arena.
Roman Dmitry looked down at him and spoke. "Do you have a particular reason?"
"This stage, hosted by Your Imperial Majesty yourself, is a golden opportunity for everyone to prove their worth. I believe that opportunity should be extended to mages as well. While combat in a confined space is a distinct disadvantage for us, I refuse to believe mages are inherently weaker than swordsmen. If you grant my request, the Integrated Ranking will no longer just be a stage to determine the best swordsman—it will become a competitive arena to prove who is the strongest individual on the continent, excluding Your Imperial Majesty, of course."
Edwin Hector's intentions were crystal clear. Roman had seen through them from the very beginning.
The reason Edwin was willing to risk the inherent dangers of the Ranking Match was obvious when observing the Hector Kingdom's post-war actions.
Hector had absorbed the Sky Magic Tower.
Not only was Edwin Hector an archmage himself, but as he emerged as the symbolic figurehead for all magic casters, a massive influx of mages who had previously resided in the Kronos Empire migrated to Hector. This mass exodus stemmed from pure trust. The former Master of the Sky Magic Tower had acted as Alexander's loyal dog, orchestrating the disappearances and deaths of countless mages. Because Edwin Hector was the one who defeated that corrupt Master, the continent's mages believed he would guarantee their safety and their future.
And indeed, he did. As Edwin Hector implemented sweeping, pro-magic policies, he garnered their fervent, passionate support.
The geopolitical landscape shifted rapidly. The Hector Kingdom's magical military might grew exponentially, and before long, people across the continent began referring to Hector as the "magic kingdom."
‘The attention of every nation on the continent is focused on this Ranking Match. With Dmitry considered to be in a league of its own, the other nations are warily sizing each other up, desperate to seize the next tier of power. If, under these circumstances, a nation can prove its absolute strength through an all-inclusive Ranking Match... Hector, which was once mocked as a ruined nation, can instantly rise as a new superpower by showcasing its magical might.’
Edwin held the geopolitical currents of the continent in the palm of his hand.
Even though Roman already knew Edwin Hector's underlying intentions, he had asked for his purpose anyway, and Edwin had boldly stated his goal exactly as Roman expected. This was a battle to establish a new world order. It was a calculated move to prove Hector's worth to the future of the Dmitry Empire by demonstrating their undeniable strength.
It was amusing. Even if the intention was blatant, Roman Dmitry highly valued Edwin Hector's challenging spirit.
Therefore, he gave his answer.
"Prince Edwin Hector. I accept your request."
With those words, Roman essentially poured oil onto a festival fire that was already burning white-hot.
* * *
As the old adage goes: words have no feet, yet they travel a thousand miles.
The news spread like wildfire. At the rumor that the Ranking Match would now be an integrated tournament, people gathered in taverns and town squares, talking of absolutely nothing else.
"Wow, mages are actually participating?"
"What do you think? Can mages even make it to the top ranks?"
"...Hmm. Won't it be too difficult? I'm not disregarding the destructive power of mages, but how can they handle it when all the renowned swordsmen on the continent are gunning for them? A single mage is like a natural disaster capable of sweeping away thousands of soldiers, but that doesn't mean they can overwhelm a master swordsman in a one-on-one duel. In a confined space, that disadvantage is only going to be highlighted."
"Still, Prince Edwin Hector might be an exception. He has a track record of single-handedly holding off the Valhalla Empire's attack, after all."
It was absolute chaos.
People debated heatedly, placing bets and predicting the outcome of the Ranking Match. But one thing was certain: the participation of mages had a massive impact on the event's popularity.
What kind of bloody battles would unfold between mages and swordsmen? And what rank would Edwin Hector, currently considered the continent's greatest mage, achieve? The public's attention was intensely focused. Wherever one went, discussions about the continental ranking were rife, and those conversations inevitably branched out, leading directly to a new, burning topic.
"Which country will produce the most top-tier rankers?"
The ultimate winner was already decided. First place would undeniably belong to Dmitry. But the masses were deeply invested in the strength of the other nations competing in Dmitry's shadow.
Even if only half of the top ten spots were filled by non-Dmitry rankers, the nations claiming those powerhouses would gain immense international prestige. The participation of mages was merely a spice to make the tournament more entertaining. In truth, the real reason people were drawn to this stage was the bitter rivalry between Dmitry and the rest of the world.
All eyes were fixed on the event. As the continent buzzed with feverish excitement, time flew by, and only a few days remained until the day of the Ranking Match.
Matching the public's soaring anticipation, the participating nations fell into a heavy, tense atmosphere—the suffocating calm before a storm.
* * *
At that moment, in Kronos.
Led by Jowelson Croit, who was now formally addressed as the Kronos Emperor, the high-ranking officials of the empire gathered in a solemn war room.
An official broke the silence. "According to the intelligence we have gathered, every nation, including Kronos, has prepared their absolute strongest forces. The Ranking Match no longer holds the same meaning as it did in the past. While it was once a rigged system created by Alexander for the sole benefit of Kronos, public opinion now views it as a pure, competitive stage to prove a nation's fundamental worth. Therefore, Kronos must achieve results, no matter the cost."
Everyone nodded grimly.
Just as Hector had embraced radical change, the Kronos Empire desperately needed a new turning point to secure its future.
The Kronos Emperor spoke, his voice heavy. "Kronos is a war criminal state that instigated a continental war. Because of that war, we suffered damage so severe that the very foundations of our empire were shattered. Even now, we cannot fully recover from those staggering losses, and we walk on thin ice every single day. For Kronos to rise from these ashes, we need undeniable results in this tournament. We must prove that Kronos has not fallen yet, and that we possess sufficient value to exist in the future Dmitry is building. If we cannot prove this ourselves, we will fade into the dustbin of history."
The reality of their situation was harsh. Kronos, once the undisputed ruler of the continent, now stood precariously on the edge of a cliff.
Immense structural damage. Astronomical war reparations.
Although Roman Dmitry's mercy had prevented the nation's outright annihilation, calling themselves an 'empire' now felt almost embarrassing. That was why this Ranking Match was so vital. It wasn't just Edwin Hector—Kronos, too, had staked its very survival on this day.
"What is the status of our representatives?"
"They are in perfect condition."
The swift reply came from Count Bellatro, a prominent figure from the maternal side of the Croit family. He spoke with burning conviction.
"Although Kronos lost much in the bloody aftermath of the war, the underlying foundation of an empire does not crumble overnight. There are new faces who have gained profound enlightenment through the crucible of that war. In particular, Mendes—who was previously stuck in the mid-to-high ranks but has now shattered his limits to break through to the 6-Star realm—will surely deliver results that meet our highest expectations."
Mendes. He was Kronos's new rising star.
While his formidable skills were acknowledged by all present, they could not afford a single ounce of complacency.
"Keep this in mind," the Emperor warned. "Kronos is not the only nation viewing this stage as a golden opportunity. Crush them all. Stake your very lives on this. We will use this stage as a stepping stone to forge a new future for the Kronos Empire."
"We obey your command!"
"We obey your command!"
Their voices rang out with powerful resolve. On that day, the Kronos Empire dared to harbor hope for the future.
And as if by mutual agreement, identical scenes of desperation and resolve played out in every nation across the continent as the tournament drew near.
* * *
The day of the decisive battle dawned.
The rules of this tournament were brutally simple. A total of eight nations—Dmitry, Cairo, Hector, Umberto, Redford, Frank, Kronos, and Valhalla—were participating, with each nation guaranteed exactly 16 slots. Selecting 16 representatives each, regardless of whether they were swordsmen or mages, they would compete in a massive bracket to determine the top 128 spots of the Integrated Ranking.
In truth, Dmitry had initially been allocated more than half of the total slots due to their sheer power. However, deeming that unfair to the spirit of competition, they decided to distribute the opportunities equally for this inaugural Integrated Ranking Match.
This was only the beginning, after all.
Once the initial 128 rankings were firmly established, participants from anywhere in the world would be free to challenge and violently seize each other's ranks over the course of the next year. And when the next Integrated Ranking Match was held, instead of allocating fixed slots to each nation as a courtesy, the 128 rankers of that time would compete fiercely to crown the ultimate winner.
For this historic first tournament, unprecedented crowds flocked to Dmitry.
Standing amidst a scene truly fitting the phrase "a sea of humanity," the representatives of Kronos nervously surveyed their surroundings.
"None of them look like easy opponents."
"Indeed. It is painfully clear that every nation has staked everything on this tournament. It will likely be a brutal fight from the very first round, but we must absolutely not lose to anyone."
The other representatives nodded in agreement.
Their leader was Mendes. As a 6-Star swordsman who bore the heavy burden of bringing new hope to the declining Kronos Empire, Mendes had trained like a madman for this Integrated Ranking Match. In truth, while he humbly acknowledged the strength of the other nations in his words, he simply could not envision himself losing. No matter what opponent stood across from him, he possessed a blazing conviction that he would secure a high rank.
However, he had one lingering fear.
‘The only problem is that we must avoid meeting Dmitry too early...’
Among Dmitry's 16 representatives, both Chris and Kevin were included.
Although prominent, god-like figures such as Fernando had declined to participate in order to focus on their respective duties, everyone on the continent knew that absolutely none of Dmitry's representatives were to be trifled with. That was Mendes's sole source of anxiety. If he encountered a Dmitry representative in the very first round, Mendes—no matter how strong of a 6-Star swordsman he was—might end up permanently stuck in the lower brackets.
That was absolutely unacceptable. To restore the shattered prestige of Kronos, he had to win by any means necessary, even if he was forced to face a monster from Dmitry.
‘I will clearly prove on this stage that an empire is born different. Kronos will definitely place in the top 16.’
It was then.
The tournament bracket was finally announced. The matchups had been decided by a blind draw, and the entire process was conducted transparently before the roaring crowd.
Names were called out one by one. Some cheered in relief, others groaned in despair, and amidst that tangled web of raw emotions, Mendes's name echoed through the arena.
"Match 18: Mendes of the Kronos Empire."
And then, the announcer read his opponent.
"Kevin of the Dmitry Empire."
The moment those words reached his ears, Mendes felt as if the sky were collapsing on top of him.
* * *
Even after the rest of the bracket was announced, Mendes could not pull himself together.
At the mere thought of facing Kevin, the burning confidence he had felt about securing a top rank vanished without a single trace.
‘...Of all people, why did it have to be Kevin?!’
Before and after the continental war, Kevin's reputation had completely transformed into something mythological.
Though he had long been recognized as a highly dangerous figure under the bloody moniker "Dmitry's Evil Ghost," the world had been utterly shaken to its core by the rumor that he had defeated Ares and dragged him around the battlefield like a dog. Ares was an absolute monster—a calamity who had single-handedly brought down the mighty Valhalla Empire. Yet, the one who had brutally devoured such a monster was none other than Dmitry's Evil Ghost.
For that reason, every single participant in the tournament shared a common, desperate prayer: to avoid meeting two specific individuals. They firmly believed that as long as they didn't run into Kevin or Chris in the early rounds, they would stand a fighting chance.
"Match 18 participants, please enter the arena."
Finally, his turn was called.
Looking at Mendes's pale, tense face, a high-ranking noble of Kronos placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mendes. I will not demand the impossible and tell you to defeat Dmitry's Evil Ghost. Of course, there would be no greater glory than victory, but even if you lose, you must show everyone that you are by no means an easy opponent. And I promise you this: if you somehow win, your life will change completely."
"...I understand."
Mendes nodded stiffly. It was an unavoidable battle.
In that case, he had no intention of ruining the Kronos Empire's fragile reputation by merely calculating his odds of survival in his head like a coward. Besides, everything he knew about Kevin was based on rumors. He had never faced the man in person, and tales from the battlefield were notoriously exaggerated. Perhaps defeating Ares hadn't been a feat accomplished by his strength alone. Even if all the terrifying rumors were true, Mendes—who had stepped into the profound new realm of a 6-Star aura—still had to believe in himself.
"I will return victorious."
He took a heavy step forward. Holding his sharply honed sword, he stepped onto the grand stage under the piercing gaze of countless onlookers.
Then, he heard it.
Step. Step.
From the opposite side of the arena, a surprisingly slender man walked into the light.
Dmitry's Evil Ghost.
Kevin, the living nightmare behind all the rumors, had arrived.