Chapter 27: Guild Clash (Preliminary Match)

Chapter 27: Guild Clash (Preliminary Match)

Aftermath of the fight..

The ruins of Sector 12 in Meldivar, the First Realm of Enigma Online: Philippines, still crackled with leftover corruption. The anomalies had faded, but the weight of what transpired remained heavy on the few who survived it.

Only one guild had witnessed the full extent of the chaos—Fallen Halo.

No other players were present in the vault's final collapse, save for two unexpected outsiders: Astarte_toki, a mysterious gunner with knowledge of broken data paths DarkZero, that is also a silent but deadly player who had once walked the line between system protocols and anomaly code.

Together, they uncovered truths that went beyond any player event. Forbidden code. Fractured AIs. And the revelation that someone was pulling strings behind the scenes—possibly a rogue GM.

By surviving the incident, Astarte_toki and DarkZero were drawn into Fallen Halo's fold, becoming unofficial allies in Zaphro's quest to uncover the dark secrets of EOPH.

---

[Hourss Later — Village of Light VR Arena before the prelim schedule]

Back at their VR lounge, Zaphro looked around at his team—now joined by Astarte and DarkZero.

"This is bigger than just tournaments now," he said quietly. "If that thing in Meldivar was just the beginning... we'll need every ally we can get."

The others nodded.

Together, they were no longer just a guild.

They were the ones who knew the truth.

[The day of the tournament]

Zaphro's POV

I woke up early today—like really early—because today is THE DAY.

The day of the Guild Clash Preliminary Rounds.

I barely got any sleep last night, to be honest. I had just started my new job yesterday at Zeus Corporation. It was just an introductory day, mostly onboarding stuff. My bosses gave me the rundown on what I'd be doing, then toured me around the massive building so I wouldn't get lost. Honestly, it felt like exploring a whole new dungeon.

As for my actual job there… hmm. Let's just say it's a secret for now. Take a guess—what kind of role do you think someone like me would have in the company that owns Enigma Online PH?

Anyway, I had a quick shower, brewed some coffee, and headed to the kitchen where my younger sibling was already cooking.

"Oh, Kuya! Just in time. I made breakfast," Levi said cheerfully, plating up some bacon and hotdogs.

"I'll just take the coffee. Kinda busy," I replied, grabbing the mug.

"Busy? On a Saturday?"

"Tournament day. I need to be online by 8 AM sharp," I said briefly, sipping my drink.

"Well, good luck to your guild, Kuya," he said with a smile.

"Thanks! Alright, I gotta go." I downed the coffee, took one hotdog for the road, and slipped on my Dimension Splitter gear.

I was just about to hit the log-in command when a call registered on my chrome watch. A little holographic window projected from my wall-mounted sensor as I answered via voice command.

"Hey, Kid! Good morning!" came the familiar voice of GM Kaizen.

"Morning to you too, sir!"

"I'll be facilitating the Guild Clash today in Village of Light. How's your guild holding up?" he asked, already sounding amused.

"You? I thought GM Akil was assigned?"

"Haha, we swapped tasks this morning," Kaizen said with a sly grin on the hologram. "But hey, why the serious face?"

"Nothing important," I replied quickly. "See you in-game, sir." I ended the call before he could tease me more.

Sigh… he's totally going to mess with me later. Please no cringe moments!

Logging in…

»»»»»

Good thing I logged out inside Village Proper yesterday. I re-materialized right where I left off. The first thing I checked was my VirtualSphere—my friend list. Almost everyone was already online. Only Slicer and Aryus were missing.

The arena was at the heart of the village, and every player I saw was headed there. Some stopped by NPC stalls, buying bottled drinks and bagged snacks. Yes, even in-game food was a thing. There were burgers, fries, even popcorn and soda. All simulated to match real-world flavors.

Suddenly, my stomach grumbled.

Guess I'll buy something too.

"Yo, boss! Getting something too?" asked ar0012, who I hadn't noticed was already at the food stall I approached.

"Yeah, what's good here?" I asked.

"Try the special burger, man. It's insane!" he said, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Alright then," I told the vendor. "Give me two of those, please. Also, do you have Chaos Punch?"

The vendor nodded.

Chaos Punch was a rare potion drink with a unique effect on a player's avatar. Kind of like a boost potion, but not openly sold. You needed a special permit quest to unlock access.

"What's that drink?" ar0012 asked.

"Rare boost potion. You can only buy it if you've done a specific quest with the potion maker NPC," I explained.

"Dude, that's awesome. Can I get one?"

"Don't worry. I'm buying a bunch. Five million each though, so pay me later," I smirked.

I bought 20 bottles of Chaos Punch and one soda. Only the food and soda got bagged—the potions went straight to my inventory.

"Let's go. The others are waiting," I told him.

My wife was already at the arena with Gwydox. Since we shared inventory, Animus, and even pet access, she had everything ready. I messaged her quickly:

»On my way, Ma!«

She responded almost instantly.

»Hurry, Pa.«

Yeah. That's our sweet little pet name thing. Hehe.

We flew toward the arena at full speed.

»»»

[Village Arena]

Even at the entrance, the crowd was massive. Rows upon rows of players were seated in the grandstands encircling the central battlefield.

We headed toward the front—participant seats were reserved for guild members. Just as we arrived, Slicer and Aryus showed up too. Perfect timing.

"Good thing you made it," said Ayana as we joined her group.

"Has it started yet?" Slicer asked.

"Nope. Still waiting for the assigned GM," replied Shion.

"Oh, Kaizen's not here yet? Late again…" I muttered.

"I thought it was going to be GM Akil?" asked Leanne.

"They switched roles this morning. Kaizen's handling our bracket," I said.

"How'd you know?" Erik_Hertz raised a brow.

"I work for Zeus Corp now. I'm literally co-workers with Kaizen, Akil, Aero… and that Rogue GM Rowan," I admitted.

"Daaaamn. Big shot alert!" Slicer gave me a friendly shoulder tap.

"It's not like that… come on, guys."

Verillion raised an eyebrow. "Changing topic—what's this I heard about a scuffle between our guild and Black Pantheon?"

He looked directly at Slicer. I swear I had no clue about this! I'm innocent!

"Uh… well…" Slicer stammered.

"Blame him," Ayana pointed at Slicer. "He picked a duel with Amaterasu."

"That's not good. We don't need another enemy guild, especially one like Black Pantheon," Verillion said seriously.

"You've got a point, man. Should've held back," I added.

"I heard Ayana beat their Guild Leader though. That's kinda badass," said Erenir.

"For real? You beat their GL?" Accel looked at Ayana in awe.

"Yeah," she answered simply.

I handed the burger to Leanne, who was seated with Gwydox quietly perched on her shoulder. Jin and ar0012 were talking at the side. I pulled out the Chaos Punch bottles to distribute to the others, then sat beside Leanne and looked around.

The arena was massive. At each corner stood towering stone pillars etched with glowing runes—symbols of dragons, phoenixes, and cerberus beasts shimmered under the light. It looked like something from a mythical coliseum.

Suddenly, a booming sound echoed through the area as energetic music played.

"TO ALL PLAYERS PRESENT—GOOD DAY!" a familiar voice shouted.

GM Kaizen descended from above with a mic in hand, floating mid-air in the center of the arena.

"I'll be your facilitator for this event… Now tell me—ARE YOU READY FOR THE GUILD CLASH?!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

He laid out the rules. Each district would face off in elimination rounds. Two guilds per district. A match-type randomizer would determine each bout's format—1v1, 2v2 tag teams, 3v3, even 4v4 and 20v20. A point system would determine the winner.

Then came the announcement:

Guild Sequence:

1st Match — District 5: Xgear08 vs. Balistic

2nd Match — District 7: Cyber Phantom vs. Predators

3rd Match — District 2: Warrior Elves vs. DeltaSquad

4th Match — District 10: DarkCovenant vs. Athena's Guard

5th Match — Central City: Fallen Halo vs. Black Pantheon

6th Match — District 3: Breakers_Empire vs. Crimson Dragons

7th Match — District 6: Silver Knights vs. Second Sight

8th Match — District 4: Pentagram vs. Mirage

9th Match — District 1: Shadow Claw vs. Golden Scarabs

10th Match — District 9: Avalon Crusaders vs. Metaloid

11th Match — District 8: Helix vs. Furion

Our guild, Fallen Halo, was the fifth match. Still a while before we fought, so we kicked back and watched.

"GM Kaizen: Are you ready for the first match?"

A wave of cheers echoed back.

"Then let's not waste time! District 5 guilds—take your positions!"

Xgear08 and Balistic entered the arena. Over twenty members per guild, lining up at opposite ends of the battle ring. A giant screen lit up with the first match configuration:

3v3 BATTLE — 10-Minute Time Limit

The crowd roared.

And just like that—the Guild Clash began.

The tension inside the Village Arena was palpable. Cheers echoed across the stadium, a mixture of excitement and adrenaline-filled anticipation. The digital sky above shifted into a vivid aurora-like spectacle as the 3 on 3 Battle between Xgear08 and Balistic commenced.

A massive floating hologram in the center displayed player profiles and guild emblems, complete with stats, levels, and achievements. The first clash was intense. Flashy swordplay, combo chains, and elemental magic lit up the stage. The crowd roared with every critical hit and narrow dodge.

I leaned forward, munching slowly on my burger while observing their combat styles.

"Not bad..." I muttered.

Leanne, sitting beside me, looked at the match with curiosity but stayed silent. Gwydox—still perched on her shoulder—gave a low grunt.

"Hmph. They're flashy, but sloppy," Gwydox commented in his usual moody tone.

Ayana smirked. "I think they're holding back. These are just prelims after all."

"Yeah. I'm more interested in how the top-tier guilds perform later," I replied.

Slicer, who was standing behind us with his arms crossed, added, "If Black Pantheon's here, they'll go all out. Especially after our little 'incident'."

"You mean your incident." Shion side-eyed him.

Slicer laughed sheepishly. "Okay, okay... my bad."

More matches followed. Guilds from Districts 7 to 4 brought their own flair to the battlefield—some relied on brute force, others on elegant coordination. I noticed one team used synchronized air-juggling combos, keeping enemies suspended for seconds while rotating damage-dealers. It was effective... and brutal.

Accel watched in awe, whispering, "This feels like an e-sports finals."

"That's because it basically is," I replied. "Except here, lives may not be real, but reputations? They're very real."

---

The battlefield shimmered under the digital sun as the crowd buzzed with electricity. This was it—the most anticipated guild match of the cycle.

"In this round—Black Pantheon versus Fallen Halo!"

The crowd exploded with cheers.

From the east gate emerged Black Pantheon, a sleek and deadly unit moving in sync like a trained militia. Sniper scopes glinted. Ammunition belts hung like sashes. They were a gunner's dream team—80% gunners, 20% mages.

At the front of their formation was Amaterasu, cold and composed, her custom sniper rifle slung across her back like a divine weapon. Her golden visor gleamed like the sun.

She raised one hand, signaling her team, her gaze locked on us.

From the west gate, Fallen Halo strode in.

Leading the charge—myself, Zaphro, Fallen Angel class, with my crimson sword on my shoulder. Right behind me was Accel, the only other Fallen Angel, his crimson halo flickering subtly.

Our guild formation was tight, our diversity unmatched:

Ayana, graceful and deadly, summoned two spectral beasts already prowling at her side.

Verillion, calm and intense, hands swirling with storm and stone.

Aryus, clad in holy armor, shield aglow with divine light.

Shion, flexing his shifting plates of adaptive armor, a living fortress.

Slicer, Blade Master, dual swords resting at his hips like sleeping fangs.

Jin, ever-smirking, spun his longsword playfully as if itching to cut loose.

Erenir and Erik, elemental twins of flame and water, nodded to each other in sync.

Xavier and Great_Kai, elf hybrids with multi-role kits, adjusted their dual-toned gear.

AR0012, our sharp-eyed sniper, remained silent, already calculating angles.

The arena began its shift—towers, cover points, and sniper nests rising. This battlefield was clearly rigged for long-range dominance.

"Perfect for her," I muttered.

The randomizer landed up to the 20v20 match.. Black Pantheon has the advantage in numbers since the guild is composed of 43 members. They are only aloud to 20 participants that includes Amaterasu.

20 versus 13 this will be a fun match!

Ayana stepped beside me. "Let them take the towers. That'll make their fall more dramatic."

The countdown began.

3... 2... 1... Fight!

Gunfire erupted. Bullets rained like a metallic storm as Black Pantheon opened with suppressive fire.

"Disperse!" I ordered.

Our formation split like a blooming flower.

AR0012 and Xavier took positions on elevated platforms, firing back with mechanical precision. Verillion raised a wall of earth, blocking an explosive shell aimed at Erik, who countered with a high-pressure jet of water.

I dashed forward, wings bursting open behind me, dancing through the chaos.

"Accel, left flank! Shion, hold their fireline!"

Aryus invoked a holy barrier just as Amaterasu locked onto Jin. The bullet ricocheted harmlessly, and Jin countered with a speed boost, reaching one of their gunners and striking him down in one clean slash.

The match turned into organized mayhem.

Ayana's summoned golems and Zodiac Spirits crushed enemy terrain.

Slicer blurred through two targets in a flurry of silver and shadow.

Great_Kai unleashed a hybrid spell—wind arrows wrapped in thunderbolts—knocking back two mages.

Meanwhile, Amaterasu vanished from her perch and repositioned.

"She's on the move," AR0012 said in our team comms.

"I see her," I said.

I ascended high above the battlefield, spotting her diving into a sniper nest.

"Fallen Halo, collapse center! Focus fire on Amaterasu!"

She was good. Very good. Two headshots—Verillion barely dodged one, while the other clipped Erik, sending him reeling.

But we were no amateurs.

Accel appeared behind her with a flash step, tossing his cards under her. "Black hole!' She twisted, narrowly escaping—but not without a scratch.

That was our opening.

I dropped.

My sword flared with chaotic crimson and blue light.

"Heaven's Judgment!"

A black sigil expanded above her. Before she could leap out, Erenir's fire barrage pinned her in place, and my skill landed with a thunderous crash.

[Critical Hit – System Lockdown]

Her HP dropped to 1.

Black Pantheon Leader Eliminated.

The field froze.

One by one, the remaining gunners and mages were swept up by coordinated strikes. Shion tanked four shots just to give Slicer a clean path through the last two mages.

Final System Announcement: Victory – Fallen Halo

Cheers erupted.

We stood together at the center of the arena, bruised but standing tall. I looked around—my guildmates grinning, breathing hard, victorious.

Amaterasu stood as her avatar reformed near the exit. She gave me a short nod of recognition.

"You really are atrong, Zaphro. Fallen Halo's no joke."

"Neither are you," I replied. "Next time, we'll both be stronger."

As we exited the battlefield, Kaizen's voice echoed through the arena.

"A masterclass in strategy, synergy, and raw firepower—Fallen Halo advances!"

Accel leaned on his sword, grinning. "We actually pulled it off."

I smiled. "This is just one step. The real fight's still ahead."