The echo of the surrounding crowd growing as they wait anxiously for the third round, the Baiji starters are doing their best to control their breathing as the pace of Squid Academy takes a surprising toll on them. After having every intention of winning that round to even up the series, they found themselves deepening the deficit instead and expending more energy than planned. An unforeseen result thanks to that surprising Squid Academy rally turned knockout, Baiji's coach and the entire staff are making their efforts solely placed on getting the victory in the third round-ditching the idea of worrying about the later rounds now that they were in trouble. Their initial plan of ending it in four or five games, that idea had to get scrapped as they might find themselves on the receiving end if they don't make the right changes for the next game. Tender care needed more than ever, the players couldn't get stubborn about the possibility of a substitution being made, aware that they needed to switch things up or suffer humiliation. Of course they had to utilize their star pieces to the fullest, but even with their efforts a comeback can't occur unless they have the right pieces surrounding them.

"We can't afford to burn out while trailing behind, but with the way they are playing it seems we can't afford the luxury of conservation. After a couple games, I'm almost sure of it…" Nelly wipes the beads of sweat off her forehead. "They're going all-out right from the gate, and since they've got a deep roster we can expect them to execute that strategy where they play everyone in the game. So in addition to us expending more energy in trying to make a comeback, we'll be going up against fresh legs every single time."

"How frustrating, taking our strength and working it against us. They're testing our conditioning and daring us to exert more energy than we're already putting out or else face elimination if we can't play to their tempo. That coach of theirs is brutal." Lotus commented, appreciating the aggression that all started with their head coach; "They really got us early."

The Baiji sidelines are uneasy as the coaches gathered the team together to outline the positives and review what errors were made, showing them what adjustments needed to be made. The players can feel the pressure climbing over their shoulders, realizing now how the Titans felt before getting tripped up; the stars of Baiji were feeling the effects of playing against such a punishing offense, all of them realizing that they got swept up in Squid Academy's tempo despite their strategy centering around avoiding such a development at all costs. Even if Squid Academy weren't a ranked team and lacked the experience that many of the teams competing on this stage had, they packed a heavy punch like a team that'd been through consecutive years of harsh competition. As they figured out a strategy to slow down the steaming Squid Academy, Shudo felt his conscious weigh heavy realizing that his actions might have triggered this hot side of Squid Academy; thus far, the team in pink looked as though they were playing their best performance ever, and the thought that this all occurred because of him didn't sit well on his mind. He wanted to tell them everything in hopes that he could get the guilt off his chest but he knew that if he confessed and revealed what he said it surely wouldn't sit well with his teammates, and in all likelihood the team's concentration might get broken by his distraction, however he felt that unless he said something, nothing would change and they would likely suffer defeat. He can't let that happen no matter what the punishment. Raising his hand nervously with a cowering look, Shudo announced that he needed to get something off his chest. Immediately looking at him with suspicion were Nelly, Lotus, and the other starters who knew he must've done something to tick off the enemy team, but when he shrunk and revealed what was said, a wave of stunned and disgusted looks locked on him. After confessing everything, even the coaches looked red with fury, but the first one to let their emotions get the best of them wasn't the coach or any of the starters who suspected him, instead, a red-hot slap across the face courtesy of Raquelle echoed through the sidelines as glared at him with fury. Her eyes and lips trembling with rage as she stared into his soul.

"That behavior has no place here, and neither do you." she said with conviction, pointing to the bench; "You're out of the match and your time in this tournament is over."

Everyone's jaw dropped.

Jodee held up her hands, "Captain wait, he was doing it for us! I was there and others were there as well! He wasn't alone! We're all to blame!" she pleads, aware that Shudo didn't drop their names or throw them under the bus likely because he knew this exact scenario would unfold; she hoped that Raquelle would show a slither of kindness, but...

"It still doesn't belong. Doesn't matter if it was one, two, or ten. All of your are on the bench until further notice and won't be participating. Congratulations on owning up to that." she said in a calm tone, clenching her fists and wearing a look of restraint.

Lotus gives an exasperated sigh while looking at all the culprits, "I thought you all were better than that, you know we don't do that here."

"Even if you all meant well by trying to help us, surely you can see you've hurt more than helped…" Iba commented, also disappointed by her teammates involved.

"Shudo, you're benched until further notice. We'll deal with you later." the coach said; "For now everyone, our focus is on the opponent. I know the actions of some of our players are downright unacceptable and go against our values as a team, but right now we need to stay focused-we can't let the actions of a few cloud our concentration. It took him and the others courage to own up to their mistakes and chances are they realized that something like this would happen and still confessed. For now, let's do our best to make sure that we at least honor that much."

Raquelle frowns and shakes her head in defiance, "There's nothing to honor, coach. We'll just go out there and play our game-without them." leading the squad away from the bench, she rallied their spirits for the next round and tuned out the distraction made by Shudo and the others.

The third round of tower control at the oasis started off with a bang as the opening encounter saw Squid Academy hit even harder than previously. After widening the margin effectively in the opening moments, Baiji refused to get manhandled again and fought back with tenacity under Raquelle's leadership who was now aware of why Squid Academy played with such vigor, refusing to falter against their resolve and in turn rallied her squad to rise to the challenge. An intense exchange between the teams every time they clashed for the rainmaker, the score barely changed as both teams played so well that they avoided getting a dent put in their formations; a tightly knit approach, neither side allowed more than a pair to fall in battle. An exchange of specials followed by skilled duels on and around the tower, the tension in the gain reached a boiling point once the first minute passed with both sides getting all the more daring. The pressure is on Baiji to win this game if they want to avoid falling 3-0, already aware of the unlikelihood of a comeback from such a deficit. Squid Academy also smelled the rich opportunity presented, realizing that the most satisfying victory would be a sweep against a ranked team. An analytic gaze as sharp as his starters on the turf, Baiji's head coach watches the giant monitor intently and dissects every moment occurring. From the aggression in Squid Academy's attack patterns to their blistering pace, he played out several scenarios in his mind about what they'll throw next for this round. He knew from their behavior that they weren't playing the same as before: their blind rage that paired greatly with the calmness of the others created an awkward balance that thrived, but the moment it became conscious was when it'd hurt them, they likely realized it and switched up their approach-which he considered impressive given the short amount of time. The discipline they had to possess to switch gears that quickly and adapt to their opponent, he chalked it up to being the work of that coaching staff of students, finding it incredible for a bunch of students to be capable of running a team as talented as this, little did he know that the success of Squid Academy's roster wouldn't come as a surprise given their composition. A team built around a core of players who experienced hardships far greater than that of a tournament, the sheer number of prodigies on Squid Academy's roster allowed for exponential growth in a short amount of time and it was thanks to the brutal training done prior to the tournament that they were well prepared for battling opponents like Baiji.

Fuchsia watches the game with her chin lowered carrying a concentrated gaze as she recalls the progress her team made since opening day, amazed at how well they were able to switch their tempo from the previous round and operate with more fluidity. In a tournament where every team was considered the best of the best with the ranked teams and the peak of the ranked teams considered to be other worldly talent, Fuchsia felt confident that the team under her command could wreak havoc as the ultimate underdogs. Aware that nothing frightens a god more than a mortal capable of making them bleed, Fuchsia knew their upset victory on the Titans was the spark needed to catapult to new heights since other top competitors would be forced to account for them and when attention comes their way, that opens up new possibilities. With a stacked roster of limitless potential, it was clear the best way to keep an opponent guessing was to do the unexpected and unconventional, and Baiji would find out firsthand as Squid Academy went on to extend their lead after managing to overtake them on their strong offensive push where Aaron was the catalyst for the counterattack with a double splat.

Watching helplessly from the sidelines as his teammates endure their opponent's attacks trailing closely in the round, Shudo wanted to bury his head in his hands thanks to the guilt building up; he knew he couldn't do such a thing when his comrades were fighting out there in a tough battle all because of him, the responsibility of his actions suffocating him as even his teammates who were instigators as well shrunk under the pressure. Known as one of their most reliable players, he worked his way up the rankings to become a starter-at first doing so through repetitive training and hard effort, but once he got a taste of life as a starter, the greed began. At first looking to simply enjoy the sport, his ambition to remain on the starting lineup warped him. Rather than play fair and carry some dignity, he began to insult opponents and use any cheap tactics to gain an advantage-claiming it was for the sake of the team. Match by match, he worsened. His head swelling with arrogance from the recognition of his peers, he began to think he was invincible and that he could get away with anything as long as the team wins. But the ends don't justify the ends, and he learned it the hard way. Head lowered with a defeated stare at his feet, he listened to the reactions of the audience and the bench, each time wanting to constrict himself and hide-embarrassed by his actions. I went and got a bigger mouth than I deserved, putting everyone in a tight spot all because I said something full of ignorance and disrespect. I put them in this position. I'm the reason we're losing. I'm the reason our opponents have become so vengeful. He looks up at the scoreboard, noticing the lead is still in Squid Academy's favor. Ever since joining the team, I wanted nothing more than validation and to belong. I felt that my hard work was justified when I finally got to play alongside Raquelle and the others, and once I realized the possibility of having such a high snatched away from me, I got desperate. I let my ugliness get the best of me and thought that even if it was underhanded, it was justified since I'd be useful to everyone, but clearly that isn't the case. And those things I said...Do I really mean it? Was it just an attempt to throw them off their game, or am I actually that kind of person? I was willing to stoop so low, so… He shakes his head angrily and buries himself in his palms once more. "I really regret this…" he mumbled in a shaken tone filled with frustration, upset with his ignorance.

"Head up, Shudo. Your first lesson to being educated on your mistakes is right before you-don't you dare look away." the coach called him out from the corner of his stare; "Watch and learn from them. Despite your actions, they're still fighting hard so that we can live to fight another day. None of them have decided to give up and just pin the blame on you, and if they're anything like I know them to be, they've probably pinned this on themselves as well. We're a ranked team and good one at that, but before it all, we're in this together. Win or lose."

"But I caused this. Not them. I'm the reason Squid Academy is playing so ruthless! If I hadn't said what I said to their coach-"

"We don't cower just because an opponent is on fire and seems unbeatable. We thrive off of such competition. But your actions aren't yours to blame solely. It falls on us as a team, and myself as an adult. This behavior of yours has been going on for too long and I-we, have been turning a blind eye to it. What you needed was help, and we ignored that." Shudo wears a stunned look as the coach revealed that he's been known about the recurring cheap stunts; "I'll speak with you personally about your intolerable behavior, but not because you need discipline, but because you need growth. You need to learn that there are things bigger than the spirit of competition and what you said to that coach is a spit in the face of someone who is fighting hard to see a society of coexistence. You are her age so you should be more empathetic with her message. You have a long period of reflection ahead, so for now...watch them."

Turning his gaze from the coach to the battlefield, Shudo catches himself up on all the action he missed wallowing in his self pity. Following his benching, Chinami was subbed in and doing her best to fill in, but such a sudden change made things complicated early on as she got swept up in Squid Academy's pace too frequently. Luckily Raquelle was there to protect, looking after her and Aida while leaving the rest to her monster trio, who engaged in the scraps for the tower every time. Raquelle tried her best during the early minutes of tower control to smooth things over with Pastelle and the others, but none of them were interested in an apology at this moment; Raquelle knew that meant the only way to make them listen was to beat it into them, having no part in getting swallowed up in the bad blood between her teammate and her opponent. A no-nonsense attitude for anything but the purity of the sport, she got serious about making them hear her out-refusing to let her team get disrespected and painted in a negative image because of somebody else and their actions.

"You're getting arrogant!" She shouts before unleashing her special that levels the turf and half of the enemy roster; they might be a team with vengeance and heating up, but Raquelle and Baiji are the 17th ranked team in the word-to think about leading 3-0 against them was flat-out disrespectful. The deadlock broken as Raquelle becomes the spark needed to the comeback, Baiji swarms the tower and eliminates the remaining members with a combination of specials.

The turning point in the round, Baiji stepped up in several team battles afterwards to outplay Squid Academy-eventually sounding the whistle with an emphatic knockout victory. It was that surprise shift in momentum created by Raquelle that allowed it all to happen as her teammates did well to catch the others exposed and secure the tower easily, fighting off their waves successfully to make the match competitive once more. The Baiji sidelines and supporters looked lively again, but Baiji's main squad weren't satisfied at all. They got the win like they wanted, and Raquelle cleared up what happened with Sky and Pastelle, but after she apologized, she could feel it in their harsh glares that they had no intention of showing mercy, which struck her competitive side even more, taking that as a challenge of her position as captain. Unresponsive to Shudo's attempts for forgiveness, Baiji returned to the turf preparing for another grueling round. In the stands, many of the players from the ranked teams saw that victory and the opening Baiji needed to climb back into the match with all of them certain a tied series spelled victory for Baiji in six rounds. The octoling man thought differently however, unfazed by Baiji grabbing that third round victory but uncertain that they could repeat it again. Squid Academy looked really good out there, and with the probable substitutions to follow, they'll be even fresher; he had Squid Academy winning the match regardless.

A development nobody foresaw, it showed viewers that no matter what numbers are presented beforehand there is a reason teams play the game. A fourth round at the ruins with splat zones as the game mode, Raquelle and her squad found out firsthand that if they wanted to win this match, they'll have to show stronger resolve than they had thus far. Squid Academy came out of their break unfazed by the previous loss-at most sour they couldn't sweep them to add insult to injury, and decided that not only would they run their freshest lineups each time, but they'd tire out Baiji until they are on their last legs and then pummel them mercilessly-wanting nothing more than to force them to put Shudo back in the game so they could torment him some more. But Raquelle and the others refused to let this team bully them and what followed were a couple rounds that took everyone's breath away.

With possession of the zones changing constantly with neither side allowing the other to ever build enough momentum, Squid Academy were moving faster than previously after having subbed out some of the players to utilize a lineup of greater mobility while Baiji looked impressive with the stars showing their different pedigree out on the turf. What started out as a breakaway for Baiji in the heart of the round turned into the first of many deciding moments in the contest as their initial lead was a false hope created from the illusion placed by Squid Academy. A shift to a patient style rather than aggression midway into the round, that sudden change by Squid Academy messed with Baiji's psyche perfectly once the lead tipped in the blue team's favor. By making them have to guess what they were thinking and anticipate the next move-having them on edge the entire time, Squid Academy finally struck when the effect would be most lethal. Carried by Pastelle the moment time waned, Squid Academy made their deciding attack after trailing on the bonus and diminished Baiji's lead just before time expired. A 3-1 lead that placed all the pressure on the team meant to be the favorite in the contest, what was meant to deter Baiji only motivated them further as they felt their backs pushed to the wall. Returning to the stadium for the fifth round clam blitz battle, it became a matter of survival for the ranked team. Pressure built from lofty expectations and a growing deficit, the core unit of Raquelle, Iba, Nelly, and Lotus all stepped up for Baiji in the elimination game. A fight for their tournament lives essentially as the loser was either eliminated or staring in the face of it at the very least, the stars of Baiji reminded Squid Academy why they were one of the strongest teams in the world. An answer to Squid Academy's efforts in the fourth, Baiji acknowledged their strength as real and returned the message in the fifth. An exploitation on the holes in Squid Academy's lineup, Baiji relied on the influence of their stars to carry them through the match, led behind the commands of Raquelle and the efficient scoring of Lotus and Nelly, who constantly had power clams ready to burst the goal. Squid Academy were defiant however and didn't allow them any chance to build their game easily, always on their heels at each chance they could get to keep the game close, but as the game progressed and the more Baiji's stars looked to be in the zone, the further it looked like Squid Academy made the tactical retreat. Their players no longer as active with aggressive defending and counter attacking, the game ended someone anticlimactically as Baiji cruised to a knockout victory to make the match a 3-2 score, still needing to win the next game if they wanted to force a final seventh round. A toss up for the sixth round now that Baiji looked like they recovered their mojo, the crowd was in an uproar as the game mode taking place at the stadium was none other than a game of last man standing. Substitutions made for both sides, Baiji kept their core in once more and swapped out their remaining players to stay fresh while utilizing their strongest assets and on the Squid Academy side, they put in a roster that looked troublesome once the names were announced before the start of the round. Having missed most of the game in favor of the others getting a chance to step and get that invaluable experience, the lineup for the sixth round consisted of Pastelle, Sky, Todd, Jory, Nelson, and Austin-a combination Baiji never thought of preparing for.

A round of philosophy, Baiji knew the key to victory was to rely on the survival of their core unit at all costs, identifying that the most troublesome names on the enemy side were a worn down Pastelle and Sky, and the fresh Todd and slippery Jory. As long as they could eliminate those four immediately, they'd have a heavy advantage. But as the round started, they saw right away what Squid Academy was up to. Usually in this case, teams would target Baiji's weak links to gain the early advantage and maintain the lead through a defensive battle, or get aggressive and challenge the core in hopes to remove the fangs and have an easier time with the weaker players-but that wasn't Squid Academy's style, certainly not when they had Fuchsia as their head coach. Prior to the round, Fuchsia already decided what she wanted to do with this lineup, certain that after all she'd seen from Baiji this was the lineup to get the job done. A combination of experience and explosiveness with some speed mixed in to balance the fatigue of her two leading players, Fuchsia wanted them to run a strategy that saw Todd and Jory essentially become their slayers while Sky and Pastelle focus on supporting them, leaving the grimy hard work to Austin and Nelson who'd have to get down and dirty in wrestling points their way. The opening minute no surprise to anyone, Baiji opened up scoring by eliminating Nelson in the initial encounter and then picking off Austin some minutes later-not without a fight of course. A predictable outcome of 4-6 in favor of Baiji, it was just like Fuchsia planned. The explosiveness came into play once the focus turned to going after Sky and Pastelle who although tired out from the contest were still on Baiji's radar of being far too dangerous to leave alone, especially now that they had the lead. A critical mistake on their part. By ignoring Jory and Todd-two starters of the team who played the role of super substitutes for this moment-they got too focused on getting comfortable with their lead and in turn exposed themselves in such a way that the pair exploited it to the greatest effect. Not only did the pair take down the weaker duo within Baiji's lineup, but they also took down Iba and severely weakened Nelly enough for Sky to pick her off. A score that changed dramatically in a matter of seconds, it stayed that way for another minute until the genius of the leaders kicked in. A strategy she dubbed as "Snare Squared" after building the formation specifically for last one standing games, Fuchsia's strategy was that when in a leading position, they must utilize their sub weapons far more than regular fire and alternate between who releases what to allow for everyone a chance to refill their tanks. Once the team closes in and manipulates the opponent into a certain direction, they would trap them in a "snare" and unleash their specials all at once to insure nobody would escape in peace. Not too unique of a plan, what made it such an effective strategy was the weapon composition and the combinations of sub weapons and specials, with all of them having to compliment one another to have a greater effect and the chemistry of the players having to be there as well-one misstep and it could easily backfire.

When the whistle blew, a wave of relief washed over since it was the final one. Putting everyone in a state of shock, the comeback of Baiji got shut down in the sixth round. The wisdom of Sky and Pastelle proving too much with the help of the explosive Todd and Jory, Squid Academy forced themselves into the conversation within the group of death. The stadium reacting with deafening cheer at the unpredictable upset, plenty of Squid Academy fans were so excited they were feeling weak in their legs realizing their team was only a single win away from heading to the knockouts. Only problem is that their opponents on the critical final day of the group stage will be a team led by "The Greatest" C.C. who was one of the best players in the world behind only the "Emperor" Edward, "Street Queen" Shiore, and Siot of Crystal Coast.