Cyclone listened to everyone's words, a conflict brewing in her eyes. Suddenly she let out a wail, facing her guild members:
"I'm so sorry! I let all of you down."
Shock went through the guild. The members shook of their sadness, letting out loud shouts.
"Don't say that guild leader!"
"You didn't let anyone down!"
"Without Dream Avenue I would still work as a bodyguard for others!"
"Exactly. Before Dream Avenue I was too shy to even talk to others!"
"Others laughed at me for creating the Hotpot fan club, but now they can't even wait to join us!"
"Dream Avenue allows me to take care of my wife and child while doing something I love! I couldn't ask for more!"
"Thanks to Dream Avenue I could pay for my mother's treatment!"
"Thanks to Dream Avenue I had enough courage to let go of my abusive ex!"
"Thanks to Dream Avenue I'm not bored alone in my million-credit villa."
"Thanks to... wait, what?"
Suddenly laughter broke out among some members. It spread slowly, lifting everyone's spirits.
As Liam and his friends listened to all the supportive members, they were caught between laughter and tears. Cyclone and Balm looked at each other, both wearing the same expression, smiling with tears in their eyes.
Seeing each other like this the two friends couldn't hold back and also spontaneously broke out in laughter. A special feeling connected the guild right then.
Suddenly cheers came from around them. The fans in the surroundings witnessed the touching moment and began to encourage Dream Avenue.
"Dream Avenue, we believe in you!"
"Next time you will win!"
"Dream Avenue!"
"Dream Avenue!"
Cyclone looked around, feeling an incredible warmth in her heart.
"Thank you, everyone! Truly! I swear Dream Avenue will only come back stronger!"
"Until we reach the top!", declared Balm.
The cheers continued, only slowing down as the next match started. The friends settled down, watching with mixed emotions.
Eager to improve, Cyclone and Balm watched with rapt attention while analysing Dream Avenue's loss with their friends.
They came to the conclusion that while Dream Avenue had some bad luck with the choice of the battlefield, the also lost to Human Faith in other aspects. Namely coordination and resilience.
Human Faith did a better job in sharing the damage among their members and recovering with AOE healing skills. And towards the end they were less affected by exhaustion. Their reaction time didn't decrease drastically, and they remained more vigilant of their surroundings.
Cyclone and Balm kept these things in mind, swearing to train the guild in these aspects.
But there was one more point in which Dream Avenue was falling behind the top guilds. The equipment of their members on average was slightly worse than that of guilds like Human Faith.
This issue couldn't be solved easily. However, now that Dream Avenue and especially Hotpot had gained even more fame through the tournament, they would surely find it easier to acquire more sponsors.
With the money earned, Sun's Knight would be able to buy more high-quality equipment for everyone.
It was only on Cyclone and Balm to lead some negotiations after the tournament.
Discussing all of these, time passed in a blur. Soon only the top 32 guilds remained.
The competition at the top was close, especially among the publicly acknowledged top hundred. As most people focused on the top 32, many guilds were disappointed as they were eliminated early.
But all in all, the top 32 were filled with grand names, very much to the joy of the audience.
The Big Five had all made it, showing dominant performances. Those who were usually considered a step behind also reached the top 32, like Libra Legion and Ouroboros. There were also those who had already made it far in the team contest like Dominant and High Reign.
Unfortunately, no guild from Falva Star managed to make it to the top 32. It had to be pointed out, however, that many of Falva Star's well know guilds survived longer than Dream Avenue, which was a hit to their reputation.
Ironically Galaxy was also eliminated by Human Faith while Graveyard of Bones lost to Leo's Pride. Since those two guilds made it further than Dream Avenue, discussions started on Falva Star over which of the three guilds should be number one.
This discussion, however, was irrelevant to most of the federation. Most people only cared about the number one, fixing their eyes on those few guilds still in the race.
The next round began and the Big Five continued their showing of dominance. Quickly, the top 16 emerged. Their matches were displayed and again none of the Big Five faced off against each other, leaving the audience disappointed.
Liam and his friends, however, were caught between worry and excitement. The first match was between Libra Legion and Traunim GC!
Traunim GC naturally included the ten prominent players of Traunim Cars & Transportation Team, or TCTT for short. After being eliminated by Libra Legion in the team contest, Traunim GC swore revenge.
Conter and Measured Might were under great pressure facing the angry opponents. They brought out all their trump cards, revealing previously hidden ultimate skills. But unfortunately, it wasn't enough.
All that Libra Legion had, Traunim GC had as well and even more. Their members were all chosen from a young age and trained strictly.
The pressure within the guild was enormous. Those who didn't perform were simply replaced with new talents. Yet Traunim GC never ran out of new blood simply because they offered the highest pay in the industry.
Those tactics served to hold Traunim GC firmly in the ranks of the Big Five and even Libra Legion suffered a close defeat against them.
After Libra Legion was eliminated, Liam and his friends decided to let C send them to Conter, looking to offer support if it was necessary.
However, it was obvious that Libra Legion dealt with the loss way better than Dream Avenue with theirs. They didn't harp on the topic for long and went on to watch the tournament together.
The top 8 was decided and it was stacked! Next to the Big Five stood Ouroboros, White Titans, and Tree of Life, all powerhouses from the central star system.
Finally, it was time for the Big Five to face off against each other. Leo's Pride was matched against Traunim GC and Kings and Queens had to fight Human Faith. Only Nestoros Gaming drew the easier Ouroboros.
However, something shocking happened right in the first match. Nestoros was defeated by Ouroboros! Instantly Ouroboros became the centre of discussion throughout the federation. Simultaneously Nestoros entered a crisis, and their reputation took a huge hit.
Traunim GC and Human Faith were glad as in comparison their losses drew little attention. Especially Human Faith. Their usual strategies were rather rigid. Pride had long prepared for them, leading Kings and Queens to win in a convincing fashion.
After this shocking event only two of the Big Five made it into the top 4. The audience was glad to see that the two wouldn't fight right away.
But now all eyes were on Leo's Pride versus Ouroboros.
Leo's Pride was acknowledged as the single oldest gaming organization in the federation. They were incredibly prestigious with countless titles under their belts.
Ouroboros on the other hand was originally not even counted among the top one hundred guilds, but this was set to change after the federation tournament.
Their name was already spreading through the federation and now they had a chance to becoming legendary.
Unfortunately, Ouroboros fell short in the end. The skills shown by Leo's Pride were just too incredible. If it weren't for their famous inconsistency there would've been no way for them to be eliminated early in yesterday's team contest.
But today they were back at their peak, showing the full might of the oldest guild. Even Ouroboros's tricky spells and various debuffs couldn't bridge the gap in skill. Leo's Pride rightfully advanced towards the final match.
The audience was caught between the disappointment of not seeing the underdog clinch victory and the joy of the most prestigious guild continuing their legacy.
Yet they went crazy anyways, their cheers causing Crunaboul to shake. Only with the start of the next match did they divert their attention.
Kings and Queens relied on Prime's lead to dismantle White Titans step by step, taking the victory.
Eventually the final confrontation was decided. Kings and Queens versus Leo's Pride. The match between the two extremely famous guilds occupied the attention of the entire federation.
Music played as Maycos gave a speech, highlighting the two finalists' achievements.
Shortly after the match started. Leo's Pride and Kings and Queens met in a sandy desert. Each step cost twice the usual effort.
Under these circumstances Prime decided to go on the defence while Leo's Pride were full of confidence, dashing at their enemies.
It quickly became apparent that Leo's Pride was in top form. Their decision making and reaction time were a notch above that of Kings and Queens.
Prime attempted to employ all kids of clever tactics but eventually Kings and Queens had to admit defeat against the opponent's superior skills.