Chapter 269: Heated Matchup
The first round progressed smoothly, and finally, it was the last match.
The matchup was an incredibly intense one: Donnie-san versus Sheila-san.
This match was determined because Sheila-san immediately chose to be next to Donnie-san, making it a matchup she wanted.
From my perspective, this was a battle between top contenders. Up to now, Donnie-san had only lost once.
That loss was while he wasn’t wearing contact lenses, and with his vision corrected, he had never lost to Sheila-san.
Moreover, it wasn’t a matter of matchup advantage—it was purely a skill difference. So, predictions naturally favored Donnie-san.
“Final match of the first round! Donnie versus Sheila! Both, take your positions!”
“It’s been a while since I faced Sheila. You know I don’t go easy on anyone, even women or kids.”
“I know. I wouldn’t be happy winning with you holding back. Come at me full strength—I’ll send you back.”
The two glared at each other, sparks flying before the match even started.
Watching them made me tense, but here, my support was entirely for Sheila-san.
“Then—let the match begin!”
As soon as the signal sounded, both moved simultaneously.
Sheila-san was faster, but the size difference was overwhelming.
I imagined their swords clashing and Sheela being blown away—but to everyone’s shock, it was Donnie-san who flew back.
With almost a 40-centimeter height difference, Sheila-san sent Donnie-san flying, causing a huge cheer from the audience.
Donnie’s surprised expression showed he hadn’t expected that, and I couldn’t help but tense up and cheer for Sheila-san.
She, however, seemed entirely prepared and calmly moved for her next strike.
Before Donnie-san could regain his stance, she followed up.
Despite Donnie trying to respond while off balance, her next attack had such power that he rolled across the ground.
Even accounting for his imbalance, it was clear Sheila-san’s strikes were unusually powerful.
Without even having time to think about her overwhelming strength, she pressed the attack on the fallen Donnie-san.
She relentlessly struck from above. Donnie attempted to evade, but one sharp hit landed on his arm.
Sensing that recovering from this position was impossible, he forced himself to stand, bracing for further strikes.
Although he managed to rise, he had already taken two hits, leaving him in a nearly hopeless situation.
The crowd was in chaos: Sheila-san supporters wanted to see a giant-killing upset, while Donnie-san fans were rooting for their predicted champion.
Even if Sheila-san had let her guard down, Donnie-san could have had a chance for a counterattack. But she wasn’t that kind of fighter.
Seeing Donnie-san switch to a defensive, counter-focused strategy, Sheila-san didn’t press for a finishing blow, instead maintaining her distance.
The match time was three minutes. If nothing changed, Donnie-san would lose.
So the responsibility to act fell on Donnie-san, who clicked his tongue and launched an attack.
Sheila-san’s defense was so tight it seemed like she intended to just hold her position.
Donnie-san increased his output, and a sharp diagonal strike hit Sheila-san’s right shoulder.
—But at the same time, a thrust from her left hand struck Donnie-san’s abdomen, sealing her victory.
The unexpected upset drew the loudest cheer of the day.
“That’s enough! Winner: Sheila, 3–1!”
“Haah… finally, I won. Donnie-san, thank you very much.”
“Damn, completely outplayed. Did you choose me as a target because of some plan?”
“Yes. I’ve wanted to fight you for a long time, so I’m glad I could repay the debt.”
“Losing in the first round wasn’t expected—I’m so frustrated. These people are seriously tough.”
“Hehe, thank you for the compliment.”
“I’m not complimenting you! I hope I can win the next round too.”
“Yes. I’ll give it my all.”
The two shook hands, and Sheila-san came over to me with a smiling face.
She looked like she wanted praise, so I immediately showered her with compliments.
“That was an amazing match! To defeat Donnie-san so decisively is incredible!”
“Thank you, Sato-san. It wasn’t exactly a clean sweep, but I managed to win.”
“I want to ask something before you rest. Just one question, okay?”
“Of course. Ask anything. I’ll answer anything for you, Sato-san.”
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should ask more, but I didn’t want to take up too much time.
So I asked just one question as planned.
“The first strike—you clashed with Donnie head-on and sent him flying. How did you manage that?”
“Oh, that… I used a skill and attacked at full strength.”
“Full strength? So normally you don’t attack at full strength?”
“When attacking, it’s normal to gauge the opponent’s movements. Not just me, but Donnie-san and other participants do the same.”
Hmm… so even when attacking, you have to be cautious of the opponent. That’s obvious, but I’d never really thought about it.
“Planning for the next moves?”
“Yes. Even when attacking at full strength, normally I can only use about 60% of my power. This time, I used 100% and attacked without considering Donnie-san’s movements at all.”
“I see. That’s how you overpowered Donnie-san…”
“Yes. If I had misjudged him, I would probably have lost instantly. So, while it may have looked like a clean victory, it was actually a very close fight.”
Hearing her explanation, I finally understood what Sheila-san had done.
She secured victory with a daring, all-out strike from the very start.
Thinking about that made me want to praise her even more—but I didn’t want her to get overconfident.
I swallowed my praise and sent her to the player’s waiting room with words of encouragement.