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A vivid trajectory drawn through the air like a number woven into the fabric of space.

Warden’s body had already passed ahead, seemingly piercing through Friede.

After a brief eruption of gasps and screams, a strange stillness settled for a few seconds.

Then, an anomaly appeared on the gaming screen reflected in the audience’s eyes.

Everyone expected that with this strike, Friede would be down for the count.

After all, such a brilliantly timed combat skill bordered on Warden’s ultimate technique.

But the actual party involved was filled with entirely different emotions.

The expression in Warden’s eyes, turned to look at Friede.

“Did she dodge?”

How many times had I let my feelings slip out while gaming?

This situation was simply unbelievable.

A monstrous ability to evade a combat skill of this weapon with sheer physicality.

[“Oh, what just happened? Warden’s ultimate attack went to waste.”]

[“Well, the timing of the combat skill seemed perfect, but did I miss something? I think I need to check the replay.”]

Even the commentators, having witnessed the scene, left behind comments filled with more questions and doubt than admiration.

It must have been incomprehensible to them as well.

Warden’s usage of the flashy technique was taken to the extreme.

Even without directly playing the game, it was evident.

From the perspective of someone who observed countless professional games, that was impeccable timing.

Yet why was Friede still standing?

The replay captured on screen.

Warden’s attack clearly struck with perfect timing, sending a flurry of slashes.

But…

[“Ah, she dodged?”]

Even if it was slightly off, it should have made solid contact with the hitbox.

A movement so quick it resembled a breathtaking acrobatic feat, there was no doubting how absurd the situation had become.

[What the hell? What is this?]

[! Friede’s perspective]

[! Warden’s perspective]

[SUHO sensei, are you watching? Friede is literally a hacker.]

[I thought it was a flower only after spring passed.]

[Friede’s perspective is dizzying as hell.]

[Don’t call my sister a hacker. I’m gonna stuff a nuke down your throat.]

[Does this even make sense? How did she dodge like that?]

[The simplest claymore technique can be dodged easily, right?]

[They said it’s a technique that can’t be parried, but they never said it couldn’t be dodged.]

[Does the way Warden uses the technique look like a joke?]

[In front of Friede, it’s a joke.]

[For real lol.]

At some point, the previously quiet chat room erupted once the replay ended.

Among them were viewers who watched from either Friede’s or Warden’s perspective.

Even they couldn’t grasp how the situation unfolded until they saw the replay, so it was no wonder they were astonished.

Like the breath of a tightly held throat, the tension in the muscles relaxed.

The whirlwind battle that swept through stirred feelings of elation amid the fatigue.

Friede’s play had always been like this.

Her movements were dazzling, never leading to a mishap.

Even when falling behind, it was a situation so unreasonable that no gamer could conquer it, making her shine even more.

“—Hoo.”

A pent-up sigh flowed like mist between Friede’s red lips.

“That was close.”

There was an inexplicable chill that swept through the back of Warden’s neck at her smiling face.

That smile was neither a sense of accomplishment for overcoming challenges nor pride in her ability.

Her eyes shimmered like blue flames.

“…!”

Friede’s new form moved as if casting an afterimage.

Unlike the usual demeanor she showed, it was as though a gear had shifted up, drastically raising her output.

Instead of the process of reacting visually, she raised her sword purely on instinct amid the uncertain information.

—Clash!

The sound of metal clashing pierced the ears as their weapons collided.

It was merely a powerful downward slash, but the speed rivaled skills specialized for draw slashes.

The difference in weapon heft wasn’t enormous, so Warden thought just blocking would suffice.

While blocking the Holy Sword, the blade slid over and dove into Friede’s embrace.

In this space, reinforced with certainty…

As a massive dagger came sweeping in, normally one would attempt to backstep or roll to evade.

At that moment, a dull impact surged upward from below Warden.

It was as if he had been struck with a hammer, distorting his vision.

Warden’s charge, used as a weapon against the knee raised with armor, momentarily paused.

In other circumstances, he would have exploited the merit of the Holy Sword’s size and distanced himself.

But Friede’s response was the opposite.

Locked in combat, she kicked off the rough ground and pushed back.

Perhaps due to the brief shock, Warden found himself pushed back several steps.

Ultimately, unable to hold it, he attempted to backstep, yet a chilling feeling prickled at the back of his neck.

When he hurriedly lifted his head, the sharp tip of the Holy Sword was aimed directly at him.

‘Is she throwing her weapon?’

The thought of why she threw her weapon and what she would prepare next left him with no time to ponder leisurely.

With the blade approaching, he wouldn’t be needing any further thoughts but rather just to awkwardly twist his body to escape.

And into Warden’s embrace,

—Thud!

The body blow from Friede, arriving with a time difference, landed squarely.

Even with armor on, the dull thud felt inexplicably satisfying in its impact.

‘Damn!’

There wasn’t much hurt, but with each hit, his stamina and stun piled up rampantly.

Despite being virtual reality, Warden felt an unpleasant creeping darkness in his vision, gritting his teeth.

The accumulated hits had brought him precariously close to a groggy state.

Deliberately throwing away a close-combat weapon was an absolutely reckless act that could only come when one was entirely stuck.

Friede clearly wasn’t aiming to win through simple swordplay; her ruthless martial arts flowed like a stream.

Especially those strikes aimed at his throat that could surely lead to a groggy state.

Even if he wanted to counter, he was too close to fight back with the sword.

The distance was impossible to shake off against Friede’s rapid agility; it was a ridiculously one-sided unfolding.

From the receiving end, it was indeed a situation that would chill anyone to the bone.

No longer did the existence of the Holy Light Sword or Warden’s battle techniques hold any meaningful significance…

As Warden swung his fists in the same manner, having cast away his weapon,

—Thud!

Friede’s cross-counter landed cleanly.

As the decisive blow struck, Warden fell into a stunned state. Seeing him there, Friede raised the Holy Sword she had dropped before.

—Shing,

Light gathered around the Holy Sword, the blade ringing with a resounding energy.

The splendid light revealed outside trembled the space around them.

Not typically seen in Soul Warfare, known for its skillful physicality and simple combat, this was the emergence of divine power.

Like the lotus in the chaotic battle, Warden was swept away by the light of the Holy Sword.

***

[STK utterly annihilated]

[Who are we? The viewers of the goddess Friede from Tactical Soul War! Who are we? The viewers of the goddess Friede from Tactical Soul War! Who are we? The viewers of the goddess Friede from Tactical Soul War!]

[Why does it seem like Warden suffered even more than the lotus?]

[Comparing it to the fights in the tournament, that’s a bit true.]

[Poor Warden getting schooled with a fist fight.]

[If Warden keeps this up, once the aging curve kicks in, he’ll be crying like STK lmao.]

[It wouldn’t just be Warden’s fault; everyone got swept away by Friede.]

[For real, if it weren’t for Friede, the Streamer Team would have been wiped out.]

[Right. Up until the middle, STK was leading. Physically, they were more capable too. Friede was basically carrying alone.]

[It’s an event match anyway, so why are we acting so serious? Let’s enjoy it.]

[Shut up, fun police.]

[Friede should just go professional.]

‘Same stories must be floating around.’

Even without looking at the chatroom, I could guess what the reactions were like.

Eunha slightly scrunched her face as if she had a headache.

Even though it was an event match, losing to an amateur team hastily assembled by a pro team couldn’t feel good at all.

Glancing at her teammates, they all wore dazed expressions, leading to a sigh inwardly.

Maybe they felt confident after easily winning games until the mid-game.

Or perhaps…

‘The real problem is getting schooled by my sister.’

If someone experienced as herself was left dumbfounded, how must everyone else feel?

How would they possibly perceive the one who defeated Warden barreling into the game and pushing it swiftly downhill?

In an official match, and if they suffered such a defeat in the league, Eunha would surely be unable to sleep in frustration.

‘By the way, my sister is amazing…’

As a teammate, it was a shame, but in a 1v1 match between Warden and Friede, her victory was inevitable.

If Warden had managed to win, that would have been the true plot twist.

Had it gone as expected, with Friede taking down Warden, the message blaring on the scoreboard would declare her victory, leaving Eunha thinking she just needed to do her best to hold her sister back.

The Streamer Team without Friede wasn’t a significant threat; surely they could last until Warden’s revival despite the struggles.

To Eunha’s dismay, however, the game was decisively pushed downhill by Friede joining the main battleground.

There was no stopping her merciless slaughtering force.

Was the skill displayed not just the entirety of what she was capable of in the tournament and ranked games?

‘Not just a one-trick pony.’

She kept revealing new aspects like an onion, leading the spectators to feel utterly confounded.

“Yes, we’ll be interviewing Friede, who delivered a fantastic match this time.”

Interviewer Ji-ye’s lively voice filled the arena.

“Friede, you took down the Lotus, the STK, and Warden too. Could you share your thoughts on the match?”

“Oh, it was definitely a challenging game. The early setup was tricky, and the opposing team members were all quite skilled… I think it was the hardest game I’ve played so far.”

“That being said, it seemed like you single-handedly took down Warden and the STK team. What do you think about that?”

“I think the members of the STK team played lightly since it was an event match, which allowed the game to go that way. Even Lotus looked like she was enjoying herself compared to the chaotic fights. Warden was similar. If this were a league match, I think the victory interview would have been held by the opposing team.”

While Friede said they were having fun, in truth, they ramped up their game and still lost, sis.

‘Well, who cares.’

If my sister won, that was entirely acceptable.

Eunha decided not to overthink the clearly considerate remarks in Friede’s interview.

With thoughts of being ambitious as a pro, she stifled the smile that rose from Friede’s comment.