.Awesome! I'm elated Team Chaos won (I had some friends throwing shade on the Order side) and I'm also heartbroken that's the final fest, either way, the franchise is here to stay and I hope a third game will happen, though probably not too soon based on the latest news. Uploads have been slow due to some really tough stuff going on at home, so apologies if it feels like I'm uploading at random or barely. As always, thanks for giving your time to read the chapter and for your support!


The second day of the Spring Invitationals is accompanied with another day of gorgeous weather in the windy Giande as the numbers for the day fluctuated from the previous amount with many people in attendance today exclusively there for the main event occurring in the evening. Plenty of interest gained through the media's hype and promotion of the Kalebrough Inkstinct turned to Kippy, the explosive ace of the team and of her chance to make it to the finals effortlessly with the favorable presented. With intentions to watch all the games today at an all time high, there's barely any room to walk around the Rellan complex as people not at the scheduled maps today took to the park to hang out and take photos or to visit the exhibit; the maps for the first double header is the Rellan Track, while the second one is the Rellan Forest-a convenient choice since the maps are adjacent to one another much like yesterday, making it easier for spectators to travel and get desirable seats. A good day for teams that played yesterday to have their rest, Squidcom took the opportunity to make it a scouting day with Kosami, Fuchsia, and Jory in attendance while the rest of the crew undergoes training in preparation for tomorrow's battle with Beacon Hills.

"Amazing that even on a day off you still look to scout your competition up close." Bianca said after running into them while on her way to the first game.

"The others decided to do some training in preparation for tomorrow, but I think I need to be here instead. The best way I can contribute is by observing these games through a perspective that only a player can experience and relay that information to them, sort of like reading our opponents and simulating myself in their position." Jory said thinking back to how the previous series went and that nagging feeling that he could've done more to carry the load; "Who knows? I might uncover a secret or two to exploit for the next round."

"He thinks he might become a liability otherwise." Fuchsia summarized noticing Bianca was sort of lost in his paragraph of a statement.

"It's true though! Azule's blossomed into a capable captain, Violet's evolving too, and Reice has nearly mastered his craft-though don't tell him I think so highly of him.."

Fuchsia patted him on the back, "You're special in your own way, however. You might not be as sharp and pacey like Sally, but you make up for that by playing a more technical style that suits the team in cases as well. You're every bit as important as the others." she said genuinely rubbing his head like he was her little brother; Bianca couldn't help but smile at Jory's conviction to grow his arsenal as it reminded her of herself when she was starting out her on finding her career.

For the second day, the first double header kicked off with a successful series for Irongate Harbor, who managed to get a sweep. As for the second game of that rotation, Bronze Grove ended up surviving in four games; both teams would face each other in the Quarterfinals. With those games in the books, there was enough time until the second double header which started in the late afternoon with the main event game of Kalebrough happening in the prime time slot at night. At this moment, the trio decided to take a tour of the Rellan Complex and gather as much information about the layout and also enjoy some of the activities laid out for the day. Since the maps used today were the race track and forest, that left the park and exhibit accessible for the public. A decision to start their trip at the Rellan Exhibit, they ventured through each floor and saw tons of unique art, from murals and paintings to sculptures, all by native artists. With each floor, the themes changed as well as the different sections within the floor. At the garden floor where a huge majority of the space used facilitates in indoor garden that receives artificial light. The sight of the garden left many astonished as it looked so different from the rest of the museum that some wondered why the garden was implemented in the first place. From what the guide said, the garden is much like the forest and is a way to pay homage to the land that was here before everything was built, a form of respect in some cases to at least preserve the forest over by the racetrack and build a garden. Afterwards, the trio took a stroll through the park and saw many families and groups clustered together in their own circles holding cookouts and parties, some couples doing a picnic, while others are playing games in the fields and playground. After a while of walking around and memorizing the layout of each map, they decided to take a break. Jory overheard a conversation that piqued his interests and though he knew it was bad manners, he eavesdropped. A discussion about the previous games that played in the first double header, the duo were expressing their excitement for the remaining games, especially the main event with the Inkstinct's debut. They praised the skilled teams considered to be great dark horse candidates but ultimately denied that result because to them as well as the eyes of the media, these other teams stood no chance against the behemoth waiting at the end of this bracket in the Kalebrough Inkstinct with the thought of pulling off an upset deemed impossible because the media fell in love with the story of the Moreno siblings, specifically Kippy Moreno and her journey from an unknown player to one of the brightest stars for the future in the span of just a few months. An overnight sensation, people dressed up like her wearing her signature surgical face mask and beanie while others wore replicas of her jersey. Whether it was because of the controversy of Jin Ika's actions in the winter, or Gin's lack of charisma, somehow Kippy found herself becoming the face of the new generation, heavily regarded as the most talented of the first years in the country, with some prideful inklings making the argument she could make a run against the rest of the continent. Due to such high expectations, this is why they had their game on the prime time slot for the whole country to see. After listening in for a while, Jory checked his watch and noticed it was soon time for the next game.

"That game should be over soon." Kappa grunts while doing some stretches in the team lounge. At his side also doing his own warm up stretches is Virgil who gives a nod while doing his arms. "Last time I checked the score it was a tied series after a couple games. Should be done soon." he added while Virgil once again nodded.

Zepp enters into the main lounge holding his phone, "Where's Kippy?" he asks, checking left and right like someone on the lookout.

"She's getting dressed in her room, what's up?" Kappa asked with corresponding head movements.

Zepp waves his phone and approaches, "I was looking over the leaderboards for the Summer competition. As it stands, we're in discussion to be in the Top 10. based on a grand number of journalists locally and nationally." he whispers.

"What?" the pair gasped with opened mouths, shocked by the sudden news.

"It's no joke. The Big Four of Inkopolis are all predicted to be in the Top 25 this year with at least three of us in the position to crack the Top 10 based on our play here. They're trustworthy sources with a couple serving as direct affiliates of the committee."

Kappa brightened with a clenched fist unable to contain his elation, "This is huge! We could make it to a top spot?"

"Then winning the Invitationals would possibly give us a rank in the Top 5 then since we're likely to face one of our fellow big four in the finals. I was skeptical that they would pay attention to this competition but I guess we're catching their attention thanks to the lineup of popular first years." Virgil elbowed Kappa.

Zepp's smug face brightens with a nod, "We've got a pair of breakout siblings who are about to prove on the biggest stage in the country that they can make it to Nationals. Of course, they want to see how we'll fare against the other powerhouses. And then there's that other team..."

"Squid Academy's Squidcom…" Kappa whispered, the image of every member popping into his mind as he called out everyone in his mind. It's expected that they would also be a big headliner given their connections.

Virgil continues to sit on the information given, "Nevertheless, I consider it unfair that it's the Top 25 when more than half of the schools competing in that tournament are powerhouses in their own right, after all they fight to get there the same as we do."

Zepp nods, "True, but we stand to prosper because we have Jin and Gin in our country, some of the best players of their generation. Not to mention the uprising of Janice and Azule, it's natural that we're the center of attention this time around. Our history as the strongest nation with the deepest pool of talent is only an afterthought with such star studded individuals lined up."

"We can't tell Kippy this." Kappa sighed, aware that if she learned of this news, the pressure would only become worse.

Zepp gives a frown, "Still worried about her, huh? Well I can't blame you since she's your blood after all. However, don't underestimate her-she's a strong one and the sword of this team."

"Of course, and I'm the shield."

"Good. Now, we'll have to get ready soon. Knock on Kippy's door if she isn't out in the next ten minutes."

A brief conversation with heavy news, the trio disperse and make their last adjustments all the while unaware that behind her door sat an eavesdropping Kippy in her team uniform stunned by what she just heard. Her knees buckle as she clings to the handle before letting go and trembling furiously. Her hands go to her head as she kneels on the floor flustered as the conversation replays in her head. They've caught the attention of the bosses! It should be great news, right? That's what she thought, but she had no clue why her body reacted this way-as if her instincts of fear overwrote her confidence. It's fine, we're doing this for the others. At Nationals we'll fight as an army! She thought slapping both her cheeks simultaneously to wake her up; a little too loud though since she heard her overprotective brother knocking on the door with concern.

The setting sun slowly disappears into darkness as the atmosphere becomes lively under the moon with supporters of the Kalebrough Inkstinct on their feet waiting to welcome their beloved team to the stage, the school flag of Black and Green waving proudly in the bleachers as the flag bearer keeps in rhythm with the song sung by the students. Countdown begins, and a decibel is raised with each number called and then finally, both teams arrive in spawn. An almost deafening moment, many people like Squidcom had to cover their ears as the elated fans of Kalebrough Inkstinct cheer the names of their starters. A team wearing Black and Green grabbing all the attention, they receive it humbly-waving to their supporters to show acknowledgment, carrying a different air about them mostly due to being the only one of the Big Four to play in this half of the bracket-their ticket to the finals already punched. A squad of incredible talent who were under the radar until the recent qualifiers, it was the emergence of the Moreno siblings and the wisdom of their captain Zepp backed by Virgil, their experienced deadeye charger that made them a proven contender worthy of taking down fellow giants like Beacon Hills and Special Forces. they're already proven to be a terror of an opponent. Their opponents on the other side are Reef, a team with great skill who found themselves in the heart of the battle of eligibility for Nationals. As it stood after opening day, most teams outside the Big Four still competing had a great chance to seize Squidops' spot as first team from the nation eligible for Nationals, so it made sense that for the rest of the competitors including Squidcom's scouting unit that they kept an eye on this match. Fuchsia gets her pen and notebook out while Kosami takes out the camera and sets it ready to film, ready to begin their mission for the day. Fuchsia alerts Jory to pay attention to what goes on since he'll be a direct source of information for his teammates that their usual efforts won't cover. As they made their preparations, over on the other end are Squidcom in the middle of their training.

"That game should be starting right about now..." Reice huffed and puffed bent down with his hands to his knees, the sweat streaming down his face and droplets splattering the floor while he wipes his face in his sleeve.

Violet hands him a bottle, "The team everyone has their eyes on. I heard from Fuchsia that they're imposing like Beacon Hills despite having such a sunny personality like Kippy on their roster." Reice accepts the bottle. Violet's attention turns to her captain, who led them silently doing his stretches recalling that encounter; the departing evening light dimming their sight ahead "They might have first years like us, but the experience they possess is frightening. Already, they're one of the best teams in the nation. A result of their hard work, and yet we have no data on them. They're an enigma."

Azule nodded as he came to a stop, "We'll know them soon enough, though. Fuchsia and Kosami have great judgment so we can rely on their reports, and then there's Jory, too. He'll see things from a first person perspective that'll benefit us in ways that we couldn't imagine from the others."

"Hey, we should wrap this up quick, right? We'll miss the match if we continue training like this. Plus my body nee-"

"No point. By the time we get to the hotel it'll be over." Azule denied, sensing Reice wanted to stop training; Reice gasped as though he was about to pass out.

Reice and Violet's perplexed reactions told the whole story. How could their captain think so highly of a team he's never played against or even seen up close in action to make such a suggestion? He's going off of pure talk from others to arrive at such a conclusion. Even if he met them personally it doesn't merit to much. "What makes you so sure...?" Reice lifts his body to a straightened stance supporting his lower back with his arms.

Azule gives a blank stare,"I have a hunch that team is more dangerous than we've been led to believe…"

A vague statement with implications of something greater, Azule changed the subject swiftly to keep the distractions from harrowing on their concentration.

At Rellan, the Inkstinct have just finished their huddle with the assignments set and their plan set for action. Their ace stood there with composure, no shivers or trembling, calm breathing, and steady eyes. Her mask covers her mouth but her teammates can't help but chuckle at how serious she looks as though she's ready to go on a killing spree. She closes her eyes, tuning out the surrounding noise. Her heart rate is low and rested, her muscles-relaxed. Her grip is tight on the handle, and her feet are placed firmly. A moment is spared through all the pandemonium for her to take path and recall her journey there. Failure in the Fall qualifiers-the result that nearly destroyed the team, denial for the Winter tournament-the blessing that brought a new team together, an uphill battle in the winter qualifiers that ran into early spring-what grew them to who they are, and now, their debut in the Spring Invitationals before an unprecedented set of expectations. Now, they weren't just a team from Kalebrough, they were the team of Kalebrough-a beacon for sports in Inkopolis. I'm a tool. A weapon for use. She opens her eyes, tightening her grip. My role is to be used I dull, or break. Nothing will change that. The muffled cheers from the crowd grow louder as they all shout her name proudly, letting it known to the world that she's their ace, their superstar, their dawn of a new era after the retirement of the Ika brothers. Kalebrough is my sanctuary and their people are collectively one as my savior. A place that welcomed me and treated me like one of their own... Time ticks down with the crowds from both parties joining in. I dedicate this opening game to you-people of Kalebrough, for your wishes are mine, and your pain is also mine… The whistle blows. Kippy emerges first leading the way for the Inkstinct; descending to the green ink so quickly her body can't be tracked through the nonexistent ripples. The crowd already erupts in a cheer as Kippy leads her team to the Rainmaker on the garden floor. The air pressure cracks as she breaks left, identifying an inkling trying to conceal their presence in the garden. Zepp shouts an order, promptly taking a path differing from Kippy and towards the rainmaker while Kappa and Virgil split to join them: Kappa follows after Kippy, Virgil goes with Zepp. Already, the people watching are on their feet as they'll get to see firsthand the magic of the Moreno siblings as Kappa catches up to Kippy. A green splat bomb is thrown at the Reef player, followed by an Autobomb on the opposite side to trap him-the player panics as he catches sight of a speeding green stream of ink ahead, he braces himself. But right when he's about to fire, he already felt his body cold and hollow, a dash of green covering his sight. From the left, a soda slosher's green ink flew and covered the rest of his body, splatting him while the user effortlessly gives an unimpressed sigh. Emerging from the stream of ink is Kappa, who saw the similar colors of the gardens working towards their favor. Only for a single target, there was a method to the madness of why Kippy took down the Reef player so swiftly.

"There's another one around here. I sense his fleeting presence as we speak." Kippy said as she stares and the green puddle she created.

Kappa looks around and narrows his eyes, "That guy was a decoy then and the retreating one is looking to report to the rest at the Rainmaker…"

"As well as offer support with numbers, we need to hurry there immediately." Kippy said with a serious tone; Kappa nods, and they leave promptly.

At the site of the rainmaker, indeed it went as the siblings had suspected with their captain left to handle the pair of Reef players on his own while Virgil prioritizes splatting the rainmaker barrier and covering for Zepp. A reluctant plan to follow because of the risk, Zepp convinced Virgil to try and splat the barrier because it could kill two birds with one stone as long as he served a good job of baiting in the Reef players. Until then, it's somewhat working, though there's a hitch: the Reef players aren't biting on the bait and nearing the barrier and instead sending curling bombs and toxic mist the way of Virgil to try and force him into a favorable position to pounce. Virgil sticks his ground however and commits to the barrier while Zepp swooshes in for the kill after one of the players began focusing on Virgil too frequently. The fumbling Reef player falls backwards, and instead, Zepp runs into the other player instead. Virgil shifts his focus to covering Zepp as he enters a dangerous attack with both players at his side prepared to fire away after grounding themselves. Just then, a third Reef player arrives…

"Trouble!" He shouts calling the attention of his teammates; "Allen went down! Allen went down! Kippy's faster than we thought, send all priority to the Rainmaker...they're tailing me!"

The lone Reef player zips by heading towards the barrier, his teammates watching him before springing into action. Virgil takes a defensive stance standing before the rainmaker at an open angle the lone Reef player was heading for, readying his aim once he felt the presence of the Moreno siblings near. For Zepp, who's still wedged between the two players, he darts from their range with a quick leap into some nearby green ink and makes a swim for the barrier at an adjacent position to Virgil, looking to break the barrier and catch the scout in the damage as well. The dazed Reef players are about to make their move and chase Zepp before it's too late when both suddenly explode with green; Kappa emerges from the commotion and zooms for the remaining scout, only to watch him get eliminated by Virgil. The rainmaker barrier gets destroyed by Zepp, who takes control and gives his command. He orders Kappa to take down Martell and Sonny, and announces that Virgil took down Edri, afterwards stating that the immediate goal is to create a lead and try to defend against the obvious hard counterattack of Reef, propping the rainmaker on his shoulder. The duo nod their head and swiftly carry out the instructions with Kappa easily taking down the Reef pair and Virgil following Zepp. Everything proceeded smoothly for the Inkstinct as the players spread a bit to a zone formation to cover any loose ends with Kippy to the rear and Kappa and Virgil on the flank of Zepp who kept a line with them. The fans of the Inkstinct cheer with energy as momentum occupies their side, the lead growing by the second. They follow the trail of the forest and eventually arrive at the fork-the middle of the map where several paths created to allow isolated battles-and had to decide which route to take. Regardless, they'll reach their goal but the object was to pick the route that'd be the easiest for all of them to traverse. Under no circumstances did he want anyone isolated, not in a game like this. Ahead of time in spawn he notified them that once they arrive at such a scenario, a key moment will occur and to be on their guard when that happens.

"If we survive that, I'm sure we'll take the series in a sweep." he remarks in spawn, looking ahead at the forest he'd swarm in a few minutes.

Kappa glances at the spaced out Kippy before returning his attention to Zepp, "How are you so sure, captain? Is there a stat that favors us if we succeed?"

Zepp shakes his head, "Nope. Nothing of the like, in fact, it's pretty useless."

"Eh?"

Virgil snickers, "He's saying that in his eyes, it'll be a decisive battle. Regardless of when it should occur, it'll decide our fate."

Zepp nodded, "On the money as always."

"I can't get a read on the two of you sometimes." Kappa laughed shaking his head.

Zepp smirks patted him on the head like a proud master would do to his student, "Good. it'd be boring if we knew what we were all thinking."

It's here that I'll see what Reef is up to. I just hope the others will catch my drift when it shows up, and most importantly, Kippy. She'll be our ticket to surviving the hardships to follow. He thought as he returned from that flashback, deciding a path to take. He opts for the farthest path to the right and leads them down the narrow path where he believes the result he expects should occur. To him, taking any of the inner routes were too dangerous since they might perform a pincer attack, a squeeze, or even flank from either side. By taking the farthest routes, he at least eliminates the threat of a squeeze or pincer from occurring by taking this route as well as having the trusty of defense of Kappa to his right and Kippy to his rear also, but by no means were they in the clear. Now, what'll it be, Reef? He thought as he felt less tension the more they proceeded. However, something is off as Virgil comments that the trees are strangely moving with more force than necessary since it wasn't too windy. This forces Zepp to reconsider their advancement as he too begins noticing the trees to their lest are rustling as if someone was lurking. Without hesitation, the Inkstinct fire away with no response. However, that was the trap. The ambush follows right afterwards with every Reef player jumping out from the same green ink covered trees that were sprayed a moment ago.

"Your shots weren't deep enough!" one of the players shouted while the others cackled swarming towards the Inkstinct.

As though the rustling trees were simply a decoy, Reef managed to draw the Inkstinct's fire and force them to consume ink first, allowing them to retaliate without any consequences. A skirmish emerges as Kappa takes to defend Zepp as he charges up the rainmaker, the sounds of Virgil firing away getting louder as he nears them to cover Zepp as well. Just like he thought, something seemed different about Reef as they played with polished movements rather than the clumsy showing earlier, as if they were waiting for this moment. An attack with greater sharpness than they planned to handle, Kappa struggles to hold his side as Zepp fires his first shot, afterwards taking some damage from Reef. Even though they were overwhelmed by the sudden attack from Reef, the Inkstinct weren't flinching as they answered the challenge. Unfortunately, the situation didn't favor them and instead worsened with Kappa bowing out after taking too much damage. Virgil shifts his position to take rover the side Kappa held after Zepp fires another shot at the cluster of Reef players hoping to either push them back or splat them in one go. Kippy's struggling to hold her own after being spooked by the ambush, only surviving so far due to being the farthest away from the commotion, but too nervous to dive in and make a difference. Even though she was a rare talent who was an unstoppable force once she got going, her timid nature tended to appear when she wasn't committed to an immediate action. Reef must've spotted that in their filming and targeted this moment to do an attack, their rustling in the forest probably a readjustment of when to attack and where to attack and prioritize taking down her team right before her eyes. A dulled weapon before her reeling team, Kippy shrunk as Virgil too gets splatted; only a wounded Zepp remaining desperately hanging onto the rainmaker as he rushes to her.

He narrows his eyes as he stares at her fearful gaze, the trembling arms of his delicate warrior showing her weakness at such an inopportune time. A displeasing sight to behold, he bit his lip with distress and gave her a hard stare. Show me that light you possessed when you fought Janice! Show me that energy you had when you silently cheered for Squidcom! "Keep your guard up, Kippy!" he shouted, rushing to her side. At all costs, he can't let her fall here, not when she's their strongest asset. He cancels the danger looming over her by managing a double splat just before reaching her. "Kippy, this is only the beginning. We can't let this moment, be wasted, understand?"

"Captain…"

"I understand you might have cold feet, but remember you're not alone in this fight nor are you just a weapon for disposal. You're our prized ace, and we can't have you getting scared now, can we?" he said with warmth like a brother would to a scared little sister; sure enough, Kippy's brightness returned. Unfortunately, it was too late as he took a shot to the back, dropping the rainmaker and exploding as her final shield. Even if she was the only remaining one and would eventually get splatted, it was the message that counted. To bring her back to reality and to cast aside her doubts and fears, Zepp prioritized her rather than the objective to show her just how much worth she had to the team. She came first. A return to her usual glow, Kippy takes her free hand and slaps herself to restore the confidence she lost.

"Captain!" her panicked voice shouted; "I understand! I'm back!"

She gets splattered by the remaining Reef players who quickly grab the fallen rainmaker.

From there, the game quickly became a free for all as Reef showed their true colors in the game, hoping to steal the first one and build from there. On the Inkstinct's side however, they kept the fight going by attacking from all fronts, and slowly and surely after several possession changes, the rainmaker ended up in the hands of Kippy. A noisy rally fueled by an electrified fan base that finally got to see their ace take center stage, they marched forward with team waving their flags and banging their drum urging Kippy to seal the deal and bring it home. And she answered. A defiant attitude with a sharpness in her smile, Kippy took the reigns and challenged Reef by herself, splatting them from a distance and getting bailed out by her teammates along the way. A swift rally, it felt like it was all in slow motion as Reef struggled to get any ink of Kippy as her team handled the rest while she traversed the forest. After only a minute of dodging their attacks, Kippy slammed the rainmaker on the goal and blasted away the remaining reef players to take the knockout. It spelled doom for Reef, who prioritized on stealing the first game to have an easier battle instead getting punched in the mouth and left reeling. Over in an instant, the Inkstinct replicated their strong performance in the following couple of games with two more knockouts to send Reef home empty handed. The difference between the teams were more than just talent with the Reef side looking battered and bruised as they wheezed for air sweating buckets while the Inkstinct still looked like they had plenty left in the tank. If they were able to play like this in every game of the upcoming series, it was no surprise why they were considered joint favorites with Beacon Hills. While Beacon Hills had coordination, the Inkstinct had stamina: A dream clash of personalities. A performance that lit a fire under all those watching who were participating in the tournament, the trio of Squidcom's scouts felt shivers down their spines from such a performance, noticing that the unstoppable engine of the Inkstinct wasn't their ace, but instead the underrated captain. A cold sweat runs down Fuchsia face as she thought about the possibility of meeting them in competition. If they were to face them in the finals, could they match the intensity of the Inkstinct without Sally? In a head to head battle, Fuchsia determined that it'd resembled something along the lines of Jory facing Zepp, Reice handling Kappa, Violet having a showdown with Virgil, and lastly, a captain versus ace battle between Azule and Kippy. Once that image appeared, Fuchsia couldn't help but feel her shoulders stiffen coldly at the thought of the ugly battle. Much like Squicom were able to crush Green Lakes' mentality in just the first game, the Inkstinct did the same in just a game as well. An amicable response from the fans, Reef were sent off with cheers from their supporters and with respect from the Kalebrough side, who saw their ace nearly crumble under the pressure early on and become stronger because of it. In their eyes, they helped the Inkstinct in more ways than simply one, and the thought of that pained Reef, who felt like they just helped their opponents significantly power up.

Later that night, Squidcom held the team meeting as planned with Sally on video call and everyone else rounded up in one of the conference rooms to discuss the details of the Spring invitationals so far and what to expect moving forward. The first thing covered was their upcoming opponents Beacon Hills, and of what approach to take when they face the powerhouse. Second was the scouting done by Fuchsia, Kosami and Jory, with each offering their notes and films and discussing the subject in greater detail, answering any questions that might've risen from viewing the tapes. Afterwards, the final topic discussed was the news Fuchsia came across after doing some digging around into how the selection process for Nationals worked. Apparently although being outside of the current teams on the leaderboards to make Nationals, Squidcom still had a fighting chance: one through the way they already planned-winning it all or making it to the final, or through another way that Fuchsia explained afterwards-lottery pick. Made aware prior to the tournament was the importance of reaching the final, that much Principal Telfin explained, but what wasn't highlighted was the alternative of getting selected by the committee as one of the final 8 teams to make the roster.

"Even though the leaderboards register every team in the rankings, only the top hundred and twenty teams are locked in for the National Tournament. The remaining eight slots may be occupied by teams but in no way guarantees their selection. In other words, they're simply filling in the seats and will go in by default if no teams pose a threat to their position. If we can play our butts off and impress the committee members, we may be able to get selected as one of the finals teams based on our performance."

"...Because we're fighting giants from here on out, right? Beacon Hills, either Special Forces or Yermozani, and potentially Kalebrough in the final. A gauntlet of a giant from the Big Four in every round."

"Right, and because we're an unnoticed team down low in the ranks, our performance against those teams could skyrocket us into the discussion."

"Wow, I'm almost regretting you mentioning that…"

"Why? Nothing changes. We're here to win it all!" Sally yelled through the phone; "Go give them a good stomping!"

"I didn't bring it up with the intentions of conflicting us, I just thought it was worth noting why so many of the other teams in the same shoes as us are playing with all their hearts. If they can upset a giant and make a deep run, they're as good as in for Nationals unless something else happens in the other nations."

As she continued, she explained that every nation has a certain number of representatives who compete on the world stage; for Inkopolis, that number is four. For most of the countries, they have more or less that number. Since other nations were holding their final competitions before Nationals around this time, it was a showcase to see who'd make it in and who would be left at home. It's a monumental task for Squidcom since their next opponent will be the strongest one they've ever faced. The massive gates holding the Spring garden that they needed to scale in order to reach the Summer Paradise in the far distance is guarded by the likes of the Silver and Black Beacon Hills, the Green and Black Inkstinct, the Purple and White Fangs, and the Black and Gold Special Forces.