Vol. 15 - Ch. 37 - Ultimate Clan Battle - Main Event (4/10)

A supermassive block of earth hung in the sky.

The giant Clan Houses below were so tall that spectators in the topmost tier had to crane their necks back just to look up at them, and yet, those very Clan Houses were all staring upwards.

"Hey! Is flying even allowed?!"

The complaint boomed from the Magic Knights' Clan House, the one that had transformed an ancient castle into a giant, as it pointed a massive arm accusingly at the sky and towards the host, Rivas.

"W-well, you see—"

Rivas stammered, hastily flipping through the rulebook provided by the tournament committee. He then read the relevant section aloud, his voice magically amplified across the stadium.

"Ehem, The finals are jointly hosted by the Glendale Kingdom, as this year's venue, and the World Clan League. Their representatives collaborated to determine the rules, which are as follows:

“Clans participating in the finals must meet the following conditions:

1. Arrive at the finals venue leading their own Clan House.

2. There are no restrictions on the power source used to move the Clan House.

3. The Clan House must have a verifiable history of being used as a dwelling by people.

"They're clearly here, so Condition 1 is satisfied. No restrictions on the power source means however they're floating is fine, so Condition 2 is a pass. And as for having a history of being used as a Clan House… well, it's pretty obvious their Clan House is literally right here, so Condition 3 is also met. Therefore, the official ruling is… Familia's Clan House does NOT violate the tournament rules!"

"But this is supposed to be a CLAN HOUSE BRAWL, isn't it?!"

This time the protest came from Gearlot, the clan with the steam-powered contraption. It was a perfectly valid complaint—if the enemy is in the air, you can't exactly brawl with them.

"Oh my? Don't tell me you lot came unprepared for aerial combat, meow?"

Gearlot's grievance was swiftly shut down by their rivals, the Fang Tech Squad.

"Wh-what are you saying?!"

"Our clan was built with the assumption of fighting wyverns, meow. How dare you enter this tournament without even a single method of engaging airborne foes, meow?"

"Hmm, a fair point. We, too, possess means to strike the heavens. It matters not if our foe takes to the sky. If you cannot fight an airborne enemy, then perhaps you should withdraw?"

The giant samurai of the Oniwabanshu rumbled.

"No problem with us, either! Whatever form the enemy takes, we will crush them all!" 

Gale's powerful voice, unamplified by magic, roared from atop the United Front's centaur-like Clan House.

The crowd erupted at Gale's bold declaration.

Backed into a corner by their rivals' confidence, the Magic Knights and Gearlot couldn't back down now.

"W-we're fine too! Bring it on!"

"Of course we have anti-air measures! We can do this!!"

"Alright then!"Any other objections? No? Then let's get this started! Oh, and just a reminder—the format for the finals is a BATTLE ROYALE!"

Rivas called out, now floating safely above the arena floor.

A Battle Royale format was rare in the Ultimate Clan Battle's history. A single, all-out melee meant the most hyped fights could be over in an instant.

But for this Clan House Brawl, a tournament bracket was practically impossible. Once these walking fortresses started swinging, at least one—if not both—would be left severely damaged. The very idea of clans pouring years, even decades, of effort and resources into their mobile bases only to risk total destruction in one glorious, no-holds-barred clash… that was what truly set the crowd on fire.

Only through such a total war could the true, undisputed strongest be decided.

Hence, the Battle Royale.

No further protests came from any clan. Each one shifted into a battle stance, weapons powering up, engines thrumming.

"With no further objections… time to start! The last clan standing on this arena floor will be crowned champion!"

Rivas's body began to levitate higher into his commentary booth. The gaze of every spectator and every competing clan locked onto the field below.

"AND NOW… FOR THE 100TH ULTIMATE CLAN BATTLE… LET THE FINALS… BEGIN!!"

Comments