The War Grounds was alive with bloodlust.
Tens of thousands of demons filled the obsidian coliseum, their roars shaking the stone pillars. Fires blazed in giant braziers, casting crimson light across the battlefield. Above, banners of the different Directorates fluttered in the smoke-filled air.
This was no simple duel. This was a spectacle. A trial by survival.
And I, Rayan Arvale, the most terrified "Director" in history, was right in the middle of it.
Director Varis stood tall at the opposite side of the arena, clad in silver-edged armor. His crimson cape flowed behind him, horns gleaming like polished blades.
Beside him stood his three warriors—monsters in humanoid form.
The first was a hulking brute with four arms, each holding a different weapon dripping with venom.The second, a lithe assassin cloaked in shadow, twin daggers whispering curses.The third, a mage whose staff dripped molten lava, his eyes glowing like furnaces.
The crowd chanted their names, drunk on anticipation.
I glanced at my own trio.
Grack, the janitor-turned-axe-wielding berserker, cracked his knuckles.Lira floated inches above the ground, cursed flames licking her fingertips.Darron yawned, then stretched, and a ripple of raw killing intent swept through the sand.
The demons in the front row shivered.
"Who are these people?""They weren't even fighters a week ago!""Arvale… what have you created?"
I tried to keep a poker face. In truth, I wanted to faint.
The Ledger hummed in my vision.[ Trial of Strength Begins. ][ Rule: Three versus Three. ][ Survival Condition: Your side must remain standing. ]
The coliseum shook as a gong thundered.
The trial had begun.
Varis's brute roared and charged, four weapons slashing toward Grack.
Steel clashed with obsidian as Grack swung his axe, the sound like thunder splitting the sky. Sparks flew as the brute's four weapons crashed against a single cleaving strike.
The crowd screamed.
"Impossible!""He stopped all four arms!"
Grack bared his teeth, veins bulging across his forehead. "Janitors clean up messes," he growled. "And you're the mess!"
With a roar, he pushed forward, his axe slicing through two of the brute's weapons in a shower of broken shards.
Meanwhile, the assassin darted toward me.
Wait—ME?
"Ledger, HELP!" I yelped.
The book shimmered open.[ Transaction: Convert 50 Chaos Credits → Barrier of Chaos. ]
A shimmering wall burst into existence in front of me just as the assassin's dagger pierced forward. The blade screeched against the barrier, failing to penetrate.
The crowd gasped.
"He deflects assassins with casual barriers!""He's untouchable!"
I was crouched behind the shield, sweating bullets. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.
Thankfully, Lira swooped in.
Her cursed flames ignited into a storm, forming a burning circle around the assassin. "Don't touch the Director," she hissed, her voice echoing with newfound confidence.
The assassin faltered as flames licked at his cloak. His speed slowed. His shadow melted away under the cursed light.
And the crowd went wild again.
That left the mage.
He raised his staff, summoning molten fire that dripped from the heavens like falling meteors.
The entire coliseum glowed with searing heat. Demons cheered, anticipating carnage.
Darron yawned.
Then, with a lazy flick of his wrist, he waved away the molten meteors. The air rippled, reality itself bending as the fire unraveled into harmless sparks.
The mage froze, his jaw dropping.
Darron rubbed his eyes. "Too noisy." He stomped once, and the ground cracked beneath the mage, swallowing him whole.
Silence.
The coliseum went dead silent.
Then—an explosion of cheers, chants, and roars so loud the walls trembled.
Director Varis's warriors lay broken and defeated across the sand.
My trio stood triumphant, barely winded.
And me? I stood there trying not to collapse, desperately pretending I had orchestrated all of this.
Varis's face twisted in rage and disbelief.
"This… this is impossible!" he shouted. "They were nobodies!"
He pointed a trembling finger at me. "You! What are you?"
The crowd hushed, waiting for my response.
I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and channeled every ounce of fake authority I had.
"I," I said slowly, "am simply… the Director."
The coliseum erupted in madness.
The Ledger hummed with delight.[ Trial of Strength Complete. ][ Reward: +5,000 Chaos Credits. Reputation Increased. ][ New Title Acquired: Demon Tamer of Legends. ]
I almost choked. Demon Tamer? What nonsense was this?
But the demons bought it.
They roared my name, their cheers shaking the world.
And as Varis stormed away, humiliated, I realized something terrifying.
Every battle, every misunderstanding, every survival… was building me into something larger than life.
The Demon Realm now saw me as a monster among monsters.
And I had no idea how much longer I could keep up the act.
The coliseum still shook with cheers long after the gong declared the match over.
"Arvale! Arvale! Arvale!"
My name was on the lips of tens of thousands of demons, chanted like a war anthem. The sound was deafening, intoxicating… and absolutely horrifying.
I stood in the center of the arena, forcing myself to look composed, while inside my brain shrieked: How the hell did this happen?
Grack strode to my side, axe resting on his shoulder, chest heaving with pride. "Director," he said gruffly, "we have upheld your honor."
Lira descended gracefully beside me, her cursed flames still flickering faintly. She bowed her head. "This victory belongs to you."
Darron wandered up last, yawning so hard half the front row flinched as if his breath might kill them. "Done already?" he asked sleepily.
The crowd gasped at their devotion.
"Did you hear? They credit him for everything!""His soldiers worship him!""No wonder they're unstoppable!"
I wanted to scream: It was just Platinum packages and dumb luck!
Instead, I lifted my chin, nodded solemnly, and raised a single hand.
The coliseum erupted again.
Director Varis stumbled to his feet, his warriors unconscious around him. His face twisted in fury.
"This… this farce—!" he began.
But before he could finish, a booming voice silenced the coliseum.
"Enough."
The crowd froze. Every demon turned toward the high balcony that overlooked the War Grounds.
Sitting there was a figure draped in royal colors, golden eyes burning with authority. A royal envoy? No.
A prince.
My blood ran cold.
The prince rose, his aura pressing down on the entire arena like the weight of a collapsing mountain. Even the strongest Directors bowed instinctively.
"You dare call it a farce, Varis?" the prince said, his voice cutting like a blade. "I witnessed the trial myself. Director Arvale's strength is… undeniable."
Gasps rippled through the audience.
"A prince was watching?!""He acknowledges Arvale?!""This changes everything!"
Varis paled, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. He bowed so low his forehead scraped the sand. "Forgive me, Your Highness."
The prince's golden eyes turned to me. "Rayan Arvale… you intrigue me."
The Ledger pulsed in my vision.[ Scenario Update: Royal Interest Acquired. ][ Caution: Royal attention may lead to opportunity… or death. ]
Great. Wonderful. Exactly what I didn't want.
I bowed clumsily, trying to imitate the other Directors. "Your Highness honors me," I said, voice shaking only a little.
The prince studied me for a long moment before giving a faint smile. "The palace will be watching you closely."
He vanished in a shimmer of light, leaving silence in his wake.
Then the crowd exploded again, louder than ever.
By the time we left the War Grounds, the city was in chaos.
Bards were already singing exaggerated versions of the fight. Street vendors sold "Director Arvale dolls" that shot fire from their mouths. Even the 5-star hotels lit banners declaring, WE HONOR THE LEGENDARY DIRECTOR!
I walked through it all in a daze, my trio guarding me like loyal generals. Every demon we passed bowed or whispered reverently.
To them, I wasn't just a Director anymore. I was a rising overlord.
That night, back in the headquarters, the staff welcomed us with tears of joy.
"Director, you've secured our honor!""Other Directorates fear us now!""You've given us a future!"
They piled gifts on my desk: enchanted weapons, rare ingredients, contracts of loyalty. My office looked like a treasure hoard.
I sat behind the mountain of offerings, staring blankly at the Ledger glowing on my desk.
[ Reward Claimed: +5,000 Chaos Credits. ][ New Subordinate Loyalty Increased. ][ Title Upgrade: Demon Tamer → Rising Tyrant. ]
I buried my face in my hands. "Why do these titles keep getting worse?"
Later that night, I sneaked onto the balcony alone. The city sprawled below, torches and magic lights twinkling like stars.
I should've been proud. I should've been celebrating.
But all I felt was dread.
The royals knew my name now. The other Directors feared me. The demons worshipped me.
One wrong move, one slip, and the entire illusion would collapse.
The Ledger hummed softly.[ Warning: The Multiversal Trial escalates. Stronger foes approach. ][ Tip: Use misunderstanding. Use fear. Use wealth. Survive. ]
I leaned back against the railing, laughing weakly.
"Survive, huh? Easier said than done."
The night wind carried the cheers of the city up to me.
And deep in my bones, I knew this was only the beginning.