The treadmill echoes its zoom loudly as the mirrors in the room show a figure running in its reflection, her pastel green tentacles bobbing under the tight headband as her shoulders motion with her arms, her bright white shoes moving at full speed as she tries to keep up with the pace she set for herself, determination present in her eyes and a force in her step as she powers through the burn in her shins and calves. Ahead of her on the wall just a little further up sat the clock displaying the current time: 3 am. Choosing to get her blood pumping in preparation for the long awaited event that'd occur later today, Pastelle wanted to quell her anxiety before it'd overtake her later in the most critical of scenarios. Matchday 16, this match welcomes the highly anticipated playoff teaser and potential finals preview between the two best teams in the Rank Wars.

"Today...is...the...day!" she said under her breath as she maintains her pace with a nervous smile knowing that this would be the last time she could harbor feelings as a mentor for Azule, knowing that on the turf he'll be her bitter enemy, and one that knows her too well for comfort. If she was going to have any chance against him and Squidcom, she'd need to get creative and evolve her style.

The ink feels like fire as it scorches the skin of Reice, who blows to smithereens and leaves his clothes in the puddle of red ink left by Parker who quickly hops into the ink and sits at spawn waiting; It's game 1 and Kidvel has the lead along with momentum on their side as they corner Squidcom to their spawn room at musselforge fitness. Plenty of time remains in the game as Kidvel split their units with Parker and Taylor scouting ahead to antagonize Squidcom further while Pastelle and Nelson stay on the goal and pile up points throwing in the clams. Squidcom's got an extra hop in their step as all members ignore the scouting Kidvel players and head straight for any open clams once they have the synergy, looking to prevent the match from turning into an uphill battle that even they couldn't avoid. An all-out offensive brawl, both teams managed to grab points on their opening attempts before a deadlock tie came about with neither team able to take advantage. Throughout the game nearly everyone except for Violet had a super clam at one point, but only half of them were able to score points with the rest either getting splatted before they could throw or missing the goal entirely due to pressure. A shaky performance for Squidcom and a solid one for Kidvel, the general talk among spectators are that Squidcom seems to have met their match as the undefeated squad finally faced their other half in the undefeated Kidvel. A match of mostly team battles, there were few isolated showdowns with both sides focusing on making a contribution to the team and wanting to avoid playing selfish in such a crucial match. Plenty of time is left with the scores virtually tied at 79 a piece with both teams in the bonus but Kidvel in the lead due to advantage of scoring prior. Sally's splatling creates room for Azule and Reice to make their push with their power clams while Violet is a little more separated from her team looking to pick off Kidvel from the opposite side her team went.

"A pincer attack…" Shiore mutters under her breath as she analyzes both sides from her seat. From what she'd seen thus far, both teams had yet to play serious and were still feeling each other out based on how careful both sides were to avoid getting splatted and did everything in their power to watch their shots; also, with Sally playing a more centralized supporting role instead of her usual aggressive attack she found it clear Squidcom were looking to a more tactical approach that involved their two charger users having a bigger impact in an unconventional style on their part. Instead of having one person focus on the power clams with everyone else looking to protect them, Squidcom have Reice and Azule on scoring duty with Sally controlling the tempo instead of the captain.

Narrowing eyes with a wrinkle on the ends of her mouth with a frown, she turns her attention downwards to the phone in hand on voice call; "They don't want this game lasting any longer than it needs to be."

"Sheesh, I see what you mean. I wish I came to the game and watched it live instead of having to view it here on social media!"

Shiore gives a subtle but visible grin enjoying the fact that she made the smart move in coming to watch this game live, overhearing from many people nearby over the past month that this was the game of the season, "You had to stay back home and hone your skills. I'm glad I tasked myself with scouting."

"Why? Because you found Midnight's little brother? Honestly, your obsession over her is a little scary-"

"No need to bring her up. She retired." Shiore's tone sharpened as her fingers grip the phone tighter, he face showing irritation; "Besides, her younger brother is the real deal. I only played against him once, and I've been watching him every game and I can tell at a glance-he's got every bit the same skill as her, if not more tenacity."

"...Right. Well, I'll leave you be. The others told me to give you their regards so uh, yeah."

"Likewise. I'll be back soon."

At that moment, Shiore hangs up the phone and resumes watching the game. Continuing her analysis in peace, though it doesn't last long. A familiar figure appears dressed in black and monster green wearing a white visor upside down that he adjusts as he stands next to Shiore. She takes a glance at him and then narrows her eyes with an irritated sigh.

"What's wrong? You look so sullen by my appearance." he laughs.

"Carmichael…"

"Shiore…! Man, do I love our interactions."

"I was wondering why that seat was empty. Now I regret it."

"H-hey! Why are you being so cold? Aren't we friends?"

Shiore's face darkened as she lifted her chin wrinkling her eyebrows at the center like the yakuza, "Leave."

"H-hold on! Put away the scary face! I'll explain! I'll explain!" After Shiore put away her scary face, Carmichael took a calm breath and smiled; "Royce asked me. The other day he asked me if I'd been following the Rank Wars and if I'd seen how little blue played. I told him I was interested, and he asked for me to come here and scout-all expenses paid. Weird to ask that of a rival but-"

"So, you're in an alliance with the Emperors now?"

Carmichael laughed, "Hell no, I hate those guys. Royce however...I respect that guy. He's a reserve who doesn't get as much clout as his seniors, but he definitely has what it takes! I remember watching a private battle between him and Jin of the Special Forces and-" Seeing a disengaged Shiore return her gaze to the match, he couldn't bother to finish.

Squidcom's ace is on the attack in an uphill battle as her heavy splatling fires rapidly and giving an energetic shout of wanting more chaos with strike she unleashes, mowing down her opponents who're negligent in avoiding her lethal accuracy. This moment feels like a moment trapped in molasses as the struggling Squidcom try to match Sally's intensity. Parker and Pastelle prove to be troublesome as they shut down the path to the goal and interfere with Sally's attack, challenging the young ace to take them down. A light shines in Sally's eyes at her senior's taunt and she engages in an unlikely targeting of two bodies instead of one. A diversion, Sally knew this was a chance for Azule to attack the goal with his power clam while Reice follows up with his set of clams. Violet splats Taylor, Azule fires his power clam, and Sally gets splattered as her clothes and weapons fly in different directions; Azule's power clam misses the mark as Parker rains his ink on Azule and splats him as well. Pastelle holds the fort as Reice and Violet are the only members left with reinforcements from Nelson and Taylor coming.

"Fall back, Reice!" Violet shouts, scanning the field and seeing the situation isn't in their favor.

"I got this!" he responds, shifting to the left to avoid Parker's firing that interrupts their conversation. Azule and Sally are gone but if he can hold a proper defense in the few seconds it'll take for them to respawn and super jump to his position, he believed they could take control of the match.

Fuchsia's on the edge of her seat with her eyes glued to the game, doing callouts in her mind as she followed everyone's position. Bianca's cheering at the top of her lungs out her seat while Kosami and Jory exchange their opinions about what's going on. The game's still a close one with time going by quickly as 2:41 is left on the clock with the score still tied. Reice's efforts to stay on the attack and survive for as long as possible backfire as Kidvel focus their fire at him. Violet tried to provide cover fire, but with the combination of having to save her own skin and keep at a distance along with Reice's slow release from his roller, they were doomed. Reice blows up, Violet retreats to the ramp only to be spared; Sally and Azule respawn, but after seeing Reice go down it figures better to gather up ink and rally together.

"Time is working against us. At this rate Kidvel will win on bonus!" Sally shouts anxiously with a trio of clams in her possession.

Azule calms her down and gives a smile, "We've got two games to work this out. It's obvious what they're trying to do. We can't just rush in blindly and feed them their specials. We'll stand our ground and wait for Reice to respawn and then attack as a unit. If we go now, we'll fall into their trap."

Violet nods, "Pastelle and Parker aren't even trying their hardest yet. Pretty clear they're anticipating another team rally. Why else haven't they gone on the complete offensive and attacked our goal with us down?"

"...Because they know we'll smother them in a close-quarter shootout and run them off the goal." Fuchsia and Sally think aloud, both arriving to the same conclusion.

Fuchsia noticed it right away when she spotted the way Kidvel was performing seemed quite off from the get go with the way they played more conservatively. In those opening 30 seconds where Kidvel overwhelmed Squidcom, the rest of the game didn't possess that same level of intensity on their part, coupled along with the way they were able to contain Squidcom despite not playing at that same level indicated that this team was just playing down to their standard. If Squidcom were going to take down Kidvel, they needed to do either two things: Force Kidvel to go all-out and overpower them and risk never standing a chance due to overexertion, or come up with a well calculated plan that can overthrow even the intelligent Parker and Pastelle but risk ultimate failure in execution that might leave them even further exposed. The former requires Squidcom to elevate themselves to another level of exhaustion that already seems like a mountain of expectation with them already having the pressure of trying to stay undefeated be enough of motivation. Trying to use brute force to beat an opponent doesn't seem like Squidcom's style based on how they've handle multiple opponents over the course of the season. The former seems more up their alley, but the issue is a matter of several factors aligning perfectly for them to place even a chance against Kidvel, then there's the odds of pulling off the scheme multiple times-a slim opening given their opponent knows them too well.

"I've given them dozens of various setups they can do, but even then…"

Jory nodded in agreement, "There's only so much preparation that can be done until the heat of battle."

Squidcom's back together with Reice joining them for their rally, however, a rain of ink comes their way as several specials come their way. An unsightly defeat that nobody expected, Kidvel wins the first game in convincing style. Like a predator sharpening their fangs in participation of a filling kill, Kidvel waited patiently to unleash a wave of specials that even the tenacious Squidcom would struggle to fight against. Causing disarray that sent everyone to either their death of wounded to a point that defending the goal would become second priority, Kidvel launched everything and reaped the rewards. A sound defeat that leaves the ball in Squidcom's court for the counterattack, their back against the wall as their toughest opponent displayed their superiority, their undefeated streak is dangling by a thread as game 2 arrives in a few moments.

"We'll need to bring the house down in this game…" Sally groans after stretching her back and legs, crouching and holding her right calf for a little longer with intense concentration.

Reice is on the floor holding his roller vertically while gazing at the floor, "I'll get them this time around. I didn't expect them to get us like that towards the end. No wonder they're considered the successors to the Elites."

Azule's eyes get shadowed under his cap, "...We'll execute Scorpion in this game."

"Scorpion!?" the siblings went, mixed with shock and confusion.

"Azule…" Violet tilts her head.

Reice is on his feet again, "Scorpion's literally one of Fuchsia's dire need plays. She even warned us that it'd be a one time use type of play like the wildcat we tried out in practice. If we use it here, what about the third game!?"

Azule's eyes show his determination as he gives his team a confident smirk, "Games like this define a team. If we're going to live up to my sister's reputation, then we start by crafting our own image. We aren't a brutal team of all stars like the Elites, nor are we consistent like Pastelle and Kidvel, however, we can do something that neither can do: Strategy. We're a team that can think first and move later, yet possess skills capable of doing the opposite. We adjust to the opponents we have. In this case, relying on our raw talent will get us nowhere. We'll need to out think them, and to do that-"

"We'll sacrifice one of our surprise plays..." Violet adds.

Everyone's dumbfounded by Azule's reasoning, but soon Sally finds herself laughing. "Geez, since when did you start sounding so cool, huh? I guess Cobalt's personality rubbed off on you!" Azule gives a hearty grin and shakes his head as he turns his back, ready to start the comeback.

Game 2 takes a different turn from game 1 as Squidcom unveiled the Scorpion formation. A formation where everyone lines up in a single file line and operates like a train where the front controls all the movement while the rear follows along, it was dubbed the scorpion play by Fuchsia for the setup of the longest ranged weapons operating in the front with the rapid fire weapons taking the rear with the objective of being as annoying as possible. Flexible but fast, the scorpion unit moved at such an awkward pace that it seemed a little intimidating for Kidvel and the audience as their breath got taken away the moment the scorpion arrived at mid-map with three power clams already on hand. At the moment, Squidcom's in lead and expanding it further as Kidvel's goal closes with them being shut down and unable to muster any form of a comeback; Squidcom's been careful not to spawn camp and instead sticked to hovering all over the goal gathering clams each time they wipe out any stray members of Kidvel trying to sneak by and attack their goal. A power throw from Sally followed by Azule adding to the lead with his several clams put the score further out of reach as Squidcom widens the lead at 37-100 and shows no signs of stopping as they assert their dominance against the dumbfounded Kidvel.

"Sally at the front, Violet right behind, Azule behind Violet, and Reice to the rear...yup, they're using Scorpion effectively." Fuchsia sighed with relief; earlier in the game she was out of her seat and nearly shouting at the top of her lungs barking at Azule for using the plan so early in the campaign, to which Azule gave a smug look and shrugged his shoulders, adding to her rage.

Jory laughs, "I'm little surprised at how polarizing this performance is. More on Kidvel's part than ours. I didn't think they'd fail at making an adjustment as poorly as they have in this game. What's up with that? Have any idea, Kosami?"

Kosami nods, "I think the shock is what caught them for sure. They've been waiting for this game just as long as us, and they know us so well, too. So, the sudden change in style of play must've surprised them to the point that before slowing the game down and bringing some control, they've only fallen into our trap and kept it going fast paced. There's so much time left in the game but since we've got such a commanding lead, a knockout might change the entire flow the match."

"Yeah, Kidvel's still a powerful opponent. One loss won't break them, but a knockout can definitely inflict a wound to their pride. If we win by knockout here, I'm calling us winning the match!"

"Fuchsia…?" Jory and Kosami whisper under their breath.

"Looks like someone's confident!" Bianca added.

"Why shouldn't I be? They're using my scheme for a reason. They wouldn't be so disrespectful as to do that and not get a knockout victory. Plus, I can sense it in Azule's body language-the confidence; the others seem unsure, but their trust is there. If our team chemistry prevails, we won't lose."

Even though it seemed conceited to think that way, she had a point. Squidcom using one of her most guarded plans that was specifically aimed for dire moment matches was a sign that not only did this opponent mean business, but that Squidcom was willing to go that far to enhance their growth. A captain able identify a promising opportunity such as this was exactly why she felt so pumped to see where this would go. Right before her eyes, she's seeing them grow into a capable bunch, and them recognizing her genius as weapon that can be utilized made her feel all the more part of the team. An unlikely scheme that worked flawlessly thanks to the strong team chemistry of Squidcom that turned the tables around now had Kidvel backed up into a corner as their captain struggled how to handle a strange style like the scorpion. The swift movements of the rear and the flexibility of the front along with their annoying onslaught of firing made it near impossible to approach them from up close, adding to the disadvantage of Kidvel having selected weapons more beneficial to close and medium range, the accuracy of Sally's ranged splatling made it all the more difficult for Kidvel to defend against the Scorpion, leading to a Squidcom victory in the process. Many eyes were opened wide by the answer of Squidcom, who're impressing many with their gutsy plays in showing that they aren't afraid to get creative against even their scariest opponents, a thought that even Shiore managed to crack a smile at. Finding themselves having to scatter more frequently throughout the match, every member of Kidvel realized what Squidcom's plan had been, but by then it was too late as Squidcom forced Kidvel into submission and steamrolled in game 2 to even up the match. Pastelle's quiet in her brief intermission as she tries to identify a way to overcome this newfound offense of Squidcom and save Kidvel from an embarrassing defeat by their juniors.

She narrows her eyes, recalling the sharp movements of Squidcom whenever they made their sharp press and left Kidvel suffocating. I...can't concentrate when that stare is here! Geez, why did you have to show up now of all times, Sky!? Pastelle thought as she scrambled her brain trying to figure out a plan; struggling to come up with a counterattack, she attributes the blank thoughts to Sky's presence, who she could feel was watching the game and surely critiquing her performance on whether she was worthy of becoming the next queen of the school, successor to carry the hopes of everyone.

"Pastelle?" Parker rests his hand on her shoulder, "Don't push yourself, we're a team after all."

"Yeah, win or lose, we do it together."

"Man, I remember when you were more easy going...captain?"

Pastelle looks to Parker, then Nelson, and then Taylor-smiling and feeling reassured that her worries were nothing too concerning. Stiffening her shoulders and raising her chin, she put away her smile and instead equipped her game face. "This team is a clever bunch that'll think before they strike and if we know enough about them, they'll get gutsy when they need to. Right now our main issue is with Sally at the front and the way she's been able to rack up damage on us while Violet picks us off individually. Azule and Reice have also been a problem in that weird formation, but their role is still to be the primary scorer. Recognize their pattern: Attack first in formation and create a disadvantage, collect clams while in that same setup, then attack swiftly and score on the goal before we can respawn while picking us off again. We've been getting team killed way too constantly and are in danger of losing this match. So, I want you to understand that this is going to be more than just the final game in this match. They're showing us just how bad they want to beat us, willing to dig up a strange play and use it to great effect. We can't let that happen again. Wait for my attack on the rear, and then flank on the left-our objective is simply to break the formation and go from there. Break their line, break their spirit. In game 3, we hit them hard. Don't hold back anything against them, got it?"

Giving her final set of orders just before game 3, Pastelle and Kidvel readied themselves. As game 3 went underway, the heat between the two teams raised to the ceiling of Musselforge fitness as even the lights illuminating the building were showing some of the team. So much energy being exerted by both teams, sweat mixed in with the ink to the point that some of the players were slipping a little as they run around on the turf, having to rely on their swimming to avoid any follies. Those words echoing in her mind as she catches a glimpse of the backs of Squidcom, a sharp cry in voice roars as she pulls the trigger; Azule's ear twitches immediately-his hair glowing brightly as he throws out his splat bomb to cancel out the enemy ink. Pastelle shifts to right and begins her sprint, her glare locked on Azule; Azule's returning the same intense stare as he tightens his grip on the gun, the pair looking at each other like a pair of wolves about to attack each other. Reice feels the hairs on his neck stand up as he watches his captain show that infamous glowing blue hair and eyes, surprised that his captain could control it so freely now.

"Break!" Reice shouts, jumping to his right and letting Azule off the leash; Azule sprints for Pastelle, Violet goes left, and Sally rushes forward.

This is it. Now that the Scorpion formation is gone, Kidvel has a chance to make a rally now, right? After all, the objective of breaking them apart came in just like they expected, only thing changing was that Pastelle would have her hands full with Azule. It's up to Kidvel to make a push and take control of the final game. A score that still hangs in the balance with enough time left for anything to happen, momentum seems to sway with the flow of the game as the previous results of a convincing Kidvel victory to a Squidcom knockout in the following game to Kidvel finally disrupting the scorpion formation to Midnight's appearance, anything can happen. Parker shouts furiously as he's forced to cover for Nelson, their designated gatherer of clams; Taylor's also there, but having difficulty avoiding death by Sally and Violet, who're operating on another cylinder as their firing speed seems to have increased with the added pressure. Taking to the high platform while Nelson climbs the ramp from the left, Parker gets the trouble battling the trio as Taylor drops behind him to refill ink, then taking the end around to prevent a focus of Parker.

"Got it!" a frantic Nelson shouts with hope and desperation settling in his voice.

"Alright! Puuuuuuuush!" Parker yelled; Taylor appears from behind and throw her suction bomb at Violet, who swims away.

Sally goes the opposite way of Violet and prepares for another crack at Kidvel; Reice is no longer at the rear and instead at the far end of the map on the right, using his special: the inkstorm. An autobomb appears from behind Parker, and right out the corner of his eye is Reice, hungry for a splat. Taylor jumps in the way and shoves Parker out, saving him; Nelson's nearby, but he's struggling to stay alive with everyone focusing on him. A battle of endurance, whichever member standing afterwards could sway the flow of the game. Meanwhile, another battle ensues that also caught the eyes of many as flashes of blue and red splatter over in Squidcom's area nearby their goal. The fight that Sky, Shiore, Royce, Siot, and many others involved in the sport personally wanted to see, the showdown of captains.

"Didn't think you'd come after me like this!" Pastelle shouts, her enthusiasm heavy as she feels her body overcome with chills as the focused Midnight Azule follows behind her. "No words, huh? No former apprentice of mine is giving me that treatment!" Pastelle does a swift adjustment in position and goes from a retreating motion to an attacking motion, firing away at Azule, leading him to a baited position; Midnight Azule knew what Pastelle was planning and immediately bailed out, returning near his goal and setting his solo defense once he caught a glimpse of the clams by her location. Confused at first by his sudden hesitation, Pastelle recognized what he was up to and quickly grabbed the four clams. In the same way that their teammates were going to battle it out for the objective, they too had their duty to uphold. A race to see who'd win not based off of who got splatted, but rather who carried out their job better: Azule defending his goal by splatting Pastelle to save the match, or Pastelle breaking the barrier and getting points on the board to possibly get the win.

"That's a scary smile you got there, Pastelle. What's wrong? Do I look like a worthy rival?"

Pastelle chuckled, raising her chin with appreciation, "Those cold eyes...yeah, you're starting to look a lot like her!"

Azule gives a satisfied smirk, giving a nod to signal that he's ready for anything his former mentor will throw at him. Pastelle eyed the goal for a moment before throwing a curling bomb at him, then swimming behind it at brisk pace; Azule's prepared, dropping his splat bomb and roll jumping over the his left; Pastelle pops up from the ink with her weapon aimed at Azule, firing before he can lift his arm and ignoring his decoy. The ink grazes his cheek as he feels the power of wind from the ink hit him even more, and gathering his thoughts he is forced to dodge another round of shots from Pastelle. Pastelle won't go easy on him, sensing that though she's putting the pressure on him, him being in that mode alone makes him a threat that she can't allow to stay on the turf without getting splatted. She wasn't too sure yet if it was true, but she came to a conclusion after observing several of his games including the times he went into midnight mode and of how to contain it. Though it was similar to Sky Royale's, the intensity of Azule's Midnight was far more inferior-Sky's brazen ability left fear in her opponents, while Azule's only made you want to push yourself to measure against him. The attitudes were different of the users when they went there, and Pastelle figured that if Azule is already a troublesome opponent who will only get better, having that form enhance his abilities will spell doom. So, how could she stop it? The answer she decided is on simply defeating him.

Midnight is only an enhanced mode, sort of like a power up that grants its user a bulk in their abilities. He glows like someone who has their special when they fill up their ink tank, so the effect of getting splatted and losing your ink special should apply in the same way, right?

She just needed to take him down, and his Midnight mode should disappear. That was the conclusion she reached after a long thought on the origin of the scary ability.

"C'mon Azule! Is that all you got!?"

"I'm right here!" Azule shouted, charging at Pastelle with his rolls.

Left, then right, Azule sinks his feet into enemy ink-immediately inking below and hopping backwards to leave a trail; the goal is open for Pastelle to make a move, but unfortunately she doesn't have enough clams to form a power clam. Realizing what Azule was up to, Pastelle breaks away to search for power clams. Azule stops.

"Oh. She caught on after all. If it's taken this long for her to get her head in the game and read the situation, then maybe..." Sky crosses her arms and narrows her eyes, her chin lowered and her brows furrowed as she assesses the battle between her little brother and her rival. Dressed in a white sweatshirt with an Elites logo on and her signature bobble hat hanging a bit back, she puts her hands in her pockets and shakes her head; next to her is Aaron, who brought to come watch the game since it was Azule after all. "Even after all this time..."

"Not impressed? I can tell by the tone and the dull look that you're not amazed by what you're seeing." Aaron elbowed with a smile, trying to get her to show some positivity since she'd been restless lately.

"It's not that I'm unimpressed. Just, my mind goes to a different place whenever I see Midnight on Zule."

"Bad memories?"

"Not necessarily...just-I worry. That's a mode that eats away at you, and here he is just foolishly pushing himself in the regular season against his former mentor." I understand the level of pride that's on the line here, and I also know what it feels like want to prove to someone that you're ready by showing the skills you honed over your grueling training but…" she pulls her hands from her pockets and clenches them with a feeling of restraint. "Then there's Pastelle, the girl I entrusted with the future of Squid Academy. Watching her play in this game makes me feel irritated, like, she knows I'm here and it's reflecting in the way she plays." She gives an aggravated smile with twitching eyebrows; "It's so frustrating!"

"I understand your frustration, but try to enjoy the game. They've played well so far and I think it'll be interesting to see how this ends."

Sky shrugs her shoulders, hoping Aaron's words speak truth. As the game continues with under a minute left and a wild finish in sight with the score 24 to 31 in favor of Squidcom, both major confrontations are heating up. On the side between the captains, they're playing at break-neck speed as nothing but near colorful blurs exchange ink with one another with Pastelle having to survive Azule's attack while building her power clam. On the opposite side of the map near the goal of Kidvel, it's a back and forth affair between the teams as a player gets splatted at every other moment, but one couldn't tell by the way it looked since when it seemed like a team had a numbers advantage, the other got splatted and someone respawned in time to super jump to the location; the match still hangs in the balance with Squidcom in control. Pastelle's eyes shift from the goal in sight to her teammates struggling to survive, weighing if to go back and help or try to pick some quick points on the board. Helping them seemed like a good option, but with time working against her, the hope of scoring now and creating a little momentum with that spark seemed just as appetizing; however, Azule foresaw this dilemma occurring. The reason why this showdown between captains seemed to differ from previous simply rested on Pastelle seeming unwilling to fully commit to battling Azule. Though she fought well and entertained the crowd with her impressive marksmanship and nearly scored, the weight of her teammates possibly conceding while she was away made it all the more difficult for her to commit. Halting, she takes one final glance at Azule and then sprints in the opposite direction back to her goal looking to aid her teammates, cutting to the left in his blind spot below. Azule gives chase, surprised that she'd give up a solo battle this late into the game for the objective, especially when it seemed like she placed her trust in her team defending well enough to aid her in a counterattack. In his mind he only wondered if she lost her trust or if she could be up to something else…

Leaping below and making a sharp turn in the same direction Pastelle went, Azule saw a figure swim up the wall next to him, then emerging from atop the ramp is Pastelle over the grated path shooting down below making her way back to Squidcom's goal, her power clam in possession.

"NOOOOOO!" Azule shouts, realizing her plan.

A curling bomb goes his way as he tries to mimic her steps and is forced to retreat to the top of the ramp to avoid damage; Pastelle swims right below the goal and throws the power clam upwards, shattering the lengthy lead of Squidcom as the score falls to 24-25, only one clam to separates! Frantically looking both ways, Pastelle spots some clams to her far right down the path that leads directly to the goal, but waiting there holding the group of clams in his possession is Azule with glowing eyes and a knowing smirk. If Pastelle's going to clutch it out and win this game at the last second, she'd have to go through Azule since the rest wouldn't get there in time to help her. Without a moment's hesitation, Pastelle sprints for Azule, he rolls to the right and then up the ramp towards the goal, throwing the splat bomb at Pastelle as a final warning for her. She now has eight seconds left and no clams…

"I can't lose thi-huh!?"

Sally, Reice, and Violet...all three were before her; Pastelle's face turned blue with shock as Squidcom's in her sights. Feeling the immediate terror through her body, she looks to the left to see streaks of ink soaring in the air to her position; her trio coming to her position to make one final push. While Azule and Pastelle were battling it out, Sally noticed part way that Azule was taking too long to get Pastelle since she didn't disappear from the radar nor did it seem like she'd join the fray in defending against Squidcom's last attack, to which-

"She decided to pull out from the attack and back up Azule." Sky commented.

All of Squidcom guards the goal with their weapons locked on Pastelle, all their hair glowing with fire in their eyes with their specials ready meeting the fierce glares of a Kidvel team that reached their goal just in time to back up their captain with plenty of clams in hand. All weapons load, the time at its most critical point, and the crowd up on their feet, the tension on the turf felt the same as two gunslingers about to quick draw. As the clock ticks to only a trio of seconds left, both captains give a violent shout and the specials are released one after another as clashes of contrasting colors expand the immediate atmosphere of the two teams with plenty of cries coming as souls depart from the battlefield back to their spawn with clams flying from left to right, but not into the goal...

The rowdy crowd are electric as the whistle blows an end to a climactic finish as Squidcom does the unthinkable and survive Kidvel's rally with time expiring just when it looked like Kidvel could close down the deficit in bonus and sneak by at the last minute. Sally's sprawled out on the floor on her back, her chest huffing as exhaustion finally hits her-hands and feet fidgeting furiously as if she had spasms. Violet wipes the sweat off her forehead as she sits upright, her head leaning forward as she casts her gaze at her knees getting a chance to regain her composure after a strenuous defense. Reice is standing proud pumping up the crowd with his hands, enjoying the feeling of adrenaline coursing through his body after having found another gear to hold off his seniors. Azule's hat is off as he holds out his hand to shake the members of Kidvel. Though they lost in a stinging fashion, Kidvel didn't seem in the least bit disturbed by their defeat and instead had a jubilant smile as they saw how satisfied Azule looked with the win. The thought that Squidcom found a way to overcome them in the same way they were able to overcome the Elites last season, there was a strange sense of deja vu in the situation at hand. Pastelle couldn't help but feel fired up to see them again, remembering that empty feeling last season when Azule was missing the action.

"On behalf of my team, I want to express my thanks for a great match. You all played your hardest against us and I'm grateful for it."

"Hey now…" Parker muttered under his smile as he crossed his arms.

Pastelle puts her hands at her hips, "I'm glad we were the ones to push you all to another gear. I hope the next time we meet, it'll be in the finals, right?"

Azule nods, "Definitely! I wouldn't want it any other way!"

Satisfied with that response, Pastelle tells him to go and celebrate with his team-who're right behind him ready to tackle him. Getting ambushed by his teammates, for the first time in a while can they finally smile wholeheartedly knowing that their toughest of challenges has come to pass, the anxiety and fear of seeing defeat by their biggest opponent ending in their favor. Finally, Squidcom can enjoy playing through the Rank Wars without the worry of losing their spot for the playoffs. Beating Kidvel meant that Squidcom solidified their legitimacy as the best team of the season and potentially the winners of the Rank Wars, now it's just a matter of not underestimating their upcoming opponents. Shaking her head with a tiny smile appearing before casting it aside once Aaron caught a glimpse, Sky has pure satisfaction on her face after seeing that match and getting the performance she wanted from both Pastelle and Azule. The future is in good hands, she thought as she rose to her feet to make her exit. As for Shiore and Royce, this game was a telling sign that the boy they'd taken interest in back on that random day in Inkopolis square was more than just a hunch. That Midnight mode that bares resemblance to the infamous Midnight Sky, that chemistry within a team capable of pulling off the trickiest of formations and plays, Squidcom were the future enemy of not only the big fish of Inkopolis, but potentially a threat to the rest of the continent. The prediction of them being in the conversation of going far at Nationals was no longer a baseless one, for they were proving their worth before the eyes of everyone and even catching the eyes of notable threats like Shiore, Royce, and Siot. Speaking of Siot, he was already on his way back to home catching his flight in the evening and while taking his drive to the airport, the huge grin on his face and the fire in his eyes were all that needed to be told of a proud opponent finding someone they felt worthy. Spring and Summer can't come any sooner.