Vol.2 Chapter 49

Vol.2 Chapter 49

Clarissa’s PoV

"What an intense match! Who would have thought that Team Shadow Vanguards could endure the relentless aggression of Team Dragon Dynasty!" remarked the panelist, whom I had learned was Mr. Raze.

The fans loudly voiced their excitement about the outcome of the match with matching energetic cheers.

"I concur. HiddenDemon from the Dragon Dynasty team ran out of steam during the match, paving the way for an effortless victory for the turtling tactics of the Shadow Vanguards," Mr. Bogdan confirmed.

“That was a cool fight! Especially when that guy blocked that guy’s super-powered attack!” Colin, who was sitting next to me, exclaimed.

"I'm concerned this might not be suitable for children to watch. What if Colin imitates those individuals and becomes more aggressive!" My mom expressed her worries.

"Now, now, dear, it's just a game. Think of it like the action movies we allow the kids to watch. Compared to some of those, this is mild. It's simply kids enjoying mock battles in VR," my dad reassured her.

"I suppose..." Mom responded, though still not entirely convinced.

I giggled softly as I listened to their conversation. It's heartwarming to have the whole family gathered here to support my older brother.

"It’s called weapon skill, Colin, not super attack. And you haven't seen anything yet! Big Brother and his team outshine those guys!" I boasted proudly.

"Wow, really?!" Colin shouted with excitement.

"Yes, especially my friend and teacher, Novo! Her speed and grace are incredible! You'd struggle to keep up with her movements if you so much as blink!" I said with admiration.

"That sounds awesome! When is their match?! I want to watch it right away!" Colin exclaimed eagerly.

"It looks like they're up next!" I observed as I checked the bracket match.

"Before we delve into the upper bracket showdown between Paradigm and Round Table, let's take a moment to acknowledge the sponsors of this tournament as we give the participants time to prepare!" the panelist announced, affirming that the upcoming match would feature Big Brother's team.

After a bunch of commercials from their sponsors, plus Colin pestering me about why it takes so long and how hungry he is, the wide stadium screen returns to the three panelists.

“Welcome back, folks! Next up is a battle of epic proportions!” Mr. Raze once again greeted.

“That is right, Raze! This will be like David and Goliath! One of the strongest teams in the tournament vs the underdogs!” his co-panelist hyped.

“What do you think of it, Mr. Bogdan?” Mr. Raze queried.

“Hmmm... I think this battle is more evenly matched than everyone anticipates, particularly if Paradigm secures a favorable matchup, a skill they excel at," Mr. Bogdan shared his impartial insights.

“Oh, do you think Team Paradigm would be the victor of this match, Mr. Bogdan?” Mr. Raze said

“Not particularly, No. I just think the viewers severely underestimate their capabilities because they are an unknown team relative to the other participants here,” Mr. Bogdan explained.

“I see. That seems reasonable enough, but let us see who the statistics think is the victor in this matchup!”

The screen then displayed a series of numbers and statistics, revealing that Novo's team did not seem to have the advantage.

"As you can observe, the KDA ratio and damage statistics heavily favor Team Round Table. It's essential to remember that these statistics are based on the qualifiers and may not accurately reflect the players' current abilities, as mentioned by Mr. Bogdan earlier," Mr. Raze elaborated.

“And now, without further ado, let us see the win predictions. Also, please keep in mind that this prediction is gathered from statistics of the qualifier matches, fan predictions, along with AI predictions,” The panelist exclaimed.

The screen then flashed to the win percentage. Seeing it made my heart sink, and the loud murmurs from the crowd made it even worse.

“Holy, 81% to 19%?”

“Whew, good thing I bet on the right team!”

“This would be too one-sided.”

“What a boring match...”

“Whoah, nice! This is the easiest money ever!”

“Hahaha, I know, right?! What a free bet win!”

“It seems that the matchup heavily favors Team Round Table by a huge margin! What are your thoughts on this, Mr. Bogdan?" the panelist asked.

"Hmm, I believe there are numerous factors in a match that go beyond what statistics can predict. Nevertheless, I concur that Team Round Table seems to possess a substantial advantage. I would welcome being proven wrong, as it would lead to an exciting viewing experience for us all," Mr. Bogdan remarked.

“Whooah! You’re right, Sis! Big Brother’s team is so strong! They have such a high chance of winning!”

"Uhm, Colin. Big Brother's team is actually the other one, not Round Table..." I gently corrected him.

“W-what!? I thought you said Brother’s team is strong!” Colin protested.

“O-of course, they must have made a mistake or something...” I tried to reason.

“Really?” Colin looked at me suspiciously.

I’m not sure if I convinced Colin, but before I could even respond, the screen then switched to the casters, signaling the imminent start of the match.

“Hello, folks! Here are your favorite casters, DJ Riot and ParaTrooper, to commentate on what is happening in the match!”

“That is right, Riot. Who do you think would win this battle?

I spun, desperate to land a blow, but she was like a phantom as she easily weaved through my attacks. My strikes, which I thought were precise and deadly, felt clumsy and amateurish in front of her.

I... cannot believe this... This wasn't supposed to happen. Spellcasters weren't supposed to be this adept at dodging! But this girl was an untouchable force that seemed to mock my every attempt to land a hit against her!

Is she reading my every move? I didn't expect her to be this good, and this turn of events puts us in a very tough spot.

This is bad. I’m getting agitated by how effortlessly she is dodging my strikes. I need to calm down.

I mentally scolded myself for losing my composure. I needed to remind myself that we had prepared for scenarios like this.

Fortunately, Astrid and I had devised a contingency plan in case such an unlikely situation arose. It was a wise decision not to underestimate this girl’s abilities. It was time to implement plan B.

Meridia

HP: 62%

Lizbeth

HP: 91%

Glancing at my teammate's health, I noticed Astrid's HP dwindling due to the prolonged battle. In a typical scenario, this would be concerning as she would surely fall before I could even land a blow on my opponent. However, the situation was still manageable.

I persisted in launching attacks at Novo without success while maintaining a vigilant eye on my surroundings, awaiting the ideal moment to alter the course of the battle.

This helplessness continued; I was not able to land a single hit towards her, no matter how hard I tried while waiting for the right moment; it was as if I was trying to attack the air. I didn’t know how long it took, but then it happened. In the corner of my vision, I saw Astrid bait the opponent. She took damage from the attack as the rapier's tip had found its mark through a gap in her defenses.

“Ack!"

Meridia

HP: 28%

Astrid gritted her teeth as Lizbeth began to retract the blade; Astrid didn't let go of this opportunity as she saw her chance. With a sharp exhale, she twisted her torso inward. This unexpected movement not only surprised her opponent but also brought Lizbeth slightly off-balance.

The momentum of his retraction pulled the rapier further off-center. Astrid, using the strength in her arm, clamped down on the base of the blade, effectively trapping it momentarily.

Simultaneously, she slammed her other hand against her opponent's chest, applying a sharp off-balancing technique she always uses against me whenever we spar.

Lizbeth stumbled forward, thrown off guard by the sudden shift in Astrid's center and the unexpected resistance to her weapon. Astrid didn't waste a moment. Keeping her grip firm on the rapier's base, she pivoted on her leg, using the momentum of Lizbeth's stumble to her advantage.

With a powerful hip thrust and a coordinated arm extension, Astrid completed a flowing body turn throw. Her opponent caught completely off guard and, with her weapon momentarily disabled, was sent sprawling over Astrid's back, landing with a thud on the forest ground.

Her perfectly executed throw happened in a span of a second, but I was ready as this was part of our prepared strategies.

Before her adversary could recover, she employed her ice spell to impede the enemy's movement, granting me the crucial time required to charge my weapon skill completely.

I'm sorry, but it's our win! We already planned to go after your carry. If we successfully eliminate her, you don't have any damage to win against us, no matter how adept at survival you are!

Without hesitating, I dashed toward the enemy team's carry. Once at a mid-range distance, I unleashed my weapon skill, delivering a final strike through a shockwave of radiant golden light.

"Golden Sanctity!"

This attack encapsulates the hopes and ambitions of our team. Victory is within reach!

However, my jubilant celebration of our anticipated triumph was abruptly silenced by the utterance of two words.

"Guardian Angel," hearing those words, my heart suddenly sank.

As my shockwave was about to hit, a shimmering force field of white light protected our adversary from the impact of my attack, successfully negating any damage she would receive.

As I stood there speechless and unable to move due to the short fatigue of using my weapon skill, the opponent’s carry sprang into action. It was as if she knew full well that her teammate had her back, no matter what happened, a show of complete trust in her partner.

Taking advantage of the opening created, she delivered a critical strike on Astrid, catching her off guard by the unforeseen turn of events.

Meridia

HP: 0%

“...H-how?" Was all she could mutter before her body transformed into countless particles of blue motes of light.

I stood there, speechless as my teammate was, with one question in mind.

"D-did you know our plan from the start?" I echoed my teammate's sentiment.

"Not entirely. To be honest, it was a solid strategy. Eliminating the carry initially and leaving the support lacking in DPS alone," Novo casually elucidated.

"But... You still found out. How..." I said in disbelief.

She pondered for a second, as if deciding not to reveal the magic trick, but eventually gave in, mostly for my benefit. "...You were overly focused on your ally’s actions and less on the opponent directly facing you. Additionally, your composure in such a dire situation indicated that you had a plan in motion to turn things around. Putting these pieces together made it rather simple to deduce your intentions," she remarked in a tone that sounded more like guidance to aid my improvement.

Did she deduce all that from such subtle cues? Am I truly that transparent?! No, I wouldn't have reached this far if that were the case. This girl's ability to read her opponents is just astonishingly exceptional!

"...I see. We were right to be wary of you. But it seems our preparation wasn't enough," I gritted my teeth as I prepared for the inevitable two-on-one.

The situation appears bleak. My weapon skill is on cooldown, and both opponents are exceptionally skilled, especially Novo, who can read me like an open book. I can only hope that my allies are faring better than I am.