Broker-Chapter 256

Sonya took a relaxed pose and gave her friends the spotlight, letting her eyes drift over the crowd a little. She already saw a few interesting faces among them, though the most notable were the ones in the front row. At least four guildmasters from across Australia and a dozen or so from neighboring countries. Looks like everyone wants a piece of the pie. Her lips curled into a devious smile. I wonder how many of them I can shake hands with before this is all done. I’m already planning on greeting all the contestants.

Inside her own mind she was practically drooling. Heheheheh! I burned out most of my warehouse to create my new Regalia. They’re just bringing me a fresh restock on a silver platter. What was I thinking, coasting like that for a year? This is so much fun!

Ishtar sighed.

Ahead of her, Amos stepped into the fore. He still seemed a bit awkward on his feet with all those people staring at him, but it was better than when he’d presented his Nobel speech. He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head before raising a hand to everyone in greeting. “Yo, I’m Amos,” he started. “Not good at these, so, uh…” He scratched his nose and shrugged. “I’m just gonna get on with it.”

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled an object out. It looked a lot like the disks in Sonya’s warehouse. She’d made sure for him to design it just right. It was actually just a heavily refined mana crystal that had been recolored through a treatment process and made to glow a whole lot. After pumping it with a whole bunch of Sonya’s mana to the point that it was nearly unstable, it definitely gave off a palpable feel.

Sonya tilted her head forward. Just say it exactly like I told you. Shame I can’t do it myself.

Amos held it up. “This is an object that was acquired by ASTA through great expense,” he said. “It came with several others like it. I have been studying it for some time, and I made a discovery. With a bit of work, this object could be refined and turned into a single-use item capable of doing something incredible.”

He paused for dramatic effect. “A second ability awakening.”

Immediately the silence in the stadium turned into an uproar. Sonya grinned as a few of the guildmasters got to their feet. One of them raised both hands and clapped hard, sending out a shockwave of sound that silenced the crowd. Sonya raised her eyebrows and looked at him as she whistled appreciatively.

<Dominic Olsten, Awakened>

“That’s one hell of a claim!” Dominic shouted from the stands for all to hear. “Do you have any proof? The only person anyone knows of in this world who can do something like that is Ishtar, and she’s a Villain!”

This guy has some lungs on him, shit, Sonya thought, deadpan.

More people shouted as well, throwing their fists up in accusation. It wasn’t hard to believe they would react this way, and Sonya didn’t mind, though she did grimace a little bit at his words. Ah, guess that cat is out of the bag. The Pandora Committee has been trying really hard to suppress the knowledge that I can grant people abilities. Now everyone knows. She tilted her head thoughtfully. I’m not really sure if that’s a good or bad thing. Oh well, I’ll take advantage of it eventually anyway.

Sonya held up a hand. “Why would we make a statement like that without proof?” Sonya asked.

The Guildmaster scowled at her. “I did hear that Ishtar said you had something that she coveted,” he shouted. “I still expect proof of this!”

“And that’s why Handmaiden is here,” Amos cut back in, drawing the attention to himself and the serene maid standing next to him. He gestured to her as the stands went quiet again. “I’m sure you’re all familiar with the footage of Handmaiden’s exploits, so they don’t need an introduction.”

FWOOM!

Handmaiden’s gown fluttered, and her hair rose up as a white glow radiated from her body. She raised her chin up, and her very presence washed out over the crowd. Courageous, righteous, forgiving, and self-assured, like a champion standing over you with a shield at the ready. It was comforting, if a bit intimidating.

Sonya smirked. Here comes the big reveal.

“Now you can see the results of the use of one of these items,” Amos said.

Marta’s shoulders clenched, and she took a step forward, her eyes fixed in concentration as her skin began to glow in places. Pale, pearlescent scales began to slip out across her skin as her fingers extended and changed into claws. The scales grew across her neck and over her chin as a long, thin tail stretched out beneath her gown and whipped against the ground with a crash. She threw her head back in a roar, and a gout of bluish-white flame erupted from her lips.

Her presence turned harsher; a guardian beast more than an armor-wearing champion. The crowd was on their feet as the transformation ended, and Marta stood in her new form. That true dragon ability I got from Drastic really meshed well with Baldur’s Body. Lookin’ good, Marta! Sonya thought with appreciation. She almost feels like a Herald. I doubt An Set in his wild form from Vegas would be a match for her.

Amos put his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out, slipping the fake stone into his coat again. “Need there be any more debate?” he called out. Sonya was giddy. This is so much fun. All I need to do to make some powerful new heroes is have them sign a contract to go with the stone. It’ll stipulate that they have to break the stone to get their new awakening. In reality, it’ll be an investment with sanctions hidden behind a mountain of Colin’s best legalese. I can’t wait-

A sudden flash of movement, and Guildmaster Olsten was on the stage with them. He was a tall, muscular man with strawberry blonde hair styled up and a thick jacket on his shoulders. Dark denim jeans and boots gave him a ‘bad-boy’ look that made her stomach churn a little.

“Chernovna, hand over those stones to the Accel Association Guilds, and we can work out a deal for a joint venture. We have more than five promising Heroics already and one Mythic. I myself am a Mythic. Don’t waste your time with this long-winded competition,” he said, holding his hand out.

Sonya just stared at him, wide-eyed, her head cocked to the left. “Are you… ruining my fun?”

He jerked his head back in surprise at her before frowning and taking a step forward while the crowd shouted obscenities and boos at him from the stands. He snarled and looked up. “QUIET! This is none of your business! If you want to get involved, have the strength to do so!” he roared before turning back to Sonya.

Sonya met his gaze with a flat look and let out a little Imperious. “I suggest you head back to the stands, Guildmaster. I won’t ask twice.”

He snorted. “Miss Chernovna, you’re an influential woman and the Voice of the Hero Movement, so I’m willing to be fair in our dealings. Don’t insult me, though. If I have to, I will take-”

BOOM!

He was off the ground in an instant, his legs coming out from beneath him as a scale-covered fist drove into his gut and sent him crashing into the stage. Blood erupted from his mouth as his body bounced off the hard surface, and he was driven down again with yet another blow, then a third, before he finally stopped bouncing. Marta whipped her tail around his neck and lifted him into the air before sending him hurtling towards his spot in the stands, where he lay there.

Sonya pursed her lips for a half second as everyone stared. Finally, she spoke up. “Can someone check and make sure he isn’t dead?” she called.

One of the other guildmasters hurried over and examined him before raising his hand in a thumbs-up. Sonya let out a sigh of relief and gave Marta a sidelong look. Marta looked away with a huff, her face a little red. Overdid it there a little, but it’s okay since he’s alive, she thought before clearing her throat. “The Accel Association Guilds are disqualified,” she said as someone helped Guildmaster Olsten to a sitting position. “Direct interference with the event and attempting to undermine its integrity.”

She crossed her arms behind her back. “If there’s anyone who would like to question this decision, please step forward, and you can ask Handmaiden all about it,” she added with a wicked grin.

Nobody said anything.

She clapped her hands together. “Great!” she crowed. “Now that we’re all on the same page here, I’ll let you all know that I’ve set aside five grand prizes for this event. I’ve already decided to allow any hero who wants to participate to participate so long as they abide by the rules. If you have the means to travel to the other locations once this event is over, you may certainly try again!”

People will interpret that as I have more of those things at my disposal and that I’m holding onto them for my guilds. With this event, I am going to settle a lot of problems that I left simmering during my moping about, she thought viciously. I’ll create new powerhouses, get more powers for my warehouse, get treasures and resources from the dungeons, clean out the corruption in the Pandora Committee, rally more heroes against Ishtar, draw my enemies out of hiding, and perhaps kill a Herald or two.

All in one fell swoop, Ishtar agreed.

She basked in the cheers of the crowd and stepped to the fore, shaking Amos’ hand while Marta reverted to her normal appearance. She gave her friend a quick handshake too before gesturing to the crowd. “Now! I’m sure you’re all tired of waiting through the pre-game show. Even if it was a bit more exciting than we had been expecting!”

A rumble of laughter went through the stadium. “So without further ado, besides the disqualified parties, I’d like for the young heroes who wish to participate to make themselves known!” she called. “If you’re in the stands, don’t be shy! Come on down and stand in the area around the main arena!”

A veritable wave of people poured down from the stands as nearly two thousand young men and women descended. All shapes, sizes, and ages of people appeared. Anyone capable of awakening their abilities wanted to give it a shot. Sonya nodded to Amos, and he took a step back, making a grabbing gesture and flexing his arm up. His eyes glowed for a half second before several of the unadorned spheres in the air opened, spinning about and sweeping the area in red light.

“Two thousand three hundred and five,” Amos said and rested a hand on his hip.

As expected, Sonya thought. Far too many for me to shake hands with, and most of them probably don’t have abilities that would be of any real value to me. I’m guessing less than a quarter of them are Epic or better. Most are Rare.

She held up a finger. “The first round is quite simple. This will be a battle royale! The devices that Amos just activated will track the number of you still standing as well as your actions. Once the number of participants has been trimmed down, we will move on to the next stage. Don’t waste your energy here!” she called before gesturing to Marta.

Marta stepped forward and spoke up. “There are some rules. Killing is absolutely not tolerated. Murder is murder and will be treated as such and will result in an immediate disqualification and arrest. We are monitoring you,” she shouted, her voice carrying loud and clear like a clarion call. Every young hero present turned to look up at her and swallowed as she raised her fist. “I will personally handle subduing anyone who breaches that rule.”

Marta crossed her arms. “If you manage to eliminate ten other participants, you will get a green mark. You will know it when you see it. Those with green marks may come up to the main stage here.”

Amos chimed in next. “The obelisks around the arena will project a protective barrier I have developed to keep the audience safe. It is by no means indestructible, though. Excessive power use will not be tolerated. Not only will it put the audience in danger, but it will also risk creating a mana storm that may overload any nearby dungeons. The Australian State Guilds are on standby to help maintain the local dungeons, so no worries there.”

He pointed at the crowd of hopefuls. “That being said! You can bet there will be monster formations during this fight. If you see a monster take shape, you target it first. I will know if you ignore a monster in favor of trying to win. You are heroes. Act like it!”

Sonya gestured to the gathered heroes. “I wish you all luck!” she called. “The first round will begin momentarily.”

With that, the three of them departed the stage, walking through the crowd of eager-looking heroes and passing through the door to one of the passages that would give them access to the main viewing box. She spotted a splash of red at the end of the hallway, and her lip twitched. She glanced at Marta. “You know what to do,” she said. Marta bowed quickly and turned back to the arena to find a place to observe from afar.

Sonya turned back and met the red eyes of the woman standing at the end of the hallway. She smirked and walked past Leiandra. “We keep meeting like this, and people will talk, Leiandra.”

“I heard you fleeced Representative Sowards,” Leiandra growled as Sonya kept walking, making a line towards the elevator. “Are you satisfied now?”

The elevator doors opened, and Sonya stepped inside, turning to face the woman with a grin. “You tell me,” she teased just before the doors shut in the woman’s face.

“She’s getting nosier and nosier,” Amos commented.

Sonya shrugged. “All we can do is wait and see what she does. If I have to deal with her, I will, but not until it’s absolutely necessary. Eliminating her would cause more problems than it would fix,” she said as the door opened and she stepped into the nondescript upper hall of the arena. She stopped next to the doors to the main viewing booth and turned to face him with a smirk.

“So let’s take our time and enjoy ourselves. This is only the first round, and I have a lot more up my sleeve for what’s to come,” she said.

He grinned at her. “Working for you is always a blast, boss,” he laughed and reached into his pocket, plucking out the fake stone. “Genius, by the way.”

Sonya snickered and opened the doors, revealing two empty chairs and the viewing booth beyond. They entered, cackling, as the crowd beyond waited for the show.

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