The Demonic Games (Disgardium Book #7): LitRPG Series, Dan Sugralinov [the read aloud family TXT] 📗

did, would it be justice? The viewers only know what they’re told. They don’t know the first thing about the accused…”

“Alex, I don’t know where you’re going with this…” Ian was floundering.

“I just want to say… the majority isn’t always right. Sometimes people are just bored and want entertainment. Blood.”

“Bread and circuses…” Ian muttered.

The recording eye went out. It looked like I’d touched on something that couldn’t be talked about publicly. Mitchell wanted to ask something else, but suddenly the door opened, several camera drones flew in and Ian gestured to me that it was time to end the interview.

Leaving the journalist to finish smoking his cigar, I returned to the hall and immediately fell deaf. An advertisement clip for the Undead was playing, booming out a soundtrack. A holoprojection above us showcased the advantages of the new faction, and on stage, actors performed a theatrical introduction for the Destroying Plague. I swore under my breath. Such bullshit. There were no zombies so beautiful and plastic!

When the show ended, Kiran and Chloe reappeared. Jackson shouted:

“And now, folks, we’re saying good-bye and handing off the Games to someone who has been hosting them for almost twenty years! His name is…”

“Ga-a-a-i-us!” Chloe shouted, and the hall began to erupt with cheers and screams.

“Ba-r-r-r-ron!” Kiran continued as if introducing a boxing match.

“Octius!” the crowd roared.

“Please welcome to the stage Gaius Barron Octius, the irreplaceable master of ceremonies of the Demonic Games!”

Rock music roared, pounding so loud that the plates on the tables rattled. Kiran and Chloe pointed to the ceiling where a platform was descending. A fearsome armored man with a gray beard stood upon on it, his arms crossed. The hilts of two swords stuck out above his shoulders. He surveyed the hall with a frown.

Chloe and Kiran disappeared in the darkness. Spotlights lit up Octius. Without waiting for the floating platform to finish descending, the steely gamesmaster jumped off it, landing with a crash of platemail. The music stopped. A few seconds’ silence… Then Octius raised his fist into the air, shouting:

“I wish all summoned here a night to remember! I declare the nineteenth year of the Demonic Games officially open!”

The hall lit up with the flashes of devices recording the official start of the Games. A holocube above the stage showed scenes of this year’s contestants. I saw Tissa there, healing me in the final of the Junior Arena.

“Allow me to introduce all the contestants!” Octius said. “This year we have almost four hundred arrivals!”

The tables rose one after another on their columns and Guy Barron listed the names of their contestants while the lights moved over them. One of the first tables to rise up was Malik and Tissa’s. My former friends got different welcomes: Malik got scattered clapping, with even a disapproving boo here or there, but Tissa got an ovation.

My attention quickly switched to the next contestant:

“R-r-renato Loyola, better known as Quetzal the Destroyer!” the gamesmaster announced. “Member of one of the strongest clans in the world, Excommunicado! Champion of the Solo Arena!”

It was that same aggressive man with the bow-tie from before. He raised both his arms, his fingers intertwined, and shook them above his head. It turned out Quetzal had tons of fans. I set myself the goal of finding out what the gladiator’s class was.

“Mar-rr-rcus Jansson, also known as Marcus the Bru-u-i-serrr! Member of another mighty clan — Warsong! Vice-champion of the Solo Arena, losing only to Quetzal in the final!”

A large man in a colorful short-sleeved shirt rose from the table. He raised his strong hairy arms over his head.

After introducing both the gladiators, Octius moved to their neighbor:

“Youlang Hao, also known as spellcaster Youlang from the Azure Dragons!” Octius said. “One of the greatest mages of modernity!”

I looked at her face on the big screen, a thin Asian woman with short faded hair, tightly pursed lips and a frowning stare from beneath her brows. She sat between Quetzal and Marcus.

Soon I saw the already familiar rogue Berstan and the ice mage Kara — they had defended the cell where Crag was locked up in the Modus castle. Koba the elvish hunter sat with them — he was the one that carried me on his Golden Gryphon when Crag’s fate was being decided. I wondered what instructions Hinterleaf had given them concerning me.

Now the lights were on T-Modus, our opponents in the final of the Junior Arena. For the first time, I saw the entire team in the flesh: their captain, Filex the rogue, Yen the archer, Olaf the warlock, Kart the warrior and Kana the druid. They looked much older than back then — the images then were shot when they were fourteen, and now they were sixteen.

And Alison Wu the templar was with them too! She had been in reserve, but had made her contribution a little earlier. I hadn’t seen Alison since that memorable night at my place, when Scyth was stuck in the Nether. I didn’t know if she and Hung still stayed in touch after we went underground…

Our table was the last to be shown.

“Frankie Pontiac, better known as Frankie the Jockey!” Octius announced to the applause of the hall. “Champion of the Gryphon races! The fastest son of a bitch I’ve ever seen!”

Frankie rose, placed his hand on his heart and bowed.

“Jewel of the night, the incredible Anastasia Kovalenko, Anna the Sculptor and Miss Disgardium-2074!”

The girl stood up and waved to the hall, her smile blinding. Only then did I notice that Anna was taller even than Hung.

“Ooh!” the hall sighed in ecstasy.

“Joseph Rosenthal, who you all know as Meister the jeweler, winner of the royal and imperial contests for the best jewelry!” Octius paused for everyone to drink in images of the craftsman’s fine necklaces and bracelets. “Just stunning, Joseph! Our