Declaration

It was undeniable—Akira was taken aback when he saw his old friend. He wasn't surprised to see Haruto with his new team, Monster Eaters Esports. What puzzled Akira was, why were they here?

A flood of questions swirled in his mind. Their encounter gave him an uneasy feeling. Before Akira could voice his thoughts, one of the Monster Eaters Esports members spoke up.

"Oh, isn't this the legendary player, the number one Fragger on the Japan server—Akira Takeda, or I call you Maxfit-61."

A man with a gentle smile extended his hand to Akira. Naturally, Akira shook it.

"I've watched you since the early tournaments until the last season. You've got a talent that surpasses most players. It's an honor to meet a living legend."

"Ah… That's a bit much. I'm not that great to be called a legend," Akira replied. "You're the one who deserves that title, Mr. Matsumoto Hikari."

Who didn't know Matsumoto Hikari? His name often popped up in the esports community, and people praised him like a god. Akira had never met him in person, but he knew exactly who the man was.

Famous for his ability to turn a team on the brink of collapse into a winner, Matsumoto Hikari was a genius manager who had won dozens of trophies from various tournaments. He started his career in another FPS game called Natural Call, and moved from game to game before finally settling on Rex Regum Online.

The community often referred to him as the Pep Guardiola of esports.

"Ha ha ha! I'm just an ordinary guy trying to make a living," Matsumoto said, waving his hand in front of his face. "I didn't do anything except talk. The ones who work hard are them."

Akira rolled his eyes at the Monster Eaters Esports members. Unlike Matsumoto, who showed friendliness and openness, his team members looked at Akira with sharp, hostile eyes. Only Haruto seemed neutral.

One of them, a young man with spiky hair, snorted in annoyance. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and his dead fish eyes glared at Akira with disdain.

"Legend, huh? He didn't even make it to the Rex Championship Series," scoffed the spiky-haired guy.

Thanks to this guy, the atmosphere started to turn sour. It didn't help that the other team members were whispering insults about Akira under their breath.

"Look at his hands now. Seems like he's got no hope left."

"That bastard deserved it."

"No wonder Quantum Esports fell apart because of him."

Insults filled the air in the cramped elevator. They spoke in low voice, but theirs seemed to echo like bells.

Akira himself stayed silent. There was no anger or offense showing on his face. He kept his face straight as if unaffected, though his chest told a different story.

However, finding himself in such a situation didn't surprise him.

When Quantum Esports was in its prime, Monster Eaters Esports was a weak team. Their name barely known in the RRO community, at least until Matsumoto took over. That man transformed this weak team into Japan's strongest team today.

At one point, Quantum Esports had utterly crushed Monster Eaters Esports in a small tournament event. It was only natural for a big team to destroy an unknown team.

However, that match was the beginning of a problem, leading the members of Monster Eaters Esports to hate Akira and the community to roast him recently.

After the match ended, like a champion in the spotlight, Akira was interviewed by the tournament host. He still remembered that interview vividly.

"Maxfit, you and your team secured a big win this time. Is there anything you'd like to say to Monster Eaters Esports?" the female host asked.

"I don't know. They worked hard. I'm sure they'll be a strong team someday."

"Really? Do you think they could go to the championship as favorites? Like Quantum Esports?"

"Not in my lifetime." Akira ended with a laugh.

Thanks to that brief interview, Akira became a hot topic on social media. People made memes on the internet based on that clip, comparing Akira and his team's current situation with Monster Eaters Esports. They laughed at his despair, making it the butt of jokes.

At the same time, Akira unknowingly planted the seeds of hatred in the minds of the Monster Eaters Esports team members.

SLAP!

"Ouch!"

Matsumoto smacked the spiky-haired guy right on the head. Of course, that annoyed him.

"Why'd you hit me, manager?"

"Watch your mouth, Aoki," Matsumoto said flatly. "Or I'll bench you. We've got more players now, remember?"

Hearing that threat, Aoki swallowed hard. He zipped his mouth and turned away.

"The same goes for the rest of you," Matsumoto said. "I can't stand people who don't have manners."

Just like the spiky-haired guy, the other team members fell silent.

This made Akira raise an eyebrow. In his mind, he was impressed with Matsumoto. The man's reputation matched everything he'd heard.

"Incredible man management," Akira muttered.

Then, Matsumoto bowed to Akira.

"Forgive this idiot. I hope you don't take it seriously. It's my fault for not disciplining him properly."

"Ah, it's fine. You don't have to bow like that, Mr. Matsumoto."

After their brief encounter, Akira quickly stepped out of the elevator and allowed Matsumoto and his team to enter. The atmosphere grew a bit awkward, with both Akira and Matsumoto being overly polite to one another.

"I hope we meet again. Without this idiot, of course," Matsumoto said.

Aoki just snorted when he heard that.

"If we do meet again, maybe we'll be enemies."

Matsumoto's eyes widened. "Eh? What a shame. I was actually hoping to recruit you once you're fully recovered."

Akira chuckled bitterly. He couldn't tell if Matsumoto was joking or being serious.

"Are you still planning to keep your team?" Matsumoto asked. "I heard from Haruto that things aren't going well. You could be a valuable asset to us."

There was no hint of mockery in Matsumoto's voice when he said this, but the team members behind him were holding back their laughter as if Matsumoto was making a joke. Only Haruto remained serious, genuinely curious about what Akira's response would be.

"Yeah, Quantum Esports isn't doing great right now. As the manager, there's a lot I need to handle to keep things afloat."

Naturally, Matsumoto and Haruto were taken aback when they heard "manager."

"Wait a second," Matsumoto said, scratching his head. "Did I hear that right? You're the manager now? You?"

A grin spread across Akira's face. He nodded.

"That's right. I hung my mouse and keyboard." He lifted one of his hands. "As my doctor, and my best my friends said, that I won't ever be the same, even if my wrist heals. I'll lose my edge."

"Ah, I'm sorry." Matsumoto seemed to regret his earlier remarks, but his team members chuckled.

Meanwhile, Haruto clenched his fists.

"I didn't know that you---"

"It's fine, Mr. Matsumoto," Akira said with a wide smile. "I might have given up on my career as a pro player, but I haven't given up on Quantum Esports. Right now, we're in the rebuilding phase. But we will be competing in the Regional Championship this year."

The entire Monster Eaters Esports team was stunned. Everyone knew the circumstances of Quantum Esports, especially Haruto. The manager and most of players had left the team, leaving only one remaining player.

The RRO Regional Championship was less than four months away. Given Quantum Esports' current state, it seemed impossible for the collapsing team to gather enough players in such a short time. Not to mention the severe financial struggles they were facing.

"Are you crazy, Akira?"

Suddenly, Haruto spoke up after remaining silent this whole time, startling his teammates.

"The team won't survive much longer. There's nothing left to hold on to for even a month. You should be saving some money to pay Daiki's severance. You're the team leader. You should be thinking about your teammates!"

"You're no longer part of Quantum Esports, Haruto," Akira interrupted.

Naturally, Haruto fell silent.

"You don't need to worry about our team anymore. I'll take care of Quantum Esports. You focus on your new team."

Realizing he had no right to speak, Haruto clenched his teeth. On the other hand, Matsumoto stayed quiet, aware that he had no place to interfere in their personal matters.

"Yeah… I understand," Haruto replied, lowering his head.

The atmosphere grew awkward again. Matsumoto felt it was time for them to part ways with Akira.

"Well then. I don't want to take up more of your time. I hope things go smoothly for you."

Akira smiled. "Yeah. I hope the same for you."

With that, Matsumoto quickly pressed the elevator button.

As the doors closed, Akira stared deeply at Haruto. He wanted to see what expression his friend was wearing, but Haruto was only looking at the floor.

Akira sighed.

"Focus. Don't get distracted. There's still important stuff to do."

After giving himself a pep talk, Akira walked down the long hallway.

Meanwhile, inside the elevator descending to the ground floor, the Monster Eaters Esports members remained silent after hearing Akira's declaration.

"Why do you think he came here?" one of the members asked.

"Obviously, to find a sponsor," Aoki replied. "You heard the conversation, right? Quantum Esports can't survive another month. They desperately need funding, or else their team will truly collapse."

Another member chuckled. "What a pitiful bastard. Does he not know that Yamaka Industries is already sponsoring us?"

Everyone in the elevator laughed, except for the manager and Haruto.

"Shut up. Have you forgotten our team was once in the same position as Quantum Esports? You should feel what he's feeling right now," Matsumoto scolded.

Aoki scoffed. "Who cares? That arrogant prick deserves it. Right, Haruto?"

"Yeah. In the end, he's the one who caused Quantum Esports' downfall."