I Have a Reason to Hate Streamers-Chapter 212

That was, of course, the case. I had only recently begun to truly make use of a sword. But this style was well-known enough for even regular people to have heard of it.

In the Korean reading, it’s Icheonilryu. For anyone who has dabbled in kendo, even if it was just for show, they’ve likely paid attention to the Ido-ryu school. Contrary to what most people think, it’s a school that pursues simple and practical swordplay.

Swordmasters are specialized in longswords, so they couldn’t use it. However, it wasn’t bad at all for an assassin.

My confident domain is spacing and balance. When combined with the assassin’s natural speed, it creates a great deal of practical effectiveness. The two swords repeatedly left scars on Kelberos’s limbs.

Kelberos’s weapon shifted to a zweihander. A large horizontal cut of the sword aimed to shake me off.

That was his intention, to push me away.

‘Who says I’ll just let you do that?’

That attack was clearly an attempt to widen the distance and recover his stance. But there was no reason for me to simply retreat. I crossed my two swords and defended. A clear sound echoed as the parry landed.

I was pushed back a bit, but it was within acceptable limits. It was natural that I lacked strength here. If assassins were stronger than weaponmasters, no one would choose that class.

I pressed Kelberos’s sword down with my dagger, trying to block his retrieval. The longsword swung horizontally, targeting his wrist. The wound was shallow, but it wasn’t bad.

I charged in once more. While I might be at a disadvantage in strength, my speed was superior. Since I had the tempo, I had to continue gaining the upper hand with relentless offense.

The blade slanted in and eventually pierced Kelberos’s abdomen. I spun the sword halfway to pull it out, twisting his counterattack and aiming for his wrist… though perhaps that was greedy of me. Instead, I settled for stabbing his instep and pulled back.

[‘Enhanced Hemotoxin’ effect has been reapplied.] [‘Enhanced Hemotoxin’ effect is now changed to ‘Unstoppable Bleeding’.]

I didn’t intend for this game to drag on. There was no need, and it shouldn’t. The more information I gave to the next fighter, the more disadvantageous it would be for me.

For Kelberos, this situation itself was quite disorienting. He had been relentlessly pursuing ways to surpass my swordmaster class, but suddenly, here I was, back as an assassin. After running desperately, the path shifted, changing the course of the final.

But what could he do about it? Surpassing someone has always been like that.

After breaking through one wall, there’s always another taller one behind it. Just when you think you’ve reached it, you find you’ve fallen far away again. If you don’t want to collapse from exhaustion, you have no choice but to move forward.

Anyway, now was the time to exploit that confusion. Without giving him a moment to think, I pressed on.

Kelberos and I collided in combat countless times. Metal clanged against metal, and sparks flew from the friction between blades. Blood spilled repeatedly, but I didn’t feel any pain in my own body.

‘Now that I think about it, there’s something I’ve wanted to try. And the situation is just right for it.’

Kelberos’s weaponmaster spirit weapon transformed into dual swords. The speed of both attack and defense shifted drastically. It seemed like he had judged he couldn’t keep up with the increased tempo.

As Kelberos prepared to strike with his left hand, I pushed his right sword out with my longsword.

I leaned back to avoid the incoming blade. At the same time, I moved as if swinging my dagger, but Kelberos merely shifted his head slightly.

Of course, I couldn’t reach him from here. What I needed to watch out for was the throw, I suppose.

But the assassin always looks for gaps in their opponent’s thinking.

If it doesn’t work once, I’ll try again.

The dagger slipped from my hand, and my sleeve flared. The rope I had hidden in my hand and clothes finally revealed itself.

Kelberos widened his eyes and reacted quickly.

“...!”

“You’re quick on the uptake, but it’s already too late.”

The flying dagger changed direction with the help of the rope. The blade eventually hit the back of Kelberos’s neck.

It wasn’t a fatal blow that would instantly cut his breath, but the fact that it had lodged into his body was what mattered.

In that moment, my body and Kelberos’s were connected.

Instead of focusing on my own safety, I aimed for his arm. I disarmed him so he couldn’t cut the rope. Though my shoulder was stabbed, I could bear it.

I discarded the sword and gave a parting gift to the leg that was trying to resist, sending a message of resolve.

With this, I didn’t need to worry about the rope being cut. I had also made sure to wound his limbs, weakening him significantly.

For a brief moment, I had control over Kelberos’s body.

[‘Venomous Fang’ effect is active.] [For 17 seconds, the thrown weapon will not leave the enemy’s body.]

The tightly pulled rope dragged Kelberos’s body along. Since just arm strength wasn’t enough, I used my entire body weight to move him.

My destination was beyond the wreckage of the ship, out into the open sea.

I had one unfulfilled wish from long ago. It was something that began exactly during the arena’s selection ceremony.

Back when I was doing PVP for money on the field, the nickname Ga-wol was known among Korean streamers and some pros, but players overseas had no idea what it meant.

So, at the selection ceremony, almost no one saw me as a worthy adversary. Even Kelberos back then didn’t see me as a competitor.

He ignored me outright, but the atmosphere was thick with that disdain.

“Will we get to see the infamous play again in this arena?”“I think so... If there’s any leftover stamina, I’ll drown him in the seawater. If he doesn’t like the sea, any other place is fine.”“That sounds great!”

I never forgot that moment.

Though I eventually won the arena, the memory of being dismissed never disappeared. The battlefield luck wasn’t on my side, so I failed to dunk anyone in seawater. And in the final, I had to use the swordmaster, so I couldn’t even consider such a thing.

But this time was different.

Finally, here was ‘The Place Where Storm Sleeps.’ Back then, it was embarrassing, but it was this performance that made me famous.

I leapt off the ship with Kelberos. With no time for him to react, I leapt high, attaching a hook to the ship, and managed to escape alone.

I didn’t bother tying the rope around his thick neck on the way back.

As a result, Kelberos was left to be thrown into the sea alone.

I could feel his resistance through the rope, a trembling sensation that passed through my hand.

What kind of emotion was mixed into this trembling?

“Phew…”

Ah, this feels so satisfying.

I didn’t release the rope until Kelberos’s breath was cut off.

[Author: ㅇㅇ(202.595)] [Title: Live Final - Kelberos Captured]

(Attached photo: Kelberos with his neck bound, thrown into the sea) (Attached photo: Ga-wol grinning slyly)

At the final match point, this is happening. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

But seriously, seeing Kelberos like this... Am I the only one feeling cognitive dissonance here?

[Comments]

“Looks like a photoshopped image, damn it.”“Ah, don’t you know? This is ‘Boshintang’ from Korea.” → “But it would be too salty if it’s in seawater.” → “I’m from the MZ generation, and we young people like strong flavors.”“Why does she smile like that?” → “I guess she likes choking people.” → “No, she likes making them drowsy.” → “?”