The clash of metal rang out sharply, blending with the blaring electronic music of the arcade. Neon lights flickered nonstop, reflecting off the screens of rows of arcade machines. You sat hunched over one, gripping the joystick tightly, eyes locked onto the screen. Your in-game character spun their sword, making a best movement.

You were addicted to this feeling, the thrill of landing flawless combos. Day after day, you spent at least twelve hours here, lost in Arcadia, the game you had mastered.

Today was no different. You were deep in combat, about to defeat a boss, when the screen glitched. The overhead lights flickered violently before dimming. A shiver ran down your spine. You glanced around.

No one else was there.

The arcade, which had been filled with laughter and the constant tapping of buttons just moments ago, the machines flickering as if corrupted. Unease crept in. You leaned forward, tapping the screen.

Bzzt!

A wave of dizziness hit you. Something yanked you forward like an invisible force pulling you in. Your entire body was sucked into the screen, your vision shattering into fragments of glowing pixels. You barely had time to react before everything faded into an endless void.

Then you hit the ground.

Dust rose as you staggered to your feet. The arcade was gone. Around you lay a ruined city, buildings floating in midair like glitched game assets, the sky shimmered with falling streams of code.

Arcadia.

A footstep echoed behind you. You turned. A man stood there, gripping the hilt of his sword. His clothes pulsed with crimson circuitry, glowing like corrupted data. His piercing gaze locked onto you.

You recognized him instantly.

Yasuo.

One-time protagonist of the 1979 cult classic Hasagi. Every gamer had once dreamed of controlling him. But now, he was something else. Infected by Veigar’s virus, twisted into one of Arcadia’s deadliest foes.

He stepped forward, his deep voice resonating like a corrupted command line.

“Next challenger?”