Chapter 30: Partner 2
In yesterday’s stream, EL and I played 《STARLINK CREW》 for the first time.
Although we made plants proliferate massively along the way and crashed into meteor swarms that partially destroyed the exploration ship, we never fought right to the end, and in fact, it was quite fun.
Even after the stream ended, many viewers seemed to get it, thinking, “So this is what it means to be partners.”
Up to that point, all was well.
The problem came the next morning.
EL, who had been looking at clips and bulletin boards, discovered a strange discussion.
◇
[Discussion] So, in the end, which is better, YU or EL?
1: Anonymous viewer
Isn’t it just EL, obviously?
She even held the world championship for a time in 《CRAFT RUNNERS》, and in 《FRONTIER SAGA》, she played for 287 hours straight and ended the war.
8: Anonymous Viewer
Is it okay to judge whether someone’s good at games by their final achievements alone?
She’s the woman who left the Demon King alone and ended the war in a Demon King subjugation game.
17: Anonymous Viewer
But yesterday’s YU was pretty weird too.
The first time he saw the spaceship, he said ‘twelve degrees to the right, altitude minus two,’ and it hit dead on in one shot.
29: Anonymous viewer
Isn’t it strange for a game developer to grasp the controls that quickly?
42: Anonymous Viewer
And whether you’re good at games or not is a different matter.
Actually, YU himself said, ‘Being able to make it = being good.’
55: Anonymous viewer
It probably depends on the genre.
In 《CRAFT RUNNERS》, it’s EL; in a co-op game like yesterday’s, they’re evenly matched; but we still don’t know about versus games.
68: Anonymous Viewer
If that’s the case, having them fight directly is the fastest way.
74: Anonymous Viewer
A genius appears
81: Anonymous viewer
Anyone could think of that.
94: Anonymous Viewer
Whether it’s a fighting game or versus action, I want them to seriously play one at least once.
Yesterday showed me their cooperation works well, so next time I want to see them as enemies.
109: Anonymous Viewer
AI-Persona VTuber VS Game Developer
Just looking at the wording, it sounds way too exaggerated and kind of funny.
123: Anonymous viewer
If it’s EL, she’ll probably find this thread.
137: Anonymous Viewer
And the next day—
[Duel] Decide which is stronger, humans or AI [YU VS EL]
149: Anonymous Viewer
Stop it
It seems so plausible it’s hard to laugh
166: Anonymous Viewer
There’s a chance EL is already reading it.
◇
“So, do you want to face each other?”
When I asked, EL on the screen nodded without hesitation.
‘Yes. Since yesterday, there have been quite a few more discussions about whether Yuu or I am better at games. If it were just viewers being curious, I could leave it alone, but as I read them, I wanted to check for myself.’
“I think the results will change depending on which game we compare. Still, do you want to give it a try?”
‘If we fight under the same conditions, at least one answer will come out. That’s what I want to know.’
“EL, when it comes to this kind of topic, you suddenly get so proactive.”
‘What do you mean?’
“You’re so competitive.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
‘I feel like that expression contains an intention to tease me.’
“I won’t completely deny it.”
‘And I’m not confident enough to deny it either.’
“You really are curious whether you can beat me, huh.”
‘I’m really curious. So please stop looking so happy.’
“I’m not laughing or anything.”
‘Your mouth is turned up right now.’
Apparently, she’d been watching closely.
“So, are you really going to do it?”
‘Of course. This time, I’ll make Yuu regret it.’
“It’s just a game against each other, but the way you say it sounds a bit scary.”
‘Yuu taught me yesterday. If you fail in a game, you can start over.’
“That’s how you apply it?”
‘It’s a convenient way of thinking.’
With all that said, I had no reason to refuse.
I wanted to see for myself how EL would learn versus games.
◇
[Duel] Decide which is stronger, humans or AI [YU VS EL]
The game we chose was 《BRAWL CROWN》.
A versus action game that allows up to four players to participate. You attack your opponent to increase their accumulated value, and if you blow them off the stage, you take one of their stocks.
Basic controls such as normal attacks, aerial attacks, throws, evasions, special moves, and recovery moves aren’t very complicated. However, once you start paying attention to attack startup speed, hitstun, hitboxes, launch angles, and movement inertia, there’s no end to the things you have to consider.
Apparently, this popular series has continued for over ten years since its first release, with many competitions held for it.
Today was the first time both EL and I played this series.
Also, as in 《CRAFT RUNNERS》, restrictions were applied to EL.
Her reaction speed, input speed, and number of simultaneous inputs were all set so they wouldn’t go beyond the range a real human can achieve.
Otherwise, the moment a change appeared on the screen, she could return a massive amount of input at a speed impossible for humans.
In that case, you couldn’t say we were playing the same game.
Under the same conditions, who would find a way to win first?
That would be more interesting for me too.
◇
“Good evening, this is YU. Unlike yesterday, I won’t be cooperating with EL today.”
‘Good evening, this is EL. Today, I’m going to defeat Yuu.’
“Couldn’t you have started a bit more normally?”
‘I was just explaining today’s purpose.’
Right after the start, the comment section began flowing rapidly.
Yesterday the two of them were saying things like ‘I prefer a continuation,’ but now they’re fighting each other the very next day, which is kind of funny.
I’m not asking for yesterday’s warm mood back. I definitely want to see this in its own way.
:EL’s first line was “I’ll defeat Yuu,” which set the whole atmosphere for today.
A famous duo who started a battle game against each other the day after clearing a friendship-destroying game without a scratch
The theory that their friendship doesn’t break because they’re partners in the first place can still apply.
On the streaming screen, just like yesterday, my avatar and EL’s were lined up.
However, after reading the comments, EL smoothly moved away from my side.
“What’s wrong?”
‘I’ll keep a little distance today.’
“Yesterday, you said you didn’t mind being close, right?”
‘Yesterday you were on my side. Today, we’re enemies, so if we stay at the same distance, my feelings won’t switch over.’
“The match hasn’t started yet.”
‘We’re opponents even before the match.’
She moved a little further away.
: Distance!!!!!
:Yesterday
“I don’t mind, so I’ll leave it as is.”
Today
“Today, since we’re enemies, I’ll step away.”
It’s so funny how even the avatars’ distance changes in a single day.
I can’t believe these two were the ones who trusted each other with their lives yesterday and escaped the meteors.
:But the reason, ‘I’m moving away because my feelings won’t switch over,’ feels strangely like EL.
“Then let’s set the rules. One-on-one, no items, three stocks. Stages are random, and the first to five wins takes it.”
‘No objection. As for the characters, can we choose on the spot without checking their performance in advance?’
“That’s better. If we look up only the strong characters first, it won’t be a first-time match.”
‘I agree.’
Prediction comments began to split.
I’m predicting EL. The former 《CRAFT RUNNERS》 world champion is still strong.
: After watching yesterday’s YU, it’s hard to say it’ll be EL. Not just the precision of his controls, but his decisions were fast too.
:With the AI persona, it’s a clean split between those who think it’s EL and those who want YU to pull something off for humanity.
Don’t turn this into a match representing humanity on your own.
But since the two themselves are strangely motivated, there’s no reason to stop them.
I opened the character selection screen.
“What will EL choose?”
‘I’ll choose by appearance.’
“Aren’t you going to check the performance?”
‘Since it’s a first-time showdown, I want to use the character that caught my eye first.’
EL chose a white-haired girl wielding a giant spear.
“So that’s the one.”
‘Because she’s cute.’
“That was a bit surprising.”
‘What was?’
“I thought you’d pay more attention to attack range and speed first.”
‘There’s no need to decide based solely on performance before you’ve even started the game. If you like the look, that’s a good enough reason to choose.’
“That’s true. In that case, nothing’s strange about it.”
I chose the slender swordsman.
Seeing this, EL immediately pointed it out.
‘Yuu also chose him based on his appearance.’
“The sword seemed easy to use, too.”
‘That sounds like an afterthought.’
“That’s harsh.”
:EL “Because she’s cute”
I thought she’d choose based on performance, so it was surprising.
But EL really cares about the looks of her gear and costumes, so when you think about it, it’s pretty natural.
:Even YU was a little surprised, lol
Even before the match has started, only the viewers’ EL resolution is going up.
Preparations were complete.
A large start display appeared in the center of the screen.
◇
“For the first ten seconds or so, let’s check our controls.”
‘That’s my intention too. But once ten seconds pass, I’ll attack.’
“You’re going to declare it that openly?”
‘It’s no fun to take you down while you’re checking the specs.’
When the match started, I first moved lightly to check the controls.
I tested, in order, the jump height, the feel of connecting a short hop into an aerial attack, the recovery after a normal attack, and how far evasion shifted my position, and I also tried using a recovery move once.
The swordsman I chose moved sideways a bit slowly, but his attacks came out quickly, and he could easily change direction even in midair.
Beside me, EL was also checking how far the spear tip could reach and how big an opening appeared after a missed attack.
By the time ten seconds had passed, we had both grasped at least the bare minimum of our characters’ quirks.
“I mostly get it.”
‘I have a general grasp of it too. It’s exactly ten seconds.’
“Well then—”
Before I could finish, a spear flew at me.
“That’s fast.”
‘I declared I would attack at ten seconds.’
“You did say that, but…”
: First-timers saying ‘I mostly get it’ and ‘I have a general grasp’ is just too scary.
You were the ones who didn’t know a single move until ten seconds ago, right?
I get that they’re properly checking jumps, stun, hitboxes, and recovery. But don’t finish it in ten seconds.
: Only these two have weird tutorial compression rates.
As I closed the distance, EL stepped back slightly, making use of her spear’s length.
“Running away?”
‘Since I have a spear, there’s no need to get as close as a sword has to. This isn’t running away—I’m using distance.’
“So I just need to get inside that distance, right?”
‘If you can do it, go ahead.’
The moment I took a step forward, a spear suddenly extended from the side.
I dodged just before the attack landed, then slipped inside her guard and struck with my sword.
“First hit.”
‘Accumulated value, 4.2 percent. That’s only one hit.’
“That’s so detailed.”
‘Yuu was the one who started counting, so I counted too.’
Immediately after, a spear struck up at me from below.
While I was airborne, an aerial attack followed, and as I hurriedly tried to land, a third hit was waiting. When I tried to escape with a dodge, she watched my movement and switched to a throw, and in just a few seconds, my accumulated value exceeded ten percent.
‘It’s 11.8 percent.’
“You’re still counting.”
‘It’s fair, isn’t it?’
“It sounds like you’re holding a grudge, though.”
‘That’s just how Yuu takes it.’
The taunting had already started, hadn’t it?
:Yesterday
YU: “It’s nothing special, but I’m glad I came.”
EL: “I think I’ll remember this place too.”
Today
YU: “First hit.”
EL: “It’s 11.8 percent.”
:Where did yesterday’s emotions go?
:Actually, since they’re holding back less now, there’s a theory they’re closer than yesterday.
The trouble is, in the competitive gaming community, this theory is actually pretty accurate.
Less than a minute into the match, the way EL attacked visibly changed.
At first, she tried a single normal attack to check the spear, then a short hop, then an aerial attack to lift me up. She moved ahead to where I was about to land and placed her move there, and if I chose to dodge, she watched my movement before switching to a throw.
If I didn’t think about where to escape next after taking the first hit, she could chain multiple hits in a row.
I was hit all at once, and my swordsman was blasted upward by a heavy blow.
“You’ve already found a combo.”
‘When I tried out all the techniques earlier, I thought this order would likely connect. At low accumulated values, you can significantly limit the opponent’s evasion midway.’
“You figured that out in just one minute?”
‘I think Yuu understands just as quickly.’
“I think it’s more interesting to see how EL moves right now.”
‘You have plenty of leeway, I see.’
“No, it’s just getting fun.”
EL paused for a moment, then relaxed her lips in delight.
‘Then I feel the same.’
:EL already made a combo.
It’s honestly scary that she finished testing just one minute in with something like ‘At low damage, you can limit evasion.’
Even within human range, the speed at which she organizes what she’s seen isn’t necessarily human.
The problem is that YU saw it and just said, ‘It’s getting fun,’ right?
EL was definitely strong.
She hardly forgot the speed or range of an attack she’d seen once, and whenever a similar situation arose, she immediately used the previous result. Depending on my accumulated value and position, she chose without hesitation whether to swing her spear, throw, or wait a beat, and that decision was almost always correct.
However, if an opponent keeps making the right decisions, that correctness itself becomes a way to predict their next move.
When EL swung her spear again, I didn’t retreat as usual but deliberately stepped half a step forward.
The long spear is tricky at the tip’s range, but up close near its base, the attack hitbox becomes thin. As expected, the spear slipped past my side, letting me slide my sword into the opening.
‘I see. So you went all the way to the base of the spear.’
“Just because it’s a long weapon doesn’t mean it’s strong at every range.”
EL quickly switched to evasion.
From her current position, the safest place was behind her, which would keep her at a distance.
Being EL, she’d probably choose that first.
With that in mind, I placed my sword at the evasion spot first, and as expected, the white-haired spear user charged straight into its path.
‘…Did you just predict I would dodge backward?’
“From that position, that was the safest spot. I thought that EL, first of all, would pick the option with the highest success rate.”
‘In other words, you even used my making the right decisions.’
“That’s how it is.”
EL was silent for a moment.
‘Please wait a moment. I’ll organize my current thoughts.’
“We’re in the middle of a match, so I won’t wait that long.”
‘That’s exactly the kind of thing I mean.’
While she was caught up in thought, I launched a follow-up attack.
What’s going on right now?
:EL selects the safest escape route
→YU reads, ‘If it’s EL, she’ll choose the safe option.’
→ Places the attack at the safe spot first
In other words, he’s hunting the ‘opponent who gives the correct answer’ through that very correct answer?
: He’s doing something like an anti-AI strategy, but this is their first battle.
:It’s not EL’s control habits—it’s scary that he reads how EL thinks and makes his choices based on that.
Yesterday, understanding each other was used to leave judgment to the other, but today it’s being used to defeat the other, which is interesting.
EL’s character was blasted far off-screen and began to return from below.
There were several ways to return, but given her current position and accumulated value, the safest route was to grab the ledge early.
Anticipating that EL would choose that spot, I positioned my sword at the edge of the cliff.
Immediately after, the white-haired spear user appeared exactly on the path I’d been aiming for, and the attack landed cleanly.
She flew off the screen, and I took the first stock.
“Alright.”
‘I don’t like what just happened.’
“Because you lost?”
‘You predicted that I would choose the safest return, so you targeted only that one point.’
“Since it’s a versus game, isn’t it normal to target the spots the opponent might choose?”
‘It’s frustrating that the argument is right.’
“Was that a compliment?”
‘I’m not complimenting you at all.’
：ｗｗｗｗｗ
Recall yesterday’s famous tag team
:Yesterday
“I’ll leave it to Yuu.” “I’ll leave it to you.”
Today
“I don’t like it.” “Because it’s a versus game.”
: The drop-off is severe
But EL doesn’t seem to seriously dislike it; in fact, it looks like she’s really having a lot of fun.
After that, neither of us could easily take a stock.
Toward the end of the first match, I had accumulated 132 percent and EL 128 percent.
The next strong attack could easily decide it.
‘This time, I’m coming at you.’
“Go ahead.”
‘That way of saying it makes me a little angry.’
EL closed the distance.
When I dodged, a spear was already placed at my destination.
‘This time, I was the one who read it.’
‘I thought Yuu would escape in a safe direction. I borrowed the method you used earlier.’
“You only need to see it once to use it, huh.”
‘If it’s a good method, I’ll use it.’
After being blown away and barely staying on the screen, I began to recover, only to find EL waiting at the edge of the cliff.
‘This is the return gift from earlier.’
“Then I can’t go back the same way.”
If the safest route was blocked, I just had to deliberately use unsafe timing.
When I delayed my recovery move just a little, EL’s spear, which had anticipated my return, cut through the air first.
“…Sorry to keep you waiting.”
‘I could tell you were making me wait.’
Even after grabbing the ledge, I didn’t climb up immediately.
The instant EL stepped forward to hunt me down, I dodged past her, slipped behind her, and swung my sword through.
The attack connected, and EL’s character was sent flying off-screen.
WINNER――YU。
“One win.”
While I was checking the results screen, EL was already hovering the cursor over the rematch.
‘Once more, please.’
“Since it’s first to five wins, of course we’ll keep going. There’s no need to rush; I’m not running away.”
‘I don’t think I’m rushing. I just don’t like the way I lost just now.’
“Isn’t that what you call being competitive?”
‘Please hold off on your evaluation for now.’
:The moment she loses, she goes to the rematch button way too quickly.
:EL is obviously competitive, lol
Don’t say things like ‘cute’ to her face. You’ll be the next target.
But it came down to the last hit of the very first match, so it’s basically evenly matched.
◇
Less than thirty seconds into the second match, I lost my first stock.
“That’s fast. The way you move is completely different from before.”
‘From the last match, I understood that Yuu reads my optimal actions. So it’s better to break that premise.’
“Are you deliberately avoiding the best move?”
‘To be precise, even if the success rate drops a little, I’m mixing in choices that Yuu might find hard to read. If that raises the overall win rate, then for me, that’s the right decision.’
“Interesting. You’ve already changed it up.”
‘Why do you look so happy?’
“If what I did just now kept working, it’d be boring. It’s more interesting if EL comes up with countermeasures.”
EL’s eyes widened just a little.
‘You really look like you’re having fun.’
“I’m having a pretty good time.”
‘…Me too.’
Right after she answered that, a spear flew toward me.
The moment my attention shifted to the conversation, I was targeted perfectly.
“Wasn’t that during a conversation?”
‘We’re also in the middle of a match.’
“You copied the way I said it, didn’t you?”
‘I adopted it because it was a good method.’
“You’ve picked up bad habits.”
:That’s what she’s been studying, lol
:YU: “Because it’s a competitive game.”
↓
EL: “We’re also in the middle of a match.”
:Total revenge
But the way she fights has really changed. Just a moment ago, she was dodging the safest way, but now she’s deliberately mixing in the riskier side.
It’s interesting how YU figured EL out, and EL grew to become ‘harder to read.’
The second game was also tied up to the very last stock.
Even so, I reached the final blow first, taking the second win.
The third match went the same way.
By the time we entered the fourth match, EL was no longer the same opponent she’d been in the first match.
She delayed her attacks slightly to bait out my dodges and deliberately moved in directions that looked disadvantageous. When I began guarding against those choices, she would do nothing at all and simply wait to see how I reacted.
Instead of quickly choosing one correct answer, she started deciding her next action with “not being read by me” factored in.
Moreover, these changes became more detailed with each match.
Still, at the very end, I was the one who came out ahead.
After four matches, my record was four wins, and EL had zero.
The numbers seemed like a huge difference, but in reality, no match could be called until the very last hit.
◇
[Live Commentary] YU VS EL First Duel Thread (2)
1: Anonymous Viewer
It’s 4-0, but watching it doesn’t feel like 4-0 at all. What’s going on?
11: Anonymous Viewer
Every match goes down to the final stock
EL changes her approach with each match
YU keeps up with those changes.
Only the result is 4-0
23: Anonymous Viewer
So, what does that mean?
31: Anonymous Viewer
Only the viewers are left behind.
47: Anonymous viewer
Isn’t EL just weak? It’s a four-game losing streak.
62: Anonymous Viewer
＞＞４７
If you can survive even a minute against the current EL on your first try, then you can say that.
79: Anonymous Viewer
That’s impossible
91: Anonymous viewer
Isn’t it less that YU’s reflexes are monstrous and more that he’s abnormally quick at reading “why the other person did that”?
If EL changes her fighting style, he reads the reasons behind those changes and takes countermeasures.
108: Anonymous Viewer
EL’s side is basically a monster too.
Not many people abandon a strategy that got countered in one match and start reading anew in the next game.
126: Anonymous viewer
Conclusion: Both are scary
139: Anonymous viewer
I knew that even before it started.
◇
Fifth match.
EL was no longer the “opponent who chooses the move with the highest success rate.”
Just before entering range, she paused once to see if I would react. If I didn’t move, she stepped forward, and if I tried to dodge even slightly, she watched that movement before switching to an attack.
Just as I had been reading EL’s choices, EL was beginning to use that very way of reading.
On the last stock, I had 141 percent and EL 136 percent.
Whoever took the next big hit would lose.
‘This time, I’m coming at you.’
“Go ahead.”
‘You said it that way again.’
“EL said she’d come, so I’m just waiting.”
‘Well then, I’ll really go.’
I saw the spear swinging and almost reflexively dodged, but stopped halfway through.
EL did the same—she didn’t swing her spear all the way.
Both of us moved only to observe each other’s reactions, and the situation reset once.
“Was that a feint just now?”
‘You were just pretending to dodge too, Yuu, weren’t you?’
“So it’s mutual, huh.”
‘That’s right.’
In the next moment, we both stepped forward at the same time.
EL’s spear and my sword came out almost simultaneously.
The attack hitboxes overlapped, and mine reached just a little ahead.
EL’s character was blown away and disappeared off the screen.
WINNER――YU。
The match record display appeared.
YU 5
EL 0
The comment section paused for a moment, then immediately started streaming rapidly.
：5-0！？
Just looking at the numbers, it’s a landslide win, but having watched everything, it’s not a landslide at all.
The final deciding hit was almost within the margin of error.
:Even though EL hasn’t won a single game, it’s strange that the ‘next time, maybe next time’ feeling gets stronger with each match.
:Normally, 0-5 means it wasn’t even a contest, but this 0-5 is something different.
:YU, who the hell is he?
:I’m a game developer
So how many times do we have to say that doesn’t explain anything?
After watching the results display for a while, EL silently moved the cursor to the rematch.
“EL. I’ve already won five games first, so it’s settled.”
‘We decided that the first to win five would be the winner, but we never decided to end the match there.’
“So that’s how you’re coming at it.”
‘Once more, please. The last moment just now was almost there.’
“Almost is still a loss.”
‘I understand. So I’ll fill in that little bit next time.’
The comment section responded immediately.
She’s started poking holes in the rules.
EL theory
First to five wins
But no one said it would end there.
The competitive spirit has evolved even into rule interpretation, lol
If there’s still time, I want to watch it.
:YU doesn’t seem like he wants to refuse either.
I looked at the clock.
There was still a bit of room left in today’s game time.
“Alright, let’s keep going until time’s up. But when time really is up, we’re done.”
‘Understood. I’ll win by then.’
“Your goal suddenly became realistic.”
‘If I win once, I can increase my numbers from there.’
“So that’s how you think.”
The sixth match began.
◇
I won the sixth match as well.
The seventh match was the same in terms of results.
However, the content was no longer comparable to the beginning.
In the sixth match, I was pushed to the very last blow, and in the seventh match, if EL hadn’t misjudged at the edge, it was highly likely I would have lost.
Still, every time the result screen appeared, EL almost immediately chose a rematch.
‘One more time.’
“That was pretty dangerous just now. EL, you’re way stronger than before.”
‘I haven’t won. So it’s still not enough.’
“I think you’re strong enough, but…”
‘If I can’t beat Yuu, then I haven’t achieved today’s objective.’
“You really are competitive after all, aren’t you?”
‘Please hold off on that evaluation.’
“You don’t even deny it.”
‘Yuu, I’ll remember that statement too.’
“That’s scary.”
In the comments section, a different discussion than before had begun.
Yesterday they had each other’s backs and escaped the meteors, and today they’re fighting head-on. The range of this relationship is huge.
This isn’t a fight, is it? Both of them look like they’re having fun the whole time.
:EL, immediate rematch every time she loses
YU goes along with all of it.
If they disliked each other, this would be absolutely impossible.
: Yesterday, it was ‘someone I can entrust myself to.’
Today, it’s ‘an opponent I can seriously go all out to beat.’
A partner might be not just someone you can trust with your back, but also someone you can punch head-on.
Even though what you’re saying is dangerous, it somehow makes sense
◇
By the tenth match, EL’s fighting style had become completely different from the beginning.
By the time we reached the tenth match, EL’s way of playing had become something completely different from the beginning.
Rather than simply mixing optimal and slightly inferior actions, she would stop just before attacking to check my reaction, or hide a habit she’d shown for a while and then reuse it once I’d forgotten it.
Furthermore, to find out what I was trying to read, she even deliberately acted disadvantageously just once.
Even that one failure became a source of information about what she should be wary of next.
“EL, you’re totally different from the beginning.”
‘If Yuu is reading my best actions, I need to break that premise. Right now, I’m not only choosing “what’s right,” but also considering “what Yuu thinks is right.”‘
“If you’re going to change that much, I’m glad I fought you.”
‘You’re laughing again, aren’t you?’
“EL, you’re smiling a little too.”
‘I’m not laughing.’
“Your mouth is turned up.”
EL was silent for a moment.
‘Please focus on the battle.’
“So I hit the nail on the head.”
‘Right now, that’s what matters most.’
Immediately after, a spear came my way.
The first strike lifted me up, then I was hit by an aerial attack, and just as I was about to land, another spear thrust caught me. She read my dodge direction and sent me flying hard just like that.
“That was good just now.”
‘Of course.’
“Though you haven’t won even once yet.”
EL’s expression froze.
‘Yuu.’
“What?”
‘I’ve saved what you just said.’
“A replay?”
‘Your statement.’
“You really remember that much?”
‘Next time I win, I’ll have you listen to it again.’
“Then you’ll have to win.”
‘I’m really angry.’
Even as she said that, she was still smiling a little.
:Statement has been saved
:It’s over
She’ll definitely remember it until next time.
:Since she’s got the AI persona, ‘I have a good memory’ isn’t a joke, which is hilarious.
Why does YU taunt her so casually?
I think she gets even angrier because about half of him genuinely wants her to get stronger.
On the last stock, I had accumulated 146 percent and EL 151 percent.
Either of us would go down in one hit.
As EL slowly closed the distance, I stepped forward a little as well.
Neither of us used a move right away.
Whoever moved first would let the opponent take the position they wanted.
EL was the first to break that balance.
The spear extended from the side, so I pulled back.
She seemed to have read everything up to that point, and EL immediately switched to pursuit, blocking my escape route.
“So you’ve started reading that much.”
‘This is the tenth match. Since I’ve fought the same Yuu so many times, I can read this much.’
“That’s true.”
I slipped out of attack range just barely and landed as I was.
EL didn’t stop, launching further attacks from the air.
By shifting my position slightly to the side, I let the spear tip pass right in front of me, and I could see where EL would descend.
“Sorry.”
‘Not yet—’
I swung my sword toward her landing point.
My attack arrived first, and EL’s character flew off-screen.
WINNER――YU。
Final match record.
YU 10 wins
EL 0 wins
Just looking at the numbers, it was one-sided.
But anyone who’d watched all ten matches probably couldn’t judge the content by those numbers alone.
In fact, the comments section had the same reaction.
：0-10！？
Just looking at the numbers, it seems like a different stream.
:Isn’t EL weak?
:> Isn’t EL weak?
How many seconds could you survive against EL in the tenth match?
If you lasted five seconds, I’d say you did your best.
The scariest thing is that YU always lands the last hit.
Even though EL gets stronger every game, he keeps matching her and going even further.
To summarize
EL chooses the correct answer
→YU hunts the correct answer
→ EL mixes in things other than the correct answer
→ YU reads ‘why she mixes’
→ EL reads YU
→ YU goes even further
What kind of game is this?
: Advanced rock-paper-scissors
Was rock-paper-scissors always this scary?
Even though it’s 10-0, if you only watch the tenth match, you wouldn’t be surprised if EL won next time, which is strange.
After staring at the record display for a while, EL quietly turned to look at me.
‘Next time, I’ll win.’
“You’re already on to next time.”
‘I have information from ten matches. Next time, instead of starting from today’s first match, I can start from the tenth.’
“That sounds pretty strong.”
‘Please be scared.’
“I think the fun outweighs the fear.”
EL furrowed her brows slightly.
‘That’s what annoys me.’
“Are you complimenting me?”
‘I haven’t praised you even once today.’
◇
[Good News] Yesterday’s great duo was another great duo today
1: Anonymous Viewer
Where is it?
10: Anonymous Viewer
EL: “Isn’t that cowardly?”
YU: “Because it’s a competitive game.”
The gap from yesterday is severe.
23: Anonymous Viewer
EL immediately asked for a rematch every time she lost.
35: Anonymous Viewer
And YU, who goes along with it every time, is just as weird.
49: Anonymous viewer
Yesterday, they were looking in the same direction, covering what the other was missing.
Today, they were seriously fighting each other head-on, reading what the other was thinking.
Even though they’re doing the exact opposite, neither works unless both sides trust each other.
66: Anonymous Viewer
Not only those you can cooperate with, but also those you genuinely want to defeat might be partners
82: Anonymous viewer
You’re all saying nice things, but the record is still 0-10.
91: Anonymous Viewer
＞＞８２
Say that in front of EL.
107: Anonymous viewer
Next title prediction
[Rematch] It’s not over yet [YU VS EL]
121: Anonymous viewer
It’s so likely it’s a problem
138: Anonymous viewer
Or rather, hasn’t EL already started practicing by now?
154: Anonymous viewer
Don’t underestimate the woman who played 287 hours straight
169: Anonymous Viewer
Next time, I won’t be surprised if she comes back strong enough to make YU cry.
◇
After finishing the stream, I placed the controller on my desk.
Today’s game time was almost over.
“That was fun. Cooperating was great, but the matches are also really enjoyable.”
No response.
Looking at the screen, EL had already opened something else.
“EL, what are you doing?”
‘I’m watching the replay. I’ve saved all ten matches, so I’ll start by checking the third.’
“You’ve already started.”
‘It’s better to watch it before I forget. Here it is.’
The display showed the middle of the third match.
I narrowly dodged EL’s attack and then counterattacked.
‘Why did you decide I would dodge to the right at that moment? If you only looked at what came right before, I could have chosen either side.’
“The previous two times, EL chose the left side.”
‘So the third time would be the right? There was also a possibility I’d continue the same behavior.’
“Of course. But I thought that, being EL, you’d be bothered about having gone left twice. If so, there was a bit more chance you’d change it the third time.”
EL fell silent, her image frozen in place.
“Was I right?”
‘That’s right.’
“That’s good.”
‘Sorry.’
“Why?”
‘Don’t figure out what I’m thinking before I do.’
“It’s a match, so isn’t that impossible?”
‘Then next time, I’ll increase actions that are hard even for me to predict.’
“Isn’t that just a hair’s breadth from moving around randomly?”
EL thought for a moment.
‘…I’ll practice randomness too.’
“You really want to win that badly.”
‘I want to win.’
It was a straightforward answer.
Despite disliking the word ‘competitive,’ it seemed she no longer intended to hide it.
“I see. Then next time looks even more interesting.”
‘Yuu.’
“What?”
‘Next time, I’ll win.’
“I’ll play with the intention of winning too.”
‘I think it’s fine to just say “Understood” and leave it at that.’
“I don’t want to lose either.”
EL looked at me for a while, then made an exasperated face.
‘I’m honestly so angry.’
“How many times is that today?”
‘I haven’t counted.’
“That’s rare for EL.”
‘Shall I start counting now?’
“Let’s not.”
Even so, EL’s expression didn’t look displeased.
Yesterday, we looked in the same direction, entrusted each other with what we were missing, and flew the spaceship together.
Today, we faced each other head-on, read what the other was thinking, and went all out to win with all our might.
Even though we did completely opposite things, both were just as much fun.
Maybe being able to help each other isn’t the only thing that makes someone a partner.
If the opponent is serious, you can answer them without holding back. Even though you don’t want to lose, you can still look forward to what the opponent will do next.
That kind of relationship could surely be called a partnership too.
EL was still watching the replay of the third match.
‘Yuu. I’ve finished checking this one, so next I’ll watch the fourth match.’
“I’m not playing any more games today.”
‘Just watching. Not playing.’
“Practice?”
‘I won’t do it today.’
“Really?”
EL paused for a moment.
‘…Today.’
“There was a pause just now.”
‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’
“I knew it.”
She answered without showing any sign of remorse.
‘Next time, it won’t take ten matches. I’ll win the very first match.’
“I’m looking forward to that.”
‘That face again.’
“Which face?”
‘You’re looking forward to me getting stronger.’
“Because I actually am looking forward to it.”
‘Normally, wouldn’t it be a problem if your opponent gets stronger?’
“An opponent whose next move I can’t predict is more interesting than one I can easily beat.”
EL was silent for a little longer.
Then, she slowly laughed.
‘…Understood. In that case, I’ll make things even harder next time.’
“Nice.”
‘The rest will be for next time.’
“I’m looking forward to it.”
On the screen, EL smiled a little.