Chapter 100: Semifinals – 2

Яｅ​аd оn &K;ａｔＲ​&e;a​d̃i‌ngCafe

Although they had a special composition prepared, Blue LUV decided to stick with a standard composition for the crucial early sets. It was a scouting phase, or perhaps more accurately, they didn’t want to reveal their trump card too soon.

After all, Da-jeong had planned to save that composition for the finals, so the best strategy for the semifinals was to win without showing their hand.

『Ah, sorry! I got headshot and died!』

『It’s okay! Fall back for a bit and wait for the CEO to come, then we’ll push together!』

But as expected, their opponents were a strong team, worthy of being called tournament favorites. The game wasn’t going as smoothly as they had hoped.

Blue LUV, who had finished defending first, fortunately didn’t give up three points, but the payload had been pushed almost to the end, effectively making it feel like they had given up three points. Now, during their attack, they were stuck at the second point, facing significant difficulties.

‘If we can just push to the third point, we’ll have a chance.’

Da-jeong, however, didn’t think it was unwinnable. After all, the enemy team’s main ace was Pharah, whose strength lay in aerial mobility making her dominant in open maps. But the third point of Eichenwalde was a narrow area with a low ceiling. If they could push to the third point, they could turn the tide there.

In fact, they had a way to win this team fight.

【This is quite a struggle for Blue LUV. Fortunately, they’ve managed to push the payload this far, but they’re getting poked from the high ground, which is really frustrating.】

【The solution in this situation would be the Nano Blade, right?】

【That’s right. Blue LUV only has two ultimates left, so they’ll have to rely on the Nano Blade to turn the fight around.】

• The enemy Hanzo is really good
• But can they really win with just one Nano Blade?
• Pharah and Mercy are flying around, and Hanzo is too far away… it’s going to be tough.

Nano Blade—the combination of Genji’s Dragonstrike and Ana’s Nano Boost. When Ana’s Nano Boost, which temporarily increases damage by 50% and reduces damage taken, is applied to Hanzo, he can unleash Dragonstrike and wipe out the enemy team. It’s one of the most powerful ultimate combos in Overwatch.

However, even with this powerful combo, victory wasn’t guaranteed. The reason? The enemy team was spread out. Pharah and Mercy were flying in the air, and Hanzo was always maintaining distance. From the viewers’ perspective, it was hard to be optimistic.

『What should we do? We need to get inside the castle first, right?』

『Yes, we should go inside the castle and loop around to the right.』

『If we stick to the payload, Hanzo will snipe us from the high ground. Is that okay?』

『It’s fine. The tanks will stick to the payload, and the rest of us will go up to the high ground.』

The second point of Eichenwalde is surrounded by towering castle walls. From there, the entire payload path is visible, making it a strategic stronghold.

【Let’s go in! Blue LUV can’t afford to waste time!】

【That’s right! If they can win this fight with the Nano Blade and stall, they’ll have ultimates ready for the third point!】

To quickly secure the high ground, Da-jeong pushed her team into the castle as soon as Ha-neul’s Ana arrived. She then climbed the wall to the high ground to pressure Hanzo.

Ting- Ting- Ting-

As soon as Genji appeared, Hanzo fired a barrage of arrows as a warning, but they all bounced off Genji’s Deflect skill.

Whoosh-!

Hanzo, fearing the approaching Genji, had to retreat. Thanks to this, Blue LUV smoothly secured the high ground. However…

Boom-! Boom-!

『Pharah is so annoying…!』

『Ugh, that hurts so much.』

The problem was Pharah and Mercy, who were still flying in the air. As soon as Blue LUV peeked from the high ground, artillery fire rained down from above, rapidly depleting their health.

【Oh no! They need to manage their health carefully!】

【Fortunately, they have Ana, so their sustain is decent! But as long as they can’t take down Pharah, even holding the high ground will be difficult!】

It was true. No matter how high they climbed, they couldn’t match Pharah’s aerial advantage. Lilith had picked McCree to counter Pharah, but taking down a Pharah with Mercy pocketing her was nearly impossible.

『Lilith unnie! Sorry, but can you keep pressuring Pharah? Just push her back!』

『Okay, I’ll try!』

Despite the odds, Da-jeong continued to ask Chae-yoon to mark Pharah one-on-one while she focused on pressuring Hanzo, forcing him to retreat far away.

The situation was as follows:

The payload was at the edge of the second checkpoint.

Both teams’ tanks were engaged in a fierce battle there.

Both teams’ DPS were holding opposite ends of the high ground, trying to support their teams while maintaining their positions.

『……!』

Then, Da-jeong’s eyes sharpened as she assessed the situation. Pharah and Genji, pressured by Hanzo and McCree, had coincidentally ended up in the same spot for a brief moment.

『CEO! Can you Nano me?!』

『Ah, yeah! I’ll give it to you!』

Da-jeong quickly asked Ha-neul if she could use Nano Boost, and as soon as she got the call, she didn’t hesitate. She soared into the air with Dragonstrike.

[You’ve become stronger. Charge!]

[Face the dragon’s blade!]

A flash of light streaked across the sky, enveloped in a blue glow. Blue LUV’s last resort, the Nano Blade, had been unleashed.

【Nano Blaaaaade!】

【Lulu has drawn her sword at last!】

The commentators’ excited voices echoed as Da-jeong, bathed in blue light, first targeted the isolated Hanzo.

『Hey, hey, leave me! I can’t survive this!』

『It’s fine if we lose Hanzo as long as Pharah and Mercy survive!』

『If we hold out, they won’t have ultimates! We’re fine!』

Seeing the grim reaper charging toward him, the enemy Hanzo panicked. Since Pharah and Mercy could survive by flying away, they decided to abandon Hanzo and regroup with their team to win the team fight without Hanzo.

Slash-!

BlueLUVLulu > Tonight’sDinnerIsPork

As expected, Genji’s blade cut down Hanzo in the blink of an eye. But using two ultimates for one kill wasn’t a result worth celebrating. They needed at least one more kill to make it worthwhile. Without hesitation, Da-jeong coldly cut down Hanzo and immediately turned her gaze elsewhere.

There, Pharah and Mercy were leisurely flying back to regroup with their team. Da-jeong quickly climbed the wall to the highest point and, with the cooldown reset from the kill, used Dragonstrike again, aiming for Mercy in the air.

Slash-!

BlueLUVLulu > Tonight’sDinnerIsChicken

With the increased damage from Nano Boost, Genji’s blade glowed as it sliced through Mercy.

『What the—! Hey, I’m dead too!』

『No, it’s still manageable! As long as Pharah survives…!』

But Da-jeong’s blade didn’t stop there. Using Dragonstrike again, she charged toward Pharah, who had fled far away.

Slash-!

Fortunately, the Dragonstrike damage barely connected, but unlike Pharah, Genji couldn’t stay airborne without his aerial skills. He seemed to fall back to the ground, but Da-jeong had saved Genji’s passive double jump. Using it, she leaped once more and swung her blade at Pharah.

Slash-!

BlueLUVLulu > Tonight’sDinnerIsDuck

Pharah’s mechanical body crashed to the ground, and Da-jeong’s Genji, having taken three lives in an instant, calmly returned to her team. The scene was like something out of a martial arts novel, leaving everyone in awe.

【What the—Lulu! What was that just now?! Are you insane?!】

【Is this player using some kind of aerial step technique?! She took down Pharah and Mercy with Genji!】

• Holy sh*t lololololol
• Is she insane? LOLOLOLOL
• I really want to praise her lololol
• I’m seeing pro-level plays here lololol

It was the pinnacle of Genji gameplay. The kind of scene you’d only see in pro tournaments or high-level montages. For this moment, everyone became Da-jeong’s captive, rushing to praise her.

『This is insane… How did she die?』

『How did she take down Pharah and Mercy with Genji…?』

『Wow, I felt the wall for a moment.』

Even the opposing team, “Mom Said Eat Your Food,” was no exception. They could only despair and pray to hold the third point. Da-jeong’s play was a super play that transcended calculation.

『CEO, thank you for the Nano.』

But Da-jeong, who had just pulled off this hard carry, calmly returned to her team and simply thanked Ha-neul for the Nano Boost.

『Thank you? It’s our youngest who did well.』

『Wow, but how did you slash them with Dragonstrike?』

『I saw it for a moment—was Genji flying or something?』

And such super plays always bring energy to the team. Thanks to this, Blue LUV was able to rally their spirits as they approached the final checkpoint.

【This is a crisis for “Mom Said Eat Your Food”! They lost the team fight so one-sidedly that only their ultimates are back! They even had to pull Pharah for the third point!】

【That’s right. Now, everything depends on Lucretia’s ultimate. If Earthshatter lands well, they can push through!】

Finally, as they entered the dark third checkpoint, everyone held their breath, watching the tense standoff.

Currently, there was only one ultimate between both teams: Lucretia’s Earthshatter. But without Brigitte, it was impossible to stun the enemy Reinhardt and lower his shield to land the ultimate. In other words, Lucretia had to find the perfect angle herself.

【This is truly the Earthshatter of a lifetime.】

As the commentators spoke, the Reinhardts faced off across the payload, neither side daring to make a rash move. They were playing the waiting game.

Ping-! Crack!

『Ah, ah…! Sorry, I’m dead!』

Yuna’s Zarya, who had stepped slightly forward near the payload, was focused down by the enemy DPS and exploded.

【Yukiko is down! She got pulled in too quickly!】

【Shouldn’t Blue LUV retreat now?! Are they going to push in, thinking they can’t win if they stall?!】

『What should we do? Should we pull back?!』

『No! If we retreat, their ultimates will come back soon! We have to try now!』

Even though it was 6v5, if they retreated now, the enemy would try to catch them from behind. And if the enemy’s ultimates came back in that situation, the next team fight would be even harder. So Blue LUV decided to go all-in on this team fight, steeling their resolve.

Whoosh-!

Da-jeong’s Genji suddenly used Dragonstrike toward the enemy Reinhardt, then threw shurikens from behind to pressure his health. Even McCree moved to the left, taking the high ground and dealing damage. The enemy Reinhardt had no choice but to turn his shield sideways instead of forward.

In that brief moment when the enemy Reinhardt couldn’t protect his team, Lucretia, who had been hiding behind the payload, saw her chance. Her hammer burst into flames as she slammed it into the ground.

[Hammer down!]

Boom-!

Mercy, who had been hiding behind a wall, avoided the ultimate, but everyone in front of Lucretia was hit, falling to the ground. It was a 5-man ultimate.

『They’re all down!』

【Earthshatter! It’s in!】

【They can’t hold! They can’t hold! Only Mercy can resist!】

【Is it okay for the first set to be this dramatic?! Why are both teams so good?!】

Lucretia’s shout and the commentators’ excitement intertwined as Blue LUV mercilessly slaughtered the enemy team, ending the fight in just one second.

• Holy sh*t lololololol
• Lucretia’s ultimate was insane lolololol
• 5-man ultimate lolololol
• They should play this at Lucretia’s funeral

As the commentators said, it was truly the Earthshatter of a lifetime. The viewers screamed in awe through the chat, and Blue LUV’s team erupted in a mix of screams and cheers.

And so, the winner of this intense first set was finally decided: Blue LUV.

LegoMyEggo