Vol. 15 - Ch. 34 - Ultimate Clan Battle - Main Event (1/10)

In the Cleria Plains southwest of Glendale, a colossal coliseum now stood where just a month ago, there had been nothing but barren land not even adventurers would approach.

The arena floor was so vast it could have accommodated the entire royal castle of Glendale, outer walls and all, with room to spare. Tiered spectator stands, each capable of seating tens of thousands, rose at the northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest corners of the arena. Enormous access paths, large enough for monsters such as dragons, stretched from the cardinal points.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD... WELCOME TO THE GREAT COLISEUM OF CLERIA!"

An announcement, amplified by magic, thundered across the venue, reaching every one of the 100,000 spectators. The voice belonged to the world-renowned commentator.

"I am Rivas Hashint, and it is the privilege of a lifetime to call this historic centennial—the 100th Ultimate Clan Battle! What an honor to have you with us!"

Held once every four years, this year's tournament marked a monumental milestone: the 100th iteration in a storied 400-year history.

"Now, let's address the mammoth in the room—or rather, the plains! How did over one hundred thousand of you get here? This was once called the 'island on land,' a remote, inaccessible stretch that even seasoned adventurers experienced in traversing caves where monsters dwell avoided. The answer is nothing short of a revolution..."

A magic circle ignited at the dead center of the arena, its core darkening as the crowd watched.

"...THE [PORTA]!"

Halt's teleportation circles, established in key locations, allowed instant travel across vast distances.

"A leap from the royal capital to here in the blink of an eye! This revolutionary magic, provided for almost nothing, is brought to you and maintained by our title sponsor: the world's premier trading giant, H&T!"

While H&T staff guided travelers, the truth was Halt's own mana alone sustained the Portals.

At each Portal location, Akari had used her [Create Arms/Item Creation ] skill to install a magical device with near-infinite mana storage capacity, which Halt then charged. But explaining that to the general public, who didn't have any idea who Halt was, would just cause anxiety.

Product quality, stable logistics, prices friendly to commoners—because it was run by the globally trusted H&T Trading Company, people could step into this unknown magic portal with peace of mind.

"The only ticket you need is an H&T Card! If you're here, you've got one—and if you don't, what are you waiting for? I never leave home without mine, and I had it for ages. Who needs heavy coin spinas when you've got convenience?"

The H&T Card, developed by Halt and Luna through status board analysis, could record monetary information and be used like cash at guilds and H&T stores.

While nearly 100% of adventurers, production guild members, and merchants owned one, some ordinary civilians still didn't. Making Portal use conditional on having a card was a move to further spread its adoption and drive H&T Trading Company's growth.

"But enough about how we got here. You can feel it in the air—this year is DIFFERENT. Is it the historic 100th? Absolutely. The monumental backing of H&T? Without a doubt. But I'm talking about the FORMAT ITSELF!"

A vortex of wind erupted at center stage, and from its eye, Rivas himself appeared, delivered by Halt's magic. Using Sylph's wind magic to briefly obscure the spectators’ view, Halt had sent Rivas onto the dead center of the arena. He looked minuscule on the gargantuan floor, and the theatrical effect stirred a wave of excitement through the crowd.

"Do you see me down here? I'm not a small man, but on this canvas, I'm a speck! We have NEVER seen a battleground of this magnitude in all of the four centuries of the competition!"

Pacing the arena with arms wide, he addressed the sea of faces.

"You must be wondering what we need such a gigantic arena for. The rules change every year, but let me be clear: this is a FULL-ROSTER, DIRECT-ENGAGEMENT tournament!"

Aside from full-participation and direct conflict, formats included time-attacks against specific monsters or one-on-one bouts between clan representatives. The basic format, like in the prelims, was usually a 10-vs-10 elimination match, making a full-participation rule somewhat rare.

"A format that rewards depth and strategy! Every member fights. A full-participation rule, which favors larger clans, is a bit unusual, true enough. Well, any clan that makes it to the main event likely has dozens of members, so those large-scale battles should be quite a spectacle. This year's arena is so huge, and the spectator seats are so far away to give you a full view. Now, you might think, 'With seats this far back, how will we see the action?' A valid concern! If they fought here as they are, even a clash with a dragon would be a distant blur. So, I ask you... if the stage is this colossal..."

The ground trembled with a deep, resonant THUD. A murmur of awe and tension swept the stands. Rivas's voice rose, steady and compelling.

"...WHAT IF THE COMBATANTS ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE?"

"Elite adventurers battle behemoths daily —dragons, King Bears, creatures beyond our imagination. Some of them suffer defeat, losing comrades in the process. And in those moments, adventurers think: if only I were stronger. If only we had power on a scale massive enough to fight such gigantic opponents —They dream of power on a scale to match their foes. TODAY, THAT DREAM BECOMES REALITY!"

The rumbling intensified. Something monumental was approaching. 

The spectator stands, built by skilled carpenters arranged by H&T Trading Company on ground reinforced by Halt's earth magic, wouldn't collapse. Some in the crowd screamed in fear, but no one ran. They were too curious about what was happening. Rivas's masterful narration had filled them with anticipation for what was to come.

“BEHOLD!"

"Behold!"

A massive block of stone form entered through the southern gate. It was not a creature, but a structure—a building with mighty limbs, walking on four colossal legs. 

"It begins! A battle of the strongest, the likes of which no one has ever seen!"

The stone giant's head, dotted with windows and doors, passed right by the highest tier of the five-story spectator stands. The spectators there were struck dumb by the sheer scale.

It was a Clan House. And it had walked itself into the arena.

As the living fortress took its place at center stage, Rivas Hashint summoned every ounce of his passion, his voice exploding across the coliseum:

"THE FORMAT FOR THE 100TH ULTIMATE CLAN BATTLE IS—"

He paused, letting the silence hang for a heartbeat.

"THE CLAN HOUSE BRAWWWWWWWLLLLLLLL!!!"

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