Moments before the third round started, all the cameras panned in on the Squid Academy sidelines with many focusing on Sky and the other starters who returned with their stats displayed on the screen for all to see. A quick overview and replay later, the commentary gives a quick rundown of what Squid Academy needed to accomplish in the next round to turn the match in their favor. Sky's face dominates all the screen time with the general viewership mostly tuning in to see what the phenom third year would do against her second year counterpart; little did she know that everyone she knew and loved were watching the game live and glad to see her in the spotlight. Sitting in the comfort of their respective offices viewing the match were Cap'n Cuttlefish and Mack Netifla, the pair on the phone with each other and sharing their thoughts on the match thus far. Cap'n Cuttlefish was proud to see the children of Maya and Julian get to enjoy their youth, hoping the summer they spend in Ravia is one full of positive memories that'll carry them for the rest of their lives. A melancholy smile shown with softened eyes in remembrance of his days as principal of his Alma mater, Netifla recalls the many mornings spent greeting faculty whenever he walked through the doors, the countless days spent working through paperwork and forging partnerships all for the sake of building opportunities for his students. Netifla found those fond memories of bonding with his students and experiencing life as a principal to be nostalgic and irreplaceable, even if it was all just an undercover job to conceal his true identity. The years he spent being a beacon of guidance for his students were precious to him, especially when it came to the Elites and other third years that he watched grow up right before his eyes. Getting emotional and nearly shedding a tear as he saw their faces on the screen, he couldn't help but feel proud to see how far they grew from the new recruits that showed up on their first day without a clue of where they would be in the near future. The prideful third years who built the foundation, the second years who carried the torch of their seniors, and the fearless resolve of the first years who dared to strive for greatness-all of them grew up in the blink of an eye and now showed their resolve in the face of adversity. From the bottom of his heart, he channeled his school spirit and wished them the best of luck.

Fight on, Squid Academy!

In the arena where it got so loud that it was nearly impossible to hear one's thoughts, the Galloways were seeing what the national tournament was all about. Joseph whistled in amazement at the energy surging through their section, impressed with how jubilant the Squid Academy fans were after just a tie. From his perspective, it was a well earned win on Squid Academy's part but all the celebration was premature and unnecessary. That was until he saw his two youngest daughters, however, who were out of their seats cheering their older brother's name with enthusiasm-their eyes sparkling seeing him up on the jumbo screen. The way they looked while shouting at the top of their lungs along with the rest of the section in hopes their voices reach him, Joseph couldn't help but have mixed feelings of relief and regret-thankful that those little girls had a dependable brother to give them the love they were neglect at the hands of their own family.

A light shines in Marigold's eyes as they show Reice's stats on the board and a quick highlight, "He looks way cooler than before what the heck!?" Canary teases a tiny smile in reaction to seeing how much her emotion her sister was showing, finding it refreshing from her usual front. Noticing her sister looking at her a little too warmly, Marigold realizes she's blown her cover and quickly dials it down.

"You're his second biggest fan." Canary giggles.

Marigold tries to hide her embarrassment, "Er-uh...I'm just glad he is doing well so far, that's all! It's not like he's made me proud to call him my big brother or anything!" After a couple seconds, she finally realized Canary's comment; "What do you mean second biggest fan!?"

Canary smiles from ear to ear, "I'm his biggest fan."

"Why you…!"

Their section of pink and blue grows louder as the next round gets ready to begin, all attention is turned to the turf down below where the third round game of last man standing is nearly ready. A perfect opportunity for both teams to enforce their styles and tip the momentum in their favor in a critical third round. The teams out at spawn, they both made some substitutions and weapon changes to fit the mold of this game. The Bluerings swapped out Polo and Evan with Tommy the "Hitman" and "Iron" Michael, and Squid Academy swapped out Todd for Parker looking to use his brella skills and experience to their advantage. Watching the match from the stands, the octoling man with an afro noticed the changes made by both sides and shook his head in dissatisfaction with Fuchsia's decision. The Bluerings were a team known to heat up at a moment's notice, and the fact that they made the adjustment of putting in some explosive players in the mix would spell doom for Squid Academy. Although he appreciated Fuchsia's thought process in keeping her core in and bolstering their side with a more experienced Parker over Todd, he found that such a change wasn't enough to combat the changes made by the Bluerings. All thoughts put aside, the game begins.

Vanishing into the ink like quick sand, the teams emerge like a pair of submarines prepared for combat once they cross paths. Much like in the turf war, Squid Academy starts strong with a rush attack on the Bluerings led by Pastelle at the head but C.C. and the others intercept them without hesitation for an all-out scrap. No casualties are recorded yet as the pair of teams are careful not to overextend deep into the other's formation. Violet and Sky sit at the rear letting their weapons make the noise, warning the Bluerings not to get arrogant or they'd get punished, but the Bluerings weren't scared and pressed on. A battle of attrition as both sides exhausted their specials to no success, the teams retreated to avoid a scattered battle that would've made things a toss-up. A full count for both, it was clear from that first brush that the next time they met there would be casualties. Creating paths and trails of blue to protect them from enemy fire, C.C. and the others were wary of this approach by Squid Academy thanks to seeing their tactics previously. They knew Squid Academy were likely looking to end the match quickly since a drawn out battle proved unfavorable. Despite that knowledge, C.C. knew it wouldn't be easy to defend the entire way since Squid Academy not only kept their core squad in that could reap kills, but also added in a versatile asset in Parker who could help in assisting and in creating his own opportunities to splat. A minor adjustment that could have big effect, C.C. had to account for the possibility of heightened aggression.

"What's the matter? Not like you to get all quiet on us." Frazzy taunts in a haughty tone making a face.

C.C. wears an emotionless face, "Keep aware of your surroundings! They up to something…"

"You noticed it too?" Ray asked, scolding Frazzy with a glare after his attempt to provoke the captain.

"Yeah, they look like they've gotten a second wind now that they've tied up the match. They probably are gonna come at us with strong determination in hopes they can take the lead and put the pressure on us. Little do they know this ain't a boxing match going twelve rounds, but a measly seven that can be shortened. We're knocking 'em out. Captain's orders."

"Just as expected." Frazzy mumbles.

"Well, if you say so." Floyd responds, relaying the message to Michael and Tommy.

Ready to move out following their captain's orders, the Bluerings are halted just before they can get going. A horde of pink shirts appearing out of nowhere, Squid Academy are on the ambush! C.C. yells his commands and quickly makes the others disperse-aware that staying bunched together would be fatal for them. Violet and Sky get to work trying to pin down the escaping few that spread while Reice, Parker, Aaron, and Pastelle swoop in for a close quarter battle. Pastelle charges forward with her head lowered getting smacking in the face a splash of blue from Ray on the side, her concentration unwavering as she marked her target in C.C. for a showdown between captains. A curling bomb is sent from Reice and Frazzy answers with a toxic mist, the sounds of blue suction bombs blasting in succession from Tommy and Michael sending them out hoping to slow down Aaron and Parker. The Squid Academy duo pick up the pace branching off from Pastelle and look to drive them away from the captain.

"Iso! Iso!" C.C. calls holding up his fist, commanding them to disperse and handle their assignments-a cold sweat running down his cheek as he stared into Pastelle's determined eyes and saw the resolve she carried.

Pastelle's eyebrows furrowed forming a glare. He wants the smoke, huh!? She gets closer and halts immediately, stiffening her legs and torso and extending her arm with a splat bomb in hand-launching it with a zip.

C.C. runs towards the detonating bomb and transitions to his squid form, dipping into the blue turf and them jumping from the explosion at the last minute using it as a catapult. A risky technique that would usually splat the person attempting it, C.C. timed the explosion in time and used his weight and weapon to his advantage, simulating the movements of a dualie user. The distance between them shrunken, the pair engage for battle. Pastelle closes in, but C.C. backs away and drops his ink mine to bait her in to no success as she draws back just in time to avoid the detonation. A sidestep to the left meeting a sidestep to the right, the pair kept their gazes on one another and continued firing aimlessly in hopes to spray the other. In a matter of seconds, Pastelle's special is built and without hesitation, she activates her baller and rolls toward him. C.C. takes a few steps back reading the flow of the battle-just a few more seconds stand between having a successful defense and possible counterattack and getting eliminated in an unfavorable scenario. His ink mine was good for trapping opponents, but what really would come in handy was the suction bomb launcher that he could launch continuously to slow her down and even splat her, but he needed a stroke of luck if he was going to get that extra fill before she explodes. Luckily just nearby were Frazzy and the others who were currently engaging in battle; in addition to making the switch with Tommy and Michael, the Bluerings swapped out some of their weapons to suit the last man standing battle. C.C. counted down the seconds it would take, what he needed to stand up to Pastelle and her baller finding it unlikely he could hold her back for long with how steadfast she pushed toward him. He knew Floyd should have his special ready, but even so he still needed to buy some time. Attempting to survive the disaster that'll follow with Pastelle and her baller, he buys as much time weaving her nearly accurate shots. Pastelle's eyes and arms track his movements rolling her ball over in his direction, the small target seemingly expanding like her pupils as she neared. Letting out a war cry, her baller bursts and C.C. is within range! No time to think with a burst of pink covering his view, the captain of the Bluerings braces himself. Splashed by the enemy ink, he finds himself unharmed.

"I got your back!" Floyd yells while wearing a coat of ink armor, as were the rest of his teammates nearby.

A gamble that turned into a miracle, a flash of victory sparkled in the captain's eyes as he felt the tides sway in his favor. Pastelle's now on the run, realizing she's in a pinch following the failed attempt to splat C.C. just now. During mid detonation she had a sneaky feeling that he would survive the blast based on his composure and ability to seamlessly extend the gap between them despite the pressure she applied, and now with her vulnerable following the depletion of her tank, she knew needed to at least prep herself for a defensive struggle or make a quick escape. Immediately diving into her ink and retreating from the trail she created, Pastelle could already feel the hidden terror she masked escaping as the first suction bomb detonated behind her. He's coming. One after another, the bombs blow and the firing of a gun follows with a shadow lurking in the splashes. C.C. can tell from her body language that she hadn't given up the fight just yet-just making a tactical retreat; her type were the ones he had to be the most wary of since they not only had good discipline but were the most resilient. He didn't enjoy dogfights where he had to try too hard against opponents he didn't consider equals, deeming them to be pests who were too stubborn to lay down in defeat. As he unloads his special in hope he can take her down quickly, his teammates are having their hands full countering the blistering attack of Squid Academy. From the blitz of Aaron, Parker, and Reice to the pressure from Sky and Violet, Ray and the others found themselves on their heels in response.

A combination of tenta missiles and an ink storm courtesy of the sniping duo heading their way, Floyd's ink armor was activated just in time to defend against the brutal attacks. Reice didn't let them have an easy time however as he followed up with a sting ray to have them dispersing to set up Parker and Aaron to sweep them up. But it wasn't like Floyd, Ray, and the others hadn't noticed what they were up to and in response did the opposite of what was expected, instead meeting them head-on for a clash. A free for all with them all targeting one another simultaneously, commands are shouted and resources exhausted, the temperature on the turf arises just from their body heat alone. The audience roars in response, calling out attacks and cheering on the favorite players and reacting to every little detail with great exaggeration. The first blood is drawn, then the retaliation. Ray is gone for the Bluerings, and for Squid Academy, Aaron. Losing their most level headed player, Frazzy's determination to get revenge paid off by swiping away his opponent's reliable third year weapon.

"Snipers! Watch for the snipers!" Frazzy shouts desperately assuming command in the place of Ray, finding that the only one able to coordinate in a pinch like this was him and Floyd, and Floyd was currently having his hands full dealing with Reice. They move so uniformly with great pace that I can't deny them their praise, but this isn't enough to take us down! He zooms in on Parker, identifying him as the weak link; He always equips the brellas for these types of events, meaning he is their defensive guy along with the roller dude. But that brella is a stick in the mud for their formation and his rhythm is off since he's fresh into the game, which means he'll be the best one to target. If we can take him and the snipers...He arrived at his solution.

A shift in approach, the Bluerings got aggressive. Frazzy heads for Parker while Tommy, Floyd, and Michael turn their attention to handling the others. Reice combats them first, stepping in the way to protect his snipers at all costs who in turn looked to return the favor by focusing entirely on tagging the enemy trio. The Bluerings trio worked around them however and pressed the sniping duo before Reice could react, their intentions clearly set on removing the troublesome sniping pair and disposing of Reice afterwards. Violet isn't concerned about the attacking trio but she wasn't welcome to the idea of fending off against them in this type of scenario where respawns were out of the question, Sky on the other hand, welcomed them. The moon of the team who carried such an ever glowing presence that it spurred everyone on, Sky knew this was the critical moment she was expecting. From the moment the whistle blew in the first round, she knew this match had a different feel to it-one that would test her resolve throughout the match. This is the first of many battles for her to protect her team's dreams. Gauging the distance between her and the enemy trio, Sky's eyes dart from left to right narrowing her windows of opportunity; like a mathematician using complex formulas to solve a difficult question, Sky scanned all the possibilities in that moment before deciding on an approach. Her eyes flickering with a spark as she suppresses Midnight once more, Sky grits her teeth and clutches her weapon tightly.

"Cover me!" She commands Violet, then rushing off to confront the trio; Reice tries to fling his ink from behind in hopes he can damage the trio a bit, but alas they were too far.

A ratio of 3-1 favoring the Bluerings, all of them have wide eyes as the figure before them disappears leaving behind an after-image. A chill runs down their spines as the rumors they heard were true: this girl is a monster. A sharpness in her irises as she zoned in on them, everything played in slow motion. Her the surface of her skin running cold from the sweat covering and sliding off thanks to her breakneck speed, Sky locked onto Michael. Then Tommy. And finally, Floyd. Three shots for three targets, they were instant like fireworks bursting. Submerging into the ink afterwards, a thunderous roar echoes to the point the arena rumbles. From the audience to the sidelines of both teams, everyone's jaws dropped.

"A...A triple!? Sky Royale just recorded a hat trick! A triple splat in the third round to tilt odds in her team's favor, Squid Academy are now leading 4-1!" the lead commentator shouts in disbelief holding his forehead with a perplexed look, his color commentator sitting beside him with his jaw agape. They just witnessed something extraordinary.

"Yahoo! That's my girl!" Julian shouts holding his phone, watching the live stream.

"ORA!" Squid Academy sidelines roar with Azule and Sally out of their seats beating their chests and waving their towels.

Shiva can't hide her satisfaction after watching her pull that off hearing the other guests' reactions, "Show off…"

All happening in the blink of an eye, Sky just stunned the Bluerings by cutting down their forces in one swing! The momentum they built, the pressure that surrounded them-all gone in an instant. Witnessing the obliteration of his entire team, just over his shoulder, C.C. clenched his teeth and clicked his tongue, now placed in the most unfavorable of situations with nearly an entire team left that he had to conquer to grab victory. Even as a top ranked player, it was difficult to imagine him pulling off the comeback much less against the current roster of a red-hot ace, team captain, reliable defender, and a sharpshooting sniper. C.C. was only a single man who had to go up against them. But it didn't matter, why? He is the greatest! All of this adversity serves as nothing more than a testimonial to his greatness, C.C. knew he couldn't afford to lose here or else he'd suffer utter humiliation-enough to ruin their psyche. This is his stand as the skipper! Receiving praises from Violet and Reice alike-the two of them looking up to her as a big sister type of figure, Sky had her focus on reaching C.C. before it's too late. The perfect opportunity to jump him while he was down, Sky races to take down the most threatening opponent on the turf. Suction bombs bursting in succession, Pastelle gets tagged by one of them and loses her momentum in an instant; C.C. closes in, already firing away. It's a close call but she's able to get away in time to avoid a critical hit, but the damage is done now that he caught up to her. An unfavorable situation she's been placed in knowing she won't be able to recover in time to fight him on even footing and her escape having been compromised as-is, there is only one thing left to do. It pains her to think this way but she knew that the game is in their favor and as long as she carries her resolve strongly, they won't fail. Her goal now is simply a matter of holding out long enough for Sky and the others to show up with her survival out of the question. It was all worth it as long as they took down C.C. and with her decision made, she carries out her suicide plan. A matter of keeping him from plotting a counter attack if he took her down quickly, she wanted to squeeze him into a pinch and have him get seized by the trio-even if it meant her sacrifice…

Her signal vanishing just when the trio arrived at C.C.'s location, Pastelle held out as long as she could to put her team in position to win. Her goal complete thanks to draining half his tank baiting him to splat her, Pastelle left C.C. in a difficult spot as he now had to find a way to get the slip on the trio with a used tank. Tension and pressure builds to the ceiling as the two parties stare each other down to a massive cheer with the moment of truth arriving. Who will emerge victorious in this round and seize momentum? Would it be Squid Academy and their numbers or could C.C. somehow find a way to slither through the mayhem and survive? Reice goes in motion, then Violet, and finally, Sky. All three of them took their positions and surrounded C.C. in a triangular formation. Sky darted in to meet him for another duel while Reice swarmed the rear with Violet keeping her distance with her reticle on him as insurance; they planned to end this in one fell swoop. Among all the players in the tournament, and especially those that stood at the mountaintop, there was one particular player who always seemed to be the anomaly. A generational talent with a silver tongue to match, C.C's presence went beyond just being one of the best players-it was deeper than respect for his ability. There was a trust established between the captain of the Bluerings and his team, a bond created through the many trials faced. They all knew better than to ever bet against him, to never deny that at the eleventh hour just before the strike of midnight, he would always deliver. A testament to his legacy as the greatest player in the making, C.C. answers the challenge. It wasn't as swift as Sky's obliteration of his teammates, but there was a sort of classy finesse to the way he moved and how he struck, moving as though he knew everything his opponents were attempting to do. A dodge to avoid Sky and counter Reice, then bailing on himt to instead take down Violet first. C.C. did them in like it was clockwork, disposing of Reice seamlessly and finally, sending the message to Sky. It didn't matter how many they brought nor did it matter who, the bottom line he wanted to let Sky and the rest of Squid Academy know is that he is on another level to them. They can't touch him no matter the pressure they put. A heartbreaking and humiliating defeat after looking like they were going to close the round with a victory, the match delivers another surprise once again as the Bluerings prevail to take a 2-1 match lead behind C.C.'s hat trick play. Frustration on the faces of Sky and the others, they cool off with cold towels and take a seat on the bench. Nobody says anything as they listen to the pulse of the arena shifting in favor of the Bluerings, the sight of blue and yellow beginning to become apparent as they raise their voices. Once again Fuchsia, the coaches, and the entire team are met with another wall erected before them-this time no plausible method present to destroy the obstacle. The Bluerings wore them down physically and emotionally, mentally drained from having to fight against all the odds just to drop the round due to the greatness of C.C. and his ability to seize the moment. It felt like they were going up against someone with cheat codes, a game-master that knew every move on the board. This felt like a checkmate...

Over at Ruhtab Palace where the palace yard serves as the venue for the upcoming rounds, hundreds of elites are gathered in the main hall enjoying the match thus far from the showcasing of C.C. and Sky's abilities to the many surprises sprinkled on the layers of talented battles. The balcony and outside patio crowded with aristocrats and celebrities dressed in high end fashion, they enjoy the view of the sparkling night sky and the illumination of the palace yard where the teams will be playing. A massive yard already set up for the competition with obstacles, walls, platforms, and ramps set up, it looked like an outdoor version of a museum! From stone structures to porcelain and glass decorations, the sultan boasted that everything in the vast space was indestructible and cost more than any of them could fathom. His proud voice carried across the room without a struggle, and when he gathered everyone's attention about the announcement he wanted to make, he gave his prediction for the night. Although it was all in light manner and meant to be for sport, Shiva and the others who supported Squid Academy knew this was him taking a jab at them and drawing parallels; much like Squid Academy were a rowdy bunch of unproven upstarts looking to flip the competition upside down, Shiva and Nefertina were similar in how they bulldozed their way to their current positions and were flipping the world on its head.

The teams arriving at the palace yard to many bright lights shining overhead on the vast field they'll soon do battle on like a spotlight, the warm windy night breeze kissed them as a welcome-a stark difference from the indoor arena. Greeted by the cheering guests of Ruhtab's party, they catch a glimpse at the many high-profiled guests watching from up high. Rotations staying the same for this round with the game mode being splat zones, the approach for the Bluerings focused on getting active and pressuring their opponents early on to build the momentum while Squid Academy's plan was to maintain their philosophy based on patience and reservation and avoiding getting sucked into the Bluerings' style. The world is watching, their families are watching, and most certainly the sultan is watching. If Squid Academy fell here, their season is likely over as coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win the entire match has historically been nearly impossible to accomplish. The mental strain of having to fight an uphill battle against a difficult opponent, the addition of the environment, the chemistry and psyche of the players, too many factors were in the mix that to fathom such an idyllic result was almost disrespectful on all accounts. Regardless of the difficulty of their opponents, Squid Academy must win this game. Fuchsia stressed that much during the break when she saw fatigue starting to show in her team's body language. Stubborn to keep the same rotation in rather than make the corresponding substitutions, Fuchsia's reasoning for sticking with the current lineup stemmed from a form of trust. Sure, they're gassed and winded, but this was to be expected. In her mind, this was a war of attrition from the get-go and her players knew as much. The reason for playing with patience and biding their time for the right moment wasn't out of laziness or fear, but conservation. The battle against the Bluerings is a matter of survival-survive the first five rounds and settle everything in the final pair.

With the next few rounds scheduled to be at the palace yard, they prepare for the change in environment. Standing in her spawn with the rest of her team, Sky looked up at where the guests were after feeling a strong gaze from the moment she entered the place, spotting the octarian royal immediately as she stood out like a gold coin among a sea of silver. Accompanied by her retainers and the pharaoh along with the ambassador, Shiva flashed Sky a bright smile and wished her good luck-speaking in an exaggerated way that Sky could read her lips from where she stood. Like a shot of adrenaline now that her best friend is in attendance to watch her play live, Sky felt fired up. Reice takes a deep breath, and calms his nerves after seeing everyone watching-the pressure he felt from this audience far different from what he was used to. Violet, Pastelle, Parker, and Aaron all hold a conversation among themselves to pass the time, going over the strategies that worked previously and sharing their observations from their opponents and what to expect heading into battle. The spawn where the Bluerings wait feels more relaxed than their counterparts as they felt some relief from regaining the lead, now feeling comfortable about taking this round and putting them away in a gentleman's sweep of five games. From Frazzy's consistency to Ray's maturity and Floyd's defensive prowess along with Tommy and Michael's boost, and finally C.C.'s explosiveness, it was understandable to see why they weren't concerned with a Squid Academy surprise. After getting a taste of what the underdogs had to offer, they felt confident they could crush him; C.C. on the other hand looked far more serious than before, going into deep thought reviewing everything. Unlike before where he was the one taking it easy while his team took the situation seriously, the roles reversed. The inner competitor in him already warned that now wasn't the time to think ahead about closing the deal but rather prepare for an ugly scrap. The display of power he saw from Sky and the tenacity and leadership he saw from Pastelle weren't temporary nor the most they could do. It was a preview of what is to come, and his side just outperformed them that time, but next time might not be the same result. The thought that they would dare challenge him the way they are made him want to double down on his confidence-not because he himself disregarded them as a challenge, but because he needed an abundance of belief in himself or else he'll succumb to defeat against them.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Your eyes still can't hit what they can't see. You might have taken the second round but I took the third and will take the fourth, and after that, we'll be trending north. Don't ever try against me, because I won't let your punishment be free. Do your worst, Squid Academy.

Repeating in his mind like a chant, C.C. prepares for a fourth round of war.