The Heavenly Demon's Live Commentary (3)
While I was chatting with the viewers in the chat window, the fight between Enri and the Heavenly Demon user had already begun. Stripping away everything else, it was fundamentally a battle between a close-range fighter and a spear wielder. In the end, distance decided the outcome. Would the spear user allow the fighter to close in, or not? If the spear user kept their distance and piled on damage, they won. If they failed to do so, the fighter would seize victory.
Enri, seemingly mindful of my lesson from last time, slowly retreated and waited for her opponent to approach. But the other side was doing the exact same thing. The Heavenly Demon user maintained their distance, simply observing Enri without moving. Rather than rushing in recklessly, they were waiting for the opponent to grow impatient.
Not bad.
If you were confident you were superior, there was no reason to hurry. With the gap wider than the spear's effective range, the match would come down to whose focus broke first. I had no idea what the others thought, but I rather enjoyed these standoffs. The fierce battle of nerves as each side read the other's intentions was the ultimate proof of a martial artist's skill.
Yet what on earth were those two doing?
"Why are they just staring at each other?"
If it was like this, what was the point of keeping distance? You had to issue a threat of closing in, a constant pressure that you could attack at any moment, for the distance to hold any meaning. Only then would the opponent's mind grow tangled, opening the door for true psychological warfare.
Simply standing there rendered the entire standoff meaningless. The longer I watched, the more frustrated I became, until a groan slipped out on its own.
"Do other Heavenly Demon users fight that way?"
My head throbbed. If this weren't my body, my mind wouldn't be this conflicted.
The first to move between Enri and the Heavenly Demon user was Enri. Unable to endure the pressure of time bearing down on her, she stepped forward first.
"Haa..."
That fool. The more impatient you become, the greater the disadvantage. It isn't the spear user who suffers from needing to close the distance. She clearly didn't understand the immense pressure that created.
The Heavenly Demon user, who had been searching for an opening, brightened at the opponent's approach. She took a single step forward, mirroring Enri. In an instant, the distance between them vanished.
Flustered by the sudden change, Enri swung her spear to drive her opponent back. But a thrust born from lost composure was painfully predictable. Even a child could have guessed exactly where it would land.
The spear sliced through empty air, and the distance closed once more.
"It's over."
Enri's defeat was now inevitable. For a spear user to win after allowing a close-range fighter to close the gap, their skill would need to be overwhelmingly superior, or the fighter would need to be utterly incompetent. From what I could see, the two were evenly matched. Victory for Enri in this situation seemed nearly impossible.
What could possibly be chasing her like this?
I would have to ask her about that later. For now, I wanted to see how she would respond.
Once the distance was gone, Enri lost her composure completely. The spear she swung in panic carried neither thought nor principle. Her increasingly wild movements turned her into a perfect target, and she could not escape the accumulating damage.
Enri has been eliminated
Enri, having exited the ranked match, looked noticeably depressed. It pained me to lecture her, but what choice did I have? This was the duty of one who teaches.
"First, let me ask. Do you understand what mistake you made?"
"Yes. I rushed in first."
"Last time I taught you never to move first no matter what happened."
"I'm sorry."
"Why did you do it?"
Tell me. Only then can I help you.
Enri seemed burdened by the need to confess her fault, hesitating for a long time. Eventually she spoke in a voice so small it was barely more than a whisper.
"I... I got impatient because I kept thinking that Mr. Hwaryeong was watching."
"You wanted to show him an impressive performance?"
"Yes."
"You wanted to please me through him?"
"Yes."
"Then fulfill the basics as a spear user. If you show me that you faithfully follow what I taught, nothing would make me happier."
At my words, Enri lowered her head.
"Let's try again."
By now she must have realized her error. More detailed corrections could come gradually. For the moment, we would simply play another ranked match to properly evaluate her skill.
"I won't disappoint you!"
"Good. Very good."
Enri, now brimming with determination to show something magnificent this time, clamped her mouth shut the instant a match was found. With that much resolve, she surely wouldn't repeat her previous mistake. Surely?
"This is trouble."
The Shadow Hunter was an assassin wrapped in a black hood. They concealed their presence, hid within shadows, and sought only opportunistic strikes. The standard combat approach I had taught Enri held no meaning against such an opponent. There were countermeasures, but I had not yet taught them to her. On top of that, the map was unlucky. A ruined relic site. Among the countless buildings scattered across a sun-scorched desert, there were far too many places to hide.
"Just to be sure, let me ask. Has Enri faced a Shadow Hunter before?"
"Win rate?"
The information appeared the moment I asked. Just how devoted to Enri were you? It was almost chilling, but since it wasn't my concern I chose to ignore it. People like that were better left untouched.
Setting that aside, the data he provided matched my expectations perfectly. Enri was only just beginning to grasp the feel of head-on combat. Facing an opponent full of variables like this would naturally be difficult for her.
"One more question. Are there any unusual items in the relic site?"
At least that was somewhat hopeful.
I adjusted the white window so my voice would reach Enri and spoke.
"Enri."
"...Yes!"
She answered only after a long pause. She was already terrified. In her heart, she had probably already accepted defeat.
"The opponent is an assassin and the area is full of hiding spots. Do you know what to do?"
"No."
"Turn the entire surroundings into an open field yourself."
The nearby buildings all looked ancient. A light touch seemed enough to bring them down. Smash a few of them and wait for the assassin to approach. The opponent would surely appreciate the invitation.
"What if the building falls on me?"
"Then you lose."
"Aren't you being way too casual because it's not your problem?!"
After all, we weren't actually risking our lives. If gambling offered a path to victory, then gamble. There was nothing to lose.
To the frightened Enri I simply said to do as she wished and ended the call. Whether she followed the advice was ultimately her choice. I would not force her.
"What is this point betting?"
Communication with Enri had been cut off for a while now, so I tried adjusting the broadcast settings according to what the viewers were saying. However, the settings window had far too many functions. Seriously. Did one really need to use all of them? Why stuff in so many options and make things difficult for yourself?
"Did it work? Were you successful this time?"
"No! It's perfectly normal to fumble a little!"
You people as well. Try being dropped into the modern world at my age. Do you understand how difficult it is to adapt to a civilization completely different from the martial world? The fact that I have adapted this much in less than a month is only possible because it is me. Anyone else would still be struggling to operate a smartphone!
I could not give up and swallow this humiliation. I would open the point betting even if it meant staking the pride of this Heavenly Demon.
"As if I would accidentally press the broadcast termination button! I have at least that much sense!"
I probably did. Most likely.
And this fellow. How despicable, trying to sway me with money. This would not do. My dignity would vanish at this rate. This time, I would succeed in opening the betting for sure.
The backlash was fierce, but when had there ever been a day without opposition to my actions? I was practically a master at ignoring the opinions of others. If I weren't, I would have died long ago from the nonsense spewed by the Divine Cult elders.
What nonsense. Did I truly appear that materialistic?
"I'll make it clear right now. I am not swayed by money. Therefore, attempting to persuade me with it is meaningless."
"If you wish to stop me, bring someone stronger than I am."
The world has always been ruled by the strong. If you wish to halt my steps, you must bring someone capable of subduing me.
While ignoring the viewers' chatter and attempting to manipulate the broadcast window, Enri's voice reached me.
"What should I do? Should I break it? Should I really break it?"
The game had already started. It felt like just a little more and I could finally open the point betting, but my immediate duty was to watch Enri fight.
"This can wait until later."
Enri stood inside one of the buildings, staring at a pillar with a deeply troubled expression.