The recollection of many jubilant smiles filling the street and laughs shared all around to the drums banging in rhythm with those in attendance singing and dancing along, it was a celebration of their birth in the national tournament and their beginnings as a contender on the world stage. The city of Kalebrough becoming a city reborn and rejuvenated thanks to the success of the Kalebrough Inkstinct, the team became a beacon of light for the city and community with their sparks igniting a new wave of faith and enthusiasm. At the center of it all stood Kippy, the star of the team and a local icon whose reputation as an extraordinary talent with a hint of mystery was bolstered thanks to her preference to wear a face mask at all times when in public and on camera-in turn concealing her true identity from the media, she became a sensation and a role model to the inhabitants of Kalebrough. There wasn't ever a dull day for her due to the support she received from the community. Every day she was greeted by locals- shopkeepers who offered deals and gifts as a show of appreciation, praise received from the elderly who felt great pride to see all the attention and coverage coming their way, and even the little children were idolizing hetr with many identifying her as their inspiration.
"What a pleasant memory..." Kippy recalled with soft eyes gazing at the dawn skies ahead where the appearance of the sun appeared to be breaking the darkness, dressed in a zipped up tracksuit to combat the surprisingly chilly mornings in Ravia where the lack of sunlight made for a very cold experience. The thought of Kalebrough-the place she called home-was the fuel she needed to push herself forward in the face of adversity and expectation. She wanted to deliver on their kindess for taking her in and making her feel like she belonged.
"A...pleasant...memory...huh?" A gassed Kappa trailed behind her with a stagger, coming to a halt with his hands on his knees hunched over to catch his breath; Kippy watched him with annoyance jogging in place.
"You're moving too slow! When you said you wanted to join me on my morning sprint I thought you'd be more robust! This is pathetic!"
"That's no way to speak to your big brother! You were much sweeter when you were younger..."
"And you're as dry as a biscuit, no wonder the coach of Squid Academy shrugged you off!"
An arrow to the chest, Kappa was nearly down for the count holding up his finger pleading with Kippy to give him a minute. Even though he didn't expect her to move at mach 5 speed along the trail back to the hotel they were staying at, Kappa couldn't help but find amusement at how lively she became especially during this trip. He knew how beloved she was by all, but it was as clear as the sky overhead hosting the chilly morning air that she had changed tremendously with that distant demeanor and shy attitude evaporating to become the ray of sunshine currently seen. Like a butterfly spreading wings to take flight from its cocoon, Kippy became free and to Kappa, that made the efforts to get here all the more worth it.
Never again will those dark days return nor will you walk around with that somber you used to wear frequently. You don't have to worry about what others think of what you do or think any longer, you're free to be just who you are... Warmed by the memory of his little sister's growth, Kappy renewed his promise; I want to continue to see that smile (although I can't see it with that mask on). I never want to see that hollow look return ever again and although I know you're strong enough to handle a loss, with the way the city has rallied behind you-no, behind us all, there's no way I'll allow a loss to happen.
That memory concluding as the voices of the coaches ring in his ears along with the others, it became a moment of steeling one's resolve. Finding themselves in a tied score, the wary coaches and leaders of the team were determined to swing the lead back in their favor before Nimaroshi got going like they always tended to when there was a slither of an opening. The Kalebrough players were far from fazed by the tied score but the morale wasn't exactly upbeat after how the second round ended. And thus, entered Zepp. The captain, the skipper, the man with the armband whose chin always remained raised in the face of adversity welcoming the next challenge. A hard clap of the hands and call of the score, Zepp brings everyone back into focus with his commanding tone, the glint in his eyes sharp with a thirst for victory.
"This is no time for second guessing." he said sternly; "We delivered the first blow and they responded. We can't get sheepish just because they've shown they want a fight. We initiated this war, so we'll end this on our own terms. Keep your head cool and your eyes forward-not on the scoreboard."
His players tuned in for his command, the fight in their eyes intensified hearing his tone. Aware that though the score may be tied there wasn't any cause for concern just yet, and as such no need to fall into a losing mindset either. Satisfied with the looks he saw from everyone again, Zepp dismissed the bench and signaled for his starters to join him with the break nearly concluding. Watching the third year captain lead his squad back to the battlefield, the head coach and other staff members were full of appreciation for seeing how far the team had come under Zepp's leadership from what they knew in the years prior to his arrival.
Three years ago.
It was three years ago that the Kalebrough Inkstinct welcomed a pair of youths who would go on to become the core that led to the team seen today. A young and ambitious Zepp and a silent resolve marksman in Virgil join the program. A pair of stellar first year students who were joining a team mostly comprised of second and third years, they stood out from the batch of first years and earned their spots on the regular squad in no time thanks to Zepp's flashes of brilliance as a commanding leader and as a slayer and Virgil's sharpness on the scope. Rising through the ranks and earning valuable play experience in their first year, Zepp soon became team captain ad a first year by unanimous decision of the coaches and players alike, attributing his rare brand of wisdom as the guiding light on the path to their growth into a team that can contend. That change in captainship led to several figures emerging to become reliable regular names on the roster that following year with the arrival of Kappa Moreno becoming the big addition that year.
Regrets expressed from the seniors who graduated that year and from the class the year before, Zepp and Virgil carried their wishes coming into their third year, and it all became a reality once Kippy Moreno joined the team. Massively improving from what they were when Zepp was a first year, Kalebrough not only became spring champions but emerged as a premier team and contender on the world stage, bringing plenty of attention to a once overlooked school and community in the heart of Inkopolis. An amazing turnaround in just a span of three years, it brought tears to the eyes of the coaches who recalled what life was like before this year and the slow but sure process taken. Even so, they did their best to refrain from getting emotional just yet as the job was far from complete. The venue of Mako Warehouse hosting the third round of Splat Zones, both teams understood how critical it was to win this round and swing momentum in their favor. Kalebrough started off strong behind energetic bursts from Zepp and Kippy, who were anxious to make their impact early and sway momentum in their favor right out of the gate. While those two did well to get the rhythm going for Kalebrough's offense, Nimaroshi retaliated with their own strategy in response to Kalebrough claiming the zones so early. All according to Yuji Nada's command, he dictated when and where to return fire and reset the pace.
A majority of the match spent being a close match with Kalebrough maintaining the lead but never managing to breakaway to persue the knockout, it was Yuji's persistence that allowed Nimaroshi to maintain a chance in the battle of attrition. The conversative efforts of Nimaroshi bore fruit once they captured the zone and never looked back, showing a burst of energy once they noticed Kalebrough were starting to look a bit worn out from constantly trying to put pressure to build the lead. It wasn't without a fight however as Kalebrough still kept themselves in the fight almost exclusively off of Kippy's tenacity and refusal to surrender once Nimaroshi surpassed them on the scoreboard. A tightly contested battle late into the match, Kalebrough tried to force overtime but fell just short with Pascal, Virgil, and Kappa umable to complete the efforts of preventing Nimaroshi from recapturing the zone to secure the win. Another victory eked out in a fairly close contest, Nimaroshi took the 2-1 lead.
With three rounds completed and the spirit of the match shifting from what was expected, the whispers and murmurs of Nimaroshi's possible upset gained traction. Although Kippy and Kalebrough were far from looking weak or vulnerable, it was hard to dispute that there were some cracks starting to form in the image of the unstoppable force, seemingly meeting quite the road block. The noise of the Nimaroshi students and supporters growing as their players returned to the sidelines, Yuji gatheref his squad for a huddle just before they returned to their coaches and teammates. Showing plenty of emotion on his face and with his gestures, it was clear to many spectators that he was smelling the blood in the water, but now wasn't the time to get high off the atmosphere-they're up against that team after all and it would only be a matter of time until Kippy showed her true colors and pop off again like what's been seen throughout the whole tournament.
"We're a couple wins away but that doesn't mean there's only a couple rounds left to play. Stay on your guard and play with precision! We're about to see why they are ranked within the top 10!"
The warning heeded by his players, the approach to the fourth round differed from how they operated in the third. Unlike their slow starts and the "wait and see" mentality they showed previously, Nimaroshi hit the ground running in this round of Tower Control with an aggressive start early on. Amberjack plaza was full of spectators packing every corner of the venue to catch a glimpse of the action with many hoping to see if Kippy would turn in an instant classic of a notch and not only bull-rushed the tower but tactically shut down Kalebrough's stars in the process. No matter the efforts of Kippy, Kappa, Zepp, or the others to create a spark, they were instantly denied by Yuji, Shinichi, and Nimaroshi's core. Kippy couldn't find her rhythm due to how Nimaroshi pressured her early on and became a non factor, Kappa fought a war on two fronts in trying to assist his sister in helping her get going while also rejuvenate his team in the process, which is was near impossoble to do when he had no breathing space to operate.
Zepp's brain worked overtime trying to devise a plan that'd help his squad but all routes led to a practical checkmate as even a simple stall defense would be a futile effort; Nimaroshi took advantage of the momentum and made their necessary adjustments to stun Kalebrough, jumping ahead to a 3-1 lead. A single win away from tasting an appearance in the sweet round of 16. A dark horse candidate due to how many teams were simply rated higher than them despite being a ranked team, many teams knew the story of who Nimaroshi were and their journey to the tournament. From a team who rivaled the likes of Toka, they've emerged as a true threat behind the brilliance of Yuji Nada, a player often overlooked back home because of that same Toka team.
"One game at a time everyone!" An encouraging Zepp yelled, holding up his finger, rallying his troops to keep their morale from getting any lower; "We just need to win a single game and start from there. Don't focus on winning the whole shebang right now, instead let's build the foundation with this first one. It all starts with a single win-we did it earlier, and we can do it again!" he clapped his hands together, still showing fight in his eyes. "The pressure will be on them to close us out now that they've taken such a commanding lead. All we need to do now is play the game that helped us get this far to begin with. Kappa! Kippy!" Zepp sharply looks over to his two star pupils, "Raise hell in the next round!" he said with an approving smile and nod.
A fire lit up in Kappa and Kippy at that moment, their passionate response of "Yes sir!" was all that was needed to assure their captain that they didn't plan on letting the dream die there, and for the team as a whole they found their second wind to keep going.
Three possible rounds remaining with every round a potential elimination game for Kalebrough, the stakes raised as a spot in the round of 16 peeked over the horizon at the two parties. Only one team would be blessed to see the light of advancement while the other would fade to obscurity in the realm of elimination.
The fifth awaits...