Chapter 96: Two Snipers

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Three days after the first official scrim, the Overwatch Winter Tournament finally began.

Initially, many predicted that the tournament would lack excitement due to the absence of high-tier players.

However, the participation of Haebom, a top-tier streamer who rarely joins such events along with the entire Blue LUV team who have been on a rising streak of popularity, generated significant buzz.

Moreover, some viewers expressed that while having high-tier players as wildcards is good, the skill gap between them and the rest of the participants often makes the matches less enjoyable.

In that sense, this tournament received quite a bit of positive feedback.

Most importantly, since streamers who usually have good chemistry formed teams without many restrictions, many people were looking forward to seeing their interactions.

While tournament preparations can sometimes strain relationships, or scrims can turn sour, this tournament with teams formed by close friends, had a warm and supportive atmosphere that viewers found enjoyable.

『We’re the last match today? I’m nervous.』

『Yeah, I’d rather get it over with early.』

『If only Lilith had drawn a better lot…』

『Are you blaming me for this…?!』

As if to prove this point, the Blue LUV team, the last team to participate today, was also having a warm and friendly conversation.

• Do Yukiko and Lilith always fight like this? LOL
• It’s weird if they don’t fight at this point LOL
• Don’t get it wrong~ They’re really fighting~

The viewers, watching this cheerful scene, couldn’t help but smile.

『Hoo… hoo, hoo…』

『What’s with the breathing sounds?』

『It’s coming from the youngest’s mic.』

『Ah, sorry. I was doing some deep breathing to calm my nerves…』

Meanwhile, Da-jeong was taking deep breaths to calm herself before her first and final match of the day.

When the members noticed, she awkwardly laughed and apologized, having forgotten to mute her mic.

『Don’t worry, our youngest. This unnie will hard-carry today!』

Chae-yoon, though not visible through Discord, puffed out her chest and confidently declared her intentions.

『Ooh, a carry declaration!』

『So we just have to breathe while trusting Lilith, right?』

『W-well, you still have to heal, unnie.』

• For real LOL
• At least do the bare minimum LOL
• Lilith is so cute!
• But Lilith’s Hanzo has improved a lot, so it’s worth looking forward to.

However, as the members quickly jumped in to tease her, Chae-yoon’s voice grew smaller, exuding her signature shyness.

This filled the Discord call with laughter, but both the viewers and the members secretly trusted Chae-yoon.

Her performance so far had been more than enough to expect a carry from her.

[‘KingMrohroh’ has donated 1,000 won!]

• Lulu-chan, don’t be nervous and just have fun! Fighting!

“Hehe, thank you, Cherries. I’ll try to have as much fun as I can without being nervous.”

Following Chae-yoon’s encouragement and the well-timed donation, Da-jeong expressed her gratitude and waited for the match to start with a calmer mind.

【Now, after a short break, we’ll move on to today’s fourth and final match! Team ‘Blue LUV’ versus Team ‘Junk Drawer’!】

As the casters wrapped up the third match and introduced the fourth, Kang Ha-neul, who had been away from the Discord call as the team representative, returned to announce that it was time.

『Guys, it’s starting soon, so let’s move to the tournament server.』

『Okay!』

『Wow, it’s finally starting? I’m shaking…!』

『Should we do one last cheer before we go?』

『Oh, good idea!』

As they prepared to move to the tournament server, Jia, the eldest unnie, suggested a final cheer, and everyone agreed.

『Alright, one, two, three…!』

『Blue LUV, fighting!』

• Lets go!!!!!!!!!!!
• Fighting~
• You guys can do it!!!!!
• You’ve got this!!!!!!!

Following the CEO’s count, they all shouted their cheer in unison.

The viewers also chimed in, wishing Blue LUV victory in their own ways.

Finally, Blue LUV’s first official match was about to begin.

＊＊＊＊＊

This Overwatch tournament follows a best-of-three format for the quarterfinals, and a best-of-five format for the semifinals and finals.

This means that in the quarterfinals, winning one set carries significant weight.

It also means that strategy plays a huge role in determining the outcome of the match.

【The first set of the final match of Day 1, between Team ‘Blue LUV’ and Team ‘Junk Drawer,’ will begin on Junkertown.】

【First, Team Junk Drawer has brought a standard 2-tank, 1-DPS, 3-healer composition with Hanzo as the main DPS.】

【Yes, that’s correct. This composition has been very popular in both solo queue and scrims since Blue LUV’s first official scrim. It’s a very strong composition.】

However, not every team can prepare such strategies.

There may be limitations due to the range of character choices available to each individual.

Or there might be a team that has solely honed their skills through standard compositions.

In that sense, the Junk Drawer team falls into the latter category.

As the commentator mentioned, the 2-tank, 1-DPS, 3-healer composition centered around Hanzo was the one that the Blue LUV team had shown in a previous match.

The composition has gained notoriety for completely dismantling the previously dominant dive composition in the current competitive scene.

At the same time, many consider it to be the most perfect composition.

Thus, the Junk Drawer team, without any special strategies or tricks has maximized their team synergy within this standard composition and entered the tournament.

Of course, they are not entirely incapable of using other compositions, but it was clear that this is their main one.

Does this mean it will turn into a mirror match?

Given that the Blue LUV team is considered the originator of the 2-tank, 1-damage, 3-healer composition in the community.

Both the viewers and the commentators were thinking along similar lines.

【Huh? But the attacking Blue LUV team… are they picking Widowmaker now?】

【Really? Lulu, who only played Brigitte in scrims, has picked Widowmaker.】

【The rest of the composition remains the same. So this is a double sniper composition with only Brigitte swapped for Widowmaker?】

• ?????????????
• Lulu is playing Widowmaker?
• No Brigitte?
• Did they pick her to go for an early kill?

As Lulu, who had always been seen with a shield in recent scrims, suddenly picked up a sniper rifle.

Everyone began to show signs of confusion.

Of course, in Overwatch, it’s not uncommon for an attacking damage dealer to start as Widowmaker.

And immediately after the gates open, take out an opponent’s head and kill one before switching characters.

So it’s still too early to jump to conclusions, but since Lulu had never shown such play before, it was only natural for everyone to be puzzled.

[The attack has begun. Transport the payload.]

Amidst everyone’s confusion, the match began.

『Yukiko, let’s stick to the plan and just hold the payload.』

『Okay, unnie!』

The two tanks of the Blue LUV team rushed out of the base and headed straight for the payload.

The enemy has Brigitte, but since we don’t, a head-on fight would be tough.

So we need to prioritize holding the payload while managing our barriers and HP.

『They’re all gathered on the second floor! Yata and Mercy are behind the right wall!』

Meanwhile, Chae-yoon, who was in charge of Hanzo.

Like Kang Ha-neul, who was playing Genji, she went up to the opposite second floor to face the enemy and while briefing the positions of the enemy players, she began chipping away at the enemy Reinhardt’s barrier with Hanzo’s skill, Storm Arrows.

『Hey, I can’t see one of them?』

『Is their Brigitte not here?』

『Maybe she’s just standing in the back?』

In this situation, the Junk Drawer team was a bit flustered.

Since the information hadn’t updated yet, pressing the Tab key didn’t reveal what characters the enemy had picked.

And most importantly, Brigitte, who should have been with the tanks at the front, was nowhere to be seen.

Clink-

『…Huh?』

As the sub-healer of the Junk Drawer team was looking around for the missing player.

A faint sound, as if a hook had latched onto something, was heard.

And in the vision of the Junk Drawer team member playing Genji.

A character soaring high into the sky came into view.

A slender, purple-hued female character.

The moment he saw her, a cold sweat dripped down the sub-healer’s back.

It was the kind of instinctive sense of danger that anyone who has played Overwatch would feel.

A sniper who can take out an enemy with 300 HP or less with a single headshot.

The grim reaper who strikes fear into all damage dealers and healers had made eye contact.

Bang-!

BlueLUVLulu > FallenMonk has been eliminated.

As the sharp gunshot echoed.

The Genji he was playing fell to the ground without any resistance.

『I got Yata. If Mercy tries to rez him, I’ll take her out too.』

『Nice, that’s our Lulu!』

The Widowmaker player, Da-jeong.

As if possessed by the cold sniper continued briefing emotionlessly and peered through her scope again.

As expected, Mercy could be seen flying over the wall to resurrect Genji but from the higher structure, her head was clearly visible.

Bang-!

BlueLUVLulu > HealMePlease

Once again, her gun spat fire and the bullet, devoid of any emotion, pierced through the head of Mercy who was reaching out to resurrect her ally.

[Resistance is futile.]

A cold voice flowed from Widowmaker’s lips.