Not the Typical Lulu

The forum exploded the moment the clip went up.

…All right, we’re short on time, so I’ll get straight to it.

For the next match I’ll be playing Cartia.

Cartia is currently the second-strongest hero in Celt of Heroes after Ruru.

The phrase “If you want to climb, play Cartia” is trending, and she’s solidly reigning as a first-tier pick.

She has simple controls, an ultimate that’s well-regarded in team fights, and that ridiculous toppled state.

An enemy in the toppled state is hit with disarm, skill seal, and mobility disable all at once.

For three full seconds while they’re getting up, they’re completely exposed to attacks.

If they eat a stun or another crowd-control effect during the recovery, the three-second timer resets. It’s honestly an absurdly broken form of CC.

Cartia is also called a traditional counter to Ruru. Master, do you agree?

“…Yes? …Ah, um… In normal situations, yes, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I agree.”

Then could you explain why Cartia is considered Ruru’s counter?

“…First, she has a lot of mobility, and the cooldowns are short. For Ruru, who absolutely must land her piercing strike and sky-splitting blow, an opponent with so many dashes is naturally uncomfortable.”

“Second, the counter itself is genuinely overpowered. The retaliation comes so fast it’s almost invisible. If it lands, you’re toppled, locked out for three seconds, and then you eat a full combo and die.”

“That’s probably why so many Ruru players struggle against Cartia.”

“And finally, unlike Ruru, Cartia is strong in team fights too. No matter how hard Ruru dominates lane, she can’t keep up with the pace at which Cartia impacts the game. Ruru is weak in chaotic skirmishes no matter what.”

“It’s a relief that Cartia has mostly settled into the jungle role these days. If she were still commonly played in the glen, she would have been a real headache for Ruru players.”

CloudySky smoothly guided the conversation through the Ruru-versus-Cartia matchup and Cartia’s history during the short break before the game began.

The moment the explanation ended, the match loaded.

CloudySky’s Cartia bought items and dashed straight toward the lane.

Glossy, long black hair whipped behind her. It blended with her obsidian armor, giving her the appearance of a wild, untamed black stallion.

The beautiful woman, helmet pulled low, stopped and lifted the long, slender lance from her back with one hand, settling into a ready stance.

Cold, feral blue eyes scanned the surroundings without pause.

Soon she spotted a girl dancing casually in the enemy camp.

The girl had planted her long crescent blade into the ground and was using the thin pole as a dance pole, spinning and twirling across it.

Her long-sleeved outfit fluttered, radiating elegance. At the same time she slyly lifted one leg high, flashing what lay beneath her short skirt before hiding it again with a mischievous little smile.

Only after noticing Cartia did she drop back to the ground and pull her weapon free.

The moment the dance stopped, the provocative smirk vanished. In its place was the calm, serene expression of an ordinary young girl.

The extreme gap between the two sides was so jarring that CloudySky almost let out a hollow laugh.

The pair faced each other across the desolate battlefield of the glen.

Minion waves spawned.

They rushed forward and collided fiercely at the center of the lane.

Normally CloudySky would have charged in and started attacking Ruru immediately, but this time she moved with extreme caution.

Maybe the previous crushing defeat had left a mental scar. Or perhaps she was wary after seeing the monstrous reaction-speed test.

She looked like a leopard hiding in the bushes, patiently waiting for the perfect moment.

For Ruru, having an easy early game was welcome, so Ha Yunseo simply farmed without forcing anything.

They spent a while cautiously trading last hits until, almost at the same time, both reached level two.

Ruru moved first.

She used her basic evasion skill to close the distance in an instant, then swung a basic attack toward Cartia.

Using her whole body, she spun once and brought the crescent blade slicing down at a forty-five-degree angle.

Cartia watched the attack carefully, then struck at the perfect timing with her own basic attack.

Ting!

Cartia’s basic attack carried a brief parry window that perfectly blocked Ruru’s strike.

Ruru’s crescent blade twisted off course and slammed into the dirt with a heavy thud.

At the same time, Lancer-Cartia’s passive Spear Rider’s Resolve activated. The parry counter shot forward in a straight line.

Because she hadn’t used Wild Horse’s Ferocity yet, it didn’t apply the toppled state, but it still dealt heavy damage and a strong stun.

Shuuuung!

The lance thrust flew at terrifying speed.

Thwack!

The attack landed cleanly on Ruru’s body.

CloudySky was slightly surprised.

I thought she’d block that for sure.

Maybe she simply couldn’t react. It was entirely possible. Cartia’s counter speed was practically a flash of light, pushing the limits of human reaction time. Communities spammed hundreds of posts a day demanding a cast-time nerf.

Ruru was knocked back by the heavy stun and took the damage.

Cartia didn’t miss the opening. She used Black Horse’s Hoof to dash straight in front of Ruru.

Then came the empowered basic attack. The sharp lance flew toward Ruru at high speed.

Still locked in the stun, Ruru ate the second hit as well.

Shunk!

In an instant Ruru’s health dropped to barely a third.

Cartia refused to lose momentum and activated Wild Horse’s Ferocity.

It was a self-buff that massively increased attack and defense for five seconds. The next counter would also apply the toppled state.

Earlier she had chosen not to use it because she assumed the counter would be blocked, but now that she knew her opponent couldn’t react, she had no reason not to exploit the weakness.

That was what CloudySky thought.

…But.

“—Heh.”

That was only CloudySky’s assumption.

Ha Yunseo had been dangling bait.

She had waved the worm so skillfully that the opponent had no choice but to bite.

Or more accurately, she had cornered her so perfectly that there was no escape except to bite.

It wasn’t much different from waving a fishing hook with a worm in front of a fish already trapped inside an icebox.

From start to finish, CloudySky had been dancing in the palm of Ha Yunseo’s hand.

Ruru swung her crescent blade at the exact same angle once again.

Whirl!

CloudySky blocked it the same way with a basic attack.

Ting!

The deflected blade spun off course and stabbed into the ground beside Cartia’s foot with a heavy thud.

The lancer’s counter triggered immediately.

CloudySky was certain of victory. Once the counter landed and applied the toppled state, she could use the massively boosted attack power from Wild Horse’s Ferocity, follow up with basic attacks, and then use Black Horse’s Hoof the moment it came off cooldown to send her straight to the afterlife.

With that hope burning in her chest, the fierce lance charged toward Ruru.

But.

Teeng!

The instant the crescent blade stabbed the ground, Ruru instantly switched her grip, yanked the weapon free, and used the rising motion to deflect the incoming lance.

The spear spun in a full circle.

And then, quietly rising—

The moment she saw it, CloudySky’s inflated hopes burst like a balloon and vanished without a trace.

…It was a fake. She deliberately… pretended she couldn’t block…

At the same time, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the brief hope she had felt that she could win made her feel so pathetic that emptiness washed over her.

She couldn’t think of any way to win.

She couldn’t even imagine herself seizing victory.

CloudySky had no choice but to accept it.

Her own defeat.

For a warrior who cannot picture herself claiming victory, the only possible end is death.

Before Cartia could die inside the game, CloudySky had already lost outside of it.