Sparks flew from the clash of metal.
Even though I blocked with the back of my sword, I couldn’t withstand the force of the halberd.
My body was pushed back about 50 centimeters, and my guard gauge was dangerously low.

It didn’t give the overwhelming weight of a hero’s greatsword.
But compared to other paladins, this strike was heavy beyond comparison.
It was definitely too much force to block with a single thin sword.

This was also a limitation of the swordsman class.

When the strength difference is this large, it’s hard to control the enemy’s weapon.
As a result, reliance on parrying increases drastically.
But would a top-tier pro gamer simply give you a parry angle?
Even Luche was careful not to give any openings, adjusting her movements.

Falcon’s swordsman.
Insane bit his lip.

‘I knew something was being hidden. I thought there would be something, but I didn’t expect it to be this much.’

I faced an unexpected obstacle.

Facing global-level rivals, his growth was evident.
He had been praised for surpassing Aquila, the previous top representative of Falcon.
Though I never underestimated Luche, honestly, I didn’t think she was his match.

I had thought if anyone would break his sword, it would be Ga-wol.
No. Not now. We’re in the middle of a match.
I need to solve my anger later.
For now, I need to analyze my enemy.

Simply put, Luche’s defense was weaker than before.

A halberd requires both hands to unleash its full power.
Unlike the one-handed weapons she used before, she couldn’t wield a large shield.
Switching from the original tower shield to a heater shield left her vulnerable to side defenses.

The trade-off was the increased attack power.
It felt more like facing a berserker than a paladin.
Her special paladin skills hadn’t disappeared entirely, so she still had valuable skills.

If she wanted, she could have just copied Hero and gone with a full paladin build.
But copying others doesn’t mean you have to fight the same way.
The path Luche chose, after much trial and error, had its own convincing reasons.

[Aura: Phantasm]
[Reduces max guard gauge by 30%. Increases attack power and attack speed of all allies within range.]
[Only one aura effect can be activated at a time.]
[Caster: Sigma Luche]

Her maximum close combat abilities were now available!
Attack power was at a level that was challenging for the enemy.
The lowered defense was offset by the paladin’s endurance.

If Hero had chosen an extreme attack build, Luche balanced things out at a more reasonable level.
How many months of analysis, failures, and calculations went into this, it was impossible to imagine.

The halberd’s curved axe blade caught the sword like a hook.
She adjusted the shaft and yanked hard.
Aquila, a seasoned pro, wouldn’t make the mistake of losing his sword, but his body was still being dragged away.

She was too close while having her weapon controlled.
The heavy shield slammed into the samurai’s helmet, a strike filled with terrifying strength and the weight of her armor.
The shock wasn’t trivial, and my vision spun blurry.

While my teammate was taking damage, Insane wasn’t just idly watching.
Hekate’s shield blocked the sword, but she relentlessly targeted the same spot, piercing through.
In that brief time, a long wound appeared from my knee to my side.

Luche, holding the shield, blocked a few arrows from the archer.
A new, white light of divinity lingered on the previous wound.

[Active: Prayer of Healing]
[Slowly restores health over time, recovering up to 40% of lost health.]
[Caster: Sigma Luche]

The situation had become much more difficult.
It was tougher than I had expected.

It didn’t feel like she’d been trained for a long time.
At best, she had been preparing since this summer, slowly getting ready.
Considering the growth periods of great players, it wasn’t a long time, but it wasn’t short either.

‘But she’s been forged in a harsh environment. She’s faced a truly distant and strong enemy.’

There were several flaws in the small details.
With the skill of Insane and Aquila, they could definitely have targeted her, and they landed effective hits.
But her ability to defend against fatal wounds was exceptional.

Moreover, she was aggressive.
That halberd, with its overwhelming power, found all the right openings.
I couldn’t ignore it.

Had Luche always fought so toughly?

If the situation wasn’t critical, I would simply take it with my body.
If I could slice their bones, my own life didn’t matter. No, I would even offer my organs if necessary.
If any other player tried that, it would have been suicidal.

But honestly, I have to admit—
This approach was effective.
Sigma was nurturing another monster in their ranks.

Aquila shared the same feeling of helplessness.
The samurai, covered in wounds, quietly asked.

“Insane. Do you think we can break through?”
“If you’re asking if I’m confident… I think we can, but it’ll be tough.”
“The problem is time. We should have slowly picked at her defenses instead of charging in.”
“Now’s not the time for regrets.”
“True.”

It was true—Luche’s combat ability exceeded expectations.

But Falcon’s front line was also world-class.
The long-range support now fell to the ranger and the archer, a battle of their own.
The current situation wasn’t bad, and if the fight continued, we would eventually overpower Luche.

But time was a factor.
Luche, supported by the priestess and the paladin’s endurance, wouldn’t die quickly.
If we couldn’t kill her instantly, she would drag the fight on like a zombie.

Aquila was also hurt badly by recklessly closing the distance.
In the worst case, even if we killed Luche, it might be a victory full of wounds.
We must remember that Ga-wol is still alive.

“Something’s off.”
The ranger, too, is a long-range dealer who won’t easily die.
On the other hand, the archer was difficult to take down.

It had been a while since Ga-wol and Haruka had disappeared.

When I think about it calmly, how long can Haruka hold out?
Has the scale already tipped in our favor?
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my mixed emotions, and Insane picked up his sword.

Japan’s Kunoichi master.
I’d fought Haruka several times before.

She was undoubtedly a strong opponent.
But she wasn’t on the level of Hashashin or Reaper.
I was growing too, and the gap between us had widened.

As the kunai and dagger faced off, I kicked her unguarded side.

The body, devoid of life, collided with a tree trunk.
I wasn’t going to let her go, so I immediately pursued.
Before Haruka could regain her posture, my knee slammed into her solar plexus.

“What animal are you today? I think the rabbit is cuter than the bear.”
“You pervert…”
“Pervert? A kunoichi is inherently a sexy job.”
“?”

Haruka looked at me as if I had said something absurd.
I thought I had just stated the obvious.
Was there a problem with the translation? I couldn’t tell.

Anyway, I cornered her now.
No escape. It was time to finish this.

I stomped on her foot trying to escape.
I cut her wrist holding the kunai, then severed her forearm and tendons in order.
I pressed my knee into her stomach again, ensuring she wouldn’t do anything reckless.

Not yet.
Haruka’s will to resist hadn’t completely vanished.
Once I severed the tendons aiming for my side, I could safely end her life.

[‘Sigma Ga-wol’ has slain ‘Falcon Haruka’.]

I removed the annoying kunoichi, like a fly.
With the obstacle gone, it was time to target the archer, who was now alone.

I glanced over at my teammates on the high ground.
Three bloody players were still locked in combat.

It looked like the outcome would be decided soon.
If I joined them, we could win quickly, but it seemed unnecessary.
The fight was a valuable experience for Luche.

My job now was to eliminate the troublesome archer.

‘Found you. If I hadn’t seen you now, it could’ve been dangerous.’

The terrain felt dangerous, just as I suspected.
The archer had the high ground, which delayed my line of sight.

The moment the archer noticed me, a magic-infused arrow flew.
The golden effect of the sniper shot aimed directly at me.
It was an unavoidable shot, a skill that was the archer’s identity.

But I wasn’t without a counter.
I couldn’t deflect it, but I could alter its trajectory.
I used my dagger to deflect the arrow slightly and extended my left palm.

It went deep.
My left hand was now useless.
But against a weakened archer, a one-handed strike would be enough.

After a quick skirmish, I subdued the archer.
Luche’s fight also came to an end.

[‘Sigma Luche’ has slain ‘Falcon Aquila’.]
[‘Falcon Insane’ has slain ‘Sigma Luche’.]

The enemy samurai was dead, and Luche had fallen.
But Insane was in no better shape.

He had taken too much damage.
With no support on his side, he was likely to bleed out.
I wasn’t about to let that happen, as Rika’s arrow flew in.

It was a satisfying outcome.
Rika and I scored our kills almost simultaneously, ending the match.

[‘Sigma Ga-wol’ has slain ‘Falcon Minami’.]
[‘Sigma Rika’ has slain ‘Falcon Insane’.]