Classmancers - A MOBA Esport Story - Part 3

Vol.20 Ch.1: Leopards vs. StormBlitz

The Valkyries' next scrim will be against StormBlitz. Following the announcement, the club shifted its focus toward training for this difficult challenge.

To kick it off, they held multiple review sessions in order to extensively study StormBlitz's lineup. In each session, they focused on one player from StormBlitz and analyzed them in depth: their playstyle, habits, strengths, weaknesses, preferred classes, and so forth.

For most of the members, there were less than ten official games to study. Especially, there was very little data on Adapting and Venus due to how often they switched around.

However, Aegis and Athena were different. These two played on StormBlitz's first-string in the previous year, so lots of data was readily available.

As such, a large portion of the reviews focused on this dynamic duo. It was up to Karen and Lua to handle these powerful adversaries in Bot.

"Heh, bring it on!" Karen exclaimed. "I'mma beat the shit outta these Greek myth bozos!"

"Karen, language."

"Yeah, yeah." Karen rolled her eyes and smiled mischievously.

"Um, actually," Lua started. "My nick is also from Greek mythology..."

"Huh? You mean 'Nike'?" Karen asked. "I thought it was a reference to the shoe brand."

Lua narrowed her eyes. "Why would I name myself after a shoe brand..?"

"Pft, I dunno. I figured it's because you like them or something? Haha." Karen burst out laughing. "So, who's this 'Nike', anyway?"

Before Lua got to answer, Andria had already taken the stage. "Nike is none other than the goddess of victory!" Andria spread her arms theatrically as she spoke. "She is closely associated with Athena, as both of them promise to bring victory in war!"

"Wait, so the Greeks made up not one but TWO gods for winning wars?" Karen asked. "Damn, they sure want to stay winning, huh. I like that attitude."

"Athena is associated with other subjects as well, such as wisdom and handicraft," Andria explained. "On the other hand, Nike is all about the raw concept of victory, regardless of the field. It can be war, it can be arts, and it can be games. She would bring victory in just about anything."

"Heh. And here I thought Aegis and Athena were pompous names." Karen smirked. "Turns out our Lua over here has the most holier-than-thou nick, haha!"

Lua pouted in response. "T-That wasn't really the idea behind this name..."

"Oh?" Karen raised an eyebrow. "It's not for asserting dominance?"

"No, it's just that I was inspired by the way Athena played last year, so..."

"Oh, so it's like a declaration of war." Karen nodded in understanding. "I see, I see."

"Eh, not quite..." Lua was getting tired of trying to explain it at this point. A part of her was willing to just let Karen weave whatever fiction the girl wanted, just so they could move on from this topic.

Thankfully, Andira came to the rescue. "Allow me to clarify. You see, it is a well-known fact that many ancient gods can trace their origins back to other, older gods. Over time, myths and traditions evolve, and so do the gods the people worship."

"Huh." Karen tilted her head. "Okay?"

"While some regard Nike as her own separate entity, others believe her origins trace back to Athena. In other words, they believe Nike is merely a facet of Athena herself."

"I'll be real, I almost wanna say this sounds like a conspiracy theory... except neither of these gods is real in the first place so it's kinda dumb lmao."