"All right, dear gaming lovers! We are now entering the final quarter of the E-Sport World Cup finals."
"The battle between the two teams is reaching a fever pitch, and all eyes are on Kai, better known as "Black Lightning" in the e-sports world."
***
A character dressed in black with a black crystal head dashed around the battle field.
" Argh! Stay away, you idiot! THE EARTH-SHATTERING BLADE!"
"Hmph. You won't catch me. THE FLOATING STEPS!"
"Dammit! Where's Henry? We need heals!"
"Ahh! Their assassin is too fast… dammit!"
***
"As usual, Black Lightning begins to dominate, using his character's -fast movements and relentless attacks, leaving his opponents exposed for his team to finish off with ease."
"Looks like the Dragondigi team's leader is preparing a big move. What do you think, Miss Saya? As the trainer of the Botz team, the audience is eager to hear your opinion."
"Thanks for the opportunity. As we've seen, our team's ace, Kai, has started to corner his opponents. I believe Dragondigi anticipated this and selected a character specialized in control to counter him. Their leader must be preparing the ultimate skill—PALM OF BUDDHA—a skill notorious for its large area and complete immobilization effect."
"But doesn't that skill have a long casting time and only a 50% chance to successfully apply full immobilization?"
"Exactly. That's probably why all four of his teammates are covering him. They're likely combining it with their vice leader's skill, which guarantees a 100% success rate for one selected skill, to make sure they catch Kai."
"Sounds like a solid strategy. Do you think your students will fall for it?"
"Let's wait and see. Who knows, Kai might just surprise us once again."
***
"Hey Kai, that guy looks like he's preparing a skill. Judging by the character he's using, it could be the Palm of Buddha."
"Don't worry. We can use Jeremy's Nullification, right?" Kai asked his teammate.
"We already used it. The cooldown isn't up yet."
"Alright, then. Tell everyone to prioritize Dragondigi's leader, we need to disrupt that skill casting."
"Alright."
But before they could act, a massive blade slammed down between them. Kai managed to dodge, but his teammate wasn't so lucky—hit points dropped to zero.
"Damn it," Kai muttered, eyes fixed on the attacker.
"You guys won't be going anywhere," a voice growled.
In front of Kai stood a female barbarian character, wielding a colossal dual axe.
"Kara the Brutal," Kai muttered under his breath. "A character specialized in heavy attacks."
"You sly bastard, keep running around," she hissed through gritted teeth. "Today, I'll take down the legendary Black Lightning!"
Kai glanced at his teammates, waiting for orders. Even with one player down, if they played it right, victory was still within reach.
"Jeremy, focus on their healer. They're all low on health already, so make sure he can't cast any heals," Kai commanded. "Shiya, Tara — you're on Kara."
"What about their leader and the other two?" Jeremy asked.
"I'll handle them," Kai replied confidently. "This is our last chance. If they pull off that ultimate, we're as good as dead."
The three nodded and moved into position. As instructed, they engaged their targets, while Kai dashed straight toward the enemy leader.
"Incoming!" one of the opponents shouted. Seeing Kai charge, the two players guarding their leader's monk avatar raised their weapons.
But just before Kai entered their attack range, he activated his skill.
"PITCH BLACK!"
Instantly, a dense black fog swallowed the battlefield, obscuring everything around them. The enemy's vision flickered into darkness.
"Argh! Fall back to the captain! We can't see him!"
"My screen's blank! I can't tell where he is!"
A second later, red notifications flashed across their screens - Character Eliminated.
"Dammit!" both shouted in unison.
Inside the darkness, Kai moved like a phantom—silent, fast, and invisible. Within moments, the enemy team was wiped out.
***
"That was a brilliant move by Kai! He used his character's crowd-control skill to create a domain that completely favored him. And since the only character capable of emitting light couldn't cast any skills due to their ongoing ultimate prep, the entire Dragondigi team was instantly trapped in a death zone!"
"Absolutely! As a commentator for the E-Sport World Cup, I expected nothing less from the rising star of competitive gaming!"
"But it seems there's even more to marvel at when it comes to Kai. According to the latest report I've just received, his character's movement speed has officially surpassed the record for the highest APM ever achieved in E-Sport history!"
"That's incredible news! So this means the rising star has just set a new world record?!"
"Exactly! A new world record set right here, live on the grand stage of the E-Sport World Cup Finals!"
The audience, already cheering for Botz's victory, erupted into even louder applause as the commentators revealed Kai's new world record. The entire arena shook with excitement, chants of "Black Lightning!" echoing through the air.
Moments later, the players removed their VR headsets and stepped out of the digital arena. Both teams, winners and defeated alike, shook hands in a display of true sportsmanship.
After a brief intermission, the members of the Botz team and their trainer were invited to the stage for the post-match press conference.
The lights dimmed slightly, cameras flashed, and the crowd's roar softened into anticipation for the young champion's words.
But before anyone could speak, the MVP of the tournament, the center of everyone's attention, suddenly stood up. His face had gone pale, eyes wide with confusion.
Kai clutched his head, staggering a few steps away from the table. His hands trembled violently as if his body were rebelling against him.
"Kai?" someone called out, but before anyone could reach him, his knees gave way. He collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness.