The sun scorches Ravia as temperatures reach yearly highs without any breeze present to ease the steaming torture. At the resort where Squid Academy stays, guests were finding ways to keep themselves distracted amid the heat with many staying indoors in the cool air conditioning, the hallways so hot that the walls were sweating and a faint sight of steam visible. Even in the cooler lobby, it was still decently warm thanks to many people crowding the area to grab drinks and lounge, the tvs showing all the news and updates about weather and sports. The most talked about section were the many entertaining matches that took place and the dominating highlights were that of the Kalebrough-Squid Academy match that sparked discussion about a "match of the tournament" candidate. Analysts and pundits were praising Squid Academy for their best efforts but ultimately boiled it down to the victory of Kalebrough arriving because of the greatness in their pair of phenomenal talent in Kippy and Kappa that led to Kalebrough's narrow victory. A review on the current standings within each group, Kalebrough and Crystal Coast led the tables undefeated while Squid Academy was at the bottom with three losses-another loss officially eliminates them from contention in the context of this particular group that was slated to be highly competitive. Together at a table watching the news live with some refreshing fruit beverages were the essential charging unit of Violet, Pearl, Sky, and Evelyn, all spending their morning together in hopes to boost their chemistry and exchange valuable information and give pointers about play; as the crucial support that could command the floor, it was their duty to sway momentum their way with a single shot. Classified as free time for most of the day, Fuchsia and the other coaches found that it was better to spend the day however everyone pleases rather than force them to do hard training and hold a meeting during these conditions, instead postponing the meeting until evening when the sun goes down since their next game would be tomorrow evening and in turn gave them plenty of time to do some light practice beforehand.
The coaches gave them an inch and the players took a mile, all of them seeing a green light to be lazy knowing they played their hardest; none of them were satisfied by that defeat, but they knew nothing good would come from sulking about it and recklessly trying to improve. A mindset of working smarter rather than harder, they all found it to be wiser to at least lighten up and make the most of the circumstances that overwork themselves to dust.
Packed in the gaming lounge where there were tons to do, Parker, Todd, Mason, and Zaneki were once again back at it in a game of pool, the latter pair still having a bone to pick with the former. Over at a nearby table with some refreshments sat Jory, Sandra, Hannah, Nelson, and Austin, the five of them locked in a card game series where the winner would decide what would be lunch and the lowest scoring player had to pay for it. Then there was Pastelle, Taylor, and Audrey, who were over by a darts board playing a few rounds. The television so loud it could be heard over the music in the room, all of them notice the noontime games already started. The red, white, and yellow of Rukovna led by the fifth emperor, the purple and teal of Hugh-Napri led by Shiore and Shiori, the pink, yellow, and white of Vulerby led by Romaine, and the lime and white of Skolar led by Carmichael, the top teams of the tournament were all playing today and dominating the air time, the superstar players all putting on a show. Currently they all sat atop their respective groups undefeated and none showed signs of slowing down, setting up the knockouts to be a memorable one as the projections had them all to meet each other in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
"It's amazing how many strong teams are in this tournament with the top 25 alone. Adding in the many sleepers and dark horses really makes it all the more competitive." Jory said as he played a card, his attention glued to the Rukovna game playing on one screen.
Hannah sighs, "Tell me about it." she said playing next, her attention on the Skolar game; "I've heard of power scaling and power creeping but this is ridiculous! How in the world are there so many strong teams? Even Beacon Hills and Special Forces are lacking the attention!"
"That's just because they're in our block but at a different schedule, so they get overshadowed by the group of death. And don't forget about Yermozani either with that scary captain of theirs." Nelson said putting his card down after her.
Sandra plays her card, "It makes sense that our group would be all the talk since it is assured one of the top ranking teams in the world is about to miss the cut off of odds alone, so the question is a matter of who?"
"I took a look at the standings and right now it's Kalebrough and Crystal Coast tied for the top spot, then the Bluerings in third and tied for fourth are the Titans and Baiji. The bottom trio are Fujiro, Towson, and then us in dead last." Austin said, playing his turn with a scowl since Sandra played a good card and put him in a tough spot.
"Sounds about right." Nelson grimaces, unhappy to hear they're at the bottom.
"I'm impressed at how competitive the games have been. I mean us, Fujiro, and Towson have given scares to Kalebrough, Baiji, and even the Titans. At this rate, one would think a powerful upset is in the works." Sandra said, excited about getting back to the action.
"You can say that again…!" Pastelle said chiming in, throwing her dart on the bullseye. "Who better to start the trend than us?"
"Fujiro Industrial is a strong team though, we can't get full of ourselves just because we went seven rounds with Kalebrough." Taylor said, taking up her darts and readying to throw. "If anything we should be on our guard and prepared for any possible contingency since we'll be eliminated from contention if we lose another game."
They all go silent for a moment, the fears in the back of their minds rushing to the front in an instant as the realization settled in. They have no more strikes left to sacrifice and no runners on base, and to make matters worse, their worst hitter is up to bat at a disadvantage with the count. All of them thought about their run thus far and wondered what it was they were lacking for them to be three losses deep despite playing reasonably well in each contest. Was it stamina and their inability to maintain the lead? Perhaps their formation was the problem and they've been getting exposed quite easily? Regardless of the questions, they all knew they needed answers and pronto-their next game would decide their fate. Meanwhile, Apollo and the others were going over the stat sheets and calculating the odds within smaller groups with everyone designated to a different task. Yesterday's defeat still lingering in their minds, they wanted to pull out all the stops to give their side the best chance of winning, aware that their journey will essentially be over if they lose another game. Apollo's group of Canola, Chlora, and Gileslie were focusing on the odds and crunching the numbers on what needed to be done throughout the group of death and if they would have a chance to advance. Kosami's group of Tangie, Ollie, and Aaron were reviewing all the match stats and drawing comparisons. Cobalt's group of Philip, Dustin, and Corey were scouting out their next opponents and formulating possible ways to take them down, aware that this would be a more manageable match compared to Crystal Coast and Kalebrough but nonetheless a strong opponent.
While most of the players were spending their day together, some still found themselves alone and one such individual is Sally who drags her feet across the floor groggily. Walking through the suffocating hallways fanning herself, she was on her way to Azule's room-having something on her mind she wanted to share with him; that defeat kept her up all night with her mind in a constant replay of every single round with each pass through she spotted more flaws and holes in her team and critical openings they missed during the match. After hours of reflection, she understood the state of the team and what needed to be done if they were going to survive the group of death. But it's difficult to even stare straight in these heat congested halls, feeling a little dizzy as she wipes sweat off her forehead just before they can trickle into her eyes. Dragging her feet across the floor, she spots Fuchsia down the hall as she rounds a corner, noticing that she's wobbling a little and as she got closer, she noticed the exhaustion her coach was suffering.
"Hey, you alright?" Sally asks, approaching her friend who almost looked like she would pass out.
"Y-yeah, I'm just...very tired from the heat, you know?" she said with a trembling smirk, appearing flustered about something.
"A-are you sure?" Sally's sisterly side took over as she rests her hand on her forehead, "Doesn't seem like you have a fever but your face does look flushed…"
"I'm fine!" Fuchsia replies, swatting her hand away playfully; "I didn't get enough rest so I thought I could go for a walk, but I didn't think the heat would sap away my energy like this."
"I agree, walking down these halls is a challenge. I was on my way here to talk with Azule, but seeing as you just came from that direction I'm guessing he's not in his room?"
"N-no...he's in his room. I grabbed breakfast with him earlier and after that we were going over plans for tonight's meeting." she said, wiping away some sweat with a giggle afterwards.
"O-oh, okay. I'll go see him then, but would you like to come with me? I know you just saw him, but what I wanted to discuss was in relation to the team and I think it'd be great for both the coach and captain to be present."
Fuchsia shakes her head with a blush, "I think I'll rest in my room, so speak with me then."
"Something up? You're acting a little strange."
"Am I? My bad, must be the heat…"
"W-well, I'll see you later." Sally scratches her head, finding this interaction to be awkward.
Fuchsia beamed, "Mhm!"
Going their separate ways after that, Fuchsia gingerly walked away and kept close to the wall while doing so; Sally watched her exit her sight and wondered what was going on, first a walk and then breakfast? It doesn't seem like much but she never saw Fuchsia in such a state before that she couldn't help but be curious. Arriving at the door moments later, she knocks a couple times and stands back a bit as the door unlocks. Slowly opening the door with a groan appears a sleepy Azule, "You're still not done after all that? I'm glad we got to-" Azule looks up to see a blank faced Sally standing before him-wiping his eyes, he comes to realization and his face turns pale; "SALLY!?" he shrieks in horror as his soul departs his body, jumping back for a moment as his heart leaps out his chest..
Sally holds a frown, "Wow, not the reaction I thought I'd get...expecting someone else?"
"N-no! I'm just surprised, that's all. I didn't say anything weird did I?"
A few seconds of silence pass as Sally examines him closely with her arms folded and with a concentration on his body language. He looked fidgety and shamefaced while avoiding her sharp gaze, but after spotting a mark on his neck that led down to his shoulders Sally finally connected the dots-a look of disgust forming; Azule shrunk immediately as she expressed the animated look. "Ehhhh? Looks like you had a good morning huh, cap?" she sneers with cruciform veins sprouting; Azule shrinks even more. "I came here looking to speak to you about something important but it looks like this was a bad time…"
"NO!" Azule shouts in response as Sally prepares to leave, covering his mouth immediately afterwards as he spooked her; "I mean, please. Tell me what's up? You walked all the way here so might as well talk, right? Come on in, no good standing out there."
Sally sizes him up with a scowl and sighs, "I won't tell anyone, so listen to what I have to say." she said entering the room and flicking him on the forehead; "I wanted to talk about our team's current situation: Ace to Captain. I know I can't be of use to you all as I am now, but I still want to do something. I can't watch our campaign end like this."
Taking a seat in the chair while Azule laid on the bed, Sally kicked up her feet and told him what was on her mind. A heart to heart between the pair, she voiced her feelings about everything thus far from health and Fuchsia's refusal to play her to their current situation within the group of death. She noticed there was a pattern with each game that all led to the same result, and she also realized that their next game wasn't critical because of their circumstances of elimination, but it was also their last match against an unranked opponent. More than anything, she wanted to keep the dream alive and this upcoming match felt like their one and only opportunity to seize after failing the first three times-there is no more room for error. Expressing such feelings to her understanding captain who resonated with her one everything she finally addressed each issue, starting with the way the team has been playing. She admitted that the play is jagged at times but that they overall have done well for a team constructed in less than a month with clashing personalities and arrived at the conclusion that some of the mistakes made were due to occur. But that wasn't all. She went into detail on her observations and noticed that the team tends to have a recurring problem with maintaining the lead-whether in a single round or during the entire match. Squid Academy couldn't close, and they weren't clutch in moments that it mattered such as the seventh round against Kalebrough or that booyah ball battle against Crystal Coast.
"Our position is unacceptable." she said, leaning into the chair and crossing her arms with a wrinkle over her brows; "Not to pin the blame on you, but I expect more from my captain." she said with one eye peeking at him while learning in the seat.
"Sharp on the criticism…" he said leaning forward, his expression turning serious as he searched his thoughts for remembrance of that seven round match; "I've been thinking a lot about that Kalebrough game and the several battles against Kippy. There were so many unforgettable experiences during that match that I can't list how greatly it all impacted me now that I can sit back and rewind everything, but if there is one thing that stuck so vividly- it's the pain. Pain is an excellent teacher, and the feelings I have right now…" he shakes his head in dissatisfaction, "I don't want this. It doesn't have that sharpness like the heart pains and cramps I get, but this dullness frustrates me beyond imagination. More than the weight on my shoulders, it's the thought of knowing things would be different if I just made one adjustment in those critical moments, or saw ahead of time to make the necessary pulls to put us in a better spot. It's a team game of course, but this loss falls on the shoulders of the captain. I know it deep down, and I want to correct that in the next game more than anything. I must keep our season alive."
Sally kept quiet as the remorse in his tone lessened as he got everything off his chest. Empathetic with how he must be feeling since she felt something similar when it came to her health, but she knew it was selfish to think that way at this moment. "So, what are you going to do? Midnight mode's restriction didn't work and even when you did utilize that ability, it wasn't enough."
"I'll continue using it, but I'll do things differently. I only used it for select moments, but that clearly wasn't enough. For an entire match, I must stay in that mode and prove how effective it is. From start to finish, my heart and eyes must burn like the dissatisfaction in my chest." he said, bringing his fist to his chest wearing a serious gaze. "For starters, I'll have to condition my body to handle it and so for the entire day, I'll be in Midnight mode."
Sally looks skeptical, "You're going to use Midnight the entire day? It's almost noon though."
Azule scratches his face with a tiny smile, "I started at sunrise and was doing well until-"
"-Fuchsia dropped by?" She smirks with dancing eyebrows and a wink; Azule blushes and sighs in defeat nodding his head in shame, which prompts Sally to kick her feet up laughing as her captain squirms on the bed hiding his face. A few seconds full of Sally hyping him up and saying he's a big boss rather than a naked snake, she calms down and wipes a tear out her eye still chuckling a little, "Alright, I'm done now." the seriousness returns in an instant; "So, the goal is to have Midnight activated and maintained throughout the entire day as a punishment for the loss." she said, returning to a serious tone.
Azule was surprised for a moment, "Punishment? I don't think I'd call it that." he mumbles.
Sally's eyes sharpen, "Then what is it? Surely you aren't seriously trying to tell me this is some sort of last minute training to make you stronger. You can't fool me, I know this is your attempt at disciplining yourself for failure-I'd do the same too if I was in your shoes, but remember that your body is important. It does us no favors if you burn yourself out trying to punish yourself for something that already passed. You've come too far to be reckless."
"It won't be reckless if I can succeed for today. As long as I can build some temporary resistance for the next game and grab the win, it's worth it, no?"
Sally grinds her teeth and concedes, "Are you sure you're up to the challenge? I already know it's going to be tough but if you're insistent on it."
Azule gives her a confident nod, "I'll be fine." he said, bringing out Midnight.
A frustrated grin forms on her face as a laugh escapes, leaning to the right and resting her head on her fist looking at him with narrowing eyes, "That's my captain..."
Looking down at his hands, he forms a pair of fists and takes a calm breath. His hair glowing coolly but his emotions emanating the glow, he stares at Sally and then nods, "I failed while in this state and it'll never happen again. Sacrificing a couple games for the sake of protecting our best weapons without any payoff in the third was just a waste of precious energy. Time is running out and desperate times call for desperate measures, but it'll be worth it when we win the next match, I swear on it." Azule said getting up from the bed and heading out to the balcony, his steps carrying weight on his way outside as he opened the sliding door to take in the view of Ravia; "Even so, it'll be tough for me to concentrate the entire time, so I'm glad you're here. Mind helping me out? It'd be a great help if you could coach me through the day-I can't lose this form until the meeting tonight."
Sally gets up to join him outside, "What do you want me to do? Slap you awake or beat you to within an inch of your life?"
Azule snickers at her violent mindset, "Just warn me the moment my hair starts to lose its glow and I'll tap into it again. I need to maintain consistency if I'm going to use this for an entire match, and it would help to build some stamina so I can use it longer. As you mentioned before about the previous matches, they seemed to pounce on us when I didn't activate it and that's concerning. Other teams might notice the pattern and coordinate their schemes around that critical flaw."
Sally's face softens, "Understood." a moment of silence between them as the searing sun scorches them and the flare of the blinding light reflects through most of the city, Sally twiddles her thumbs and looks at him with curiosity; "Say, how is it? How does it feel operating in that form?"
Azule looks over at her concerned face, his stoic expression growing mature by the second. "My limbs scream in agony like they're being burned and torn to strands, my chest pounds like a hydraulic press, and my mind becomes free flowing like the everlasting seas. It's painful, but calming at the same time. It feels like my surroundings are slowed down and my mind is clear-efficiency is spiked at the cost of my body's durability. Hence why I need to build some stamina and condition myself. Of course this is only for the day and will likely knock me out when I sleep tonight, but with a good night's rest I am sure I will play at a heightened level."
Sally's irises flash for a moment, "You really have come a long way from that naive brat of a leader."
"Enough has happened, simple. The time to play around is over."
"Whatever, I'll go grab my uke to pass the time so don't go anywhere." she said, getting ready to head out."
"Oh-! If you're grabbing your ukulele, would you be fine with grabbing breakfast with me? I haven't had a chance to eat yet." He asked the moment his stomach growled; Sally stopped in her tracks and gave him a death stare, realizing Fuchsia lied to her.
Alone in a conference room on his laptop, Reice had on his headphones wearing a serious expression as the light from the screen beams in his face while he sat comfortably in a lounge chair. On the screen are several squares displayed with his loading camera loading him in, and in an instant he saw the faces of his family. Carson and Hanna Walleye on separate screens, Marigold and Canary on one, his grandparents on one screen, and...the Galloways on another, crowding around the camera to see him. All of them coordinating to check on him together, they held a group video call to see how he was handling everything in Ravia. Marigold and Canary were bombarding him with questions on his health and if he was fine, then turning to demands for souvenirs-which he denied, knowing they would only criticize him for not getting them anything cooler. Hanna asked if he was eating properly and looking after Sally, to which he answered that she was doing fine but had no clue where she was since he hadn't seen her for the entire day thus far, having hoped to bring her along to say hello to everyone; they all knew Sally must've still been a little down about going through rehab. Carson addressed the elephant in the room and talked about sports, asking Reice how he felt about the current situation, too, to which Reice simply responded that every match was valuable and he would play without any regrets. His grandparents encouraged him to keep up that attitude and play with a clear heart and harbor no ill will to his opponents, for they are fighting the same fight as him and have their reasons for going on-something he had to respect as a competitor. Joseph and the Galloways were quiet for the most part, only making a few comments and overall just listening to the interaction of their children with their adopted family, observing the difference between them and the Walleyes. The thought that this is what a healthy family looks like drove a steak in their hearts as they were all reminded of their mistakes in the past, the guilt of losing Reice, Marigold, and Canary hitting home as they saw how genuine their smiles were as they talked with their adopted parents and grandparents. After some time passes, Carson and Hanna excuse themselves, as well the grandparents-the four of them aware that now was a great time for the Galloways to heal together and that though they would love nothing more to be part of their children's growth, this was something that they needed to keep out of for respect of the others. As they make their exit, the silence becomes loud as Reice and his sisters struggle finding a way to break the ice.
A minute passes by before Joseph opens up, "W-well, it's been awhile. We haven't really had a chance to speak like this since Beacon Hills, haha!" he laughed nervously, finding the atmosphere awkward. Even though it was water under the bridge and Reice and his sisters have come to love their parents for who they are, they can't simply pretend those years of abuse in their upbringing didn't exist. Even if they didn't harbor any hate or resentment towards them, they still weren't keen on just speaking with them as though nothing happened.
Ryan scratches the back of his head, "We've been keeping up with your games, you're doing good despite the record." he said in hopes to find a topic to discuss.
Reice shrugs his shoulders and comments that it wasn't enough to get him a win, so he can't really be happy with everything so far; Marigold and Canary shrunk, unsure of how to speak with their family. It's awkward with this tension that can transfer between computer screens. Chase gets in the picture, "How are you all doing? Mari? Canary? You both got so big I can barely recognize you on the screen."
Reice crosses his arms, "We're doing fine." he said indifferently, covering for his little sisters. "How is everything on your end? I hope you're all staying out of trouble." he said, making Chase laugh as he found it amusing that his little brother was becoming responsible enough to worry about others.
"We were at an important conference in the capital of Inkopolis, and there are a lot of changes coming…" Joseph said, filling his son and daughters in on some of things that were likely to be passed, overall highlighting that the era of discrimination and hate is becoming a thing of the past; Reice noticed that it all lined up with what he'd learned from Azule and the others who were involved. "So, uh..." it's still painfully awkward as Joseph clears his throat, "I-no, we-all know that what we did in the past is inexcusable, and we're in position to earn your forgiveness. The maturity you showed in accepting us back into your life is enough, and we shouldn't be selfish to want more but…" Joseph lifts his head, showing the tears falling down his cheeks; "I'm so proud at how far the three of you have come and-"
Madelyn wipes away her tears as well, "We've done some soul searching and, we know it won't be easy, but we really want to be part of your lives. We're not saying to abandon the Walleyes and be with us, but…" she puts her hand up to her mouth to cover her frown; "Reflecting on the wrongs that we've done, the lack of effort I put in as your mother...I felt as though life would've been better for you all if we were never in your lives, and if you never had our blood coursing in your veins!" Reice, Marigold, and Canary's eye widen in disbelief, a nerve struck by all of them as they heard words a mother was never to supposed to utter or think towards their child; at that moment, Reice kept his fists clenched and held back his emotions for the sake of his sisters. "But I realized that it was wrong to wish that. Things happened this way for a reason: good or bad. If we didn't lose you all, we never would've changed or reflected and realized the errors of our ways."
"Reice, Marigold, Canary...you live with the Walleyes and we're thankful that they raised you far better than we ever could, that they've given you a chance to live your lives as normal children in a loving household. But remember, you're a Galloway too and no matter what, we love you all greatly and hope to see you lead the brightest of paths. We're not angels. But, when we see how far you've all grown with promising futures ahead, as your parents and siblings, we don't want to miss that beautiful growth." The trio wear scowling faces but not of malice-rather it was to fight off the tears building up as they were seeing how hard their parents were trying; "We know you're in the middle of a tournament, but we were hoping that we could come see you and watch a few matches. Marigold, Canary...we were hoping you would come as well. We could spend a few days together as a family and…"
"Do whatever you want." Reice answered abruptly.
"Yeah, we'll come. But we've got to go right now, sorry." Marigold answered, turning off her monitor immediately.
The Galloways wear hopeful looks, "Thank you." Joseph said with gratitude, aware that even though it's tough for them to communicate, they're still willing to give things a go, even if they weren't proactive.
Minutes passing since the conversation concluded, Reice has his hands over his eyes holding the tears in his palms-his bottom lip bitten hard as he refrains from letting his voice escape. He didn't know what to feel, or how to feel about that talk with them. On one hand, he felt lingering anger about how honest they could be, but the sense of relief overcoming him, and the hint of happiness he felt that deep down they were trying to change for him and his sisters, he wondered if it was right for him to have hope his family could be whole. Wiping away his tears with a sniffle, he notices a figure pass by the window followed by the door opening.
"Hey Reice, it's almost time for the meet-" Kosami looks up to see Reice quickly drying his face; "-ing…? Everything ok?"
Reice nods, "Yeah, I just talked with my parents." he said, taking a deep breath before getting up with his laptop in hand; "Sorry if I worried you."
"Oh no, my bad for walking in like that. I should've knocked. Um, how were they?"
"They're doing good. They want to come watch the tournament."
"And you invited them?"
"I told them to do whatever they want. Part of me wants them here, but at the same time another part wishes they just stay away and keep their distance."
Kosami flashes a melancholy style, "Conflicted, huh?'
"I know they're trying to atone, but it feels like they're trying a bit too hard."
"At least they're making that effort, right?" she elbows him playfully; in that moment where they exchange eye contact, Reice saw the loneliness in her trembling irises, remembering that she was in a difficult family situation of her own.
"Yeah, they're trying." he answers, aware that it was rude to dismiss their atonement when there were those in similar situations with no progress made.
Heading out for the meeting, they enjoy each other's company on the way there and discuss what they'd done on their day off and what to expect in the meeting, both of them getting butterflies in their stomach about their next match with all the implications that come with it. Somewhere in the city, the members of the committee are gathered together sharing pleasantries and dining on finely prepared meals. Among them is the octoling man with the afro, his scowl hidden under his shades as he tolerates the banter of his co-workers. The big joke at the moment was on him getting fired from his position after making a risky gamble on Squid Academy, and now three games in and that school has yet to even win a game and his job is in jeopardy. Even those in charge couldn't help but find amusement in his trust, finding it foolish for him to make such a gamble that clearly backfired, and now his livelihood is in jeopardy. Irritated to have to hear the opinions of pompous fellows who didn't have a shred of potential for scoping out talent, only believing in the shallow details presented. Continuing to listen to them bash him and his decision, they all spoke about how glad they'll be to see him gone, expecting Squid Academy to fold in their next game and end their campaign without a win to rub salt into the wounds. The entire time, the octoling man could only shake his head and suppress his laughter, remembering that the team he watched play Kalebrough looked far more impressive than what these blind critics were giving them credit for. All it takes is one win.
The sun setting and temperatures cooled, Fuchsia and the rest of the coaching staff rounded up the players to take up one of the conference rooms to hold the meeting with tensions a little high given the urgency for a win. Fuchsia addressed it immediately by touching on the current situation within the group of death and attempted to spot a beacon of hope throughout the hopeless darkness. Right now, Squid Academy are at the bottom of the group tables with three losses, and are officially ruled out of contention to advance if they lose another match and to make matters worse, three out of the next four opponents are all ranked with two of them being within the top 10. Their backs are against the wall as they would need to play near perfect to survive, but it wasn't an entirely impossible scenario once everyone brought out the stats and dished out some facts. Thus far, Squid Academy took Crystal Coast to four hard fought games, losing each narrowly. Then there was the clash with Kalebrough that was decided in seven rounds, a testament to their growth if they were able to come that close to a major upset. Their next opponent, Fujiro Industrial were the perfect opponent to measure themselves against as they were a troublesome opponent like Towson Senior but weren't suffocating in talent.
"Their players aren't exactly remarkable, and yet they are still a troublesome opponent...why is that?" Fuchsia asked, holding up her finger; "Firstly, this comes from the 'no-name' mentality that many teams establish to show a sense of unity, that no single individual is greater than the team. By adopting this mentality, it is reflected in their game. They defend with a zone style rather than the man to man of other various formations, preferring to cover an area and stay united. Same thing is on offense in their attacks-rarely do they ever get isolated, so in modes like booyah ball and tower control we'd know what they would be up to and could expect them to play at their strongest in those chemistry heavy rounds."
"What will we need to do to survive?" Jory asked, more pressed about the big picture.
Fuchsia puts her hands at her hips and straightens her shoulders, "One match at a time! One of the problems we've been facing and part of the reason we've been blowing our leads is because we don't focus! We think ahead and try to do too much with that in mind. From now on, I want you all-the players-to focus on the opponent in front of you. Give your undivided attention to them, and crush them. Leave the worrying about the future to us, got it?"
All of them started to show pleasant reactions, trusting her entirely. From there, Cobalt, Tangie, and Kosami stepped up to go over the data they found in their respective searches and what they believed would be the best course of action for combating them based off of the homework done on the team's tendencies and weapon habits. All the players soaking in the information like a sponge, they announced that the match would take place at the Pelagi dome with the order of the game modes being splat zones, rainmaker, tower control, booyah ball, turf war, last one standing, and clam blitz. From this order alone, they knew the decisive rounds would be tower control and booyah ball, which would be back to back in the fourth and fifth rounds. Maintaining the same starting lineup as always, she told them all ahead of time that she would be making plenty of substitutions, so to be ready to go in at any time. A match of great importance since one loss meant it was all over, Sally, Sky, Pearl, Aaron, and Austin, made it clear to their teammates that they couldn't make any mistakes. They wanted to fight alongside them, so it was up to Azule and the others to win the next game and pass the baton to them so they could play their part. Unity prevailing over division, nobody had any doubts or reservations about their fellow comrades, instead openly voicing their opinions and holding a group discussion about what would need to be done, and how to be prepared. To learn from their mistakes of choking the lead to how to choose the correct weapon choices and run the optimal formations, they all worked together to ensure that when they left the conference room, there were no lingering questions.
Tomorrow serving as their great wall, Squid Academy gets to work.
