"Are you single or-...?"

"Sorry, but I won't be answering any questions about my personal life, I'd rather keep that private. Is there anything else you want to ask?" I responded.

"Uh...oh, yes, about the blade you used during the HCC, the black one with the purple streak, did you have that custom-made? The way it cut through Miss Ciel Campbell's sword with a single strike was incredible."

"No, I got it from a Dungeon Boss. Alright, anyone else? Yes, you, go ahead."

"What do you plan to do now that your rank reflects your true power? Have any of the Guilds reached out to you yet."

"Dunno, I woke up like a couple of hours ago and haven't checked my mail yet, I'll take a look at it once I get home and weigh my options," I replied, before nodding at another reporter as she raised her hand.

"This is a bit vague, but how much can you tell us about your powers? You said you aren't going to get into specifics, but perhaps a general idea of what you're capable of?"

"Well, besides the jaws of energy I displayed, I've got a number of debuff Skills up my sleeve, a couple of different power-up Skills, and a close-range attack that jolts the target's Mana flow and causes physical damage," I replied, listing the abilities I'd openly used during the tournament, before nodding at another reporter, as he raised his hand.

"What about the ability you used in your first match, when you teleported your opponent's weapon into your grasp?"

"I mean, you just about summed it up perfectly, not much I can add to that. I can teleport a target's belonging to me, like so...," I replied, before chanting under my breath, "<Steal>."

The reporter's hat suddenly disappeared off the top of his head, reappearing in my hand before I tossed it back to him.

As he caught it and put it back on his head with a bemused look on his face, I then prompted another reporter as a few more of them raised their hands.

"About the tournament, you finished in second place, how do you feel about that?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that I lost. That said, overall, I'm pretty happy with my performance. If I ever participate again, I'll win it next time," I remarked with a smile.

I fielded a bunch more questions as the reporters continued asking me one by one.

I refused to answer anything too personal or specific about my powers, and eventually, they finally ran out of questions.

Once I wrapped up the press conference, I headed back backstage, letting out a strained sigh as I slipped out of sight of the reporters.

That really wore me out, damn it.

"Good job, you handled yourself well. I think it's safe to say you made a good impression," Charlotte greeted me with a smile.

"Yeah? So, can I go home now?"

"Yes, of course. I've arranged for a car to transport you home, there's quite a crowd gathered outside. Members of the Union are keeping them at bay, but you should probably hurry before they get overwhelmed," She informed me.

"Don't like the sound of that. I guess this means I won't be able to go out in public all that much for a while, huh?" I sighed wistfully.

"Yes, but don't worry, I'm sure the hype will die down before too long."

"I certainly hope so. Well, anyway, I'm gonna get going now. Thanks for everything, I owe you big-time, Chairwoman. I'll see you around," I remarked with a grateful smile, as I walked away with a wave.

"Yes, take care of yourself, Kai. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the future."

"Cool, I'll try not to let you down."

I made my way through the building, heading for the entrance. As I stepped outside, a deafening cacophony of voices met me, a massive crowd gathered outside, held back by members of the Union.

"There he is!"

"Over here!"

"Can I get a selfie with you?!"

"He looks shorter in real life."

"I love you!"

"Oh, my gosh, he just looked at me!"

I already have fans? Also, I'm 5'11", that's not short!

"Here, get in, quickly. We'll take you home right away," One of the Union members called out to me, opening the door of the car.

"Thanks," I nodded, before stepping inside.

I slumped against the seat as he shut the door, the driver starting to car up as I stifled a yawn.

Man, I'm beat!

Ai, clear my schedule, I'm going to be busy doing absolutely nothing for the next few days!

<You don't have a schedule>

Yeah, yeah, it was just a figure of speech.

<You should probably check your mail, it's highly likely that the Guilds have reached out to you by now>

Oh, right. I'll take a look when I get home.

<You'll probably forget, so I'll make sure to remind you>

Cool, thanks, counting on you.

The press conference had been held at the Union building, so it was a pretty short drive back home.

Doxxing is a serious crime in this era, so I doubt I'll have to worry about people tracking down my address.

And even if they do, the building's got a lot of security, you can't it unless you're authorized by one of the residents.

As the car arrived at the apartment, I got down and headed in, the security guard staring at me as I entered the building.

I haven't really interacted with any of my neighbors, hope none of them get weird about it.

I headed up the elevator and back to my place, shutting and locking the door as I walked in, before dragging my feet over to the couch and flopping onto it.

<At least go to your bed>

<And check your email>

Yeah, yeah, I know. Let's see here...

Oh, cool, looks like I've got new mail from all four Guilds in Sanctuary Theta...as well as five from some of the Guilds in the rest of the world.

I'm not interested in moving out of Sanctuary Theta, so I'll have to decline any foreign offers.

Now, then, let's check out how much these Guilds think I'm worth-...huh? The fuck? Are...are these numbers for real?!

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