Sure, here is the translation:
—
Isn’t this a bit too much heat to handle?
Of course, there’s nothing quite as amusing as knocking a celebrity down like this—I’ve become quite bold thinking that way.
The human heart is curious; there’s nothing more thrilling than doing what you scolded others for doing.
How should I put it, that unique thrill like walking on a tightrope?
Even in such an important game, I certainly have no countermeasures.
Time to make everyone shut their mouths with the grand three-tiered rice cake.
Alright, I’ve given it enough suspense up to now.
‘Then…’
Let’s slowly rev up for the grand three-tiered rice cake early leave.
With blood spattered like rouge on my lips, I got up and couldn’t help but smile, set in adult user mode and reflecting the scene with raw, unfiltered excitement.
【Let’s begin.】
With the GM’s declaration, the second set commenced.
The opponent’s weapon was the Great Sword of Rebellion. Just like the first set.
It didn’t seem like they were coming at me first.
Then, I have to…
‘I’ll go for it instead.’
But starting from the next set, you have to come to me, right?
Since it’s a one-on-one anyway, I slowly walked towards SUHO.
One step, two steps. Our distances gradually closed.
Certainly… it was far from the speedy progress of the previous set.
The noisy sounds of the arena diminished as everyone began to catch and watch for this change.
—Boom!
A gigantic weapon, resembling a telephone pole, aimed at my legs.
Usually, with a weapon that size, wouldn’t you think about crushing the upper body first? What a friend lacking in romance and sensitivity.
Defying the laws of friction and inertia, I lightly stepped aside and evaded.
Seeing the look of bewilderment on my opponent’s face made me smile involuntarily.
This was a movement and reaction I’d never shown before.
As I deviated from the blade’s trajectory, I canceled my stance and closed the gap straight ahead.
Perhaps shocked by my differing reaction, my opponent awkwardly adjusted his spear to block my sword’s entry.
The blade of the Broken Greatsword collided with the thick spear.
—Clang!
It was a violent clash devoid of any careful consideration, with a piercingly sharp noise that could tear ears apart…
Without the need to shove away the obstacle in my path, I simply glided over it and thrust toward their neck.
—Thud!
The diagonal edge of the broken blade accurately penetrated the seam between the neck and armor.
The drops of blood manifesting right before my eyes were like mirages on a spring day,
and taking three steps forward, I danced lightly like a butterfly, teasing.
Knowing that staying like this would put them at a disadvantage, my opponent seized the chance to mix in light attacks.
I got the sentiment that they didn’t want to get caught by a clumsy heavy attack or battle skill… What now?
In less than a second, with the Broken Greatsword raised overhead, I struck down the heavy blade coming at me.
—Thud!
It was the same as the first set, yet the roles had completely reversed in our parry.
There were no dazzling swordplay, but the bluntness caused by the break made it sink precisely into the chest of my opponent.
“…”
Unlike the applause from the turnaround of the last set, this silence brought an even greater thrill.
This exchange of blows had hardly taken a few exchanges, so they probably didn’t know what was happening.
“Elders should watch the replay like watching a long game of Go.”
This very set, which I thought was the last, was actually the starting point of this duel.
Indeed, the essence of a multi-set match is “win after win” with smooth exits.
—
The quick resolution utterly disregarded the convenience of the audience.
The atmosphere in the arena shifted from Friede’s defeat and blatant humiliation.
Jiye Yang, who was live streaming, was momentarily speechless at the decided outcome.
Everyone expected a back-and-forth exchange, but it ended with SUHO’s last-ditch effort of a decapitation mixed with Friede’s parry.
Jiye Yang was horrified looking at the match time of this set.
“20 seconds…”
It was completely different from the previous set that dragged on for over five minutes.
No, even the last set was, to be precise, closer to being a mockery play by Friede.
During that long time, they defended against over three-figure series of attacks from SUHO.
The chat window was also bombarded with chaos, unable to process Friede’s movements reasonably, creating a storm.
[Gathering? Gathering? Gathering? Gathering? Gathering? Gathering? Gathering? Gathering? Gathering? Gathering?]
[Is this Friede’s real skill? My heart swells!]
[What the hell, why is the reaction speed like that? They defended at 100% in the first set too.]
[If SUHO dodged backward, the distance should have widened, right? Rolling and getting up, why is Friede right in front of them?]
[Is this… the protagonist-like reflexes?]
Jiye Yang decided not to jump to conclusions hastily and opted to observe the situation for a moment.
It was best to simply watch without unnecessary provocations.
At that moment, a message notification popped up, and Jiye Yang barely held back a groan that was about to burst out.
“Everyone, there’s been an announcement. The GM side says the match will continue as is.”
Whether that was to prove Friede’s innocence or to make a judgment after all sets have concluded, no one could tell.
But the latest news had the chat buzzing once more.
[What’s going on? Is it a hack that they couldn’t catch?]
[No way… If it were a hack, the Law King would never just sit back and watch this.]
[What are you talking about, you fool? It’s Friede’s skill! I believed in her!]
[If it’s a hack, there must be some traces left. The fact that the GM continues means Friede sis is innocent enough.]
[There’s no way they could’ve played around with SUHO’s overwhelming reflexes for that long without catching anything!]
[At this point, it’s a widely accepted theory that the cosplay acted up as a power-level character.]
—
Cosplay?
I’d seen countless absurd speculation comments during streams, but this was the first time I was met with such ridiculous chatting.
Not only was my own reputation on the line, but also that of the low-tier streamer forming.
Could an average person act like a concept character under that pressure?
Most generally self-destruct under tension, so why would one bother with that?
“Still, isn’t the concept play gone too far? SUHO is a Grand Master, it’s not like they’re an easy opponent.”
—
[Right, wouldn’t they call SUHO a Grand Master Guardian and still not be a fool?]
[But doesn’t it look like they’re a fool now?]
[It’s not that SUHO is no good; it’s that Friede sis is unbelievably strong!]
[Why is the Law King silent? Someone say something! Damn it!]
[The Law King is so annoying I’d want to throw dual nunchucks at their face!]
[Oh no!]
[This is Korea’s future.]
[Audiences’ doubts getting brushed aside while they just progress into their own league? Is this right? Is this normal? I’m shivering and tearing up.]
—
Although the wording was crass, Jiye Yang could empathize with the sentiment.
It would be a relief if they just clarified the use of hacks.
In the end, a small sigh of frustration escaped the mic, reaching the ears of the viewers.
It was a rare mistake for a streaming host, ignoring the absurd remarks from the audience, doing their best to brush it off.
—
The confidence that I could not lose in sheer skill had long since faded.
Since the first set’s defeat, I hadn’t managed to land a single effective hit; how could I win?
Somehow, I realized something was wrong. If I were to lose this round…
“Don’t joke around!”
I deny it.
I must deny it.
I can’t let my faith, which has led me this far, collapse.
“Crazy bitch! Crazy hacker!”
The series of defeats filled my mind with anger.
No, it’s better described as anxiety disguised as anger.
“Damn it! What’s the GM doing?!”
Pointlessly doing nothing while the opponent uses hacks is a serious dereliction of duty.
Cursing the GM Law King, I shifted my focus to make a counterattack against Friede’s strike, swinging the Great Sword of Rebellion once more.
It wasn’t an aimless attack. I tried to follow up with the least amount of after-effects, making it hard to parry.
Though the power didn’t back it up, it’s rapid and difficult to respond to.
If there are fewer after-effects, it’s I who can strike unilaterally armed with the mighty weapon.
The broken Greatsword is beyond imaginations.
The flow had been well set up so far. However, I wouldn’t let my guard down.
“Stay sharp.”
Although I had cursed the GM just before, the fact that the GM maintained silence gave way to the worst assumptions in SUHO’s mind.
If I lose here, everything crumbles, I instinctively realize.
I awaken all senses to find a gap in my opponent.
Thus, this fight must be taken.
Rolling my eyes fiercely left and right, I track my opponent’s movements, fighting like mad to perceive.
“Please let me land a hit.”
There’s no need to desperately seek a knockout from the front.
Out of nowhere, pairing with that crazy bitch is detrimental.
SUHO is hoping merely to graze them with a hit or two.
If I firmly take control through attrition, I could win by time over.
Having come this far, any unnecessary pride had long been cast aside. Winning is a must.
One step, two steps, moving forward and backward and side to side as fluidly as water.
I felt like a snake stalking its prey, as if my footsteps were inaudible.
“…!”
While dodging a light attack swung for position, Friede’s new form suddenly pounced from the front.
Reflexively, I canceled my glaive’s light attack and immediately executed combat skill “Rotating Slice.”
In that instant, I caught a glimpse of Friede smirking.
What? Is she mocking me because I’m the one that called her a hacker?
That thought flashed through my head, and suddenly, the opponent vanished from my view.
I gritted my teeth.
She quickly slipped aside to deliver a back attack, a tactic I often used in ranked matches.
Calmly settling my Greatsword like a windmill, I swung my blade toward where she’d headed.
With a heavy impact, the ground and dust shattered, the blade cutting through the air.
And then….
—Thud!
A sound ripped through my heart, distorting my expression.
In the first place, the backstab was a ruse.
Friede’s parry waiting from a reasonable distance for a weapon to swing.
Despite the fact that her weapon was broken, it still showcased its sharpness.
The Broken Greatsword accurately pierced SUHO’s neck.
—Thud.
Where the duel ended, there stood a clear winner and loser.
With pride as the undoubted victor, Friede raised her blood-stained Broken Greatsword.
Though it was rusty and broken, a terribly unremarkable weapon.
But right now, in this moment,
it shone brighter than any weapon in Soul Warfare.
—
[You’re a hero, Friede!!!]
[I had faith in you!!!]
[Thank you!!!]
[Job well done!!!]
[Welcome back!!]
—
That day, the main Soul Warfare community cheered for the victor like an abundance of lower-leaf villages,
and praised the hero’s innocence.
