It was difficult to overcome one-against-many battles in Soul Warfare.
This was a commonly accepted truth among the majority of players who enjoyed the game.
Unless there was a significant skill gap between opponents, it was fair to say this was a fundamental rule of the game.
Perhaps this was a common feature of most virtual reality-based games.
Unlike traditional PC games with keyboards and mice, actions in VR games were executed directly based on reaction speed and signals.
However, this direct response required far more precise control.
A space where one’s familiarity with virtual reality and their proficiency in maneuvering within it determined their physical ability with stark contrast.
And in such a virtual reality-based game, there were times when monsters appeared—those who defied common sense.
If someone had asked who that monster was until recently, nine out of ten would have given the same answer.
Warden.
A player so exceptional that he was counted among the few, often referred to as a genius.
He was capable of dribbling multiple enemies at once, or, given the right opportunity and luck, even defeating them single-handedly.
His super plays were often the topic of discussion in official tournaments.
However, the absolute position that had once belonged solely to Warden was now being challenged.
A new player had arrived—Friede.
For those interested in Soul Warfare, the community had become a battlefield of heated debates—keyboard wars erupted over the two.
The topic was simple:
[Who was better, Warden or Friede?]
A classic versus match discussion.
One might ask, “Is there really a reason to get so heated over this?”
‘But what could they do?’
This wasn’t just a fictional match-up from a game, comic, or story.
This was a real rivalry, unfolding between two actual players in real time.
And in a virtual reality setting—an almost surreal battlefield—their competition was thrilling to watch, offering a unique sense of immersion for the spectators.
Just as the community was beginning to grow weary of endless debates with no conclusion, as if answering their unspoken wish, a new event erupted.
Though it was only during a pre-event phase, Warden and Friede finally clashed.
For anyone playing Soul Warfare, this was an unmissable moment.
And now, the two stood face to face.
Friede vs. Warden—The Lotus Duo confrontation.
***
[Warden wouldn’t seriously fight alongside Lotus like a coward, right?]
[He already did. They launched an attack together earlier. Warden’s such a loser.]
[That was just to break through the exit. Let’s see a proper one-on-one fight now.]
[Something big is coming!]
[Lotus, can’t you read the room? Step aside already—]
[You idiots, stop forcing a biased rivalry narrative!]
***
Unlike the explosive excitement in the chat, the atmosphere at the battlefield was chilling.
‘What is this…?’
Warden tilted his head slightly, a frown forming on his face.
He felt it—something off.
Something he had never noticed before, despite closely observing Friede’s playstyle until now.
His senses were thrown into disarray.
Friede stood in a low stance, her sword raised in a middle guard—a posture that was unlike him.
Warden had always known Friede as a free-spirited, instinctive fighter.
Yet now, her body was lowered, his blade aimed directly at Warden’s throat.
The usual laid-back expression was gone.
Instead, Friede looked like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.
For the first time, Warden truly felt the presence of killing intent in a virtual world.
If this were reality, his palms would be drenched in sweat by now.
He had always thought such sensations were unnecessary in a game.
And yet—
“Go.”
“What?!”
Lotus turned to Warden in shock.
She wasn’t naïve.
She understood exactly what he meant by that single word.
Go.
Leave.
“Drop your pride. You can’t handle this alone.”
She knew it.
This fight would be tough.
But still—
“It doesn’t matter.”
Warden turned to Lotus with a grin, more alive than ever before.
It was the first time he had ever worn such an expression in all their time together.
Lotus sighed in resignation.
“Fine… just don’t die.”
She sprinted toward their team’s frontlines, understanding that her support was needed elsewhere.
As soon as she left, Warden charged at Friede.
A diagonal, full-power slash came crashing down—
His movements precise and fast, devoid of unnecessary motions.
His twisted longsword, like a freshly unearthed warped root, sliced through the air, poised to cut Friede clean in half.
For an ordinary pro gamer, even blocking such a strike would have been difficult.
But in that fleeting moment, Friede’s eyes met Warden’s—calm, unwavering, completely unfazed.
At the last instant, their blades halted simultaneously—
A perfect parry.
However, Warden had already anticipated this.
Before the weapons even fully clashed, his stance shifted, his body lowering into a side step—
A zone attack aimed at Friede’s legs.
A strike executed with surgical precision, slipping through a tiny gap in Friede’s defense.
A normal challenger-level player would have no choice but to roll away in a desperate attempt to dodge.
Warden wasn’t sure if Friede would react the same way—
But if she did—
The next move was already set in stone.
A final strike that would render any dodge meaningless and cut him down in an instant.
Just as Warden thought his blade would clash against Friede’s armor—
-Pop!
With a light and agile step, Friede vanished from the sword’s trajectory.
‘Where did she go?’
In less than 0.1 seconds, the question flashed through Warden’s mind, and his senses sharpened in response.
A dazzling golden cape fluttered through the air, and the pure blond hair scattered like sunlight, disrupting his vision.
Friede had moved so low that Warden wondered if she was about to collide with him.
At the perfect moment, as if a piece fitting seamlessly into place, Friede’s back smoothly glided against Warden’s.
Using Warden as a stepping stone, she instantly flipped over to gain a position behind him.
Friede’s holy sword swung down, aiming to cut Warden down from behind—
But without even turning his head, Warden instinctively rolled forward with all his strength.
Now separated, the two stood in a tense standoff.
***
[Warden’s control is insane. That cancel was so smooth, it’s unreal.]
[And Friede reacting to it? Absolute legend.]
[Who would’ve expected her to literally climb up his back like that?]
[That combo even took TK Schneider out in one go before, but Warden escaped it. LOL.]
[At this point, Warden’s real rival isn’t Lotus or Schneider. It’s Friede. Change my mind.]
***
Though their duel wasn’t as flashy as Lotus’s elaborate combos, their clean and precise exchanges were enough to ignite the audience.
Just like during his fights with Lotus, Warden’s STK team armor, dyed in dark crimson, stood in stark contrast to Friede’s pure white attire.
Even their weapons emphasized the contrast—
Friede wielded a radiant holy sword, while Warden’s twisted longsword resembled something out of dark sorcery.
From the stands, Dayoung thought to herself, ‘They really are complete opposites.’
Friede didn’t give Warden time to regroup.
She swiftly closed the distance, her sword tip gleaming deadly sharp—
A precise thrust, a textbook light attack, but packed with confidence.
She could cancel it at any moment, bait a reaction, or parry if necessary—
Would Warden be able to respond?
All eyes were glued to the fight.
And then—
Something changed.
Instead of his usual stance, Warden shifted into something different.
A stance resembling a samurai’s iai-draw technique.
-Kiing!
A sharp, eerie resonance rang from his blade.
A dark aura coiled around the sheathed sword, warping the space around it.
‘No way…’
A flicker of urgency flashed in Dayoung’s eyes.
‘That stance—it’s the technique of the Twisted Blade…’
A combat skill immune to parries.
It had an insanely strict execution window, but if it landed, it was a game-changer, rivaling even Friede’s holy sword.
Just as Friede’s sword lunged for Warden’s throat, a blinding illusion flickered before Dayoung’s eyes.
The darkness sealed within the sheath—
A draw slash, executed in a seamless arc, deflecting the holy sword’s strike.
The air was filled with blade afterimages, dazzling the spectators.
And at the same time—
Warden, who had been crouched, shot forward like a thunderbolt.
Twisted Blade—Iaido Slash, Dark Heaven.
The sword’s arc carved through the empty space, a fleeting but perfect stroke.
For a brief moment, Ajin felt her heart drop.
That instantaneous reaction from Warden—
‘Could Friede actually lose?’
A foreboding unease gripped her chest.
The thought was so overwhelming that she almost screamed and shot up from her seat—
“Unnie!”
But before she could react, Dayoung leapt up first, her urgent cry echoing through the stands.
‘Ugh!’
‘Was she going to be outpaced in everything today?’
Awkwardly lowering herself back into her seat, Ajin clenched her popcorn a little too tightly, crushing it into crumbs.
For some reason, she felt a strange sense of frustration.