The End of the First Scrimmage

『An enemy has been killed!』

"Woohoo! We did it!" Lars pumped a fist. "Great job, Kai!"

"Sorry for stealing your kill," Kai apologized.

"Nah, you totally deserve it." Lars waved his hand.

"You did most of the damage."

"True," Lars agreed. "But, he would've gotten away if ya didn't pull him, so I couldn't have done it alone anyway."

"Fair enough." Kai accepted that reasoning. Even though Lars would've thoroughly destroyed Renegade in a regular 1v1, even he needed a little help in securing a kill on a fleeing Renegade. That's how good of a player Renegade was.

Even after Renegade realized he foolishly walked into a fatal trap, the guy didn't waver for a second. He immediately shifted gears and focused on escaping. Despite suffering tremendous damage, despite being pulled back, and despite the situation looking helpless - Renegade continued struggling to the bitter end.

[I still hate the guy's guts.] Kai remembered the reason Renegade walked into this trap in the first place. That bastard was totally underestimating her. He probably thought he'd quickly take care of Kai in Mid before heading to defend Bot. What an asshole.

[But, well played.] Kai had to admit. The way Renegade struggled to the bitter end was a worthy display on this competitive stage.

More than anything, it proved how competent of a player Renegade was. He was good enough to give even Lars some trouble. That's the kind of strong opponent Kai was trying to defeat alone in the last two games.

[No wonder I failed so hard.] Kai sighed.

Renegade wasn't a better player than Kai, but neither was he worse. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Whenever they clashed in a 1v1, there was never telling who will walk away victorious. That's how small the skill gap between them was.

Even though Renegade also underestimated Kai, she must've underestimated him three times over. That's what led to her previous defeats.

[Next time we fight, I'll judge the situation properly.] Kai promised herself. [Prepare your ass, Renegade. I'll kick it all the way to the moon at the regionals!]

"Good job in Mid," Yuel said. "Let's group up there and push for the win."

"Okay, let's goooo!" Lars exclaimed.

"Here come the big plays!" Luke grinned.

"Indeed, let us smite down our foes, once and for all!" Vincent announced.

"Except, you're still dead," Kai pointed out.

"Such trivial details shall not stop moi from joining the battle! Though I'm denied from being physically present at the battlefield, my spirit shall fight alongside you all!"

"Right..." Kai rolled her eyes. "But alright, let's do this. This is our chance to turn the game around! Hit the gas all the way on this push!"

The team grouped up in Mid and launched a direct assault at the enemy Mid Golem. They set their eyes on nothing short of immediate victory. They were going to win, right here and now!

Meanwhile, Taurus' camp fell into a slump. Jaiden's death extinguished all hope of mounting a comeback this game.

They were in a great position until recently, they could already feel victory within an arm's reach. Alas, this one unfortunate incident made victory slip through their fingers.

"I'm sorry for being such an idiot!" Jaiden lightly banged his forehead against the table, over and over. "Blame me to your hearts' content. It was me. All me. I did it."

"You'll crack your skull at this rate," Rio commented.

"That'll be a small price to pay for my crimes."

"Haha." Nash laughed. "Relax, bruh, Shit happens."

"No," Zeph objected. "I say the kid deserves every bit of it. I mean, everybody and their moms warned him to not get his ass killed, but he still went ahead and did exactly that."

"Yes, it was me. I did it. I fudged up. I deserve all your hate." Jaiden continued banging his head.

"Tch, that's why ya should never put juniors on the team." Zeph clicked his tongue. "Y'all inexperienced scrubs."

"Says the one who died to Gunz while defending the Golem," Rio retorted quietly, but loud enough for Zeph to hear.

"Huh!? What was that?" Zeph grimaced. "You tryin' to start a fight, kid?"

"Hmph," Rio averted his eyes and said nothing more.

"You fucker, doncha make me come over there!" Zeph was about to stand up from his chair.

"Enough already." Raymond's strong tone slapped everybody back to their senses. It's not like his voice was loud or intimidating, but it was charged with unyielding conviction. Nobody dared to utter a word.

"Jaiden, you can stop beating yourself over it," Raymond said.

"But, it's my fault." Jaiden banged his forehead once more. "We may even lose because of this!"

"Yes, we might," Raymond agreed.

"Aghhhhh!" Jaiden doubled the pace of his banging. BANG. BANG. BANG. He had to drill this frustration into his brain, to never forget it for the rest of his life!

"It wasn't just your fault," Raymond said. "I share some of the blame too."

"Huh?" Zeph responded. "The actual fuck? You literally told the kid to not go for that play. How is that your fault?"

"Yes, I told him. But, did he listen?"

"Nope," Zeph gave it straight. "That's why it's this dumbass's fault."

"There's a reason he didn't listen," Raymond explained. "He didn't trust my judgment enough. That's why it's partially my fault as well. If I had been a reliable captain from the start, it would have been easier for everybody to trust my calls. I'm really sorry about it."

"Hey, that's not..." Jaiden had no idea what to say. He stopped banging his head in order to properly respond, but the words were stuck in his throat.

Admittedly, there was some truth to Raymond's words. Jaiden didn't heed the captain's warning because he didn't trust Raymond's judgment.

Even though Raymond showed signs of becoming a true captain today, it was impossible for a person to make a complete 180 in a single day. Therefore, Jaiden assumed that the one trying to stop him was the "old Raymond", the "passive captain".

[But, does that really make it Ray's fault?] Jaiden couldn't tell. [I mean, I guess a little? Kinda? But, like... eeeeeeh.] The wishy-washy thoughts confused him. He stopped banging his head and carefully listened to the rest.

"I'm aware I wasn't a very good captain," Raymond admitted. "Today's lineup is all the proof you need. I was negligent about Bruce for too long. Before I realized it, things escalated this far. I'm really sorry about that." He bowed his head.

"About damn time you realized it." Zeph sneered.

"Hey," Jaiden interjected. "You don't have to be an ass about it."

"It's alright." Raymond stopped the argument before it had a chance to spark. "I'm sure the seniors are the most frustrated about how I've been handling the club, and I can't blame them. This was supposed to be their year to shine on the big stage, but my mishandling denied them that opportunity. Some even quit the club altogether. In fact, I believe some of Zeph's friends did, right?"

"So, you were actually paying attention, heh." Zeph produced a dry laugh. [Then, why didn't you act earlier, dammit!? If you just did something about it, I wouldn't have had to wiggle my way into Bruce's stupid gang. Bleh, whatever.]

"I plan to make big changes in the club starting today," Raymond declared. "I'll do my best to act like a proper captain from now on. With that said. I'm sure I'll keep making mistakes here and there, so I hope you bear with me."

"No problem, man." Nash gave a thumbs up.

"Yeah," Jaiden agreed. "I'm sure you gonna be an awesome captain from now on."

"Hmph, let's see what you got." Zeph refused to get his hopes too high just yet. So far, the club was in a terrible state under Raymond's leadership, so the guy had a lot of work cut out for him.

Nonetheless, it was alright to give the guy another chance. Maybe Raymond's change of heart will be substantial enough to bring back the seniors who unofficially quit the club. If that happens, Taurus might become the strong team it was always meant to be.

[I doubt anybody from Bruce's gang gonna be on Raymond's side.] Zeph thought. [So, I guess I'll have to land the guy a hand here and there as a fellow senior. It gonna be a pain in the ass for sure. But, if it gonna revive the club, then I'm all for it. I don't want Taurus to become the new trash team of the region. We ain't scrubs like that.]

While the team was having a heart-to-heart, the game went on.

Following Jaiden's death, the four enemies grouped up to push Mid Golem. And, there were only two people alive who could possibly put a stop to this fierce offense.

[This will be rough.] Raymond returned to Mid and stood his ground against the enemy gang.

Alongside Rio, the two of them were the team's last line of defense. Once the enemy breaks through them, the game will be over.

[We might still mount a comeback if we stop them here, but…] Raymond didn't have much faith in that. It didn't sound realistic, not against opponents of this level. [I suppose we're through...]

"C'mon, show 'em what you got!" Zeph cheered out of the blue. "2v4? Ez! Just let the Golem do all the lifting for ya!"

"Oh…" Jaiden and Nash exchanged dumbfound glances for a moment. Then, a chain reaction went off.

"Yeah, c'mon, cap!" Nash caused a ruckus. "Block 'em off like the Great Wall of China! And Rio, you help him out, bro!"

"You two can still do it!" Jaiden added. "If you fend them off here, we can still take it back!"

"I agree." Rio nodded. "The situation is pretty much hopeless, but we still have a slim chance to salvage it."

"Is that supposed to sound encouraging?" Raymond chuckled. Everybody laughed too while Rio turned reddish and sunk in his chair, but soon joined the laugher as well.

In the face of certain doom, the entire team was laughing. Deep down, they all understood - this was the grand finale of the day.

Even so, they didn't despair. They all learned many valuable lessons here today on this stage. So, even though they'll end this day without seizing victory, they have already gained many other valuable things instead.

While their teammates were showering them with words of encouragement, Raymond and Rio made their last stand. They refused to yield until the very end.

Alas, their powers alone weren't enough.

『DEFEAT』

Despite Raymond and Rio's best efforts, Stratus took the game. The scrimmage ended in a 3-2 for Stratus.

"Woohoo!" Lars jumped high into the air.

"We actually did it!" Luke pumped a fist. "Stratus is no longer meme tier, yo!"

"Indeed!" Vincent made noise. "We have successfully cleared the club's bad name!"

"Good work, everybody." Kai nodded. "We're now one step closer to taking the regionals."

"And the nationals," Yuel added.

"Haha!" Luke laughed. "Our guy here is already thinking about world domination!"

"That's how it gotta be!" Lars pumped a fist. "What's after nationals? World Cup? Let's goooooo!"

The team gathered at the center of the stage and Taurus did the same. Once everybody was present, they exchanged farewells.

"Good game!" Both sides proclaimed loudly. It was just a custom at official matches, but both teams really meant it this time.

They all had their ups and downs throughout the day as they clashed with each other. They all stumbled, failed, overcame, and learned.

"Hey, who was that Knight memer?" a boy asked with a grin.

"That'll be me." Luke proudly pointed at himself. "How did ya like my Jungler Knight?"

"Sick tech, bro." The boy grinned. " But, I gonna get you next time, tho!"

"StormMonster, right?" Luke confirmed.

"Yep, the one and only!" StormMonster nodded and then thurst his finger at Kai. "And, you too! That resonance setup was nasty, but I ain't falling for it next time! I'mma pay ya back at the regionals!"

"Hmph, we'll see about that." Kai lifted her chin.

Meanwhile, another boy approached Yuel and Lars. They already knew exactly who he was.

"You were amazing, as expected," Renegade said. "Your Gunslinger is outta this world."

"Hehe, I know, right?" Lars smiled mischievously. "I'mma make it even better tho. Next time, I'mma headshot ya even while you roll."

"Whoa, you actually plan to improve even more?" Renegade smiled wryly. "Gotta admit, your skill is almost scary. Just how much do you train every day?"

"I work on it every day, yo," Lars said. "I even practice headshots and stuff before sleep."

"I see. Sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do," Renegade said that as a fellow Gunslinger player, then turned to Yuel. "That last part, where you let the Sorcerer push Mid alone. Was that a bait aimed at me?"

"Who knows?" Yuel glanced aside. He had no obligation to share this valuable information with the enemy. It involved a weakness Renegade currently had, and it would be great if he retained that weakness until the next time they fight. But...

"Oh, yeah!" Lars admitted. "It was totally a bait. My dude here cooked it up all by himself! Genius, right?"

"Hey." Yuel gave Lars a look, but then sighed and gave up. [Whatever. It won't do that much harm.]

"I see." Renegade nodded. "Yeah, you totally outplayed me there. No wonder you made it and I didn't."

"Made it where?" Lars asked.

"Ah, just talking about the scrimmage." Renegade waved his hand. "It's impressive how you two are juniors like me and my pals, but you're already on a whole different level."

"If I may say," Vincent interjected. "Your team play was also out of this world. The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom dominated the last three games!"

"The Bermuda what?" Renegade had confusion written all over his place.

"He's talking about your triangle," Yuel explained in human lingo.

"Oh, you mean our Invincible Triangle." Renegade smirked. "Yeah, it gave you some trouble, right?"

"Invincible Triangle?" Vincent narrowed his eyes. "Is that how you call it?"

"Yep. Pretty cool, right?"

"It's nice and short, but I dare say it lacks impact," Vincent lectured. "It hardly befits such an overwhelming formation. Therefore, I strongly suggest you rename it 'the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom'!"

"Nah, that's way too long." Renegade waved his hand. "We like 'Invincible Triangle' just fine."

"But, the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom sounds so much more powerful! It perfectly captures the essence of your unbeatable teamplay!"

"Unbeatable?" StormMonster joined the discussion. "Heh, I like the sound of that! Hey Jai, maybe we should really rename it? Into that... how did it go, again? The Barbecue Triangle of Super Dudes?"

"It's [the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom]," Vincent corrected.

"No, it's the Invincible Triangle." Renegade insisted.

"Honestly," Yuel commented quietly. "I think all these names are silly,"

"Yes, they are," a third boy from Taurus quietly agreed. By process of elimination, this was Laplace, the third member of the Triangle and Taurus' Support. He seemed like a guy with a head on his shoulder, so it was no surprise he agreed with Yuel.

Nonetheless, the other boys ignored these remarks and continued arguing.

"Why can you not see the light!? The Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom is a name that sends chills down one's spine! It instills absolute horror!"

"Horror? I like that! Hey Jai, let's rename ourselves the Triangle of Horror!"

"No, we're the Invincible Triangle."

This pointless discussion seemed like it'd go on for a while. Yuel and Laplace found themselves sighing at the same time. Then, their eyes met.

"Um, good game..." Laplace said timidly.

"Likewise." Yuel nodded.

"........"

"........"

Silence. The two looked at each other without exchanging a single word.

As the Supports of their respective teams, they were essentially rivals during the last three games. They both had things to say to the other, but neither spoke up.

"Hey, what's up with the staredown?" Lars came between them. "It's like you to pull guns or something, haha."

Lars's childish laughter shattered the tension in the air. Yuel and Laplace found themselves chuckling alongside as well.

"May I ask something?" Laplace asked.

"You already did," Yuel retorted.

"Touche." Laplace bowed his head. "So, do you remember that time you splashed our Lancer right as I was reviving him?"

"Yes, of course. It was a clutch. That Arise almost turned the situation around."

"How did you pull off that play?" Laplace asked.

"What do you mean 'how'? I just got there in time and used Splash."

"Yes, but how did you know to go for that specific play?" Laplace asked. "Not to brag or anything, but I think I'm pretty good at moving around undetected. So, how did you know I was about to arrive?"

"Are you sure you should be discussing your skills with an enemy?"

"Ah." Laplace was taken aback. "Well, I figured you already knew, so..."

"Yes, I do know about your sneakiness," Yuel admitted. "Okay, fine. As a fellow hater of silly nicknames, I'll trade some information with you."

"Amen. We should spread our religion, starting with converting the 'Invincible Triangle' into just 'Triangle'."

"I 100% agree." Yuel nodded. "Anyway, about that Splash play. You're right about one thing: I didn't actually see you arrive."

"You didn't?" Laplace blinked. "Then, how...?"

"It's [because] I didn't see you anywhere that I became suspicious. I didn't see you pushing the tower, so I had to wonder where you went. The only logical conclusion was that you followed the Lancer."

"Process of elimination, I see. It's amazing that you thought so far in such a short time."

"Let's just say I have some experience dealing with sneaky players." Yuel smiled wryly. "Well, since you shared information so willingly with an enemy, let me repay you with a piece of advice, from one Support to another."

"I'm all ears." Laplace intently stared at Yuel. He turned himself into a sponge that was going to absorb every single word Yuel was about to say.

[On second thought, maybe it's a little risky to advise a player like him?] Yuel instinctively backed away.

Hating on bombastic nicknames wasn't the only similarity Yuel and Laplace shared. They were both players with mediocre mechanical skill who used game knowledge and decision-making as their weapons of choice.

As such, a player like Laplace will be able to put any data to good use. He might even take Yuel's advice far beyond Yuel's expectations and improve tremendously by the time the regionals come.

"So, what is it?" Laplace titled his head. His eyes were filled with innocent expectations. Perhaps he felt something akin to admiration toward Yuel.

"Um, well..." Yuel decided to just shoot for it. "About that play where Renegade was baited by our Sorcerer. I'm sure everybody agrees it was his fault, but not only. As his Support, you share some of the responsibility as well."

"Yes, because I failed to save him."

"No, because you didn't stop him," Yuel said. "It's true that, during the late-game, the Support is supposed to help everybody, not just the Carry. So, it's not like you were obligated to follow Renegade and rescue him from every trouble."

"Right."

"But still, even during the late-game, you're still that same Support who babysat the Carry in the early-game. You're the player who spent the most time at the Carry's side, so you should have the most influence over their decision-making. If you see the Carry is about to commit a misplay, you have to stop him. It doesn't matter what part of the game it is or where you are at the time. As the closest player to the Carry, that's one of your responsibilities."

"I see." Laplace hung his head. "So, you're saying I'm also guilty for the play that cost us the game."

"Partially, yes. As far as I'm concerned, you share at least half the blame for it."

"That's harsh..." Laplace wasn't ready for criticism of this magnitude. He trembled a little and clenched his fists.

"Hey!" Lars popped out of nowhere. He was busy debating the Triangle's name with the other clowns until now, but he soon returned to watch over the two Supports. "Don't bully our opponents, dude."

"I'm not bullying anybody." Yuel grumped.

"Then, why is dude looking down as if you just killed his dog?"

"I'm fine." Laplace raised his head. "He just hit me with some hard facts, that's all."

"Oh, yeah, I know that feel." Lars nodded. "Sorry about that, our genius dude can be a little harsh sometimes. He doesn't mean anything bad by it, though."

"I understand." Laplace straightened his back and looked straight at Yuel. "You're right, it was partially my fault. I'll work on that aspect. Thank you for 'willingly sharing information with an enemy'."

"You're welcome." Yuel smiled meaningfully and stared back at his rival.

The next time they meet in a match, things will surely be different. Laplace definitely took Yuel's advice to heart and will find a way to fix his weakness. The duo of Laplace & Renegade will be far more stable the next time they appear in front of Stratus.

While Yuel and Laplace were holding this fruitful conversation, the others were still stuck arguing over nicknames...

"Hey, how about Vicious Triplets?" Luke suggested.

"Or, The Three Guns!?" Lars added his own suggestion.

At some point, almost the entire stage got involved in that nonsense. Random nicknames flew left and right without end.

At this point, it didn't even feel like anybody was seriously trying to come up with names anymore. They were just having fun laughing at silly nicknames.

[Boys...] Kai sighed as she watched that silliness from the sideline.

"Man, you guys tire me out." Renegade sighed as he stepped out of the noisy crowd. That brainstorming session turned into pure nonsense at this point. He didn't feel like being a part of it anymore.

"Ah." Renegade came to a halt as his eyes met with Kai's.

"......" Kai stared back at him, without blinking or averting her gaze.

".........." Renegade continued staring too, also refusing to blink.

[It's on.] Kai declared war.

The first one to look away will lose. Who decided that? When did they agree on these rules? Details like that didn't matter.

They both understood what was going on. Therefore, they stared! Intensely! As if they were locked in a duel that will determine the outcome of a competitive game!

"..........."

"..........."

"Pft!" Renegade held back a muffled laugh. "Dang, I give up."

"I won." Kai lifted her chin.

"Yeah, nice one. Too bad this wasn't a game of Mancers, though. I mean, you haven't beaten me even once today."

"Oh really? Because I remember trashing you pretty hard in the last game."

"Nah, Gunz did most of the work there."

"But, I scored the kill."

"Yeah, but he dealt most of the damage," Renegade argued back. "In proper 1v1s, I kicked your ass."

".... yeah, that's true," Kai felt like she forced a rock through her throat to deliver these words. "I was off my game. If we fight again, I'll destroy you no problem."

"Oh? I'd like to see that." Renegade grinned. "Come at me, girl. I'll mop the floor with you any day."

"In your dreams." Kai glared at him. "But hey, if you actually survive long enough at the regionals to play us again, then I'll show you what I got for real."

"Okay, it's a deal," Renegade's eyes glinted dangerously. "Let's have a rerun at the regionals. Next time, I won't go easy on you."

"'Go easy'? Yeah, right," Kai scoffed. "I bet you pushed past your limits to even stand a chance against me."

"Damn girl, aren't you just oozing with confidence." Renegade cracked a laugh. "But, I gotta admit, I underestimated you a little. You sure got some skills. So, all in all, good game."

"Yeah, good game." Kai nodded in response.

She still hated Renegade and his attitude with every fiber of her existence, but she had to admit the guy played well overall. Aside from that one fatal mistake he committed at the very end, his performance was very solid today.

Even though Kai made all sorts of bold declarations, there was no telling how things will actually go if they cross swords again at the regionals. Will Kai be strong enough to defeat Renegade in a 1v1? Or, will she have to rely on her teammates to help her out again?

[Well, either way, we'll win.] Kai declared.

Her job as the captain was to ensure the entire team's victory, not to prioritize her own personal wins. Today's scrimmage made that beyond clear.

She might be able to take out Renegade by herself, or she might not. Either way, she'll be making the plays that lead the team to victory, that much she was sure about.

"Alright, pack it up, kids." The referee disbanded the commotion on the stage and everybody went back to their rooms. With that, the long scrimmage was officially over.

Stratus made history that day, winning a scrimmage for the first time in many years. Will they find the same success in their next scrimmage? It'll be at least ten times harder than today, for their next scheduled opponent was none other than the powerhouse of the region - the Leopards.