Villain MMORPG: Almighty Devil Emperor and His Seven Demonic Wives - Chapter 1996

Capítulo 1996: First Round [Part 1]

Villain Ch 1996. First Round [Part 1]

“Please welcome, Order of Valiance!”

The announcer’s voice cracked like a whip through the arena, thundering over the intercom with that signature over-the-top energy. The crowd exploded. Lights flared. Cameras zoomed. Screens all around lit up with their guild crest: a stylized golden shield and sword crossing over a midnight blue banner. The giant 3D screen behind the hellgate pulsed with cinematic flashes of their avatars mid-battle. Elio’s face in-game looked a little too heroic for his taste.

They stepped out together from the dark tunnel, boots thudding against the glowing obsidian floor. Flames erupted at the edges of the stage as the artificial magma veins surged brighter. The smoke hissed around their feet like coiled serpents, and every footstep left a red glow behind.

Jacob squinted up at the screen. His name glowed above them in massive bold font.

INEEDAHOTGF.

He groaned. Loudly.

“If I knew I’d be walking into a real-ass tournament stage,” Jacob muttered under his breath, “I would’ve picked literally any other name. Not this stupid cry-for-help disaster.”

Gil smirked and leaned in close. “Too late, man. Now the whole world knows you’re single and desperate. Could be worse. You could’ve picked NeedsToTouchGrass.”

Jacob shoved his arm. “Shut up.”

“Hey,” Eren grinned, “the name’s honest. Women love honesty, right?”

“No, they love money,” Jacob deadpanned. “And confidence. Which I now have none of.”

The crowd roared louder when the camera panned in close. Elio caught their expressions. Teens in cosplay. Adults with digital signage that flickered with usernames and avatars. Neon hearts floated up from some fans. Their guild name scrolled across the arena ceiling like glowing scripture.

ORDER OF VALIANCE.

They stopped center stage under the screen, all of them glancing up at the massive display.

And yeah… this was a lot.

Even for Elio.

He’d done tournaments before. Regionals. International. Open cups. Semi-finals on old patch builds. Played until his body cramped and he forgot how to blink. But this?

This wasn’t the same.

Not because of the scale. Or the fire. Or the audience shouting their usernames like gospel.

It was the eyes.

Watching them.

His eyes found them too fast. As if drawn. As if the system itself betrayed him.

There.

In the VIP seats above.

Allen.

Seated like a king among the velvet-robed elite. One leg crossed, a calm drink in hand, and that smug unreadable look plastered across his perfect face. And around him?

Seven women.

Yeah.

Seven.

Not cosplay girls. Not fans.

Elio knew. Recognized them. Their mannerisms.

The Devil Emperor’s subordinates in-game. Every single one of them. Vivian. Bella. Jane. Alice. Shea. Larissa. Zoe.

He’d fought them.

Bled against them.

They looked down at the arena like queens at a bloodbath feast.

Elio’s jaw tightened. His gloves felt hotter than before.

This wasn’t just a tournament anymore.

This was war.

“Hey,” Gil said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

Elio blinked once. Twice. “Yeah.”

No. But yeah. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t afford not to be.

“Hey, heads up,” Eren said, jerking his thumb to the left. “Red’s here. And Alex. And Mastercraft.”

Elio turned his head.

There they were. Celestial Vanguard.

Red_King, their captain, stood tall and relaxed, arms crossed. That same intense gaze. The confident posture like he belonged on this stage and nowhere else.

Alex, the priest, still looked painfully shy even in a tailored esports jacket.

And Mastercraft?

Yeah.

Even in real life, the dude radiated rich. Diamond earrings. Platinum chain. Custom sneakers. His water bottle had his logo on it. His aura screamed ‘I own six NFTs and a tech startup.’

But all of them?

Skilled.

Real competition.

The crowd roared again as the announcer’s voice returned.

“In just a few minutes, we begin the first quarterfinal match. Ten-minute time limit. No god-tier gear. No legacy items. Pure skill. This is raw combat. This is HELL’S GATE!”

Another eruption of flame at the stage’s corners.

Sachi finally stepped forward, tucking her bangs behind one ear, adjusting her gloves.

Still silent.

Still unreadable.

But her nails tapped twice on her thigh. That was her version of hyping up.

Jacob bounced on his feet. “God, this pressure is unreal.”

Eren wiped his palms on his pants. “I feel like I’m gonna pee. Or vomit. Or both.”

“Don’t,” Sachi said.

Everyone turned.

She didn’t look up from her gloves.

But she spoke.

That alone was enough to shut them all up.

Elio exhaled. A long, slow breath.

Focus. Focus.

The air backstage was thick with recycled AC and adrenaline. The announcement from the staff rang out again, clearer this time, louder with the gain pushed up for drama.

“First Round: ORDER OF VALIANCE VS SANCTUARY!”

A new cheer exploded from the crowd. Another roar. Echoing off stone walls and synthetic dome acoustics like thunder made from speakers and flame.

The arena staff waved them forward. Pods. Five of them. Circular, sleek, glass-topped like sci-fi coffins with internal wiring coiled like veins. The doors opened with that hiss of pneumatic pressure, and yeah, it was time.

Jacob muttered, “I feel like I’m about to be cryogenically frozen.”

“You should be,” Gil said. “Preserve your bad decisions.”

“Can I switch names last second?” Jacob asked hopefully. “I’ll take anything. HotGuyMaybe?”

“Too late,” Eren grinned. “You’re going into war branded as horny.”

One by one, they climbed in.

Elio sat down, the chair adjusting automatically. The straps brushed against his arms, the HUD flashing faint blue as it scanned him.

“Welcome, MAC,” a synthetic voice whispered through the headset as the glass hissed shut.

He could feel the cooling gel activate beneath his back. Then the faint shift of consciousness, the flicker between muscle and code.

Everything slowed.

Then twisted.

Then locked.

And then…

Light.

Bright.

Burning.

The system loaded.

[Welcome to the Hell’s Gate Arena – Quarterfinal Dome Match]

[Team: Order of Valiance]

[Opponent: Sanctuary]

[Time Limit: 10:00 – Score Based on Last Standing OR Teamwide HP%]

His avatar snapped into place. The shift was clean. No lag. No jitters. Just a pulse of connection that flooded his body like a second heartbeat. Elio flexed his hands, now armored in paladin gauntlets with gold-trimmed knuckles. He could feel the weight of his shield. The familiar grip of his sword. All of it was real. Tangible. The system’s newest immersion tech made it hard to remember this wasn’t his actual body.

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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