Chapter 25

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 25

Chapter Title: Colosseum (5)

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Na and Seowan had finished selecting the Valkyries for the showdown, and now it was time for the ban picks.

In truth, tactics be damned—with SR-grade and A-grade Valkyries in play, the right move was always to ban the SRs.

Unless your opponent only slotted in two vanguards, that is.

Seowan hadn't made that mistake, so I naturally banned his SRs: Elona and Claria.

Moments later, Lussera and Jaira vanished from my selection screen as expected.

It pained me to reveal Jaira just to dodge a ban pick like this, but there was no choice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if I wanted to win right here and now.

This was where the commentator really screwed me over. If he hadn't screamed about her being SR-rank, maybe Seowan would've overlooked her.

Or would he?

Something told me that guy wouldn't miss a thing like that.

Now came the most crucial part: positioning.

This was the last thing the Pilot had control over. After that, the Valkyries handled everything turn by turn on their own, so placement was everything.

In 6-player matches and beyond, the maps expanded, demanding even more caution.

But in 3v3, there were only two rows, turning it into a game of rock-paper-scissors based on where you placed them.

If the enemy mirrored my setup—one vanguard and two backline—it wouldn't matter.

My Valkyries would naturally target the enemy's front-right if nothing was directly in front of them.

But Seowan's lineup was two vanguards and one backline.

With Garujan's piercing attacks, it came down to whether she'd hit one vanguard or splash to the backline too. A make-or-break moment.

When I had rows 1 and 2, the enemy saw them reversed. My row 1 wasn't directly facing theirs.

But if I placed in row 1 and they did too, we'd be staring each other down. Not a perfect mirror.

Instinctively, people defaulted to row 1 for placements. With two vanguards, backline went to row 1 as standard.

But would Seowan fall for that? Could he even? Sure, he'd pulled good Valkyries with his talent, but was it that sharp?

These thoughts spiraled.

In the end, I placed my Valkyries in row 2. A deliberate twist.

Placement locked in, and it was time to reveal.

Heart pounding, I checked the monitor.

I nearly jumped up and shouted. My twisted hunch had hit perfectly.

Minerva lurked behind Yuririn, and my three Valkyries stood directly in front of her.

Yokihisa's strike landed about a sixth of Heiji's health.

Now it was Heiji's turn.

Yuririn took only 213 from Heiji's hit. Her defense was better than expected. Even with Heiji's fire advantage over wood (1.2x multiplier) and her trait boosting attack power by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠30% against same-row foes, plus Minerva's 15% defense buff/debuff on all allies...

A massive hit. Minerva chunked nearly a quarter in one blow.

Seowan's Valkyries really were higher-leveled.

Yuririn's trait healed 50% of her damage dealt to allies, so Yokihisa got a tiny bit back—but her low damage meant negligible effect.

Heiji was down to just 592 HP after Yokihisa's assault. A-grade Valkyrie damage was no joke.

Yuririn had eaten 426 total from two hits but recovered 55 once, netting 371 damage. Still, her massive health pool shrugged it off.

Finally, after agonizing wait, Garujan's turn arrived. High damage, but low agility meant delayed strikes.

Not the highest DPS, but a piercing blaze.

Heiji clung to 397 HP. Cutting it close.

Another Heiji hit shaved Yuririn's health to about half.

Perfect Holla heal topped Heiji back up a bit.

The crowd gripped their seats, eyes glued to the clash of two prodigies.

Who would claim victory?

Minerva's first hit was 355, but after Garujan's smack, her attack debuff dropped it to 292.

Back-to-back from Yokihisa and Yuririn left Heiji with just 206 HP.

Turn swung back to Yokihisa.

'Please... please...'

Yokihisa had been dishing 195 to Heiji consistently.

After five basic attacks filling her mana, on the sixth, she leaped into the air with a flashy new effect.

'Ah... shit... skill!'

Mana-charged, she somersaulted, dual blades plunging down on my Valkyries.

'Phew. Survived. It was an AoE.'

Yokihisa's skill hit all enemies for 100% damage.

Thanks to that, Heiji scraped by on 11 HP.

Without Garujan's earlier debuff, she'd be gone.

My Valkyries' timely turns let me cling on like a cockroach.

But Minerva followed up, and Yokihisa finished Heiji off.

She'd have hit skill turn after just one more...

The commentator wailed, echoing my frustration.

Fast-turn Yokihisa now carved into Holla.

Then Garujan's turn cycled back.

I can do this. You got this. Sweat slicked my clenched fists as I cheered her on.

Instead of her usual spear toss, she gripped two spears and charged forward.

Garujan's skill, Indiscriminate Barrage, activated.

Garujan lunged first at Yuririn, stabbing endlessly with dual spears.

Yuririn spewed her last HP and collapsed. Not done, Garujan pressed to Minerva behind ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her, impaling until she fell too.

Only Yokihisa remained on the left.

Yokihisa's face paled at the blood-drenched dual spears.

Garujan charged her too—but only one stab landed.

Notifications flooded the screen. Just Yokihisa left.

But one-on-one against Holla and Garujan? No chance.

Holla had solid defense for a healer and decent heals, holding the line.

Yokihisa's high turn speed let her AoE again, scraping Garujan to critical.

But when her next hit took Holla out, Holla's trait fully healed surviving allies.

Garujan's sliver filled to max.

Still, Yokihisa's agility (22) vs. Garujan's (5) meant ~2.7x more attacks—not four, but punishing.

Garujan hit critical again, but Yokihisa crumbled first.

Finally, Garujan's spear throw felled her.

Garujan had 190 HP left.

One more Yokihisa attack and she'd be done—but luck favored me.

This was pure luck, no other word. Heiji's 11 HP buy bought three whole turns.

- WAAAAAAAAAH!! -

The Colosseum erupted as the words landed. They'd witnessed a pulse-pounding masterpiece.

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