Chapter 99: Semifinals – 1

Ŕė​ɑｄ ｏṅ ǨатȒҽаđіηǵＣа​ſｅ​

The day after Blue LUV’s match, the quarterfinals continued, and chaos descended upon the tournament meta.

The 2-tank, 1-damage, 3-healer composition that Lulu first created.

But then, to counter that, Lulu came up with the double sniper composition.

And to counter that, Lulu introduced the Doomfist-based composition.

All of these strategies intertwined, forcing each team to practice multiple compositions, leading to a massive headache.

Especially with Doomfist, the impact of the super jump Lulu showcased was so significant that it became a hot topic in various communities, sparking serious research. This even led to a bizarre phenomenon where the rankings of existing Doomfist specialists skyrocketed.

Once infamous as an overpowered character at release, Doomfist had been nerfed into obscurity, but Lulu’s playstyle breathed new life into him. Doomfist mains praised Lulu as the miracle goddess who revived their dying character.

Anyway, these were the minor events following the quarterfinals. However, the very person who caused this meta chaos, Da-jeong, was, as always…

『There’s a Hanzo on the right second floor! I’ll handle it!』

『Okay! Let’s focus on the main fight then!』

…busy practicing with her team to improve their skills.

[Defeat]

『Aah, so close. If only I had taken out their Hanzo at the end…』

『No, it’s my fault. I messed up my ultimate. I forgot they had Transcendence.』

『Too bad, too bad.』

However, the chaos in the meta meant that other teams were also using the compositions she had developed. As a result, Blue LUV’s recent scrim win rate wasn’t great—hovering around 40%.

• The other team is really good
• Isn’t that team one of the favorites to win?
• Even with Hanzo countering Hanzo, it’s still tough…
• But Lulu-chan did well.

Because of this, the overwhelming dominance they showed in their first quarterfinal match had diminished, and people began to shift their predictions for the championship to other teams. The team they just scrimmed against, “Mom Said Eat Your Food,” was a prime example.

『Our youngest wiped them out, but we couldn’t capitalize on it… tsk.』

『Ah, no. I couldn’t pressure the Hanzo properly, which made the main fight harder.』

『But Hanzo seems better than expected. We might be able to use it depending on the situation.』

『Yeah, our youngest can do anything.』

『Ehehe…』

As they continued to gather data as a team and analyze their opponents’ strategies, Blue LUV poured their all into practice, whether it was during scrims or not. However, practice alone couldn’t fully cover the gap in their relative strength. After all, this team had one complete newbie and one returning player who was practically a newbie.

『Ugh, we lost again…』

『Now that other teams are using our compositions too, it’s getting tough…』

『There are definitely a lot of strong teams.』

• Too bad.
• Other teams have higher average tiers, so it’s understandable.
• But making it to the quarterfinals is already impressive.
• They used up all their secret cards lol.

As losses piled up and the next match loomed just three days away, even the viewers began to think this might be their limit.

***************

‘This won’t do. I wanted to save this for the finals, but…’

At this point, Da-jeong decided it was time to consider her next move.

In truth, this composition was her ultimate trump card, and she didn’t want to reveal it in the semifinals. She had hoped to get through the semifinals by mixing up their compositions and save this for the finals. But if things continued like this, even making it past the semifinals seemed uncertain.

If that was the case, they had no choice but to practice this composition now and use it to break through the semifinals. Even if they lost in the finals, it was better than losing in the semifinals.

『Good work today, everyone.』

『Good work, good work.』

『Ugh, my eyes are about to fall out…』

After finishing all their scrims, they played a few quick matches to lighten the mood before wrapping up with some closing remarks.

“Cherries, thank you for staying up late to watch us. See you all tomorrow!”

• Bye bye
• I want to tell you not to leave, but I can’t bring myself to stop you…
• Good night
• See you tomorrow, Lulu-chan!!

After saying goodbye to the viewers and confirming that everyone had ended their streams, Da-jeong hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking up.

『Hey, everyone… Can I ask for a favor?』

『A favor? What is it?』

『If it’s our youngest asking, we’ll do anything.』

『Yeah, go ahead.』

The fact that Da-jeong, who rarely asked for favors, was bringing this up meant it was something important. Everyone stopped preparing to leave the Discord call and listened intently.

『Actually, I have a powerful composition in mind. I was thinking we could start practicing it tomorrow.』

『What? You have another composition?』

『What kind of composition is it?』

It wasn’t like some magical blue cat’s pocket, but Da-jeong, who had already shown three compositions, was now talking about another one. The members were stunned by the seemingly endless stream of new strategies.

『I’ll explain the details tomorrow, but… first, I’ll need Chae-yoon unnie and Jia unnie’s agreement. You’ll have to play different characters than what you’ve been using so far.』

『Huh? Us?』

『Me too?』

The unexpected choice left the two of them puzzled. Especially Jia, who, as a newbie, had only been playing Mercy, the easiest character. Suddenly being asked to switch characters right before the semifinals was understandably worrying.

Even when playing Mercy, she often doubted whether she was doing well. Switching to a different character in this situation made her unsure if she could handle it.

『Yes. What I’m thinking is Chae-yoon unnie playing Brigitte and Jia unnie playing Lucio.』

『Brigitte? I can do that, but shouldn’t we ask Jia unnie’s opinion too?』

『I’m not forcing anyone. If you agree, we can try it out. If not, we’ll just stick to what we’ve been doing.』

Da-jeong knew this was a big ask. She had no intention of forcing anyone. Her plan was to practice the composition she had in mind only if the two agreed to switch characters. If not, they’d just go back to their original compositions.

But even that wasn’t a bad option. After all, with Da-jeong on the team, Blue LUV could flexibly switch between three different compositions.

Moreover, even if their scrim results weren’t great, they might still pull off a win in the actual tournament. Da-jeong had that much faith in her team. The only reason she was proposing this was to find a more certain path to victory.

『What do you think, Jia? Want to give it a try?』

『…Yes, I’ll try.』

After listening quietly, Jia nodded when CEO Kang asked for her opinion. Of course, suddenly switching her main character at this point was worrying. But what worried her more was the thought of losing in the semifinals because she backed down.

That was something she absolutely couldn’t accept.

This was the first tournament she was participating in with her team. And the fact that the youngest believed in her and thought she could do it was enough. What kind of eldest sister would she be if she didn’t rise to the occasion?

『Kya, our eldest sister is the best!』

『Unnie, you’re so cool!』

『Thank you, unnie.』

『No, I should be the one thanking you.』

Despite the cheers from the members, Jia calmly shook her head. She knew. The person bearing the most burden on this team was none other than Da-jeong. Just during the quarterfinals, Da-jeong had single-handedly rotated through three different characters.

Even today, amidst the consecutive losses in scrims that left everyone feeling down, it was Da-jeong who stepped up to show them hope.

So, as the eldest sister, Jia decided to push herself a little harder. Clenching her fists, she steeled her resolve. At first, she had been content just participating in the tournament with her teammates, but now her mindset had shifted.

‘I want to win. Together.’

That clear desire swirled in her mind, fueling her determination.

***************

Three days later, the day of the semifinals finally arrived.

Their opponent today was none other than the tournament favorite, the team that had handed Blue LUV several bitter defeats in recent scrims: the “Mom Said Eat Your Food” team.

『Huu, I’m so nervous…!』

『You’ll do great. We’ve practiced hard.』

『Right, and even if we lose, so what? As long as we give it our all!』

『Agreed.』

『Let’s have a fun match, everyone! Fighting!』

As usual, Blue LUV’s Discord was lively. Especially today, Jia, who was usually calm, seemed unusually tense. Whenever that happened, the members rallied together to encourage their eldest sister.

***************

【The Twitcher Overwatch Winter Tournament semifinals are now underway!】

【Ah, personally, I’m really looking forward to today. While “Mom Said Eat Your Food” is considered the favorite to win, their opponents, “Blue LUV,” are no slouches either, right?】

【That’s right! Especially with the presence of Lulu, a true ace on the Blue LUV team. In the quarterfinals, she brought out some fascinating strategies and compositions to secure their victory, so I’m really excited to see what she’ll show us today!】

As the match was about to begin, the commentators hyped up the atmosphere, detailing the strengths and backgrounds of both teams.

• You guys can do it!!!!!!!!
• Go, Blue LUV!!!!!!!
• Fighting!!!!
• Let’s gooooooo!!!!!

In response, the viewers rooting for Blue LUV also chimed in with words of encouragement, wishing for the team’s victory.

Even though they were considered the underdogs in terms of strength, wasn’t the underdog’s rebellion the most thrilling part of any tournament? Especially with Lulu, as the commentators mentioned, being a key factor that heightened everyone’s expectations.

【Through a coin toss, “Mom Said Eat Your Food” has won the right to choose the first map! They’ve selected Eichenwalde!】

【This is their most preferred map! It seems they’re determined to secure a solid victory right from the first set!】

【That’s right. Now, let’s begin the first set of the semifinals on Eichenwalde!】

The match began.

The attacking team, “Mom Said Eat Your Food,” brought out a composition of Reinhardt, Zarya, Hanzo, Pharah, Mercy, and Genji.

【Ah, as expected, “Mom Said Eat Your Food” has chosen Pharah and Hanzo.】

【Yes, this is their signature composition! They’ve shown in scrims that they can dominate most matchups with this setup.】

【That’s right. On the other hand, I expected Blue LUV to go with a double sniper or a standard Hanzo-DPS composition, but… oh?】

Just as the commentators were praising the choice and predicting Blue LUV’s composition, they trailed off upon seeing the defending team’s lineup. Blue LUV had once again brought out an unexpected composition.

【Huh? Lulu has picked Hanzo? And Lilith is on McCree, while Ha-neul is on Ana?】

【Lulu has occasionally shown Hanzo in scrims, but this makes for a fairly standard 2-tank, 2-DPS, 2-healer composition. McCree was probably picked to counter Pharah, right?】

【That’s correct. Especially since Lilith’s solo queue data shows McCree as her most-played hero, and Ha-neul’s is Ana. Both players should be able to perform well with these picks.】

• This time it’s pretty standard.
• I thought they’d bring out something unique again.
• Lulu-chan’s Hanzo is pretty good too, so I’m looking forward to it.
• First set, so both teams are going with standard comps.
• Is this the Hanzo meta?

While some were disappointed by the lack of a unique strategy, many were excited for a straightforward matchup, especially in an era where 3-healer compositions were gaining popularity. Those who hadn’t seen the scrims were particularly curious about how well Da-jeong could perform on Hanzo.

『Lulu, the CEO will nano you, so go wipe them out!』

『For the first set, we’re going with the “Princess Lulu” meta!』

『Ehehe… I’ll do my best.』

With Zarya’s barriers and Ana’s Nano Boost, Blue LUV was confident that Da-jeong could carry the game. They rallied together, full of determination.

LegoMyEggo