The stadium is filled with life, fans jumping around in anticipation of another exciting conclusion after becoming awestruck from the previous spectacle; the upbeat supporters of Squid Academy are filled with hope watching their put on a solid performance while the Crystal Coast supporters are brimming with confidence aware that their side can dial up the pressure at a moment's notice and were only going easy on their opponents. Up in the stands leading the chants for Squid Academy with her fist raised and her voice shouting followed by the beating of drums is Bianca and the entire student populace of Squid Academy donning their teams color, chanting with pride soaking in the experience. Down below on the turf, another heated battle is at the apex as both sides are locked in another fight for the tower. To start off the round, Crystal Coast came out the gate with more aggression than previously and assumed control of the tower to build a lead early on, but Squid Academy were far more responsive this time around and were sure not to let them get away from them, always following up with an attack of their own. During the break, adjustments were made by Fuchsia and what resulted was a new approach to battling their difficult obstacle. Not only did Crystal Coast have a superb generational talent that made it almost unfair to compete against, but the rest of the starters proved to be problematic. Pace, marksmanship, versatility, all prove to be challenging tasks for the rookie group as they also struggle against the diversity of the weapon choices of the veteran side. Luckily, they prepared for that beforehand as that was one of the things Fuchsia highlighted in her approach for round two.
"They've got the lead, the experience, and quite clearly aren't trying their hardest yet-I'd say they're toying with us."
"What?"
"Based on the little stunt Siot tried to pull early on, my guess is their captain isn't much too concerned with this match if his focus is only on going up against Midnight Azule. Honestly, why is everyone so obsessed with it is still a mystery to me, but I guess it's something along the lines of certain players are destined to face one another because of it. Anyways, Siot's actions aren't reflected in his team, who are actually performing quite well without him. I still think they too might've been feeling us out because they only used their secondary choices as weapons."
Reice scratches his head, "On what grounds are you making such assumptions, coach? Why would they be holding back against us?"
Fuchsia looks over to him with an annoyed look, "Haven't you found it strange that we were able to keep up with them for the most part? They floored us in the beginning but afterwards they cooled down and made it seem as though we were making a push. Nothing short of a tactic used in psychological warfare, they are trying to build our egos and have us lower our guards to break it in one go and wreck us altogether. They expect us to think so little of ourselves that we would actually feel special just hanging in there with them. To be honest, it pisses me off. But I'm glad they went with such an approach."
"I see. Then are you insinuating that we should feed into their obvious trap and trick them? We'll know what to expect and can probably pull a reverse on them."
"Bingo, Violet." she said holding up a finger with an analytical gaze; "We can't let them just walk all over us and manipulate the flow of the match. We need to build momentum but I want some consistency. We don't need to force errors per say, but rather force them to play our style instead and take control-beat them at their own game. If we answer them with a serious approach and put their feet to the fire, we can draw them into discomfort and strike them where it hurts most. For the next round, we'll put it to the test-when they get the tower, run them off and take it for yourselves. Build off of a defensive approach and use that as your spearhead-the more we do so, the better we'll chip away at them for a dragged out fight. The key is to stay resilient and power through any mental hardships heading our way; we must avoid another sixth rounder performance at all costs."
The tower is a war zone. A teal ink storm rains on the turf, followed by a barrage of pink tenta missiles striking the area and grabbing some victims, the ink mines planted near the tower meant to protect possession from changing hands also doing a fine job of capturing some lives as well. A colorful commotion with bodies blasted and voices wailing, this round surely resembled what many expected death to look like between a pair of teams in the cursed group. A pink burst bomb gets thrown to provide a momentary smokescreen, but it doesn't matter much as a teal ink wall is utilized along with a teal squid beakon sitting on the tower. Azule's heart beats faster as his eyes dart from left to right scanning the surrounding area, his body heating up as his head swells tracking the enemy. A thunder shot cracks the air as Violet once again secures her position up high looking to cover her teammates, watching the backs of Pastelle and Reice as the pair attack the tower guarded by Siot and Rikki. A close skirmish between the two sides resulted in some losses from Jory and Todd of Squid Academy along with Kailaloa and Lulu for Crystal Coast. A standard 4 on 4 battle with the extra bodies gone, Crystal Coast are doing their best to hold off the triple frontal assault of Squid Academy. In comes an overwhelming push of pink on the tower thanks to the tsunami like arch of a release by Reice, who switches it up with a combination of swings and refills the moment his feet land on the ground. Arian and Rikki sit on the tower taking advantage of the higher ground over their opponents, but find something strange about the attack as Azule does some consecutive rolls inking the perimeter of the tower. Siot tracks the movements of the young captain and notices that he's picking up pace and becoming harder to follow, then there's the presence of Violet, who is making them dance on the tower by firing at their feet and then their faces. At the moment it felt like they were surrounded by flames and forced to avoid the inferno at their feet, having to hop and dance around the damaging shots from Squid Academy; the score is in favor of Crystal Coast thus far, but if Squid Academy could go on a run, the momentum could easily sway. Pressure mounted on their shoulders, in comes Zaza to the rescue to ease them out of it, but in his way to cut them off is Pastelle, who drives him away from the tower. It was only an exchange of a few seconds, but so much unfolded in those mere moments that it could've been considered the climax of the round. Zaza went into isolation with Pastelle, Rikki and Arian super jumped to his position to escape death, and Siot stayed on the tower to handle the commotion by himself. A rush of pink splatters his face and blinds him momentarily, his leg muscles tightening in anticipation of a fierce attack as he heard several suction bombs stick to the tower. His body moving on his own, Siot runs in circles on the tower avoiding each blast narrowly all while blinded, only guided by his sharp hearing and smell that picked up the slack. Despite the pink washing away the teal on the tower, Siot remained strong to hold possession by reapplying as much as he could, but before his vision could return, he felt a piercing sensation in his chest and a ringing in his ears. His natural instincts were giving him a serious warning and triggering his fight or flight mode. Like a spirit that stalks the living, the chilling sensation running down his neck forces him awake as he identifies the captain's armband tightly hugging the arm of the inkling donning pink, his blue irises sharp as he grinds his teeth with a ferocious look.
The awestruck audience is filled with murmurs as many of them began rising to their feet, believing they were about to witness something spectacular from Azule Royale. Siot calmed himself, scanning his surroundings for any way to run, but alas-nothing. In front of him charging with venom in his eyes is Azule, down below away waiting for him to make the wrong move is Reice looking to get revenge for the previous round, and watching him closely with her target lined up to his head sits Violet. He has nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, all he can do is accept his loss and come back again. But in his mind, he found it all so amusing. For a team that didn't have any hope to escape the group of death, to be loaded with a roster of inexperienced players, they somehow were not only hanging around with him and his squad, but were even landing some stinging blows. In the first game he knew he unconsciously held back in hopes of testing the waters with them, but after this moment, he knew his side had to get serious or else they risked dropping a game. Vision blurred with a terrible surge of pain through his body, Siot felt weightless in an instant as he's sent back to spawn, hearing the eruption of the crowd in response. An impressive feat pulled off by a clever push when they were down in numbers, Squid Academy successfully took the tower and reduced the numbers of Crystal Coast with swift hits to Rikki and Zaza. A high point in the round for Squid Academy, they followed up with a solid run of squashing Crystal Coast's lead before running into Kailaloa and Lulu, who helped out Arian in slowing them down. Todd and Jory returned to their side as a plus, and soon another fierce battle broke out on Crystal Coast's side as Siot and his side tried to rebound against the charging Squid Academy. Though not as fierce as previously, more casualties are apparent as barely anyone remained for either side following this clash, and almost by a stroke of luck, Crystal Coast regained possession thanks to Arian, who was as slippery as ever lurking near the tower waiting for his moment to strike. A frustrating trait of theirs that became apparent in this battle after seeing flashes in the previous match, Squid Academy's starters realized they had a terrible habit of losing the momentum they gained, almost tripping over their own feet after taking the lead in the race and having to start fresh from behind once more. Most of the match was spent chasing Crystal Coast from behind, and when they finally were able to close the gap off their own efforts, they could never descend the peak they risked hiking.
As Siot watched the attacking Squid Academy side continue to show fight in themselves even in such an unfavorable situation, his face began to lose its sharpness little by little with his resolve softening to a dullness the more he watched the enemy side show their grit on the battlefield. Even as they occupy the tower and are in the middle of an important skirmish with the entire world watching, his thoughts went elsewhere to things that were unnecessary at the moment. The sensation of guilt crept into his mind like a disease poisoning his mind the more he observed how dedicated Squid Academy were trying to grab an elusive victory in the match. Despite being one of the best players in the world, he still hadn't figured himself out even after his time at the school-something he planned to do during this tournament, the one that would likely be his last. When he first arrived, he was a brash new talent who had plenty of vigor and a big mouth, hungry for a challenge wherever he went. He attracted the eyes of many and he possessed a swagger unlike anyone in his year, and he carried that aura into battle. But in his first ever game, he got a whiff of what the difficult road for him would resemble should he stick on the same path, getting humiliated after all the hype he built. Humbled by his own backyard, he matured greatly in his first year and took on the task of overcoming the rest of Tropicanos and the western isles, striving to reach a higher level than just the best from the islands. When he began to play against the apex talent from the other regions of the world and found himself and his side continuously defeating them, he felt his invincibility grow with each victory and the confidence from before swelling. Not only had he conquered the trials of the isles, but he gained recognition as one of the brightest of the young talent in his year except...he was in the same class as two other gifted talents: Edward V of Rukovna, and Shiore of Hugh-Napri. A rare generation with three prodigal talents all sharing the same year, the nationals that year became a wild hunt to see which of the three would undergo the most growth and the next the wave...
Why are these feelings returning now of all times…? He thought, disturbed at how his deepest and most repressed feelings and memories were appearing at such a terrible moment. Why are those damn memories coming back!
The barbaric shine in Azule's irises while he commands his comrades without a hint of hesitation like a true captain, no show of amusement or of succumbing to his personal desires; then there's the unwavering resolve in the rest of his team that haunts him. How could they still have such a fierce expression even in such a scenario where the pressure in the air is suffocating? To feel pity for them was disrespectful enough, but to underestimate was just plain heinous-and unfortunately for him, he didn't take Squid Academy seriously despite his commands from yesterday. Right now, his gut felt like it was twisting and pulling, and his body sweltering while his eyes scanned the peripheral.
Unbelievable...to think I tried to toy with them. He thought, feeling some shame about his actions earlier. His instincts warned him to take this side seriously, and now he was seeing for himself why he even alerted his squad to begin with.
"I'm glad you told us to take them seriously…" Zaza said, providing some support for his captain as they face-off against a torpedo spiraling their way. "It might just be my imagination, but I think they're adapting to us. They might be onto what we're planning." he added, referring to their decision to use their secondary weapons.
"I hope you're not feeling pity for them…" Arian boasts glaring at his captain; "They mean business, like you said. We're gonna crush them, right?"
Crystal Coast occupies the tower, spread out around the perimeter while Squid Academy encroaches with time elapsing. A decision needs to be made on Siot's part as Azule and Pastelle break through their first barrier by taking down Rikki and weakening Kailaloa enough to penetrate the flank. A hole created thanks to the duo's efforts, they look to pounce on the opening, but in comes a sprinkler from Lulu to keep them at bay long enough for Zaza to step in; Violet was making noise earlier causing a ruckus with her presence, constantly reminding her opponents that she can make a critical move at a moment's notice-now she's on the refill, which gives Crystal Coast a chance to recover and focus their efforts on containing the ground team. A crucial decision that the captain needs to call, Siot read the flow of the battle looking to predict the outcome that could affect the flow of everything. The ultimate goal was to protect the tower in the dying minutes and secure a 2-0 lead in the match, but with how Squid Academy were moving, one wrong move could cost them not only the round but the match as well. If he took a conservative approach while already on the defensive against a modified pincer attack, the decision would only implode on them. An aggressive approach where they abandoned their concerns of protecting their tower led to more risks, but it allowed for them to focus entirely on shutting down Squid Academy's attack. A tough choice to make in a matter of seconds, Siot looked to his determined teammates who fought valiantly on the tower, some shouting and others grimacing as they endured the pain of getting tagged; if there was ever a time to make a decisive move, it was now.
"Smite them." he utters in a commanding tone that emanates grace; right away they knew their captain finally meant business by finally shutting down the offensive front. A recreation of the lead they had previously, the teal trumps the pink as Crystal Coast go on an aggressive response and target the ground team. Violet expected as much and resumed her efforts to pick them off, but even with her eagle eyes, she's not quick enough to save her teammates from the enemy's blasts. Under a minute remains, chaos breaks out as Azule splats Arian after he managed to slip away a few time, Reice gets ended by a weakened Kailaloa still recovering from earlier, and out on the tower, Pastelle is trying to reclaim the tower, though it proves to no success. Able to hold off the desperate attack of Squid Academy yet again thanks to the chemistry and experience that came into play, Siot and his side find themselves up 2-0 and heading into their favorite game mode: Booyahball. A break for both sides, they wear different expressions in response to the close battle that just concluded. Azule and his side are frustrated that they once again let a close game slip away from them, but still remained upbeat and proud of how well they were hanging with one of the best teams on the continent-in their eyes, they're only down a couple rounds and just needed a spark to bring them to life. Crystal Coast were thankful they managed to succeed twice while sparing their true strength, glad they saw such a fight from Squid Academy given all the doubters. Now that they had a comfortable lead and would be playing their favorite mode, they no longer had any concerns about a comeback-their fate already sealed.
Following the break, the teams are transported to Mutrah Beach where the sandy setting already has plenty of visitors packing around the court; many beach goers and fans camped out just for this moment, excited to see Crystal Coast live in their natural element. A rendition of beach volleyball, this booyahball battle would pit the teams against each other on the sap-like shores, and unfortunately for Squid Academy, Crystal Coast were among the best teams when it came to this specific game mostly because of their tropical roots. Several substitutions are made on the Crystal Coast side: Arihi is in for Lulu, Tiki gets swaps in for Kailaloa, and Mona is in while Zaza is out. With half the enemy forces fresh, Fuchsia now found herself in a difficult spot when it came to deciding whether to substitute her players out. She knew her squad had to be tired after playing in this heat, but she also knew it would disrupt their flow if she pulled them out and threw one of the subs into the lion's den against this team especially. Studying the body language of her starters, she determined they still had plenty of fight left in them but knew it was be foolish to try the same stunt that failed last time-the same way her starters needed time to gel, so did her substitutes need experience and her job as the coach was the keep everything balanced and put the best team forward. With a glance to Parker, Sandra, Mason, Evelyn and Zaneki, she called their names and filled them on her plan, explaining that they would be subbed in following the third round. She had confidence that her side could wrestle away a win in this round and force a competitive match, which meant she'd need them to come in as backup.
"Crystal Coast will get the opening serve and up to take the serve is Tiki..."
The audience is silenced. Tiki looks to her teammates who are all in their positions awaiting the start of the game, all of them covering the back of their heads just in case; Squid Academy are on the other side with their knees bent and their chins lowered, prepared to receive her serve and start a rally. Tiki extends her right arm and holds out her palm, preparing a teal ball of ink that grows rapidly as her teammates encourage her with a set of "booyahs" for a quicker charge all while the audience echoes them, dragging out the word and waiting for her to launch the attack. Jory's got bullets of sweat dripping down his face watching the ball get formed, understanding the magnitude of difficulty they'll be up against just from seeing her body language; the same way he and his teammates planned to steal this game it was the same for the opponents, who planned to stomp them out and put the match to rest. A cool bright glow, Tiki tosses the ball of ink high in the air and brings out her inkbrush, slapping the ball at just the right moment to launch it over the net with a cutting zip through the air. Pastelle intercepts the ball and receives it successfully, watching it bounce off her shot and do a twirl in the air. In those few seconds, sand kicks in the air and players from both sides shift into positions-the attacking side of Squid Academy adjusting their positions while Crystal Coast already had everyone prepared to defend their side. Orders are called from Azule out at the backside as the ball heads over to Violet-the main setter for the team, a pair of bodies rush through the sand looking to be the one to have their number called by the sniper, jumping in the air the moment Violet aims at the tealish-pink ball. With a single shot, the ball rockets past Todd and into the range of Reice, who brings down his roller with a smack at the ball and sends it over the net-but it isn't perfect. Three rollers were in the way of his trajectory and luckily for him he was able to smash it through the thin space between the rollers, but the speed decreased significantly. Arian receives the pink ball and angles it with a roll, sending it over to Mona-their main setter. Mona sets up a good opportunity for Arihi, who slams it across the net and breaks through their defenses to score the first point. Immediately the crowd erupts in cheer as the whistle blows with the point scored for Crystal Coast, and thus the battle begins.
"It was a good try by Squid Academy, but it takes more than that to get through this team. Crystal Coast have the most powerful attacking side when it comes to this sport, and their defense is impeccable as well. I doubt this will be much of a match unless they can find a way to hold a rally." Takahashi said, analyzing that first play for his octoling neighbor, who looked impressed that the rookie team was able to prevent the ace serve.
"I'm glad they still have some fight in them even after a pair of tough rounds like that, but I'm curious how they'll fare against that team in this type of environment."
"Think they can pull off a comeback?"
The octoling man took off his shades to show his stern hazel irises, "Not a chance."
Following the first point, Crystal Coast went on to bag another pair of points before dropping their first point to Squid Academy, who managed to grab one point after a long rally that worked in their favor thanks to a cross shot from Todd that sealed the deal. A back and forth contest with both sides exchanging blows, Crystal Coast managed to maintain their lead despite the efforts of Squid Academy-always shutting down their momentum by taking the next point whenever they seemed to be heating up, just like what they'd been doing all match thus far. The subs for Crystal Coast did a splendid job of fulfilling their roles, spreading their assignments well and dedicating their strength to easing the burden of their teammates who'd been worn down from the prior contests. On Squid Academy's side, they looked out of gas and seemed to be running purely on adrenaline as they refused to let their spirits be crushed like the last time they did this type of round. Thanks to the pace of their captain, and the coordination of their vice captain, they were surviving under the brutal sun. Down by a score of 13-10, Squid Academy's Todd is up to serve in front of a hopeful crowd of supporters-already exhausted after the constant running and concentration he put out in this first set; right now his lungs felt like they were on fire and pulsating each time he drew breath, but even so, he didn't want to leave the turf.
"You got this!" Azule cheered, giving him a thumbs-up and wink.
Pastelle gave him an approving nod, "Get that ace!"
"Come on, Todd. You can do it!" Reice encouraged, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he breathes heavy.
"One at a time!" Jory adds, his attention focused on the enemy side.
Violet didn't bother looking in his direction, "Fight on." she said plainly, finding it irritating to have to show some pep in this mode.
Todd stares down the enemy side and reads their composition, replaying the events in his mind that led to this moment. A strong block on their side followed by a solid ace serve only for us to return fire with a rally point. We were down by only two before they stretched the lead to four and once again here we are having to chip away at their lead. Unless we do something soon, we'll be doomed to trail them until this set ends-going three sets will be torturous for our side. He extends his left arm and holds out his palm, hearing the chants of his supporters sing his name as one of the players who had their own themes. A pink ball of ink swirls in his hand as he lowers his chin, showing a glint in his irises paired with a darkened face. I'll end them.
A high toss that drops at the call of gravity, Todd sends the ball flying past his teammate's heads and into enemy territory-a serve so powerful that Crystal Coast couldn't even track it with their vision alone, Arian's body moved suddenly as the ball smacked his face and decorated him with pink that left him staggered. The ball ricochets off his face and heads towards the right wing where a concentrated Mona sets the ball at just the right power and accuracy for Siot to finish, but the wall of Reice's roller and jory's brush proves enough to deny him as the mixed colored ball flies backwards into Arihi, who crouched down on the ground and sent the ball right over the net just behind the back of the wall. Azule does a dive just in time, his barrel firing the ink just in time to propel it upward that descends behind him into the range of Pastelle, who tracks the ball perfectly and does a set from the rear. A surprise pass that lands just in Violet's range, she fires her charger and sends it right back to the Crystal Coast side. A rally in every sense, their bodies trip through the sand doing plenty of dives after keeping the ball in play-the ink constantly transitioning between pink and teal while the sand at their feet gets colored as well. The oohs and aahs of the crowd added to the atmosphere as the audience grew infatuated with the development of the round-even the people inside the stadium watching the match on the large screens were reacting like they would if they were watching it down below. Whenever Crystal Coast looked to extend their lead any further, Squid Academy followed right behind them with an attack of their own, though it didn't help that some ace serves from Siot and Arian put the game back to a runaway. In no time, the score became 24-19 with Crystal Coast needing only another point to grab the victory-however it was Squid Academy's serve, and more importantly, Jory's serve; no.10 worn proudly on his back, Jory had an opportunity to bring his side back into the game after a successful rally from their side closed the seven point deficit to six. At this point in the first set, it felt suffocating to watch as a Squid Academy fan after watching their fatigued side will themselves into a competitive battle before giving into the exhaustion and then catching themselves before it was too late-the only miracle of a possibility being that they could close the lead on consecutive ace serves to make it a competitive contest and even catch their breath, but to ask that from Jory was just too much.
"What will he do now that the pressure is mounted on his shoulders? Will he pull off a miracle and build the comeback or collapse under the great expectations?" Siot whispered under his breath, picking apart Jory's mind at that very moment. While he was mostly interested in seeing Azule bring out Midnight, he also had interest in seeing what the rest of Squid Academy had to offer, and so far he was impressed. But with the game reaching such a critical point, the whispers in the audience started to echo about whether Squid Academy could become clutch in such a moment. Could they shock everyone and bring it back into a competitive battle, or was this game-set-match? Almost identical to their other booyahball round, this felt like the match deciding moment.
I can feel my heart pound in my ear like a gong. Jory thought with a grimace while catching his breath, inhaling the hot salty air as the sun beams on his skin giving him a darker tan, barely able to keep his eyes open with the sweat dripping into his eyes that cloud his vision. It's all up to him as the myriad of sounds squeeze into his ears and cloud his head. In this moment, he needed to find his quiet place-somewhere that allowed his heart to calm down and his mind to be at ease. The first thing to come to mind was the word family, and when he thought of that...Big bro, mom, dad...are watching me? He thought, closing his eyes attempting to recall their faces to the best of his ability-though a blur for the most part. Instead, he felt tremendous warmth as the memories from that time brought their gentle voices and with it a definitive response. Just as he lost his family, he was blessed to receive another, to have Shiva and Fuchsia as his sisters, the have Squidcom as his extended family that would support him no matter what, and to have many wonderful friends out there watching them play. He wasn't alone in this battle, whether it was the six of them on the turf, or the thousands out in the stands showing their unwavering support, he wasn't standing alone preparing to serve, but rather…
"This is a serve from the hearts of everyone: from my family who lives on in my heart, to my comrades and friends counting on me, and to the people of Inkopolis cheering us on...don't doubt an octoling's resolve!" he muttered under his breath, opening his eyes with his will reawakened; right away Crystal Coast could feel his conviction the moment his eyes opened, a gust of wind punching them in the face that represents the feelings of Jory-the serve he's about to give containing every ounce of his strength.
Jory smashes it.
A powerful serve that couldn't be tracked, it resembled a pink star shooting overhead and then dropped like a rock and landed right between the rear defenders of Siot and Arihi, who were stunned to hear the whistle blow and award the point to Squid Academy. The audience roared in surprise since that was Jory's first ace serve for the round and it came at such a clutch moment; the others rushed over and hugged Jory while showering him with praise, making him blush right away as they pinch at his cheeks and play with his hair. A serve that came from the heart, he felt relief as he saw the gap close on the scoreboard. Encouraged to follow up with yet another ace serve, Squid Academy now had the possibility of pulling off an upset by grabbing four service aces to activate the deuce rules where a team goes into overtime and has to win by two. Jory lines up yet again and concentrates, his irises full of life as he stares at Siot across from him on the other side, ready to launch another bullet of a serve. The Crystal Coast side wear some worried looks after witnessing that first serve and realizing that Squid Academy might've just found their opportunity to pull the rug from right under them. Their primary thoughts didn't focus on the next next set or fourth round, but rather, stopping Jory in his tracks before he heats up and causes problems. Where will he serve? Can they reach it in time? Should they take a gamble if it's too close to tell and it might be out? How will they receive and set up their attack? Is it worth starting a rally over? A spiraling amount of questions swirling in their heads, they all weighed the risks of biting the bait being put out for them. Siot was aware of what they were planning, but now the judgment laid with him and his side's response. More than likely Squid Academy were too exhausted to pull a rally and would likely rely on Jory's ace serve to bring them back into the fold, but if his side force a rally, it could backfire based on how many points Jory tallies their way-then there's the momentum, that would seemingly shift in the losing team's favor as people would start to picture an underdog pulling off a comeback. Under no means could he allow his side to drop a set to such a team…
Jory tosses it…
All their heads followed the ball as it reached the apex of its toss before descending, landing comfortably in Jory's target as he took another mighty swing to send the body across the court. Unlike before where it just soared and then dipped right before the backline, this ball had a disgusting spin on it that made it difficult to predict where it would land. The Crystal Coast members dug their soles into the sand, anticipating a boost into action to keep the ball in play, but none of them could reach it in time as a big splatter of pink covers a section of their turf. Once again, they failed to stop Squid Academy's serve-the lead now closed to 24-21 with many of the fans picturing an unbelievable comeback. Chants start to grow and names are sung, life returning to the bodies of Squid Academy-rejuvenated thanks to Jory's efforts. "One more time" is what the supporters both at the beach and in the stadium behind them chant, wanting to see this first set reach overtime. Again, everyone rushed over to Jory and encouraged him, thanking him for keeping them in the match and trusting him to get the next point. A light shines in the eyes of Fuchsia as she's glad to see him get his moment in the spotlight, understanding how difficult it was for him to play in the shadows of the others despite being given huge expectations. The lone star octoling with all attention on him, Jory extends his arm out once more and creates another pink ball, but this time, he can feel the confidence brewing; Arian felt irritated, watching the young octoling start to get cocky just after a few points-swearing that he'll put them down on this play. It was an understandable feeling since just a couple points ago he looked like a nervous wreck, and now after two big points he seemed like a completely different person entirely.
Everyone holds their breath as the ball is tossed in the air…
A smack that sucks the air out the entire venue, Jory's serve looked like the fastest yet as it became a blur; Arian did his best to react on the receive, but he couldn't reach it in time as Jory delivered a third consecutive point for Squid Academy. The crowds erupt in a frenzy as they all believe they are witnessing history, flags swaying from left to right, the fans of the team in pink singing their songs and praising their little octoling hero, even the Squid Academy sidelines were starting to look hopeful as they no longer saw the deficit as an impossible task to overcome-they could do it! The worries became apparent for Crystal Coast after that third consecutive point, unable to not only receive the serve but even react quick enough to put up a fight. Jory closed the gap on them in no time, and at this pace with this type of hot streak developing with the entire audience swaying to their side, things were looking to be in Squid Academy's favor. The commentators gave a recap of the recent moments leading up to this moment as Jory once again prepares to serve again, this time listening to the people chanting his name and soaking it all in. They were quick to remind viewers that though Squid Academy were heating up, they were still down by a couple points at a score of 24-22 and Crystal Coast just needed a single point to secure the victory, though they had to admit with the way things were shaping out it was likely to go to the deuce rule. It was hard to place a bet now since Crystal Coast were still the heavy favorites but couldn't manage to stop Jory's momentum, and likewise, Jory did such a marvelous job on his serves that it was tough to think he couldn't produce another-hitting one or two can be considered a fluke, but three? He's the real deal! All eyes on Jory, all eyes on Crystal Coast's defending six, the entirety of Mutrah Beach and Alqamar stadium awaits the climactic finish to the first set.
