Edmund sat there, the cells of rage boiling within his skull at Sam's provocative playstyle.
"Look at this cowardly gameplay! If you can't fight, don't play. Why do you keep running?"
"Exactly! This isn't even a match. He's not playing seriously. Cancel this round and give the prize to Prince Edmund!"
"You weakling! Be a man and attack!"
The onlookers watching from afar were shouting, hurlilng provocative insults at Sam.
But Sam remained entirely unfazed. He played with a casual ease, dodging every strike from Edmund's "Ruler's Arm" as if it were nothing.
"Why are you running?! If you're a man, stand your ground!"
Edmund was reaching his breaking point; he couldn't land a single hit on Sam.
The Little Mochi character was essentially a "joke character," never intended for serious competitive play. She was designed specifically to provoke and annoy opponents. She was extremely frail, tiny, and short. Her only tools were long-range attacks that, on their own, were practically worthless.
Yet, because of Sam's flawless execution, Edmund watched his red health bar drain toward zero.
"Impossible... I won't lose like this!"
By any means necessary.
In a desperate move, Edmund began using his Mana to accelerate his finger movements on the controller buttons. He would not lose today—not ever, and certainly not to him. He was going to win, no matter the cost.
In an instant, both girls noticed exactly what Edmund was doing. He was cheating.
He had surged mana into his arms. Melisha remained silent because Edmund was on her side.In an instant, both girls noticed exactly what Edmund was doing. He was cheating.
He had surged mana into his arms. Melisha remained silent because Edmund was on her side.
As for Clara... she saw the cheating happening right before her eyes, and she stayed silent.
She didn't complain, even though she could. Even though he was acting against her. Her feelings for Edmund paralyzed her. She had turned herself from a free woman into a slave of obsessed emotions; even when he was against her, she wouldn't object.
Sam was going to lose... simply because he was human, after all. But he would lose with honor—a human who had stood his ground against a being who had bypassed the natural limits of humanity.
As for her, she would remain a dog crawling at her master's feet. No matter what he did, no matter how much he showed his disdain for her, she would remain obedient.
Her heart had bound her with a shackle called "Love."
It had blinded her sight and her logical analysis of the situation.
It was she who deserved to lose... She was the loser, not Sam.
But what about his effort? Everything he had done to reach the finals, only to lose in such an illegal manner? He was the one who deserved to win, not the cheating Edmund.
Truly, she did not deserve for Sam to win for her sake. Because she was a dog... and she had possessed no dignity from the very start.
As Sam stared at the screen, he felt it.
Edmund's movements had become significantly faster. With every passing second, he drew closer and closer to landing a hit, eventually forcing Sam into a minor, split-second error.
Edmund seized the opening immediately. He swung the massive scepter, delivering a powerful blow to Little Mochi. The strike drained her health drastically and left her stunned due to the "debuff" effect.
With that, Edmund unleashed his ultimate finishing move, ending the round in his favor—despite being only one hit away from defeat himself.
"This is impossible... this is impossible!"
Sam's face contorted into an expression of sheer shock. He looked as though he had been utterly violated and broken.
"Hahaha! Do you see now, you fool?" Edmund jeered. "You could never defeat me, no matter what you try. I am the strongest here!"
Despite the fact that Edmund had been using an incredibly top-tier character like The Ruler's Arm and had struggled immensely against a weakling like Mochi, he still dared to smirk in victory.
"Don't mess with me, you little dwarf... I am the King here!"
Among the spectators in the back, smirks widened as the gossiping grew louder.
"It is the Royal Bloodline, after all... A lowly servant like him, no matter how skilled, can never match the Royal Blood."
"Look at his face! I can already see the look of defeat on him."
"I just hope Clara doesn't cause a scene over her servant's loss; that would be utterly annoying."
It felt as though Sam stood entirely alone. With a character that was fundamentally weak and a weak-willed master like Clara, he stood against the world. Everyone expected his downfall; everyone had bet on his loss. A humble, weak servant like him could never win—not against a son of the King.
"...Unbelievable. It seems even scum have found their tongues."
Edmund heard Sam's words, and so did the crowd behind him.
"Did he just insult the Royal Bloodline? Does he not fear death?"
"It doesn't matter. He'll lose in the end anyway. Let him talk; the Prince is wise and won't be bothered by a servant's words. Besides, he's Clara's servant—what do you expect?"
The second round began. Edmund, fueled by the cheers and the crowd's support, stopped channeling mana into his hand and began playing normally, anticipating an easy win. He had seemingly forgotten that the mana was the only reason he had won the first round.
But Sam's gameplay had become far more ferocious. Little Mochi's movements were like a lightning-fast cat—nearly invisible to the naked eye. This enraged Edmund, forcing him to use mana once again to keep up with Sam's speed.
"So, that's it... I understand now."
Hearing this, Edmund broke into a cold sweat. But nothing happened, and the game continued.
However, just as Edmund finally landed a single hit on Little Mochi and was about to deliver the final blow for the win, something unexpected happened.
A jump...
A double jump...
A lock...
A double jump to the very top of the screen. Suddenly, Little Mochi became "fixed" at the top-right corner. Edmund thought this was his chance and attacked immediately—but the unexpected occurred.
The attack didn't reach her. It didn't even touch her. He attacked again, but Mochi remained unfazed. When he looked at Sam, he saw a wicked, cunning smile.
Now, the hunt had begun.
Mochi's arrows began raining down on the Ruler's Arm, and Edmund was powerless to do anything. His rage boiled over.
"You cheater! Get down here now! Get down!"
But the hunting didn't stop. Little Mochi's arrows fell in a relentless succession, and Edmund's health bar was on the verge of empty.
"GET DOWN! GET DOWN!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
His hands began to glow with a radiant blue aura as the mana he was using became visible to everyone.
His grip became so powerful that he literally crushed the electronic controller. In that moment, the Ruler's Arm fell at the hands of Little Mochi.
The audience stared at the round before their eyes; they had never witnessed anything like this.
Edmund had lost—and he had lost in a way no one could ever forget.
The Ruler's Arm had fallen to Little Mochi. But what truly stirred the crowd was the mana that had visibly surged from Edmund's hands.
Yet, despite this, they insisted that Sam was the one cheating. Surely, he must have cheated to "fix" himself at the top of the screen.
"That despicable servant won by cheating... Hah! Entirely expected."
"We don't accept this! Edmund is the winner!"
"Edmund is the winner!"
"Edmund is the winner!"
The crowd chanted in unison. However, the organizers remained indifferent, moving only to quickly provide Edmund with a new controller.
The third and final round began immediately.
By now, it was clear to everyone that Edmund could use mana while playing. If he showed it again so blatantly, his reputation would be permanently tarnished. He had no choice but to start the round without using mana.
But he was losing—plain and simple. He was being systematically destroyed.
He couldn't accept defeat. He must not lose.
Throwing caution to the wind and risking everything, he activated his mana once more. But even then, he couldn't catch Sam, who had activated the glitch again, securing his position in the upper corner once more.
Arrows rained down on Edmund yet again. He could do nothing but dodge, run, and weave.
Now, the roles were completely reversed. Sam was the hunter who had secured the final victory.
The screen flashed, announcing Little Mochi as the winner before the entire world.
"The winner of the competition... is Clara Smorguth!"