Confronting the Ganker

"I'm going in," William announced to ensure he and Sonya were in sync. Then, the lion man jumped over the wall!

William's target was still in the middle of overextending, hanging out around the center of the lane. Thus far, she didn't exhibit any signs of being aware of William's position. So, by all accounts, this should be an easy gank. However...

[Here it comes!] Kai heard the leaping sound loud and clear. The Lionfolk was right there, right about to crash on her from above!

In response, Kai turned around and rolled toward allied territory. WHAM! A loud crash resounded behind her! However, it didn't touch her.

[Hah! Get dunked!] Kai smirked as she recovered from the roll. Her response was on point.

[Finally, some action!] Kai's body heated up. She became so perky in an instant that it almost felt like she was fast asleep until now. That's how boring it was to entertain Theorist's pacifistic status quo in the lane.

But, this was different! At long last, she had an opportunity to actually fight somebody for real, and her opponent was strong to boot!

[C'mon, let's do this!] Kai asserted her fighting spirit by summoning a Magia Orb, but then she just... turned around and ran away! Yes, she fled the dangerous battlefield, as lame as that was. Unfortunately, this was necessary for winning.

"He's here!" Kai reported as she rushed deeper into the allied territory, with Winner right on her tail.

Tap tap tap. The Lionfolk's nimble steps were right behind her, threatening to catch up.

[Good.] Kai nodded in satisfaction. [This wouldn't be a real fight if you don't chase me down.]

In this position, a Lionfolk had every reason to chase down a fleeing Sorcerer. Kai had no escape tools whatsoever, so it should be easy enough for a Lionfolk to tear her apart once he catches up.

To make things worse, the Lionfolk was faster on foot, so he'll catch up before long. But, will he make it in time? After all, Kai's timely Dodge Roll gave her a head start, so the Lionfolk was currently lagging behind.

Slowly but surely, the predator was closing on the prey, but he might not make it in time before Kai reaches the tower area. For some reason, Winner didn't build as much Movement Speed as you'd expect from a typical Lionfolk, so he wasn't overwhelmingly quick on his feet. This was a fact that Yuel probably took into account when forming this ploy.

Naturally, Winner also realized that he might not make it at this rate. Therefore, after chasing Kai for a brief while, the guy rolled forward to close the distance in an instant!

Kai couldn't see the actual roll happen behind her back, but she recognized the SFX all too well.

"He used his roll!" Kai informed. It was crucial information for the mastermind who hatched this entire plan, as well as for the one who was also about to arrive in the lane soon.

After the Dodge Roll, the distance between Kai and the Lionfolk was just a couple of steps. Nonetheless, Kai continued running away as before, so it won't be easy for the Lionfolk to both chase her and strike her at the same time.

In other words, Winner still needed a definitive method to block off Kai's escape route. And, that method was none other than his ult.

"This domain is now mine!" the Lionfolk roared. In response to the shout, numerous lions emerged out of thin air and formed a blockade around Kai.

"He used his ult," Kai informed calmly. Or, at least, she did her best to sound calm. Nonetheless, a nervous gulp escaped her throat after she was done reporting the situation.

Even though she fully anticipated this scenario, that didn't change the fact that this was an extremely dangerous situation. Kai was locked inside the Lionfolk's ult all alone, about to engage in combat with the strongest player from the champion team. No pressure...

[H-Heh, this is more like it!] Kai smiled nervously. A part of her was overrun with dread, whereas another part was thrilled to do some battle finally.

[Thinking of it, this is the first time I get to 1v1 Winner like this, right?] Kai realized. [I mean, the last time we faced off was near the Colossus and I had to stall, so it wasn't much of a fight. Then again, it's not like this situation is all that different...]

Not to mention, Theorist was still present on the lane and could jump into the fray at any moment. That turtle cautiously left her tower area and slowly approached the scene, without rushing to her ally's aid right away.

[Damn, she's exercising so much caution even in a situation like this, huh.] Kai shook her head. [No wonder I could never convince her to step forward and fight. This girl needs a HUGE push from behind to start moving.]

That was probably part of the reason why Yuel had to come up with such a dangerous and convoluted plan in the first place. He had no choice but to go this far in order to make the Leopards lower their guard and overextend.

[Well, that girl isn't my problem for now.] Kai shifted her eyes from Theorist back to Winner. [My job is to keep this lion at bay.]

The predator was charging straight at her and with increased Movement Speed to boot. Winner didn't waste a moment here.

Against any other class, Kai could easily stall for time with Dimensional Collapse. She had already placed a Magia Orb in the vicinity, so she could pop it up and pull the Lionfolk in.

Unfortunately, inside the King's Dominion, the Lionfolk was immune to all forms of CC. Therefore, there was no stopping the guy.

[I just have to juke him.] Kai concluded. [It's easier said than done, though.]

Winner unleashed one powerful slash after another, tearing through Kai's flesh. Each and every attack was swift and powerful because The King's Dominion buffed him in both Attack Speed and Attack Power.

This enclosed area was like a territory that belonged to Winner despite the fact it was on Stratus's side of the map. And, it's in this disadvantageous environment that Kai had to confront the king of the hill.

[He's so fast...!] Kai gritted her teeth. She ran from side to side inside the lion prison, doing what she could to minimize incoming damage. However, her efforts were almost entirely futile.

Winner stuck to her like glue. He predicted most of her movements and was faster than her, so nearly all his attacks landed on her without fail.

It wasn't only the buffs of The King's Dominion that made Winner such an oppressive force of nature. He also had good mechanical skill and sharp decision-making. In other words, Winner had both numerical power and technical skill on his side, he had everything he needed to tear his prey apart!

Kai's HP was at 100% when Winner's attack started, but it had already plummeted to 50%. There was neither stopping nor escaping this rampaging lion.

The only way Kai could retaliate was by summoning a Magia Orb as soon as the skill came off cooldown. She had already placed one orb back when Winner arrived in the lane, and then another one shortly after the King's Dominion was formed.

[I just need to place one more and then I can blow him up.] Kai thought.[ But, will I make it in time…?]

She couldn't help but frown as she glanced at her HP. It was already down to 40%.

[Damn, what's taking Yuel so long!?] Kai ranted. [This damn lion can hit me with Fear any moment right now!]

Considering the short distance between them, Winner could easily unleash Mighty Roar at any moment. With how big of an HP lead he had over Kai, the skill was bound to terrify her Sorcerer, forcing Kai to lose control over her own character for a brief moment. If that happens right as she's about to set off her ult, then this entire "fight" will be over right there.

Thankfully, Kai had regained access to her Dodge Roll by now, so she had a countermeasure for Might Roar. That's probably why Winner hadn't used it yet.

Nonetheless, the danger was ever looming. Kai had to pump her concentration up to eleven and constantly be on the lookout for any surprise roars.

[But really, I gotta save the roll for the critical moment of the fight, which is almost here...!]

"I'm here." Yuel finally appeared but he didn't use his ult just yet. Even though Kai was already down to 30% HP, Yuel didn't seem in a hurry to rescue her.

Of course, it's not like he didn't want to do it. On the contrary, the situation was so tense and dangerous that Yuel itched to rush in ASAP and salvage this seemingly "helpless situation".

But, that wouldn't be the winning more here. Timing was everything about this play and it was up to Kai to make the call. She was the one who had been setting up the ultimate counterattack, so only she knew for sure when it was ready.

[Okay, just a little more...!] Kai gulped as she baited her opponent toward an area between her two Magia Orbs. This almost felt like a mission impossible. Even the tiniest mistake on her end would ruin the entire operation.

Not to mention, her HP was already at 20%. Basically, she was at death's door no matter how she looked at it.

But, that didn't matter. All she cared about was the position of her opponent and the cooldown of her third and last Magia Orb.

[I can see everything around me clearly.] Kai's eyes constantly darted around the screen, reaffirming that everything was in place. [Maybe it's because I was practically asleep in the previous two games, but I feel extremely focused right now. So, I got this!]

"Now!" Kai gave the signal. And, a split second later, the entire area was engulfed in darkness…