Latest Game Maniacs (2)
Latest Game Maniacs (2)
When they said it was a game tournament, I wondered what kind it would be.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the classic old game we shared.
And really, what kind of tournament even exists for an MMORPG?
It had become a god game with frequent updates lately, but it still wasn't big enough to hold a tournament. More importantly, they should buff the warrior class.
Julia flexed her mechanical arm.
In a way, it was an object in the same category as Eve's prosthetic body.
But unlike Eve's, which flawlessly replicated a human form, Julia's mechanical arm felt literally like a lump of metal given shape.
A hologram screen flickered to life above the back of Julia's hand.
It looked like a trailer video made to promote a game.
《Chyap!》
The video opened with a battle cry I couldn't possibly identify.
Men and women of all sorts—muscular, excessively skinny, or fat—threw punches completely out of place for this era.
《Chyop!》
The battle cries were exceptionally bizarre.
There were people with multiple arms.
There were people with multiple legs.
Even by cyberpunk standards, they looked excessively eccentric.
Occasionally, some were holding swords or guns, but no matter how fearsome their appearance, the people hit by those weapons were perfectly fine without a single scratch.
Everyone in the room (three maids, one wanted criminal, one Mage) focused on the hologram screen.
Eventually, the hologram ended with a logo revealing the game's title.
『IRON FIST - XII』
- On sale now !
It was a game I remembered.
A fighting game played in virtual reality.
I had introduced it to Julia before. We fought 10 rounds back then, and I think I lost 10 rounds in a row.
"......."
...My pride was completely shattered.
I couldn't even look at the virtual reality device for a while.
Still nursing that PTSD, I squeezed my eyes shut after the trailer ended.
Eve, who had been watching, spoke up casually.
"I know this game too. The twelfth installment of the Iron Fist series. I've played it a few times on my stream."
When the hell did she try that?
Anyway.
It was famous enough that even Eve had played it, and it was a current title in the latest game lineup.
I asked Julia a question.
"So, why are you suddenly trying to enter a game tournament?"
"...Well, it's..."
Julia bit her lip lightly and slowly continued her explanation.
22. Latest Game Mania (2)
By nature,
in fighting games, there are winners and losers.
There is also the heretical culture of draws, but the match must ultimately be decided even if it means a rematch.
The loser must swallow their resentment and endure the humiliation of having their corpse stepped on, while the winner receives cheers from the crowd for any reason as long as they win.
Truly a world where the strong survive and the weak perish.
Only skill determines your standing.
A survival-of-the-fittest jungle.
And in such a world,
Julia had unexpectedly gotten entangled in a certain controversy—or so she said.
《IRON FIST - XII Bulletin Board》
[Isn't 'Tokkigyeongdyu-nim' this bastard using hacks?]
Feints don't work on him at all.
Seeing how he suddenly appeared recently, he doesn't seem like a veteran of the previous games either.
His speed score is fucking ridiculous lol.
— Id?k
The controversy started from a single post.
[Ah lol, gotta quit the game]
What's the point of struggling to reach the top rank?
You just lose if a hacker clicks a button lolololol.
— Who?
└ Some rabbit person. (Author)
[Isn't this an obvious case at this point?]
Doesn't show up at offline tournaments either.
Looking at his history, he hasn't played the previous games.
Is it even fun playing the game while pulling this bullshit?
— 'That rabbit'
— Ah, the game's boring as hell, nothing fucking fun to do [using hacks]
└ Has it actually been confirmed he's hacking?
└ Honestly, with this much circumstantial evidence, it's 100% (Author)
It had snowballed more and more over time, she said.
Finally.
[Ah~, that person? They're probably not hacking. I mean, they don't come to offline tournaments, react on a frame-by-frame basis, and make zero mistakes, but sure. I think that's possible. I know because I also got brutally stomped in ranked. For reference, that's why I don't play that garbage game these days, so don't send me donations asking me to play it.]
After someone famous as a fighting game streamer took a public shot at her on a broadcast,
Julia finished her explanation by saying she was practically branded as a hack user.
"...So I can't even play the game these days."
How wronged must she feel to be saving broadcast videos and posts one by one like this?
Julia's two fists trembled slightly when she finally closed the screen.
"...I really don't use hacks."
"No, of course I know that."
Because it's scary, I'd appreciate it if you'd lower your fists first.
Honestly, it was already a ridiculous situation that a wanted criminal was seriously enjoying a game.
But at least the Julia I knew—while being a criminal who broke the city's laws—wasn't the type of person who would use hacks in a game.
And besides, I was the one who introduced her to that fighting game in the first place.
...It was definite.
This was an act that went against the chivalry and honor that exist even in the cyberpunk world.
Amidst the rising tide of depraved scholars,
Julia, who had been forging her own path believing only in martial arts, said she couldn't contain her lamentation.
So.
To sum it up in one sentence:
"You won't be satisfied unless you go out to an offline tournament just once and beat the shit out of all of them, isn't that it?"
"...Yes."
"And since it's a team tournament, the entry condition was a party of two, so you needed someone to join you."
Julia nodded in agreement.
I also—
as a fellow player who enjoys games—found it a reason I could fully understand.
"...You, Si-un-nim, are the only person I could ask for something like this... I'm sorry."
It wasn't something to be sorry about.
And honestly, it wasn't a particularly difficult request.
I'd been worried about how to decline if she asked me to help with something like an assassination.
This was a relief, if anything.
Unlike when I recently went on a broadcast at Andrea's request, I wouldn't be unable to wear a mask, so there was no risk of my face getting exposed.
If there was one thing bothering me....
There was the very minor issue that I hadn't logged into that game recently.
Specifically, I disconnected after getting my ass kicked like a dog by Julia.
My win rate was already below 50%, and I was jumping into a tournament without even practicing, so a skills issue was bound to come up.
But.
That was Julia's problem to worry about, not something I should be worrying about.
"...Um."
Julia opened her mouth again.
"...While I am a wanted criminal, fortunately, this game tournament doesn't check identities properly."
"Really?"
It was obvious when you thought about it.
Who would ever think a wanted criminal would show up at a game tournament?
At most, they'd just cross-reference something like a bio-credit chip.
And that was something that could easily be bypassed with simple hacking.
...Hmm.
Well, I guess it's fine.
I readily accepted Julia's request.
"If I'm okay with you."
I had received a lot of help from her so far, and I also wanted a light change of mood.
I thought it was a perfectly suitable opportunity.
Just then.
Eve, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up.
"I can help you."
...Why was Eve trying so hard to look out for me today?
Of course, it was true she usually took good care of me, but at least that's how I felt right now. Including the way she had Catherine and Andrea wear maid outfits to greet me. Did she catch on to me being depressed back at No Answer? Though I was fine now.
At Eve's words, Julia firmly shook her head. It was an action that clearly conveyed refusal.
"...No, I absolutely want Si-un-nim to help me."
I felt a slight question at that.
If the goal was just to participate in the game tournament, it shouldn't matter who she went with.
Why did she need to pick me specifically?
Eve seemed to have the same thought. Calmly, she continued explaining to Julia.
"...Calculating objectively, me participating instead of 'Si-un' would be a far more efficient choice—."
Julia shook her head.
Eve's white eyes stared intently at Julia.
At this rate, a fight was going to break out.
"I'll just go."
When I looked at Eve and nodded, Eve, expressionless yet somehow seeming displeased, answered me.
"...Understood."
Julia's reaction, on the other hand, was very bright.
"Thank you!"
Amidst the contrasting reactions,
joy and disappointment crossed between Julia and Eve.
Julia was seeing Eve for the first time. I wondered if she might have refused because it felt awkward.
"...Hehe."
I heard a small laugh from Julia.
.......
...It was because of awkwardness, right?
Anyway, we applied for the tournament online by entering our participant nicknames and team name.
The team of 'Tokkigyeongdyu-nim' and 'RealMageIm'.
『WarriorIsTheBest』
Tournament registration complete!
* * *
And on the day of the tournament.
《Now, our next participants have a very unique team name. 'StrongestMachineAndStrongestHumanTeam'!》
I ran into Eve and Catherine.
.......
What are you two doing here?