The Squid Academy brass band lets their horns be heard throughout the dome with the blasting of the school fight song, the voices of their supporters singing along showering praise to their players while flying the school colors up high. The Squid Academy players could barely hear themselves think with all the noise in the background, thankful to hear the praise. A well deserved win to start off the round, the jitters they had about potentially dropping the opening round and setting themselves up for turmoil was rid from their systems. Now, they could focus on handling their business and getting the next win to extend the lead. After all, this wasn't the place for them to bow out just yet.
"Brilliant work everyone!" Fuchsia clapped with a satisfied nod; "Now do it again." she said in an expectant tone, her smile still present but her tone lacking empathy.
Pastelle wipes off the pouring sweat from her forehead, "No need to give us the command when that was the objective from the start." a little fatigued from the extra running from being tasked with moving around more, she still had enough energy to keep going but it was clear the consideration for substitutes would have to come much sooner at the rate the players were operating. It was a good thing the four charger strategy worked out so perfectly in throwing Dango off because now they had room to adjust rosters in a way that will assure this victory could be built off of for a solid string of rounds in the upcoming battles. But even when Fuchsia and the others were accounting for the condition of their players and were already planning for the varying squads to deploy in the next round, they failed to plan for one thing: their feelings. When she ran the suggestion by her team in the huddle, she expected the consensus of the team to be in support of the early substitutions, but the least likely of people she expected to be against the decision made their voices known and it started with Evelyn bowing her head furiously over and over again pleading for the coach to keep her in, full of sorrow for how selfish she was being.
"Please don't take me out of the match just yet!" Fuchsia wrinkled her forehead in astonishment, awestruck by how cute Evelyn looked in her plea to stay in the game."I've finally gotten the chance to understand that feeling as a starter, and to be quite frank...I love playing beside the other chargers! Let me play one more time with them and play the best that I can! I promise I'll make good on my opportunity and not let anyone down. I just don't want any regrets!"
Sky and Pearl couldn't help but feel proud to see the first year speak her mind, and Violet couldn't help but blush a bit with secondhand embarrassment at how honest Evelyn could be in such a moment. Although it was somewhat true that this would likely be Evelyn's only chance to participate as a starter and that she wouldn't know what happens after she gets subbed out, it wasn't as though she wouldn't ever get another opportunity to play on the turf. But indeed, these opponents were the perfect match for her. The other staff members and players were a bit confused and annoyed by her suggestion to stay in the game despite the plan already serving its use and the reason for the consideration of taking her out wasn't that she was inadequate to getting another victory, but Dango would surely be prepared this time around and likely target her considering her limitations to the others. Sky was one of the spearheads of the team, Pearl offered a certain stability that couldn't be found with Sky, and Violet had the balance of both. It made sense to keep one of those three in, but there wasn't much of a case as to why to keep Evelyn in. And Fuchsia made sure to let it be known to her exactly why she intended to take her out. But even so...
"Say it again!" the coach lifted up her index finger with a gleam. "Tell me why you want to stay in!"
"I don't want any regrets!"
"Louder!"
"I DON'T WANT ANY REGRETS!"
Fuchsia snaps her fingers, "Then you're in for another round."
The others weren't pleased by the decision, but Azule and the other starters assured them that they were confident in Evelyn's capability and would do everything to keep her from getting targeted by the enemy. After all, the next round would be critical and how the squad is comprised will have a major effect as well on how they perform. Fuchsia's trust in her players at the end of the day end up outweighing what she believed to be the logical decision. Even though her other staff members and some of the other players advised against the move considering the next game mode and might not be favorable with the current lineup, Fuchsia chose to believe in her players and to give them that opportunity. Any faults she will take responsibility for. She wanted to see her players grow not just on the turf but off the turf, and she deemed this to be a critical moment for Evelyn the inkling-not the player. When faced with such a train of thought, the others could only watch on with hope that the good intentions of their coach don't backfire. With their break concluding, Azule leads the team away from the sidelines in preparation for the next round. Evelyn looks over to the sidelines one final time and bows her head in apology to her teammates with clenched fists, guilty about robbing precious play time from the others who were anxious to step out with the stakes of the match raising with each moment that goes by.
I'm sorry for being selfish but I'm not ready to relinquish this position until I play my heart out. So please...watch me!
The same squad remaining for Squid Academy as they departed from the sidelines to the battlefield, Dango were sticking with their current squad after deciding to accept the charger challenge proposed by their opponents. A three on four battle of skilled chargers, the next venue of Burri Backstreets welcomed them. The game mode for the second round is Last One Standing and the choice of Burri Backstreets made the round a whole lot more interesting as the players were going to have to navigate around the various narrow pathways of the map with only a few open areas for battle. Plenty of access ways were available that led to the rooftops and vantage points, which made the map a dream for charger users who would be blessed with plenty of cover and sweet spots to set up camp, conversely, this was a nightmare for specialists in mobility who wouldn't have any room for navigation in such slim margins. For Azule and Pastelle, this was a bit of a setback considering the circumstances of having four chargers who wouldn't be down on the ground like them.
Dango will answer the call this time around and we've been put in an unfriendly venue for Pastelle and I. Looks like it'll be up to sis and the others to anchor victory this time. Azule resigned, peering at the residential area before him. Turning to the rest of his team he wears a serious expression and calls to their attention what to expect for this round, reckoning the likelihood that Dango would start out swinging for the fences in a bull rush attempt to assume control early on and even up the series. After all, the next round would be splat zones at Aramtam Sea Mall which would be a spacious map that could open the door for utter chaos; it'd be far more beneficial to them to be up 2-0 heading into that round than a split series that could see a potential shift of the tides of victory out of their favor. The map set with no traffic in site and all spectators observing from the balconies of their homes with some waving their hands and towels to the players, the cobblestone pathways and asphalt roads welcome the teams to their playground.
The whistle blew, and the spawns emptied promptly.
Plenty of attention turns to how Dango will respond to Squid Academy following that impressive showing in the first round, and whether this might already be a must win game for the inklings in black and yellow. Jerseys scattering about on the map, it doesn't take look for shots to get exchanged as players encounter one another. Blue and Yellow ink fly everywhere splattering the ground and the walls much to the excitement of the spectators watching live. A few pockets of battles breaking out afterwards with it becoming a hunt to get the first kill, players from both sides playing it carefully as a death here meant a monumental swing in momentum. The chargers took to higher locations to avoid danger but some decided now was the best time to take risks with the way teams were set up. While Miloch and Erie both assisting Mugi and Nagumi in tackling Azule and the chargers, Pastelle found herself in an unfavorable situation against the tandem of Chio and Owan who surrounded her in a narrow path following a continuous chase that stemmed from a scramble for by Pastelle to prioritize her life. Her craftiness only able to do so much while getting swarmed by the waves of yellow ink, Pastelle couldn't continue to navigate with a sense self preservation-any longer and she'll potentially hurt the others with her constant running: Either she took one of both of them down with her or die trying. This resignation came once she noticed her tank low on ink and the chances of her having to fight it out on empty attempting to refill being a futile task. Abruptly stopping in her tracks, Pastelle put all the weight in her calves and turned around sharply, her breath heavy as her eyes dilate with intensity. Simulating the sense of danger she felt that time on the battlefield in Octaria, the stench of death clung to her nostrils as she entered a different state.
It was only for a split second, but Chio and Owan felt a different terror run through them watching Pastelle rush toward them. She looked as though she were staring death right in the face without any fear. Her resolve worthy of praise, the pair didn't let her intensity faze them-aware that they were still in a narrow path and they could've been taken down in simultaneously. Her eyes widen with a glint cutting through her irises, and with a sharp dodge to the left and hop on the wall to transition to squid form, Pastelle grabbed just a tad bit of ink enough to gather a decent shot. She propels off the wall with her sights set on Chio, Owan created some space and targeted in that moment. In a few seconds that were caught in snapshots, a blast of blue and yellow happened simultaneously. The scoreboard updated to show Pastelle's elimination, and only hers. Saved by the quick work of Owan to beat Pastelle, Chio survived Pastelle's desperate attempt. A clear indicator to the Squid Academy sidelines that Dango thrived off of these situations, that exchange resulted in a monumental gain for Dango and a colossal loss for Squid Academy, who lost further mobility. Down to five players with plenty of time remaining, Squid Academy needed to answer back or risk losing the round should Dango play conservative and hold onto their number advantage.
At this point, Squid Academy were under a sort of buddy system to preserve themselves from further casualties with Azule, Sky, and Pearl together fighting off Miloch, Mugi, and Nagumi while Evelyn and Violet dealt with Erie, who proved enough of a challenge for the pair with their speed alone. Azule did his best to keep Dango's attention on him knowing that if Sky or Pearl got targeted and taken down it'd be a massive loss of firepower. Thanks to his sister and Pearl doing their part to cover him he managed to survive the onslaught of attacks, but he knew at this rate it'd only be a matter of time until the other pair returned and overwhelm them. Before that happens, he needed to do something to shift the balance but the current setup still didn't seem favorable. Captain Miloch was methodical in splitting the teams up into a 2:2:2 setup with a charger and respective shooter each, assuring mobility and accuracy. Even if Azule kicked it into another gear and took down the pesky shooters, he'd still have the skilled chargers to worry about, and with Pastelle out of the mix, it's on him to fish for kills using his mobility to his advantage and hope the others could grab their kills from pick offs and maintain a safe distance.
Pastelle is gone but she left me with a clue on how we'll get them! We're out numbered as we are and Dango are likely to use their non-charger trio as the primary attack and let their charger trio loom over as sentries. The way Miloch set up his team further confirms this since I can't go off and get the triple with my rolls. He accounted for that...So then, looks like I can only pull this move with the way things are going. I know this is cheap to do, but sometimes it's nice to be selfish. Right, Evelyn? Azule's blue eyes sharpen and his eyebrows slant downwards with a wrinkle, a serious expression forming with concentration. Flexing the muscles in his legs, he darts forward into the yellow crossfire and shouts, "Torch! Torch!" a code word for one of the schemes they ran. A situational one that wasn't meant to be used often. Evelyn and Violet looked puzzled hearing him shout out such a command, but Sky and Pearl looked hardened in their resolve instead. They understood his unfair request. In an instant, the cover Azule had disappeared as Sky and Pearl retreated a bit and split off; Evelyn and Violet continued their battle but gradually created more space and positioned for a retreat. Only Azule moved forward.
"What is he up to?" Nagumi wondered aloud.
"He said 'Torch' and if my memory serves me correctly, that's a code word for one of their schemes."
"Not a scheme we must know then because I've never heard or seen that word used from the film we covered."
"Based on how the others stopped coverage and retreated, I can only assume it's an emergency command."
"Yet he's coming at us!? If this was a retreat he would've-"
"It's a sacrifice." Miloch realizes, arriving at the conclusion once he saw the coldness in Azule's piercing blue eyes; the boy had no intentions of surviving this round. "Torch must mean he's leaving it to them to carry on his will because he intends to sacrifice here. And if that's the case..."
"Huh? How in the world did you guess that so quick!"
Him rushing at us without any care must mean he anticipates we'll all pile on him. He knows he has three rolls and the skills to dodge us and with his teammates out of danger, he'll go all out. This is it. We're gonna see what makes him such a fearsome opponent! Just like Miloch suspected, Azule's speed increased and he looked to have all intentions of reducing their numbers. But he was in luck with Chio and Owan returning to the battle, which meant four bodies on one. Surely that was enough to kill him, right? Right? Wrong. I saw the crazy things he is capable of! More than likely he'd pull that wild move again where he splits between two players and splats them simultaneously along with the third one behind them. We need more! "Target him!" Miloch shouts, calling Mugi and Erie over from their assignment on the others. "We cut off the snake's head and the body follows!"
"S-six on one!?" Tangie shouts in disbelief.
"Talk about a cowardly approach!" an outraged Sally shouts with a stomp, unhappy with how the match was turning out.
Cobalt narrowed his gaze reading the faces and body language of the players, "I don't blame them for prioritizing him over the others when consider how explosive he can be. They want to assure he is out of the picture entirely. No doubt they have confidence in themselves to beat us in a shootout if the captain is removed."
"Sure, but they're acting like we don't have Sky in our lineup either. She's just as lethal-if not more. Shouldn't they split their forces and still come after the others?"
"I hear you Sally but Sky is still a charger user. In their eyes, she'll be manageable because of the classes. Azule on the other hand is an entirely different class with one of the most troublesome matchups for them. So though it seems irrational to gang a whole six players on a lone target, understand that they want to make sure their numbers don't dwindle to that target. Keep in mind that Pastelle-the only other player who didn't use a charger class weapon-is gone." Apollo added, curious about seeing how things would turn out with the unconventional approach.
"The problem with the Torch strategy is that Azule has to be the one to do it. From the studies we've done researching our opponents and our past battles, teams are fixated on the Royale sibling pair, Azule in particular because of the buzz around him being a first year. While Sky will command the attention of everyone because of her reputation, Azule is on everyone's radar because he's like bud on the verge of blooming; they want to be the one that disrupts his ascension." Fuchsia declared, holding her breath as she watched Azule enter a dangerous battle.
Three non-charger users. Three charger users. All within killing range although at varying distances . The narrow spaces between buildings doesn't help him at all, but Azule knew he had the speed and angling to pull off the slaying. As long as he avoided the overhead fire of Owan and Mugi, he could deal with the others on the ground. Now is the time to leave it to you four! His hair violently flashes a lighter blue for a moment and spooks them, the feint of revealing midnight for a moment enough to throw them off. "NOW!" he shouts, predicting the overhead shot from Owan in his blind spot. One roll is used to dodge the splatter, and in the moment comes the follow up from Erie on the flank. His daggers met her eyes and she froze solid staring at what looked like an incarnation of the word "Devour" in the flesh; his resolve to get kills could be felt with his stare alone.
The scoreboard changes to a tied score of 5 and the audience watching in the backstreets cheered pleasantly, excited to see the captain at work as expected. Sky and the others who were refilling their tanks and turfing their surroundings to build up their special meter felt relief to see their captain doing so much for them but couldn't help but feel frustrated at the reason. His choice to go nuclear and be the sacrifice was something they wanted to avoid at all costs since these matches were like a game of chess and to reveal one's moves early were detrimental. But Azule clearly knew and saw something that he felt warranted the early move and now that they had a brief moment to reflect while he stalled the competition, they wondered what was the reason for it all. What was their captain thinking? Sulking a bit as she finalized her task and was about to set off for her new position to snipe, Evelyn felt responsible for everything transpiring.
"It's my fault isn't it? Captain's doing this because of my choice interrupting the possible formation that would've been more beneficial. Because Pastelle got taken out early and he had to carry enough on his plate that he decided on this emergency play to buy us time."
"He isn't as much of a saint as you think." Violet said plainly; "You made your decision, so stick with it to the end. You've got us to back you up."
"But he ordered us to retreat so he could bait them."
"He is only doing what he deems as the best path to victory and entrusting us to be the ones to secure that victory. So chin up and switch gears, we'll be in a rough battle from here on."
Evelyn nodded and headed to her post.
A sacrificial attempt meant to give his chargers time to build up their charge and refill their tanks, Azule knew he'd attract everyone's attention since he is the penultimate target for Dango as their top priority. If he gets taken out sooner than later, it'll be to their benefit. He knew this, and decided that the best way to get the victory was by playing this risky card from the deck; by taking charge first and manipulating them to move the way he wanted, he'd have them in the palm of his hands. Following Erie's elimination, Azule darted for the next target: Miloch. The only person who likely picked up on his plans, Azule needed to take him down before the Dango skipper had time to figure out what his intentions were and set up the counterattack.
When Miloch saw the determined inkling sprint in his direction, it all clicked. "He's targeting the non-chargers!" Miloch shouts; "Space out! Space out!"
Azule clicks his tongue and makes a sharp left with his sights on Miloch shifting to Chio, who was isolated from the other chargers. Chio's heart dropped as Azule entered her peripheral. Miloch shouts for Nagumi and Mugi to cover Chio but their shots don't hit the mark thanks to Azule utilizing his couple rolls to dodge and close the gap. Chio takes aim but only catches a face full of a blue instead, getting splattered by the follow up attack. 5-4 to Squid Academy. The spectators of the back streets went wild cheering him on, captivated by what they were witnessing as they watched him cleverly weave around the chargers by using the blind spots of the buildings. Miloch gets anxious, realizing the lead they had was gone just like that and with the way that troublesome captain was playing, he was going to make matters worse by holding them up while the others would likely get involved now that the numbers favored them. Before that nightmare of a scenario gets played out, Miloch makes a sharp order for his chargers to disperse and tackle the rest of the instead and leave Azule to him. And they followed promptly, ignoring the speeding blue trail passing them.
He knew we'd prioritize him over the others with how quickly he moved and the type of weapon he had compared to the others, but that's enough. I know what you're up to! "He wants a charger battle." he calmly thought aloud; "Very well, I'll place my trust in my chargers as well. After all, they are our pride!" he announces to the approaching Azule.
"Is it every captain's goal to challenge me to a duel?"
"Anyone who was evenly matched with Romaine is someone I want to face."
Azule cracks a grin, "I take it you figured me out? Sending away the others like that."
"You're not very bright compared to others of your caliber, but I admit that I didn't expect you to make such a decision so early and you definitely got us by surprise by getting that brace. With that said, you made this desperate choice with awareness that we'll handle you and your squad in the next round, correct?" he sneered, looking to get in Azule's head.
But the captain's grin widened he lowered his chin, "You're talking with such authority as though you're leading right now but the score dictates otherwise."
"I do hope you live up to the hype."
"And I do hope you don't break after dropping consecutive rounds."
Their grins wiped away in an instant, two captains stare down the other in a duel they knew would end in death: for one or for both. As they prepare to bring an end to the other, the fate of the match is about to be placed in the hands of the chargers who are nearing their encounter.