It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

《Okay, now it’s time to make the final pick. I have a feeling they might force them to choose a Rogue. The choice of GetDevoured Devoured and the five Rogues is… a Knight! A Holy Knight! This is really unexpected!》

《The Old Man and the Sea team must be feeling both good and bad about this. They handed over PadaPada’s main character as if to challenge them to do their best!》

《Considering the first set, it seems like they’ve given a pick aligned with their prepared strategy. Didn’t PadaPada perfectly counter the strategy with an unconventional solo top as a Holy Knight? It’s almost like they’re saying, ‘Try again, and we’ll crush you once more!’》

《In the first set, GetDevoured played as an Archer. Now, they are a Holy Knight. Although their ambition coming into the tournament was a ‘Rogue Revival Movement’, they haven’t actually played a Rogue in the finals.》

《That just demonstrates the sheer destructiveness shown with a Rogue in the semifinals! In a way, it’s an unmistakable signal of the Rogue Revival Movement. Who would have ever worried that the opponent might bring a Rogue while they’re wondering if our team might?》

《Among the mentees of the team of five Rogues, StarPork picks a Rogue again. Given the team’s concept and the phenomenal performance in the first set, we’ll have to see if they can show another brilliant performance in the second set!》

* * * *

Handing over the Holy Knight to PadaPada had been an impulsive decision. Whether it was fortunate that the team agreed without much question would only be revealed once the game finished.

Nevertheless, there was no other choice. Even if I could go back in time, I would have made the same decision.

In the game, there were unspoken understandings. And when PadaPada showed up with a plate armor and sword, it was like they were screaming, “You’re just a weakling” with their entire being, feeling like ‘Oh, we lost because of our team…’ or ‘The team lost, not me.’

Losing and then claiming moral victory?

Any true gamer couldn’t let that slide.

In those days, if it were KoK announcing to the forum and Reddit about the duel of life and death, they might have said something like wanting to duel for honor but realizing there’s none to be had against an ignorant opponent—opting for a massacre instead.

Not that they were the ones who did it back then. Ever since KoK fans became the mainstream, such sentiments became pretty commonplace. In any case, it would have been better to play as a Rogue, but it wasn’t strictly necessary.

“I’ll go top. Ark, you handle the orders this time, and Revan, you take control of the underground.”

The team voice chat began humming with various plans. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt if I tuned out for a bit. Initially, they couldn’t have imagined it, but this team was inherently strong. In a 5:5 match, I didn’t feel like they would be outmatched by the opponents.

Especially, my mentee had perfectly memorized the 2-Underground route, so they didn’t need overseeing. For the skirmishes… well, I sent Revan along, didn’t I? Nothing to worry about then.

While he seemed a bit timid during the first set, he wasn’t the type to take hits passively. In the end, the critical point would be who among the top laners joined the main group first.

My plan was to arrive there in full confidence. Holding the headgear of that arrogant Knight.

* * * *

He wore thick armor, a medium kite shield, and wielded a long, slender one-handed sword. This was the preferred armament of PadaPada. In his professional days, this build, optimized for defense and swift attack, had earned him the nickname “Iron Wall”.

As he aged, his mind stiffened, his limbs slowed, and his reaction speed dropped. However, the weight of his title as a former professional remained unchanged.

Gritting his teeth, he walked forward, his mind tangled with various thoughts. Handing him a knight was beyond mere disregard—it was outright disrespect.

From PadaPada’s perspective, the recent match was nothing more than a fortunate fluke. Winning just because her arrow struck at an unexpected moment didn’t mean they should look down on him or his knight. The more he thought about it, the more his pride was wounded, causing his chest to heave with frustration.

“I cannot lose to a jester. I cannot lose to a jester.” he repeated.

Gripping his equipment tighter, he fixed his glare on the opponent that appeared before him. A greatsword knight. The knight, clad in light armor, had their sword tip lodged in the ground with both hands resting on the pommel.

It was a taunting gesture.

PadaPada’s mind, which had been burning with anger, suddenly cooled to an astonishing calm.

That person, who enjoyed all kinds of irregular tactics, wouldn’t make a move without calculation. Even the provocation might have been part of a deeper strategy. Perhaps, the very fact they handed him the knight was a deliberate ploy. There had to be a reason for them wielding the inefficient greatsword, a claymore.

“Wearing light armor, with only the left gauntlet being made of plate… What on earth is she scheming?”

While PadaPada calmly assessed the opponent’s gear and formulated his battle plan, the knight before him remained perfectly still, the sword still grounded.

The first movement from the greatsword knight came from their right hand. Slowly, they unlatched the small wooden shield attached to their left wrist—

And tossed it to the ground. The shield flew through the air like a handkerchief signaling the start of a duel, landing halfway between them. The knight gripped the sword with both hands and charged like a bull.

The greatsword knight, wrapped in a red veil, and the sword-and-shield knight, adorned in blue-patterned armor. As the two knights clashed, the observer’s view, which had been rapidly shifting between multiple screens, fixed on them.

The first move was a powerful horizontal slash. With a sound that tore through the air, the greatsword narrowly grazed the armor of the defending knight.

If blocked by a shield, the strike would have sent the shield flying. It was an attack that could immediately determine the outcome against those overly reliant on their shields. Recognizing the defensive armament, it was a decisive move.

But having missed, it merely exposed a vulnerability.

As PadaPada succeeded in a perfect evasion with his adept footwork, he stepped forward with his right foot and thrust his sword. It was an attack that minimized stamina use, yet remained his most confident move.

This attack was unmatched in hunting down fools who entered the battlefield wielding cumbersome greatswords.

Unable to fully recover the greatsword she had swung, Lee Yena’s body staggered, continuing with a spin. It was a tactic intending to evade by using inertia. Though not a perfect evasion move, it was sufficient to disrupt the target.

His extended sword finally reached its destination but was shallow. Blood spouted, yet it did not leave a wound worthy of the name.

From PadaPada’s perspective, although not fully satisfying, it was more than adequate for the start of the engagement. Twisting his lips into a sly grin, he stepped back, moving out of the greatsword’s range.

He had no intention of losing in a distance fight. Just because his hands had grown rusty didn’t mean his senses had vanished. Had she been startled by the first blow that missed? Lee Yena stood motionless, as if rooted to the spot.

The heavy greatsword lightly wavered. Again, he advanced. PadaPada, who had been cautiously stepping to the side, suddenly lunged and swung his shield. The target was the annoyingly shaky greatsword.

It was a technique to push away the opponent’s weapon with the shield and then thrust the lighter sword. However, the sword that sharply slashed through the created space stopped barely an inch in front of Lee Yena’s eyes.

Lee Yena had dodged the attack by simply stepping back and tilting her head. Her perfectly calculated movement within the reach limits signaled that she had no intentions of avoiding the distance fight.

In that case, he would simply respond accordingly. The Blue Knight’s sword swiftly gleamed. It was an attack devoid of strength, focusing purely on speed. The advantage of a light one-handed sword for rapid strikes began to reveal itself.

Some of the pouring attacks were blocked by the greatsword, some missed, but some penetrated the gaps in the Red Knight’s armor. The shallow attacks with a light sword. Yet, the accumulation of damage was not light.

The ground beneath the steadfast knight began to be stained red. Under the reddish rays of the setting sun that began to hang in the sky, the flowing scarlet blood seemed to melt and trickle down the draped banner.

The blood that flowed down her body shimmered like a warning signal indicating her danger. From PadaPada’s standpoint, it was as if he could see the finishing line ahead, marking his victory as he ran in the lead…

However, it was no time to let his guard down.

He regulated his breathing and checked the stamina displayed atop. Clearly, he had a distinct advantage in physical strength, but his opponent, who had not made any significant movements, likely conserved her stamina.

He had to finish it when he had the chance. Like a matador toying with a ferocious bull, PadaPada circled around the bleeding knight.

Lee Yena, driven to a corner, only turned her body in accordance. Compared to her movements at the start of the engagement, she had become significantly more passive.

In the situation where she had to discern and block real attacks among the numerous feints, her mental endurance was being endlessly eroded. Perhaps unable to bear the stress, she began to raise her greatsword, as if to launch an attack, regardless of its success.

Such hasty movements signified an opening. With one breath, he surged in and thrust his sword. A lunging attack worthy of a fencing textbook hit the knight’s left arm, which held the greatsword aloft.

PadaPada didn’t miss the moment when the grip on the hilt of the greatsword loosened momentarily.

Could it have been enough damage to make controlling the left arm difficult? He couldn’t say for sure, but he knew he couldn’t miss such an opportunity.

The pounding of his heartbeat, indicating his stamina was nearly exhausted. The knight bleeding right in front of his eyes. And the screams of his comrades echoing from afar.

PadaPada’s one-handed sword thrust forcefully towards the knight’s neck. It was the first strong attack he attempted since the battle began.

“Die!”

-Clang!

The sound of metal clashing against metal. PadaPada, startled by the unexpected sound in a moment when he was certain of victory, finally opened his eyes wide.

The tip of the sword, which should have claimed the enemy’s life, had missed and merely grazed the knight’s shoulder.

A deflection.

The knight’s left hand, clad in plate gauntlets, had flowed down the blade.

‘Damn it- did he aim for that?’

There wasn’t even time to finish the thought.

-Wham!

The greatsword, which had been lifted, came crashing down on PadaPada’s shoulder like a rock.

The penalty of swinging the greatsword with one hand was more than compensated by ample stamina and gravity’s force. The plate armor buckled and tore, and the impact was enough to make his knee give way.

PadaPada’s vision was filled with red. This time, it was his own blood. As his vision blurred with blood, Lee Yena’s greatsword was rising again.

And then,

-Thud!

With a reverberating sound, PadaPada’s vision faded to a blurry gray. In the hazy view, he saw a knight holding a shield and a sword. The armor, which had a blue glow, was stained red from the shoulder.

He realized a moment too late that the head that should have been on that shoulder was missing.

* * * *

“Is she seriously taking the head with her?”

“… It seems so…”

“I mean, even if it’s a broadcasters’ competition… can she really do that? That’s the kind of thing that’ll end up in the controversy section on the wiki.”

“I doubt anyone watching GetDevoured’s broadcast would be surprised. She probably intended to decapitate at the last moment just for this purpose…”

“So you’re saying she’s just a crazy woman.”

“… She didn’t plan this whole thing underground, did she? I hope not.”