Dale whistles, "...What a set." he awed, stunned to see Kappa and the starters drop the first set.

"I knew they packed a punch, but I can't imagine we slept on them this hard." Pedro adds.

Alannis is tapping her feet impatiently, "C'mon Kips! Don't let that one faze you!" she shouts, cheering on Kippy and the others who are back on the court following their brief break to start the second set.

It came as a shock to everyone watching that the victors of the first round weren't Kalebrough after all the hype, instead the atmosphere of Ravia stadium turning salmon pink as the loyal fans of Squid Academy are giving a standing ovation and a heartfelt thank you for their performance, all of them moved by hard they fought. An inspiring showing from a team that had less than a month to mesh together as a team, their determination prevailed as they took a set off of one of the giants in the competition-their reputation as the giant slayers resurfacing. On the Squid Academy sidelines, Fuchsia and the others do their best to keep the starters calm and their head in the game-aware that these types of moments were when they were most vulnerable since that when most teams dropped their guards and got comfortable. Cobalt reminded them that something similar happened in the previous matches against Towson and Crystal Coast, warning them to avoid repeating the same mistake against a team of this caliber. Fuchsia's goal from the beginning was simple: she wanted them to play their best game imaginable and to erase any memory of their previous defeats, to only recall the foul emotions they felt from those battles and bring them in as their fuel for today; a statement game of sorts, Fuchsia wanted her starters to bare their fangs at their cross-town rivals and let out their frustration. The Kalebrough Inkstinct sidelines are a little tense and agitated, the starters feeling a little uncomfortable after dropping that first set when they knew what their opponents were up to. Their coach applauded the opponents for their aggression and explained that the reason they lost that first set simply came down to Squid Academy having felt their toughest of heartbreaks in this game mode the most, so it was natural that they were swinging for the fences so early in the match. He reminds them that they haven't been tested as of yet, and the perfect team to put them through the ringer would be an underestimated squad like this one-which is why he was glad it was Squid Academy they were getting this treatment from and not a fellow behemoth like Crystal Coast, the Bluerings, or the Titans. Once the break concluded, both teams returned to the court wearing different expressions: Squid Academy looked tense while Kalebrough looked relaxed.

The first couple points are split as Reice and Zepp open up scoring for their teams respectively with an ace serve and rally point. Starting off as a tie to the satisfaction of the audience, who were roaring and craving more, the likes of Kippy and Kappa step up heavily to deliver some points for Kalebrough and help create an early lead; it doesn't last long as Reice, Todd, and Jory return to form and each grab points of their own to make it an even contest at 5 a piece. Back and forth competition, several rallies occur back to back with points traded like jabs in a boxing match, neither side looking tired after the exchange. Whenever Kalebrough won a point, Squid Academy answered back tenfold. At times, Kippy was in the spotlight with her tremendous poaching skills, and other times it was Reice who captivated the audience with his powerful swings. Jory shined on his ace serves, and Tiffany brought everyone to her feet whenever she traded points with Todd. Even in every sense of the word, the war between Kalebrough and Squid Academy looked like the teams were fighting a perfect copy of themselves. Their captains made their presences known, their main cannons fired almost automatically, and their anchors staked their claim as the mastermind behind the attacks. A phenomenal job on defense by Kappa, he extends the rally for Kalebrough yet again as the ball finds its way to Pascal before getting sent to Zepp for the big spike, but Pastelle is there to receive it and send it Azule's way, who sets up Todd for a monstrous spike that pays off. The two rivals turned friends in sync in both mind and body, they stare at one another before giving each other a high five and wearing innocent smiles-able to put their pride aside for the greater good of the team. A score of 15-11, Squid Academy are in control and hungry to end this cursed round as soon as possible while Kalebrough works hard to close the gap and send this to a third set.

"Kalebrough's not budging this time around, but we've been doing well in creating a lead." Austin comments while on the bench watching the game closely; Pearl is next to him with her arms crossed and head lowered, preferring to listen to the reaction of the audience than watch the game-too nervous to see how her juniors are performing.

"As long as we have the lead, we have a chance-simple as that. The moment our lead vanishes and they bring it to a shootout, we'll lose." she said calmly, though Austin knew she must've been trembling on the inside.

Austin joins them after having stood up to get a closer look, "They're looking great out there, especially Violet. I don't think she's missed a beat in this entire round so far…"

Pearl flashes a proud smirk, "She had a great teacher after all."

Also on the bench, Sally sat forward with her hands clasped in front of her and her elbows resting in her lap, wearing an analytical stare while watching her teammates fight her battles for her out there. Wrinkles forming on her forehead, her mind was in a constant state of activity as she reads what her teammates are doing, and predicts what Kalebrough will respond with, getting accustomed to the flow of the game; more than anything, she wanted to get on the battlefield and fight alongside her friends, the people she loved more than anything on the planet. "Come on, everyone…" she mumbled under her breath, wearing a fighter's look as the two sides trade points.

"Relax or you'll ruin that good face of yours." Sky said casually, taking a seat next to her.

"Oh, big sis." she responds, breaking her concentration the moment she felt Sky's presence beside her.

Sky flashes a grin, "Wanna be out there, too?"

"More than anything." she said, her legs shaking restless; Sky's observant eyes study them for a moment, wondering if she'd made a full recovery.

"I feel that." she nods, giving a sigh; "Watching Zule and my underclassmen work so hard while being forced to watch on the sideline doesn't jive well with me. Same can be said for you since you're the ace of this team, our strongest weapon. But what can we do, huh?"

"You're hyping me, I'm nothing that crazy."

Sky's grin fades, "You're incredible for a first year, you know that? Taking this team on your back when they needed you the most, the reason behind how they got so strong in between the breaks. Then there was that crazy unbeaten streak. Without you, none of this is possible." She said beholding Nationals and reminding Sally that even if she missed half of the season and the important tournament that followed, her will was carried-she's the first cog that turned and set it all in motion.

Sally clenches her fists-holding back her emotions, "Which is why this is torture! My body won't obey me, and my friends won't let me fight alongside them! What's the point of me even wearing this stupid number if I can't fight by my brothers and sisters on the battlefield? Is it so wrong to want to be out there? I don't give a damn about my health and the future if I can't even be useful in these situations. Why wait until next year when I can do something now!?" she shouts in frustration, loud enough for everyone to hear including Fuchsia, who already felt uncomfortable about rejecting Sally's pleas; ever since the first loss, Sally has grown more vocal to the staff about getting put in matches, desperate to lend a hand to her teammates, but each time she's shot down ultimately by Fuchsia who gave the same response and look each time.

The light in Sky's eyes soften as a warm smile forms, recalling how nostalgic this feeling was; it was like looking at a glimpse into the past. The frustration Sally felt at this moment was what she felt when she was a first year, but never could she allow herself to express such emotions. "In due time." she says, patting her on the back. I admire how you wear your heart on your sleeve and make your feelings known, how you always think of others before putting yourself first. "It's fine to be selfish sometimes." she said, getting up to let her be alone. "Just don't forget that it's fine to rely on others when necessary..."

The score 22-19 in favor of Squid Academy, they were able to win the rally point and hold off the surging comeback of Kalebrough who scored four unanswered points to close the gap from 21-15 to 21-19. Behind the leadership of Zepp and the attacking prowess of Kippy and Kappa, Kalebrough kept themselves in the game following Squid Academy's crazy streak of points scored by Jory and Todd. Their attacks throughout the game getting thwarted by Azule and Pastelle continuously anchoring rallies, they were still unable to find an answer to the three headed attack of Reice, Todd, and Jory and the setter who sat at the center of the attack. The first round almost over, Kalebrough is running out of time to make a comeback. Next up for Squid Academy following their point is Pastelle, who had been playing solid the entire game thus far as the most reliable receiver on their defense. She wipes off the beads of sweat crowding her forehead, and takes in a deep breath-pretty winded from the intensity of the battle. At the center of the attention within Ravia stadium, Pastelle went to her most quiet and secluded place to keep her mind at ease, feeling her body tremble under the spotlight, she turned her focus to the team across from her who waited in anticipation for her attack. The game hangs in the balance swinging like a pendulum, the ticking of the seconds passing as Pastelle extends her arm creating the ball of ink, she felt her nervousness fade away and get replaced with spite in remembrance of the previous critical booyah ball moments that were decided by such serves, remembering how hard Jory was on himself for failing to seal the deal. Never again. Never again did she want to see her teammates beat themselves up for situations like that where it came down to the wire-not if she could help it. As the oldest member of the starting roster, she saw it as her duty to support them in any way possible or else she didn't deserve her respect as one of their best players. Donning the pink jersey with a blue no.6, she tosses the ball-sucking the air of the entire stadium as she hops. A powerful serve, her hopes of getting an ace serve are denied as Pascal barely receives it, falling over with a roll. Heading over to the back line, Zepp sets it up for Virgil to get a shot. A cross-shot on the line, Virgil's spike is intercepted by Azule, who sends it over to Violet for a counterattack. Reice's number is called once more as the main attacker, but this time his spike is interrupted by the wall of Kappa, Tiffany, and Kippy surprisingly. A one touch that extends the rally, Zepp's on the receiving end to set up Virgil for a launch, a choice attacker already decided amongst the confusion. Squid Academy's wall is set up once again, but before they can attack, Pascal already beats them there. Able to get past the wall, there's a split second of relief on the descent for Pascal, but it doesn't last long as the greenish-pink ball turns pink completely thanks to the inkling right behind it; a fired up Pastelle snatches away the opportunity from Kalebrough once again. Violet's back to set it up, having four options to choose from as Reice, Todd, Jory, and Azule rush at the net simultaneously. Forced to make a gamble on defense, Kalebrough has to decide on who they will block: their strongest finisher, their most accurate shooter, their fastest attacker, or their bloody captain of all people!

"There it is!" the announcer shouts as the whistle blows, the point awarded to Squid Academy. "23-19 for Squid Academy! They are a couple points away from claiming the first round on the Kalebrough Inkstinct."

Squid Academy's fans are singing, they are dancing, nothing but an all-time high for them as they believe they might be witnessing history, as well as the rest of the world watching on. There were suspicions about how well the final team in the tournament would be, and after seeing them choke against Towson, people had a harsh view of them. But after their fight against Crystal Coast, and now their performance here, people's opinions on Squid Academy were altering greatly. A chance for them to claim the next point and get closer to match, up to serve is Violet of Squid Academy. Already acquiring plenty of fans already, Violet's got men and women hollering in the highest frequencies as she steps up to the line, her stone cold expression shooting arrows to the shields of Kalebrough, who felt a similar presence in her that they sensed in Azule and Reice when they stepped up to the line to serve; as the original members of the team who battled through the most hardships, they carried the most intimidating of auras in battle, aware of the journey they took to reach here, and defiant to let it end before they get to the knockouts. A frightening chill that felt supernatural, Kippy and Kalebrough braced themselves for the worst. As Violet tosses the ball and whips out her charger, the entire stadium goes silent as a sonic boom blasts everyone's eardrums, the ball on the other side of the net and already hitting the surface before Kalebrough could move.

Kappa's jaw is agape, Kippy's eyes trembling in disbelief, and the rest of Kalebrough frozen solid as the whistle blows for the service ace; Violet just got a crucial point for Squid Academy to put them in position for match point-the score 24-19 in favor of Squid Academy. The crowd chants are led by Bianca as the drums bang, the horns blowing as flags wave in rhythm with the audience hopping and bopping like a wave, a sea of pink and blue dominating the atmosphere of Ravia stadium. One point away. Just one point away from taking a round off of one of the favorites in the tournament. A strong performance from the wonder girl, she just wasn't a match for Squid Academy's collective forces so far-evident that she'd need to dig down deeper if she wanted to give her a side a chance to fight against the ironclad resolve of her opponents, who looked prepared to die if they dared lose this lead. She found it perplexing that there were those who shared a similar resolve to her, yet channeled it in such ways she didn't even imagine.

"Hey, don't go spacing out on me." Kappa said, flicking the back of his sister's ear.

"Ow!"

"They're pretty damn good." he said, giving her a smile.

Kippy beams, "Yeah! I'm glad it's them we're facing. I'm thankful this dream is a reality-every bit as I imagined and more. They're even beating us!"

Kappa suppresses his laugh, "I have nothing to worry about if you still have that stupid look on your face. Well, let's raise hell from here on out, okay."

"Yup." she nods, wearing the biggest grin from ear to ear with a sparkle in her eyes; this match is far from over.

Another serve prepared by Violet, her chin lowers as a dagger settles in her irises with steam shooting from her nostrils. After spending the entire game facilitating points for her team by setting them up, she finally had her chance to shine as the anchor of Squid Academy. Not only were Pearl and Sky watching, but she knew the many other top chargers from around the world were likely tuning in to watch the game, convinced that social media must be buzzing right around now; and she's correct, Squid Academy were the top trending topic on social media as everyone was calling it an upset alert with all the players trending as well-tons of criticism and praise pouring in. One more time. She just needed to deliver one more time and her team would be leading against the 7th ranked team in the world, a testament that they were a team worthy of being at the big dance. Taking a deep breath, Violet felt the noise surrounding her vanish-only the thumping beat in her heart echoing through her body as she tosses once more, feeling like everything is in slow motion as her mind rushes as godspeed processing all her thoughts. Even faster than the previous serve-like a blur with a trail of pink droplets, the entire stadium gives a reaction as they see the ball veer off course and out of bounds-stunned to see that despite the blistering speed of that serve, someone still managed to track it and even move in time. Violet's shocked that someone even reacted to it, much less got their hands on it, but when she saw that girl's face afterwards paired with that grin, she felt her pride as a competitor go ablaze. Kippy's eyes are glowing, her pupils dilated and shine in her irises-the whistle blowing as the match point is awarded to Squid Academy. By a score of 25-19, Squid Academy won the second set to secure the first round of the match, but there were bigger developments as Kippy didn't look to be the same person she was for most of the match.

Sky's eyes sharpen, "Hold on a second…" she mumbles, noticing a familiar sensation from Kippy that catches her attention.

Sally's face twists, "Don't tell me…?"

Azule's eyes and hair flash for a moment as his eyebrows raise, "She wasn't playing all-out." he says under his breath, feeling it to his core. His team might've won the first round and taken a lead in a series, but it might've come at a cost as Kippy Moreno of the Kalebrough Inkstinct, the wonder girl and future of Inkopolis, looks to have entered the zone. Absolutely bad news for his team, Azule knew that Kippy would likely go on a tear and crush them if his side took their foot off the pedal. Now, it's a matter of survival against whatever she throws their way.

A brief period of rest for both sides, Squid Academy receives praises from everyone on the bench, but Fuchsia, Tangie, Cobalt, and Kosami all wear serious expressions during the break. It was an understatement to say what they just did was monumental, but Fuchsia made sure to remind them that they can't get too far ahead of themselves-there's seven rounds in this match, and they only won the first of many; Kalebrough were likely going to bounce back immediately and turn up the pressure in the later rounds. Her focal point of the discussion was about tempo, establishing that the best way to maintain the lead is stick to what works best for them and to avoid getting sucked into Kalebrough's game. Kippy would likely pop off and start heating up in ways they never could imagine, and it was up to them on how to respond. She knew it would be easier said than done, but she liked what she saw in that first round and for the moment, saw an actual opening for her side to seize-though it could vanish based on how the next couple of games play out. In a series like this, the penultimate goal was to sweep the opponent in four games, but when it becomes competitive like this, losses are expected. Fuchsia and the others knew it would likely be naive to even think they could sweep Kalebrough of all teams, so the next course of action was to manage the rest of the rounds. If they win this next round, they build pressure that works as a double edged sword: they're closer to securing victory but also create the possibility of choking the lead away like they did against Towson Senior, and that stung more than the sweep did.

"Now that we're getting to combat focused game modes from here on, expect them to hit harder-they'll be at our throats and Kippy has awakened. Whatever she-and Kalebrough-gave us in the first round cannot be compared to what awaits us in the upcoming rounds, so…" she began drawing on her clipboard; "I want you all to approach the turf war with swiftness and then dial down the tempo as the game progresses. Refrain from pointless battles and prioritize turfing, and when we reach crunch time, turn on the jets and overwhelm them. More than likely, they'll start off aggressive and try to dominate to establish their own rhythm to use for the rest of the match."

"Which is why we'll dial it down?" Violet utters, thinking the same thing.

"Correct. We'll start off strong, then pull back and observe their play and study their patterns. Remember, we're the ones with the advantage-not them. Keep a cool head and play your own game and we'll be fine. No worries about losing, no worries about trying to overachieve-we'll just play our game!" Fuchsia said resting her clipboard on the ground and clapping her hands to keep their attention, doing her best to empower them; the more she continued to be their coach, the more they saw her other side as a princess, carrying the same authoritative aura as the queen.

"Good work out there coach…" Tangie whispers after the team is dismissed.

Fuchsia shakes her head, "This is nothing. What matters is that they all play without regrets."

Tangie giggles, "I doubt they will have any regrets while playing for you."

The two teams are transported to the site for the turf war battle, which is Hafaf Hotel Lobby. A huge map that has the entire main floor serve as the base of the map, the teams also had a few corridors and paths available for them to take. Their spawn points are located outside the building on opposite sides of the map, they will have to enter through the side entrances to reach the main lobby. An elegant interior of red velvet and gold with sparkling railings and comfy seating, the back end of the lobby leads to the courtyard outside that provides a nice view of the city with a garden below that can be reached via the stairs; in a matter of seconds, this luxurious was about to become a messy war zone. Round 2 is about to begin, both sides already having their weapons selected and their team composition confirmed as both teams decide to stick with the same roster without any replacements. Unlike the stadium that was deafening under the lights, the hotel was far more serene an environment since all hotel patrons and staff were told to stay in their rooms and in the faculty office during battles, only the restaurants and bars allowed to stay open since the battles wouldn't take place there.

Kappa elbows his sister, "Ready for this?"

"War ready." Kippy responds with a nod, her gaze ahead at the pair of doors that lead into the towering building.

A chance to collect their thoughts and stabilize themselves before the next round, Zepp gathered everyone in spawn and went over the structure of the map, going over how they'll tackle the turf war. According to him, the key areas of the map are the lobby and the courtyard since they were the most spacious taking up the map while the rest of the map was only narrow paths that all led to the center where the courtyard and lobby are; smaller rooms are also available like a gym room and arcade, but the best place for battle was for the lobby and courtyard. An important round made clear by their coach, Kalebrough are anxious to get on the board before it gets too late. With the teams in spawn and ready to begin, the countdown begins...

"...3!" the crowd shouts excitingly.

Notable spectators are interested in seeing how the next round will play out now that Squid Academy went and stirred up trouble by taking that first victory, anticipating this turf war to be an aggressive response from Kippy Moreno-who already looked like she'd woken up towards the end of the previous battle.

"...2!"

A single drop of sweat drips down the faces of the coaches for the respective teams, worried about what surprises may occur in this round. The Kalebrough bench looked restless, while Squid Academy's side looked calm-glad to at least take the lead.

"...1!"

Kippy tunes out the noise, focusing only on her objectives for the match and on who she needs to target. Kappa's thoughts are only about making an impact after seeing his sister's efforts weren't enough. Zepp exhales nasally, a little bit stressed while deciphering the information given thus far. Reice takes a deep breath to calm himself down, already feeling pumped thanks to his performance earlier. Violet lowers her head fine tuning her senses for battle, already running the route through her mind. Azule closes his eyes and raises his chin, taking a deep breath. The whistle blows. Both sides barge through the doors and hurry for the center of the map, under the same mindset of securing the lobby and courtyard first. Pink ink floods one hallway and green in the other, the schools swimming through swiftly and popping up occasionally to continue the path like a dolphins leaping out the water to grab air. Violet and Virgil both sit to the rear of their teams, marching slowly and firing a line for their teams to swim through, conscious of their surroundings especially since there would be plenty of rooms where there could be ambushes. In no time, targets are sighted. Azule's hair and eyes glow-leaving his crew behind while wearing a fierce glare; Kippy splits from her group as well, her only target on the inkling with a piercing expression. The two sides unload in a skirmish in the lobby starting with Jory and Todd taking to the vanguard and aggressively rushing into Kalebrough, careful to avoid the toxic green ink splashing everywhere. Pastelle is right behind them with more focus on covering the pair from the rear as they approach Tiffany, Pascal and Zepp. Kappa goes after Violet, who is mostly focused on turfing-finding himself running into Reice instead while Virgil backs him up. A trade of blows from both sides, bodies drop from left to right as explosions of pink and green detonate everywhere, the moans and groans of fallen teammates in the background as the survivors continue their battle. Kippy tosses out a burst bomb to haze Azule's vision, rounding him to attack his blindside, but once she finds his glowing blue eyes cut through the haze she becomes hesitant, her heart racing and body trembling as her fight or flight instincts are triggered. Azule throws out his sprinkler to trap her, but she luckily gets away before getting tagged by the pink; an escape from backtracking, Kippy saw Azule roll from the corner of her eyes heading for the flank. This anxiety-the sensation of her chest burning and her stomach tightening was all too much for her to handle while in battle sequence, her legs tied up like shackles while her arms were noodles unable to hold her gun. Midnight Azule is approaching and she has no time to make a decision, staring at immediate death in the face if she makes the wrong move.

This is Midnight Azule…! Now I understand why he felt so mystic whenever I viewed him on screen, the way the air suffocates my lungs just from his presence alone-my body disobeying orders in preference to flee…. She steps back to protect herself as he does a double roll forward, her instincts screaming at her to get away before she's splatted. The glint in his eyes, his sharp movements, and this foreign presence that leaves her overwhelmed brings forth emotions she left buried-her heart fluttering and her head swelling, Kippy felt her resolve faltering the moment Azule closes in with all intentions of splatting her; I...can't beat him! She yelps, under the bind of his gaze-struggling to catch the blue blur of his image. Whether by instinct or luck, Kippy made a slight shove and created a small path of green-diving there just before Azule lunged at her firing away a shot of pink. Her heart beating out of her chest, Kippy looks at him with a decision to make: continue or retreat. The competitive side of her swells like a balloon with heat coursing through her body, frustrated that she couldn't take him on with the current mindset she has-her rationality settling as she knew in this current situation, she stands no chance against Midnight Azule. She knew it wasn't an impossible task, but facing him in a solo battle was ill advised; he doesn't move like a normal inkling in that mystic form, but little did she know it was because that was a form battle tested through many fights for survival where the stakes were much loftier than simple victory or defeat. Azule closes in yet again, tossing out his sprinkler once again before his tank can refill, and using the last of his ink to do a roll before refill to close the gap; Kippy's moment of truth arrives. Everyone watching the game gasped-even the commentators surprised by what happened next, the sidelines of Kalebrough surprised by what they witnessed.

"She's leaving…!? Kippy is retreating!" the commentator yells, stunned by the development unfolding before his very eyes. "She slips away and creates a trail, taking a sharp right up the stairs and to the entrance, and now...she's off through the westward hallway to make her escape."

Kalebrough's coach rubs his eyes, "Damn, she panicked!"

"She made the right move though, there is no way she would've handled him at that moment. If we lose her here, it'll have a big effect on the rest of the battles since we only have Kappa, Zepp, and Virgil in for us and they are all locked in a group battle; Kippy can super jump to their location when she's ready." The assistant coach said, confident in her ability to bounce back.

"Right, and in the meantime she can turf the extra points for us. However, what prompted that boy to unleash that form…? We scouted him entirely and expected something like this to be a possibility, but to do it here in the second round? It's strange."

The assistant coach analyzes the match, "It is just my assumption but I don't think he can maintain that form for long, whether it be through duration or frequency-it takes a toll on his body. He's been holding off from using it to conserve his stamina more than likely, especially since we're playing at night where his energy won't be lost to the sun."

"Just great." Kappa groans, rolling his eyes.

In the main lobby currently are Kappa and Virgil as the remaining members for Kalebrough following the exchange while Pastelle and Todd are still fighting for Squid Academy, and out in the courtyard locked in an isolated showdown are Zepp and Violet. During the brief exchange between Azule and Kippy, plenty of casualties followed in the group battle in the lobby that spilled into the courtyard that saw the loss of Pascal and Tiffany for Kalebrough and Reice and Jory for Squid Academy. All starting with a chaotic exchange, the chain of events followed when Pascal did well to splat Jory-only to get caught afterwards by Todd who was a little late on the backup. In the courtyard, Reice was doing his best to pressure Tiffany and Zepp with support from Violet against Virgil's annoying cover. A failed pincer attack lost one of its claws thanks to quick work from Violet to stop Tiffany's attack, Reice did well to fend off Zepp until receiving too much damage from Virgil. A tense situation, the pair thought they could take on Violet with their advantage, but Zepp realized immediately what dangers posed if he dared attempt such cowardly tactics against the likes of her; similar to Sally's crazy ability to turn her charger into a heavy blaster, Violet's accuracy and skill with her charger had her moving like she equipped a shooter, capable of causing problems when the situation called for it. A wise decision to send Virgil away, Zepp declared that he'd take care of her while Virgil was to aid Kappa who still had a trio of opponents to worry about inside. Kappa did well to survive the shots from Todd and Pastelle and keep them at bay, but he knew he couldn't hold them off for long. He knew there wouldn't be much of a chance to make a comeback if they lose both the lobby and the courtyard since the layout makes it nearly impossible for a team to flank successfully in the narrow corridors connecting to the vital central areas, arriving at the conclusion that the only way to have a fighting chance was to either secure the central areas, or take half of it and turf the smaller rooms and some of the paths instead, which was a risk too if the opponents had the same intentions.

"Kappa." Virgil called covering him from Todd's close attack, able to push him away for a moment.

Kappa breathes a sigh of relief, "Thanks for coming when you did, but what took so long!?"

"What's the situation." Virgil requests, ignoring his question since now wasn't the time to be wasted on something so unnecessary.

Kappa's eyes scan for a moment, "Their No.6 and No.15 are on us and I believe the captain is still close by since he drove off Kippy. She isn't out, but she's not in the area from the looks of it."

"Midnight Azule must've spooked her…?"

Kappa shakes his head, "Doubt it. She'll come back, for now we need to focus on how we'll shift the momentum in our favor. A few seconds have passed since the others got wasted, which means if we can hold on long enough we'll get reinforcements."

"But so will they…" Virgil's gaze narrows, lining up his shot and then firing at a diving Pastelle who gets her leg grazed by a line of green.

A difficult spot for the pair as they confront the pair in hopes to get the jump on them before they can regroup, they spot Azule already with the pair and out of his Midnight form. To Kappa, seeing Azule without his Midnight form meant one of two things: either he can't hold the form for long, or he didn't view the rest of them as worthy opponents, aware that he refrained from using the form against Siot already. Only Kippy, huh? Well, get prepared to bust it out again! Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Kappa rushes for Azule without giving Virgil a notice, but luckily Virgil is quick to take action, using the brief moment to finally splat Pastelle. My blood is boiling! His mind screams, getting an up close look at the bewildered Azule that turns around sharply and does a pair of rolls to create space.

Just buy us time, but don't get carried away! Virgil shouts in his head, tracking his teammate in the confrontation.

Todd goes for Virgil, spotting him after he picks off Pastelle-the group battle turning into a pair of isolated battles. That same time out in the courtyard, Zepp and Violet are playing a game of tag as Zepp does everything in his power to leave a trail of green and lose Violet, who had a deadly accuracy the closer she got to him-grazing his arms and legs a couple times. Zepp was keeping track of what unfolds inside, aware that he can't continue playing cautious in a solo confrontation when his comrades are in a bind of their own, but with the way Violet's able to avoid his sub weapons and be unfazed by the release of his special, it got him wondering if he could even get rid of her in time to still save the others. First she dodged all the traps set up, then she wisely backed off and let my special run out and then pounced on me once I was vulnerable again. I'm glad I've been able to turf most of the area in green and go and assist the others, but it'd be bad news if she follows me back into the lobby, or worse, stays here and reclaims the turf. His mind heavy on what to do next, he heard a beeping sound that gave him the answer he needed, shifting to the offensive to rush at Violet instead.

Violet sidesteps and locks on him, "Get splatted." she utters, pulling the trigger to release a blast at point-blank range. Indeed getting him, she has no time to rest as she gets drenched in green ink.

"Sorry boss!" Pascal yells standing in the spot he was in prior to turning around for the attack; Violet realized in that moment what occurred, bailing out to spawn as she accumulated too much damage.

A super jump that registered for Pascal, Zepp noticed it in time and decided the best way to get at Violet was to serve as the decoy and allow enough time to reach the coordinates, which now paid off as that gives them a chance to claim the courtyard. A clever move by the captain of Kalebrough, that shifts the momentum in their favor as they also start to gain the advantage in the lobby. In addition to Kappa and Virgil in battle, Tiffany returned to the lobby to lend a hand, helping take down Todd in the process and drive away Azule who recognized he was outnumbered. The momentum on Kalebrough's side now that they had both the lobby and courtyard covered in green, its an unexpected sequence of events that the audience devoured, craving more entertainment. The game shifted to a bit of a slower pace following that massive group battle though, both sides settling down into their styles and playing to their own tempo. Squid Academy took a different approach with spreading out their forces to the corridors and claim the other rooms in addition to keep the score close, where as Kalebrough played a more defensive style and essentially camped the lobby and courtyard as their zones to hold with their main core there to defend while a couple went on patrol nearby to stop any possible ambushes and breaches in their defenses. In the meantime, Kippy switched to exploring more than participating in the main battle in the lobby, still reeling from that encounter with Azule. Though she did her best avoid him entirely, it wasn't for the reason that most spectators thought; from the commentators to the fans and neutral viewers, they all thought Kippy might've lost all confidence after going up against Midnight Azule, but that wasn't the case at all. Although she did experience a new kind of fear after crossing paths with him, she felt more determination than ever before to play him again and test her might, but her responsibilities as a team player were priority and she saw that continuing to battle wasn't the wisest of decisions and that instead, she should focus on helping her team maintain the lead more than anything-a risk to confront him again and possibly get beat. In that time since the first encounter, Azule did everything to refrain from activating Midnight once again-mostly because he knew they would be wary of that form and likely adjust their style to be more aggressive, but also because with the way the game was flowing, it wouldn't be wise to use it excessively. The match continued on as a seesaw of power with Squid Academy working hard to maintain the side rooms and disrupt Kalebrough's control of the courtyard and lobby, but the team in green did well to maintain a stable defense and thwart off their attacks. Time ticking away, the desperation starts to show for Squid Academy as their attacks start to show some sharpness to it-the margin for error dwindling as the round wanes. Two young rivals in the making, the expressions they wear while exchanging shots with one another is the visual definition of a turf war. When they fired at one another, swung and flung their ink with a hop in their step, and pursued their opponents, it was all done in ferocity with full intentions to splat the other viciously. The Kalebrough players wear pink on their faces and jerseys-Squid Academy wearing green on theirs; the entire first floor dressed in salmon pink and lime green ink all from the floors to the walls. The stage is set with all the players active throughout the map, hearing a warning flash in their minds simultaneously as the tempo in the battle picks up.

A minute remains.

Super jumps from left to right, the courtyard and lobby become crowded in an instant, crunch time approaching-the team who can secure at least one and a half of the central areas most likely to win the round since the corridors and other rooms were split nearly even in possession and wouldn't make too much of a difference if one team dominates the pair of key areas. Detonations of pink and green scatter everywhere inside the lobby, the courtyard outside also becoming a mess from curling bombs running across the floor and suction bombs launched in succession. An all-out war, Squid Academy and Kalebrough leave it all on the turf. Virgil, Pascal, and Kappa are out in the courtyard battling against Pastelle, Reice, and Jory. Zepp, Kippy, and Tiffany in the lobby squaring off against Azule, Todd, and Violet. Possession of the map swaying back and forth like a game of tug-of-war, the green and pink dots dancing on the map narrowly avoid the enemy ink at each turn, the gasps filling the audience as they wait to see who will fall first, who will become the first "x" mark, and who will sway the scoring meter at the top in their favor. It's been close in the courtyard thus far: Pascal and Kappa have been moving aggressively to take down Pastelle and Jory, but the inkling-octoling pair have no fears with Reice backing them up, preferring to stick together as a trio with his wave of ink serving a veil of protection and an extended attack simultaneously. Kalebrough aren't worried though as they have a reliable attack of their own with Virgil's dead-eye accuracy backing up the attack of Pascal and the durability of Kappa. A trade of sorts, the courtyard's possession sways with every little action taken. A sharp throw of a burst bomb from Jory is countered by the splash wall thrown by Virgil to protect his teammates just ahead, then leading to the trio splitting up with Virgil heading down the middle while the other two work on a pincer attack; Reice follows their movement and decides now to be their best chance for a counterattack, a focus on Virgil since he had the highest range and was the most problematic of the three. In immediate agreement, the three split up as well. Here comes Kappa and Pascal on the attack, but for different opponents. Reice narrowly avoids the rocket throw of a splat bomb that bursts behind him, resting his roller on his shoulders to stare down the inkling who challenges him so arrogantly.

"Got some nerve…" Reice glared, buying some time for his teammates.

Kappa wears a similar glare, "What's wrong with getting rid of something that pisses me off?"

"Lotta talk for a punk named after a frog!" Reice shouts, flicking his roller at Kappa a couple times; Kappa darts to the left and then dashes in for a closer attack, but Reice slams his roller on the ground with a thud sending a splash of pink ink that marks Kappa's torso but misses his legs. Kappa backs away, carefully keeping his sights on Reice to watch for his next move. "What's the matter, frog face?" Reice taunts with a laugh, glad to see Kappa had to get cautious

Kappa sucks his teeth, "I hate your type."

"What? The loudmouth? Trust me, I'm a sweetheart-really." Reice winks, looking to aggravate him even further. "Still gonna get rid of me or…?"

Kappa gave a sigh pinching his forehead, "Please, stop talking." pointing his gun at Reice's feet, he starts firing away and forces race to hop around the shots while balancing the roller over his shoulder; "Dance for me, pinky!" he smirks smugly.

"Why you…!" Reice grinds his teeth.

As those two continued their little battle off at a corner of the courtyard, across from them was the battle between Pascal and Jory. A swift contest that started with Jory intercepting Pascal and immediately going on the offensive, Pascal did well to create some space for protection though it didn't make for much separation as Jory wiped away the distance in an instant with every intention to get the splat. A furrow of the eyebrows and a growl and Pascal pulls a switch from attempting to flee to meeting Jory head-on for fight. Right then Jory realizes he needs to be careful with how he attacks, beginning to understand why Pascal was a starter on the team based on how quickly the approach changed. As for the final confrontation on the counterattack, Pastelle rushed at Virgil just as his splash wall disappeared, catching him by surprise as she burst through his defensive circle threatening to get even closer thanks to her blinding pace. Virgil attempts to fire a shot to at least slow her down but Pastelle was so focused that her body reacted on its own when he fired, dodging easily to close the gap and press the barrel of her gun right to chest and fire away, raising his body almost like an uppercut as he blew up into a pink puddle. A surprising end to the interaction, Pastelle quickly covers the open green turf in pink; the other two battles were still raging on but the momentum is shifting in their favor thanks to Pastelle's efforts, who quickly looks to assist the others. In the lobby, it's even more chaotic. Zepp is in critical health and in need to heal himself after surviving a devastating strike from Violet, who didn't forget about what happened earlier. Kippy and Tiffany have their sights set on Azule and Todd, alternating between the targets while racing through the lobby, pink and green splashing as they disappear into puddles. Time is near expiration, the moment of truth arriving as the chase comes to an end-the Kalebrough pair on the same page that if they fail to claim the lobby, all will be lost. Tiffany stops in her tracks and turns around to confront Todd, no longer pressed about getting taken down in the process as long as she can neutralize him. Azule closes, doing a roll to avoid the shots from Kippy, expecting to get as close as possible and deliver the final splat. Kippy's glare sharpens as she once again finds herself in another fight or flight sequence.

I replayed that exchange in my head ten times over, getting myself accustomed to the foreign feelings that sprouted from finally crossing arms with you. Azule throws his sprinkler to tack on extra damage, but Kippy has committed on her charge, prepared to be a sacrifice. I realize now that my respect for you wasn't some illusion, and born from that are feelings I can't describe, but I'm sure by the end I'll understand them. His reflection shining in her pupils, Kippy lets out a battle cry-pink splashing at her unyielding face while Azule's pair of dualies fired; Azule knew it would only take a few more strikes to end her. You might have an ability close to invincibility, but I won't let you get a win over me! Her resolve worn as an impenetrable armor, Azule felt a surge through his nerves the moment her eyes widened-her irises carrying a similar glow to what he had in Midnight Mode. "Watch me-!" she shouts, unloading a blast of green on Azule, the sound of a punctured body followed by an inkling's pained moan echoing through the room as a splash of green and pink drenches them.

The next few moments happen in a flash, prompting people to rise to their feet in disbelief. The whistle blows and brings an end to a close game, the score too close to call based on the ratio of pink and green; from the naked eye it looks like it could go either way. Squid Academy's sidelines look worried. Kalebrough's side looks tense as well. The final scene just before the teams are sent to their spawns: Kappa is the only one remaining for Kalebrough in the courtyard along with Pastelle and Jory, and in the lobby, Zepp and Tiffany remain for Kalebrough while Violet is the last one standing for Squid Academy-all the splatted players returned to their spawns with their heads up on the screen awaiting the final result. The overhead map is displayed for everyone to see once the players gather in their spawns, both of them nervous. Their hearts thumping as the meters racks up the percentage, the stadium falls silent as the percentage tallies. A loud sound pastes the final results eliciting a mixed response from the audience. Cheers and jeers echoing through Ravia stadium, social media was blowing up as people post their live reaction to the game after having been lured to follow once it was reported that there might be an upset alert. Jaws drop for both teams, but for different reasons. Zepp raises his fist. Azule drops to his knees clenching his fists. Kappa breathes a sigh of relief. Violet twists her face in agony. And lastly, Kippy covers her mouth in disbelief. By a score of 51.3 to 48.7, the winner of the second round is Kalebrough Inkstinct. Kalebrough's sidelines are cheerful with shows of support as a weight is lifted off their shoulders, light smiles and laughs share all around as they feel confident in replicating their performance. On the other side, Squid Academy's sidelines look tense among the coaches, who were looking to avoid this type of scenario as a competitive series against this team wouldn't be good for their hearts; it would've been far better to have a two game advantage than a tied series. A tied series with momentum swinging into the hands of the heavily favored Kalebrough Inkstinct, Fuchsia and the others see for themselves firsthand just how fickle everyone can be as the stadium chants for Kalebrough. Nothing more than just a team to be fed to the giants, the opinion throughout the stadium was that they wanted to see Squid Academy entertain them as much as possible but ultimately have Kalebrough prevail in the end. Returning to the stadium for break, the Squid Academy sidelines change the moment they see the look on the faces of their starters as they walk to the sidelines. They were prepared to have to cheer them up and remind them that they still have a chance in the match, but none of those cheap words of encouragement were needed.

None of them look fazed, rather, they looked fired up.