The situation was dire.
[Kagero HP: 10%]
[Valerian HP: 70%]
Kagero’s health was so precariously low that even a graze would spell their end.
Valerian, on the other hand, still maintained over half of their health, looking robust.
To anyone observing, the outcome of the match seemed all but decided.
‘I can do this.’
Lee Jihyeon, however, believed this very moment presented the perfect opportunity.
Her gaze was fixed not on the health bars, but on the other gauges displayed beneath them.
The status window for her character, Kagero.
[Mana Gauge: 3 bars (MAX)]
[EX Resource Gauge: 6 bars (MAX)]
And then, her opponent Valerian’s status window.
[Mana Gauge: 0 bars]
[EX Resource Gauge: 0 bars]
The situation was diametrically opposite.
Kaiser had just poured all of his resources into the preceding combo.
Consequently, he was now in a state of complete burnout, unable to use any special moves or ultimate techniques for the foreseeable future.
Lee Jihyeon, conversely, had preserved all her resources, albeit at the cost of her health.
Though her health was at rock bottom, the cards she held were more formidable than anyone else’s.
‘I can make this work.’
Kagero, who had been brutally slammed against the ruins’ wall, painstakingly pulled herself back to her feet.
Valerian’s offensive options were twofold: a grapple, or a guard break achieved through high-low attacks.
‘I just need to play it slow.’
Kaiser discarded both options, instead widening the distance with a back step.
‘A shimmy, it seems, won’t work.’
He had aimed for Kagero to anticipate a grapple and whiff an attack, but Unnamed did not fall for it.
‘They said she hadn’t been playing long. Was it true? Her character-specific countermeasures are unrefined.’
[Mind’s Eye Stack: 3]
[Oblique Activation: Stack acquisition tripled.]
Kaiser observed closely, studying the text beneath Kagero’s health bar to anticipate her movements.
With her Mind’s Eye stack currently very low, basic attacks alone would be insufficient to significantly damage Valerian’s robust HP.
‘The means she’d aim for….’
At that very instant, Kagero moved.
Just as Kaiser predicted, she chose to leverage her abundant resources rather than merely relying on her remaining health.
Kagero expended two EX gauge bars, unleashing a colossal windmill shuriken.
[EX Windmill Shuriken]!
‘Predictable.’
He effortlessly blocked the incoming shuriken with his guard.
Disregarding the shuriken as it whizzed past him and began its return, he dashed forward, launching a low counter-attack.
*Clang!*
Kaiser’s eyes widened.
‘Astounding!’
He was genuinely awestruck.
In such an extreme situation, with only 10% health remaining, most players would become psychologically intimidated, prone to making repeated mistakes.
Even seasoned professionals often succumb to such pressure.
Yet, this ‘Unnamed’ character showed no hesitation.
On the contrary, she moved with heightened sharpness and audacity, as if her mind was solely fixated on victory.
[Mind’s Eye Stack: 3 → 6]
‘Kagero’s only weakness to parrying is an aerial attack that drops vertically from above.’
If he could create an opening for such an attack, victory would be his.
‘No need to rush. If I allow her to accumulate more stacks now, I’ll only be at a disadvantage.’
Kaiser then conceived an even more certain path to victory.
‘No, that’s not right. If I simply endure for the remaining time….’
With his overwhelmingly superior health, a decision victory was guaranteed.
Lee Jihyeon immediately discerned his change in strategy.
No longer waiting, she moved aggressively, intent on securing victory.
As Kagero closed the distance with [Phantom Step], Valerian engaged in psychological warfare, moving fluidly back and forth.
However, Lee Jihyeon did not fall for his feints, instead unleashing her most basic combo attacks that required no stack consumption.
*Thud. Thud. Clatter-!*
Lacking stacks, the damage was negligible; Valerian’s health was reduced by only about 10%.
[Valerian HP: 70%→ 60%]
Yet, Lee Jihyeon’s true objective was not to inflict damage.
Valerian, who had persistently tried to maintain distance, now found himself cornered against the stage wall.
Valerian raised his guard, while Kagero relentlessly pressured him with basic attacks.
As Kagero maintained her pressure, she subtly took a single step back.
‘A shimmy, then. I won’t fall for it.’
Instead of rashly attempting a grapple break, Kaiser patiently waited for a beat.
He aimed to anticipate the follow-up attack that would surely come after the shimmy.
In the fleeting moment after that thought, Kagero, who had retreated, surged forward once more.
*Grab!*
‘A double psychological ploy?!’
She had countered his prediction of a shimmy with a basic grapple instead.
[Valerian HP: 60%→ 50%]
Lee Jihyeon then unleashed an ultimate technique on him, just as he was recovering and utterly vulnerable.
[Ultimate Technique: Wind God]
Engulfed in a current of azure wind, Kagero swiftly whittled away Valerian’s remaining health with a flurry of consecutive attacks.
[Valerian HP: 50% → 25%]
Knocked back by the final blow of the combo, Kaiser, surprisingly, inwardly rejoiced.
His depleted EX gauge had been fully restored.
‘Try to react to this, Unnamed!’
Immediately upon recovery, Kaiser consumed two bars of his restored EX gauge.
[EX Mana Storm]
A cerulean light erupted from Valerian’s body, unleashing blades of mana that swirled like a tempest, threatening to shred everything in their path.
This was no mere shockwave, but a multi-hit technique designed to inflict continuous damage over a short duration.
“Incredible!”
In that instant, an exclamation of awe burst from Kanghyuk, who had been spectating.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!*
It was a terrifyingly crisp symphony of metallic sounds, as if a torrential downpour were hammering against a tin roof.
Lee Jihyeon’s Kagero had perfectly parried the attack.
[Mind’s Eye Stack: MAX]
In a single moment, all her resources surged to their maximum.
As the Mana Storm concluded, Valerian was left utterly defenseless, caught in the technique’s post-delay.
Before his eyes, the black ninja, emerging from the afterglow of azure mana, whispered.
“Dream Mirage.”
Kagero drew the wakizashi from her waist and plunged it into the floor of the ruins.
At that instant, a system message appeared before Kaiser’s eyes.
‘Damn it.’
[Warning: Opponent’s Mind’s Eye Stack has exceeded 20.]
[Ultimate Technique: Dream Mirage is enhanced to an unstoppable state.]
The world was engulfed in pitch-black darkness and scattering cherry blossom petals.
Kagero drew the katana from her back and approached as if walking on water.
Valerian’s vacant eyes stared blankly at Kagero, who advanced slowly.
The moment the two characters passed each other.
*Snick!*
As the katana slid into its sheath, crimson lines appeared across Valerian’s body, scattering like cherry blossom petals.
[KO.]
****
‘She actually reacted.’
[EX Mana Storm].
That monster had met his desperate final struggle head-on, taking every single hit.
She had perfectly parried every single one of those consecutive attacks, even with health so fragile that a single mistake would have meant instant death!
[ROUND 2. FIGHT!]
In the very instant Round 2 was about to begin.
[Kaiser has forfeited.]
[WINNER – Kagero]
Kanghyuk, who had been spectating from the lobby, was startled by Kaiser’s sudden action and asked aloud.
“Hey, what are you doing?! Why did you forfeit?”
The screen transitioned, and the three individuals returned to their private lobby.
Kaiser cleanly acknowledged his defeat.
[Kaiser: I lost. (Auto-translated)]
[Kaiser: There’s no point in fighting further.]
Kanghyuk found himself speechless at Kaiser’s straightforward admission of defeat.
The preceding Round 1 was not merely a preliminary match, but effectively a final showdown where both individuals had poured their entire being.
And that contest had unequivocally concluded with Unnamed’s victory.
[Kaiser: I have a question for you, Unnamed.]
Kaiser’s chat message appeared once more.
[Kaiser: My final [Mana Storm]. Why did you parry it instead of dodging?]
[Kaiser: Dodging or guarding would have been a far safer and more rational choice.]
It was a pure question of curiosity from a world champion.
An irrational and reckless decision he would never have made himself.
He desired to understand the reason behind that choice.
A moment later, Lee Jihyeon’s reply appeared.
[Unnamed: Because, in my eyes, it was the safest and most rational choice.]
At that response, the two champions in the lobby were momentarily speechless before bursting into laughter simultaneously.
It was incomprehensible.
Yet, that made it all the more terrifying.
[Kaiser: Well, this is… The World Championship next year is starting to look intimidating.]
[Kaiser: You’re planning to go pro, aren’t you?]
In response to his question, Lee Jihyeon paused for a moment before replying.
[Unnamed: I haven’t considered it so far.]
Upon seeing that reply, Kanghyuk unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
[Kaiser: In any case, it was a valuable experience. Indeed, Hyuk deserved to lose to you.]
[Kaiser: It feels rather good to encounter a new wall. I hope we meet again on a real stage next time.]
Leaving behind those significant final words, Kaiser departed from the lobby.
Only Kanghyuk and Lee Jihyeon remained in the lobby.
It was Kanghyuk who first broke the silence.
“Um, Unnamed.”
[Unnamed: Yes.]
“Earlier, you mentioned helping me when I start streaming. That offer is still valid, right?”
[Unnamed: Of course. A promise is a promise.]
“It’s such a shame I watched this match alone, without streaming it. It was truly a legendary match worthy of history.”
He pondered for a moment, then spoke with a determined tone.
“I’ll delete this replay. Kaiser probably wouldn’t want it publicized anyway. What are your thoughts, Unnamed?”
[Unnamed: I don’t mind. It was a good experience for me too.]
At her calm reply, Kanghyuk chuckled, seemingly relieved of tension.
“Kaiser, that guy, he’s probably fuming right now. He acted cool when he left, but inside, he’s probably burning. I know him well.”
He genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself. Kanghyuk offered his final farewell.
“You’ve worked hard today, Unnamed. If you ever start streaming, please send me a chat. I won’t forget my promise.”
[Unnamed: Yes.]
With that brief reply, Kanghyuk exited the room first.
As the host vanished, the custom room automatically disbanded, and Lee Jihyeon’s view shifted back to the main lobby, bustling with countless users.
‘Did he log out immediately?’
Kanghyuk felt a pang of regret.
He had been so curious about what Unnamed’s personal avatar looked like.
Just then, a small girl’s avatar trotted through the crowd at the edge of his vision.
‘There are even users who play with child avatars like that.’
Kanghyuk chuckled to himself, lightly dismissing the thought that Unnamed could possibly look like that.
Without hesitation, he pressed the logout button to sate his hunger before his stream began.
