Former Hero Streamer – Chapter 82

[Broken Greatsword in the Game! LOL]

[Kita LOL]

[Look at the commentators’ faces, they look like they’ve seen a ghost]

[Lotus’s expression is legendary too LOL]

[At that point, it’s ghost level]

[Maybe it broke because the Holy Light Sword became a Broken Greatsword?]

[IDK]

The chat was practically melting down in excitement.

The audience erupted into cheers that reverberated in the arena, enough to echo in the ears of the two players inside.

Amidst such fervor, the match began.

But both players stood still, unmoving.

Even though they held weapons that had transformed into Holy Swords absorbing light, just like the previous set…

Lotus could only stare at Friede in shock, not making a single move.

“What, what… what the heck?!”

Stunned into silence, it was all she could manage to sputter.

She had just pulled out a magnificent Holy Sword, but what in the world was that broken thing in front of her?

“What are you doing?! You should at least pick the Holy Sword… or at the very least, a normal weapon! Why that piece of junk!”

What had she come to this stage for?

She had expected the ultimate showdown, hence the preparations with the Holy Sword.

Did this woman not understand her feelings?

While Lotus glared at her in frustration, Friede tilted her head in confusion.

“That kind of weapon?”

It seemed she didn’t understand why the choice of a Broken Greatsword was met with such resistance.

Is that why? Lotus raised her voice even more.

“What’s the point of fighting with that worthless weapon? This is nonsense. I wanted us to duel with the best weapons on the best stage, the best showdown, as professionals!”

In response to Lotus’s desperate cry, Friede’s reaction was surprisingly simple.

“I think this is the best weapon for me, though?”

“What?! Just by stats alone, it’s the worst weapon!”

“It might be the worst for you…”

Friede pointed her finger at the Holy Sword.

“But it’s a way better weapon than that. At least to me…”

“?!”

Lotus found her mind going blank at the implication that there was anything wrong.

Regardless of her thoughts, Friede lifted the Broken Greatsword.

The Broken Greatsword.

Rusty and worn, with the blade snapped jaggedly in the middle.

But to Friede, it looked more noble than any other weapon.

Surely, it had fought valiantly and endlessly to reach such a state.

“This really feels like it represents many people. Holding this weapon gives me a sense I can never lose. How do I put it? A buff? Something like that.”

Lotus realized that even though Friede’s face was covered by a helmet, her eyes were staring right through her, far beyond.

With a swift movement,

Friede, holding the Broken Greatsword, declared in a chillingly emotionless voice:

“I won’t lose while holding this weapon.”

—Thud!

Friede leapt into the air as if kicking off the ground, disappearing from Lotus’s sight.

“…!”

Even though she couldn’t see, her instincts, honed through countless battles, were screaming danger.

Instinctively, Lotus raised her Holy Sword and swung it upwards with all her might.

—Clang!

The beautiful, noble blade of the Holy Sword met the pitiful, rusted blade of the Broken Greatsword with a sound that rang out clearly.

This was merely a reaction from the spectators.

Having barely managed to deflect the sudden blow, Lotus felt a chill run down her spine.

It was a fierce strike, reminiscent of a low spinning attack after a month of training.

Though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, there was definitely something different about Friede this time compared to the previous set.

“Calm down. I’ll definitely win this set.”

Her weapon’s stats were clearly superior in every way.

She wouldn’t let Friede wield such a weapon again.

“I’ll wait for her to land!”

Since she had attacked from low, she must eventually have to land.

Lotus began to doubt after about a second of waiting for Friede to touch down.

Why isn’t she coming down?

Suddenly, the weight bearing down on her hand intensified.

“Ugh!”

Feeling something ominous, she glanced up.

There, still suspended in mid-air, Friede applied strength to her sword and lunged toward Lotus.

“Wait, what?”

Is that possible?

Though it was no more than a flip in the air, it seemed like an effective move.

“Hah.”

An emotion she could barely articulate erupted in a soundless laugh from her throat.

Friede had been celebrated for her splendid movements and miraculous reactions all this time.

Hadn’t Lotus tried to imitate Friede’s movements, aiming to catch up and even add her own flair?

But now, what was this?

In just one attack, a move that surpassed Friede’s previous movements made her break out in a cold sweat.

No matter how much of a virtual reality this was, wasn’t it too unreal?

“But still!”

In response to Lotus’s fiery spirit, the Holy Sword flared its brilliance.

Having done nothing would change nothing, so she charged with her first-stacked Holy Sword.

There was no need to worry about the bizarre movements. If she didn’t give her an opening, it wouldn’t matter.

“I’ll face you head-on!”

As her Holy Sword came crashing in at an angle, Friede deflected it with the edge of her Broken Greatsword.

—Boom!

Even while deflecting, scratches from the Holy Sword’s edge became evident.

It wasn’t a huge hit, but it was definitely a loss.

Seizing the opportunity, Lotus commenced her assault.

Before her, the trajectory of the fluid and elegant Holy Sword.

Of course…

“That’s all there is to it, though.”

Internally, Friede clicked her tongue.

Her unchanged playstyle.

Always sticking to an attacking approach made her seem closer to a solo-queue warrior than a pro.

Her physicality was undeniable. It was on a level far beyond the challengers she had fought.

But failing to act strategically, even in a series of matches, was a point of deduction for a professional player, wasn’t it?

Her gaze flickered momentarily toward the scars etched on her forearms as she moved.

“As long as I avoid the charges, I’ll be fine.”

Whether she blocked or deflected without the Holy Sword’s unique cutting edge, it would be just another claymore subvariant.

What if it were her?

As she unexpectedly found herself musing such thoughts during the duel, Friede thought.

She probably would have drawn out her sword from the previous set along with her own Self Sword.

A Broken Greatsword even losing out to the Holy Sword. (?)

If the weapon had decent attack power and sought even faster speed, it could have been tricky to react.

Thanks to that, the official route towards victory was coming together quite smoothly.

But resolving a fight up close with a Broken Greatsword was straightforward.

“So, the opponent is agitated.”

Maybe she could tease a bit.

As if waiting with her hand on the hilt of a dagger right before drawing it.

She stepped back forcefully and deeply retreated. A rather excessive evasion.

With the distance set, she launched herself low, aiming to plunge her sword down towards the radiant Holy Sword that seemed to charge up with light.

—Boom!

The forceful strike just barely whizzed past Lotus’s feet, crashing into the ground.

A miss? With those skills?

Despite her confusion, a glimmer of opportunity flashed in Lotus’s mind.

“Now’s my chance!”

Friede’s eyes lit up.

As light burst forth from the tip of the Holy Sword,

Friede, still landing, managed to leap back into the space behind Lotus.

“…?!”

Face to face with Lotus, who gaped in shock, she swung her arm toward the upright Holy Sword.

—Thud!

The roar of thunder, a unique effect sound in the Soul Warfare.

As Lotus’s form began to crumble under the parry, the light of the Holy Sword flickered out without its strength.

—Thud!

Taking that moment, Friede’s spinning sword plunged into Lotus’s side.

* * *

The duel between Friede and Lotus was a big match everyone interested in Soul Warfare had heard of.

It gathered a lot of attention, with numerous viewers watching the live broadcast.

Warden—Kim Chanhyuk was no exception.

Chanhyuk expressed his astonishment while watching Friede’s play with the Broken Greatsword.

“She’s pulling off such plays.”

Despite a look that resembled a frog hopping about, she used her steps to close the distance, creating unexpected strikes in succession.

It wasn’t easy for her opponent to parry when she came down from the air.

But this…

“It’s more like an operation of the Broken Greatsword….”

It might be better deemed as just Friede’s unique maneuvers.

She was probably using a setup that actively invested in stamina.

In fact, even while pressuring her opponent, she seemed to take time to replenish her stamina.

Without a doubt… she’d been incredible even then.

“It’s over.”

Perhaps due to the shock from the parry.

Lotus was getting overwhelmed by Friede wielding the Broken Greatsword.

Her situation was starkly different from the previous set, where they were grappling in a back-and-forth.

“You idiot.”

Despite how gloriously she had been spoken about, this was her current predicament.

She had fallen for Friede wielding the Holy Sword in the first set, completely failing to capitalize on her weapon choice.

Was it because of the title of the world’s best female professional gamer?

Her stubborn need to win bravely and honorably against all, at some point, began to veer in a strange direction.

No matter how much she was persuaded or given advice, nothing seemed to stick.

“That’s why with skills like that, she’s not in the top ten.”

A sigh mixed with disappointment and frustration filled the air as the game quietly approached its conclusion.

It didn’t take long to wrap up the already defeated Lotus with the parrying of the Broken Greatsword.

Eventually, the strike from above with the Broken Greatsword pierced through Lotus and marked the end of the second set.

—Clang!

The grip she had loosened, dropping the Holy Sword to the ground.

The weapon that had defeated the great light of the Holy Sword… was the utterly unimpressive Broken Greatsword.

* * *

“……”

Left alone in the waiting room, Lotus sat in a chair, fully expelling her feelings of despair.

She had long moved past wondering why Friede had picked the Broken Greatsword.

Now, she was filled only with self-loathing for having lost to the Broken Greatsword.

She had played countless games since her pro debut.

Be it solo matches or team games, she had gone through thousands upon thousands by now.

She had faced numerous unreasonable situations, but the weight of despair that engulfed her was a first.

She had lost to a Broken Greatsword.

And the opponent was someone of equal tier.

—If she won, she’d be annoyed she hadn’t given her all. If she lost, she’d hate herself for her skill. It was written all over.

Chanhyuk’s advice echoed in her head as if they were hallucinations, imprinting themselves late in Lotus’s mind.

Denying it all, she shook her head fiercely.

No, she cannot.

If she didn’t, she would crumble.

She instinctively felt it was time for a resolution.

Instead of thinking of ways she could gain the upper hand against the Broken Greatsword, she didn’t even consider it.

No, she kept deliberately shoving down those thoughts every single time they surfaced.

The reason for honing her playstyle by retracing Friede’s strategies was that she wanted to battle using equal, legitimate weapons.

“At this rate….”

If her opponent wanted to wallow in the mud, she too would have to be prepared to get herself dirty.

As the break period concluded and what could be the last third set approached,

Lotus firmly shut her eyes and decided on a weapon.

The jagged, rusty Broken Greatsword. The very Broken Greatsword.

Even if it wasn’t a standard weapon, the performance would now be on equal footing.

“This time, it’ll be a true showdown….”

Having steeled herself, she turned her gaze toward the opposing side.

As time ran out, seeing Friede choose her weapon made her eyes go wide.

“W-what? Aren’t you using the Broken Greatsword this time?!”

“Eh? I picked this for fan service.”

Friede chose the Holy Light Sword for such an unbelievable reason.

“Why is it that this time?!”

Lotus’s indignant cry echoed loudly throughout the arena.