Chapter 22: Going Out⑦

“Ah! And with that, the third set is over!”

The manager’s voice, though exaggerated, held genuine surprise. Those watching the monitor on the ceiling erupted in exclamations.

“How did she do that?”

“Her body was spinning in the air! It was crazy.”

“Think you could do that?”

“No way.”

The sounds reached Yujin’s ears.
The manager, with a pleased smile, masked a slightly uneasy feeling as he stared at the ceiling monitor.

‘…That kid.’

The third set had just ended.
With Holcop’s defeat.

The score appeared on the monitor:

1 WIN Holcop VS Ashilis 2 WIN.

1 to 2.
Holcop, who had overwhelmingly won the first set, had been completely overturned since the start of the second set.

Remembering how devastatingly he lost sent shivers down the manager’s spine.

‘But, thinking about the broadcast…’

This might not be so bad.
Thinking so, the manager forced his voice higher, concealing his anxiety.

Further back,

“…As expected.”

Sephie wore a satisfied smile. She had never once doubted the victory of the person she served.

Then, suddenly,

‘…?’

She turned her head.
Sephie’s brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing sharply. Her gaze was directed towards the entrance of the arcade.

Her jet-black eyes focused on two men in suits wearing dark sunglasses.

‘She wouldn’t want any trouble.’

Sephie quietly turned her head away, thinking that if they had any sense, they wouldn’t make the first move.

Of course, with Sephie’s thought process differing greatly from ordinary people, she was completely unaware that the current situation itself was already causing quite a stir.

‘Just who is she?’

Holcop lay sprawled on the arena floor, staring at the ceiling lights.

Intense light had always been captivating. It steals one’s gaze.

He wanted to close his eyes just like this.
But Holcop,

Seeing the word [Defeat] flicker before his eyes,

Finally came to his senses.

‘…This is…unbelievable.’

Holcop struggled to smooth his furrowed brow, but finding it difficult, he squeezed his eyes shut. He then slowly sat up.

Even after rising, Holcop kept his head down, his gaze fixed on the floor.

The smooth arena floor,
Shining like a lake, reflective like a mirror, showed Holcop’s reflection. He stared at himself.

Defeated.
Two consecutive losses.
Having underestimated his opponent after easily winning the first set, Holcop began to feel utterly ridiculous.

He had been completely helpless.

Ashilis,
Yujin, had effortlessly pierced through his defenses and countered his attacks with counter-attacks of her own.

The relentless beating of the second set continued into the third. The first set was the only time Holcop had managed to land a blow on Yujin.

He lost two sets in a row.
Only after acknowledging this fact could Holcop raise his head and look at the woman before him.

Ashilis.
A meaningless nickname.

Her identity was also a complete mystery. The only certainty was that this woman before him was someone capable of inflicting a crushing defeat.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve felt like this.’

A bitter smile touched Holcop’s lips. It brought back memories of his overconfident past, from when he first became an Awakened.

‘Why did I become a streamer?’

Because it was fun.
Holcop had told Yujin exactly that.

Was that really the truth?

‘…Seriously, all sorts of thoughts are coming to mind.’

He chuckled.
He’d entered the gate with the confidence of someone who possessed the world, only to end up seeking refuge in an illusion of satisfaction.

‘More importantly, what do I do?’

Holcop shook his head to clear his thoughts. The immediate problem at hand was more pressing.

He was about to face the fourth set, which could potentially be the last.

Yujin, two wins.
And Holcop, one win.

‘Should I have asked for a handicap?’

The thought was ridiculous.
He tried to dismiss it, but it lingered. Holcop felt something viscous rising in his heart.

He wanted to say:

–If I win, I get a million won. If you let me win, I’ll split it with you.

But he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
If not that, then how about this:

–I’m really sorry, but could you give me a handicap again? I never dreamed you’d be this good.

It was flattery, but it was also the truth.
In the first set, Yujin had shown an almost laughable level of skill and lost decisively. But as soon as the second set began, she started acting like a completely different person.

Perhaps she had already been giving him a handicap. Holcop forcefully suppressed the thought.

He had a little time before the fourth set began. Holcop looked forward.

Yujin stood there.
Her jet-black bob rose with each inhale and settled softly on her shoulders with each exhale.

Even the way she took deep breaths with her eyes closed was incredibly beautiful. Holcop snapped out of it and cautiously tried to check the viewers’ chat.

‘It’s a good thing this isn’t an official capsule.’

He thought, breathing a sigh of relief. If both of them were using their own officially registered capsules right now…

The viewers, only able to communicate through chat, would be raising their voices constantly from the seats outside the arena.

Holcop was thankful that wasn’t happening. It would have made his head spin.

‘By the way, she really seems like a beginner.’

He glanced at Yujin.
She didn’t seem to care about the viewers or check the chat. She was simply immersed in the game.

Finding that rather curious,
Holcop wondered if it was an occupational hazard, and with a hollow laugh, checked the chat.

-[Lunatic Mobidik First Clear ㄷㄷ]
-[That arcade’s in Seoul, right? Our ‘Hero’ lives there…]
-[Crazy dude lol Are you going to try to find her or something?]
-[If he turns evil, the Hero-nim will personally purify him lol]
-[Purification (Physical)]
-[Breaking his head to prevent bad thoughts lol]
-[Anyway, her physical abilities are insane lol At least A-rank Awakened, right? lol]
-[But why isn’t that b*tch looking at the chat?;]
-[Seriously lol]

The viewers were showering Yujin with praise. Seeing this, a faint smile touched Holcop’s lips.

Pride?
That wasn’t it.
It simply gave him justification.

‘She cleared that Mobidik in one try? And on Lunatic? At least A-rank Awakened…’

His thoughts stopped.

“Huh.”

The last sound escaped his lips. Holcop crossed his legs and sighed. He didn’t notice Yujin opening her eyes at the sound.

Eftarel Verden.
Holcop was well aware of Mobidik, the tutorial boss of the game infamous for its extreme difficulty.

It was a hugely popular game, and Holcop enjoyed it from time to time. Therefore, he could stop putting himself down.

‘She’s lucky. Who would have guessed I’d meet such a big shot at an arcade?’

Thinking as positively as possible,
He decided to praise Yujin. His thoughts shifted. Once his thinking turned positive, rationalization followed close behind.

‘Should I ask for a handicap now? Honestly, it’s a shame to lose the million won…’

He knew it was shameless.
But for the sake of the broadcast, that rationalization forced a sense of excitement upon him.

Of course, if he said it aloud,
He’d be mocked by the viewers,
And Yujin, his opponent, might be disappointed.

But it’s all for the broadcast.
It couldn’t be helped.

The first gate he entered as an Awakened.
The horrific events that unfolded within it left an indelible mark on Holcop, an inability to resist overwhelming defeat. It made him unable to forget the painful price of resistance.

‘If I make excuses about it being for the broadcast, maybe it would actually be better…’

Therefore,
He pondered how
He could appear composed even while losing to Yujin.

Beep—!
The sound signaling the start of the fourth set rang out, but he still hadn’t gathered his thoughts.

Then,

“Don’t listen to the whispers of delusion.”

Holcop, lost in thought, hadn’t noticed Yujin approaching until she was right in front of him.

“Huh? What?”

“Look straight at who’s in front of you.”

“What are you… Urk?!”

Even with Yujin standing right before him, Holcop made no move to react.

He hadn’t registered the start of the fourth set, and he had already resigned himself to defeat.

And Yujin,
Was displeased by the attitude of the one who challenged her.

So, she threw a punch.

Thwack—!
This time, it wasn’t light, but heavy.

Yujin’s weight, carried by her fist, transferred directly to Holcop’s face. With the feeling of his head being pressed down, Holcop’s eyes widened as he looked at Yujin.

Finally,

“Now you’re looking properly.”

A smile graced Yujin’s lips.
The fourth set had begun.

And that fourth set,

“Give it your all.”

-Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
-That line lol
-Hero Squad assemble!
-Who is that person?
-Internal injury warning lol
-It seems like the Hero has more viewers than Holcop lol
-Here we go again;
-Everyone get your notepads ready lol
-Noona… I’m looking properly… Noona… I’m looking properly… Noona… I’m looking properly…

Would become the legendary set that would birth countless famous lines, lines that would come to mind whenever anyone thought of Ashilis, of Yujin.

[Title: Arcade Showdown ‘That’ Set Hero Famous Lines Collection lol (★)]

It was destined to become a legendary set, etched into memory.