Stratus Picked What!?

Dark Knight.

Yes, Dark Knight. That was Stratus' first pick. A pick that came out instantly, without any hesitation.

"H-Ha, haha. Hahaha!" Cato held his face as he laughed. "It seems like they've lost their minds."

"Yes, it does." Sonya nodded. "Either they've decided to throw the game and go full meme mode, or they... actually believe this can work? For their sakes, I hope it's the former because otherwise, I'd have to question their intelligence."

"Damn, girl!" Ronald exclaimed. "You just BURNED these poor guys alive, haha! But yeah, this is a crazy pick alright, not gonna lie. I love it!"

The bizarre pick caused a shockwave of whispers and laughs across the audience as well. Nobody expected Stratus to have the gall to pick Dark Knight on the competitive stage, especially not against the Leopards.

However, a select few found this par for the course.

"My, are they throwing the game?" Ellen tilted her head.

"Heh." Howard chuckled. "Do you really think they're throwing? These guys?"

"Naaaah, of course not. This gotta be one of Yuyu's crazy ideas, right?"

"Yeah, no doubt about it." Howard nodded. "Frankly, I'm really glad."

"Glad? How so?"

"Well, it looks like he's back to his usual crazy nonsense. His tactics were a little mellow against Taurus, so I thought he might've lost his edge."

"My, you were that worried about him?"

"Worried? Heh, yes, you could say so." Howard smiled meaningfully. His sharp eyes were locked on the stage like those of a hawk eying his prey. "I was a little worried he'll switch up his playstyle and won't be such an easy target the next time we play."

"My, you're such a villain, Wardy! That's why I love you~" Ellen threw herself at her husband, but the guy dodged the advance as if his life depended on it.

"Would you mind not clinging to me in public?"

"Oh c'mon, what's the problem? Nobody is looking~" Ellen rubbed her head against Howard's shoulder like a kitten seeking attention.

"Please, woman." Howard sighed and lightly pushed away the needy pet. "The entire team is watching."

"Oh?" Ellen blinked and examined the other rows.

Most of the club came here today to watch this interesting match, so there were many familiar faces around. And, right now, they were all directing their gazes in the couple's direction.

"Whew, whew!" Taison whistled. "Things are getting hot over there, yo!"

"Seriously." Gregory made a face. "Did you come here to watch a match or to flirt?

"Get a room you two, lol!" Roi laughed.

"I had no idea this was actually a group date!" Dan snickered. "Where are all the girls at, tho?"

"Oh, shut up, you all." Julia scowled. "I'm trying to watch the match."

"Of course, of course." Gregory rolled his eyes. "You can't miss your boyfriend in action, can you? Kek."

"Khaha!" Taison laughed. "Lars gonna get his ass whooped real bad again, I already see it!"

"Ugh..." Julia made a face. [What did I do to deserve being stuck in the same club as these idiots? And, to think that I'll have to bear with their stupid faces for another year… God help me.]

Julia shook her head and focused on the match in front of her. It was far more important than listening to the nonsense that Taison and Gregory were spouting right now.

Lars's team was facing the regional champions here today. The Leopards were StormBlitz's greatest rivals, currently the only team that posed a real threat in the regionals.

So, how was Lars's new team going to measure up to the region's best? Did they stand a chance at all?

[You better win this time.] Julia thought. [You're not allowed to lose before you play against me again. And you too, Yuel. You better have a good plan for that Dark Knight you pulled outta your ass.]

Truly, this unexpected pick caused an uproar everywhere. Whispers and giggles could be heard at every corner of the stadium.

[And, some people are seriously discussing it.] Julia couldn't help but eavesdrop on the loud conversation a few rows behind her. These were likely scouts from another school.

"Damn, these guys are crazy as ever!" Nash exclaimed. "I love it!"

"A questionable pick," Rio commented. "I hope they aren't giving up."

"Whoa, you think they're throwing the game!?"

"Maybe..."

"Nah, no way," Jaiden said. "You saw how hard they fought last round, right? That game must've felt like hell, but they still almost made a comeback. So, I don't know anybody who'd be disappointed by a result like that, especially against the champions."

"Yeah, true dat."

"It doesn't change the fact that DK is a suicidal pick against the Leopards," Rio droned on, maintaining a positive outlook as ever.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying, but give them some credit," Jaiden said. "They made Dark Knight work against Taurus before, right?"

"Yes, against Zeph, back when he played with terrible teammates."

"Heh, can't argue with that." Jaiden chuckled. "Still, let's trust these guys. I mean, Chess isn't the type of guy to make dumb decisions, right?"

"That's true," Rio agreed on that one without any of his usual cynicism.

[Heh.] Jaiden smiled meaningfully. [Despite what he says, he does actually believe in them. Pretty sure he became a fan of Chess after the last scrimmage. And, I think Nash is a Gunz fanboy now. Good, good.]

Slowly but surely, these two were starting to see the light. As the OG fan of Chessmaster and Gunz, this brought a smile to Jaiden's face.

With this duo playing on the frontline of the competitive stage this year, more and more people were bound to recognize the impressive skill of Chessmaster and Gunz. These previously unknown players were about to make big waves in this year's regionals, no doubt about it.

In fact, they had already made the first big wave a month ago. Thanks to their strong performance against Taurus, everybody has already forgotten that Stratus used to be the "weakest team" of the region.

Until a month ago, nobody would have batted an eye if a bottom-tier team like Stratus picked Dark Knight in a competitive game. Nobody took the team seriously or expected anything from it, so there was no point in analyzing any decisions they made.

In fact, the entire stadium would have likely been empty for a Stratus vs. Leopards scrim in the past. After all, what was the point of watching the regional champions stomp a helpless team?

Yet, today, the stadium was filled with many scouts. And, everybody discussed and analyzed this unexpected Dark Knight pick from Stratus.

Even the people who immediately laughed about the pick were nonetheless curious to see how the game will play out. They knew that Dark Knight was a terrible pick on paper, but they also hoped that Stratus will surprise them somehow, just as it surprised everybody during the Taurus scrimmage.

[This is amazing.] Jaiden almost got teary over this. He felt like a day 1 fan of an unknown band that finally skyrocketed in popularity. [I was here before all of you! Hehe.]

This was a cool development. It was nice to see how the crazy duo that Jaiden accidentally stumbled upon was indeed as amazing as he thought them to be. These two deserved to get into StormBlitz over Jaiden, no doubt about it.

[I still dunno why they left Storm and I really don't like the fact they just quit like that, but this is fine too.] Jaiden thought. [As long as they make it big in the competitive scene, then I won't feel too bad about losing to these legends.]

As the ones who beat Jaiden during StormBlitz's entrance exam and took his spot, Chessmaster and Gunz had the responsibility of working hard in StormBlitz instead of Jaiden who couldn't make it in. But, for some reason, the duo chose to abandon their posts.

It was shocking and disappointing at first, but by now, Jaiden felt like it didn't matter anymore. Even outside of StormBlitz, these mad lads were putting on a strong show that made it crystal clear why they passed the exam over Jaiden.

[They probably have their reasons.] Jaiden thought. [As far as I'm concerned, their reasons are justified as long as they keep winning.][So yeah, they better keep climbing to the very top of the region, so that my buddies and I can dethrone them next year!]

His pals shared his enthusiasm on the matter.

"Damn, I wish I was on the stage right now!" Nash exclaimed. "I wanna go up there and chase down all these strong guys. Especially, I gotta get a rematch with dat crazy boi Gunz, and also with that lucky bastard Memer."

"I'd like to play them again too," Rio agreed.

"Don't worry, we'll get our chance at the regionals," Jaiden promised. "We just gotta keep on winning, then we'll get our rematch and that sweet revenge!"

"Heck yeah!"

[That's provided we'll actually get to play on the first-string this year.] Rio kept that to himself, to not put a damper on the others' excitement. [Now that Raymond finally took the reins over the club like a proper captain, the seniors have been coming back one by one. At this rate, I have a feeling we might not make the cut this year...]

Regardless, the trio was convinced they'll eventually get their rematch against Chessmaster and Gunz. Perhaps it'll happen this year, or perhaps next year. Either way, they'll continue training hard in preparation for that eventual rematch! They'll get that sweet revenge for sure!

And, they weren't the only ones in the crowd waiting for that match. There was StormBlitz of course, but also many other teams have been carefully sizing up Stratus today.

Especially, a certain newly formed team was already gunning for Stratus before the team even had a chance to officially compete against anybody else...