The Leopards' Substitutions

『VICTORY』

A predictable outcome that was way overdue. This game could've ended 5~10 minutes earlier if only the shot-caller bothered to come up with a proper plan of attack. Instead, the guy chose to wait and watch the enemy suffer, as he often did. So unnecessary.

"Finally, it's over." William sighed. It was largely thanks to him that they finally wrapped up this game. If it were up to Cato, they'd continue this pointless game for at least 40 more minutes.

"Dang, I lost again!" Ronald held his head. "Bro, what the heck? You're 4 whole kills ahead of me! How do you always get so many!?"

"I just kill," William answered plainly. There was no magic involved. The strong simply crushed the weak, that's how it worked.

With the long game finally over, the team walked off the stage and entered their waiting room. The coach, Rodriguez, was already waiting to review the game.

Cato, William, Ronald, Sonya, and Matthew all lined up in front of the coach to be judged. It was supposed to be but a brief game review, but they were mentally prepared for being chewed out. That's how these things usually went.

"Good work," Rodriguez opened with praise, but everybody knew what's going to follow. Whenever the conversation started on a positive note, a blow of criticism always followed soon after.

[At least, I should be in the clear.] Cato thought. He believed he was critical enough of his own performance to know whether he committed any grave mistakes. Alas...

"First of all," Rodriguez started. "Why did the game go on for so long? You've had the decisive advantage for a long time. Why does it always take you so long to wrap things up?"

"Because a [certain somebody] didn't feel like ending it," Sonya answered plainly. Everybody knew who she was referring to, but she elegantly avoided pointing fingers. A sly one, that girl.

"Yes, yes." Cato raised a hand. "I didn't make any shot-calls for ending the game sooner. My bad."

"It always comes back to you, doesn't it." Rodriguez frowned.

"Ehe~" Cato smiled playfully. "Well, [officially], our team doesn't really have a shot-caller, does it? So, you can't really pin it on me."

"You're partially to blame if you realized the team was dragging the game out and you didn't say anything about it."

"Then, what if I thought we were proceeding at a good pace? Am I in the clear then?"

"Yes, in that case, you'd be clear on this account," Rodriguez said. "But, then I'll be worried about your understanding of the game's pace. It sounds like a 3-hour lecture on the topic is in order."

"Ahaha, I concede then," Cato replied immediately. "Yes, I realized we were dragging our feet a little but I just let it happen."

"A 'little' is an understatement. The game lasted almost twice as long as it should've."

"Perhaps." Cato raised a finger. "But, our team is more inclined toward defense, right? So, wrapping up games quickly isn't exactly our expertise, am I right?" He turned to the others for support.

"........."

Yes, quite the splendid support it was. William and Sonya made faces of ["Are you serious?"] while Ronald knotted his brows and fell deep in thought. Apparently, the question overclocked his peanut brain.

Only one comrade here could be trusted to support Cato's agenda. Unfortunately, that fellow was too passive for his own good...

"I kinda like taking it slow and easy," Matthew said. "So, I don't really mind either way."

"Eeeeeh..." Cato twisted his lips. [Not exactly the support I was looking for. He gets an A for effort, I suppose.]

"It doesn't sound like all of you are on the same page here," Rodriguez pointed out. "In fact, I'd say the majority seems to be against you."

"It kinda does, doesn't it? Ahaha..." Cato laughed dryly. "All these rebels going up against their captain. Shame on you."

"There's a difference between 'captain' and 'dictator', I've told you that a hundred times. Just because Cato is the captain, it doesn't mean everybody is obligated to agree with every decision he makes."

Rodriguez eyed the kids in order, to make sure he properly drilled the message into each and every one of them. He had done that many times by now, yet it seemed like this particular message refused to engrave itself onto their brains. Even today, they left most of the shot-calling responsibilities to Cato, for the better or the worse.

"As Cato said, I didn't nominate any of your to be the team's shot-caller. Naturally, some of you are bound to call shots more often than others. But regardless, none of you should be considered the 'voice of authority' on the matter. If you find yourself disagreeing with somebody's call, you must say so."

"Right, right." Cato nodded. "So, maybe I'm partially responsible here, but it's not really my fault. After all, I'm not the [official] shot-caller~"

"Oh?" Sonya cocked her head. "So, you're saying we should just ignore your calls whenever we feel like it? Noted."

"Wait, wait, wait! That's taking it too far!" Cato backpedaled. "Let's just say you're free to raise an objection every once in a while. Yeah, that sounds good. Mhm."

"As I always say," Rodriguez reminded. "Voice objections as much as you deem necessary, as long as it doesn't distract the team too much. You all bring your own game knowledge and experience to the table, so you ought to share it with each other to maximize the team's performance. No matter how good somebody is at shot-calling, they'll never be perfect."

The kids were probably already tired of hearing these same lines over and over, but Rodriguez couldn't stress enough how important this topic was. They simply hadn't realized the gravity of the matter yet because their scrimmages were too easy so far.

Once they run into strong opponents, then they'll realize how much their passiveness can cost them. Hopefully, it won't happen too late in their career, or else they'll find themselves struggling to adapt during a critical game. It may cost them an entire competition.

But, that was a long-term problem. Rodriguez will have plenty of opportunities to lecture them on the topic later. For now, it was best to focus on the problems staring right in their faces.

"On another topic." Rodiguez turned to the biggest troublemaker of the day. "Ron, I understand you think your opponents today aren't at your level?"

"Well, duh. Like, I don't wanna throw shade or anything, but these guys are clearly no match for us."

"Hmm. Yes, that much is true. But, is that a reason to turn the game into a killing race between you and your brother?"

"Weeeelp, about that…" Ronald glanced at his big bro with an awkward smile. [Help me out here, bro!]

"Hmph." William simply averted his eyes.

[So cruel!] Ronald was on the verge of tears. To think that his dear brother has forsaken him at this critical moment!

"Well, I do feel a little bad for these dudes and all, but…" Ronald stumbled over his words. He didn't actually think he did anything wrong, but it was pretty dang hard to justify these actions in words. It sounded like bullying no matter how he phrased it.

"Don't get me wrong," Rodriguez said. "I don't condemn you for playing a mini-game to keep yourself motivated. It's not exactly the most respectful attitude toward your opponents, but things like that are inevitable when the skill gap is so big."

"Yeah, yeah! Exactly!" Ronald nodded repeatedly. "So, I'm in the clear, right? Right?"

"On that particular account, yes. But, that's not the issue here. If I had a problem with your killing races, I would've addressed them much earlier."

"Oh, now that you mention it, that's true. I've been doing that every game so far, but it's the first time I've been called out on it."

"You seem to have slight issues with your short-term memories, young man," Rodriguez said. "I believe this is the [second] time I bring up this topic today."

"Really?" Ronald tilted his head. "Ooooh! Yeah, I think you said something about it last game, didn't you?

"My, this kid got the memory of a sieve," Cato commented.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Ronald claimed. "I was half asleep after that game, that's how boring it was. And, this one wasn't any better, to be honest." He yawned to support his case.

"If that's the case," Rodriguez started. "Maybe I should prepare a bucket with cold water?"

"Wow, wow, wow!" Ronald waved his hands. "Everything is A-Okay, coach! I was a little sleepy a moment ago, but now I'm 100% awake!"

"That's good to hear." Rodriguez nodded. "Anyway, as much it pains me to hear, it seems my previous criticism went in one ear and out of the other."

"Apologizes, sir!" Ronald saluted. "I'm all ears, sir!"

The "bucket of cold water" was no empty threat. Rodriguez did that once before during the previous scrimmage. It came as a shock to everybody, but especially to the victim of the entire thing - Ronald himself!

[Brrr! Just remembering that gives me the jibbers.] Ronald shuddered. [And, just getting splashed is still one thing. After that, I also had to wipe the place clean. I'm not going through that again, no thank you!]

He learned a hard lesson that day. If somebody ever dared to [imply] they were bored to the point of falling asleep - they gonna get the bucket. No ifs or buts.

"I'm listening!" Ronald repeated to stress just how awake and attentive he was.

"Good." Rodriguez nodded. "So, as I said, I have no problem with you and Will turning the game into a race to keep yourselves entertained. But, that's no excuse for letting your guard down. You know what I'm referring to, right?"

"Yes, sir!" Ronald answered. "It's about that one random fluke that happened during the game, isn't it."

"Oh? Was it just a fluke?"

"Totally a fluke, sir! I was just minding my business chasing a kill, and then that dang Jungler showed out of nowhere! Darn that guy!"

"Nobody ever shows 'out of nowhere'. When you fail to anticipate a gank, it means your map awareness wasn't good enough. Or, that you were distracted by something else, which I believe was the case this time."

"Yeah..."

"By the way," Cato interjected. "I'd like to add that I warned him about the risk on both occasions, both this game and last game. But, he chose to ignore both warnings."

"Oh c'mon, man!" Ronald exclaimed. "Are you really throwing me under the bus!?"

"It's what you deserve." Cato scoffed. [Next time, maybe you should try not staining the team's score with your stupidity. It makes me look like an incompetent leader here.]

"I understand." Rodriguez nodded at Cato's words.

Contrary to how it looked, this wasn't just Cato throwing shade at a fellow teammate to make himself look better. No, it was about sending a message. That comment was Cato's passive-aggressive way to express his dissatisfaction with Ronald's presence on the team.

[I also agree that the boy needs more sharpening before he's ready.] Rodriguez thought. [And, that's exactly why I've put him on the team this early.]

Ronald was an impressive player in certain situations, but he also severely lacked at other times. Therefore, for Cato, who prioritized consistency and stability above all else, it was only natural to find Ronald's rollercoaster performance to be unattractive.

[They're like oil and water.] Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. [It'll be interesting to see how they affect each other as they keep playing together. They both have something to learn from each other.]

That agenda aside, it was important to teach Ronald a lesson here. In both scrimmages, the kid showed signs of losing concentration in the middle of the match. He'd develop into an unreliable player at this rate unless something is done.

Easy matches like these were one of his greatest weaknesses, and that's precisely why it was best for him to experience them as much as possible. After all, it was of outmost importance to never lose one's focus during competitive games, no matter how "weak" the enemy was or how "easy" the game felt.

"I'll be switching out most of you for the next two games," Rodriguez announced.

This was par for the course when the team scored 3-0 so convincingly. There was no point in pounding a weaker opponent any further.

Instead, it was best to give the enemy team a chance to actually win something today. Crushing their spirits was the last thing Rodriguez desired. Unrooting young potential before it had the chance to bloom was borderline criminal. Which was why, even though he permitted Ronald and William to go on a merciless killing spree, he was no fan of that bratty behavior.

The brothers just wanted to satisfy their egos and alleviate their boredom, that much was understandable. Nonetheless, their overwhelming performance had a chance to permanently scar their opponents. Unfortunately, they were probably too young to think about things like that.

[Then again, I'm not a saint here either.] Rodriguez thought. [Only a part of this decision is out of considerations for the other team. There's mutual benefit to be found here.]

The goal was to help flourish as much young talent as possible. That applied to the other team's players as much as it applied to the Leopards' club members themselves.

There were many dedicated players in the club who didn't get into the first-string just because somebody else from the club was a little better. Nonetheless, these hardworking kids definitely deserved to experience the competitive scene, so the easier scrimmages were a great opportunity to do so.

Hopefully, the enemy team would also learn something valuable in the process by getting a fairer fight. That's why Rodriguez always did his best to match the level of the sub-team to the enemy's level. This way, both sides benefited from a balanced exchange of experience.

[But, that's easier said than done.] Rodriguez thought. [The first few games usually take quite the toll on the other team.]

Far too often, the enemy team would lose most of its fighting spirit after confronting the Leopards' powerful first-string. The gap in skill was sometimes too much to process. And, the blow was usually far worse when the Leopards scored an unfathomable amount of kills.

The Apples were one of the weaker teams in the region, so they probably had many players who weren't mentally prepared for such a one-sided fight. Therefore, suffering such a devastating defeat time after time was bound to drain their fighting spirit.

[I hope I'm wrong about this.] Rodriguez knotted his brows. [No matter how much I adjust the team's balance with substitutes, it won't do any good if the opponent has no willpower left.]

Aside from Ronald, William was also largely responsible for creating this situation. In fact, he was arguably the bigger culprit here, as he had authority over the younger brother. If there was one person Ronald listened to, it was William. The older brother's word was god's word.

William had all the necessary resources for stopping the killing race from happening, and Rodriguez even asked him to focus more on defense for the third game. And yet, William still enacted the killing race.

[The worst part is that I don't have anything to criticize him for. Unlike Ron, Will didn't lower his guard while he was busy chasing kills. His performance was near perfect.]

In that sense, the older brother was actually a much bigger troublemaker, as odd as it sounded. The younger one was a brat, but at least he committed mistakes and that made it easy to lecture him. Meanwhile, William was a brat at heart but he carried himself in a mature manner and didn't commit as many mistakes, There wasn't anything easy to criticize him about.

[He's out in the next game, that's for sure.] Rodriguez thought. [I Just hope he didn't inflict irreversible damage to the Apples.]

That'd be no good. Without any fighting spirit, the Apples won't pose any challenge for the Leopards today, not even to the subs. As a result, neither side will gain much experience today. It'll be very sad, especially for the Apples who could learn a lot today under fairer circumstances.

[I'm not paid to do it, but I want to raise the entire region's skill level.] That was Rodriguez's agenda. The school only paid him for creating champions but that goal was too narrow-minded.

[These are kids. They absorb new experiences like a sponge.] Rodriguez thought. [Anything they pick up during these tender years will shape them up as they grow. Especially, the games they play on stage might single-handedly determine whether decide to go pro or not.]

As such, it was critical to not pound the Apples any further. For the next two games, they needed fairer competition. It meant that some of the Leopards' first-string members had to sub out, as they were far too strong to provide any fairness here.

However, subbing everybody out was too drastic of a move. Therefore, some of them will have to remain on the team for now. In particular, one troublemaker will have to stick around until the very end.

"Ronald, you'll keep playing for the next two games."

"Really!?" Ronald grinned. "Heck yeah! Man, I was sure I'll get booted right away like last time, haha."

"I wouldn't be celebrating in your place," Rodriguez said. "The reason I'm keeping you in is that your performance was lackluster."

"Say what!? But, I got so many kills!"

"And, you also died. Twice." Rodriguez stressed. "As you said, the Apples are not on the same level as you. Therefore, I believe it's reasonable to expect a game with near-zero mistakes. And, most of you lived up to that expectation, save for you."

"Geh." Ronald made a face. "Yeah okay, I guess I messed up a little more than the others. But hey, at least I get to play more games! Yay me."

"You better not take these games lightly," Rodriguez warned. "My expectations are still in place. I expect everybody on the first-string to be able to avoid deaths against opponents of this level."

"Wait, you want me to have zero deaths in the next two games too!?"

"Yes." Rodriguez nodded. "Of course, it'll be quite harder to achieve than before because your team will be filled with substitutes. I won't hold it against you if you die due to your teammates' mistakes."

"Phew." Ronald sighed in relief.

"Nonetheless, you're currently part of the first-string. Therefore, I expect you to play as flawlessly as possible. So, please don't think you can die whenever you feel like it and then pass the blame to your teammates. I'll be closely monitoring everything you do."

"Geh. Strict."

"Also, keep in mind that your spot on the first-string depends on your performance. If you can't live up to expectations, I'll have to choose another player to fill your spot."

"Whoa, the pressure is real now..." Ronald gulped.

"There are many seniors who'd gladly take your spot. Not to mention, it's very rare for a junior to join the first-string in the first place. You have to realize I'm making a big exception here because I have faith in your ability. Please don't betray that faith"

"Yes, sir!" Ronald saluted. "I'll do it! No problem! Two games, zero deaths! Easy!"

"Good." Rodriguez nodded and turned to the others. "Matt, Sonya. I'd like one of you to stay on the team as a safeguard, just like we did in the previous scrimmage."

"What a drag..." Matthew sighed.

"I'm fully aware that you're above these opponents, but we need at least one experienced senior to keep the team in check. You'll be the acting captain of this sub-team."

"I volunteered to do it last time." Sonya touched her glasses. "Honestly, I cannot say it was a very fruitful experience. I didn't learn anything new there."

"My, what a tough crowd~" Cato commented. "In that case, I can take on the role." He wore an innocent smile to mask the devilish intentions hiding underneath.

"No you don't, young man," Rodriguez stated. There was no room for argument about this one.

"My, that's too bad." Cato shrugged in protest but he didn't pursue the topic any further. He was a smart boy, so he understood why Rodriguez couldn't allow it.

[He's not an aggressive player like Will, so it's not like I'm worried about the sub-team bullying the Apples with lots of kills.] Rodriguez thought. [But, he'll bully them in other ways. In fact, he's the one who is most likely to mentally break them if he stays in.]

Cato was the worst person to leave on the team in this situation. His playstyle had a natural affinity for bullying those weaker than him. The Apples might not realize that right away, but despair and frustration will surely kick in eventually.

In fact, it was a blessing in disguise that William and Ronald were rogues who sometimes ignored Cato's shot-calls. Their killing race was quite disrespectful and overwhelming, but not nearly as mentally scarring as the things Cato had in store.

Either way, with Cato off the table, it left Matthew and Sonya as the only viable options. Rodriguez could nominate either of them himself, but he preferred letting the kid decide among themselves.

"Fine, I'll do it." Matthew caved in. "Sonya did it last time, so I'll do it this time."

"Thanks," Sonya said.

And so, the sub-team was formed. Rodriguez replaced three of the five players with less experienced members. That was supposed to even the odds and give the Apples a real chance.

Alas, it was too late. The Apples' fighting spirits were in shambles after the first three games. The neverending one-sided kills did a number on them. At this point, it was unclear whether they were still even trying to win.

Thus, even with three less experienced players on the team, the games nonetheless resulted in a one-sided massacre. Truly unfortunate.

In the end, the scrimmage ended as a predictable 5-0 victory. With that, the Leopards finished their second scrimmage in a row with a perfect score.

Their next opponents will be none other than Stratus. Normally, that would be another guaranteed 5-0.

However, with Chessmaster and Gunz on the team this year, the upcoming match was shaping up to be an interesting one...