There was no official history of the Billion Club.
It had no beginning. Nor did it have a leader.
It just… existed.
Since time immemorial, the Billion Club had existed like a memory, especially among the upper echelons of the Primordial Tower.
No one chose its members, despite it being the strongest unofficial organization in the Primordial Tower.
If one had to put a label on a figurehead selecting its members anyway, then it could only be — Chaos and Order!
The Systems didn't ask for advice.
Nor did they need a Contestant's permission.
And they used only one criterion before choosing the club's members — the criterion that had endured wars for centuries since ancient times…
Rumors!
All Contestants stood a chance to join the club once the rumors about them crossed a certain threshold.
It could be related only to raw strength.
It could be a combination of strength, background, and other mysteries, too.
Yet, because of the involvement of the Systems, two things remained undeniable about the Billion Club.
First, all those who achieved an equivalent Bounty of a billion Berries were monsters to behold. It was especially so for those who joined the club before the 4th Set, becoming a sign of their special nature.
Known only to a select few in the Primordial Tower, The Banished One had joined the club on the 1st Set itself. The Cartoonist hadn't even completed his Initiation Mission when he became a member. Then there was the Red King, unanimously acknowledged strongest King from the 18th Floor, who had joined the club on the 9th Floor. The mysterious Purple King had joined the club even earlier, it was said.
Second, even if the selection was based on rumors, that was as close as one could get to learning the nearest truth.
Because — there had never been a fire without an ember…
…
15th Floor
The City of Billions
No Contestant on this Floor wasn't a member of the Billion Club.
If a Contestant, by sheer lucky chances, stumbled his way up to the 15th Floor without joining the club, regardless, he was… discarded.
It was no official rule.
But if strength dictated rules, then it was the only rule.
Presently, a storm was raging across the Floor, sweeping through the minds of all the Contestants.
No.
This storm wasn't a metaphorical one.
Wildest gusts of hypersonic wind slammed the space, booms-bangs making the ears bleed.
The leader of Quasi Cipher Pol, Contestant Pangu, struck the earth like a meteorite, chunks of earth as large as mansions, exploding off in his surroundings.
Durga, the leader of Flowers of Doom, landed at a distance, her right eye shut.
Far away from her, surrounded by a pulsating blue magical aura, the leader of the Millennial Magical Alliance—Lord Viracocha—hovered, boiling with anger.
And standing on the Boundary Wall of the city, Atlas, the leader of 100 Zanpakuto School, and Black Saber, the leader of Hyperspace Raiders, watched the fiasco playing out.
"… Hahaha!" Red bolts of lightning thundered out of the crater, followed by a titan as Pangu assumed his original form. "… If you wanted a fight, then just fight! Why give a sorry excuse…"
Durga harrumphed, a black face appearing behind her, replacing the sky.
From the black face, a tongue slithered out, covered in millions of strange glyphs.
"… No one can manipulate me and get away with it…" Durga thundered. "NO ONE!"
Lord Viracocha, who had been brimming with madness and who had attacked Pangu first, suddenly blinked several times. "I think… You two should calm down…"
"…?"
Pangu took a deep breath and looked at Durga. "I did not manipulate you…." He said. "Any of you…"
"Then why did it happen right after you claimed to have cursed that bastard?!" Durga spat. "We can't even figure out what's going in that timeline anymore!"
Pangu's face held a frown.
That was… unfortunately true.
The Order of Immortal Lotus had gone utterly quiet.
The remaining four 12th Floor Contestants couldn't leave the Cursed Vaults without the Order's help because of the Seals on them, either, basically turning the Vaults their prison.
Now, these four leaders believed that he had duped them with the Luck-curse matter, Pangu knew.
And it was all because…
Pangu remembered the Wanted Poster, and he balled his massive fingers into fists. "… You obviously are not ready to hear reason," he said, looking at all of them. "… Come then. Let's get over with it."
Black Saber sighed.
Atlas opened his eyes, his hand landing on the sword's hilt.
One way or another, the Alliance of Supremes to kill the Five-Crowned Prince was already ruined… raged to the ground by a storm.
…
18th Floor
The City of Colors
Viceroy Shadow Origin stood dutifully next to the throne, a purple mist surrounding the Purple King.
His voice rang slowly, but heavily, within the Throne Hall as he read the content of the circular that had arrived with the Wanted Poster.
The Holy Grail War. Matou Inheritance. Ruler-Class Servants. Separation of Evil. Heaven's Feel route. Incomprehensible scale of battles that were enough to annihilate all 9th Floor Contestants together. Ainz Ooal Gown. The Final War. Gorgon…
There were rumors after rumors.
Each one of them was as shocking as the last, making even Shadow Origin require his utmost not to break the narration.
Still, one of the rumors stood out like a thumb.
Contestant Red… had defeated an unrestrained 12th Floor Contestant from Order's Peak to win the Holy Grail War.
In itself, this would have been enough to push him to the Billion Club.
But, when they combined it with the rumor that this 12th Floor Contestant had a… Glitch, it riled up the purple mist.
Shadow Origin ended the narration.
"… Give it to me," the King demanded.
The Viceroy took out the Wanted Poster and let it glide toward the King.
Hiding her mysteries under the mist, Purple Mist eyed her brother and smirked. "It seems," she said, "Red fooled the entire Tower with his previous bounties."
Shadow Origin's eyes widened. "Your Majesty…" he gulped. "You mean…"
"Yeah." Purple Mist's smirk became a smile. "This guy was already worth a billion even before going to the Fate timeline."
Her eyes descended from Kai's demonic image and landed on his bounty under the name RED in bold —
— $ 2,300,000,000!
Suddenly, a pressure fell upon them.
With a thud, Shadow Origin's knees bent, and he barely managed to hold himself up, sweat drenching his back.
"… It's…" he stuttered. "It's the Red King."
Purple Mist calmly stood up and took a deep breath.
"It was bound to happen…" she said, a vile grin surfacing on her lips. "… We… have unknowingly walked into a storm… Haha!"
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AN: Original Image of Wanted Poster is available
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