Chapter 75: This is invalid!

‘How many exchanges had there been?’

With such a significant difference in weight class between their weapons, the match didn’t end quickly.

Thwack!

The blade narrowly missed the head, but strands of hair floated in the air, as though cut by the massive greatsword.

No, some of them were likely severed in the weapon’s trajectory.

The sheer determination to win radiated so strongly that even Friede couldn’t help but think she couldn’t afford to take this opponent lightly.

“Tsk!”

As the opponent clicked their tongue and widened the gap, frustration at the missed strike was evident.

The weapon in her hand, resembling the crescent blade wielded by Guan Yu, gleamed with a sharp, icy glow.

Friede’s grip tightened around her slender sword, the Rantert Rapier.

The more fragile and delicate the weapon seemed, the deadlier its intent could be.

Simply gauging the blade’s appearance wouldn’t reveal its true potential.

‘I’ll go first.’

Tap!

Once her decision was made, her body followed.

She launched herself at the opponent, who retaliated with a powerful slash of their massive blade, intending to skewer her.

Faced with a crushing blow capable of shattering everything, Friede angled her rapier slightly.

Clink!

Instead of a clash of steel, the greatsword slid off her blade like water.

The wielder of the greatsword, visibly startled, parted their lips slightly in astonishment.

Had they not been wearing a helmet, their expression would have likely been a mixture of disbelief and annoyance.

Friede’s ability to parry the strike made it seem almost unreal, as though such a feat shouldn’t have been possible, even in a game.

But despite their awe, the situation remained critical.

As Friede’s movement shifted forward, the rapier and greatsword scraped against each other with a jarring metallic sound.

She dashed closer, each step closing the gap.

In a swift motion, she unleashed a light attack aimed precisely at the vulnerable spot.

Swoosh!

The strike left a thin, sharp wound.

Not deep.

Considering the strain on stamina caused by evading and countering the greatsword’s relentless attacks, it was enough.

‘If only I could press harder with this opening!’

The opportunity was still there.

That’s when she noticed the muscles in the wielder’s arms tensing as they gripped their weapon.

‘Now…’

This was sufficient.

Even though they’d taken damage, their lack of stiffness and fluid retaliation were clear signs of a strong counterattack.

But the attack wouldn’t come from their weapon.

‘It’s coming.’

Through the golden visor obscuring their face, Friede’s eyes sharpened in focus.

Boom!

The armored figure, as imposing as a fortress, charged forward like an unstoppable bulldozer, their body carrying the weight of their attack.

‘I was waiting for this.’

At this moment, her body moved mechanically, as if controlled by a program.

Just before their massive frame collided with her, she executed a perfect backstep, narrowly avoiding the blow.

The charge destroyed nothing but empty air, leaving the opponent slightly off balance.

Crouching low, Friede prepared her counterattack.

Even though their sheer force reduced stiffness, such a massive movement inevitably created gaps in their defense.

Capitalizing on this opening, Friede unleashed the sequence of moves from her rapier’s combat skill—

Rantert’s Rapid Strikes.

The blade glowed brilliantly.

***

“Ah, it’s over.”

“The first set is decided,” a voice remarked indifferently.

Watching the match unfold, Lotus, seated at a table, idly plucked flowers from a vase and inhaled their scent.

For her, who would face the victor in the finals, there wasn’t much to ponder.

Her only real concern was Friede.

While others might dismiss it as trivial, it mattered deeply to Lotus.

The desire to face Friede at her full strength continued to grow.

“Truly fascinating. And troublesome.”

The two-weapon restriction Lotus heard about from her manager seemed reasonable enough at first glance.

Even though Friede hadn’t managed to slice through the greatsword, this much was sufficient to Lotus.

Lotus wanted Friede to experience a single moment of despair—a moment of failure in the face of her broken greatsword.

After all, this tournament wasn’t full of pushovers.

She wanted Friede to realize how difficult it was to break through with such a weapon.

Yet, things were becoming increasingly unpredictable.

‘She never considered the broken greatsword from the start.’

‘If Friede had deemed it unviable from the beginning, that would be understandable.’

A satisfying conclusion.

‘But what if the opposite were true?’

‘If Friede had been saving the broken greatsword…’

Lotus plucked a delicate petal from the flower.

And another.

“Will she use the broken greatsword?”

Then a third petal.

“Or will she not use it?”

Finally, the fourth petal.

“Or perhaps she’ll fall before she even gets the chance.”

She froze.

The thought of that strong and beautiful person being utterly defeated was unsettling.

It was almost as if imagining it defiled the purity of her thoughts.

Her forehead twisted grotesquely in irritation.

Whether intentionally or not, the deep lines carved into her brow made her look like a malevolent deity.

If fans of Lotus, the so-called “Goddess of Esports,” saw her expression at that moment, they might have fainted.

Perhaps this grotesque face would become a viral meme—”Lotus’s humiliating expression.”

But such trivialities didn’t concern her now.

“Friede… You’re older than me, right? Why do you place so much importance on that broken greatsword? Is playing with that weapon more important to you than dueling with me?”

In response to the desperate question echoing in Lotus’s heart, Friede simply smiled faintly and walked away.

At first, Lotus had admired Friede’s overwhelming skill and stunning appearance.

But seeing her stubbornness over the broken greatsword stirred feelings of jealousy.

Even after going so far as to alter the tournament rules, if Friede were to…

‘If she chooses that weapon in the finals…’

Love might turn into hatred.

The second set began as Lotus calmed her emotions and resumed watching the match.

The weapons for the second set remained the same.

It was incredible that Friede could respond so precisely in such situations.

Many skilled players had faltered against this pattern, but she held her ground.

‘She’s good. Really good.’

‘Was the rumor true?’

Though she was a new challenger-ranked player, her potential was said to rival Lotus and Warden.

It didn’t seem to be a lie.

That’s why Lotus had chosen the same loadout.

Though it wasn’t a mirror match, if she couldn’t surpass Friede wielding this weapon, there would be no point in continuing.

The set started with the opponent rushing in.

When Friede responded at full speed, their eyes flickered with surprise.

‘Huh? What’s this?’

‘Was she really engaging in a frontal clash?’

Concerned it might be a trap, the opponent cautiously swung a light attack as Friede entered their range.

They remained ready to cancel the move at any moment if Friede attempted a parry.

But…

Clang!

With a clear metallic sound, Friede once again deflected the attack with her rapier, as gracefully as before.

The opponent couldn’t help but admire how such a delicate blade could execute such fluid counters.

But they wouldn’t be caught off guard again.

This time, they mixed in subtle pauses and irregular rhythms with their light attacks, creating a whirlwind of pressure.

As Friede’s advance slowed slightly, the opponent sighed in relief.

That incredible parry technique was impressive, but it seemed to momentarily lock her movement.

Whoosh!

The greatsword sliced horizontally in a sweeping motion.

Friede crouched low, spinning swiftly to close the distance, her blade flashing brilliantly.

After the horizontal slash, she reversed her motion, her rapier tracing an elegant arc to deliver a vertical cut, then stabbing repeatedly in rapid succession.

It was a series of strikes so fluid and relentless that it seemed more like a combat skill than natural movements.

‘She’s fast!’

The opponent felt chills as their thighs were slashed repeatedly, thin lines of blood marking the cuts.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Unwilling to repeat their prior mistake, they tried to counter with a desperate knee strike.

But Friede unleashed her stored momentum, spinning her body as she leaped into the air.

The rapier in her hand followed the flow of her rotation, relentlessly carving into her opponent’s body.

Squelch!

Blood splattered as her blade pierced through the armor.

Before the opponent could retaliate with an upward swing of their greatsword, Friede was already faster.

Thrust!

‘Damn it!’

A silent scream echoed in their mind.

The rapier had precisely pierced a vital point, bypassing their defense.

Their strength gave out, and they were momentarily immobilized.

Landing gracefully, Friede pulled her rapier back.

She twisted her torso, pulling her shoulders and arms into a taut bowstring-like position.

And then…

Bang!

A devastating thrust followed, so powerful it was hard to believe it came from a rapier.

The final, resounding blow landed just before the opponent could recover from their stiffness, sending their health bar plummeting.

‘Damn it!’

Their vision turned red, as though their eyes were bleeding.

On the verge of defeat, they gritted their teeth.

Instead of fighting back, they prioritized retreating, leaping backward in a desperate bid to recover.

To avoid pursuit, they swung their polearm in an upward arc, but Friede remained motionless, watching with a blank expression.

It felt as if she were mocking their struggle.

Then, Friede made a strange gesture.

She slowly raised her hand, pointing a finger at her opponent, before beckoning with a slight curl of her finger.

‘Was this…?’

‘Taunt.’

A gesture that could be considered bad manners.

Of course, compared to outright disrespect, it was mild, but it was still unbecoming in a tournament setting.

“Heh!”

They couldn’t help but laugh.

‘It was so blatantly obvious.’

‘If they fell for this bait, Friede would surely counter with a parry.’

‘As if I’d fall for such a simple trick…’

“Gotcha!”

With a roar, they charged forward.

Despite recognizing the taunt as a ploy, they couldn’t resist.

Like déjà vu, Friede charged back, meeting their assault head-on.

The traitor’s greatsword tore through the air as it aimed at Friede.

The spear’s thrust carried precise, pinpoint intent.

The crowd, the commentators, and even Lotus held their breath as the moment unfolded.

Flash!

In the blink of an eye, the match was over.

Though her chest plate bore a dent, Friede’s rapier pierced her opponent’s heart with a brilliant gleam.

The sharp edge of her blade gleamed defiantly, even as blood seeped from the deep wound in her opponent’s chest plate.

The final strike was nothing short of devastating.

‘Had it been even slightly deeper, it wouldn’t have been her opponent falling.’

Normally, such a narrow victory would have left her exhilarated.

But instead…

“Ugh.”

She let out a sigh of disappointment.

It felt like she had won but somehow lost.

“If only my chest were smaller, it would’ve been a perfect game…”

Pouting, she kicked a small rock on the ground.

“Ugh! It’s all because of my chest!”

Even in victory, she felt frustrated.

Unfairly so!

‘Wait… but I won, didn’t I?’

“…Huh?”