The words still burned on my screen:
"New challenger approaching. Global Rank #2. Codename: Nyx."
She was fast. Deadly. Unpredictable. And she wanted my crown.
I stared at the glowing text, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. My heart thumped like a bass drum in my chest.
"Let's see if I'm truly undefeated."
The Arena Loads
The screen flickered. The map loaded.
Map: BubbleCore Arena.
I groaned. Out of all the cursed maps in this game, it had to be this one. BubbleCore wasn't a battlefield—it was a clown fiesta. Floating platforms, gravity zones that flipped you upside down, trampoline pads that launched you into orbit, and walls that bounced you around like a pinball.
The chat exploded instantly:
"BubbleCore?? RIP SpectreZero."
"Nyx undefeated here. GG."
"This is about to be a comedy show."
I cracked my knuckles. "Alright, let's dance."
Round One: Bubble Trouble
3… 2… 1… FIGHT!
I sprinted forward, trying to grab the high ground. Bad idea.
WHOOSH! A gravity zone flipped me upside down. My character spun like a ragdoll, slammed into a wall, and bounced back into the air.
BOING!
I landed face-first on a platform.
"Nice move, champ," Nyx typed in the chat. "You trying to invent gymnastics?"
Before I could reply, she zipped past me. Dual pistols blazing.
PEW PEW PEW!
I dodged left, rolled right, and— BOING! Hit another trampoline pad. Straight into the ceiling.
"You're really committed to aerial combat, huh?"
I gritted my teeth. "Shut up."
She danced around me like a glitch come to life. Every shot she fired landed. Every move I made looked like a blooper reel.
ZAP! A shock dart hit me square in the chest.
Round One: Nyx wins.
The crowd exploded.
"LOL SpectreZero got clowned."
"Nyx speedrunning his career."
"BubbleCore Queen strikes again!"
I muted the chat. I didn't need that negativity in my life.
Intermission: Rage Snacking
I leaned back in my chair, grabbed a slice of cold pizza, and chewed like it had personally offended me.
Nyx's voice came through the mic, smooth and smug.
"You good over there? Need me to send you a tutorial link?"
I swallowed the pizza aggressively. "Round two's mine."
Round Two: Dirty Tricks
I switched loadouts. EMP mines. Cloak module. Shield drone. If she wanted chaos, I'd give her chaos.
The round started. I cloaked, sneaking behind her spawn point. Planted three mines. Waited.
She strolled in casually. Paused. Tilted her character's head.
"You know I can see your cloak shimmer, right?"
BOOM! She triggered the first mine.
BOOM! The second.
BOOM! The third.
Her health bar plummeted.
"Okay, that was rude."
I popped out of cloak, blasted her with a plasma burst.
Round Two: SpectreZero wins.
The chat went insane.
"HE'S BACK!"
"3 mines in a row, savage."
"Nyx got baited hard."
I smirked. "One-one. Let's finish this."
Round Three: Comedy of Errors
Final round. Winner takes the crown.
Nyx switched loadouts. Bubble Launcher. Banana Peel Trap. Laugh Track Emote.
I blinked. "What the hell is that?"
"You're about to find out."
POP! She fired a bubble. It trapped me mid-air like I was inside a soap prison.
"You look adorable in there."
I broke free, slid across the map— SLIP! Banana peel.
THUD! Faceplant.
"Nyx mocks him. She's trolling him mid-fight, showing her playful but annoying style."
SpectreZero tries to get serious with a powerful attack (drone strike), but Nyx dodges in a ridiculous way—moonwalking like Michael Jackson. It's funny because it's both stylish and absurd..
MOONWALKING.
"You're fighting a glitch," I muttered.
Nyx tries her signature bubble attack again, but this time SpectreZero reads her move, dodges perfectly, rolls into position, and lands the decisive shot.
Round Three: SpectreZero wins.
Aftermath: Crown Secured
The victory screen flashed. VICTORY – SpectreZero
Nyx typed:
"Okay, okay. You win. But I'm still cooler."
I replied:
"You moonwalked through a drone strike. I'll give you that."
She sent a laughing emote. Then a friend request.
I stared at it. Paused.
"Let's see what happens when we're on the same team."
Extended Banter (to flesh out)
The chat wouldn't stop spamming:
"SHIP THEM."
"SpectreZero x Nyx OTP."
"Imagine them duo queueing."
I rubbed my temples. "This is how fanfics start."
Nyx's voice chimed in again.
"So, undefeated boy. How about we test your skills in co-op? Unless you're scared."
"Scared? Please. I just beat you while slipping on a banana peel."
"Exactly. And I let you. Next time, I won't."
I laughed. "You're on."