“What exactly do you plan to gain from this? Aren’t you angry that I defeated you and your team? You said it was because of me that your guild lost the Wasteland Display Event. So don’t you feel any resentment?”
Anya paused, a look of emotion crossing her face before she spoke. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel anything about it. At first, yeah, I was mad. But this whole thing reminded me of something a certain someone used to tell me.”
She looked off to the side, her expression softening as if she were recalling a distant memory. “‘Chin up, kid. Every setback is a setup for a comeback, so be happy that you lost, because now it’s certain-you’ll only get stronger!””
Her words hung in the air for a moment before she continued, a touch of humor could be felt in her tone.
“Besides,” Anya said, crossing her arms defiantly and leaning back slightly, “the Berserkers wouldn’t have won first place even if we went all out. The White Comet Guild’s points were nearly triple the highest we’ve ever managed in the past.”
She shrugged, a wry smile could be seen on her face. “So, even with my team at their peak, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Alister’s expression remained calm, but he tilted his head slightly, curiosity coid be seen in his gaze as he then asked, “So… what about your guild’s reputation? Won’t that defeat have
Before he could finish, Anya suddenly burst out laughing, her head thrown back. She waved a dismissive hand, brushing off his concerns. “You think one defeat will be enough to slow down the Berserkers?”
As she spoke, she leaned forward, her posture brimming with confidence, emphasizing her point with each word.
She smirked, shaking her head. “A slap on our reputation? Please. We’re the strongest guild in the city, number one. Sure, we claim victory in most of our battles, but failing one doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. And if you’re about to ask about my team’s pride, forget it- they let this go ages ago. I was the only one being stubborn about it.”
She chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. “They all said, ‘There’s always a bigger fish in the ocean.’ And they were right. If anything, they’ve been excited to train harder since the loss. They don’t resent you-they’re actually grateful for the wake-up call.”
Alister raised a brow, intrigued by her perspective. She wasn’t anything like the prideful, vengeful opponent he’d expected. Instead, she exuded a surprising resilience, one that saw challenges as fuel for growth.
Alister’s gaze lingered on Anya with a touch of curiosity and skepticism. “So, how do you plan to move forward from here? If you truly wanted to move on, you wouldn’t have felt the need to confirm if I was Spade or not. So, what do you really want?”
A smirk appeared on Anya’s face as she leaned in, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Sparring matches.”
Alister raised an eyebrow, a touch of surprise breaking through his usual calm expression. “Sparring matches?”
Anya’s smirk deepened, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “You heard me. Sparring matches. There aren’t many who can go toe-to-toe with me. Fighting dummies and the usual guild members gets boring fast.”
Alister crossed his arms, studying her intently. “And you think forcing me to spar with you will somehow benefit you?”
She gave a casual shrug, her expression as confident as ever. “Absolutely. We’ll spar until I can win nearly 100% of the time, and then I’ll consider letting you go, Mr. Spade.”
Alister let out a small chuckle. “So, I’m to be your personal training dummy?”
Anya grinned, unphased. “If that’s how you want to see it. But trust me-it’ll be just as much of a challenge for you as it will for me. Or are you too afraid to get beaten once in a while?”
Alister’s gaze sharpened, his competitive spirit sparking. “Afraid? Hardly. But don’t expect me to hold back just because you’re a Guildmaster.”
Anya’s smirk widened, clearly satisfied. “Good. I’d expect nothing less.”
Alister took a step back, his demeanor changing, becoming more formal. “I believe we are done here.”
Anya nodded, a touch of disappointment appearing in her eyes. “We are.”
“Then I’ll be excusing myself,” Alister replied. “Draven, Mar’Garet, return.”
“Yes, my lord,” the two dragon generals responded before vanishing into black rifts.
With a calm stride, Alister turned and made his way back into the building, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
As the sound echoed in the silence, Anya suddenly found herself collapsing onto her bum, her cheeks flushed with a touch of embarrassment and something more.
She stared blankly at the ground, her mind racing. ‘What am I even doing?’
The weight of her challenge lingered, making her question everything that had just happened.
As Alister made his way back through the winding halls of the Union grand hall, he
encountered Ren, the composed assault team leader of the White Comets.
Ren stood there, his calm demeanor masking the urgency in his voice.
“Alister,” Ren said, adjusting his glasses with a quick flick of his fingers. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Alister raised an eyebrow. “Why the search?”
Ren’s expression remained calm as he turned, as if trying to lead Alister to the grand hall.
“The grand meeting is about to start, and since you were the MVP of our team, you’ll be giving a speech once the strategy talks are over.”
Alister blinked in surprise, a touch of amusement creeping into his tone as he crossed his arms. “I didn’t realize that.”
Ren nodded. “It’s customary for the MVP to address everyone gathered. I always wanted that opportunity, but I never thought I wouldn’t be the first from our guild to do it.”
He pushed himself off the wall and straightened, giving off a calm, confident air around him. “You should go make us proud, Alister.”
A small smile crossed Alister’s face, and he straightened his posture, feeling the weight of the moment settle over him.
“I will,” he replied, a touch of excitement sparking in his eyes. He felt ready to embrace the challenge, prepared to represent the White Comets with honor.