Ha Se-gi's Age of Tribulations (5)

A group of Ppase fans had snuck over from spying on LP's stream and were stoking his rage.

"Nah, I am dogshit…."

But instead of blowing up, Ppase stared at the screen with a dead serious look.

"Until I win, yeah, I'm dogshit…."

The guy who'd gone toe-to-toe with Mixer in a brutal match. But even he couldn't just grin and bear it against a hard counter.

LP would definitely open with a straight punch here. Couldn't fall for that habit again after seeing it across every random character he'd played.

Thwack! Just as expected—telegraphing the straight punch to mind-game him. No other tools in the kit, so banking it all on this one shot. Provocation and pressure.

Arnold blocked Smith's heavy blow, but still got pushed back hard. Normal pokes wouldn't reach from here. Options were obvious: close the gap, counter with mid-range poke, sidestep to stall, or test with an air dash side kick*.

(* Air dash side kick: Quick-forward lever triple-tap to dash, then kick for a weird mid-air side kick. Varies by character.)

Ppase started narrowing possibilities. Based on patterns so far, LP would close with movement. Fake a dash into guard to disrupt flow. So Ppase holds back once. Catch that post-guard sit habit. Then punish right after—jump into right hand—

'No.'

Think straight. If Ppase holds instead of whiffing… would LP just let it slide? He'd see the mid-guard stall and backdash out, or chip health with low pokes.

Can't think simple. LP's reads were unofficial but Mixer-level. One step further…

"Oh shit!"

His thoughts lagged real time. No time left. Smith was already dashing in.

"Damn…!"

Hold for now. Think after. Not LP or Mixer, so no five moves ahead. But react on the fly? Doable. Brain muscle lagged? Cover with godlike physicals. Max out dynamic vision. React every moment.

'Next. What's next?'

Dash into guard. Then Smith's follow-up?

'Low…!'

Ppase's tensed eyes miraculously caught the crouch into low. Rough prediction paid off.

"Low slip—through!"

Lever yanked diagonal. Forward slip command. Arnold's hand snatched Smith's incoming ankle just before crossing. Smooth motion. Smith floated up prone.

"Gotcha!"

Quick mid into juggle. Air combo shreds Smith.

"Huh? Me? Wait, what?"

No brain needed. Muscle memory max damage combo mauls Smith mid-air.

"Thought I'd just eat it forever?!"

Smith crashes at hit 6. Ppase reads next mind-game. Problem here. LP downed so rarely, no wakeup habits to predict. Relying on luck against unreadable foe sucked.

Rush in happy and scoop? Smith rolls safe, fools Arnold.

Don't be dumb. Stay calm. Wait for wakeup. Watch and judge.

Can't read mind? Give up light. Dump all resources into reaction speed.

Mixer and LP same? Nah. Ppase and LP? Never. Admit it.

Fold what to fold, focus what to focus. Victory possible.

But opponent holds out to the end.

Like he knew exactly what Ppase would do. Lying there taunting. You saw the physical read and slipped it, huh? Giving up the number game? Waiting to react on wakeup? Fine. Won't get up.

Cold sweat down Ppase's back.

'Even knows I lean on physicals when focused…?'

How long had LP watched his stream? Never really thought about it. Grateful just for the collab contract. But if he'd stalked long, knew strengths and flaws inside out…

Thrashing for a win pointless?

Time drags. Like last Friday when LP and Mixer froze mid-fight. Chat noisy, but calm storm swirls in Ppase's mind.

'It's fine. Stall wins for me…!'

Hate to get up? Stay down. Time on Ppase's side. Two more sets to win, but every match starts from set one. Arnold has stall tools galore.

Set 1. Taking it no matter what.

At 10 seconds, as prone Smith bends legs to rise—

"Floor sweep!"

Arnold crawls a ground energy wave. Guardable pushback denies approach.

"Floor sweep!!"

Backdash wave again. Smith sidesteps no-guard. Barely a step from Arnold's back to wall, but fine. 5 seconds left. Wall stall wins set.

"Floor sweep again!"

Third wave. Smith hops over light. Gap now two dashes. Then—

Smith jumps out of nowhere. Pre-input for floor wave. Ppase's eyes read jump, hands react instant.

"Knew you'd do this!"

Arnold jumps after. "Vacuum sweep!"

Wave fires air ki blast too. Mid-jump, Smith can't dodge. Eat it and—

"I win—."

Should crash.

"No way it whiffed?!"

Energy orb barely grazes Smith's head and back, slams floor.

Perfect angle, should've hit. Smith should've tumbled. Game over normal. Stall win possible, so why—

"Fuck, wall again."

Landing boar pulls back right arm, thrusts forward. Smith's ruthless iron fist reverse sweep.

Sandbags Arnold's torso into wall.

"Aaaagh!"

Arnold staggers from wall. Cam shows Ppase shoved back in chair.

Others split wall combos mid-high-low. Smith? Nah.

Another brutal straight to staggering Arnold's face. Slumps into wall again. Two hits halve health.

Downed Arnold eats solid low kick from Smith. Ppase opened godlike slip combo, but endgame health edge and lasting memory? All LP.

*What the hell just happened?*

My impatient viewers clipped and rewatched nonstop. Only near set 3's end did they uncover it.

Set 3 ends meanwhile. Hard counter or not, Ppase couldn't take me down.

Gambled and won, so lucky. Fail and it'd be one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠set given. Expected that set 1 spot.

Arnold's energy waves: two types. Both great for retreating peeks. Knew time crunch meant Ppase stall. Desperate for win, he'd cheese.

But if close-range me pre-jumps floor wave? Expected air chase too. Locks the game.

Said before: jumps near-mistake here. Jump follow-ups exist, but recovery insane, never used.

But jump-command inputs subtly shift hitboxes. Thanks to Hajeong Soft's fighting game pervs.

Miracle moment. Simple thought: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ppase air wave? Dodge with hitbox for style points. Like manga dodging projectiles by a hair. Cool af.

Tried it. Nailed by a hair. Ppase unlucky.

Onlookers hyped impossible play. But embarrassing. Pure luck.

Single hair's difference. Ppase ki a tick earlier? My jump faster/slower? Who knows.

Phone on stand shows Ppase up squatting. Viewers training him sans my orders.

110 squats. Ppase still no growth. More matches? Wreck his knees.

But he provoked. Can't call quits myself.

So dip here. Viewers don't want closed-door grind anyway. End stream.

Hone till usable. Nostalgic af. When was it? Practicing Ren's sway hitbox and Cutie Roll counter derivs? Lived in training mode 20 hours a day for three-four days straight.