"We're approaching the fifth round of this matchup between the Kalebrough Inkstinct and Fujiro Industrial! As things stand, Fujiro Industrial find themselves on the brink of elimination as they prepare to face a dominant Kalebrough side in a splat zone contest!" the main commentator announces as the match heats up with the fifth round about to begin.
Down on the turf, both sides were catching their breath after the conclusion of the fourth round. As expected, Kalebrough was able to stomp on Fujiro's throat and crush them in the turf war, but now came the splat zones, a game mode that both sides favored. If there was ever a chance for Fujiro to make a comeback, the fifth round splat zone contest was their best chance. Even though the side looked exhausted after a trio of unsuccessful attempts to grab victory, they still had an upbeat outlook on the match, believing that the next round is their chance to turn everything around and show Kalebrough that it takes more than serious star power to just put away a solid team. On the Kalebrough side, the coach called over the starters and took out a clip board and began writing on it, pointing to Kippy and Kappa to get off the turf despite being the best performing pair on the team throughout the entire match; Kappa's not surprised, but Kippy wanted to keep going.
"I don't wanna get subbed out!" Kippy whines, though she did her best not to make her defiance detectable by the audience since it'd only draw unnecessary attention and start rumors.
The coach scratches his head, "Look Kips, you're both crucial to us in the long run for this championship, so I refuse to risk leaving you in longer than need be. Don't forget we have far stronger opponents coming up."
"Just listen to him." Kappa grumbled, already sour about being taken out despite playing very well and even outshining Kippy at certain points.
A classic approach that many teams thought far down the line carried out when it came to tournaments, it was reasons like this that made the group stage such a taxing endeavor. Unlike regular elimination style tournaments where all it takes is one game to be done with the campaign, in the group stage, every team had to plan accordingly and work their strategies if they wanted to stand a chance of making it to the knockouts-some played it simple and just attempted to steamroll opponents while others played it tactically and tried to win certain matches and even sacrifice others for the sake of comfortable placement in the knockout stages. One team that didn't care about such trivial matters were the Bluerings who kept their starters in the entire way, or more so that they had to. A game that just concluded moments ago, Ollie and Chlora's mouths dropped watching the conclusion of the exciting contest between the Bluerings and Baiji. The series started off as an even battle with the series split after the first couple of games with the Bluerings off to a strong start in the first round, followed by a great response from Baiji in the second round. In the third round, both sides looked even trading blows for the rainmaker, but it was the Bluerings who emerged victorious. The fourth round mirrored the previous games with both sides continuing to trade blows, but it was Baiji who pulled through on the narrow victory. And then came the fifth round where a boisterous, arrogant, and an overall joy to watch of a player named C.C. came alive and put his money where his mouth is!
Prior to the match, some of the press asked him what he thought of his opponents for the day and he spoke into existence a quote that further added to his already growing legacy: "Don't bet against me, I'm a man of my word. When I say six, they go in the sixth. They call me the greatest, that ain't no myth. I don't need to speak out a poem, I'll go out there and show 'em!" And when asked about the rest of the group of death: "Group O is in for a show when they play against me and see they still need to grow, I'm here to win it all and that means they're gonna fall. After this match, the tournament's scratch. So hand me the title already, because I'm the best catch."
The match had been close thus far as a tied series and this game proved no different despite the hardest of efforts by C.C. to put his team over the top. Even though he was playing marvelous, it still wasn't enough to overcome the collective efforts of Baiji, who tailored their game plan in the hopes of containing him as best as they can, knowing it's impossible to shut down one of the best players on the continent. Even with Baiji targeting their captain, the Bluerings didn't falter. Stacked with one of the deepest roster of talent on the planet, even their substitutes were capable of being the primary weapon on other teams. After a stalemate of a contest, the decisive moment in the round came when "Pretty Boy" Floyd of the Bluerings marched into a heavily guarded zone by Baiji and managed to cut their forces in half, leaving the rest to C.C. who lit up the turf and secured the second zone. From that moment, the balance of power shifted in favor of the Bluerings who not only held off Baiji after that, but also took the following round to call it a series ending in six, just like their captain predicted. As for the other ranked match between Crystal Coast and the Titans, it was also a climatic end in six with a victory for the third ranked team in the world. Similar to how their counterpart's game occurred, Crystal coast took the first game and then immediately lost the second to the Titans-difference is the Titans followed up with another victory in the third round to take the series lead, and Crystal Coast answered back by winning three in a row to seal the deal. A strong start to the group of death with all the matches surpassing four games, only one game remains that was in the heat of the fifth round...
Leading up to this exciting battle were a surging couple of rounds that rallied the supporters even more, starting in the third round at the Shamsa Oasis where Towson Senior attempted to capitalize off their momentum from denying Squid Academy an increased lead, but Azule and his crew returned the favor by once again returning to what worked for them in tower control and snatched the rainmaker immediately, turning the round into a fight to see how long they could hold possession and manipulate Towson into their trap, which paid off greatly after a few minutes passed and Squid Academy seemingly turned on the jets and delivered a knockout blow that nobody expected. A venue that was far cooler than the stadium, people began to wonder if Squid Academy might have a clear preference based on the way their pair of victories were from knockouts. An effort to wrestle away any sort of momentum Towson Senior might still possess, Squid Academy came at them hard in the fourth round, which was a turf war battle at the Shamsa Ruins-the hottest venue they've played at thus far. A very competitive contest since it was a mode both teams were very familiar with, Squid Academy and Towson Senior brought out their best performances in the fourth round, but it was Towson Senior who came out triumphant to once again tie the match and assure there would be six rounds. Both sides looked a bit frustrated, but for different reasons: Squid Academy couldn't seem to escape the clutches of Towson Senior no matter how hard they tried, and Towson Senior didn't expect to be locked in such a competitive battle with this school. Both of them had the same mindset for the fifth round that whoever took this round may very well win the series since they both vowed to end the series before it reaches seven. Taking place on the Barracuda Aircraft Base, the fifth round of this match was a game mode both teams had a strong suit for that had the audience wondering who to gamble on based on the stats of the match thus far: Splat Zones. Up to this point, Squid Academy's only victories came via knockout whereas Towson's victories were close calls, and the belief going into the battle was a matter of approach. Squid Academy's aggression proved to work in their favor in modes they were especially confident in, and failed in modes where it was clearly not their strongest suit. Their loss in the turf war came down to the fact it couldn't be decided by knockout but that was more on the superstition level if anything. Towson Senior couldn't breathe easy either, as they not only gave up a pair of games to Squid Academy but found themselves in a competitive series that was going down to the wire. If they didn't wrap up this series soon, they might face a possible issue for their upcoming games. Hidden behind the mountains, the air base served as a perfect map for both sides who were desperate for some shade. Luckily their spawn points were in the well air conditioned hangars, the drive space in the middle of the base serving as the splat zone. A unique setup, the teams had the option of focusing on the objective entirely or split their forces.
All of them wearing uneasy expressions watching this round continue, they remember what was said just before they sent out the vanguard for their fifth round. Kosami encouraged the players while hydrating them, highlighting that though it was a close series thus far, they did well to hang in there and defy expectations. Fuchsia had been tapping her clipboard while reviewing the flow of the match, explaining the details of the spacious map and warning them not to wander around too much. She advised them to stick to the objective and avoid falling for any of the baiting tactics Towson would deploy now that the going got tough, also reassuring them that the pressure is on the enemy to save face since their side had no expectations coming into the match. Cobalt also did his best to offer an extra spark by reminding them that the enemy is likely thinking the same as them and would probably attempt to get the jump on them to seize momentum for a possible elimination game. A high stakes battle that went on for a few minutes, everyone is on the edge of their seats as the two teams fight for the zone. What started off as a wild round with a pair of Towson players rushing for Squid Academy spawn and the others for the zone, Squid Academy was prepared for the ambush and quickly reduced enemy numbers and took advantage of the early game with a comfortable lead. That didn't last too long however as Towson Senior quickly adjusted and not only knocked possession away from Squid Academy, but also seized it for themselves, forcing a bonus of Squid Academy that signaled the true games beginning. What follow for another couple of minutes were some plays: Azule working his dualies to the point they looked to be smoking from how much he rolled around while racking up a body count, Nashanique also looked solid as she managed to target Todd and Jory successfully and handle them on her own, and as for the rest, it was an overall team battle. Violet used the high ground to her advantage and covered for Reice and Pastelle who were active in the fight for the zone doing their best to change the turf from green to pink, but Towson were like a band of crows guarding the zone like it was their turf, constantly having more bodies within the zone to sway the momentum and doing well to keep Azule out on the perimeter unable to penetrate. Trading blows and bodies, the score stayed consistent but always favored Towson, who managed to overtake Squid Academy the more the game continued. With a little over a minute remaining, the score is 77-59 with Towson looking to overcome their bonus and tick closer to a knockout with not much remaining in their way.
"Hold the left, Reice!" Todd shouts weaving through an onslaught of attacks, looking to close the gap as Pastelle and Jory push through to seize the zone.
"Tenta missiles incoming!" Azule signals, launching them from a safe distance while Violet covers him nearby.
A group of ballistic pink ink plaster the green turf and reduce the advantage held by Towson, followed up by the invasion of Squid Academy who bring the fight to them now that their defenses are down. A pair of bodies are lost in the crossfire, and the rest succumb to heavy damage, sprayed down by Pastelle and Todd who make quick work and secure the zone. A quick setup on the zone now that they managed to take down most of Towson Senior, they allowed the lone member who avoided death to escape since they knew it made no sense to risk breaking away when having as many bodies on the zone mattered more. Earl, the one who got away, retreats and refills, finding a safe spot to hide where he can have the others super jump and flank. Thus far, Squid Academy are getting rid of their bonus, but it'll be difficult to overtake Towson with this much time remaining unless they force overtime. As it is, Squid Academy can hold onto the zone and win it in overtime, whereas Towson just needed to make them lose possession in time to seal the deal. A race against time, both sides bring the house down on the final front. Under half a minute remains, the score nearing equality thanks to Towson backing off for a few seconds to create some tension and keep Squid Academy on their toes. Azule and the others knew what the enemy was up to but had to play conservative if they wanted a chance to win it in overtime. Towson Senior are gathered together and take a few seconds to decide on an attack. Earl warned them that they likely have enough charge to use their special weapons and would probably use them right away to stall them, and in response, Nashanique decided that they would meet them with full aggression, aware that if they lose this round, they might very well be eliminated in the sixth round. Solange and Steve look stone-faced, unwavering focus in their eyes as they steeled themselves for this moment, and as do Ralph and Dexter who had something to prove against them.
30 seconds remain.
The green ink appears as the vanguard of Towson Senior are in sight, loaded and ready to retake the zone; Squid Academy are already set up on the zone with Sky atop a plane, Jory and Todd on some crates, Azule in the center of the zone, and Reice right at the edge staring down the enemy. A showdown like in the wild west, the moment the clock ticks under the half minute mark, both sides roar and unleash their attacks. Squid Academy had their special waiting to unload for this moment, but Towson expected as much. An ink storm, tenta missiles, stingray, and even a booyah bomb, Squid Academy attempt to floor the team in red and yellow sporting green ink, but Towson do their best to take cover and advance, privy to reserving their ink for a close quarter encounter.
20 seconds remain.
Back at Shamsa stadium, the crowd are on their feet for this hectic battle with many holding their breaths unable to utter a word as the game dangles between the two jostling sides. Towson Senior invades the zone after surviving the onslaught of specials, and the battle for the match finally begins in the dying seconds of the fifth match! Azule tosses out his burst bombs but narrowly misses Steve, who returns the favor by throwing a toxic mist to slow him down but Azule's handy dualies allowed him the ability to dodge the dangerous trap. Reice throws out a wall to cover Violet as Nashanique targets her, and leaves himself exposed for Solange to fire away. Jory and Todd have their hands full with Ralph and Dexter who were advancing the furthest in disrupting the defense and lastly is Earl challenging Pastelle. A moment of absolute chaos with bodies starting to drop, Squid Academy's possession is lost but they still have time to regain possession and force overtime for the win.
10 seconds remain.
The power shifts away from Squid Academy, who have to dig down deep to wrestle with Towson for the lead. It's an overwhelming push by the green team with their focus on taking down key players like Violet and Reice yet again. Azule and the others are still holding on in the fight, knowing they have about 6 seconds left until the others can super jump to their position and keep the fight going, but they need to get into a good position. All that remains for Squid Academy are Azule, Jory, and Pastelle, losing the other three to the enemy but doing well to take them down as well to keep it even. The zone is mostly covered in green but there is enough pink for the trio to still turn it around. Towson pulled another fast one and spread out looking for a pincer attack, relying on Nashanique to cover the central area and hold off the three who would likely ignore the flanks and bombard the middle. Azule spots his moment to shine, realizing he can roll past her and take her from behind or even ignore her and cover the rest of the turf; a difficult decision, he only has a second to decide.
3 seconds remain.
It all occurs in a matter of snapshots. Azule's eyes flash a glimmer of hope as he did the double roll to get behind Nashanique and opted to ignore her in favor of covering the turf, already seeing victory in his sights. But he gets met by the return of the others from Towson Senior who super jumped to her location, and all saw what he was up to. Luckily his gamble still has a chance for success as his lost members also make their return to the zone with an all-out war unfolding with pink and green ink splattering everywhere and impairing the team's vision. The sounds of curling bombs and splat bombs detonating tear away at the mental shields of the players who were fighting purely on instinct, shared beyond their nerve's limits and desperate to see the round end in their victory. The zone is at about half-and-half with Towson on their heels to defend the last quarter of green from returning to pink, the sidelines of both sides in the hangars on their feet clutching their hands together and some even praying. The score still favors Towson Senior 77-74, but if Squid Academy just claimed the zone once more they were assured a victory.
"It's over! That's the round, everyone!" the commentator shouts in disbelief, entertained by one of the most exciting games for the tournament thus far. "Time got away from them as the whistle blew to signal the end of this unforgettable round. If only they had a few more seconds, the result might've been different!"
Azule looks up to the sky closing his eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling with exhaustion, his hands holding the dualies at his hips as he tastes yet another bitter defeat. Reice and Jory look burnt out as they have to breathe through their mouths to keep themselves from falling to their knees, staring at the ground in disappointment. Todd didn't look much better either, as he could barely keep his eyes open and already sat on the ground with his arms supporting him. The girls still have fight left in them though, wearing their intense gazes that scream viciously that the match was far from over as they locked glares with their Towson Senior counterparts who were forced to halt action once the round completed; a few more seconds, and Pastelle would've had them. The sidelines carry a different energy as well, a wave of relief covering Towson Senior who now lead 3-2, and a blanket of tension suffocating Squid Academy, who now found themselves behind for the first time ever at Nationals-the pressure mounting on them to pull off a comeback. A return to Shamsa stadium, the atmosphere felt different from before as the Towson crowd were far more engaged than Squid Academy, who felt defeat looming once they saw the body language of their team. The sixth round of Booyahball didn't make it any easier for the Squid Academy side, who were playing their first ever match under this mode against a team that had plenty of experience. Momentum swinging against them and already showing signs of fatigue, Squid Academy spent the first set of the sixth round enduring the punishment more than they did putting up a fight to survive. At first it was 4-0 with Towson Senior establishing their dominance early on and feeding off the energy radiating from their fans while Squid Academy began to shrunk under the ridicule they faced from their opponents and the rest of the world, then the score reached 9-3 with Squid Academy attempting to put up a fight through the likes of Azule and Pastelle, what followed would be more punishment that led to a score of 15-7 with Towson beginning to run away entirely and finally, 25-18 with Towson taking the first set. By this point, it looked all but over as Squid Academy looked demoralized from the humiliation they suffered. Fuchsia didn't want to take them out, for she understood the pride they carried would be shattered if she made a swap now for fresh bodies who didn't have any practice at all, but then she also ran the risk of breaking their spirits entirely if she kept them in. Sky couldn't watch the torment any longer and covered her face with a towel, angry that she understood the principal's warning only now-so desperately did she want to sub in and raise hell, but she knew this tournament had many more games ahead, and this was only the beginning of their uphill battle.
"Keep them in." Sally said in an emotionless tone, staring them all down with a vicious glint in her eyes. "You're the starting six, aren't you?" she said in a provoking tone, daring them to challenge themselves; they all knew this match would be different if she could be in there instead. They owe it to their supporters to put up a fight and keep their spirits up for the upcoming games, knowing the crowd can be a difference maker at these events after seeing for themselves how greatly Towson was able to power up once they returned to the stadium. Unfortunately, the second set didn't offer much hope for Squid Academy's fans and Bianca and the other supporters watched their beloved squad struggle to get on the board after conceding 7 straight aces from Towson's Ralph, who was the most skilled on the team at this specific event. A massacre that tore them to shreds, Squid Academy suffered another blowout defeat of 25-14, seemingly losing their will to fight already.
"Good game…" the two sides shout to one another though their tones are opposite as Towson expresses jubilance while Squid Academy show frustration, the stinging pain of their defeat digging deeper as the seconds go by. An unimaginable sequence of events, many of the audience had a change of heart after seeing Squid Academy's polarizing performance with their spark of brilliance in the third round victory and even the fifth round defeat where they looked like they might seriously go the distance; some even believed Squid Academy might actually be a serious team to watch for after witnessing that glimmer of brilliance, but many wrote them off after that collapse in the sixth round. For a team that managed to at one point lead the match 2-1, it was painful to imagine them to reach such a high only to lose the next three matches in heartbreaking fashion. Takahashi looked disappointed by their defeat, having grown to become a fan of theirs since Jory caught his attention and he was starting to entertain rooting for them as the underdog. Shiore looked pained by the result which came as a shock to Takahashi, since she rarely showed much interest in her opponents, but he could tell from her furrowing brows and clenching teeth that she thought Squid Academy stood a chance, even believing in them to win that match up until the sixth, where her disappointment shows in how easily their spirits could be crushed. Sucking her teeth and walking away quickly in agitated fashion, Takahashi follows behind her unsure if he should ask her opinions on the match.
Also there to watch the match live was the octoling man in shades who has his hands in his pocket wearing a poker face, "Looks like you've gotten a taste of reality, Squid Academy. Now, how will you handle the rest of the games? It only gets tougher from here…" he monologues shaking his head, knowing his job is on the cutting board.
Later that day, Fuchsia had everyone gather together back at the resort to discuss the match, preferring to get them out of the stadium as soon as possible. A terribly long and silent drive back to the resort, the starting players wanted to use their time on the ride to review the match and pinpoint where it all went wrong, Fuchsia also wanted to be left alone while racking her brains attempting to decipher the message of today's defeat. An achievable victory that slipped out their grasp, all of them wore frustrated looks recalling that match, the level of pain unique to all of them. Those who sat on the bench felt angry for not being given a chance, believing that the reason behind their warming up on the bench was because they weren't good enough yet to fight alongside the starters. The seniors on the team also felt some responsibility for the loss, since their restriction meant games like these were going to happen and there wasn't a thing they could do to contribute. Then there is the coaching staff, who felt it was on them for not preparing better for this match, and even Fuchsia felt guilty for putting too much trust in her starting six and getting stubborn towards the end of that match instead of making proper substitutions.
At the resort, none of them hesitated to split up and go their separate ways. Sky and the Elites decided to go for a jog and clear their minds, while Zaneki and the others took a trip to the weight room, and the rest opted to head back to their rooms or be alone. Fuchsia, Kosami, Cobalt, and Tangie decided to stick around and watch the rest of the games in the lobby while everyone did their own thing, finding it was on them as core members of the team's staff to play their part which meant scouting other teams and comparing them to the play they saw today. Ten minutes turn to half an hour and then soon, an hour passes, and as time continues to flow they soon found their surroundings to get crowded in no time. Unaware of the new visitors since she was focused on the monitor, Fuchsia looked around and saw the entire team was gathered around her and chilling in the lobby all watching the games as well, surprised that even after a stinging defeat, they all were looking ahead. It all starts with the captain and starters sitting at the same table as her watching om with such focus, and then to all the other members who were discussing the match as it unfolds, trading opinions and giving some commentary about what they thought would happen next or what could've been adjusted. To her surprise, the conversation she heard among players like Mason, Zaneki and Evelyn showed they all had high intelligence when it came to this sport, and that perhaps she should learn to rely on them as well. Thankful to have such a talent roster at her access, Fuchsia vowed to meet their dedication and put the best plan forward. As if sharing a collective consciousness now that they fought and lost together, the same thought echoes in all their minds while watching these other teams perform.
Next time will be different…
