Streamer Crazy About Slaughter - Chapter 38
Golden light swirling.
“…!”
The moment I confirmed it, I instinctively kicked the ground and surged forward.
Using Bloodstep to quickly obscure my form while rapidly approaching her.
No doubt a long-range technique.
And given the nature of the glowing light, it might be an area effect spell.
Or a burst of light so powerful it would be difficult for anyone to respond in time; I considered many scenarios.
Regardless of the situation, waiting for an attack was only possible if my opponent was distinctly less skilled.
For example, it would be foolish to stand still while gathering energy, especially when my opponent was targeting me from afar.
And I was not that fool.
Thud.
Thwack.
Lin’s new form quickly kicked off the various obstacles in the Colosseum, leaving behind crimson afterimages as it rushed toward Plea at an unprecedented speed.
The distance was closing in the blink of an eye.
“…I can’t believe someone like this appeared suddenly.”
In disbelief at Lin’s swift response, Plea quickly thrust her rapier forward, which she had pulled back.
Her opponent was showcasing perfect responses.
I could practically see my own future of being hit if I charged carelessly and acted leisurely.
In the end, the gauge was barely filled halfway, not even fully charged.
Yet despite this, a massive golden light burst from the rapier that Plea had extended forward.
——!!
A silent explosion. The moment the golden light erupted, Plea’s new form seemed to sway slightly from the sheer force of the blast.
Whoosh!
As the golden mass shot through as if erasing the obstacles in the Colosseum, Lin had been watching intently from the start, her red eyes never blinking once.
In those eyes, the path of the golden light appeared etched. Even before it was fired, Lin swung her Crescent Moon Blade.
——Explosive Drill.
Boom!!
The Crescent Moon Blade struck the ground fiercely, and the impact propelled Serin’s new form forward as it flew past.
Whoosh!!
And as the golden mass wildly burst forth, Lin, indifferent to its passing next to her silver hair, shot forward without hesitation.
It was as if she had predicted the attack, evading the long-range technique just in time, and with the force of the explosion created by her Crescent Moon Blade, she had reached Plea’s face almost instantaneously.
“Crazy…”
Plea, caught off guard as she had not anticipated Lin reaching her so quickly, attempted to react.
But in that moment, Serin’s new form began to harness a bl**d-red energy explosively.
——Dance of the Ghost.
As the Crescent Moon Blade painted the air, Serin’s new form began to swing the blade wildly in all directions at a speed almost imperceptible to Plea’s gaze.
Boom boom boom!!
An eerie explosion reverberated as if tearing apart the very space.
This wasn’t the conscious use of the Crescent Moon Blade.
There was no feeling of relying on the system for the technique’s deployment.
Trapped within the onslaught of the Crescent Moon Blade, Plea struggled to maintain her balance.
She attempted to extend her rapier in defense, but as her posture faltered, it failed to meet the requirements to execute the technique.
Ultimately, she watched helplessly as her HP continued to dwindle and found herself staring at her rapier.
Clang clang clang clang!!
It wasn’t that she was moving.
Her rapier trembled wildly as if struck by something.
She was instinctively defending against the relentless assault of the Crescent Moon Blade, though she had not consciously recognized it.
But… that was all.
As her HP gauge continued to decrease, Plea could only watch in despair.
Swoosh!
Serin, wildly swinging the Crescent Moon Blade, suddenly withdrew it.
Thinking it was the end of the technique, Plea quickly kicked the ground to escape and attempted to execute her own technique.
——Instantaneous Escape.
In that moment, as if transforming into a wisp of smoke, she disappeared from view.
Plea felt her body lift into the air unnaturally.
She realized with a blank stare that she was being lifted by black strings tied around her legs.
It was humiliating.
As her new form hung suspended above the ground, Plea looked down at Serin, who was gazing up at her.
Her HP gauge was already down to about 20%. She had no idea what technique had struck her, but it was clear that crashing to the ground at this point would seal her defeat.
In an instant, she made a decision.
Gathering all her strength into the hand gripping her rapier as she hung precariously in the air, she executed her technique.
——Extreme Thrust.
With Plea’s new form bound by the strings attached to the blade, she plummeted toward the ground. In that moment, her rapier shot forward at an abnormal speed.
As if it would pierce Lin’s head as she fell.
……
Boom!!!
A previously unheard explosion rang out as Plea’s new form crashed to the ground.
“…”
Seeing this, Serin blankly caressed her cheek, sensing a long scar-like sensation.
Yet what she felt was the smoothness of her own cheek.
——Victory.
The familiar phrase adorned her vision as she blinked, trying to collect her thoughts.
‘Was it really just a hair’s breadth away?’
In that instant, without the conviction that she would evade, she questioned if she had truly lost.
No matter how much damage she had inflicted earlier with the Dance of the Ghost, the moment the rapier pierced her head, her absolute defeat came to mind.
Thud.
Plea slowly rose from the ground before her.
“Wow… I honestly didn’t think I would lose.”
She uttered in a dazed tone, her expression reflecting disbelief at her defeat.
“Shall we have the next duel right away?”
Serin said, looking at Plea.
Her hand tingled.
The realization that there was an opponent worthy of fighting filled her with a sense of vitality.
The fact that there was such an opponent added another reason to reach the Challenger tier.
Though she had won, it was ultimately a matter of experience. If they continued to face off, it might lead to even more intense battles.
And above all, Serin felt a thrill of anticipation.
“Oh. No. Let’s take a break for about 10 minutes before the duel.”
Plea, chuckling and shaking her head at Serin’s suggestion to immediately fight again, requested some time.
After just that one duel, she found herself needing time to collect her thoughts.
“Sure. Then.”
Serin unreservedly agreed to Plea’s request.
As she moved to the opposite side of the Colosseum, Plea couldn’t help but chuckle.
It was true that she had lost.
That was hardly surprising.
She often fought against rankers in the top 20 of the Challenger tier, so losing wasn’t unusual at all.
But that didn’t mean she lost against mere novices.
Though she acknowledged it in her heart, it felt strange to actually lose.
“By the way… I feel oddly drained.”
After just that one match, she felt exhausted.
There was certainly no physical pain, and there were no issues with movement.
Yet she felt an unusual mental fatigue. A strange sensation as though her understanding of the world had been shattered.
Had it really been just about 10 minutes since that one duel?
When she used the technique called Riposte, Lin had evaded it with an unexplainable movement, and when she tried to use a long-range technique, Lin had approached without hesitation.
Looking back, each moment had been extraordinary. Surely if she had reacted differently, there would have been moments to score.
But ultimately, she shook her head and cleared her thoughts.
As the duel ended, the Colosseum was reconstructed. Sitting by one of its structures, Plea stared blankly at the chat window.
Since she was officially broadcasting, she needed to keep checking the chat and communicating.
In fact, she was also curious about the chat reactions right now.
[Wow…]
[What the hell?]
[Plea lost?]
[Isn’t it just that Plea went easy on her?]
[Lol, Plea never goes easy in a duel, what are you talking about?]
[I was watching too, but I still can’t understand it lol.]
[Wait, is this really the heavenly realm?]
Most of the chat was unable to believe the result.
Viewers seemed skeptical of Lin’s skill even after witnessing it.
She would need to check how the broadcast came out later, but she wondered if the speed of the duel was too fast for it to be properly transmitted.
As Plea pondered how to respond to the chat events, Serin’s sudden voice broke through.
“Why didn’t you use your awakening ability or emergency evasion?”