Vol.2 Chapter 57
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Champions Brawl tournament after a well-deserved break! We hope you're all fueled up and ready for more adrenaline-pumping action," the panelist's voice boomed through the arena, energizing the crowd.
"As we resume the competition, we have an exciting match-up lined up for you next. Get ready to witness the clash of titans as Team Round Table faces off against Team Sakura eSports in a battle of skill, strategy, and determination," the main panelist continued, building anticipation among the spectators.
"That is right, Raze. The teams have had time to regroup, strategize, and recharge during the break, so we can expect nothing short of a thrilling showdown as they take to the virtual battlefield once again," the co-panelist joined in, setting the stage for the intense competition ahead.
"Without further ado, let's cheer on our players as they step back into the arena, ready to showcase their talents and compete for glory in the Champions Brawl tournament. Team Sakura eSports versus Team Round Table – who will emerge victorious?" the main panelist concluded, igniting cheers and applause from the audience as the participants entered the main stage and proceeded to their respective VR booths.
On the Sakura eSports side, Hana leads her team with a resolute and determined expression, a stark contrast to the cheerful demeanor she displayed while having lunch with us in the restaurant earlier. Conversely, on the Round Table's side, Xeno steps forward as the frontline, basking himself in the crowd's applause as their real team leader, Arthur, follows along with his two other teammates to make their way to their designated area.
“I’m also curious about which team would win. And to answer that question, let us ask it to an individual well-versed to provide insight, none other than the seasoned player, Mr. Bogdan, also known as Vlad the Impaler!" the co-panelist continued with a polished introduction.
Vlad made a nostalgic smile hearing that moniker. “Recalling that nickname stirs memories. Initially, I found it rather a tad bit too harsh. However, over time, I've grown accustomed to it, especially since fellow players in the game frequently refer to me by that name.”
“It is well earned, though. I've been a dedicated admirer since the early days. Your mastery of the spear is unparalleled, swiftly overwhelming opponents with precise and unavoidable thrusts, hence the fitting nickname,"
"Ahem... that's gratifying to hear, but let's refocus on the game, which I'm certain the audience is eager to discuss, rather than dwelling on this antiquated player," Vlad remarked in an attempt to redirect the conversation back to the main topic.
"Oh, it appears I couldn't quite suppress my inner fanboy there!" the panelist exclaimed jovially. "Now, what are your thoughts on the match, Mr. Bogdan?" he inquired further.
“Hmm… for me, both teams are evenly matched. The match’s outcome will depend on who outplays their opponents better in terms of tactical maneuvers and whose team’s ace shines the most, whether it is Round Table’s Arthur or Sakura’s Yatsafuma who does better,” Vlad gave his input.
“What do you think about that, Kat?” Liz tilted her head in wonder.
“…Why are you asking me?”
“Well, it’s because somehow, I think I could trust your words better than a seasoned veteran and former pro,” she gave me a jovial smile.
"I don't believe you should have such high expectations of me. I am prone to making mistakes as well, you know," I objected.
“Come on, please tell me what you think about the upcoming fight. I want to hear your thoughts about the match,” Liz pleaded.
I sighed in defeat. “I mostly agree with all that Vlad said… but there is one thing I think he doesn’t have a clue about.”
“…What is it,” Liz asked, extreme curiosity palpable on her face.
“It’s mostly my own speculation from many hours of scrutinizing their matches… but I think the Round Table has a hidden ace up their sleeve.”
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Hana’s PoV
We were transported into an open field, where a vast expanse of tall grasses swaying gently in the breeze stretched before me. The uninterrupted horizon creates a sense of spaciousness, while the subtle variations in green hues across the field add a touch of visual interest. The air is alive with the chirping of insects and the occasional trill of a bird while puffy white clouds drift lazily across the clear blue sky.
It was a well-detailed setting, considering this is only a virtual world, but that is what makes CoA unique and miles ahead of any competitors of its genre. It is to be expected, though, that the most popular game globally will deliver such excellence.
I shook my head as I saw my teammates waiting for my output on what we should do. This is no time to be distracted. Focus on the important match, Hana!
"Ahem," I cleared my throat. "Let us proceed with what my... what our team discussed earlier."
Oops, I almost blurted out my sister there. I must respect her wish to remain anonymous for as long as possible, probably for her strategic purpose or something. Well, I'm sure everyone will know eventually since the coaches are identifiable if anyone just looks at the team roster, even if the coach is a substitute like my sister currently is, but I don't need to be the one to expose it directly.
"Sure, let's do this, guys!" Kaito cheered.
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
The twins, Ren and Rei, responded in complete sync as we all headed to our respective orb capture targets.
Walking towards my destination, the tall grass swished against my legs as I plunged forward. The expanse seemed endless under the endless blue sky. With every step, the ground stretched out before me, an undulating sea of green. The wind whispered through the blades, carrying the scent of sun-warmed earth. I pushed on, determined to reach the heart of this wild, green expanse.
A couple of minutes of huffing and puffing later, I finally broke through the tall grass into a more open arena-like area more suitable for a skirmish. And there it was, the orb, pulsing with an otherworldly light, right in the center of the field. But I wasn't alone. A man stood a couple of meters in front of me, his posture radiating an air of confidence.
It seems that my sister is on point again. She predicted that the enemy team would send someone to stall our duo, Ren and Rei, whom we usually send to secure the strategic middle orb in order to do a 2v1 tactic against me, effectively negating my one-on-one advantage in fights. My sister truly is amazing!
I turned my focus to the opponent in front of me. From what I heard from Sis, the enemy I'm facing now is the weakest member of their team. This is good; I should finish this fast so I can back my team up.
Suddenly, I heard positive responses from my own team as well.
Arthur and his support.
Is here with us.
The twins, Ren and Rei, voiced in the team chat with their usual finishing-each-other-sentence antics.
I'm also engaging their last member in a 1v1. I'll try to beat her, but no promises,
Kaito inputted, the lack of confidence palpable in his tone.
"Understood. I'll finish this as soon as possible, then help take down Arthur. Please stall him as planned until I arrive," I suggested our pre-determined play as I turned off the voice chat to focus solely on the opponent before me.
Looking at my opponent from here, I saw the confident expression he was sporting suddenly falter. It seems he and his teammates also chatted with one another and came to the conclusion that their plans backfired and that we had the upper hand in the matchup.
There is nothing they can do now, though. It is too late to change rotations since we would get two orbs instantly if they both leave the bottom where the twins are orb and mid-orb. If it comes to that, all we have to do is regroup after taking the orbs and go after the last remaining orb with our entire team; then we would win. Or we could also just stall for time and play safe due to having an orb advantage and set up ambushes.
I focused on the ambiance of our surroundings in preparation for the upcoming duel. Sunlight dappled the tall grass in the virtual reality field. I gripped my katana, its weight reassuringly familiar in my hand. Across from me, my opponent lumbered into view, his tall and decently built avatar wielding a broadsword like a crowbar. I remembered what my sister said about him. His choice of weapon might make him slow, but his raw strength is up there, translating to formidable attack power and heavy attacks.
He spoke confidently. "I'll go all out from the start this time. I won't hold back just because you're a girl... even though you’re quite cute... and charming... and sexy to boot... and-"
"Let's just get this over with," I cut him off in exasperation.
I don't know if he is using stalling tactics against me, but enough is enough. You can only say so many compliments until it becomes borderline creepy.
"R-right! Then, are you ready?!" he exclaimed more to pump up himself.
I nodded back, raising my katana in a salute.
Upon seeing my confirmation, he charged, his broadsword swinging in a wide arc. I danced aside, the swoosh of metal echoing as his attack clipped the air.
He followed up his momentum with a spinning slash, which I deftly parried. The blow was incredibly heavy, a constant reminder of his hard-hitting style. We repeated this exchange with me, evaluating his speed and technique to better incorporate my moves and find an opening. I need to hurry and finish this to help my teammates, but I can't be too conceited and underestimate my opponent, or he might land a huge blow, and it might cost us the match.
"Y-you're too quick!" Xeno bellowed, his in-game avatar struggling to turn.
"Speed is crucial, especially in one-on-one bouts," I called back, circling him. Every successful dodge I countered by chipping away at his HP.
Xeno
HP: 71%
He swung again, this time slower, telegraphing his move. I saw the opening, a narrow window. With a lightning-fast strike, I sliced through his avatar's arm. Another chunk of his HP bar vanished.
Xeno
HP: 57%
A surprised grunt escaped Xeno. He fought with surprising resilience, his slow attacks forcing me to stay on my toes. Two more dances, two more dodges, and two more slices of my katana later, Xeno's HP bar dipped to red.
Xeno
HP: 18%
"Ack! Y-you’re better than I expected,” he exclaimed, masking his expression with a facade of confidence. A façade that I’m sure everyone with eyes could see through.
"You too. You have good instincts. Focus on honing your speed and reflexes. You'll become a formidable competitor in the future," I remarked, offering genuine encouragement.
"Hearing that from a lady such as yourself is quite reassuring, but the match is not over yet. I still hav-"
I lunged at him, pressing my attack to prevent him from doing whatever he wanted to do. Now that I have a good grasp on his tempo, it's my turn to be aggressive.
"Don't telegraph your next move to the opponent," I lectured.
It is clear that he is opting to use his weapon skill from his posturing just now. From what I heard from his sister, it is a revenge-oriented weapon skill, meaning the more damage he takes, the stronger it is. Nevertheless, he won't have the opportunity to utilize it if he remains constantly on edge, prioritizing his survival over employing his weapon skills.
Under my relentless, aggressive assault, he swung his giant broadsword at me in a desperate attempt to create some space between us for him to catch some breathing room.
It was a mistake, though; he finally showed the opening I'd been waiting for. With his predictable lunge, Xeno left his side exposed.
This was it. With a flourish that was entirely unnecessary (but undeniably satisfying), I unleashed a finishing blow. My katana sang through the air, a blur of deadly intent, and connected with my opponent.
KACHACK*
Xeno
HP: 0%
"What! I lost this easily! Art is going to scold me for this!"
His HP bar plummeted to zero as he exclaimed in shock at the outcome of our battle. His avatar then dissolved in a shower of blue light, effectively signaling the end of our duel.
I sighed in relief as I sheathed my katana with a flourish, the silence deafening after the clash of blades.
He shows some potential, but he's not quite up to par with the stronger players. Or maybe I just improved a lot? I hope so since I felt a newfound sense of liberation in my gameplay ever since my sister assumed the role of our coach and began backing our team.
Regardless of the circumstances, my primary objective is to secure this orb and then back up the twins in order to neutralize Arthur, the primary threat on the opposing team.
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Arthur's PoV
We've been had. Things are not looking up for us. The enemy read our move like a book and made a perfect counterplay against it. As hard as it is to admit, they completely outplayed us. As our leader, it is all my responsibility to take the blame for failing to prevent this from happening.
Still, this is not the time to wallow in regret. I have to focus on the ongoing match in order to turn things around. Our opponents have been giving us a hard time for a while now. They are a really good pair. It is like they know what each other is thinking and act accordingly to support each other.
I surveyed their HP from our previous exchanges. They are quite cumbersome to fight, especially the male twin, who never fails to protect his sister with his two-handed shield.
RE
HP: 73%
RE
HP: 91%
Their confusing name also adds insult to injury since it is possible to have the same name in this game due to having a massive player base, and the only thing that sets players with the same names apart is their player ID.
There is no time to get distracted, though; I have to do my best to make up for the tactical blunder I made. I mentally fortified myself as I parried with my trusted sword an incoming shield bash from the enemy shielder.
"Flamethrower!"
But in complete sync with her partner, the fire mage unleashed a torrent of fire towards me.
A wall of orange flame roared towards me, attempting to burn my HP, quite literally.
Thankfully, my trusted teammate Astrid reacted instantly, her hands flying in motion to create a counterspell.
"Ice shield!"
Ice bloomed around me, forming a shimmering shield that deflected the worst of the inferno. But the virtually realistic heat is still pressed in, baking the air and forcing me to take a step back so I don't get any chip damage in my HP.
This wasn't going to be an easy brawl. These guys fight with terrifying synergy. While the fire mage twin kept me pinned with her fire, the tank twin would shuffle forward, using his shield as a battering ram, attempting to flank me.
As the bout continued, I danced back, dodging the fiery blasts and deflecting the occasional swipe of the shield with my sword. It was a frustrating dance, constantly pushed back by the heat and the crushing weight of the male twin’s shield.
After a moment of back and forth, I finally found an opportunity! Taking advantage of a momentary lull in the flames, I lunged forward, aiming for the fire mage’s staff.
"Shield Fissure!"
Just as I was within striking distance, the male shielder used his weapon skill and slammed his shield into the ground, creating a mini-earthquake that threw me off balance. I stumbled, and a wave of reduced minuscule pain from the shot up my leg as I landed hard.
Arthur
HP: 63%
"Fireblast!" In complete sync with her teammate, the fire mage cast an attack, raising her staff for a fire spell.
But before the flames could engulf me, a blinding flash of white erupted from Astrid's hand. It was a quick spell suitable for quick incantations.
“Ice shard!”
A single shard of ice, honed to a razor's edge, flew towards the mage, smashing into her staff and extinguishing the flames.
"Ack!" the fire mage twin exclaimed in shock at the on-point attack, effectively disrupting her aim.
With a surge of adrenaline, I rolled away from the fireball that was off the mark due to my partner's help.
A few moments into the casting process, Astrid capitalized on the opportunity by invoking our ultimate attack, unleashing a mana-intensive swirling vortex of ice shards that cascaded upon the shield-bearing opponent. This is a one-time-only move due to the mana cost and cooldown of the skill, so we have to make it count.
“Ice Storm!” she exclaimed, brimming with emotion.
The male shield-user twin was compelled to raise his shield for protection, effectively restricting his movement.
This was our chance. We charged forward, our movements both in sync from the hundreds of times we played together as a team. Our only goal is to win, which is fueled by the desperate need to end this fight as soon as possible.
Astrid used the opening created by the ice storm that pinned the shielder in place to launch herself toward the fire mage at melee distance while I, too, charged at the fire mage head-on, my sword a blur as I parried her fireball attacks with the blunt of my sword.
Realizing she was outnumbered, the opposing fire mage attempted to create distance, but to no avail. Astrid completed the casting of another ice spell, unleashing it at close range, leaving the enemy mage little room to evade.
The fire mage was caught unawares by the proximity of Astrid's spellcasting.
“Freeze!”
Employing a crowd control tactic, Astrid directed a focused ice blast toward the vulnerable mage's exposed leg, freezing it momentarily and rendering her immobile.
As my opponent hurriedly tried to regain her movement, I finished charging up my ultimate move.
"Golden Sanctity!" I exclaimed.
A shimmering shockwave of golden life engulfed my opponent, successfully depleting her HP in one hit.
BOOM*
"Ack!"
RE
HP: 0%
"Rei!" the shielder exclaimed in shock as he finally got out of the ice storm, but it was a tad too late as his teammate was already defeated.
"Sorry, Ren..." was all the fire mage could say before she disappeared from the field.
I mentally gave myself a sigh of relief. We got this now. His DPS is gone, and the remaining enemy, being a support tank, has no means of damage.
As I let my guard down, a sudden chill ran down my spine as my player instincts, through honing my situational and battle, screamed at me.
"Astrid, be careful!" I exclaimed in a panic.
As those words left my lips, a figure emerged from the tall grass, her crimson robes billowing around her like a predatory bloom. With an otherworldly gleam, a katana shone in her grasp as she hastened towards my companion.
Before I could intervene to help my teammate, the crimson blur streaked across the field. In a feat of impossible speed, the katana-wielding woman materialized behind Astrid. The sound of a slash resonated as the blade made contact with flesh. It was a critical hit, characteristic of a backstab attack plus a head slash to boot, making it the highest possible damage in a single attack.
KACHACK*
Due to Astrid’s very low vitality build, she gasped in shock, her eyes widening as her HP bar depleted to zero at the well-executed attack.
Meridia
HP: 0%
She was left speechless at her sudden defeat as she disappeared into blue motes of light.
But the enemy was not done yet. Following her assault, she charged towards me without slowing in his momentum, assured of delivering a fatal blow to our mage in a single strike. With unwavering confidence, she uttered her distinctive phrase, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Falling Rain Blossom," she muttered.
She is using her weapon skill now!? You’ve got to be kidding me! Astrid and I have countermeasures against her overpowered weapon skill, but with Astrid gone, I have no way of counting her attack on my own!
As she initiated her weapon skill, the world narrowed—my tunnel vision focused on the flash of her blade. Her first strike came like a roaring whirlwind, aimed straight for my dominant hand. A tinge of pain flared as I barely managed to twist the sword away, the force sending a shock through my arm.
I had no time to dwell on it before the echo of the clang even faded; a second attack whips towards my chest – lightning fast, a viper's strike aiming for a gap in my defense.
Instinct and a thousand hours of training take over as I desperately slam the flat of my blade upwards, deflecting the razor-sharp edge by a hair's breadth. My heart pounds a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
But she was not done just yet. With a roar that seems to tear through the air, a final strike materializes from my opponent – a split-second blur aimed straight at my head.
Her precise and deadly lunge against my desperate parry – the world explodes in a cacophony of ringing metal and sparks. Just as my vision swims for a moment due to her insane speed, the slash connects perfectly towards my head.
KACHACK*
Arthur
HP: 0%
Did I... just lose?
"Forgive me for the stealthy assault; it may appear cowardly, but I must do whatever is necessary to secure victory, not only for myself but for all who have faith in me," she apologized, her remorse evident in her expression.
I gazed at her for a moment, comprehension dawning on me. She harbors the same fervent desire for victory as we do, perhaps even more so.
"No apologies needed. It was a well-executed surprise attack."
To convey my sportsmanship and assure her that there are no hard feelings, I offered her a genuine smile before dissipating into motes of ethereal blue light.
Although Astrid and I faced defeat, I found solace in the fact that she used her weapon skill on me and not Gwyn. I am certain I wouldn't have stood a chance against Hana regardless, so this outcome is acceptable.
But the same cannot be said for Gwyn. If anyone on our team could win against Hana, then it would be her.
I'm leaving the rest to you, our team's ace.