The End of the Planned Match
"It's all smashed to pieces, isn't it?"
The first relic QED's team member found looked like it'd been hacked apart by a knife. It was shattered beyond recognition.
At that moment, an inexplicable unease flashed through his mind.
'No way...'
Let's check for other relics first.
And soon enough, traces of another relic. But at the end of those traces...
"This one too??"
The creeping anxiety was no longer just imagination—it felt all too real.
"These guys couldn't have..."
Traces of relics slashed like they'd been butchered by a blade. They probably hadn't moved much from their starting spot.
Which meant...
'No way—they planned to hunker down from the start and smash all the relics...!'
They must've used those flying swords that had bombs attached earlier. That way, they could stay put and still destroy the relics by launching the swords.
At that point, there was no choice but to decide.
"We're done hunting relics."
"But what if there's a intact one left somewhere..."
"Wasting time on that uncertainty... We've already burned too much."
Hunting relics wasn't simple. You had to stay hyper-focused to sense their mana sources, scanning this vast map in that tense state.
'Without a skill to pinpoint locations exactly...'
Since they'd pulled this off so quickly, one of them must have some relic-detection ability.
Either way, QED had spent too long relic-hunting. Options were slim now. If they didn't fight, the smaller team would just lose by default.
"...No choice. We trust our combat power. That's it."
Normally, they wouldn't walk into the enemy's trap, but this time, no alternative.
"Let's go."
Meanwhile, from the outsiders' view—not the players moving inside the match—this game looked entirely different.
'But QED, clueless, wasted time relic-hunting and had no choice but to stumble into PER's setup.'
Han Ji-su clicked her tongue. It was meticulous—obsessively so.
Normally, after an opener with bombing that downed two, it'd be 7v5. Most would push with the numbers advantage.
'Cunning bastards.'
More. More. More. At least in this match, their greed for perfection was palpable.
The commentator's excited voice continued, but to Han Ji-su, the match was already over.
'Gotta watch out a bit against them too.'
Like at Hunters Day. Hate to admit it, but they had limits—and real bite.
Of course, not against PSG, where every member was billed as 2nd Division elite.
Outside, amid all these inner and outer thoughts, at the match's heart—PER's defensive line—entirely different chatter flowed.
"Hey, your turn. What're you doing?"
"No rule on seconds per move. Don't rush me."
"Oh yeah? When it's my turn, try holding out an hour?"
"You're doing it on purpose. Same as me thinking now?"
'Ugh...'
Sighing at his PER teammates, but fair—they had time to doodle Gomoku in the dirt.
Lines scratched in soil, stones shaped by mana as pieces.
Then.
"...They're coming this way now."
'They figured it out...'
Honestly, hoped they'd catch on sooner. He'd have sniffed it the moment relics were wrecked.
Common sense: A defense-heavy strat ignoring relics? Nah.
'Or maybe 3rd Division players wouldn't think that far?'
Whatever. He wasn't average or 3rd Div anyway.
Time to prep. He scuffed Kim Do-jun's Gomoku board(?) with his shoe.
"Aw, why~ I was crushing for once."
"Work time."
Kim Do-jun grinned.
"Ah... This fight's been long."
Long? Match started, hunkered here without moving a step. Tch.
Anyway, team scattered to pre-set spots. Spread for AoE defense.
Gaps filled by Kim Yu-hyeon's 'turrets'—support fire anywhere.
Plus, terrain reshaped entirely for defenders' advantage—no trace of original.
Setup complete. Minutes later, enemies charged.
QED.
Tang—
Taang!!
First welcome: His sniper shot, naturally.
'Using my spare Mana Bomber for sniping...'
Kaboom!
Enemy reacted fast, mana shield up—but pity, not plain bullet. Shield shattered like glass.
'Down one to start.'
QED member on the edge exploded mid-entry from the bomber snipe.
Four QED left. Still not fully recovered from Ryu Jae-jun's earlier raid—imperfect condition.
"Sneaky bastards..."
QED gritted teeth charging in, but PER stayed chill.
They'd image-trained every move, down to details.
First: Kim Yu-hyeon's turrets greeting intruders.
Tung tungtung tung!
His pinpoint support fire too.
QED forced to scatter on entry—ironic for invaders.
"Finally here, you villains...! Urra!!"
One QED bumped Kim Do-jun. Do-jun struck first, sword flashing—but opponent blocked.
Clang!
Easy block with massive gauntlet arm.
Personal skill gap—QED still outmatched solo.
That QED followed up, swinging fist at Do-jun's opening—but
Tung tungtung tung!
One enemy didn't mean alone. Support fire. Turrets. Numbers let more exploit gaps.
Overwhelmed beyond prediction.
"Don't scatter—group up!! Scattering like usual means wipe!"
'Hoo...'
That guy's QED's core? Even cornered, head clear.
'Props for not breaking... But.'
As QED regrouped around the shouter, shields up—Ryu Jae-jun, hidden behind obscure structure, rode turret fire to silent drop from above.
Flashy entrance. Déjà vu.
"Ready?"
To him.
"Of course."
Match start replayed: Early 7v2 sweep, roles reversed.
Kiiiiing—
That day's match ended there.
The match reactions were explosive. Bigger than expected PSG vs. TAK hype.
Crowd roared huge, teammates grinning wide. Some even checking community buzz...
"Ah... MVP's me this time, right?"
Ryu Jae-jun especially pleased. MVP? Fair shot—he owned key moments.
Impact plus shared leads with him.
And it hit: Staff confirmed Ryu Jae-jun MVP minutes later.
But one surprise.
"What? MVP's me but interview's not?"
Ryu Jae-jun double-checked staff, eyed him.
Season opener—him? Made sense, his big plays too.
But staff's reply? Wild.
"Community, crowd, and casters strongly requested Kim Do-jun."
"???"
Kim Do-jun? Did jack from start to end—why him?
Couldn't fathom.
"Jealous? Say it. Yo, hyung's off."
Kim Do-jun teased, following staff.
Then, dread struck.
'No way... they called Kim Do-jun because...'