[Trantor – Asura]


    [Proofreader – Gun]


    Chapter 437


    The tournament bracket with 256 participants.


    ording to the Shadow Queen, about half of them were from the Dragon n.


    “Were there this many from the Dragon n? And high-level constetions above level 8 at that?”


    “In the past, the number of the Dragon n wasn’t this high, but under the current Dragon Lord’s system, the Dragon n has exploded in numbers. Still.”


    The Shadow Queen frowned as she looked at the Dragon n names on the bracket.


    “If 128 of them are participating, it’s practically all of the Dragon n’s high-level constetions. They’re quite resourceful. How could they get all of them to participate?”


    “I know, right? Thepetition rate must have been considerable?”


    In this tournament where thepetition rate became even higher after the Red Hand was sealed in thest match,


    It was quite unexpected for the Dragon n to be heavily included in the participant list.


    “The BattleNetmunity is also in an uproar over this result.”


    With that, the Shadow Queen pointed to the screen she had disyed.


    There, posts from the BattleNetmunity were popping up in real-time.


    – What the hell is with this list?


    – Did the arena collude with the Dragon n?


    – There were 128 Dragon n constetions above level 8……


    – The number of the Dragon n did explode during this Dragon Lord’s time.


    – I also applied right on time but got eliminated…… It’s definitely suspicious that only the Dragon n got in like this.


    – This needs to be investigated.


    – But who will investigate the arena? It’s under the Void’s jurisdiction.


    Perhaps finding it suspicious that the Dragon n made up half of the tournament, rumors of collusion between the Dragon n and the arena were quickly spreading in themunity.


    “But does the arena have a reason to favor the Dragon n?”


    “The Space Arena is operated by the Void. The Void has no reason to favor a single race.”


    “Hmm, I’ll have to ask the arena’s ownerter when I have time.”


    The tournament list heavily skewed towards the Dragon n.


    It definitely didn’t seem like a natural selection process.


    ‘But from my perspective, it’s not bad. Maybe it’s thanks to them that Dongbang Sak couldn’t participate.’


    Seong Jihan, who couldn’t even imagine that Dongbang Sak appliedte because he dropped his smartphone,


    thought the Dragon n also yed a big role in him not making it into the tournament list this time.


    Honestly, as long as it wasn’t Dongbang Sak, he was confident in fighting and winning against the other constetions.


    He thought this incident positively affected him in a way.


    “Hmm…… There won’t be any problems with buying the broadcasting rights this time, right?”


    The Shadow Queen worried about her broadcasting rights first while looking at the real-time explosive reactions of the BattleNetmunity.


    “The tournament will still proceed, right?”


    “It should, right? I really need to make a profit this time……”


    “How much did you losest time?”


    “Because your match with Ashoka ended too quickly, the viewers couldn’t even alle in and the broadcast ended anticlimactically…… If you hadn’te as amentator beforehand to reduce the deficit, I would have already been bankrupt.”


    “Aha.”


    Thest match of the previous tournament was indeed the worst to broadcast.


    From the viewers’ perspective, it probably just shed and suddenly the hand was sealed and the game ended.


    If it weren’t for the footage of Seong Jihaning as amentator beforehand and buying time with Ashoka’s identity, the Shadow Queen would have beenpletely bankrupt.


    “While we’re at it, how about Dragon nmentary this time?”


    “Would amentator who doesn’t even know the constetions’ names be needed?”


    “When I lookedst time, when broadcasting to humanity, it was fine as long as you appeared. I’ll capture the match scenes small andrge.”


    “……What? Are you being serious? That’spletely the opposite ratio.”


    “The human viewers wanted to see your face more than the fierce matches between high-level constetions.”


    Having tasted a deficit in thest broadcast, the Shadow Queen quickly realized how to effectivelypose the screen for the human audience.


    “Well, I don’t mindmentating once or twice, but I can’t go every time either. I’m a busy person.”


    “Of course, asking you toe every time is too much. It’s fine if you just show your face briefly when you have time. And aren’t you curious about what the Dragon n will do with 128 of them participating? I can also tell you information about the constetions while watching the matches.”


    “Hmm.”


    Since Dongbang Sak couldn’t participate, Seong Jihan wasn’t really worried about who woulde up as his opponent in this tournament.


    But separately from that, he was curious about the Dragon n’s intentions in pushing in so many constetions like this.


    With the Shadow Queen’s information, he could analyze them more quickly.


    “Alright. Then I’ll participate as amentator when the first match starts.”


    “Really?!”


    At Seong Jihan’s words that he would go in as amentator from the first match, the Shadow Queen’s face brightened.


    “Great. I’ll prepare right away. I’ll definitely close up on your face!”


    “Ah, not that.”


    “That’s the most important thing!”


    With just two broadcasts purchased, the Shadow Queen had clearly grasped the needs of the human viewers.


    “I’ll make you shine the most. Hoho……”


    “……If you do anything weird, I won’t go next time.”


    Seong Jihan looked at the ominouslyughing Shadow Queen with a displeased face.


    * * *


    The day of the tournament’s round of 256.


    “Hello, everyone.”


    The Shadow Queen skillfully finished setting up the camera and greeted the viewers.


    “I’ll be in charge of the Space Arena’s broadcast again this time. Please take care of me!”


    – Looks like the Shadow Queen is broadcasting again this time lol


    – Even if it’s an exclusive broadcast, thementator is speaking informally. Isn’t that too much? No manners towards the viewers.


    – No no, the Queen has toe out like that. She has to keep her concept. If she speaks formally, what’s the difference from a humanmentator?


    – She’s an elf queen who has lived hundreds of years longer than us. Just listen.


    – What…… If you’re broadcasting on Earth, you should follow the rules here. Tsk tsk.


    As the viewers’ reactions were divided over the Shadow Queen’s informal speech,


    “And today, we have a special guest with us!”


    Tap!


    As the Shadow Queen snapped her fingers, the camera’s focus shifted to the side of the Shadow Queen.


    – Oh! Seong Jihan appeared??


    – I had a feeling since she mentioned a big guest lol


    – But what’s their rtionship? He takes care of her often, evenst time.


    – Wasn’t she Seong Jihan’s sword?


    – These days, it seems like they’re doing separate activities.


    – The Shadow Queen is a professional BattleTuber these days based on her recent broadcasts lol


    As Seong Jihan appeared, the influx immediately began to explode.


    The Shadow Queen smiled brightly as she saw the surging viewer count.


    “As expected, your appearance is the best rather than the tournament broadcast.”


    “You said you were in deficit, but what’s with speaking informally to the viewers?”


    “Hmph. Still, as the queen of the Shadow Elves, I need to maintain my dignity, don’t I?”


    “You said you’d go bankrupt if you lost money again this time.”


    “We won’t lose money since you came! Isn’t that right!”


    – You were in deficitst time? Lololol


    – Well,st time it ovepped with the Beginner’s Arena, so the viewers were divided.


    – It’s also because Ashoka ended the game in 10 seconds every time, right? The video length became short.


    – Yeah, it won’t end anticlimactically likest time this time.


    To see meaningful profits on BattleTube, not only viewers but also securing video length was necessary.


    [Trantor – Asura]


    [Proofreader – Gun]


    In that sense, Ashoka was the worst opponent to broadcast.


    He just shed and the game ended in 10 seconds.


    “Alright. Now that the camera setup is done, let’s start the main broadcast.”


    As Seong Jihan sat next to her, the Shadow Queen confidently announced to the viewers.


    Immediately, the chat window filled with question marks.


    – ?? Is it over already?


    – Queen, please double-check the screen.


    – Why is thementator screen bigger than the arena? Lolol


    – You made a mistake even with a big guest. Tsk tsk.


    And for good reason.


    In the video the viewers saw, only the Shadow Queen and Seong Jihan appearedrgely.


    And the arena screen was floating separately and small on the side.


    Anyone could see that therge and small screens were swapped.


    But the Shadow Queen smiled deeply as she saw the viewers’ reactions.


    “A mistake? Isn’t this what you humans want?”


    “You can’t possibly…… Hey. How can you set up the screen like this?”


    “90% of the people came to see you, Seong Jihan. The broadcaster just arranged the screen to match the viewers’ needs.”


    – Oh…… Is that so?


    – Well, I don’t really get the fights between high-level constetions anyway; Might be more worthwhile to see thementator Seong Jihan’s face?


    – The Queen knows her stuff, hehe.


    – No, but this is a bit too much…… There’s no point in broadcasting if you don’t watch the match.


    – ?? What do you mean no point. We can watch Jihan on the big screen. ??


    The chat window became noisy at the Shadow Queen’s words.


    Seong Jihan sighed.


    “Hey, quickly switch the screen.”


    “But this is really what the viewers want……”


    “If you keep this up, I’m just leaving.”


    “Ah, alright.”


    At those words, the Shadow Queen hurriedly reset the screen.


    Therge and small screens swapped again, returning to a normal broadcast setup.


    “But then your face won’t be seen……”


    From there, the Shadow Queen greatly erged the small screen.


    Furthermore, she close-upped only Seong Jihan’s side of thementator seats and removed her own portion.


    “……Ah, seriously, what are you doing?”


    “Escaping the deficit.”


    “Enough, stop erging that screen. Put it back to normal.”


    “So picky.”


    The Shadow Queen grumbled but faithfully followed his words, perhaps worried that the big guest would leave.


    Still.


    “My face doesn’t need to appear.”


    She didn’tpromise on the Seong Jihan close-up.


    – The Queen’s face got cut off……


    – I came to this channel for the taste of receiving the Queen ??


    – Then the owner of the channel will change!


    It seemed the Shadow Queen also had her own fan base, as some viewers were disappointed to see this screen.


    “You can see my face a lotter. Today is Seong Jihan’s day.”


    The channel owner’s will was firm.


    “……How much of a deficit did you havest time?”


    “It’s all because of Ashoka. Constetions should engage inbat, how can there be video value if they just sh and end the game? There was hardly anything salvageable from that broadcast footage. The only thing that got viewster was the discussion about you and Ashoka’s identity……”


    “Ah, I see.”


    “But this time will be different. Look!”


    The Shadow Queen stretched out her finger towards the tournament arena.


    An arena muchrger in scale than the usual tournaments.


    The camera capturing it was filming from afar, showing the sky and ground simultaneously.


    And.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    In the sky, giant dragons appeared.


    – Oh…… Dragons.


    – They’re huge. Wow.


    – Seems much bigger than the Dragon n we met before?


    – This one might be fun to watch? It’s like a real giant monster movie, lol.


    On the left was a blue dragon, and on the right was a ck dragon.


    They were confronting each other from a distance, pping their wings.


    Even the human viewers who hadn’t shown much reaction to the high-level constetions’ fights so far, showed interest in the battle between the two giant dragons.


    For now, the scale itself seemed like it would be fun to watch.


    “Are people’s reactions good?”


    “Well, it looks like it’ll be entertaining to watch when the two collide. Queen, tell me about the two dragons.”


    “Hmm…… They are the ‘Seven-Horned Blue Dragon’ and the ‘Three-Winged ck Dragon’. Both are constetion level 9 and are considered among the top five strongest in the Dragon n.”


    The Shadow Queen looked at the information she had investigated beforehand and smiled.


    “Since both are evaluated to have simrbat power, the opening match will be a fierce battle. This tournament is off to a good start.”


    “A battle between the Dragon n. It should be entertaining to watch.”


    The Blue Dragon with seven horns and the ck Dragon with three wings.


    The sight of the two giant entities fighting in the sky seemed like it would be interesting even for regr viewers.


    ‘There’s no Beginner’s Arena this time, so she’ll probably avoid a deficit.’


    Perhaps having 128 of the participants be from the Dragon n was rather favorable for the Shadow Queen who was broadcasting the video.


    As Seong Jihan was thinking that while looking at the screen,


    “It will start soon……”


    The Shadow Queen waited for the match to begin with a voice full of anticipation.


    And soon.


    [The arena match begins.]


    As the message signaling the start of the game appeared, the two dragons began flying towards each other.


    – Oh, the dragons’ battle is starting, lol.


    – This feels way more realistic than monster movies.


    – How can youpare some CGI with real dragons, lol.


    The viewers who were amazed just by the giant dragons flying,


    – But why are they flying so slowly?


    – I know; Aren’t they supposed to be fighting to the death……


    – They’re not shooting breath attacks?


    – If they’re dragons, they should spew mes from their mouths at least;


    Viewers started to feel something was off as the two dragons that were supposed to fight moved leisurely and only approached each other.


    And.


    Bzzt……


    Blue lightning shed from the Seven-Horned Blue Dragon’s horns.


    [I will carry out the Lord’s order.]


    As he mentioned the Dragon Lord,


    [I will carry out the Lord’s order.]


    The same words flowed out from the ck Dragon’s mouth.


    Then.


    Boom!


    The ck Dragon’s body exploded, and blood and flesh began flying towards the Blue Dragon.


    And that,


    Kwajik. Kwajik……!


    clumped together next to the Blue Dragon’s neck, creating another neck and head.


    In the same shape as the ck Dragon just now.


    As the ck Dragon disappeared without a trace, leaving only its head, a message appeared on the main screen.


    [The match ends.]


    [The winner is the ‘Seven-Horned Blue Dragon’.]


    “Uh…… The end? This quickly……”


    The time it took to end the first match was a mere 3 minutes or so.


    The Shadow Queen looked at the message with a nk expression.


    “There are 128 from the Dragon n…… If they all end like this, I… Bankrupt……”


    Her eyes trembled and eventually lost focus.


    [Trantor – Asura]


    [Proofreader – Gun]