As Alister Hazenworth rose from his seat, a spotlight from above suddenly illuminated him, casting a bright, focused light over him. He took a moment to adjust to the attention, the corners of his mouth lifting in a small, confident smile.
With a nod to Director Aethel and the audience, he spoke, “A pleasure.”
From across the table, a soft chuckle could be heard. Hiroshi leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed with a playful smirk.
“Don’t stutter out there, Alister. We wouldn’t want the city to think the White Comet Guild’s MVP is nervous,” he teased, giving Alister a wink.
Alister chuckled in return, taking the friendly jab. Before he could respond, Kaida leaned forward, her red hair catching the light as she grinned at him with her usual playful demeanor. “Break a leg out there!” she called, giving him a salute.
Ren, always the calm and collected one, adjusted his glasses, his gaze meeting Alister’s with a look of approval and confidence.
“Go make us proud,” he said, the glint of his lenses catching the spotlight.
Alister’s smile widened. “Of course I will,” he replied.
He gave a slight bow of acknowledgment before turning his attention behind him, where Cinder stood with a composed, attentive expression.
“Come along, Cinder,” he said, waving his hand for her to join him. She nodded, her gaze meeting his with a look of pride.
“Yes, my lord.”
Together, they walked toward the stage, Alister leading the way as the spotlight followed, the soft murmur of the crowd filling the hall as he approached the podium to accept his honor on behalf of the White Comet Guild.
While he calmly approached, Alister suddenly heard Terra’s voice in his head as she spoke, ‘It seems everything is working out, my lord. As long as you proceed like this, then the opportunity to put us on display shall soon arise!’ Her voice was filled with such enthusiasm, Alister could practically feel it.
‘Calm down, Terra, I didn’t know showing off was something that got you excited,’ Alister replied calmly.
‘Normally, no. But knowing that the humans here shall soon come to understand the magnitude of your greatness is something that would get any who have pledged their loyalty to an Overlord excited.’
Alister chuckled inwardly, then responded, ‘I see your point. Let’s keep moving forward.’
As Alister approached the podium, a murmur rippled through the crowd, and reporters began to whisper among themselves, their eyes drawn to the woman following closely behind him. “Is that… Cinder?”
“His Drake summon?”
“It’s definitely her, pictures of her have been trending online!”
“Are they… together?”
“That would be a story for the ages!”
“We need photos. Quickly.”
In an instant, camera flashes began popping throughout the hall, capturing Alister and Cinder as they approached the podium, the light flickering like a wave across the crowd. Cinder maintained her calm demeanor, ignoring the attention as she focused solely on Alister.
From the side of the stage, Liang watched with a sly smile.
“Soon enough,” he murmured to himself, “they’ll all get to watch some fireworks.”
As Alister reached the podium, the audience fell silent. A union officer stepped forward, holding a small, sleek microphone device.
“Here,” she said, extending it to him with a polite smile. “Clip this on your collar. It’ll make sure everyone can hear you clearly.”
Alister nodded, fastening the device as directed, his expression calm as he slowly approached the center of the podium.
Meanwhile, in the shadows at the edge of the hall, the server from earlier pressed a finger to her ear, activating her communication device.
“The target has climbed the stage,” she whispered.
From the other end, a voice responded, “Noted. Stand by and await further instructions.”
Meanwhile, as Alister stood on the podium, Anya returned to the Berserkers’ table, her presence instantly drawing attention as the rest of the Berserkers looked up from their seats. Klaus, the bald-headed Branch Guildmaster, was the first to speak, his tone hushed.
“Guildmaster…” he spoke, sounding concerned. “Where did you disappear off to? I was starting to wonder if I’d have to go search for you.”
His dark brown eyes studied her for a moment, as though trying to decipher the reason behind her sudden exit.
Anya, slightly flushed as she recalled what had happened earlier but maintaining her usual composure, gave him a small, unbothered smile.
“I had something to handle,” she replied calmly, making sure her voice remained steady, though there was a slight playful look in her eyes.
“Nothing to worry about, Klaus. It was important.”
Klaus’s eyebrows furrowed, though he kept his tone respectful.
“Something important? Guildmaster, you know how many eyes are on us right now. You just missed the Union director’s speech, meaning you didn’t hear the reforms he plans to make. This could have a small impact on our guild-”
“Cameras exist, Klaus. I can always ask any of the press members for footage. Besides that, official documents are always sent to the guild, so stop making a fuss about it.”
“This won’t be the first time someone has missed the Director’s speech. It’s not the end of the world.”
He could practically feel his strength leaving him with these words. He lost the will to continue arguing and simply let out a sigh as he said, “You have a point, ma’am.”
Anya then calmly replied, “Good, I’m glad you agree.” She then redirected her gaze to the podium where Alister stood, her gaze lingering on him, which for some reason made her
smile slightly.
As Alister stood at the podium, he looked around the audience with a composed and confident smile, his gaze sweeping across the sea of faces, many of whom were eagerly awaiting his
words.
With a slight pause, Alister spoke up clearly, his voice echoing effortlessly to every corner of
the hall.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his tone smooth and authoritative, “I am Alister Hazenworth, rising star and MVP of the White Comet Guild. It’s a pleasure to stand before you
today.”
A wave of camera flashes erupted from the crowd, the photographers eager to capture every moment. Alister’s smile widened slightly as he acknowledged the attention, fully aware of the magnitude of the moment.
He gestured to the side where his team members were seated. “I would like to take a moment to acknowledge my amazing teammates. While I may have performed better in certain aspects, each and every one of my comrades has done an amazing job, and their efforts are no less valuable than my own.”
“I will continue to perform to the best of my abilities…”
“…and strive to bring even greater success to the White Comet Guild. Our journey is far from over, and the future holds countless opportunities for growth, for both myself and my team. Together, we will face every challenge head-on and rise to the occasion.”
A brief pause followed as he surveyed the audience, his smile remaining calm and assured.
“Thank you all for your support. It is an honor to stand here today, and I promise that I will not let you down.”
With that, the audience erupted into applause, the sound echoing through the hall, a mixture of admiration and respect for his words and his presence. The camera flashes intensified as photographers captured the moment.
Once the clapping began to subside, Alister raised his hand in a gesture of calm, signaling for the room to quiet down. He gave a small, respectful bow before looking out across the crowd
with his composed expression.
“Are there any questions?”
…
Outside the grand hall, The Annihilator adjusted her position on the rooftop, moving the
crosshairs of her sniper rifle steadily.
Through the scope, she located Alister standing at the podium, perfectly framed in her sights
as he addressed the audience inside.
Her gaze narrowed with as she clicked her communicator, her voice barely a whisper.
“Confirmed visual…”
“Aiming… charging.”
As she spoke blue bars of energy began to slowly charge up by the sides of the sniper as it
began to build up power for a very powerful shot.
The sniper rifle was the cutting-edge Model XLR-7V. This weapon, provided by Liang specifically for this assignment, was no ordinary firearm.
Not only was the shots from this weapon far more powerful than other snipers, coupled with the Animantium bullets it was loaded with along with her explosive talent. All of this would ensure that no matter what, Alister wouldn’t be surviving this shot.
Liang wasn’t talking any chances. After Alister’s inexplicable victory against their raid team,
Liang had decided not to underestimate him again.
This time, they would make sure to finish the job, using the deadliest tools available to
eliminate any possibility of failure.
…
Liang rose from his seat, a small smile on his lips as he turned to his father, Jian Li, and his
grandfather, Han Li. His voice was calm as he spoke.
“Father, grandfather…”
“I believe It would be best if we leave now. We wouldn’t want to get caught in the blast,” he
said, his tone light yet serious.
Jian and Han exchanged knowing glances, the weight of Liang’s words sinking in. There was no need for further explanation-the intent was clear.
Han nodded, his eyes hardening. “Very well,” he replied, pushing his chair back and rising
slowly.
Jian, placing a hand on Liang’s shoulder in a brief but firm acknowledgment, added,
“Then we should be on our way.”
The three of them moved, their expressions calm yet intense, knowing they had only a brief
moment before everything would be thrown into chaos.
…