The winner's interview wouldn’t begin until all matches in Group E were completed. It would be conducted during the break between matches.

Since my match was over, I could do whatever I wanted during the downtime. I could take a break, but either Reaper or Fury would have to face me next. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a preview of what was to come.

With that thought, I headed to the viewing room. But it seemed like I’d made a poor choice. As soon as I entered, I felt the hostile stares aimed in my direction. I wasn’t oblivious; I could tell I wasn’t exactly popular here.

Maybe I should’ve waited in the lobby instead? No one was openly badmouthing me, but this was still a game environment. With voice options adjusted, people could talk without anyone overhearing.

Just as I was about to turn back, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.

“What are you doing here instead of going in?”
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? I’m here to watch too.”

It was Traveler, a tall character, though not as tall as Rime. Group D’s matches ended yesterday, so there was no need for him to be here today. After all, he could watch the matches from outside.

“You came… all the way here?”
“I like having people around when I watch matches. Better than being alone.”

The tall spear knight casually took a seat in the corner, patting the seat next to him as if inviting me to sit. Following his lead, I sat down, which blocked the view of the other players behind him.

Was this… consideration? It seemed he had something on his mind, and I felt the need to probe.

“What? You’re not expecting me to swoon over this, are you?”
“Are you crazy? Don’t get any weird ideas. I have a girlfriend.”
“Oh… good. That’s a relief.”

Great. I felt at ease again, especially when he waved his hands as if to brush off the idea. I wasn’t quite used to accepting people’s kindness without suspicion.

“My team doesn’t care much about the Arena. Luce is preparing for her match, so by process of elimination, you’re the only one left.”
“Seems like you’re not too happy with your team.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but… Tsk. If you ever go pro, make sure you get a good contract. Don’t get too attached to people.”

I could tell he had his reasons, but I didn’t pry further and just nodded. Satisfied, Traveler turned his gaze back to the screen.

I saw Reaper leaving the viewing room. Since he was exiting right in front of me, our eyes met briefly. Surprisingly, Reaper nodded at me first. Though it caught me off guard, I returned the nod.

“That’s unexpected. Is Reaper usually this polite? I only know him from broadcasts.”
“No. He was pretty rude to my team, though he seemed to be respectful to Luce.”
“Then why is he acting like this towards me…?”
“Who knows? He probably has his own standards.”

Traveler’s tone was indifferent as he replied. The screen began to replay Reaper’s highlights, some of which showed him against Traveler’s team, Q Prime.

From where I was sitting, I couldn’t make out Traveler’s expression clearly. However, his indifferent tone carried a hint of shadow.

“Hey. Do you think you can beat Reaper?”
“Of course. No one can win if they think they’ll lose.”
“That’s the right answer… but it’s been hard to hear that lately.”
“Sounds like things are a mess.”
“Yeah, it’s a mess. Everything is a mess, everywhere you go.”

《 Up next, the second match of Group E! Reaper from Acid Gaming will face off against Fury from J Vitals. 》
《 An assassin versus a blade master. While Reaper is also known for his mist techniques, this should be an intense match. 》
《 Exactly. Fury is famous for his speed build, and Reaper’s flexibility and unpredictability speak for themselves. We’re in for a clash of their unique strengths. 》
《 Let’s see what each player has prepared. Here we go! 》

[Infinity Arena Finals – Group E – Match 3]
[Map: Ancient Weapon Storage]
[Acid Gaming Reaper (Mist Assassin) vs. J Vitals Fury (Blade Master)]

The battlefield was a familiar one. Not long ago, I had fond memories of this field after downing a Dragon’s Tear here. While the terrain itself was simple, the monsters scattered around had powerful area attacks. They weren’t particularly hard to avoid, but in the heat of battle, they could become a nuisance.

Both classes had potential advantages here.

The Blade Master was a class that carried over the martial arts stamina system. As a melee DPS, they had to handle all offense and defense with just one sword. Utilizing the Ancient Weapon’s attacks could provide a strong parry bonus.

In contrast, Reaper’s Mist Assassin was a mix of assassin and mage, sacrificing some assassin skills to focus on mist and stealth techniques. Navigating in the mist made dodging the Ancient Weapon’s attacks difficult.

“By the way, why don’t you use the Blade Master? You’re good with it.”
“Assassins are just more convenient in the field. I don’t plan to pull out the Blade Master here either.”
“Is that so.”

Given my background in kendo, I was confident with the Blade Master class. In fact, I was probably better at it than anyone else. But I had a psychological block that kept me from using it. Wielding a long sword stirred up all sorts of negative emotions. The last time I used it was when I was cornered in the field… and that wasn’t a pleasant memory.

It felt like I’d cheapened something sacred, a shameful reminder of when my life was at its brightest.

To me, using a sword—specifically, the weapon from my professional days—carried a weight beyond words.

《 Fury blocks the first ambush with a perfect parry! 》
《 That’s a solid start. While the Mist Assassin isn’t a traditional assassin, it’s not a class that easily loses the initiative. 》
《 But we’ll have to wait and see. Reaper rarely gives up after a single attempt, and Fury remains vigilant. 》
《 Just as I say that, here comes Reaper’s second attack! 》

Mist suddenly filled the field, reducing visibility to almost zero. Just as five blades lunged toward Fury, he parried them and swiftly countered, his clean downward strike achieving nothing but cutting through mist droplets.

As Reaper emerged from the mist, his claws struck Fury’s foot, forcing him to lower his sword, only for Reaper to shift his target mid-teleport.

《 Reaper targets the upper body with Snake Fang… canceled halfway. 》
《 Reaper successfully lands his follow-up! 》

There it was. The reason Reaper was so challenging.

《 Did you see that brilliant mind game by Reaper? 》
《 He abandoned a well-angled attack to provoke a defense. Fury had to block the seemingly lethal move. 》
《 But that quick reaction turned into a trap. Reaper canceled, and Fury’s parry left him wide open. As you can see in the replay, the delay from Fury’s parry leaves him unable to defend, allowing Reaper to strike precisely. It was a perfectly set-up ambush. 》

Reaper had a way of drawing out his opponent’s defense, exploiting the place they thought was safe. His attacks seemed a beat slower, leaving gaps that built frustration as they repeatedly attacked from outside their field of vision.

It created the feeling that, if you didn’t react quickly, you’d expose your vulnerabilities. I doubt it felt any different in reality.

However, in a state of urgency, one’s rhythm tends to falter. Reaper would wear down his opponents slowly, calmly accumulating damage before disappearing. The result, from an outside perspective, was a disastrous performance.

《 Fury is bleeding badly now, as Reaper unleashes the Blood Mist. 》
《 Fury must stay calm. The Blood Mist is more about sensory disruption than direct damage. 》
《 Oh… is Fury losing his composure? His attacks seem too frantic! 》

Fury couldn’t block a single attack, flailing as if he were self-destructing. Reaper’s claws tore him apart—body and mind alike.

Fury’s performance was unanimously deemed a disgrace.