[Lotus! Victory against Friede!]
Author: SlimJwa
“That’s not happening! This is the Stubong community, folks! The victory you desire for Lotus! The defeat you imagine for Friede! No matter what happens! It will never! Ever! Happen!! Community!!”
[ZiegGarterbelt: As expected of SlimJwa, your skill is solid.]
[DustToBankruptcy: Stubong needs to be wrecked for it to be fun.]
[hope5555: Haha, Friede’s gameplay is more entertaining than Stubong’s.]
[Stubong: Why are you all like this to me… Bad words, no no!]
[If you honestly wanted Lotus to break down in tears, thumbs up.]
Author: KimCrunchyLakku
“Haha, I’ll go first!”
[MidyrEatingMySister: Thumbs up.]
[DaylightSword: Crying Lotus is a thumbs-up from me.]
[Dominator: Is this a funeral?]
[roo: It’s not a funeral; it’s a celebration.]
[Washbasin: Judging by her expression, she looks mentally broken. What if she completely drops next season? Haha.]
[Loo: Watch your words; the Stubong fans are gunning for Friede right now.]
***
[Hey, everyone, look at this!!]
Author: SweetGuy
“The official STK channel just uploaded an edited video of the recent brawl tournament. What’s this ending?
[Imagine a sunset rising at the end of a bridge where two people are dancing.]
“Those two in the ending credits… No matter how I look, they seem like Friede and Lotus. What’s with the vibe? So sweet, seriously. Is their chemistry even real?!”
[Someone: Don’t know, don’t care.]
[ZiegGarterbelt: ??? Why is this happening??]
[KimCrunchyLakku: Wait, it looks like she took her helmet off?]
[DustToBankruptcy: Yeah, seems like the helmet’s definitely off. The back of her head looks fully blonde.]
[Loo: Lotus, you fool! Why do you get to see our goddess’s face?!]
[Lampadu: Reveal her face to us, too!]
[Dominator: Dammit!! If Friede streams, I’m going to spam donations like crazy!]
[DaylightSword: Same. Haha, what’s she gonna do if I drop 1,000 on her?]
[MidyrEatingMySister: I’m saving my ammo for donations, too.]
***
[So, is Friede still a pimple-faced goblin?]
Author: KimCrunchyLakku
(Maximized zoom-in of the video)
“Still? Huh? Is Friede really some pimpled pig or scrawny goblin? No way, she’s gorgeous!”
[DustToBankruptcy: Do you even see anything?]
[KimCrunchyLakku: If you focus, you can sketch it in your mind.]
[Someone: Are you Mongolian, by chance?]
[MidyrEatingMySister: Hailing from Mongolia, haha!]
[DustToBankruptcy: Her face isn’t clear, but her jawline looks sharp… though it’s hard to tell for sure.]
[Loo: Wow, her golden hair flowing is really beautiful.]
[SweetGuy: Her cape and blonde hair are more noble than solid gold.]
[SlimJwa: Keep it up, haha!]
Currently, the Soul Warfare community was ablaze with discussions about Friede.
Female gamers who excelled were rare enough, but to be among the top tier was even more extraordinary.
Friede, who appeared like a comet, didn’t just enter Challenger; she went undefeated to win the nation’s biggest event league.
And if that wasn’t enough, she achieved a flawless victory against Lotus, the strongest among female pro gamers.
However, what had people talking the most wasn’t her skill but the video of her and Lotus on the bridge.
“Look at this, Da-young! BitchSehee has done it again!”
SlimJwa’s excited shout made Da-young sigh internally.
‘What’s happened this time?’
Friede’s string of incidents had become exhausting to the point where Da-young didn’t even have the energy to sigh anymore.
Given the atmosphere, though, it made sense.
‘Why did she even use that broken greatsword?’
Out of curiosity, she checked the STK gallery.
As expected, there was loud criticism of Friede’s broken greatsword.
‘Even though Lotus also used a broken greatsword.’
But since she lost while accommodating Friede’s weapon, Lotus’s fans dismissed it with impeccable logic, saying it was unfair.
Well, that’s what fans do—reason takes a backseat to emotions.
Friede had long been cast as the villain among STK fans, especially Lotus’s.
‘But what was SlimJwa even pointing out? Was this another baseless accusation against her sister?’
Da-young, maintaining an indifferent expression, glanced at the monitor.
It didn’t take long for her expression to harden.
“What?”
On the bridge, two figures held hands and danced gracefully.
Though the distance made their faces indistinguishable, there was only one person with such distinctive features in Da-young’s mind.
“Sister?”
“Hehe, BitchSehee really knows how to set the stage.”
The endless bridge, the sprawling natural scenery…
And the sunrise gleamed in the sky.
Below it, Friede and Lotus danced.
It was undeniably a well-crafted video, enough to draw anyone’s attention.
The problem was…
“Did she take off her helmet?”
“She showed her face to Lotus?”
“Why?”
That was the first thought that popped into Da-young’s mind.
‘How often does a streamer, even one as popular as Friede, interact with an active pro gamer?’
‘Friede couldn’t possibly be close enough with Lotus to stage such a performance.’
***
“Da-young, this is straight out of a comic. They call this an NTR setup… Next thing you know, we’ll get a video at our house titled ‘Friede’s Face of Absolute Bliss.’ Oh no, HAHAHA!”
CRACK!
“You’re dead meat, for real.”
With the sickening sound of a twisted bone, Da-young rotated Slim’s neck a full 720 degrees.
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
‘Well, there’s no need to think the worst about this.’
After all, I’ve met my sister in person, face-to-face.
‘No matter how skilled she is as a pro gamer, what chance does she have against a hero?’
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“So why am I so angry?”
The rage bubbled up uncontrollably.
How can emotions be measured by reason?
If something irritates you, it irritates you—that’s all there is to it.
***
Ping.
A notification sound rang from her phone.
Curious, she glanced at it and was surprised by the sender.
[Azzy: Hey… stupid.]
“What… the heck?”
‘Why is that social outcast messaging me out of the blue?’
‘Was she still hung up on the accessory my sister gave her and now begging for a delivery?’
But Azzy’s next message was completely unexpected.
[Azzy: Are you just going to let this slide?]
“Hah!”
A short, rough laugh escaped Da-young, filled with unexplainable joy, sympathy, and camaraderie.
‘Let it slide? Like hell.’
Azzy’s message wasn’t just a provocation; it was a rallying cry.
She never thought she’d agree with that recluse, not even in her wildest dreams.
Clench.
Her teeth ground audibly as flames ignited in her eyes.
‘Some random upstart dares to meddle in the bond of heroes?’
For the first time in ages, she felt a surge of determination.
“Kek, a storm is brewing, huh?”
Twisting Slim’s neck another 720 degrees for good measure, Da-young hurriedly began preparing to go out.
***
[Thank you, Friede. It’s my first time dancing with another girl like this. It’s really soothing for my nerves. Hehe.]
[Um… if it’s okay, could you call me ‘Eunha’ when you message me? I feel more comfortable with my real name.]
[Not asking for your real name, of course! I get why a streamer who doesn’t do face reveals would be careful about personal info.]
[Also… could I call you ‘Sister’? I saw your profile, and it seems like you’re older than me.]
[If you’re okay with it, I’ll send this to you. I’m part of a team that streams for my organization. Maybe we can duo sometime?]
[I’ll be waiting, Sister.]
Leaning back in her chair, Friede twirled around while reminiscing about yesterday.
Lotus—or rather, Eunha now—was quite different from her initial impression of being aggressive and stubborn.
She was surprisingly easygoing.
Positive connections like this are always welcome.
‘Teaming up with a pro gamer, even as a gamer herself, was an exciting and fulfilling prospect.’
‘Even though she had already defeated Eunha, playing on the same team carried a whole different thrill.’
These thoughts swirled in her mind as she indulged in her recent laziness.
Her consecutive announcements of stream breaks had caused an uproar on her Switch panel and YouTube channel, with people clamoring in chaos.
But perhaps she had exhausted herself during the brawl tournament.
Even achieving an undefeated victory brought its own kind of pressure.
Still, the “zen time” that came after her victory was not entirely unwelcome.
“That ending was perfect, though.”
She found herself savoring the lingering emotions of the tournament finale.
The vlog featuring her and Eunha dancing had initially irked her—it was shot without permission.
But after being asked for consent and ensuring it was fine for public release, she let it slide.
The final scene, with them dancing, was a masterpiece even she couldn’t deny.
Maybe it was curiosity, or perhaps anticipation of how the community would react, that led her to agree to its release.
Regardless, seeing the polished final product, she had to admit it turned out to be a grand ending for the league.
***
Ping!
A familiar notification chimed from her phone, tickling her ears.
The brief message displayed on her screen was from an equally familiar person.
[Da-young: If you’re free, want to go shopping together?]
“What?”
It was an unexpectedly sudden invitation for a date.
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