JULIA UNLEASHED!!!

『An ally has been killed!』

"Wha..." Julia's lips trembled. How could this happen? Roi has just died in Top Lane. But, he didn't just die; he got ganked. And, the ganker was Gilbert, of all people. It's all because Julia allowed Gilbert to do as he pleased that this happened. [Oh god, this is so my fault...]

"Hey July," Roi called out.

"Y-Yes?"

"Did you even call missing on Gil? Don't remember hearing it."

"I... um..." Julia gulped. No, she didn't call it. She didn't call anything. Julia allowed Gilbert to rotate out of lane and gank a teammate and she didn't even notify anybody about it. Goddammit, how bad could she be!?

"I thought Gilbert was just going for the Griffin..." Julia made a weak excuse.

"Man, you should still call missing when that happens," Roi said. "The guy totally screwed me over here."

"Yeah, I..."

"Roi," Yuel joined the conversation. "One of Julia's wards showed that Gilbert was heading towards Top Jungle. Nobody could tell for sure where he was going, but you could see he was going in Top's direction. That should've been enough of a warning."

"R-Right!" Julia followed up. "I put a bunch of wards around, so you should've seen the rotation. Hmph."

"Huh," Roi paused for a moment. Wait, did any of the wards really expose Gilbert as he was making his way to Top? Um... maybe? To be honest, Roi didn't recall seeing anything of the sort, but if Yuel said so then it had to be true.

So, just how distracted was Roi this whole time? Damn, this was hella embarrassing.

"Well," Roi started. "I still think she should've called missing just in case."

"I agree," Yuel nodded. "But, that doesn't change the fact you weren't cautious enough. You should've waited until we clarify Gilbert's intentions before charging at Gregory."

"Yeah, I guess." Roi sighed in resignation.

[Phew, looks like I'm in the clear.] Julia sighed in relief. After clearing Julia of the guilt, Yuel went on to criticize Roi's recent plays some more but who cared about that anyway. As long as it wasn't Julia's fault, it didn't matter, right?

[Except, it IS my fault.] Julia clenched her mouse. All of this was happening because she allowed Gilbert to do whatever he wanted. Instead of pressuring the Pyromancer as she should, she let that dumbass strut around as if he owned the entire place. Goddammit!

This was not good. Julia's misplays began spreading beyond her own lane. This was no longer just a question of whether she could defend Mid. Her poor performance was dragging down the entire team.

Things couldn't continue like this. At this rate, she'll drag the entire team down to oblivion. They'll lose the entire match and everything will be on Julia's hands. [God, just end me.]

Losing this game meant losing the entire selection match. That'll crush Lars's dream of playing in tournaments next year. Yuel will also be screwed by this, but who cared about that idiot. Hmph.

On top of that, Julia's poor performance guaranteed she won't get into the first-string either. In short, everybody gonna got screwed due to her weak performance.

This couldn't go on. It was no longer just about Julia, it was also about Lars and even Yuel. This match will decide whether they spend the next year as competitive players or as mere benchwarmers. For the two game addicts, this was a matter of life and death. As for Julia...

[Well, it's probably too late for me anyways.] Julia hung her head. Considering her awful performance up to this point, nobody would ever pick her for the first string. And, honestly? She didn't think she deserved it either.

But, Lars deserved to be on the first string. Heck, even Yuel deserved it. Well, probably. Kinda.

Unlike Julia, these two were brilliant players. She knew first-hand how amazing they were because she spent every day playing with them. Thanks to them, Julia improved tremendously and even ranked all the way to Diamond I. So, the least she could do for the boys was to not drag them down.

[Lars will hate me for sure if he sees how I play aggressively,] Julia smiled wryly. [But, if playing aggressively will help Lars get into the first string, then I'll freaking do it!]

Julia put her mic on mute and exhaled deeply. It was now or never. She'll go on the offensive and wreck all these idiots!

"Where are you going?" Yuel asked.

"Top Lane," Julia answered matter-of-factly as if it was the most natural thing to do right now.

"What for?" Yuel asked. "By the time you get there, they'll start retreating. You won't be able to defend Top much."

"Defend? Who said anything about defending?" Julia cracked her neck. "I'm done with defending. I'm going to murder these bastards!" A grin curved on her lips. Her eyes glinted like a polished blade.

[I know this look.] Yuel couldn't believe it but, apparently, it was happening for real. [If she's serious about this, she may actually pull it off.]

"Dan," Yuel said. "Rotate toward Top. Check for opportunities to pick somebody off."

"Roger."

Was it really going to happen? Will Julia go for her alternative playstyle even though Lars was here? It was hard to tell with this moody girl. But, if she really pulls through and activates her aggressive style, this match will take a huge unexpected turn...

[Okay, here we are.] Julia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She got to Top Lane pretty fast after buffing her movement with Jet Stream. These bastards won't see this one coming! She gonna kill them so hard they'll feel the pain in real life! She gonna destroy them!

[Okay, first this dumbass over here.] Julia noticed that Gregory retreated a little and began recalling. "Running away to your mama? Not under my watch! Die, dumbass!"

Julia activated Squall, which fired a gust of wind. The hit damaged Gregory, interrupted his recall and slowed him down.

"You're soooooo dead!" Julia grinned as she darted to finish off her weak prey.

"Wha!?" Gregory exclaimed. "Shit! Where did that bitch come from!? Hey Gil! Help me out here-"

『You have been killed!』

"Fuck!" Gregory smacked the table. "Thanks for the help, man."

[Why is Julia here?] Gilbert was too confused by this development to even come up with counter-play.

Julia was supposed to be defending Mid Lane, that's how she was playing the entire day. How in the world was she in Top Lane right now? Not to mention, she apparently snuck up to them on her own and put herself in a dangerous 1v2 situation that could've easily gone wrong. That was an absurdly offensive play.

[I don't even...] Gilbert blinked repeatedly in hope his eyes were playing tricks on him. But no, Julia was definitely here. And, she just scored a swift kill on Gregory.

"Haha! Yes! Die!" Julia cackled. She made sure to mute herself before her mouth started running off on its own, but that didn't change the fact her teammates were sitting right beside her. So, they could probably hear some of it. Especially, Lars could probably hear her too. He was most likely giving her funny looks right about now.

But, Julia didn't send as much as a single glance in Lars's direction. If she sees Lars's reaction, her fighting spirit will die out on the spot. So, she couldn't possibly check her teammates' reactions right now. She had to step on the gas and wreck Gilbert before she starts feeling awkward about all of this.

Out of everybody on the enemy team, Gilbert deserved the most painful death possible. That pompous bastard has been feeling himself too much this game. It was time to show him that Julia wasn't some weak player he could mess around with!

"C'mon!" Julia roared. "I'mma kick your ass to another plane of existence! You're sooooo dead!"

[She's going for it?] Gilbert frowned. A 1v1 against an aggressive opponent wasn't exactly something he wanted right now with his 20% HP. [But alright, he was game.]

This was a great opportunity to decide once and for all which of them was the superior Mid Laner. Gilbert was in a bad shape, but so was Julia. She was down to 30% HP and she has already spent Squall on Gregory, so her options were limited.

Julia still had her ult, but it was practically impossible for her to land it on Gilbert during a 1v1. He'd burst her down if she dares to go ahead and channel it. Therefore, Julia will have to resort to basic attacks while Gilbert had some options.

Unfortunately, his Flame Wave was currently on cooldown for a few seconds, so he'll also have to rely on basics attacks at first. However, he also had Blaze of Inferno which Roi interrupted last time. The casting of the ult didn't go through because of Roi's taunt, so Blaze of Inferno wasn't on cooldown.

So, if Julia gets close, all Gilbert had to do was bombard her with Blaze of Inferno. Thus, despite the slightly lower HP, Gilbert actually held the advantages here. Julia couldn't do anything of note in this 1v1. Gilbert had this one in the bag.

[Take this! And that! Die!] Julia barraged Gilbert with wind blasts. That bastard was soooo dead! [Ha! You think you gonna hit me with that shit? That's cute!]

"Wha?!" Gilbert fired back at Julia, but his fireballs missed. On the other hand, all of Julia's wind blasts perfectly landed. What kind of wizardry was this?

[She's good. Unexpectedly good.] Gilbert gulped. He didn't expect things to go this way. Julia should've been a defensive player who hated putting herself in battle, yet she packed quite the punch in an actual fight. Was she hiding this skill all this time? Was it for the surprise element or something?

Either way, Gilbert won't lose here. This was his opportunity to kill Julia and prove he was the only Mid Laner the first-string needed. No matter how good Julia was at dodging shots, she was still a greenhorn with fewer years of experience. Gilbert has been playing Classmancers for over four years now, so there was no way he'll be beaten by this rookie!

"Die!" Julia fired another wind blast as she advanced toward her foe. She had this! Gilbert was already down to 10%. [Goddamit, the damage of my basics sucks when I build a defensive build. I hit him so many times but he's stick kicking. Die already!]

[You've made a grave mistake.] Gilbert drew a path of flames on the ground. Julia foolishly stepped within the range of his Blaze of Inferno. He marked the entire area around her with red lines, so she had no way to escape the blaze. This fight was over.

"Ha! You think that's enough!?" Julia blinked forward. She escaped the danger zone in an instant!

[A cloaked Blink!?] Gilbert flinched as Julia teleported behind him. His Blaze of Inferno went down the toilet!

[But, now you're even closer!] Gilbert turned around. His Flame Wave came out of cooldown with perfect timing, so this was the perfect opportunity to unleash it! It'll erase most of Julia's- huh!? She was gone! Where did she go after blinking!?

"Hahaha! How about this, sucker!" Julia rolled underneath the Flame Wave just as Gilbert unleashed it! [This is so cool! I've always wanted to do it ever since Lars pulled it off in the scrimmage! It feels SO good!]

[T-This is…] A shiver ran through Gilbert's arms. For a moment, an unsettling image crossed his mind. It was a mixture of mechanical skill which rivaled Lars's and sharp decision-making which resembled Yuel's. Both skills were right here, packed into one!

[I've underestimated her.] Gilbert gulped. It was unclear why Julia didn't play like this from the beginning, but right now she was DANGEROUS. Alarms rang in Gilbert's head: RETREAT. RETREAT. RETREAT.

[No idea who I'm fighting right now, but this "Julia" right here is a beast.] Gilbert concluded that he was going to die at this rate. RETREAT. RETREAT. RETREAT. He booted Burning Spirit and dashed out of there as quickly as his legs could carry him.

"Heh! Coward!" Julia could already feel it with every cell in her body. This rush! This tension! This was gonna be a beautiful kill! "Goodnight, dumbass!"

Julia charged her ult, Hurricane, and sent it flying in Gilbert's direction. It took the hurricane some time to pick up the pace, but once it got going - it was hella fast! It chased Gilbert and sucked him in.

[Drat, I can't get out!] The hurricane dragged Gilbert back toward Julia!

"Die, sucker!" Julia finished the job with a couple more basic attacks.

『You have killed an enemy!』

『DOUBLE KILL』

"Yes! Get fucked!" Julia pumped a fist. She did it! She freaking did it! Two kills! These idiots will think twice next time before messing with her! She… Oh, shit.

".....…." Lars was staring right at her. His eyes were wide-open. He was shocked as hell.

[Oh god, I knew this was a bad idea…] Julia gulped. She has just exposed her ugly side in front of the boy she loved. That's it, her life was over.

"Duuuude," Lars finally spoke. "That was sick!"

"Eh…?"

"You totally rekt these guys! I never knew you can play like this! You wrecked them HARD!"

"I-I, um, yes, I…" Julia trembled. W-W-What was happening? Lars didn't seem shocked or disgusted at all. In fact, he was [complimenting] her. How in the world was this even…

"It's not over yet," Yuel warned. "Get out of there as soon as you-"

"Here coooooomes Taison!"

"Ah! Crap!" Julia jumped. Her engines totally cooled down after scoring these kills, so she wasn't ready for extra action right now! This was bad. She had to get away! After scoring two kills and being praised by Lars, dying right away will be the most embarrassing thing ever!

"Coming through!" Dan leaped into the action from the jungle and summoned a pack of lions around himself and Taison.

"Yo," Taison exclaimed. "You wanna die instead, bro? I'mma take ya on!"

"No," Howard retorted. "Use your ult and retreat."

"But I-"

"No buts. This is a 1v2 and you're Inside Lion's the ult. You can't win here."

"But July is so low on HP, she doesn't even count-"

"No, she counts a lot. Didn't you hear she just got a double kill? If you stay, she'll fight you together with Dan."

"I'mma just kill her before she-"

"Retreat. Now." Howard shot a sharp glare.

"O-Okay, okay, I'm getting out. To the Vampmobile!" Taison transformed into a bat and flew over the lions. [I'mma get you scrubs next time, word.]

"PHEEEEEW!" Julia literally exhaled all the air from her lungs. "Thanks, you totally saved my ass- Ahem. I mean, you totally rescued me."

"Sure thing," Dan gave a thumbs up. [Man, I barely got here in time. Yuel must've read this situation from a mile away when he told me to rotate here.]

"Good job on that double kill," Yuel could finally say it once the situation calmed down.

"Suuuure," Julia rolled her eyes. "Next time, congratulate me five years after I make the play," She had a sassy tone, but her expression soon turned into a beaming smile. "But, thanks for that rescue. It was your doing, right?"

"Hmph, who knows." Yuel shrugged and returned the game.

[Heh, bastard.] Julia chuckled. [But, thanks. Really.] That last-moment rescue made Julia's entire play turn out perfect. She scored a double kill and got away scot-free. It was awesome!

[T-This is really happening, isn't it?] Julia rubbed her sweaty palms against her jeans and put a hand on her chest. Bam. Babam. Her heart was still racing. This situation was unbelievable. She felt like she wandered into Wonderland.

Not only did she finally bring out her aggressive side during a real match, but it was also surprisingly well-received too! Lars didn't seem disgusted with her at all. In fact, he even liked it? Maybe he actually liked girls who acted like this!?

No, no, no. It was way too early to assume anything wild like that. For now, she was content with just not entering Lars's blacklist for her running her mouth like that.

"So," Yuel said. "I take it you have no problem playing aggressively for the rest of the game?"

"Heh! Haha! I'll murder them all!"

"Good," Yuel nodded. [No idea what happened to her, but she finally brought out her other half. This is a huge game-changer.]

With this lineup, their chances were better than ever. As the match was heading into the mid-game, the team gained huge momentum thanks to Julia's double kill.

If they can push all the way with this momentum, they might very well win the entire match during the mid-game. Alternatively, if they fail to wrap it up by then, the game will be dragged into the late-game. That's where Lars will dominate with his Seraph.

Either way, Yuel's team had the upper hand. They were about to settle this!