Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 79

It didn’t take long to realize that the match-up situation was severely messed up.

—Clang!

A sharp metallic sound echoed through the air as steel clashed against steel.

As if that were a signal, Friede’s two scimitars in her hands danced like the wind.

What I witnessed was an unprecedented display of dual swordsmanship from Friede.

The curved blades whipped through the air like a typhoon in a gentle breeze, leaving her opponent dizzy with the dazzling combination attacks.

‘Inexperienced.’

Compared to previous opponents, this one was exceedingly inexperienced—a joke, really.

The trajectory of the swords dug into the opponent’s space, led by the flashy movements that were typically unseen.

It was a swift, precise motion akin to a cobra lunging at its prey.

In the frenzied sword dance of a performer, a deadly dagger was concealed.

Attempts to block with a buckler were futile as the opposing scimitar struck a blow to the waist.

—Slash!

Did I get scratched?

While it was a valid hit, it was not a critical one, so I dashed in to try to end this quickly.

The opponent, seemingly overwhelmed, had no choice but to retreat and focus on defense.

With dazzling steps and quickhanded motions dizzying to the eyes, it seemed as if the two scimitars were dancing in midair, making it impossible to follow with bare eyes.

If only I had a tower shield in hand, I could have pushed back with a shield bash, but alas, this tiny buckler was holding me back.

—Thud, thud, thud, clash, thud!

If you only heard the sounds, you would think a drummer was energetically banging on their instruments.

The short rapid-fire attacks kept coming, chipping away at my stamina—it felt like I would soon pay with my neck.

“Damn it!”

Finally unable to hold back, I swung the buckler with all my might.

It was a desperate attempt at the final parry for a comeback.

At that moment, Friede’s scimitar dancer-like form abruptly froze.

No, perhaps she slightly slowed her tempo in stepping.

—Whoosh!

As I helplessly threw my buckler into the air, exposing myself unguarded before Friede, I couldn’t help but laugh ruefully inside.

Friede was already in a familiar stance, explosively swinging her scimitar.

Combat skill—The Dancer of the Crooked Moon.

Like a giant whirlpool, the scimitar’s blade raged relentlessly.

Without a buckler to protect me, I became mere fabric tossed around in a washing machine, obliterated by the relentless barrage of curved sword strikes.

*


*


*

“Congratulations on your victory, Friede!”

“Oh, uh. Thank you.”

Did I win too easily? Friede’s response to Ji-ye’s congratulation was somewhat awkward, as if she were unsure.

[Friede! Godride! Hwangride!]

[Arguably one of the best ㄷㄷㄷㄷ]

[That’s definitely our senpai. T_T]

[You’re so cool, unnie!!]

[Soul Warfare is now ruled by Friede!]

[Hero Friede is a legend ㄷㄷㄷ]

Seeing the strangely quiet chat, Ji-ye felt a sense of awkwardness.

Compared to the victories in the Round of 16 and Round of 8, it was a world apart.

Now sitting in the semifinals, it was already a foregone conclusion that Friede would win, yet somehow, the chat was decidedly calm despite the epic turn of events.

“Truly an overwhelming performance; you’ve claimed victory in this STK brawl tournament. Any thoughts you’d like to share?”

“Ah, not really. I’m just thinking about the last event with the Lotus player…”

[Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump]

[Something big is finally coming]

[Hey, Fri! Are you going to use that Broken Greatsword on the Lotus? Are you? Nah, you wouldn’t!]

[Crazy guy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ talking to himself and jamming it out]

“Well, there’s definitely something that can’t be overlooked regarding you, Friede. Everyone is curious if you, who have kept your Broken Greatsword until now, will pull it out before the event with the Lotus. Any chance you’d say something about it?”

The Broken Greatsword, huh…

It was indeed a deeply thought-provoking issue.

Considering the internet’s reactions and the opponent’s reputation…

In the end, I even had to seek advice from friends.

“Hmm, well, about that…”

Friede began recalling the meeting that took place a few days before the finals.

*


*

When it was usually tough to meet in real life, they typically gathered in the MS Room.

For the two without VR devices, Bbaebba and A-jin, their voices were linked through AlphaCode ID.

Friede’s Moses Device MS Room was pretty much the virtual hideout of the hero party.

Inside, Da-young asked in a slightly higher tone.

“Do you think fighting with the Broken Greatsword would seem rude?”

“Yeah.”

Seeing her nod calmly, I thought this sister had truly played the game with such innocence.

[“Don’t worry about it! Unnie! Whatever you do… it’s still classy!!!!”]

[“Just do whatever you want, Bitch-Saehui. When did you ever care about such things?”]

“Hey, you two nerds, shut up.”

Were they planning to sabotage someone’s reputation or something?

Da-young clicked her tongue and fell into deep thought.

Now regarding Senpai, aka Friede’s name’s impact…

And the fans of the Lotus, who was on the STK team.

The status of the Broken Greatsword in-game and the impression it left during actual play…

Lastly, the tendencies and reactions of the viewers watching the tournament.

Calculating and combining numerous factors, Da-young easily figured out the answer.

The question was whether this sister would accept it or not…

“Unnie.”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s use a different weapon.”

Now, that was the answer.

Why use oil on a fire and toss in a spark?

That would be no different than lighting a forest fire.

“Honestly, if you were fighting against fellow rankers, you might use the Broken Greatsword… sure, there’d be some controversy, but up till now, none of your opponents had such a large fanbase. But Lotus is different.”

The letters “STK” in E-sports carry significant weight.

The fandom is incredibly massive, regardless of its connotation.

Lotus, along with that warden, was a franchise star of STK.

Her skills were No.2 right after Warden, and she possessed a dignified persona and graceful beauty.

She truly was an element of popularity, with a thick fanbase across gender.

Moreover, she had even won the Soul Cup, an international league, twice—one of the few high-career owners along with To-Ran.

“E-sports fans are practically team fans as well. It wouldn’t be too far fetched to say that Lotus shares about half of STK’s fandom. If you were to win against Lotus using the Broken Greatsword, her fans would absolutely go berserk. I can totally see them invading your stream and causing chaos.”

She was someone who couldn’t lack popularity, making her a potentially burdensome foe for Friede.

If she toyed with Lotus using the Broken Greatsword?

Soul Warfare would divide into three categories.

Many fans of Lotus attacking Friede,

A small number defending Friede,

And the rest just munching on popcorn.

Friede was a striking new star streamer.

But it would be impossible for a single individual to compete against a franchise star’s fanbase.

“It’s better to just keep a low profile; you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of the chaos.”

“That’s true.”

“So, how about you pick a proper weapon? Up until now, you’ve been choosing weapons haphazardly, haven’t you?”

“Oh, did it show?”

“While no one else might know, we do.”

She hadn’t practiced at all.

The ones most involved in Se-hee’s life were none other than Da-young and A-jin, heroes in their own right.

Even they could see that Se-hee was clearly half-hearted in her approach for the tournament.

She didn’t even have a sub-character to divert the audience’s gaze.

If she had taken it seriously, she would have practiced to select and get accustomed to weaponry.

“I don’t discriminate against weapons, but practicing feels like a hassle.”

“Don’t say that outside. We already have a controversy section on the World Tree Wiki, and I don’t want to see it expand.”

[“Hey! Back off… you idiot! Our unnie… don’t, don’t try to control her!”]

“What?”

[“Fight? I want in on that too. Bitch Saehui, can’t you just unleash those two and let them rip? That’d be hilarious.”]

At Bbaebba’s noisy insistence, Se-hee shook her head.

“No way. Do you want to see this country go down in flames?”

[“Aww, come on, that’d be hilarious~.”]

There was no way she would allow that—an obvious refusal.

After Bbaebba’s disappointed sigh, a voice from A-jin rang out through AlphaCode.

[“Uh, umm. Unnie, thinking it over… even if our reasoning might differ… I believe it’s better to try your best with another weapon too.”]

[“Heh, your wording is super confusing. Just say it plainly, A-jin.”]

[“S, shut it, bug.”]

At her suggestion, both Se-hee and Da-young widened their eyes slightly.

It was surprising that even A-jin would think this way.

[“Well, if you’re a pro… it’s your job. You should always try your best… right? I guess since Lotus is also a pro… it feels a bit worse to think that way? A-And…”]

“And?”

[“I want to see… unnie fighting with an even cooler weapon… in the videos! I always think about that during editing!!!”]

[“Hey, A-jin! You don’t have to freak out like that! My ears can’t take it!”]

As the complaints of Bbaebba and Da-young’s preemptive ear-covering were heard, Se-hee rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

“Pro… huh.”

While Da-young opposed her externally, A-jin touched on the relationship between Friede and Lotus.

Each side had their valid points, and Friede remained silent, unable to make a decision.

“Well, since A-jin brought it up, I’ll say it too: If you want the attention and want to win in style, you don’t have to just stick with the Broken Greatsword. I believe there’s a weapon that can meet your expectations. Carrying a dull weapon and taking center stage isn’t the only way; the king of style is to wield a splendid weapon and display a dazzling performance.”

[“Well, neither Da-young nor A-jin are wrong. Bitch Saehui, whether you go this way or that, you’ll surely arrive—but if you’re going, wouldn’t it be better to take the highway? It’d be unreasonable to take a rugged mountain path.”]

“Hmm….”

After contemplating for a while, Se-hee seemed to arrive at a decision.

After some time had passed, with a calm expression, she spoke.

“I…”

*


*

“I…”

All eyes were on Friede’s lips as she prepared to speak.

“Whether it’s the Broken Greatsword or any weapon, I’m giving it my all. So regarding which weapon to use against Lotus at the event…”

Pausing to catch her breath, Friede looked directly at the camera and said clearly.

“It will depend on the condition of that day.

The Broken Greatsword is sealed, and revealing it now feels like pointless mischief.

Why would anyone want spoilers? If you’re curious, just watch the live broadcast that day!