The ink spreads rapidly like a spill on a dry surface, a matter of time before the teal of Crystal Coast kisses the pink of Squid Academy on the way to the golden weapon. The rainmaker is suspended in a large protective barrier awaiting freedom, the two sides finally arriving at the site where their clash begins. Right away, the desperate and commanding voices of inklings shout as the opponents spot one another and assume their battle formations. A similar approach to previously, Azule and his team ran the same setup of three shooters, one charger, one roller, and one dualie user, deciding that the best chance for victory was a balance of mobility and power. Azule shouts out commands and sends Jory to confront the enemy with him, Todd and Pastelle to focus on the barrier, Reice to rotate between chipping at the barrier and at the enemy team as a disruption, and Violet to cover them all and assist in any trouble that might come their way. A solid approach, Siot already read their intentions and made his swift adjustments in a matter of seconds as his squad went from entertaining the enemy to focusing entirely on taking down the barrier to sway momentum to their side. Rather than get a quick feel for his opponents and gauge on what his next approach should be, Siot already knew it made no sense to waste time on being cautious when the enemy is attacking with such aggression. From their dual focus on breaking the barrier in time to grab environmental damage to the efforts to drive them into a corner, he was impressed by how well they were holding up in this early contest.

They expect this to be a long round and probably expect to correct their mistakes from before, and I respect their determination to improve but...I won't let it happen! Siot enters the fray with a giant stomp that creates ripples on the turf, invading everyone's unconscious thoughts with his monstrosity of a presence; Squid Academy's starting six felt their instincts warn them to get away immediately, that the opponent before them is far beyond their comprehension of power, but their minds were already made up after their previous defeat. They knew mighty opponents awaited them from here on, and it didn't matter how unnerving the challenge would be as long as they stayed true to themselves and fought without any regrets, and thus, they charged forward. An undying attitude molded by their previous shortcomings, Squid Academy dial up the pressure on Crystal Coast and push to grab the rainmaker, hoping to bulldoze through their defenses and burst the barrier amid the commotion to steer the momentum in their favor. Siot reads the flow of the battle and notices a pair of bodies break away from the main skirmish and rush towards his direction, impressed that the team was so intent on playing aggressive despite knowing who he is; their ironclad resolve paired with a such valor to come at him so straightforward were just the kind of foolish opponents that lit a fire under him as a competitor, but he found it amusing that it wasn't the captain who targeted him. The naivety of the pair conjuring laughter out of him as he saw just how serious they intended on taking him down, he shakes his head; Perhaps I was concerned over nothing! he thought while reading the pair, aware that despite the vicious glares worn it was nothing more than a bluff as behind those frightening masks of intimidation were a pair of inexperienced players who already knew they made a mistake targeting him so recklessly. I can smell it, what you think is courage is nothing more than fear. You come at me not because you're confident you can bring me down together, rather it's that you fear what I'll do if I reach your captain. I see...that's why they're moving so sloppy.

Siot's body starts moving on its own the moment Jory starts firing away after throwing out some curling bombs to manipulate his movements; on the opposite side looking to trap him is Reice and his slam. Siot hops away just in time to avoid that danger, but finds himself still within Jory's range. "Haha, keep trying! Though I doubt you can mark me!" he taunts sporting some laughter, provoking the pair with his lighthearted jabs.

The pair turn it up a notch, fuming at his comments. How dare he take them so lightly and judge their resolve and speak as though this was nothing more than entertainment for himself while they fought an uphill battle with no chance for success in sight-just survival. Their seniors were restricted and forced to watch these matches from the sidelines for the most part, and Sally risked her health just to be with them as moral support when she could've stayed home and get proper rest, and then there were the starters on the team that each had a story to them-a reason that kept their drive even in a pointless scenario. For him to wear such a sly grin while they battle with all intents and purposes of getting hurt, it infuriated them!

Ahh...they're angry with me now aren't they? Well, I can't blame them for whatever they might be thinking. I did want to take you all seriously and play at full strength but after crossing paths with you all, I'm sure my team can sweep you all without having to break a sweat, unless… His head turns to Azule, who is busy helping his team as the anchor; That one brings out Midnight and makes things interesting.

Jory is on the attack first, aiming his weapon like it's an extension of himself and looking to pin him down before he gets too mobile and turns the situation around like his profile explained, aware that he was one of the most slippery opponents they'll face in the group stage; Siot was considered the third best player on the continent because he carried something identical to the other two while still finding a way to be unique. Where Edward had an overwhelming presence fit to that of a true leader and Shiore was as clinical of a finisher-always hitting her target with total accuracy, Siot possessed quite the flair and finesse-able to turn any hopeless moment into an extravagant moment of showmanship with his brilliant skills.

Jory is struggling to keep up with Siot as he uses the teal ink to his advantage, sinking into the puddles to gain a tactical advantage, and seemingly running around in circles with Jory unable to hit his mark as he avoids every drop of pink with apt swiftness. In comes Reice with a swing of his roller to pull a squeeze on Siot, but it amounts to nothing as Siot already planned for that possibility, already reading the floor to remember there were a pair of them looking to interrupt his play. Reice's mind runs rampant with thoughts on how he felt at that very moment, going up against one of the best. Was it possible to catch him? How did he get to be so much better than everyone else? It's unfair how there are monsters like standing in the way. An error that many fell into whenever they let their thoughts get the better of them, Reice took one too many steps and entered the range of Siot, who had a shine in his irises as his moment finally arrived for a counterattack after being on the run for so long; Reice immediately felt his entire body scream in fear before freezing, his mind only able to process the pain this next hit is about to take. A delayed reaction on the defense, Reice felt an insufferable amount of pain at his legs, looking down to see that Siot not only trapped him, but used so much blast in his range that he burst his body through there instead. A sharp pain courses through his body as he realizes too late that he's already been splatted, bursting into a puddle of pink that mixes with the teal.

"Reice!" Kosami shouts, her mouth dropping in disbelief as she watched his roller fall into the puddle.

"No...way!" Mason gasped, shocked that Reice-of all people-lost so easily to Siot.

Sally clenches her fist and bites her lip, her pupils dilating as she struggled to process watching her brother get folded in the blink of an eye. She felt helpless at being unable to assist, despair in how worthless she'd become as just a reserve, but mostly, she felt fear. For the first time did she ever see her hands tremble as they did, her body shivering even under this blistering heat, and her mind carrying doubts about victory-something she never would've thought, but this is what made the tournament so powerful as she saw firsthand what might've happened to her if she was on the turf. The rest of the Squid Academy sidelines are stunned by that exchange, but they couldn't focus entirely on that since over at the rainmaker their side sat at a disadvantage still trying to take the rainmaker. After bursting the barrier simultaneously and retreating in time to avoid getting splatted, neither side was able to grab the rainmaker in time which led to the barrier reforming and confirming that the skirmish between the two sides were at a deadlock. The cheers in the audience grew with some rising to their feet, anxious to see how it will all play out, interested in seeing what the likes of Azule, Pastelle, Todd, and Violet will do with their star power against the chemistry of Crystal Coast's squad headlined by Arian and Rikki, who were at the head of this charge. Even though they did well to hold off the teal team with their disadvantageous numbers, it didn't help that they couldn't muster a counterattack when all of their strength was put into survival; their blood ran hot witnessing Reice get taken down as well, but they couldn't do anything about it with the situation they're in now. Jory goes on the attack looking to avenge Reice, abandoning his hesitation and committed to slaying Siot, carrying a raw emotion he never thought he'd possess. When he watched Reice get taken down so easily, it hit close to home reminding him of the pain he felt in losing family; the team he'd bonded with were like another family to him, and Reice, was much like an older brother for him. To see him get taken down in such a fashion elicited a response in his heart he thought would never exist, a thought he never imagined would come from just a mere game. Siot recognized immediately the anger he provoked in the young octoling, seeing the loathsome look the otherwise gentle octoling gave him as he rushed at him without fear of getting splatted in the process-an emotion Siot found commendable, but also foolish.

Siot looked bored as the octoling approached him, already knowing how to take him down without having to do too much. Three seconds… he said in his head following Jory's straightforward movements, predicting that it'll only take that much time to bring him down. In a flash, another puddle of ink forms after following a pair of shots pierce someone's body.

Cobalt's face dropped, "Huh…?"

Tangie also looked disturbed, "Wha-"

"Jory!" Fuchsia gasped, dropping her clipboard in shock.

In the blink of an eye, Jory's body explodes following a few shots that blast him in the head; this time heard throughout the battlefield, everyone witnessed the brutal demise of the octoling. In just a few seconds, Siot single handedly altered the flow of the game despite the match just starting. Azule's clenching his teeth, his body trembling, and his irises glowing after not only witnessing Reice's elimination, but also Jory's-in such graphic ways. Even though he knew they would respawn and have more fight in them than ever before, witnessing them get shot down like that brought back a traumatic remembrance of what happened to Spyke and Annie. The stadium so crowded with cheering fans that it invades the thoughts of the players on the turf who found it near impossible to hear themselves, those who shared a special connection with Azule all felt the same chests tightening sensation as they hear something snap the moment Azule looked in Siot's direction with a vicious glare. Sky felt a disturbance in that moment and got up on her feet, rushing over to where Fuchsia and the others were standing to get a look at what was going on, beads of sweating rolling down her face as she desperately scans the field for her brother; whether it was because of their strong bond as siblings, or because they shared the same ability, Sky felt the snap in her little brother's heart and recognized that smell of blood lust from her experience as an agent. As she watches the battle unfolding, she spots her little brother on the verge of bringing out Midnight, but that isn't the only thing that concerns her as she's also bothered by the way Siot's wearing such a smirk in this situation. Was he anticipating this? Was this all part of his plan to draw out that ability? If Azule brought out Midnight in this situation, then everyone would get to see it up close and know how to handle his ultimate weapon and render him useless. No way would she let him throw away his one chance at Nationals for something so trivial as this, not when the instigator was manipulating the situation to arrive at this climax.

"Don't do it, you dumbass!" she shouts with an angry tone, cupping her hands to let her voice travel further.

In that moment, Pastelle heard her warning and read the situation and noticed things were looking grim for her side unless she rallied them together as the vice captain, giving an urgent look to her captain and teammates. "We're at a disadvantage if we continue! We should retreat before the barrier bursts and-" her warning addressed for Azule gets interrupted as she's met by Rikki, who had no intentions of letting her and the others get away; Todd and Violet had their hands full with the rest of Crystal Coast who do their best to wedge them closer to the barrier to get caught in the explosion, but luckily Squid Academy aren't so easy to push around, instead fighting their way out to avoid the bursting barrier that cover the proximal area in teal ink. Possession claimed for Crystal Coast as Arian grabs the rainmaker, the fans do a wave of cheers as the deadlock is broken and the contest begins and all in the favor of the team in teal and gold. Nothing but red fills Azule's vision as he keeps his sights locked on Siot, unable to escape the memory plaguing his mind at the most inopportune of times. Sky gives an agitated sigh watching her little brother lose control, upset she can't step in and protect him now of all times when she has him within her grasp. Her heart sinking the moment she caught a glimpse of Siot's sly grin, she realized his antagonistic efforts were a success now that Azule darted away from his group to avenge his teammates. A hasty decision, the audience encourages it with hope of seeing Midnight Azule clash with Siot in what surely be an unforgettable battle between captains. But before they could meet each other face to face, Azule's black ocean of thoughts are dried up as he hears his sister's voice, breaking out of his trance and peeking at the map overhead, noticing that he almost fell into a trap by succumbing to Siot's wishes. If it wasn't for Sky's voice finally reaching him, he might've screwed up big time and cost his team the round. As the team's captain, he couldn't indulge in his impulses anymore since it'll hinder his team's process-much like what Sky warned him many times over including that night before the tournament. A lesson in maturity, Azule had to decide between settling a score with a rival clearly looking to antagonize him for his own selfish reason, or be the bigger person and return to aid his team. A few seconds spent wrestling on a decision to murmurs from the crowd who were wondering what was the holdup, the Squid Academy sidelines holding their breath hoping he made the right decision, Siot found enjoyment in seeing the conflicting expressions on the young captain's face. Azule was pissed off, but he wasn't so foolish to just go berserk for no reason...

Azule points one of his dualies at Siot with a razor sharpness in his eyes-his body running hot with anger to the point he could feel it in his fingertips, but thanks to his sister's voice, he felt from some calmness return-aware that there is something far more important he needs to do than repeat the constant cycle of isolation and fighting the strongest player from each team on his own. This is Nationals, and such childish actions had grave consequences. His first test as a legitimate captain was already underway and the proctor was third best player known to the world, "Take this seriously!" he exasperates with shaking pupils, angry that he could think so selfishly in a game like this, abandoning him and returning to the battle for the rainmaker elsewhere, much to Siot and everyone else's surprise who thought he'd give in and have a fight; Sky and everyone else breath a sigh of relief, thankful for their young captain had enough sense to avoid such a dangerous situation.

Disappointed by the missed opportunity, Siot felt his pulse calm down and the blood that rushed to his face return to normal the thrill of danger from being in Midnight's presence vanishing, "It was only for a moment, but I'm sold…" Siot laughed with amusement watching Azule leave his sights, glad to see that fierce look in his eyes resembled Sky's after all. He failed to trigger Midnight's appearance, but he did get a glimpse of mystic power that dwells in the boy's irises, convinced that if he continued to light a fire in Azule, he'll get to face that form and see firsthand if Azule is capable of living up to the boogeyman standards set. Becoming a prisoner to his desires, he wanted to face a Midnight Royale more than anything since he believed this might be his only chance.

Meanwhile, the rest of Crystal Coast are on the move with Arian in possession of the rainmaker and guarded well from the dangers of Squid Academy's defensive efforts, the tandem of Pastelle and Todd work wonders to hold the fort with Violet covering them from up high, unfortunately there isn't much they can do to slow them down with the disadvantage they sit sit with only the three of them having to stall against five players. Spread apart in an attempt to keep them busy, the pair do their best to run around and preoccupy them all while Violet takes aim at the well guarded Arian, who effortlessly dodges even with the heavy rainmaker on his shoulders. It feels like getting possession away from Crystal Coast is an improbable task with the way the team in teal can easily brush aside their focused attempts on Arian, who looked to be enjoying himself watching them squirm with discomfort whenever he narrowly slipped by. Out of nowhere, Crystal Coast were on the breakaway-no longer entertaining Squid Academy; Violet recognized their haste was in sync with when support should arrive, and decided to take matters into her own hands. Remembering the advice given to her by Pearl, who no doubt was watching this match intently, she broke out of line…

"Todd, Pastelle, keep a safe distance when you feel danger!" she shouts, after seeing them avoid getting splat but the result in turn allowing the players to group up and head for the goal. Violet knew this team had some strong discipline if they managed to refrain from punishing them for their sloppy defense, which meant…

"They mustn't want the game to drag either!" Fuchsia said, realizing the reason behind why they cut down their forces and played so hastily to take advantage of the situation so early on. "More than likely they want to jump to an early lead and put all the pressure on us since they know what situation we're in. Though we pulled back on that first encounter to avoid an entire wipe, they didn't hesitate to protect the rainmaker rather than dispose of us. If I had to bet, I think they are wary of us for one sole reason…"

Violet pulls the trigger, lining up the group from the front after out swimming them. Meant to stop them in their tracks, she fires a couple more trap shots before descending to meet them in a close quarter shootout, aware she's putting herself at a disadvantage. But she wasn't doing this without a reason and was all according to a risky plan to even up the field. As it stands, there are only four active members for Squid Academy: one separated from the group, another pair sitting to the rear to help in a squeeze play, and then one who is all that stands in the way of the goal. Luckily Violet timed how long it'll take before Reice and Jory respawn, and to her favor, they should arrive at any moment. All she had to do was keep them busy and take a couple down with her if need be to push the numbers in their favor. An exchange of pink and teal, Violet is quick on the move to avoid their shots and careful of when to let out hers, aware of her constant refills and the vulnerability she'll be at if she lets them get too close. One...two...three, three of them are within blast range if she can take the rainmaker, that much she gauged from how closely they try to protect Arian, unfortunately they caught onto her plan the moment Todd and Pastelle. In that moment, a plenty of super jumps soar through the air as once again another skirmish is in order; Siot arrives in time to protect Arian, but he's not there in time to save some of his teammates who fall to the likes of the surprise return of Azule and Jory. Reice is the icing on the cake as he does a hop and overhead slam of his roller to crush the enemy. A defiant attempt by Squid Academy to put up a fight with all their members gathered, they focus their attack on the remaining members left of Crystal Coast and manage to not only get Siot in the crossfire, but disarm Arian of the rainmaker. All in quick succession, Squid Academy silence the stadium and drowned their opponents in puddles, but also burst the barrier of the rainmaker to change possession.

"Th-they got them…! Squid Academy landed a successful strike on Crystal Coaaaaaaast!" The commentator shouts in amazement; "The underdogs are staking a claim for a dogfight following their aggressive defensive stop to pull off a team kill. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have ourselves a match!"

The audience goes wild.

The voices of Squid Academy's supporters come to life as flags start to wave with an overwhelming show of support and awe, inspired by their side's determination to put up a fight even when it looked like the round was falling right into Crystal Coast's hands. Fuchsia and the others on the sideline get a good morale boost from that great stop, but Aaron doesn't look as pleased as his teammates watching that performance, instead analyzing the condition of his underclassmen and noticing that the defensive stop took more than they would've liked. Todd and Pastelle are out of breath as Azule claims the rainmaker, giving them order to follow as they launch their counterattack. A desperate attempt to stay alive in the round, all of them realized just how close they were to giving away that match before getting a chance to put up a fight, a frightening revelation for them as they realized this round alone will be far more difficult than the entire match they faced against Towson Senior. Squid Academy's follow-up to their amazing team kill led to them shaving away at a chunk of Crystal Coast's lead to bring the round a manageable 61-73 score in favor of Crystal Coast, unable to go any further as they get stopped by the of Kailaloa, Zaza, and Rikki, who all made sure to scattered and rattle their offense. Azule and his side don't falter however, instead meeting them with everything they got by relying on the triple spearhead of Pastelle, Todd, and Jory with Reice and Violet to the rear with Azule in the dead center, creating a destructive path by utilizing the rainmaker's deadly power. Crystal Coast's containment were just as effective however, as they managed to disarm Azule rather than entertain the others; the changing of possessions became a common occurrence during this match as both sides heated up the longer the round continued. At first the main story of the game was how dominant Crystal Coast were playing, continuously stuffing the young squad and denying them any hopes of a comeback, but each time they landed a critical blow to Squid Academy, their engine roared far fiercer than previously. A battle of willpower, the story became a matter of who would give out first: Crystal Coast's dominance, or Squid Academy's tenacity. A clash that went down the wire, it was Siot and Crystal Coast who emerged victorious in a narrow victory over Squid Academy to take the first round, but the atmosphere in the stadium changed drastically from before as the fans of Crystal Coast got a look at why Squid Academy were such a troublesome opponent.

"Talk about a performance…" an inkling said sporting a purple, red, and white jumpsuit-the famous colors of the 18th ranked team known by their nickname as the Knights; with his teammates, they unraveled what they just witnessed in that first round.

Another inkling wears a surprised expression as the game comes to an end,
"Who would've thought that Crystal Coast would find a challenge in the form of an unranked opponent like that?"

"More than meets the eye to them…" an inkling with a bowl cut adds, folding his arms.

"Did you see their lone sniper? She's amazing! Not to mention super cute!" one fellow says, unable to take his eyes off of Violet as he lifts up his glasses.

"This idiot…" another sighs, looking at him with disgust.

"Everyone, did you notice something?" the first inkling asks.

"You mean their captain, right? I admit, that little exchange early in the game was weird."

"Siot was baiting him with that little stunt, and the boy didn't take it."

"And…?" the leading inkling shrugs his shoulders; "You didn't see his body language? Something is up. I can't put my finger on it, but I think that kid wearing that hat and the captain's armband might be worth looking into. The way he stared down Siot wasn't normal. It was only for a moment, but I sensed something different, a carnal reaction."

"Oooh! Mysterious…" the glasses inkling said, most of the information going in one ear and out the other-still infatuated with Violet.

"I did hear about some mysterious player from that school, but I thought they were referring to Midnight Sky. I heard stories about how good she was but I'm a little disappointed they aren't playing her."

"Me too. It looks like they're trying to play conservative with their subs, but they keep that up all that will remain is a rude awakening."

"Alright, that's enough boys. I'm gonna go do some walking around." the leader of the bunch decides, putting his hands in his pockets along with a stretch.

"Huh? Aren't you gonna stick around and watch the rest of the match?"

"Nah, I've seen enough…"

The lead commentator for the match announces the start of the second round with both teams concluding their breaks. The sidelines were polarizing during the break, with Crystal Coast looking calm and relaxed about the situation since they still managed to take the win despite a closer than needed finish, receiving criticism from their head coach who wasn't impressed by their performance. Over on the Squid Academy sidelines, tensions flare as the anxious rookies are in a panic while fanning and rehydrating their exhausted starters. A pledge to finish the match on their own power whether by stubbornness or by resiliency, they deferred Fuchsia and Tangie's proposal to get subbed out. This enraged the others who were forced to sit there and watch their teammates battle on their behalf, and finally fed up with the treatment they were getting, Mason and Zaneki put their foot down and confronted their starting teammates. Their argument was that what point did they have in being on the team if they didn't even get a chance to play, especially when their side has struggled to break the wall on most attempts, but Pastelle and Todd lashed back that making a substitution at such a moment would only come back to hurt them, explaining that the timing of such a hasty decision will only bring more problems than solve them.

"It's a trade-off, even if we have fresher legs-there isn't any assurance that the chemistry will mesh well. Right now you're bickering on not getting a chance to play, do you think that helps? We have a plan in motion and we need to follow it." Fuchsia commanded, putting her foot down and sticking by the side of her starters, looking at her watch and noticing it'll soon be time to return to the turf for another round. "We don't have much time, so let's go over what we know and position ourselves for the next battle!" she said, gathering everyone around her. A taste of what comes with playing the group of death, Fuchsia and her staff begin their work to turn this series around and mount a comeback.

Round 2 approaches.