Chapter 107

The entire schedule for the Universe Arena Korea League has come to an end.

As everyone had predicted, Super Sylph was the champion.

In fact, Super Sylph had already secured their victory long before the League schedule ended, thanks to their overwhelming Win Rate in the Second Half.

While it was somewhat disappointing for the fans who had hoped to see a nail-biting championship race down to the very end of the League with a muddy battle for the rankings, quite a few people were instead looking forward to the team’s future after such a dominant victory.

-Dami…! You finally did it!

-Isn’t this a first? A team coming up from the 2nd division and immediately winning the 1st division?

-It’s incredibly rare.

-This is amazing.

-At this rate, aren’t they going to cause a stir at the World Championship too?

-Winning it all might be tough, but they could really make a name for themselves this time, don’t you think?

-I think we can really have high hopes for Super Sylph right now.

On the day their League victory was confirmed.

During an interview, Seo Dami asked the fans for their support, telling them to look forward to the World Championship in November.

“We will be sure to show you a great performance at the upcoming World Championship! Please give us your full support!”

Universe Arena’s grand festival, the World Championship.

Held to coincide with the end of each continent’s league schedule, this tournament was UA’s greatest competition, where one could see the world’s top-tier teams all in one place.

The previous year’s champion was Japan’s number one team, Kamui.

Last year, Kamui had showcased their overwhelming skill and seized the World Championship trophy for the first time since the team’s founding.

Many experts predicted that Kamui would hold the title of the world’s strongest for the time being, but that didn’t mean there were no other teams mentioned as contenders.

“One of the main reasons Kamui was able to win was the fact that last year’s World Championship was held in Japan.”

“It’s hard to deny the home-ground advantage. Since this year’s tournament will be held in Germany, there’s a chance this could act as a variable.”

And this year.

The 2076 UA World Championship was scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany.

Because of this, a considerable number of teams known as Europe’s powerhouses were being touted as championship candidates to challenge Kamui.

Of course, Super Sylph’s recognition was still too low to be included in this group of candidates, but the domestic fans thought differently.

Hadn’t Seo Dami declared it so confidently?

That she would show them a great performance.

It wasn’t just empty words; it was no exaggeration to say that Super Sylph had conquered this year’s domestic league.

The fans applauded, vowing to cheer for her and the team.

And so, November arrived.

In Korea, after a fierce competition, Artemis finally succeeded in securing a qualification spot for the World Championship.

The atmosphere among the Galaxy fans, whose team had been pushed out by Artemis and failed to advance to the World Championship, was utterly grim.

Although their Regular League ranking was 2nd, higher than Artemis, they couldn’t even participate in the World Championship, which could be called the most important and biggest tournament of all.

-Can these bastards not even cross the threshold of the World Championship anymore?

-Kim Seunga was relentless…

-She was just gritting her teeth and playing, determined to get to the World Championship one more time.

-Artemis is burning with fighting spirit, trying to get their Leader to play at least one more time before she retires…

-But these bastards only know how to gobble up their annual salaries.

-If you’re going to play like this, give back your annual salaries! Fuck!

-Maybe it’s not a bad idea to just switch over to Super Sylph at this point.

-Did I cheer for this team for over 5 years for this! So sad, so sad…!

On the day her team secured their final spot in the World Championship after a difficult game.

Kim Seunga immediately contacted Dami to express her gratitude.

-Dami. Thanks for helping us practice. Thanks to you, we’re going to the World Championship one more time.

“It was nothing. You got good results because you worked hard, Unni.”

-And… tell Oppa I said thanks, too. Is he by any chance listening to this?

“I told you Oppa isn’t here, why do you keep doing this?”

-Who are you trying to fool!

Over the course of this Season, Kim Seunga seemed convinced that I was wandering around somewhere in Super Sylph.

-If that’s not it, does it make any sense for you guys to suddenly get this good!?

“That could be because our Talent is just that good, you know.”

-Not a chance. The shadow of Youngin Oppa is too deep to just chalk it up to Talent.

Had Seunga always been that interested in my game?

Whenever Kim Seunga practiced with our team, she would bring up my play and solidify her suspicions.

Each time, Dami explained that it was because our team was interested in the player Han Youngin, but Kim Seunga didn’t even pretend to listen.

On the contrary, during a Scrim, she had even pointed directly at Yunseuli and startled us with a truth-piercing question, “Did Oppa teach her too, by any chance?”

-Anyway. See you in Germany next. Prepare well.

“Okay. You too, Unni.”

After finishing the call, Dami tapped her fingers on her knee for a moment, then opened her mouth.

“The day has finally come.”

<So it has.>

The showdown with Kato Mikane.

And an important opportunity to make Super Sylph’s name known to fans all over the world.

The World Championship, with all of this on the line, was now just around the corner.

“I don’t think there’s anything else to pack. We should be fine to just leave as we are.”

<I’m looking forward to it.>

The World Championship.

The stage of dreams that I had wanted to go to so badly, but which was out of reach with the Korean League’s skill level.

Although I wasn’t going purely as a player, with the kids’ understanding, I had been given the chance to play on the Battlefield as a player.

“Let’s make sure we win. Us.”

As Dami was steeling her resolve for the World Championship, Yunseuli returned to the room.

“Oppa. We’re leaving for the airport soon. You’re flying with me.”

And at her words, Dami crossed her arms with a “Nope, not happening~” expression.

“Oppa said he’d rather fly with me.”

“Lies.”

“It’s true.”

<That is a lie…>

It didn’t matter to me who I sat with on the plane.

I’d probably be sleeping for most of the flight to Germany anyway.

I told the kids not to fight, suggesting they could just switch from time to time on the way.

At times like this, they really were just kids.

I didn’t say that one person could sit with me on the way there, and the other on the way back.

Because if we lost to Kato, I might not be able to keep that promise.

This trip to Germany could very well be the last moment of my life.

I didn’t want to make promises I couldn’t keep, and as if they understood my feelings, the kids nodded and agreed with my suggestion.

And so, with grim determination, we headed for Germany.

It was time for the Decisive Battle.

The strongest teams from leagues all over the world began to gather one by one in Germany.

We settled into one of the accommodations provided by the German government.

As they had to arrange hotels to accommodate the practice environments for the teams visiting from all over the world, the list had inevitably been narrowed down to a few places.

We ended up staying at the Marriott Hotel, one of the larger ones.

Thanks to that, we came face to face with various teams, among them the Nebula Gaming Club, known as the strongest in Western Europe.

Last year, Nebula GC had faced Kamui in the World Championship Finals but suffered a 2:0 Total Defeat.

I had watched that match too.

Nebula GC was clearly a team with the skills to become masters of their era.

But they were incredibly unlucky.

Because the team they had to compete against in the same era was Kamui, was Kato Mikane.

They were forced to stop just one step away from the championship trophy.

In the world of pros, it was common for teams to feel an insurmountable wall and crumble on their own.

Perhaps Nebula GC could have crumbled like that too.

That’s how utterly perfect the Game Performance Kamui had shown in last year’s World Championship Finals was.

But Nebula GC did not give up.

They prepared for this Season with a burning desire for victory and once again proved that they were the strongest in Europe.

From what I had seen when I checked the Game Performance of the teams considered championship contenders before coming to Germany, Nebula GC’s skills had clearly grown even more than last year.

A fearsome team with the skill to aim for Kamui’s throat if they let their guard down for even a moment—that was Nebula GC.

‘Oppa. It’s Rachel Dust.’

Dami, who had recognized the opposing team’s Ace in the Lobby, muttered.

Wavy, shoulder-length blonde hair.

The blue-eyed Rachel Dust was twenty-one this year and was an Attacker, the same position as Dami.

Last year, she had been thoroughly crushed by Kato Mikane, but perhaps using that as a catalyst to redouble her efforts, she showed an even better performance this year.

An even better performance.

This was important.

Even before being crushed by Kato, Rachel Dust was already a World Class Attacker, but she had taken another step forward and succeeded in improving.

If we were to purely gauge their current skills, who would have the advantage if Dami fought her one-on-one?

A situation where an Attacker had to engage an enemy one-on-one without Support from teammates was a picture that often came up while playing the game.

And after some thought, I came to the conclusion that Dami couldn’t win.

She might have stood a chance against last year’s Rachel, but this year’s Rachel was a different player.

The current Rachel was a player who could wear the title of world’s strongest without any issue if it weren’t for Kato.

No matter how much Dami had grown, it was still a stretch to discuss her as the world’s strongest.

‘Dami’s strengths lie in her Teamwork and her growth based on her ability to learn.’

After getting through this year’s tournament safely, Dami would surely grow stronger and stronger.

Wasn’t she only twenty years old?

Just as the twenty-year-old Rachel and the twenty-one-year-old Rachel had changed drastically.

Dami could grow just as much.

Although I might not be able to see it, I would do my best every day for her development.

The day will come when you’ll be like that too.

As I was about to say that and move away, an unexpected situation occurred.

Rachel Dust was approaching us.

The Nebula GC players followed her, not knowing what was going on, and as she closed the distance, Rachel smiled at Seo Dami and offered a handshake.

“You’re Seo Dami, right? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Rachel Dust from Nebula GC.”

Rachel, called the strongest player in Europe, had initiated a greeting with a player from Asia.

This was quite a surprising event and was enough to draw the attention of those around us.

The eyes of the people sitting in the hotel Lobby turned toward us.

“…It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Seo Dami from Super Sylph.”

As Rachel and Seo Dami shook hands, the Nebula GC players murmured among themselves.

“Who is she?” Judging by their question, it seemed Rachel was the only one on that team who knew about Seo Dami.

And in response to the question, she told her teammates.

To remember this player.

That she was a player who would become famous in Asia in the future.

“From the Olympics to the League, I’ve been watching your matches. I don’t know if we’ll face each other in the World Championship, but since we’re staying in the same hotel, let’s get along.”

“…Okay.”

<Hmm. She seems like a good player.>

Rachel left with a smile like a bright flowering tree in spring.

My first impression of her was ‘pretty good.’

In truth, I believe I played no small part in Dami’s growth to this point.

And for someone to see that Dami and recognize that she would become a famous player in the future.

And for that someone to be none other than Rachel, Europe’s best player.

The top players really are different in some way.

As I was thinking that and giving Rachel a generous assessment, Dami asked, “Why?”

‘Why is she a good player? Because her smile is pretty?’

<……?>

‘I can smile like that too. When I look at you, Oppa.’

<……??>

It seemed there was some kind of misunderstanding.

I then had Dami sit down in a chair and gave her a long lecture on why I thought Rachel was a good player.

The Preliminary Round group draw began.

A total of twenty-four teams would compete in the Preliminary Round, grouped into eight groups of three teams each.

Only one team from each group could advance to the next stage, the Group Stage.

This luck of the draw was also quite important for Super Sylph to advance safely.

Of course, since we entered this tournament with the intention of beating Kamui, we had no intention of losing to anyone, but the important point was that we had to play our games while hiding our full strength.

‘Hide our strength as much as possible until we meet Kato.’

We had to defeat the strong teams from all over the world while hiding the trump card we had prepared.

This was not an easy task.

And soon, the results were announced.

“Group E! Ice Ravens! Nazmat Al-Sahra! And Super Sylph!”

Russia, Iran, and Korea.

The moment our opponents for the preliminaries were confirmed, a thought occurred to me.

That this tournament was off to a good start.

That at the very least, we wouldn’t be packing our bags and going home after the preliminaries.