Chapter 10: The Duel of Focus and Fate

<Yukino>

It’s a nickname I’ve never heard before.

It’s not that it’s strange to not know someone’s nickname,

but it’s just that I’ve never really cared much.

I’ve seen some content related to this game, but I never paid much attention.

I just skimmed through it.

Honestly, it makes sense, doesn’t it?

No matter what I watch, I always end up thinking they’re better than me.

It doesn’t help improve my skills, and as for the entertainment broadcasts,

I just can’t relate because they’re all about survival struggles.

So, rather than watching game-related content,

I ended up paying more attention to random, offbeat videos.

Well, that’s enough small talk.

Now, it’s time to pick my weapon.

I wonder what weapon my opponent will choose.

Normally, it’s a lot more advantageous to pick your weapon after seeing what the opponent chooses.

That’s why the opponent in the last match chose a crossbow after I picked dual daggers, as it was a counter weapon.

But of course, that doesn’t matter if the skill gap is overwhelming.

I thought about just choosing right away without testing the waters,

but my opponent picked their weapon before I could.

A one-handed sword.

It’s considered a basic and well-rounded weapon for close combat.

It doesn’t have any outstanding features,

but its smooth, balanced performance makes it a hidden gem.

Based on that perfect weapon choice,

I thought maybe they were a craftsman.

I became quite interested.

I could’ve easily chosen a counter weapon to mess with them,

but there’s no way I’d do that to a user with such a romantic weapon choice.

So, without hesitation, I chose my weapon.

A two-handed sword.

True to its simple name, it’s an unremarkable, reliable weapon.

It’s a steady favorite among close-combat weapons for its solid, powerful strikes and satisfying handling.

The matchup between our weapons seemed quite fair.

Unlike the last match, neither side was overwhelmingly stronger,

so the result would likely depend on our individual skills.

This would likely be a much more interesting battle if my opponent was skilled.

But I intentionally calmed my excitement, not wanting to be disappointed.

<Yukino>: The nickname made me hungry.

A random message in the chat.

But honestly, I couldn’t disagree with it.

There’s a deep meaning behind my nickname.

It’s an enthusiastic ode to Suah’s jjambbong.

It’s a masterpiece that transcends dimensions and reaches the realm of the divine.

Once we both finished preparing, the map was randomly selected.

A ruined open area.

It was a map based on a collapsed ruin with no special variables,

perfect for a battle decided purely by skill.

Soon, we stood facing each other on the map, waiting briefly as the countdown began.

The battle began, but neither of us moved hastily.

Are we both testing the waters?

Given the characteristics of our weapons, it’s clear that my opponent has the advantage in mobility.

On the other hand, my advantage lies in the range.

I began using my two-handed sword’s superior reach to consistently keep my opponent at bay.

<Yukino>

Vroom-!

Vroom-!

By leaving a slight opening and slashing at the air like this, my opponent finds it difficult to rush in recklessly.

But if I keep doing this, my stamina will run out first.

This harassment is just a trick to make my opponent let their guard down.

As soon as they get used to the same pattern, I’ll change up my movements.

I step forward and slide, scraping the ground as I approach quickly.

My opponent reacts more nimbly than I expected.

They try to attack low, so I immediately counter.

I slam my greatsword into the ground, using the momentum to leap into the air.

A swift kick aimed at their chin follows.

No user in this segment would react to this combo.

After all, it’s a two-handed sword combo that’s so complicated it’s rarely used in actual combat.

It should have been like that.

But my opponent calmly raises their guard and blocks my attack.

“…Hah.”

A wry laugh escapes me.

What’s going on?

Was that just a fluke?

Or is it actual skill?

Either way, it’s ridiculous.

Personally, I hope it’s the latter.

If a fluke like that managed to block my decisive strike, I’d be seriously frustrated.

I decided to get more serious.

Swinging my greatsword, I aimed for their head.

They ducked just in time to narrowly avoid the hit and even tried to counterattack.

I spun around to dodge the blade coming straight at me.

Not stopping there, I used the momentum to attack again.

My opponent was still in the middle of their attack animation.

They had extended one leg, so they couldn’t move yet.

In other words, they were about to get hit.

Whoosh.

Right. This method works.

The one-handed sword’s weapon skill is evasion.

During the skill’s activation, all damage is nullified for a brief moment.

It’s similar to parrying, but different parrying is a general technique anyone can use and can only block ranged projectiles.

On the other hand, evasion theoretically lets you avoid any attack.

It sounds like an overpowered skill on paper.

But the reality is a bit different.

First, it’s difficult enough to rival parrying, and the duration it works is just 0.5 seconds extremely short.

Plus, unlike parrying, it has a cooldown, so it can’t be used anytime.

In other words, unless you use it at the perfect timing,

it only serves as a crowd control skill that restricts your own actions.

This is definitely not a level where you’d use it effectively.

“…This is fun.”

Really.

My excitement is rising rapidly.

Is this a smurf account?

That’s probably very likely.

They seem to have a high level of understanding of duels.

Maybe they’re a weirdo who only plays the duel mode, not battle royale.

The hunger I’d felt earlier has long since faded.

Right now, I just want to fully immerse myself in this game.

For the first time since returning to modern times, I’ve met a worthy opponent.

This is truly someone worth battling.

<Yukino>

When I used the taunt motion, my character flicked their hand and flashed a cocky smile.

In response, my opponent immediately used a taunt of their own.

Right then.

Without anyone saying a word, we both charged at each other at the same time.

I narrowed my eyes, reading the movement of their muscles. I observed their motion and predicted their next move.

A low attack.

I immediately jumped and slammed my greatsword down.

My opponent also reacted swiftly, pulling back and thrusting their sword.

This time, neither of us avoided the attack, so both of us lost health.

Naturally, since I attacked with my sword, I gained the advantage.

However, after being hit by their thrust, I was still suspended in midair.

Since I couldn’t step in midair, my position was limited, which made it a very dangerous situation.

It’s fine.

I can still use skills in midair.

Right away, my character extended their arm and began spinning rapidly.

It was the two-handed sword’s weapon skill, Whirlwind.

Among players, this skill is often called the “top” because, honestly, it doesn’t get great reviews.

The greatest weakness of close-range combat is always range.

It starts with the fact that it’s hard to deal with long-range attacks.

So most close-range weapon skills are pretty much the only way to counter that weakness.

Like the dual dagger’s Dash or the one-handed sword’s Evasion.

However, the two-handed sword’s Whirlwind doesn’t increase range,

doesn’t let me close in, and doesn’t provide resistance to ranged attacks.

It just spins like a top.

That’s why, despite the two-handed sword’s decent performance and great impact, it’s usually treated as a joke.

But that’s only true when dealing with long-range opponents.

When it’s close-range vs. close-range, it’s a different story.

At least when it comes to damage, Whirlwind is good enough that my opponent won’t dare approach during it.

On the other hand, I can approach anytime I want.

So, contrary to popular belief, it’s a pretty good skill against close-range opponents.

Just using it like this forces my opponent to stand there, helpless, retreating.

<Yukino> – Spinning like a top, huh?

Of course, I had to tolerate my opponent’s taunts.

Anyway, what matters is that I’ve pushed them into a corner by properly using my skill.

I immediately canceled the skill and swung my greatsword at my cornered opponent.

With no room to escape, they had no choice but to counterattack.

After a few intense exchanges, the momentum gradually shifted in my favor.

Since the two-handed sword has strong base damage,

there was no way I’d lose in a direct clash against a one-handed sword.

Especially since I’d focused on attacking their head, their helmet was starting to fall apart.

Done for. One more strike and it’s over!

“Your order is ready.”

That one line from the side caused my concentration to momentarily falter.

My opponent didn’t miss that tiny opening and immediately counterattacked.

<Yukino>

I quickly regained my focus and tried to counterattack,

but the momentum I had lost was now firmly in my opponent’s grasp.

A clean thrust.

The attack that pierced my chest caused my health to rapidly deplete.

But that wasn’t all.

The armor on my upper body was destroyed.

This is a unique system in the Duel Arena.

Weapon Disarmament. When armor takes a massive amount of damage at once, it breaks.

The problem is not just that my defense drops, but the set effects are lost as well.

Once even one piece of armor is destroyed, the disparity in abilities between us increases, and the balance is broken.

In other words, the system that decides the tilt of the game is Weapon Disarmament.

“…Yes. Please leave it.”

“Got it. Enjoy your meal.”

Of course, it had to happen at this exact moment.

But I didn’t blame the staff.

In the end, external factors like this are just part of the challenge.

I’ve been through far worse misfortunes in my 100 battles on the arena.

Still, I didn’t give up.

That’s why I’ve survived and returned to the game safely.

I wasn’t going to accept defeat just because of this.

The battle wasn’t over.

I steeled myself, fully determined not to lose.

The fight continued. A long-awaited sense of exhilaration filled me.

Adrenaline surged, and as the battle went on, it became more precise and beautiful.

Without clapping hands, there’s no sound.

At this moment, I could swear on everything that the opponent I was facing, Yukino, was among the top players in the world.

Our fight continued.

And the victor at the end was…