Wielder Of The Dragon Flame

Chapter 43

The gathering quarters continued to fill. More and more laborers streaming in, the noise level rising as hundreds of conversations overlapped. Asta recognized some faces from training sessions or work details.

 Others were complete strangers,the labor section was large enough that you couldn't possibly know everyone.

Finally, when the space was packed nearly to capacity, Old Man Kael raised one hand. The gesture was small, but somehow it cut through the noise like a blade. Conversations died down in ripples, starting near the front and spreading backward until the entire room had fallen into expectant silence.

Kael let the silence hold for a moment longer, his cloudy eyes seeming to see through and past the assembled laborers to something beyond. Then he spoke, his voice carrying clearly despite not being particularly loud. 

There was something about his tone,the weight of experience, the authority of someone who'd earned respect rather than demanded it,that made people want to listen.

"Good morning, everyone." 

Kael said. A few scattered responses came back…

"Good morning, Old Man Kael"

…but most people just waited to hear what came next.

"First." 

Kael continued, 

"I want to apologize for the cancellation of today's squad training. I know many of you were preparing for your sessions, and the sudden change in schedule is inconvenient."

He paused, his weathered face creasing into something that might have been a slight smile. 

"However, I have good reason for making this change. I have an announcement that I believe will interest all of you, and some news about the path forward for everyone in this section."

Interest rippled through the crowd. People shifted, leaning forward slightly, attention sharpening. Changes to routine were rare in the labor section, and when they happened, they were usually significant.

"As many of you know." 

Kael said, his voice taking on a more serious tone, 

“You have all been organized into guild parties over the past few days. Four-person teams designed to work together, train together, and eventually take on missions together."

Heads nodded throughout the crowd. Everyone knew about the guilds,they'd all gone through the formation process, filled out the forms and received their preliminary rankings.

"The guild system." 

Kael continued.

 "Is designed to prepare you for real-world challenges. To teach you how to work as a team, how to trust your companions, how to combine your individual strengths into something greater than the sum of its parts."

His cloudy eyes swept across the crowd again. 

"But there's a problem. You've trained individually, and now you've been put into teams, but you haven't actually tested those teams. You haven't seen how you work together under pressure, haven't identified your weaknesses as a unit, haven't learned how to coordinate your abilities in real combat situations."

Asta felt a prickle of anticipation run down his spine. He knew where this was going before Kael even said it.

"So." 

Kael said, and now there was definitely something like satisfaction in his voice.

"Before you begin taking missions, before you go out into situations where real consequences await failure, we're going to test you. All of you. Every guild party in this section."

The crowd erupted in murmurs. Excited voices overlapped with nervous ones, speculation spreading like wildfire.

Kael raised his hand again, calling for silence, and gradually the noise died down. When he spoke again, his words fell into the quiet like stones into still water, each one creating ripples that spread outward.

"We are going to hold a tournament. A guild battle tournament, to be precise. Every four-person guild will face off against other guilds in structured combat. You'll be evaluated on teamwork, strategy, combat effectiveness, and how well you adapt to unexpected challenges."

He let that sink in for a moment, then continued. 

"The tournament will serve multiple purposes. First, it will show us,and show you,which teams are truly ready for missions and which need more training. Second, it will give you practical experience working together under pressure. And third..."

Kael's smile grew slightly, taking on an almost mischievous quality. 

"Third, it will determine which guild is the strongest in the labor section. Which team has the best combination of individual skill and group coordination. Which party deserves recognition as the elite of this facility."

The crowd exploded. This time Kael didn't try to quiet them,he just stood there, letting the excitement and nervous energy wash over him, apparently satisfied with the reaction he'd provoked.

People were already turning to their guild mates, voices rising in animated discussion:

"Did you hear that? A tournament!"

"We're actually going to fight other guilds!"

"How many teams do you think we'll have to beat?"

"What if we lose in the first round?"

"What do we get if we win?”

"The strongest guild in the labor section,can you imagine?"

Asta felt his own heart racing. A tournament. A real test of their skills, of Ember Watch's ability to work together. They'd only just formed yesterday, had barely begun training as a unit, and now they were going to be thrown into combat against other guilds who might have more experience, better coordination, stronger flames

It was terrifying, at the same time it was exciting and it was exactly what he needed.

He turned to look at his guild mates. Flora's eyes were shining with that competitive fire he'd seen yesterday. Mira was grinning, her scarred face lit up with anticipation. Even Jabber, despite his earlier pallor and hurt, had straightened slightly, a hint of interest breaking through his depression.

"Well." 

Flora said, having to raise her voice to be heard over the general noise.

“Looks like we're going to find out real quick if we can actually work together."

"Bring it on." 

Mira said, cracking her knuckles. 

"I've been wanting to see how we stack up against other teams."

Asta found himself grinning despite the nerves fluttering in his stomach. 

"Ember Watch is going to show everyone what we're made of."

He looked at Jabber, who was still staring up at the platform where Old Man Kael stood, but whose expression had shifted from blank despair to something more focused.

"Jabber?" 

Asta prompted.

 "Are you ready for this?"

Jabber was quiet for a long moment. Then, slowly, his lips curved into the smallest hint of a smile,the first smile Asta had seen from him all morning.

"Yeah." 

Jabber said quietly. 

"Yeah, I think I am."

On the platform, Old Man Kael was raising his hand again, preparing to provide more details about the tournament structure, the rules and the schedule.

But as Asta stood there with his guild mates, feeling their energy and determination and the bond they were beginning to forge, one thought crystallized in his mind with absolute clarity:

This was their chance. Their opportunity to prove that being in the labor section didn't mean they were worthless. That being called failures by society didn't make it true. That four people who'd been cast aside and forgotten could come together and create something powerful.

Ember Watch was about to show the entire labor section what embers could do when given air and fuel and a chance to burn…