I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers

The Hero was not an easy opponent until the very end.
Even with two team members dead, he resisted alone until the very end.

"Truly a valiant effort, Luche player."
"The coordination with Hekate player was excellent. If either of you made a mistake, we wouldn't have been able to stop him."
"Outlaw player starts the support fire, and Camelia player joins from behind."
"Then comes the surprise attack from Ga-wol player. At this point, no matter how strong Hero player is, the situation is too difficult!"
"With this… I can say it! The giant is falling! We’re seeing the finals!"

Hero showed a performance worthy of the top.
The massive greatsword finally took Luche's breath away, and with just one exchange, Camelia was pushed to the brink of death.
Hekate's side was crushed by a rock.

Despite this, the battle was ruthless.
Luche was already in a heavily exhausted state.
Camelia managed to survive and swung her spear, and Hekate never allowed her skill cooldowns to rest.

This stage was the semifinal of the World Championship.
A team that has made it this far could not have relied solely on luck and coincidence.
W Titans were definitely a qualified strong team, but Sigma eSports was equally strong.

"This victory will definitely feel significant for Sigma eSports."
"Hero player, who was like a hero for the Titans, has fallen, and Ga-wol player stands tall on both feet."
"Ga-wol player’s swordsmanship showed an incredible performance. However, the team depended too much on it, and the player himself struggled."
"There were many twists and turns, but ultimately, we can say that they have proven themselves."
"Sigma eSports now has enough strength to reach the finals."@@novelbin@@

Finally, Hero's greatsword fell to the ground.
For a swordsman of her caliber, there are only a few times when they drop their weapon.
Either their arm was severed, or they lost their life.

This time, it was the latter.
The once ash-colored knight collapsed, drenched in blood.
Not far away, the corpses of other team members disappeared.

With all five members of W Titans dead, the rules of the annihilation battle were fulfilled.
Time slowly came to a halt. The scene of the battlefield on the broadcast screen gradually receded.

"Finally, with Hero player falling, Sigma eSports secures the third set of the semifinals with a victory!"
"Set score 3:0. It was a tough opponent, but we can call this a decisive victory."
"They have taken down two giants from North America. Now, only one shot remains!"
"One week later, the final match of the World Championship. We’ll see you in the finals between AT and Sigma eSports!"

[Written by: Peropero]
[Title: W Titans Hero Loss Interview]

Q: You received huge expectations from the North American League, and your skills were said to have improved a lot. It must be disappointing.
A: Losing is always bitter. But what can you do? It was an opponent we could lose to. We just need to do better next time.

Q: What do you think the cause of the defeat was?
A: All defeats ultimately come down to skill. The opponent was better, so they won. I could analyze the specific issues, but in the final set, the whole opposing team performed well.

Q: What are your thoughts for the next season?

…

Q: Lastly, do you have anything you want to say?
A: It was an enjoyable match. I definitely want to meet Ga-wol again next year. The result will be different from now.

The battle with Hero. After the tough semifinal, the after-party wasn’t too rough.
There was only one or two drinks? Everyone consciously avoided overdrinking.
They must have been tired, so they all went back to their rooms early and fell asleep.

Hekate also returned to her room on time today.
Though she’s very affectionate around close people, her basic personality is surprisingly introverted.
In fact, Han Da-eun had classified Hekate’s first impression as "quiet person."
She might seem playful but suddenly show signs of tiredness at times.

Well, that wasn’t the only reason she came back early today.

'She must have already fallen asleep. I came back early too. Was she that tired?'

The room was dark with the lights off.
So, Seo Ye-won carefully muffled her footsteps.
Sneaking quietly. She was being cautious not to wake up Da-eun, who might be asleep.

Her roommate was particularly sensitive to sound at night.
She would pretend to be asleep even if there was the slightest noise.

Seo Ye-won knew that because… when Da-eun was asleep, she often moaned.
After making those sounds, Da-eun’s breathing would become calm, and there was no way not to notice.
So, Ye-won vaguely knew about Da-eun’s nightmares.

'I had something to say, but I’ll do it tomorrow.'

It was late at night. Ye-won carefully got into bed.
The two beds were opposite each other.
If she turned her head while lying down, she could faintly see Da-eun's face on the other side.

Everyone has a hidden wound.
Naturally, Ye-won also had such pain, and she didn’t want to share it with anyone.
Knowing the pain of others, she had no intention of asking about Da-eun’s past.

But she didn’t want to just leave it alone.
She might not be able to heal the wounds, but she could soothe the pain.

The human heart is an incomprehensible thing.
A person who seemed like they would never change might change overnight, and someone who seemed strong might suddenly break.
Wounds that seemed impossible to heal... surprisingly, could sometimes be easily resolved.

Play, eat well, laugh well.
Don’t just sit down because it hurts, just move forward.
The role of a friend is to extend a hand and say, "Let’s go together."

It was a refreshing morning after a long time.
She woke up earlier than usual, likely because she went to bed early.
Hekate, who usually slept in, had gotten up first and seemed to have gone out.

There was still plenty of time before the morning training.
Today, they would start intense training again.

It was the final match.
Curiously, she was facing Cerberus again.
In the semifinals, she had put down the sword once, but… she couldn’t completely give up on it.

Now, it was really just one step away.
The last chapter of the World Championship, which everyone had longed for, and yet secretly thought would be difficult.
The dream of victory was just one step away, and there was no option to stop now.

She wouldn’t insist on using the sword.
But she wouldn’t consciously avoid it either.
Victory was the most important to her.

So, she had even prepared to have another heated argument today.
But as soon as Hekate returned, she latched onto a strange part.

"Da-eun, there’s something that’s been bothering me for a while."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"When you wear your costume as a swordfighter, doesn’t it seem too dull?"
"Costume? Suddenly?"
"Suddenly? Do you realize how important that is? For a pro gamer, the costume..."

Pro gamers ultimately live on the attention of their fans.
And the costume worn during a match is practically their personality.
It represents their play style, personality, and character traits.

Most fans tend to form their first impression based on the costume rather than the player’s face.
It’s not something to disregard. Especially for female pro gamers, extra care is needed.
But you’re strangely indifferent to this.

It’s a crime not to dress up with that appearance you were born with!
Hekate passionately lectured her.

"Well, it’s not like I didn’t know."
"Do you really know? Do you realize how many matches you’ve played in that basic costume?"
"Umm…"
"The assassin costume was still okay."

In fact, the costume I wear as an assassin wasn’t chosen very carefully.

Back when I lived by selling game gold,
I couldn’t afford to invest much money in clothes, and the basic assassin gear had too much exposure.
I bought a reasonably priced set, which became the costume I still wear today.

But I wore that outfit for too long.
In fact, at some point, it got discontinued and its price increased, so I kept it as emergency savings because I would need to buy other clothes if I sold it.
After my popularity grew… the price rose considerably.

When I checked the price later, I was so surprised.
I barely managed to stop myself from selling it casually.

People’s eyes don’t just find beautiful things expensive; they find expensive things beautiful.
The reasonably priced assassin costume was getting pretty good reviews.
So, I could just let the assassin part slide.

The problem was with the swordfighter.
I didn’t have the luxury to decorate it, so it was just the basic version.
Just a plain black robe.

"So… what should we do?"
"What else? Of course, we have to decorate it. Leaving it like that makes me uneasy. Let’s go. Everyone will be here soon."
"Everyone?"