1 SHOWDOWN IN MIDLANE

"Aildrin, listen. Wear this necklace. Always wear it, understood? If something wrong is about to happen, it will throb like a troubled heart."

The boy remembered the words of his father while gripping the necklace—a ruby in the shape of a water droplet set in the middle of a circular turquoise. It was like crystallized blood in a bluish-green ocean.

"You nervous, loser?" The voice behind Aildrin interrupted his thoughts.

It was Osho, his vice-captain and best friend. A fair-skinned teenage boy, the same age as Aildrin, with long black hair neatly tied in a ponytail. "What's that? Is that our lucky charm for tonight's match?"

"A gift from dad. I'm not nervous, I'm thrilled! Have you forgotten that I'm your lucky charm, loser?"

"Lucky charm my ass! We've never won a match against them during the season because of your silly plans!" Osho said. "And now your plan is even crazier! This is the finals!"

"Just stick to the plan. Let's go. The others are waiting for us at the entrance."

The entire stadium fell into silence when the lights dimmed. All eyes turned towards the ceiling where the ultra-wide screens flickered with life.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A voice boomed out of nowhere, and the crowd stirred. "Tonight, we bear witness on another milestone of Esports History. An event so grand that it shall be set in stone!"

On the screens, three figures in coats and ties appeared. They sat behind a long table with desktop microphones and glasses of sparkling wine on it.

"This is the night that we've been all waiting for! A battle between the best of the best!" said the man with blue hair like a parrot's feather. He wore a bright blue coat matched with a striped blue tie. "But before we call out our champions, Lark, why don't you introduce our special guest for tonight?"

"Thank you, Ringo!" Lark replied. What remained of his shiny black hair stood like a pair of horns. He wore a brown coat matched with a yellow tie. "Tonight's special guest is no other than the Father of Esports himself. The one who gave us Battle Arena among many online games, he's no other than Mister Yonco Yoshimitzu!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd when the camera zoomed on the figure seated between the two casters. Mister Yonco wore a black coat matched with a black bow tie. A tinge of gray complemented his trimmed white hair.

Mister Yonco nodded.

"Thank you, Ringo and Lark. To everyone here tonight and those watching from around the globe, I welcome you to the 3rd Annual Championship Match of Battle Arena!" He then raised his glass for a toast.

"Thank you so much, Mister Yonco!" Ringo said. "We're very honored to sit with you tonight in this exciting match. So let's get this ball rolling, Lark!"

Lark nodded.

"Our first contender for tonight is the defending champion ever since Battle Arena started with its professional scene—"

The stadium roared. A yellow owl's head with a pair of green horns flashed on the screens, followed by five faces.

Lark could only smile when the fans drowned his voice. He sipped a drink and waited for the cheers to subside.

"On their way for their third championship, ladies and gentlemen, let's all welcome WisDoom!"

Drums rolled their battle cry, and the pyrotechnicians came into play. Each beat set everyone's heart ablaze while yellow and green fireworks illuminated the stadium.

From the left entrance of the arena, five figures—four boys and one girl—in yellow and green jackets came out. They waved at the audience before entering their designated booth.

"And for tonight's challenger!" Ringo said.

A roar as intense as the previous one rocked the stadium. On the screens, a golden gauntlet with a purple outline flashed along with the faces of its five members. The drums continued to roll while the purple fireworks replaced the green and the yellow ones turned into gold.

"A new team that rose through the ranks and took us all by surprise. Ladies and gentlemen, let's all welcome Titans!"

From the right entrance of the arena, five figures in gold and purple jackets came out. They also waved at the audience before entering their designated booth.

Purple and green glow sticks divided the stadium into two. Each team's fanbase was throat to throat at each other. They did not lose out in their cheers, banters, and banners.

"While our players are prepping themselves in their respective booths, why don't you tell us some key points between the two teams, Ringo?" Lark said.

"Tonight's match-up is interesting, Lark. Titans led by The Professor took us all by surprise with their perfect record during the season! Their never-changing all-mid tactic was a source of headache for their opponents," Ringo said.

Lark nodded. "Do you think they'll still use that tactic for tonight's match?"

"Well, if the tactic gives you a hundred percent win rate, why not?" Ringo grinned. "If you've also noticed, Lark, Titans and WisDoom are the only two teams with no healer in their rosters. So tonight's match will be a quick one unless they'll intentionally drag it.

"And may I add this one? Their three matches in the season were all the same. Lonestar always faced the five Titans directly in the middle lane all by himself. A futile struggle that rendered his team helpless on a four versus five situation," Ringo said.

"Let's just hope that tonight would be a different story, Ringo," Lark said. "Well, our players have now entered the Battle Room. Let's get this championship match started!"

Drums intensified when the players spawned on the battlefield—a three-lane map with three tiers of defensive towers each. And on their respective bases, a townhouse dispersed five militiamen, an archer, and a ballista for each lane every minute. Players also had a one-time-use Healing Fountain and some jungle creeps that dropped items upon death.

The competing teams' goal was simple: kill and survive.

"Wow! Even in their first championship match, Titans' strategy remains the same! It's still an all-mid charge!" Lark said. "And it seems that WisDoom has followed their formation too!"

Ringo grinned. "Titans' Gauntlet Charge is yet to be defeated! Others tried it, but only their team could pull it off with perfection! So let's see how WisDoom would play this one!"

"Are you ready for some fun?" Lonestar, Aildrin's in-game character said. He wore a black cuirass with their team's logo on it and held a flamberge.

"Just don't throw this game intentionally, just like what you did during the season! I'm gonna punch you if we lose this one! Stop experimenting!" Osho, who used his actual name in the game, said. His character wore a yellow tengu mask and wielded a black-bladed katana.

Lonestar grinned. "Meet me in the middle. Bring Delubio with you."

WisDoom's team continued to charge through the midlane, but when they reached their first tower, the four members disappeared to the western part of the thick forest.

The crowd gasped upon hearing Aildrin's plan.

"Did I hear it right?" Mister Yonco asked. Delubio was the big boss on the map. A summonable beast after its death.

Ringo was drinking from his glass when he heard Aildrin's plan. His face reddened. He tried his best to stop the wine from escaping through his nose.

Lark saw Ringo's predicament and came into rescue. "Woah! You heard it right, Mister Yonco. They're planning to have an early raid of the map's big boss!"

"They're on a suicide mission!" Ringo said. He took a deep breath after avoiding a life-and-death situation for his career.

Meanwhile, Mister Yonco watched with deep interest.

Lonestar was the first to arrive in the middle lane. He could already see the five Titans charging with their soldiers.

"Kid, you never learn!" a character named Lidar said. He too wore a black cuirass with their team's logo on it—the highest grade of armor for swordsmen. His greatsword gleamed when he unsheathed it from its scabbard.

"Same with you!" Lonestar grinned. He then charged straight into Titans' team.

Lidar dashed out ahead to meet Lonestar. Their blades danced in sparks after a quick exchange.

From the western part of the map, lightning streaked across the gloomy skyline. Osho and the other three have started their raid against the map's big boss.

"Intercept them! I can handle this kid!" Lidar said.

"No one's leaving!" Lonestar dashed back. His flamberge changed into a black and white orb. "Final Destiny!" A golden yin-yang covered the entire midlane. Yellow pillars emerged from the ground and trapped everyone.

"Kid, you're no fun! You're asking for a quick death!" Lidar said.

"Thank you for your patience! For tonight's menu, the main dish is called 'fun!' But first, the appetizer!" The orb shimmered and transformed into a key-shaped sword. Lonestar grinned. "Come forth! Inter-Dimensional Summoning!"

Lonestar planted his weapon on the ground and turned it like a knob. A blinding light blossomed from the blade.

"Kill him, quick!" Lidar's intuition kicked in.

The earth cracked, and from it, the Healing Fountain from WisDoom's spawn point came out.