Liyue's Internet cafe pulsed past midnight—its 300 rigs a glowing fortress of Counter-Strike chaos, the night service a heartbeat stretching into the dawn—and Ganyu's room swelled to twenty, her bird sniper a qilin's claw, her name on the host screen a jolt to Keqing's steady gaze.
Keqing blinked—"Ganyu's playing? I figured her for movies, not this," her voice crackling over the channel, a Qixing's calm pierced by surprise—and Ganyu replied, "Liam found me at the wharf—he brought me here," her tone a soft breeze, her qilin heart still half in the sea's lull.
Xingqiu chimed—"A fine respite, Miss Ganyu—Feiyun's workers rest one day in six, five hours max," his scholar's lilt a gentle prod—and Chongyun nodded, "Even immortals need breaks—you've dodged vacations too long," his icy calm a mirror to her tireless past.
Keqing coughed—"Ahem, I delegate now—work and play balance fine," her pride a spark, Tartaglia groaning, "Can we start already?"—his Harbinger's edge dulled by their chatter, "I'm fading here!" his plea a wail, Liyue's voices a wall he couldn't breach.
Ganyu mused—"Work and rest… it's growing on me," her doubt a ripple as Keqing pressed, "You're here—your heart's already swayed,"—and Tartaglia snapped, "Please, someone hit start—I'm begging!" his frustration a flare, a Zhidong outsider lost in Liyue's flow.
The lobby stirred—ten bandits, ten cops, Dust2's sands their stage, death mode a brutal dance of three wins in five—and fate split: Keqing, Tartaglia, Xingqiu, and Chongyun banded as bandits, Ganyu lone in the police camp, her Scout a silent vow against their tide.
Tartaglia smirked—"Unfair? For her, maybe," his confidence a blade, his M4 primed—and Keqing agreed, "Four of us, masters all—she's got nine scrubs," her logic a shield, Xingqiu nodding, "Ten versus her? We'll eat keyboards if we lose," their hubris a chorus in the cafe's din.
Round one flared—Dust2 sprawled, its sunbaked walls a cramped arena for twenty souls, no tactics planned—and bandits scattered, Tartaglia's C4 a weight as he barked, "Rush A—plant and win!" Keqing, Xingqiu, and Chongyun at his heels, a storm of firepower aimed to crush.
A-door trembled—four cops breached, "Hold 'em!" one yelled, their M4s blazing—and Keqing's AK47 sang, "Keqing (AK47 Headshot) Police No. 3," Tartaglia's burst felling two, "Tartaglia (M4 Kill) Police No. 1, No. 2," Chongyun's precision, "Chongyun (M4 Headshot) Police No. 4," a rout in seconds.
Mid-door flared—Ganyu perched, her bird sniper a qilin's eye, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Bandit No. 6," "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Bandit No. 7," "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Bandit No. 8"—three bandits crumpled, her shots a whisper, news of A's bomb spurring her to the second floor.
B-door pecked—lesser souls clashed, bullets sparking off crates, a chaotic din—and Ganyu climbed, Dust2's police spawn a risk she shunned, her perch above A a sniper's nest, the map's sandy sprawl a canvas for her warborn grace, her Scout a bow reborn in steel.
Tartaglia charged—A's slope loomed, C4 bouncing on his back, "Plant it—now!" his voice a roar—and Ganyu's crosshair locked, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Tartaglia," his skull pierced mid-stride, his screen graying, "What—her again?!" his bomb thudding to the dust.
Keqing hissed—"Ganyu—duck!" her AK raised as they crouched, the slope's ledge a frail shield—and Xingqiu cursed, "She's up there—sniper's got us pinned!" Chongyun's M4 swept, "Hold steady—find a gap," their trio a fortress rattled by her unseen gaze.
Ganyu stood—second-floor corner a throne, her Scout's star tracing A's bomb site, "Move, and you're mine," her calm a qilin's pulse—and Keqing peeked, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Keqing," her lightning snuffed, "Too fast—damn her!" her pride a ember under Ganyu's reign.
Xingqiu darted—"Flank her!" his pistol popping—and Ganyu swung, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Xingqiu," his quill stilled, "She's a wall!"—Chongyun lunged, "Last shot—go!" his M4 blazing, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Chongyun," his ice shattered, her tally climbing in Dust2's haze.
The cafe roared—rigs blazed, melon-eaters gasping, "She's shredding them!"—and Hu Tao crowed, "Ganyu's my ace—Ningguang's next!" her glee a spark, Tartaglia slumping, "Sure win? My pride's dead," his Harbinger's bravado a ghost in her sniper's wake.
A subplot twisted—Ganyu's gentle shell masked a war-god's soul, her desk centuries a lie beside this thrill—and Keqing groaned, "Delegation's moot—she's unstoppable," her Qixing grit bent, Tartaglia musing, "Fatui'd quake—Pantalone's mora wasted," their Teyvat roles flipped in this LAN sprawl.
Round two loomed—bandits respawned, "Regroup—B this time!" Tartaglia barked, his AK primed—and Ganyu shifted, mid-door her perch, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Bandit No. 9," "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Bandit No. 10," her flashbang blinding four, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Tartaglia," his roar snuffed again.
Keqing rallied—"A-long—cut her!" her burst wild as Ganyu leapt, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Keqing," her lightning downed—and Chongyun flanked, "Pipes—steady!" his M4 cracking, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Chongyun," his ice no shield, Xingqiu's cry, "She's everywhere!"
Emotion surged—Ganyu's joy pierced her duty, a qilin's peace undone by battle's call; Tartaglia's swagger crumbled, a Harbinger humbled; Keqing's pride clashed with awe, a Qixing outmatched—and Dust2 trembled, their saga a blaze in the cafe's glow.
Liam watched—Ganyu's kills soared, her laugh a chime—and he grinned, "She's flipped the game—Liyue's sniper god," his den a crucible, Tier Harribel murmuring, "She fights like us—swift, unyielding," her teal gaze tracing a qilin's rise in this pixelated war.
Round three dawned—bandits faltered, "She's too much—camp!" Tartaglia hissed, his sniper raised—and Ganyu roamed, "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Bandit No. 5," "Ganyu (Scout Headshot) Tartaglia," his camp a folly, Keqing's groan, "Keyboards… safe," their sure win a mirage in her dust.
Ganyu reloaded—"Ten down… more to go," her resolve a whisper, the cafe's pull a tide she'd ride—and Hu Tao cheered, "All night, Ganyu—crush 'em!" their bond a flame, her sniper's soul a dawn breaking over Liyue's endless LAN night, Dust2 her dominion unbowed.
***
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