Villain MMORPG: Almighty Devil Emperor and His Seven Demonic Wives - Chapter 1995

Capítulo 1995: The Tournament Has Begun 

Villain Ch 1995. The Tournament Has Begun

Weeks passed.

The elimination rounds?

All online.

All sweat and grind and late-night caffeine. Pings. Lag. Clipped audio.

Fights that blurred into routine.

Players that pushed hard, knowing only a few would actually get the prize.

And the prize wasn’t just gold anymore.

It was an invitation.

Only eight teams made it. Quarterfinals and beyond? That was a different world. That was the event.

Not just data.

But presence.

The devs had gone all out. No, seriously. If the online rounds felt like playing a ranked ladder from your kitchen, then this part felt like walking into a demon god’s coliseum made by a million-dollar budget.

Hell’s Gate Arena.

Real venue. Real cameras. Real stage.

And Elio?

He was here.

His team was here.

Gil.

Jacob.

Eren.

And Sachi, their stoic silent healer who only spoke in raid strategy and cat gifs.

Their jackets were thick, synthetic fiber with cooling channels under the armpits.

Black and red with infernal trim.

On Elio’s back, in all caps:

MAC.

Nobody called him Elio here. Not the staff. Not the devs. Not even the crowd that lined up outside the barrier fences with signs and phones and neon-painted names.

It was MAC now.

Same with the others.

GIL.

ERENBLADE.

INEEDAHOTGF.

SILENTPRAYER.

Yeah, that last one was totally Sachi.

Even in real life, she wore earbuds and a resting bitch face that could kill a demon boss.

Her bangs were dyed silver. Her nails matte black.

Jacob whispered, “I feel like we joined a cult.”

“I feel like I’m about to shit myself,” Eren muttered, peeking behind the stage curtain again. “Holy shit. That’s a screen? That’s not a screen. That’s like… an actual gate to hell.”

Gil leaned in next to him. “It’s a screen and a gate to hell.” He exhaled. “Goddamn. Look at those flames.”

And yeah.

He wasn’t wrong.

The stage was madness.

The floor looked like cracked obsidian, glowing red from underneath, like magma veins. Animated, obviously, but so real you almost wanted to take off your shoes. Every step left a glowing footprint before it faded. The devs used some kind of motion-triggered projection tech, blending physical floorplates with high-res overlays.

Above?

A towering archway like an open mouth, rimmed with jagged horns and animated banners of torn fabric whipping in wind that didn’t exist.

The screen behind it wasn’t a flat panel. It was three-dimensional, domed slightly forward like an eye and it pulsed. With light. With color. With pre-battle stats, flashes of teams, and cinematic shots that made every guild look like legendary warriors instead of sleep-deprived uni students.

Elio stared.

His chest was tight.

Not from fear exactly. Not like stage fright.

It was something else.

A weight.

A shadow in the lungs.

Like pressure before a storm.

Gil elbowed him gently. “Hey.”

Elio blinked. “Yeah?”

“You okay?”

“…Fine.” He adjusted his gloves, even though they weren’t slipping. “Just… processing.”

“You’re always processing.”

“I have a lot of files.”

Gil snorted. “You have trauma in ZIP format.”

“Yeah,” Elio said, soft. “Something like that.”

Jacob leaned back from the curtain and let it fall shut again. “So. You think Red’s already here?”

Elio nodded. “He always gets early.”

Eren sat on one of the metal chairs and started bouncing his leg. “God, I feel like I’m gonna throw up.”

Sachi handed him a ginger candy without looking.

Eren blinked. “Thanks…?”

She didn’t answer.

Gil cracked his neck. “You think they’ll show the team intros with dramatic voiceovers?”

“Oh,” Jacob groaned. “God. I hope not. Remember that guy who tried to do a front flip and faceplanted? From the other game?”

“Legend.”

“Icon.”

“I aspire to his energy.”

Elio didn’t speak.

He just stared at the archway, eyes reflecting the blood-orange light.

Someone backstage was testing the smoke machines. A hiss, a coil of mist, and the scent of artificial sulfur filled the air.

The kind that didn’t burn. The kind that smelled like old Halloween parties and cheap incense.

Eren sniffed and made a face. “Hell’s Gate my ass. This is Body Spray for demons.”

Gil laughed, but Elio didn’t smile.

He was too deep in it.

Too wired.

Too aware of everything.

The nerves. The lighting. The tremble in his fingertips.

And the memory of a promise.

Allen’s voice.

‘Win the tournament, and show me your worth.’

And maybe no one here knew what that meant.

Maybe they thought it was just a rare skin or some vanity prize.

But Elio?

He knew.

He knew what he wanted.

Would he admit it?

Would he lie again?

Would he deflect, smirk, pretend?

Or would the truth finally break the illusion everyone else still clung to?

Elio’s throat was dry.

“Hey,” Gil said suddenly, quieter this time. “You really okay?”

Elio glanced at him.

He tried to smile. Failed. Settled for honesty.

“I’m scared it won’t change anything.”

Gil looked confused. “You mean the match?”

Elio shook his head.

“I mean the truth. I’m afraid I can’t get it.”

Gil didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

Because that was the moment the host’s voice boomed over the intercom, upbeat and full of practiced fire.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HELL’S GATE TOURNAMENT — QUARTERFINALS STAGE! FIRST MATCH IN TEN MINUTES!”

The crowd outside roared.

The screen showed a massive bracket. Team names. Nicknames. Countdown.

Sachi stood first. Adjusted her gear. Nodded once.

The rest followed. Elio stood last.

His feet hit the obsidian floor, leaving a faint red print.

He didn’t look back.

Because this wasn’t just about the game.

This wasn’t about the trophy.

This was about a player who didn’t want to be lied to anymore.

About a name that was more than a tag.

He was MAC.

But today?

He wanted to be seen.

Not just as a champion.

But as someone who remembered what they used to be… and still had the courage to ask why it all went wrong.

Even if it hurt.

Even if he lost.

Even if Allen never gave the answer.

He walked forward, into the fake flames and smoke.

His name on the screen.

His team at his side.

And behind his eyes?

Still that weight.

Still that truth.

Waiting.

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

600 Power Stone = 1 bonus chapter

400 Golden Ticket= 1 bonus chapter

Magic Castle= 2 bonus chapters

Space Craft= 4 bonus chapters

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