-Elizabeth's PoV-

As we both agreed upon, June paid for our time at the VR cafe. He even wanted to recruit Katherine for their team, but I firmly declined on her behalf. I harbored concerns about the potential negative influence of joining a team involved in betting matches at various VR cafes like June's. I want to protect Katherine from being lured into a cycle of gambling addiction.

"Cheers!"

"Yeah!"

"Woohoo!"

"Great job guys!"

We are seated around a moderately large square table nestled in a cozy cafe/bar area within the confines of the VR cafe building. This section serves as a communal hub for players looking to unwind and take a break from intense gaming sessions. A prominent feature in the space is a sizable television screen positioned at the center, streaming various games for entertainment. The television is seamlessly integrated with the adjacent bar area, creating a vibrant and dynamic ambiance for patrons to enjoy while socializing and unwinding after playing VR games.

I found myself positioned in the center of the table, with Katherine seated to my left, occupying the seat by the window corner. My best friend, Lenna, was on my right side. Across from me, at the other side of the rectangular table, was Romel seated in the center, Benny situated by the window, and Raynold positioned directly in front of Lenna. Each of us had ordered a selection of pastries or food, except for Katherine, who ordered a coffee.

"Didn’t expect there to be a literal cafe here inside this VR cafe building." Katherine mused

"This area is mainly for customers of the VR cafe to relax, eat some good food, or take a break from VR gaming." I supplied.

Katherine is relaxed, taking a sip of her coffee while the others are talking about our recent game, with Ronel mostly bragging loudly.

"Are you sure you don’t want to order any sweets?" I asked.

I said it was my treat at the cafe since I had invited her in the first place, but she insisted on paying for herself.

"Yes, I’m sure; I’m not too fond of sweets," she replied coolly.

So mature. She really gives this air of a dependable and cool adult. Very humble, too. She is probably as good as me or even better, but she still doesn’t brag about her CoA skills. Not like someone I know.

"I almost killed him solo without any help! And because of me, he is severely weakened, so my teammates could finish him off!" Romel bragged.

"If you had to choose an MVP in that match, that would surely be me!" he added.

"We didn’t do much, though......" Beny shyly butted in.

"It is only you who didn’t do anything. I almost killed their ace. If my single slash had just connected back then, he would’ve died instantly. He has the advantage in gears, but I’m more skilled than him!" Romel exclaimed.

"Hmph! We both watched the whole match, and you two didn’t do anything, right Ray?" Lenna argued.

"They didn’t seem to do much, but every small contribution matters in a match," Raynold commented in a neutral tone.

"You guys just cannot comprehend the complexity of the plays I’ve done!" Romel exclaimed.

"Please don’t mind him, Katherine. He has a medical condition that makes all of the words that come right out of his mouth seem obnoxious." I sighed.

"I don’t mind, he actually seems kind of fun to be around," Katherine replied

Are we even talking about the same person? While I was pondering, I took a bite out of my strawberry cake. On the edge of my sight, I notice Katherine looking intently at the strawberry cake.

Does she want a bite or two? Probably not. She said she doesn’t like sweets.

"By the way, Miss Katherine, where did you learn to play like that? Your movements are so good that I thought I was watching an amateur pro player.” Raynold addressed the elephant in the room.

All eyes fell on Katherine, likely eager to know the reason for her aberrance. At least control your curiosity, guys! Look at her. You guys are making her flustered.

“Oh, I…... I just played a lot of VR single-player games, so I had a lot of training,” she answered slowly.

I doubt that, though, since I heard no single-player games had as complex skills required for gameplay as CoA does. Map awareness, stamina management, dodging, parrying, and aerial combos are just a few examples of its complexity that no other games have integrated into their games. However, I might be wrong since there may have been new VR game releases I’m not privy to, so I didn’t push the subject.

All of the others were convinced by her reasoning except Raynold, who probably reached the same conclusion as I did.

Just as Raynold was about to ask another question, there was a sudden commotion among the other customers inside the cafe. I tried to find the cause and saw they were all looking at the cafe's TV screen. After watching it for a few seconds, I instantly knew what the commotion was about.

"Look at the screen. The Razor Gaming team is having a press conference."

"Ohh, they're interviewing Zetta? He’s your idol, right?"

"That’s Zetta 'the Duelist'?"

"Many players claim that he is unbeatable in 1v1!"

"Shhh, I can’t hear what they’re saying."

"It’s just a replay, though. I watched it live."

"My dream is to beat him in a 1v1 match someday."

The die-hard fans of the pro gaming scene, seated at the tables surrounding us, filled the air with excitement and enthusiasm. Engaged in lively conversations, they animatedly discussed their favorite players.

It was a replay of the post-game press conference of team Razor Gaming for their win yesterday. The captain and ace of team RG (Razor Gaming), Sebastian Guillaume (aka Zetta), is shown on screen.

The commotion died down a bit when the press started asking their questions.

"Mr. Sebastian, what is your take about your team's comeback from a 1-player deficit with a spectacular 2v3 in game 3 of your match against team Eclipse?" A reporter said.

"The other team put all their resources into eliminating our two supports, so Flamboyant and I capitalized on their lack of MP and HP to play aggressively and not let them recover," Zetta answered confidently.

I took a glimpse at Katherine and noticed that she seemed to be deep in thought. I've already watched it, but Katherine seems entirely focused on the screen, making me wonder if it is the first time she has watched a press conference of a CoA pro league.

"Mr. Guillaume, many people are asking, who do you think in the current pro league can give you the hardest challenge in a 1v1 match?" another reporter said.

"Right now, I think team Royals's ace Rance and probably team Shaolin's ace Yang can give me a good fight."

"Do you think that you will be the first ever player in the history of CoA to have 2 Andartha Cup belts under your name?" A reporter asked

In the past 3 years since the first ever Andartha Cup, no one has ever achieved the feat of being the champion for the second time so fans of the game would kill to see one in hopes of putting them on a pedestal and worshiping that player like a god. Fans are weird like that I suppose but I’m no different, I also want Zetta or one of the former team Paragon members to have a repeat win since I’m a big fan of them.

The closest currently was Zetta, who won with team Paragon on the first Andartha Cup, or AC for short. His new team got only 5th place in the second AC due to the sudden disbandment of the team Paragon due to their ace player 'Yuusha,' who had been my inspiration in playing the game, suddenly quitting CoA. His third chance at the AC cup was the closest to anyone ever having a repeat champion, with him joining Razor Gaming(a well-known e-sports organization with many different teams in different games) and placing 2nd, just almost winning the whole tournament. That is why all eyes are on him to win the 4th Andartha Cup that will be held this November.

"We can never know what the future holds. All I know is that my team and I team are going to do everything we can to bring home the crown for our fans and supporters!" Zetta passionately said.

Even though I heard it already yesterday, that statement really does give me the 'chills.' It makes me want to support him more.

"Speaking of team, your former teammate Tactical from team Nexus Gaming might be relegated to division 2 if they lose their match next week. What are your thoughts on that?"

Tactical is the former captain of team 'Paragons' who is currently playing for team NG and is also Zetta's former teammate. It breaks my heart to see all the backlash that they receive from the player base just because they keep losing their games this season.

"As Tactical's former teammate, I hope they get out of the slump their team is currently experiencing right now. But as a fellow player in the pro scene, I will not show any mercy if we face each other in CoA." Zetta said with determination.

"Tactical is getting relegated?" Katherine suddenly asked.

Her sudden interest surprised me. Is she a fan of Tactical, by any chance? If she were, she would know their concurrent sub-par performance this pro league season.

"Sadly, yes, they haven’t been playing well since the start of the season."

"When is his team playing next? I want to see it." she inquired.

"I think their match against team Atelier is on this weekend. Oh! wanna watch it together?" I subconsciously blurted.

"S-sorry, I’m not being a bother, right? People keep telling me I get overly friendly sometimes." I added.

I can’t help it. I get overly enthusiastic from time to time, and things just come right out of my mouth unfiltered. Especially if it is CoA-related, she might think I’m too overbearing.

"……. Sure, let's watch it together."

"Really! It’s a promise, right? No backing out in the last moment?" I smiled.

"Hoo? What is this? I’m hearing you two are going out on a date or something." Lenna playfully teased.

"Ohh, Lenna, we're just going to watch Team Nexus vs Team Atelier's match this weekend," I informed her.

"Oh, I want to join; let's watch it at Katherine's home. I want to see where you live! And maybe we could have a sleepover?" Lenna asked, a bit hopeful.

After hesitating for a bit, Katherine replied. "I’m only renting an apartment, so there is nothing much to see. I’m also fine with just watching the match, but no sleepovers."

"Tsk! You’re no fun," Lenna pouted.

"Can we join in too, Miss Katherine?" Raynold butted in.

"Sorry, boys, it’s a girls-only bonding session." Lenna mischievously said.

"I agree, two is too much already. My apartment is not that big to accommodate more people," Katherine added.

"Humph, we don’t need you girls! We will have our own boys-only session." Romel added.

The conversation continued like that for a while. Then we eventually went home.

________________________________________

Haahh, I’m tired. Socializing is tiring. We did win the match, though, so it was a bit fun and rewarding. I thought to myself as I approached the apartment complex in which I was currently residing. As I entered, the ever-so-kind-looking middle-aged guard greeted me again with the typical pleasantries. I bobbed my head in acknowledgment, too tired to make small talk but not enough to forgo all of my manners. I entered the elevator along with three tenants who probably just got out of work and pushed the 8th-floor button.

I immediately got out of the elevator after it stopped on the floor of my apartment. I pulled out my phone from my bag and positioned it beside the lock. The lock opened after a second, signifying that I was indeed a tenant of this exact room. The key could be a card or, if you're an old antique lover, a physical key, but I chose the phone-type key since it is with me all the time.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by the lights turning on, the AC activating, and vibrant, soothing music playing as I entered. I went to the kitchen as soon as I could, ready to prepare some food. I didn't have quite the appetite earlier, so I didn't order any food. Besides, only ordering coffee would make me look mature and cool. I could only hope that it had achieved its intended effect or all of that posturing was for nothing.

"Well, I better get started; the dishes won't clean themselves," I sighed.

Thinking back to today's events, I see that I miss playing CoA. I guess you can never part with something you really love that easily. I have to thank Elizabeth for giving me the slight push I need.

"Maybe I can...."

ign: Yuusha

My sister's legacy. I saw her face, an exact 3D replica of her features right in front of me, staring back emotionlessly. She never took my advice not to use the facial scan when creating her character.

*Warning: mental and emotional state fluctuating. The player is advised to take a break.​

A wave of intense sadness engulfed me, sending my heart plummeting. Despite my attempts to push the emotions aside, memories cascaded through my mind like a torrent, overwhelming me completely. These memories were of someone irreplaceable: my sister, my closest confidante, and the person dearest to me. The undeniable reality crashed over me like a relentless wave - she was no longer a part of this world, and the realization that I would never again see or converse with her pierced my soul. The weight of this loss gnawed at me from within, leaving me shattered and consumed by immense grief.

*Warning: emotional state: Red

Mental state: Red

Initiating forced log out.*

I disconnected from the virtual world and returned to reality.

"Haaah, Haah, Haah!" I heaved.