The Heavenly Demon's Advice (5)
I wished I could grab that bastard myself and give him a proper education. But the moment a real powerhouse shows up, that kind of trash runs away faster than anyone. So I had no choice but to let Enri deliver the humiliation in my place.
“But… I don’t think I can beat that guy.”
“I’ll make sure you win.”
It was true that the opponent stood higher than Enri. But that guy was still beneath Harin. From my perspective, he was nothing more than a parasite clinging to a weed—less than a bug.
I could spend an entire day explaining exactly how she could defeat him.
“Is that even possible?”
“Of course.”
“Can I really do it?”
“If you cannot trust yourself, then trust me.”
I will carry the burden of defeat. The humiliation, the sorrow, the rage you would feel if you lose—I will take it all. So do not worry about anything. All you need to do is trust me and savor the joy of victory.
Enri stared blankly into space for a moment before nodding with a determined expression. Instead of choosing to leave the match, she selected rematch.
“What, Mario? You want to get beaten like a dog again?”
“I’ll win this time.”
“Bullshit. How could a Gold-bound ghost like you beat me?”
Even as the man laughed mockingly, Enri didn’t bother replying further.
The chat was filled with disbelief. Since I wasn’t stepping in myself and was only giving Enri advice, they probably thought there was no way the tide could turn.
Sigh. I should have learned how to open point betting. Then those faithless heathens doubting me would actually have something to lose.
Dragon Hunter VS Divine Spear
“Enri. That man is a textbook spear user.”
He possessed both the strengths and weaknesses of a spear user. What was the weakness of a spear user? They were strong when they held the initiative, but their power dropped sharply the moment it was taken from them. They knew how to use an advantage, but they didn’t know how to overcome a disadvantage. That was why they feared falling behind so desperately. That was the true identity of this Divine Spear user.
His weakness was so obvious that exploiting it was ridiculously simple.
“I’ll give you a very interesting experience.”
*
Even though I pressed rematch because I trusted Miss Ara’s words, can I really beat that guy?
Enri gripped her spear tighter. As much as she hated to admit it, the vicious man standing before her was stronger. Under normal circumstances, no matter what she tried, he was an opponent she could never defeat. Could a few pieces of advice really change anything against such an enemy?
Still, since Miss Ara had spoken with such confidence, she must have some kind of plan. She wouldn’t have said anything otherwise. Enri trusted Ara. She trusted Ara’s skill and believed that she wouldn’t push Enri into a hopeless situation.
But on the other hand, she had doubts. It wasn’t doubt toward Ara—it was doubt toward herself. No matter how good Ara’s advice was, could she actually follow it? What if she made a mistake and ruined everything?
Enri’s doubts began to fade the moment Ara started speaking.
“As soon as the battle begins, the opponent will watch you instead of attacking right away.”
“Huh?”
“So move forward first. When you approach, he will retreat. Take two steps at once, then thrust your spear at his leg.”
Ara’s words felt less like advice and more like a prophecy—an incredibly precise prophecy leading to Enri’s victory. The way Ara spoke as if she could determine the opponent’s every action made Enri feel uneasy. No matter how amazing Miss Ara was, could she really predict an opponent’s movements so perfectly?
“Did you remember it all?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then we’re good.”
After leaving behind a single “Do your best,” Ara cut the communication.
Miss Ara. Aren’t you anxious at all? Do you really believe everything will go exactly as you think?
What if I make a mistake? Is that okay? You really believe I can do everything you said?
Then… I’ll do my best. Since you believe in me.
Just as Ara had said, the Divine Spear user didn’t move an inch and simply watched Enri’s actions. So Enri stepped forward exactly as instructed. The moment she took one step, the opponent retreated at the same pace. But he clearly hadn’t expected her to take a second step immediately, so his reaction to her attack was delayed.
Enri’s spear pierced the opponent’s thigh with ridiculous ease.
Once hit, the Divine Spear user swung his spear widely to shake her off. This, too, happened exactly as Ara had predicted. Enri ducked to avoid the attack, then struck his thigh with the shaft of her spear.
It was strange. The Divine Spear user’s movements didn’t deviate at all from what Miss Ara had described. It was as if Ara had strings attached to his back and was controlling him like a puppet.
“Fuck! Who the hell are you?! A proxy? It’s a proxy, right?! You’re using a Heavenly Dragon, aren’t you?!”
“If I were Miss Harin, you wouldn’t have lasted three seconds.”
Even Dekai got destroyed in three seconds. There’s no way trash like you could last this long.
Even while mocking her opponent, Enri could sympathize with his frustration. Honestly, it was an absurd situation. It had only been one match. The only time Ara had properly observed the Divine Spear user was during that previous game. Yet in just one match, she had analyzed everything about him and created a scenario for Enri to win. How could any human do that?
If someone had told Enri the same thing, she would have called it nonsense. It was too ridiculous.
“You damn bitch! Then what is it?! Did you turn on hacks or something?!”
“Why? Are you scared you’ll lose to a Gold player for real? Must be nice, living while only thinking up excuses like that.”
“Shut up!”
The marionette could not escape the stage that had been written for it. Every single action the Divine Spear user took had already been anticipated by Ara, and every move he made only hastened his own destruction.
Enri has won the match.
Even as she stared at the two letters floating before her, Enri felt strangely unsettled. In the end, both she and the Divine Spear user had simply moved across the stage Ara had written.
It really was an interesting experience. Where else could you experience something like this?
“You fucking bitch. Hurry up and do another round. Hurry!”
If I told him that Miss Ara had predicted he would say exactly that, I wonder what kind of face he would make. He probably wouldn’t believe it anyway.
“No thanks. Why should I listen to a noob like you?”
“You little…”
After leaving the match, Enri immediately opened the chat window. She was curious about the viewers’ reactions. What did the audience think about the prophecy Ara had just shown them?
“The Heavenly Demon is not a god, and she does not possess the power of prophecy! What I did was simply analyze the opponent and predict how he would move.”
“On the contrary, I want to ask you all. How could you fail to predict such an obvious opponent?”
Why are they fighting? No, everyone. This is my broadcast. I just came back with a win—why is no one paying attention to me? Shouldn’t you be praising me or something? Saying anything at all?
“Um…”
“Ah. Enri, you’re back.”
“What’s going on?”
“I was explaining to the brats in the chat what I just did.”
Explaining? Not fighting?
After quietly observing the chat, Enri realized the viewers were deliberately teasing Ara. They had understood her explanation long ago. They were just having fun watching her get frustrated and were poking at her on purpose. What a bunch of troublemakers. Is messing with people really that entertaining?
Still… the way Miss Ara is pouting her lips is kind of cute. I guess I’m one of the troublemakers too.
“Weren’t you making a prophecy? That’s what I thought.”
“It wasn’t a prophecy, it was a prediction! Even you, Enri, don’t say that!”
“But… doesn’t it sound impossible? Predicting one or two moves is one thing, but predicting the entire flow of the battle?”
At the leader of the troublemakers’ words, Ara pressed her fingers against her temples, then let out a sigh and spoke.
“Enri. First, hand over the pipe.”
“Yes!”
I should stop here. If I keep teasing her, something might explode.
Enri obediently placed the pipe in Ara’s hand. After taking several long puffs, Ara spoke in a slightly tired voice.
“Enri. Can you replay the video of the fight you just had?”
“Of course. Should I play it?”
“Wait. Before watching the video, Enri, what did you think the enemy’s personality was like?”
“Cautious?”
That was accurate. The Divine Spear user had been cautious. He always watched Enri’s movements before choosing his next action. His choices were always rational, and he never once made a risky, gambling move.
“Correct. He is cautious. In other words, he is also extremely fearful.”
Ara explained that he was the type to choose the safer, smaller gain rather than take any risk.
“I’m sorry to say this, but the difference in skill between you and him was obvious. If he had tried to crush you from the start, you would have lost without being able to do anything.”
Enri didn’t deny it. It was true that the opponent’s skill was superior.
“However, he could not let go of his caution.”
Ara asked for the video of Enri’s first defeat to be played. While watching it, she pointed out every single one of the Divine Spear user’s actions. How he retreated at the beginning. How he backed off obediently instead of counterattacking even when Enri made an awkward approach. How he only made light attacks despite seeing huge openings and then waited to observe the next move.
“Wasn’t he just toying with me?”
“That may have been part of his intention, but it is more accurate to say this is simply his nature.”
An extreme safety-first personality. That was the foundation of the Divine Spear user.
“A skilled martial artist generally understands their own tendencies. That is why they try their best not to repeat the same actions.”
In Ara’s opinion, the Divine Spear user must have been aware of his own habits. Under normal circumstances, the moment he realized he had been read, he would have tried to change them.
“But the situation was bad for him.”
The Divine Spear user had looked down on Enri. No matter how hard she struggled, he believed she could never beat him. That was why he must have panicked the moment his initiative was taken. And when his second move was stolen and he allowed an attack, he must have been shaken. He probably thought this:
“I might actually lose.”
To an opponent who was far beneath him, in front of thousands of viewers, he might suffer the humiliation of defeat? There was no way a pathetic man who enjoyed tormenting the weak could endure such humiliation.
The moment he lost the first few exchanges, the opponent had driven himself into a corner. Do you know what happens when a person is cornered? They become even more conservative. While trying to figure out how to overcome the crisis, they choose the method they are most familiar with. In the Divine Spear user’s case, his safety-first tendency would have manifested even more strongly.
“Now do you understand how the prediction was possible?”
Once you understand the weapon he uses, his skill level, and his habits, predicting how he will move in any given situation becomes incredibly simple. Ara declared it as if it were obvious.
“…Not really?”
But of course, that was only obvious to Ara.