Streaks of yellow ink meet their blue counterparts with momentary silence following suit before more streaks are released, the players darting from one building and rooftop to the next avoiding the sights of one another-careful not to leave themselves exposed out in the open where even a millisecond was enough to equate to a kill with how deadly accurate the players were. All hidden from the rays of the sun with only their peeking weapons taking the brunt of the sun's rays, it was a slow and drawn out encounter between the charger trio of Dango and the quartet of Squid Academy. Cloaked in the protection of the shade from the harmful sun cast overhead, Violet stared up at the clear blue sky, thankful to have some cover from the blazing heat. Her breath is so light that it'd be hard to tell if she was even alive, the results of her intensive training finally showing with how well she concealed her presence.
We've reached a deadlock after all that fighting… the tired inkling recalled giving her face a massage, a strained sigh escaping her lips as she struggled to maintain her patience while dealing with the unrelenting heat that felt it charred her throat with how difficult it was to breathe. Prior to this drawn out approach that led to a stalemate between the two parties, it was a fast paced and boiling exchange between the two teams that had everyone on the edge of their seats with how close everyone was flirting with danger all for the sake of securing a point. It all started when Sky led the quartet into battle against the defensive trio with an aggressive push following Pastelle's elimination; Evelyn and Pearl teamed up to take on Mugi While Violet and Sky each targeted Nagumi and Owan, and it wasn't long before both sides realized how dangerous the other team was operating and resorted to the static confrontation seen now with each side waiting on the other to make the initial move to restart the contest fresh. A battle of attrition that was made all the more insufferable with the current conditions, the stationary specialists had to endure the searing sun cast overhead at the apex position with a ground so hot that it could burn bare skin paired together with dry air and no cooling breeze present to make this round brutal not only for the body but for the mind as well.
The dense number of chargers posted everywhere discarded the need for navigating around the map with caution taking priority above all else due to one being unsure if their foe may be around the corner. Patience is the principle in this scenario, but so is vigilance as well. And under such a blazing sun, one or the other would have to be relinquished to maximize the use of the other. The question on all their minds as they waited it out was: who would be the first to crack? Since Squid Academy took the lead 5-4 following the heroics of their captain to nab the double, there wasn't a sense of urgency to go out and follow up with more kills, instead preferring to play conservatively and shave enough time off the game clock with the reason being that although they have the lead, it is too narrow to risk against the dangerous Dango trio. Sky was anxious to break the stalemate and go wild but she knew that although she had the talent to cause problems for Dango's trio, no doubt she had to be one of their targets that they did plenty of homework on and her removal would be detrimental to the team's success. As such, her hands were tied for now. For the others, they believed that the best course of action was to exercise patience and wait for the right moment: Pearl's belief laid in the confidence that the Dango trio would seek them out considering that they are down in the match right now and would be pressed to take the initiative rather than let too much time get wasted under these harsh conditions; Evelyn and Violet thought as much as well but the heat was starting to get to them. The Dango trio thought similarly as well, which is why they hadn't made their move just yet. From their perspective, not only was it arrogant of Squid Academy to assume they would attack first but it was also foolish to leave their captain unaccounted for. While waiting, Nagumi explained to his comrades that Squid Academy's tactic was rooted in them having the lead, but if Miloch managed to take down Azule and tie up the series, then that slight comfort was removed entirely and thus Squid Academy would be left at a crossroads at what to do as not only would the score be tied but a wild card would be in the mix to throw off an otherwise charger-only contest. They waited for their Captain's fate and would act promptly depending on the outcome of his duel.
"It's a waiting game between these two teams as neither are giving too much room for the other to maneuver. Occasional shots are exchanged from various points but neither of the teams are showing their hand in this draw. But they should start to show some haste as sitting around in that heat will only make them more tired than if they were moving!"
"Although it is true that parking the bus and observing the enemy's intent is a valid approach, the weather factor is too important to let time pass by so idly. Playing outdoors during the peak time of the day where it is at its hottest will be unbearable for them if they aren't moving about. The boiling heat will sap their energy! Having an endurance match within an endurance match is not desirable."
Stumped by the lack of action happening between the chargers, the commentators quickly shifted their attention to the battle between the skippers after noticing some of the cameras already switched coverage to follow the action as it unfolded and quickly did the pair eat it up and begin to hype up the crowd. While it was fun to watch team battles with both sides trading blows, the most entertainment for the audience came when the stars of their respective teams dueled it out in head to head duels and this particular bout between dualie users promised to be electrifying for all those watching live and at home. The yellow ink of Miloch is unable to mark the elusive Azule who continuously found ways to avoid getting tagged while reserving his tank at the same time for the opportune roll, his experience as a dualie user starting show as he looked less like someone using the weapons and more like someone who became the weapons. The battle taking place right on the main street where plenty of parked cars, benches, light poles, and many other obstacles served to barricade the two exchanging fire on the linear path to cover, Azule uses his quick wits and makes the most of his surroundings to narrowly avoid the deadly accuracy of Miloch, who elevated his game due to the chance opportunity of getting to battle someone who gave the top brass a run for their money.
Erasing the blue trail behind Azule, Miloch paint everywhere before him in yellow in hopes to trap Azule who dipped into a narrow back alley to catch his breath. Miloch isn't reckless to follow him blindly, sharply aware that Azule wasn't running away thoughtlessly-there was something up his sleeve, and as such...the menacing presence he felt from that dark alley confirmed it. Azule would devour him if he stepped in there. Little did Miloch know that Azule's tank was actually on empty and he was only buying time to scrounge together enough for a counterattack and by trapping himself in the narrow alley, there weren't many options for maneuverability. If he continued down the alley, no doubt Miloch would still tail him by taking the long away around to catch up once he heard the guns firing, and if he tried to confront Miloch now, he'd be dealt with an unfavorable hand with being somewhat trapped. He could try going up, but that would use too much ink and the whole point of him being in this predicament was because he ran out of ink. Oops, looks like I flubbed this one he chuckled to himself, softly punching himself on the forehead with an innocent look; Fuchsia and the others looked like they were going to tear him from limb to limb watching him on screen, hearing his thoughts clearly through the monitor. Quickly returning to seriousness, Azule monitored his tank. He wants to level the playing field and the way things stand, it'll only get worse for me if I wait any longer. I've been doing well to avoid the critical hit but I shouldn't push it, and while I'd like to take him down, he's done an excellent job of avoiding damage from me. Azule attempts to unravel the several threads knotted together in his mind, figuring out which scenario will lead him to the most favorable outcome. As things stand we'll end up in the battle with the chargers and that's the last thing needed. A team battle would work against us despite our number advantage. I know those four would pile on me and attempt to draw them out.
"I've given you enough time to make a decision, now it's time to act. Come on out!" Miloch shouts bringing out his tenta missiles, tired or standing by idly when his body craved for more; Azule's instincts screamed for him to run as the warning sounded on the detonated missiles, but he knew this is exactly what Miloch wanted in forcing his hand and deciding on which route to take. Now, what will you do? Will you escape them on the other side where I'll hunt you down or come directly at me where you'll be trapped above and on the ground?
Neither choices occur.
Instead of hurrying away or running on the ground, Azule instead leaps off the wall transitioning from his squid form to human form with one of his dualies aimed at Miloch. Not only did he just use his special and would be depleted of his tank, but he'd also be vulnerable in that moment. Azule wanted to exploit him in that instance. He'll look to submerge and recover but I won't let you!
Miloch smirks reading the boy's facial expression to know what he was thinking, "Is that so?!"
Yellow rains on them, but not before a face full of blue is served to Miloch. The backdrop of yellow missiles blast around as Azule utilizes his first roll to escape and then uses another to cloak himself for a potential ambush on the visually compromised opponent. But seeing no signs of Miloch, he halted and wondered: Did he get him on that surprise response? Or was that hit not enough? Even though he got a good look in the face, Azule couldn't deny the possibility with that puddle of yellow drowning out the blue ink and no confirmation of Miloch's elimination that he failed to take him down. Sure enough, Miloch appears and this time there's nothing to be said. He was amazed by those few seconds that felt like minutes. If this is what Azule was capable of, then in his eyes he had no reason to play with caution. A split second of a moment, the two captains clash once again just outside the alley. Azule escapes the sudden danger he felt from his flank and guessing correctly, he dodges the imminent attack from Miloch. Azule immediately goes after the open back of Miloch, his irises sharpening as he pulls the trigger instantly. Miloch foresaw this however and swiftly did a couple rolls of his own to avoid danger, reminding Azule that he wasn't the only one who knew how to play on the dualies. Azule didn't give him a chance to recover however, following up with a forward roll that springs into an attack that opens up the battle yet again. Miloch doesn't falter. A face full of blue, a body full of yellow. The two captains left it all on the line after fishing for home run hits.
The battle ends in a tie.
"Both captains take one another out! The score shifts to a 4-3 score in Squid Academy's favor with both leaders bowing out after beating up on another!"
"With that, our attention returns to the battle between the chargers. Maybe now there will be some urgency-"
"The first shot is fired and here she comes! Sky Royale is on the move!"
"So too are the Dango trio who all make motion simultaneously. Looks like things are about to heat up now that the round is in their hands."
As soon as she saw his signal disappear, Sky took matters into her own hands-having suspected Dango to try and make the first move and refusing to give that dangerous trio a chance to move ahead first. Thinking the same thought, her comrades move as well; whether they liked it or not, this round and the potential fate of the entire match came down to every action they make from here on out. Still maintaining a high ground and taking advantage of vantage points, the Dango trio make their presence known as each member marks their target for battle while carefully avoiding the wild card who hunted them down. Mugi versus Violet, Owan versus Pearl, and Nagumi versus Evelyn. Their objective to isolate and pick them off in duels, the trio not only had to contend with the skilled trio of Squid Academy, but the looming Sky who appeared in every battle. The Dango trio are slippery however, accessing all exits at their leisure and continuously give their opponents the slip.
"How long are they planning to drag this out!?" Zaneki shouts in frustration watching how narrowly the pesky Dango trio cling to their lives with just enough evasiveness.
Todd attempted to calm him down, "Pay attention to what is happening out there. They've been surviving so far but the continuous escapes aren't working in their favor. They can't gather any ground for an attack with the way our side is pressuring them and then there's the looming presence of Sky who can appear in a moment's notice. They're practically stalling a losing battle."
"Defending a losing battle is delaying the inevitable. Looks like we'll need to make preparations for the next round with the way things are heading." Cobalt mumbled.
"What brings on that thought? We're not making much progress against them and with the way they are running around it looks too much like they're looking to catch us napping to tie up the score." Apollo mentioned, seeing the match from a different perspective.
"Dango are running out of survival options where they can run away and the constant pattern of refilling the tank just to run away will eventually create a mental strain on them as they'll feel the pressure to counterattack. When that comes, we'll know who wins: our quartet of various experience and talent or their skilled trio of specialists who lived for these types of battles." Fuchsia clarified, her focus entirely on believing in the strength of her chargers.
Much like expected, the Dango trio indeed stopped running and the Squid Academy forces answered them by surrounding the perimeter and trapping them-the very tactic the Dango trio loved. Another fallout occurs with Mugi, Owan, and Nagumi having their backs to one another making a final stand. Owan gets plastered with a shot from Pearl but manages to survive. Pearl isn't so lucky. A tied score now, it was far too late for another stalemate to occur with the eleventh hour approaching. Nagumi and Mugi cover for Owan on his recovery and stall just long enough, then changing their approach to break through their opponents now that the numbers are even. Violet and Evelyn disperse while Sky rushes forward. The Dango trio immediately retract and disperse as well, refusing to engage in a duel with Sky under these conditions. Evelyn wears a puzzled look realizing what Dango are up to now that they've tied up the score. From her perspective, they looked as though they were going to rinse and repeat the strategy until they got the numbers in their favor to gang up on Sky or Violet, which meant that their target next time would be her considering the difficulty curve of the other two. They couldn't afford to drag this match on much longer with the wear and tear getting put on critical assets like Sky and Violet. Now or ever…!
Evelyn breaks away and gets just close enough to grab Mugi's attention, who saw this as the moment to launch the counterattack. Mugi threw everything at her, launching a plethora of attacks that drowned the area in yellow ink in hopes to swiftly rid Evelyn, but Evelyn held on for cover to survive the attacks, still attempting to close the attack. Mugi called for reinforcements from the other pair who were still wary of the location of the other two who seemed to back off now. An opportune moment to tip the scales and get a step closer to getting out of the exhausting heat, the trio launched everything at Evelyn. Prepared for all the trouble coming her way, she carefully plans out her strategy for getting closer while avoiding the fire overhead. From the lack of blue firing from the others, she took that as a sign that they understood what she was up to and with them all seemingly on the same page, she pushed forward without hesitation. A march into the fire, Evelyn took all three deadly shots from the trio and still clenched her teeth to hold on, the most minuscule of damage enough to eliminate her. She was so close to finally reaching her target as she rushed down the lone pathway where the flanks were covered with buildings and narrow alleyways. Commanding the trio's attention who were hell bent on eliminating her now that she looked like she intended on bringing one of them down, Evelyn unleashed one final attack to paint the nearby area blue. The trio fired their shots simultaneously, a trio of yellow streaks kissing the wave of blue with only a single one needing to graze her to eliminate her.
That's all I can do… she thought as she felt herself implode from the damage, the resignation that this is as far as she can go in these competitions on her own strength. Doing everything she could to put her team in a position to win, Evelyn left it to the two best charger users she knew.
The commotion over as a puddle of yellow remained where Evelyn stood, the trio nearly breathed a sigh of relief when they were brought back to reality by a rude awakening. The shots fired in tandem, back to back with a rhythm like the drums that banged for Squid Academy, the presence of Mugi and Owan vanishing in an instant by the blue projectiles that blasted them instantly. Nagumi only had a couple seconds to process what happened but even that wasn't enough as already in line of sight with another shot loaded was the very person that terrorized the team the most. Sky Royale had the eyes of a predator as she stalked the trio for the longest time, waiting for this moment. But before she pulled the trigger, a shot was already fired. Catching Nagumi from the side, Violet took advantage of the distracted Dango elite to put the nail in the coffin and avenge her fallen comrade. The whistle blew immediately to call the round in Squid Academy's victory, and back at the Hulabo dome were the Squid Academy supporters letting out a frenzied cheer.