Chapter 107: Overwatch Winter Tournament Finals – 4

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[Blue LUV 2 : 2 Nyangtamon and the Butlers]

We’ve finally come this far.

A match point where neither side has any room to retreat.

At a glance, it might seem like a close match but surprisingly, the atmosphere between the two teams was quite different.

During the intense fourth set, a mistake left the base unguarded, leading to a backdoor play by the opponent.

This caused the morale of the Blue LUV team to plummet.

Especially since Da-jeong, who was playing as D-Va—the most mobile character—was supposed to guard the base while the rest of the team held the front line.

But due to a momentary lapse, she failed to do so. Da-jeong bit her lip, feeling like a sinner who had committed an unforgivable crime.

『I’m so sorry, everyone… I should’ve guarded it…』

『No, Lulu. It’s everyone’s mistake, not just yours.』

『We only made it to the finals because of you!』

『Right, if I hadn’t died in the second set, we could’ve reached match point right there!』

• Seriously, why is this Lulu’s fault?
• Honestly, the opponent just played it well.
• Lulu, don’t cry…
• We only made it this far because of Lulu… This is heartbreaking…

Seeing Da-jeong blame herself, both her teammates and the viewers comforted her.

From an objective standpoint, one could say it was Da-jeong’s mistake, but no one wanted to blame her.

Everyone knew.

The underdogs—the relatively weaker Blue LUV team—had made it to the finals, defeating the favored team and pushing the match to a fifth set, all thanks to Da-jeong.

『Besides, Lulu, didn’t you say you’d lead us to victory? How can we let you fall here?』

『Exactly!』

『If you’re the bus driver, give it your all till the end!』

• LOLOLOLOLOL
• If you’re carrying a log, don’t let it fall, LOL
• This is log theory, LOL

While comforting Da-jeong, Yuna deliberately lightened the mood with a joke.

In an instant, the Discord chat turned into a sea of laughter, and the viewers joined in.

It wasn’t particularly funny, but it was a deliberate attempt to lift the heavy atmosphere.

And for Da-jeong, that small joke was enough to reignite the spark in her heart that had momentarily faltered.

‘That’s right, I made a promise. I’ll make sure to see the Blue LUV members smile this time.’

In the world she had watched, the Blue LUV members had been eliminated in the semifinals, forced to swallow their tears.

The reason she had taken this tournament so seriously was because she wanted to change that sad ending.

“You did your best,” or “Second place is still an achievement”—such clichés meant nothing.

She just wanted to win.

She wanted to see the Blue LUV members smile.

To do that, she couldn’t give up now.

At the very least, she would do everything she could.

With that resolve, Da-jeong changed her expression and placed her hand back on the mouse.

『30 seconds left in strategy time!』

The referee announced that the strategy time for the final fifth set was coming to an end.

Hearing this, Da-jeong clenched her fist, her eyes filled with determination as she stared at the monitor and shouted.

『…Alright, I’ll do my best! I’ll lead the team to victory!』

『Ooh!』

『That’s our youngest!』

• Kyaa
• This is like a shounen manga awakening scene, lol
• Lulu, you’re so cool!!!!
• I think… I might’ve fallen for her a little?

Unlike her usual slightly timid voice, Da-jeong’s strong, determined tone made everyone exclaim in admiration as they prepared for the final match.

『Alright, let’s cheer one more time before we go! One, two, three…!』

『Blue LUV, fighting!』

Whether they liked it or not, the final match of the tournament was about to begin.

The six members shouted in unison, then informed the referee that they were ready.

【Yes! The strategy time for the Blue LUV team has ended. The final match will now begin!】

【It’s possible that the morale of the Blue LUV team took a hit after the mistake in the previous set, but they’re such a positive and cohesive team! I have no doubt they’ll shake it off and bounce back quickly!】

【That’s right! On the other hand, the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team, having turned the tide in the fourth set, must be riding high on momentum! With that in mind, let’s dive into the long-awaited final match of the Twitch Overwatch Winter Tournament, starting now at Legion Tower!】

With the commentators’ clean remarks, the screen shifted, and the final match of the tournament finally began.

The map was Legion Tower, a representative capture-type map in Overwatch.

Centered around a central point, it often leads to chaotic skirmishes, especially in the Garden and Market areas, where fall zones create frequent variables, making it an exciting map.

『The first set of Legion Tower will take place in the Garden. Oh, but… the Blue LUV team’s composition is quite unique, isn’t it?』

『Oh, yes. While the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team brought a modified 3-3 composition with Sombra, this side has Winston as the tank?』

• ?
• They’re using Winston?
• Won’t they be too weak like that?

As both teams finalized their compositions in their bases, the commentators and viewers were stunned as the Blue LUV team’s setup took shape.

While they maintained the 3-tank, 3-healer framework, they had replaced Reinhardt with Winston—a peculiar choice.

This was an innovative composition that the Blue LUV team, the originators of the 3-3 strategy, hadn’t shown until the fourth set.

Many speculated that this might be their secret weapon, meticulously prepared for the finals…

『Unnie, do your best! We practiced Winston a lot on Legion Tower, right?』

『We only did three matches…?』

『It’s fine! You’re a tank genius, unnie. Three matches is more than enough! You’re practically a Winston master by now!』

『…Alright, if you believe in me, I’ll give it my all!』

• Three matches, LOLOLOL
• They’re using a comp they only practiced three times in the finals? LOL
• Their guts are out of this world, LOL

In reality, they had only practiced this composition three times, specifically for the Garden map in Legion Tower, leaving the viewers dumbfounded.

[The attack has begun. Capture the point.]

Finally, the first round began.

As soon as both teams rushed out of their bases toward the central point, Ra-hee urgently called out to Yuna.

『Give me a barrier! I’m going in!』

『Got it!』

Whoosh—!

Before the opponent could even process their composition, Ra-hee used her jump pack to leap high toward the enemy bridge.

At the same time, Zarya’s barrier protected Winston’s body.

Bam bam bam—

The Nyangtamon and the Butlers team, caught off guard by the unexpected Winston pick, instinctively focused their fire on him.

Thanks to this, Zarya’s energy gauge filled up from the damage absorbed by the barrier, increasing her damage output.

From the start, it was a favorable situation for Yuna.

『Ugh, Winston is so annoying!』

『Is it even possible to focus him down first?』

『Doubt it. Zarya’s barriers are too well-timed.』

Winston’s primary weapon deals damage to multiple targets at medium range, ignoring barriers, so he was able to poke at the enemy while charging his ultimate.

This frustrated the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team, who tried to dive in, but Winston’s superior mobility allowed him to jump away each time…

It was like trying to swat a mosquito in summer.

【Ah, Lucretia’s ultimate is charging up way too fast, isn’t it?!】

【That’s right! But the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team has something to say too! They have Reinhardt, so they have the advantage in a straight-up brawl! However, with Sombra instead of D-Va…】

Thanks to this, by the time the ultimates of the remaining 11 players were at best around 70%, Ra-hee’s ultimate had already filled up completely.

Noticing this, Da-jeong urgently shouted.

『Unnie! I have my ultimate, so let’s push now! They’re slightly split up!』

『Okay! Let’s go!』

Taking advantage of the slight gap between the enemy tank and their backline healers, Winston and D-Va dove in.

However, the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team didn’t seem too shaken.

After all, they had Brigitte as their protector.

Moreover, since the enemies backline was being pressured by Sombra, taking out these two and regrouping with Sombra would practically guarantee their victory.

『Hey, let’s just kill Winston!』

『I’ll stun him! Just focus him down!』

So, using Brigitte’s stun and focusing Winston first was a pretty solid strategy.

However, there was one thing they overlooked: the ultimate gauge.

[Winston’s Primal Rage activates!]

Winston’s health, which had been reduced to just over 100 in an instant, suddenly surged to 1000, and his body glowed red.

Winston’s ultimate, Primal Rage, had been activated.

To be honest, Primal Rage itself isn’t an ultimate with a huge impact.

Depending on the player, it’s not particularly great for securing kills, and its basic attack changes from a laser to a punch that knocks enemies back, effectively reducing overall damage output.

But this knockback effect was devastating on the map Legion Tower, especially in the Garden area, which was filled with fall zones.

Wham! Wham!

The enraged Winston swung his arms, knocking enemies off the bridge, over rocks, and behind fences.

One by one, they helplessly fell into the endless void like pebbles.

BlueLUVLucretia > TotalGamer_Nyangtamon

BlueLUVLucretia > NotCatMom

BlueLUVLucretia > NewspaperDelivery

【Lucretia! She’s insane! Her use of Primal Rage was absolutely brilliant!】

【It’s a fall party, a party! It seems like the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team didn’t expect the enemy ultimate to come out so soon!】

【That’s right! They were completely caught off guard!】

• LOLOLOLOL
• Winston’s ultimate is so good on fall maps, LOL
• Did they really pick Winston just for this?
• Their research is insane, lol

In an instant, the kill feed on the top right of the screen lit up, and both the commentators and viewers were in awe.

Beep beep—

Since the Blue LUV team had already secured the point from the start, the capture gauge filled up terrifyingly fast after winning the team fight.

Realizing this, the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team decided to gamble everything on one last push.

Fortunately, they still had some ultimates left.

Reinhardt hadn’t had a chance to swing his hammer, so his ultimate wasn’t ready yet, but Zarya and Sombra still had their ultimates. If used well, they could easily turn the tide of this team fight.

And the Blue LUV team was aware of this too.

While everyone was spread out to avoid getting hit by EMP, Kang Ha-neul urgently called out to Da-jeong.

『Lulu!』

『Yes, boss.』

『Back when you were teaching us the Sombra comp, what did you say about countering Sombra’s EMP with Zenyatta?』

『Ah… you mean that?』

That’s right.

Back when they were practicing the Sombra comp in scrims, Da-jeong had casually mentioned how to counter Sombra’s EMP with Zenyatta while watching the enemy Zenyatta suffer.

『It’s… a bit difficult. You see, right before Sombra uses EMP, her stealth breaks for a moment. You have to either hear the sound of her stealth breaking or see it visually and then immediately press your ultimate.』

『Ugh, is that even possible?』

『Surprisingly, pro players can do it.』

• Easier said than done, LOL
• How is that even possible, seriously LOL
• If you can do that, you should be on a pro team…

While Da-jeong knew the theory behind it, it was incredibly difficult to pull off.

EMP’s cast time is only 0.35 seconds, so reacting to it with Zenyatta’s ultimate is practically impossible.

There’s also a slight delay after stealth breaks, so you usually have to react based on the visual cue, but even that window isn’t very long.

And if Sombra breaks stealth from an area without vision, you can’t even see it—you have to rely solely on the voice line.

Unless you’re on a pro team, pulling this off is nearly impossible.

『So that’s how it is, huh? Alright, I’ll give it a try.』

『Y-you’re really going to try?』

『Yeah, I’ll definitely react to the EMP. Just get ready to fight together.』

But even in the face of this extreme difficulty, Kang Ha-neul exuded confidence.

No, it wasn’t that she thought she could do it.

She just believed she had to, for the sake of winning.

『…Okay! I’ll trust you, boss.』

『Alright, let’s go!』

Seeing Da-jeong nod in agreement, the scattered Blue LUV team regrouped in the center, preparing for what could be the final team fight.

If they could just get through this one fight, the first round would be as good as over.

【This is a tense moment. If EMP lands successfully, the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team could reignite their chances in this round.】

【Yes, and the Blue LUV team is tightly grouped, making it the perfect setup for EMP. And just as we speak, Harvey has sneaked around the back!】

Harvey, the Sombra player, had stealthily crept behind the Blue LUV team and smiled confidently upon seeing their formation.

Whether it was due to nerves or not, the enemy was tightly grouped, making a 6-man EMP seem like child’s play.

『I’m using my ultimate! Get ready to follow up!』

『Got it!』

With Harvey’s urgent call, he pressed Q to activate his ultimate, breaking stealth as Sombra delivered her line.

[Hello?]

As the stealth delay ended, Sombra spread her arms, and a purple electric field began to envelop the area.

But then—

[Experience tranquility..]

Suddenly, Kang Ha-neul’s Zenyatta activated his ultimate, and a golden aura enveloped the area.

Zenyatta’s ultimate, Transcendence, which provides 300 healing per second to allies in the area and makes him invulnerable, had been activated.

Harvey’s eyes widened in shock, but it was too late to cancel the ultimate he had already pressed.

[Apagando las luces!]

Though Sombra’s ultimate went off just a fraction of a second later, there was no way to take down the enemy team within Transcendence’s range.

【No way, Ha-neul! What kind of timing is that?! A perfect counter to EMP!】

【With no healer ultimates left, the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team has no way to resist! If the enemy can’t use their skills, what can you do? You can’t kill them!】

• Kyaaaaaaa
• She actually reacted to it, LOL
• God Ha-neul, lol

『I countered it! Just kill them all!』

『Kill themmmmm!』

『Our boss is the besttttt!』

With Transcendence active, the Blue LUV team, now nearly invincible, surged forward to overwhelm the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team.

BlueLUVLilith > HarveyIsHarvey

Sombra, who had been at the front to use EMP, was quickly taken down but the Nyangtamon and the Butlers team hadn’t lost hope yet.

They still had Graviton Surge, another powerful team fight ultimate.

『Hey, I’m using Grav! Let’s fight!』

With Transcendence’s duration almost over, Zarya decided to use Graviton Surge, thinking they could still overwhelm the enemy with damage.

[Fire at will!]

A dark orb flew toward the center of the Blue LUV team, and Zarya’s player smiled as if she had seen a glimmer of hope.

But then—

[Cease fire!]

The end of Transcendence’s duration also meant the end of EMP’s duration and as if anticipating this, Da-jeong, who had been hiding out of sight, activated Matrix, absorbing the Graviton Surge and crushing their last hope.

[Round 1 victory, TEAM Blue LUV!]

In the end, the dramatic first round went to the Blue LUV team.