Chapter 1226

No.1

"Benjamin. Come stand by me. Tell her: Did I kidnap you?"

"Yes, Master." Benjamin nodded obediently and moved toward Takashi.

Isabella’s eyes narrowed sharply. She seized Benjamin’s wrist, yanking him firmly behind her. “Stay behind me,” she commanded, her voice low and dangerous. “Don’t move an inch. I won’t hesitate to break your hand. You’d never play another game in your life.” Her threat was delivered with a chilling intensity. Though Benjamin was prideful and resistant, the aura she projected was utterly terrifying. He froze, too scared to argue, and obeyed without another word.

Isabella knew the situation was escalating. They needed to leave, and fast. “You actually believe you can learn from Takashi Yamamoto?” she scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. “His skills are mediocre at best. Studying under him will only ruin your potential.” The insult hit its mark perfectly.

Takashi Yamamoto’s face flushed with anger. “How dare you question my ability just because you bypassed my security, Isabella! You’re a clueless woman. Know your place and shut your mouth!” He could tolerate many things, but having his gaming prowess insulted was unforgivable.

Seeing she had successfully provoked him, Isabella locked eyes with him. “If you’re so confident, then prove it. Right here, right now. A one-on-one match. If I win, I take Benjamin and we walk out of here. If I lose… I’m yours to command.” Her challenge hung in the air.

Takashi threw his head back and laughed. “Hahaha! A one-on-one? With me? Did you all hear that?” He turned to his bodyguards, who erupted in mocking laughter. They looked at Isabella as if she were a complete fool.

“A woman challenging Mr. Yamamoto?”

“Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with? He’s been the undefeated champion of Eternal Champions for twenty consecutive seasons!”

“Shouldn’t you be home cooking or sewing? Gaming? That’s a joke!”

No.2

Humiliation burned through Benjamin. “Isabella, just leave! You’re embarrassing yourself! And you’re ruining everything for me! Get out of here!” He feared his chance with his idol was crumbling because of her.

Isabella ignored him completely, her cold gaze never leaving Takashi. “Stop wasting time. I’ll ask one more time. Do you dare to accept?”

“Such arrogance! Of course I accept! Let’s do it!” Takashi rolled up his sleeves and strode toward two high-end gaming setups in the basement. He powered them on, smirking arrogantly. “Right here, right now. You win, you both go free. I win… you stay here and serve me.”

“Deal. I expect you to be a man of your word,” Isabella stated calmly, taking a seat at one of the computers.

Takashi sat at the other. They both clicked the game icon simultaneously. Everyone watched Isabella, their expressions a mix of pity and ridicule. A woman challenging Takashi Yamamoto? This was a foregone conclusion. She would be annihilated in seconds.

Benjamin couldn’t bear to watch. “Isabella, stop this humiliation! You’re no match for Master Yamamoto! Please, just go!” he pleaded, desperate.

“Step back and be quiet,” Isabella shot back dismissively. She logged into her account.

Benjamin was about to protest again when his eyes caught the system notification flashing on her screen: (Welcome back, Boss!)

Boss?

The name sent a jolt through him. It sounded incredibly familiar. His mind raced. Then it hit him. ‘Boss’ was the legendary, anonymous player who had defeated Takashi Yamamoto in a historic match. The only person ever to do so.

No.3

Could Isabella possibly be… Boss?

No. That was impossible. It couldn’t be her.

This had to be a coincidence! Isabella Montgomery simply shared the same username as that legendary player. Boss—nothing more than that! Then, Isabella sent a duel challenge to Takashi Yamamoto. A game notification flashed across Takashi’s screen. [Boss has invited you to a 1v1 duel!] A smaller line of text followed below: [Friendly Reminder: Player Boss has previously defeated you—stay alert.]

Takashi’s expression darkened. His eyelids twitched. Boss—the very player who had humiliated him before—was challenging him again. But wait… He was supposed to be facing Isabella. Why would Boss send him an invitation now?

Unless…

A shocking realization dawned on him. He spun around, his eyes locking onto Isabella’s monitor. Her screen displayed: [Duel request sent. Waiting for opponent to accept…]

Takashi froze. His disbelief was palpable. It was her. Isabella was the one who had crushed him, costing him billions. The Boss he had desperately tried to hunt down. The only person in the world capable of defeating him. The legendary player who had nearly forced him to rename himself “Dog”!

Benjamin Kensington, standing behind Takashi, was equally stunned. His eyes widened in shock. How… how was this possible? His own sister was Boss? The mythical figure every gamer revered?

Even the bodyguards at the entrance were speechless. They knew their master had suffered only one defeat—a humiliation that had followed him everywhere. Rivals and enemies never let him forget it. They had all underestimated Isabella, dismissing her as just another woman who knew nothing about gaming. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined she was the legendary Boss who had humiliated Takashi Yamamoto.

Isabella remained calm, her gaze cool and impatient. “What’s wrong? Scared now that you know it’s me?”

No.4

Takashi snapped back to reality, his face flushing with anger. “Who said that? I made a few mistakes last time. Do you really think you can beat me again?”

He clicked the accept button, and the duel began. Instantly, thirty percent of Takashi’s followers received a notification: [Takashi Yamamoto is now in a 1v1 duel with Boss…]

The online community erupted. Players flooded into the spectator mode. Even those offline dropped everything to log in and watch. The comments section exploded. [Takashi didn’t change his name after losing to Boss last time. Why are they fighting again?]

[He claimed it was a fluke, that Boss cheated. Let’s see if it was really a coincidence!]

[I still think it was luck. Watch Takashi destroy Boss in seconds!]

Takashi read the comments, his resolve hardening. He had to win this time, no matter what. His reputation depended on it. He remained hyper-focused, waiting for Isabella to select her character. Just like before, she chose the Dancer.

Takashi’s eyes narrowed. The Dancer again? That same character had defeated him last time. But… Hah! He quickly locked in Daji, the Witch—a character known for her instant-kill abilities. The Dancer’s skills were primarily defensive, making her useless against the Witch’s aggressive playstyle. Two of the Dancer’s skills would be completely ineffective in this matchup.

Hah! Isabella didn’t stand a chance this time. Takashi smirked, already envisioning her defeat. He would reclaim his glory and make her beg for mercy on her knees.

Isabella Montgomery kept her eyes fixed on the computer screen, completely ignoring Takashi Yamamoto.

The match began. Since it was a player-versus-player format, both characters started with all their skills unlocked. No leveling up was required.

No.5

Takashi immediately launched an attack with his Witch character. The Witch possessed three key abilities. Her first skill was a debuff that reduced the opponent's defense by thirty percent. This made targets vulnerable and easy to hit. Her second skill cast a spell that stunned the opponent for one and a half seconds. Her ultimate ability unleashed a torrent of violent flames, capable of eliminating any foe in mere seconds.

These three skills spelled certain doom for the Dancer.

Takashi was determined to finally defeat Isabella.

Benjamin Kensington stood behind his sister, utterly speechless. He stared at the two screens without blinking. He still couldn't believe his own sister was the legendary Boss. Overwhelmed by this revelation, he needed to see if her previous victory over Takashi had just been a fluke.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of gamers worldwide were spectating the live duel. The viewer count skyrocketed past six figures.

Isabella didn't move her character. She let her Dancer avatar remain perfectly still under the protection of her crystal tower.

This inactivity provoked instant ridicule from the watching crowd. [Hahaha! Is Boss too scared to fight now?] [Hiding like a coward under her tower? Pathetic!] [Looks like Boss is going to lose for sure this time!]

Takashi felt a surge of arrogant confidence. The character he selected had a natural advantage over hers. He was absolutely certain she stood no chance of winning.

His Witch avatar swiftly closed the distance to her crystal tower. They were now only a few meters apart.

Finally, Isabella moved. Her fingers flew across the keyboard. Her Dancer emerged from the safety of the tower's shield, making herself completely vulnerable.

No.6

Takashi’s eyes narrowed. He instantly launched his first attack. But Isabella had already anticipated it. Her avatar sidestepped with lightning speed, effortlessly avoiding the blow.

Takashi scoffed. Trying to dodge? He prepared to use his second skill, the stun spell. He would finish her off in seconds!

Isabella’s special talent was useless here. Once caught in the Witch’s magical trap, she wouldn't be able to move at all. It would be an instant kill.

To his shock, Isabella activated her own special talent first: Fainting Spell. This ability rendered her opponent immobile for 1.5 seconds. The Witch was frozen in place. Takashi’s fingers were a mere tenth of a second too slow. Just one-tenth of a second!

A dangerous smirk played on Isabella’s lips. It was time for her final move. She unleashed a volley of three arrows simultaneously. The Witch’s health bar instantly plummeted to fifty percent.

Isabella triggered another powerful blow. The health bar dropped sharply to thirty percent. Takashi panicked. His eyelid twitched violently. He never expected her to activate her special talent before he could.

The Witch’s major weakness was a lack of agility compared to the Dancer. Her only defensive skill was a Sprint. But how could he use it with only thirty percent health remaining?

Damn it! He wanted revenge!

The moment the Fainting Spell wore off, Takashi desperately triggered his second ability, trying to cast the stun spell. But Isabella was ready. She activated her own second skill and sprinted away with incredible speed. It was as if she had predicted his every move. The Dancer elegantly evaded every single spell the Witch hurled her way.

Takashi’s face darkened with fury. She was running away! How was she so impossibly fast?!

No.7

Takashi Yamamoto refused to accept defeat. His eyes burned with pure rage as he pursued Isabella's Dancer. He had to activate his third ability. He needed to unleash the inferno to incinerate Isabella!

But…

He had forgotten Isabella's initial strategy. She hadn't been in a hurry to engage. She only emerged from her tower when he was practically on top of her.

Consequently, Isabella's avatar was a mere two meters from her crystal tower's safety. While his desperate final assault did land, inflicting serious damage, Isabella simply retreated back into her tower.

Even though his ultimate move had been powerful, Isabella's crystal tower continuously regenerated her health. By the time the Witch had exhausted all three of her skills, Isabella's health bar was still over half full.

Simultaneously, the Dancer's skills reset completely.

A cold smile touched Isabella's lips. She activated two skills simultaneously. She dashed toward the Witch with her second skill and unleashed a volley of three arrows with her third!