Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Renz's PoV

"Big Brother! Colin! Dinner is ready!" shouted a cute voice.

"We'll be right there!" I said as I turned off the T.V. and beckoned our youngest brother to eat.

As I walked into the dining room, the warm glow from the chandelier above cast a welcoming light on the polished wooden table. The table was set for three, a cozy sight in the vast room filled with family portraits and mementos from our childhood. The aroma of the home-cooked meal prepared by my ever-so-cutest little sister wafted in from the kitchen, a comforting blend of spices and herbs that made my mouth water.

Clarissa was already seated at the table, her soft brown eyes focused on the intricate patterns of the tablecloth. Her hair was neatly tied up in a loose bun, and she wore one of her favorite soft pink sweaters that made her look even more adorable.

As I took my seat across from her, I noticed her glancing up at me, a small smile playing on her lips. She was always more comfortable in small, intimate settings like this.

"The food smells great as usual," I said, complimenting her cooking.

"Yeah, and it tastes good too!" Colin happily said as he munched one of the cooked sausages.

"Sit first before you eat! Honestly, you're too impulsive, why can't you be a little more like your calm and kind sister?" I reprimanded him.

It was my job to act as their father figure as Mother and Father were always away from home due to the nature of their business venture.

It was a bit hard at first but we got used to it. It also helped us to become mature and reliable, especially Clarissa who always does the chores like cooking and cleaning. I always remind her to just leave the cleaning to the house cleaner who comes every other day, but she insists that she helps too. My little sister is just too kind!

As we started to eat, we talked about mundane things like school, and Colin's unfinished homework, where Clarissa volunteered again to help him. Honestly, we don't deserve such a cute and kind sister!

Amidst our meal, the topic switched to the qualifiers.

"Brother, your match is tomorrow right?"

"Brig mbro hat a mach?"

"Yes your big brother does, and Colin, don't talk when your mouth is full, or I'll eat all your food," I tried to intimidate him.

For his part, he went silent and doubled his focus on eating, determined not to share a single morsel of the food on his plate with anyone.

"On that note. Clarissa, could you wake me up early?"

"Sure! But you don't want to just set an alarm?"

"I want it to be you who wakes me up, I have a feeling that we would have good luck if you're the one to do it."

"R-really?"

"Yeah so don't forget to wake me up tomorrow, ok?"

"Yeah! It is a 4v4 right? Are your teammates as strong as you too?"

"Oh, since when did you know the rules of the tournament your brother is joining?" I asked curiously.

Clarissa never was one for gaming so it got me curious about how she knew the rules.

"I, uhm, heard you talk about it a while back..."

Hmm, I probably did as I always blabber whenever I'm around her. I mean how could I not? She's just too cute and kind!

"Hmm, I see. On your question earlier, yeah you got that right, your brother has very dependable teammates! They are all so good that we'll have no trouble breezing through the qualifiers... but of course, your brother is still the strongest in our team!" I said confidently while thumping my chest.

"Wow! Brother is so strong."

"Big bro is so cool!"

They don't play CoA anyway so they don't need to know that I was just exaggerating my skills. A little white lie won't hurt, specifically if it makes them look up to their big brother more.

"Of course I am! And with our combined skills, we could even win the whole thing! Your brother will be all over the news! We'll be famous with how many interviewers and reporters we will have knocking at our front door! So I'll be counting on you guys to cheer us on!"

"Wow!" "Whoaah!"

I am currently in a circular expanse, surrounded by towering stone walls adorned with ancient symbols. The sandy floor beneath my feet feels coarse and unforgiving. A single, harsh spotlight overhead casts stark shadows across the arena, emphasizing the solitary nature of the last clash. A clash that I had just won.

Lisbeth

HP: 18%

Tranks

HP: 0%

“GG, that was a good fight!” My opponent voiced out before disappearing into blue motes of light.

Congratulations! You won the Ranked 1v1 Duel!

“Phew that was close,” I sighed in relief as I teleported back to the lobby.

Marcy12: wow that was a good match.

Rain4: That last play was clutch!

Kalin32: GG!

Simpguy99: My heart falls ever so much more with your captivating plays milady!

RockHard69: That was a good fight! I can’t wait for the stream on tomorrow’s qualifiers!

Im12btwxoxo: I'll use my dad’s credit card again to donate if you guys win!

I glanced at my stream window and saw that most of my viewers were excited about my stream tomorrow. Sadly, streaming for the qualifiers is not allowed so I would have to disappoint them.

“Sorry guys but the rules don't allow streaming. You can only watch at the CoA official website,” I said regretfully.

HardcoreViewer: Aww, I want to watch it from your perspective :(

Gregory864: It is only against the rules if you get caught.

im12btwxoxo: I’ll use my dad’s influence to cancel that rule!

Simpguy99: "In the garden of our shared moments, my love, the cruel hands of time threaten to pluck us from the same branch of existence. But fear not, for even as destiny orchestrates a temporary parting, the roots of our affection run deep, and the blossoms of our connection shall endure, awaiting the season of reunion."

"That's it for today guys! I need to rest early. The first part of the qualifiers will start in the morning and will continue for a total of 10 matches throughout the whole day! Assuming that we win of course, but I'm fairly sure we can!"

NebulaNoodle: Good luck with the qualifiers! I'll be rooting for ya!

CelestialSnipe: Good luck!

QuantumGamerX: Go beat them up!

VelocityVortex87: Go Team Paradigm!

MysticPixelMaster: Good Luck to your team!

I logged out after seeing their words of encouragement. Although it does little to assuage the turmoil in my mind.

A whole lot rests on my shoulders, I have a burden to bear as the guild leader of the Concord of Heroes where I currently am in a shaky position. A lot of my guildmates expect me to win.

Most importantly, as the captain of Team Paradigm, I can't fail my teammates. I need to do all I can for us to win the important matches tomorrow.

My heart beats louder and dread overcomes my very being as I think of the consequences of losing on the first day of the qualifiers.

I cannot fail.

I cannot let them down.