I'm doing well! A lot has been going on lately so I apologize if things seem dry, I'm definitely still working on this and have no intentions of stopping. Thank you for the considerate thoughts! All I can say to whoever is reading this little note is to please keep yourselves safe no matter what. As always, thank you for reading and I hope you will enjoy this chapter and the others to follow!
The morning following their victory over the Bluerings, the players of Squid Academy were having a team breakfast in the conference room after Fuchsia got permission from the managers to have access; they revealed to her that they had been following the tournament and were happy to see them advance and rooting for them to go far in the tournament, seeing them as more than just patrons at their establishment after the lengthy stay they've had at the hotel. With a variety of meals available courtesy of the kitchen who were more than happy to make orders for them as congratulations, the team finally got to unload and breathe a sigh of relief with it still not sinking in that they'll be among the final 64 teams remaining in competition of what was once 128 teams total! The table decorated with food and the room full of high spirits with everyone sitting together sharing laughs and smiles all around, the team continues their celebration from yesterday where they partied in their locker rooms and on the team bus all the way back to the hotel where they immediately collapsed from the burden of the many battles finally lifting off their shoulders; plenty of them woke up today with quite the energy to spare while others were still groggy.
From their thoughts about the group stage to what comes next, everyone let out their raw emotions and soaked in the moment and once their bellies were full and their feelings known, they all decided on what to do next. Sky and Aaron planned to take a hike in the mountains after one of them made a bet with the other that they could endure the searing heat and the rising altitude better than the other and even made an unknown wager for whoever lost, Parker and Pastelle wanted to go to the beach and enjoy the cool coastal breeze which caught the attention of a majority of the team who saw a beach day as the perfect way to tire themselves out, and Tangie planned to go sightseeing with Cobalt and take some pictures of the big city to send to Simone back in Ikayumu. But not everyone was on board with heading outside as Fuchsia had intentions of staying indoors and doing some preparations on their next opponents with Azule, who was unaware of her plans for the day and hoping to participate in the team's beach day.
After breakfast concluded, Bianca met up with the team in hopes she could join in on the fun only to participate in the group clean up Kosami commanded as a show of respect to the staffers that made this possible; the least they could do in return was show thanks by leaving the room as they found it. Once the team finished their clean up, Fuchsia and Azule stepped out to express their thanks to the staff while everyone else rushed onto the team bus ready to hit the beach while Sky and Aaron headed for the mountains in a cab leaving behind a small number to occupy the room. Once the couple returned to the room of Reice, Jory, Violet, Kosami, Sally, and Bianca, Fuchsia decided to surprise Azule by locking him down on captain's duty of assisting her with scouting-alone. Immediately Azule knew this was punishment for him flaking on the team in the previous round, and she was going to work him to sleep as a result. The mood in the room got awkward following the exit of those two with everyone seemingly going into a shell of some sort: Violet went off to a corner to read her current book, Sally hurried onto her phone to scroll for news of the tournament and keep track of all the headlines, Kosami and Bianca carried a light conversation, and Reice looked like he didn't want to be there, resting his head in his folded arms hunched over the table.
Oh boy...Jory sighed, reading the mood in the room noticing that Bianca and Kosami's conversation seemed like a cover for them to continuously glance at the unaware Reice . "Hey Reice…" Jory tugs at his sleeve after fidgeting a bit from boredom; "What are your plans for the day?"
"Probably going to sleep." he yawns loudly with a stretch; "I'm drained after all that partying yesterday and that food just hit the spot."
"All the blood is rushing to your stomach, huh?"
"Better than rushing somewhere else, am I right?"
"Gross!" Jory elbows him with a chuckle.
"But in all seriousness, I do want to stay here for the day-rather get some rest and recover from yesterday. It took everything out of me to make it through that ordeal of a match."
You were super cool though! Bianca and Kosami thought with twinkling gazes, neither of them able to say it aloud though everyone besides Reice got practically hear their thoughts.
"So you're planning to rest your old body, gramps?" Sally taunts.
Reice found new life after her provocation, "Who are you calling gramps, you hag!"
"Hag!?" Sally's jaw dropped in shock.
"I didn't stutter!" Reice shouted pointing at her.
Sally jumps out her seat and rolls up her sleeve ready to send Reice to sleep, "You've been getting a swollen head lately! About time I knock you down a few pegs!"
Reice punched his fists together in response, "Bring it on!"
A brawl erupts between the siblings who roll around the floor beating each other up while Violet and Jory take out their phones to record everything; Bianca panics watching the siblings go at it but Jory reassures her that they always act like this. Kosami breaks them up after a few seconds and couldn't help but giggle watching the two, pointing out that they really behave like siblings that get along well, to which both of them went into denial.
"Sally, do you have any plans for the day? If not, we could-"
Sally's phone rings suddenly, and with a glance at the caller ID she gets flustered instantly. "O-oh hold that thought, Kosami! I'm getting a call. I'll go take this." she hurries out the room before Kosami could get another word in.
"Oh…" Kosami sighed.
"Were you planning something? If so, may I tag along? I came along hoping to have some fun with everyone but I didn't expect everyone to have plans made up already!" Bianca joins in, a little bummed that the majority of the group went to the beach since she wasn't a big fan of sand.
"I was hoping to go out by the waterfront today since I heard there are plenty of nice shops and restaurants there as well as a stunning view of the ocean and mountains off in the distance. The gulls cawing out by the pier, the smell of the salty sea, and the relaxing sight of ocean blue surrounding the harbor. It seems like an inviting time for relaxation after yesterday."
There's a twinkle in Jory's eyes now that he smelled an opportunity to get out of the resort, "Count me in! Hey Violet, you coming along?"
Violet shakes her head with a frown, "I was planning to stay behind and get some stuff done since going outside is too much of a hassle with that heat-even if it's to a cooler environment."
"Alright I feel you on that front! So then, that makes it Kosami, Bianca, and myself. Reice, are you sure you don't want to tag along?" Jory winks, motioning his head over to the unsuspecting Bianca and Kosami; Reice didn't pick up on what his octoling pal was insinuating with those looks however.
"Sorry, I'm gonna skip out since I'm really tired." Reice groaned, massaging his neck; Bianca and Kosami looked bummed by his response.
Just then Sally returns to the room with a cold sweat and awkward smile as if she just discovered something she shouldn't have, "H-hey Reice! We have visitors!" she claps her hands together with an awkward laugh.
Reice wrinkles his forehead with furrowing brows, "Hm? We have visitors? Who came here to see me-oh no…" Reice's voice deepened with despair realizing who it could've been, hearing familiar voices in the distance. A few moments later, he saw a pair of yellow heads poking behind the door for just a millisecond, catching their brightened faces the moment they found him.
"There he is!" Marigold points with an enthusiastic shout; Canary sprints towards him without a second thought in serious effort, outstretching her arms and doing a dive into him.
The impact similar to a torpedo hitting his gut, Reice received a painful hug out of love as his little sister wrapped her arms around him and called his name with such emotion he could feel it in his heart. Giving her a warm smile and nod, he rubs her head and reciprocates the feeling; Marigold waddles over with an embarrassed look on her face, suppressing what she wanted to say to him since her sister beat her to the punch. Reice looked over and could tell from how she crossed her arms and wore a look expecting a hug from him as well. Unable to leave her out, he stretches out his other arm and motions with his hand for her to come in, both him and Canary looking at her with the expectation. Without hesitation, Canary jumped into him showering him with praise. A tender moment shared between the trio with the way Reice held his sisters like a protective brother all the more heartfelt, the other found him to look far more mature than they ever remembered and chalked it up to the experience of playing in a grueling tournament like Nationals, that forced participants to grow out of their long undesired shells. Treasuring the moment, Reice soon returned to reality and realized that if his sisters were here to visit, then so were they as well and as he heard their voices as well, he held his sisters tightly as his brothers and parents followed in the room. He instinctively shot daggers at them before calming down, feeling his little sisters pat him on the back to help him relax. Almost instantaneous, the others could feel the tension fill the room like a river into the ocean.
Reice wears a blank expression while locking eyes with all of them, "Mom. Dad. Chase. Ryan. It's great to see you all again, but why didn't you tell me you were visiting so early?"
"We planned on it but decided to surprise you instead and contacted Sally-thanks again for your help!" Joseph guffawed, finding Reice's reaction to be amusing since he had the eyes of a man now.
"Please, don't mention it Mr. Galloway…" Sally laughs nervously, shutting up once Reice looked at her with the same intense stare.
Noticing from her how she fidgeted, Reice realized she was just as much in the dark about this visit as she was and let out a sigh of resignation realizing he'd likely regret entertaining them. "So? What brings you all here? Got an itinerary ready? I'm sure you didn't come all this way to just bother me on my day off."
"Reice…" Jory frowned, finding his tone to be disrespectful.
"N-no, we just wanted to come see you and hoped you'd spend time with us. A chance to reconnect you know? Did we come at a bad time?" Madelyn asked, worried she and the others might be overstepping boundaries.
Reice had a look on his face that read he was about to say something abrasive, but after seeing his mother look at him so worriedly, he couldn't bring himself to be mean to her-she's his mother after all. Putting his hands in his pockets and averting her gaze, he denied their presence as a bother and welcomed them. Bianca, Jory, and Kosami all noticed how awkward it must be for both parties at this rate and used the chance to inject themselves into the conversation and keep it flowing with all of them giving an introduction to refresh the family's mind. Following the swift introduction to ease the conversation, Bianca asked the family if they were interested in joining them for a trip to the waterfront which Jory and Kosami picked up on being a way to bag Reice along while also giving him a chance to smooth things over with his family. On board with the plan once they noticed the effort of his friends who seemed to pick up what was going on, the Galloways agreed to go.
Chase takes out his phone to do a quick search, "The waterfront."
"Ahhhh sounds like a good spot to take pictures and everything, maybe even grab a bite." Ryan adds, already on his phone looking at the various spots on the map.
Joseph scans the room and notices Violet sitting away from the group, "Ah, Sororia girl! Violet-was it? How are you?"
"I'm doing well, thank you. I hope you and my father are on good terms now." she said without a hint of emotion in her voice but wearing a tiny smile; Joseph let out a laugh unsure if she was being genuine or taking a jab at him.
After a few minutes of coordination, the group eventually arrived at the Waterfront with Sally and Violet coming along per Marigold and Canary's request, unable to refuse the innocent sisters. Currently walking alongside the sea with the salty air tingling their nostrils and the gentle ocean breeze soothing their skin, the group happily explored the waterfront gathering souvenirs and taking pictures using the beautiful environment as a backdrop for their conversations. From Bianca and Kosami humoring the little sisters by taking pictures with them and stopping at every shop on the way to Violet and Sally holding a conversation with the rest of the Galloway family about their experience in the tournament and in Ravia thus far, all seemed to be progressing smoothly for the group as they continue their walk along the waterfront, except for one. Watching his family get along with his friends, Reice wears a lost look observing the group ahead, almost dragging his feet while doing so. Jory slowed down to walk beside him and see what was up, but after noticing how lost in his own thoughts he was, he couldn't stand to just watch his friend isolate himself.
"Snap out of it." Jory elbows him wearing a serious expression.
Reice jolted only now after realizing Jory was there, "Weren't you walking up ahead with the others!?"
"I noticed you were moving a little slower so I came here to join you, everything alright?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little tired."
"Why are you all the way back here isolating yourself? Don't you want to talk with your family? Sure seems like there's a lot you all need to discuss."
Reice looks over at his parents and brothers before returning his heavy gaze to his octoling friend beside him, "Say Jory...will you hear me out?" he said in a serious tone, his eyes showing that more than ever-he had something he wanted to get off his chest.
Jory found his seriousness to be a bit puzzling since Reice wasn't the type of guy to wear such an expression, also a little surprised to see him seek his audience about something so personal. A chance to deepen their bond, Jory accepted. Reice's glazed irises lower as he takes a few seconds to gather his thoughts, then turning to Jory with an empty look. He asked him if he was wrong for thinking and feeling the way he felt at the moment. Right away Jory knew this had to be about his family, and slowing down his pace the pair created some distance from the rest of the group to respect Reice's privacy.
"I feel so conflicted right now, like...my mind is running at max speed trying to process everything without any energy left in reserves. I was worried about my sisters and how they must feel with readjusting to them in their lives again, but they look like they're doing well-though maybe they're only putting on a front so I won't worry about them."
"They do seem more advanced for their age."
"Right!? I love them with all my heart so..." It was as clear as the day overhead that Reice looked distressed from where Jory stood and watching him wear conflicted expressions when mentioning his family was disheartening for the octoling boy, who thought about his deceased family in the process. "I already addressed it before that I'm forgiving them, but now it feels like what I said then may no be the genuine article. After doing some reflection I've began to understand just how deep all of this really was, and it feels like my actions of forgiveness might've been premature. I don't wanna go back on my word but I', not satisfied with just leaving things as they are. Perhaps everyone's put water under the bridge but now I feel like I can't just let things go. Am I wrong for thinking that way? Everything seems fine on the surface, and maybe I shouldn't disturb that peace but-"
"You're not comfortable with having such a conflicted mind in the middle of the tournament?"
"Wow, almost like you can read my mind with how accurate you are."
"Consider it a gift."
"But yeah, part of my issue and why I'm mulling things over so critically is because I was prepared to deal with this after the tournament when I'd have plenty of time to gather my thoughts and emotions and address it properly. With them showing up like this, it's thrown me out of the loop and has me wondering if I should jump the gun and go for it without a second thought, or to trust my judgment. I mean, we're out on a group trip on the waterfront."
"I understand where you're coming from but it wouldn't be wise to go against your initial judgment. Your reasoning seems clear to me and you've made it clear that you want to dedicate your energy to the team for now. It's fine if you consider their presence to be a distraction, but at the very least, acknowledge their feelings and effort and appreciate these moments. You don't need to do anything other than value this rare moment where you can be alone with them and just enjoy the day."
"I guess..." Reice shrugs with a tired sigh, his face looking a little red as he carried a bashful gaze looking at his family interacting with his friends.
"You're looking a little red there, are you secretly happy they came?" Jory giggled poking him on the arm expecting him to get flustered.
"I'm probably overheating." He replied plainly, prompting Jory to pout with an angry look, far from amused. While continuing their walk together Jory recalled his family and remembered the love they gave him, especially his brother who was the reason he even had a loving pair of sisters in Shiva and Fuchsia. Thankful to have a family in loving memory, he wanted Reice to cherish the family he had before it was too late-before they become a memory. "You're quiet, what's up?"
Jory stops him in his tracks and looks at him with kind eyes, "We all heal at our own pace. Time doesn't fix everything but it sure eases everything. Take as much time as you need to sort through your feelings and don't rush things, your family probably can tell how you are feeling and were hoping you might forget about that and just go with the flow of things." he said giving him a warm smile.
"Yeah, you're right. I think I'll do just that." he responds shaking off his fatigue, only to get a sudden hug that catches him by surprise. Wrapping her arms round him and infiltrating the conversation, her appearance prompted Reice to look up and see that the rest of the group was looking back at them already noticing how far they lagged behind. The anxiety in his parents and brother's eyes, the look of discomfort in Marigold's eyes as well in Canary and his friends who tagged along, Reice realized that everyone was trying hard for his sake, and here he was acting so unaware of everything. Thanks to Jory's input and the reassurance from everyone turning their attention to him, he knew the best thing to do was to follow along and enjoy the rare opportunity. Joining up with the rest of the group, they continue the day traversing the waterfront. Several times did Reice get the chance to be alone with his parents and brothers mostly through the efforts of the others trying to give them a chance to bond and on each attempt, Reice welcomed the opportunity with open arms, avoiding the obvious topic in favor of simply enjoying the moment with his family. An hour passing since their arrival at the long strip, the group ended up taking a break at a plaza where many shops are set up with plenty of tables and chairs in the middle of the area with a fountain in the middle. Resting at a table and grabbing an extra few unused chairs to sit together, they enjoyed some of the local sweets available at the nearby shops and enjoyed the view of the calm yet lively cerulean blue ocean. Moans of delight made as they all took hearty bites, Sally listened in and shared her feelings on the delicious pastry that had such a flaky exterior yet a soft and creamy filling. A taste so savory and delicious, Sally felt herself melting away like the doughy delight in her mouth-that is, until she felt a sudden chill run down her spine and a wave of electricity run through her body in that moment.
This feeling… Her face turned blue in a cold sweat as a strike of light strikes in her mind; What is this feeling…?
In that moment she heard her name called by someone who sounded far too enthusiastic to be a stranger, the voice all too familiar that it sent a terrible jolt through her body as she pieced together who it might be. Her body nearly split in half as she gets tackled by none other than Hatsunika Mika and knocked out of her seat, Sally gets a face full of the pop star nuzzling her cheek passionately; shortly following behind was an out of breath Leor and their security guards. Right away, everyone in the plaza looked over to see what the commotion was about, but luckily Sally caught on in time to shield Mika from the rest while Marigold and Canary were quick on the uptake and blocked the view of Mika as well.
"Ms. Mika!" one guard shouts holding out their arm rushing over.
"H-how!? Wh-what!?" Sally short circuited with a heavy blush as Mika gave her a kiss on the cheek professing her love; Bianca and Kosami covered Marigold and Canary's eyes throughout the whole thing.
"You can't go around exposing your identity like that!" Leor tears her away from Sally.
"But my love senses were tingling!" Mika whined, her hands reaching out for Sally.
Tingling…? The others thought.
Leor hides her embarrassment with a glare, "What happened to surprising her at the resort we're staying at?"
"B-but my love senses tingled! I caught her scent and I couldn't resist chase."
Scent…? The others asked in their minds, growing disturbed by the second as the pop idol showed her true colors.
"Hey..." Sally uttered in an exasperated tone with a darkened face, far from amused. "My soul almost left my body! Don't go around giving people heart attacks like that!"
"Oh Sal, you romantic!" Mika squeals with heart eyes and puffs of steam gushing from her ears.
"I'm not being romantic!" Sally looked ready to explode.
Once they warded off the attention of the other onlookers, Mika and Leor tagged along with the already big group and got a chance to enjoy their stay with people aside from their security detail; though Mika was a little surprised by the appearance of the Galloways, she could tell that they were much different from the family she remembered back in Beacon Hills. An enjoyable day overall for Reice who felt his fatigue vanish, little did he know that it transferred over to Sally instead who now had her hands full with entertaining the Galloways and surviving Mika's overbearing love.
Meanwhile at the resort in Fuchsia's room, the couple sat together at a loaded desk busy with their task for the day: Azule sat with arms folded, his leg shaking with impatience, and a focused look plastered on his face studying the footage captured of Vulerby's previous matches; Across from him filing through papers and mumbling to herself at double the speed she organizes is Fuchsia, who was having trouble and building a strategies around targeting Vulerby's strengths and weaknesses. Operating with haste since they planned on spending all of tomorrow focusing on training and honing their skills for the battle, it would be beneficial to them if they could figure out a solid strategy and use the remaining time and valuable practice day tomorrow to focus on perfecting their plan. Unfortunately they came up short on all fronts, unable to find an answer to Vulerby's chemistry and their captain's overwhelming style. Although he and his team bared some similarities to C.C. and the Bluerings, the stark difference laid in temperament and philosophy. Where the Bluerings were a team of individuals who put aside their individual strengths to operate under an overwhelming talent like C.C. with all of them capable of rising to the occasion as specialists in their own categories, Vulerby was a different composition. A captain who was also the ace and backbone of the team, Romaine carried the team on his back and established early on that no amount of pressure who throw him off-he was ready for the moment. Where C.C.'s character got challenged and threw him for a ride, Fuchsia and Azule were almost sure lightning wouldn't strike the same place twice; Romaine is built far differently from C.C. and it all laid in his approach as a leader, he brought out the best in his team and elevated their game whereas C.C.'s style forced the rest of the team to compromise their game and let his style flourish, which had severe drawbacks. If Squid Academy were going to have a fighting chance against Vulerby, it all laid with how they approached Romaine on the turf. A presence who could draw everyone's attention, it wasn't uncommon for him to get focused and in turn space the area to let his teammates succeed in his stead. Whatever Fuchsia and Azule came up with, they needed to think carefully about the approach or get caught in the same trap that entangled many opponents prior.
With the stipulation of win or go home in effect and the danger of elimination resting on their shoulders every time they step on the turf, they knew that although they had plenty of experience in this tournament with that familiar pressure, it wouldn't be easy to climb back from a deficit especially when there is no promised next match. Every round is precious in the knockout stage. Drawing up blanks while staring off into space trying to process all the available information, their concentration gets broken by the ringing of the room phone. Fuchsia springs up in that moment in fright and hurried over to answer, wearing a puzzled expression almost immediately after being told something. It was only a few seconds of an exchange but the confused octoling looked at her dearly beloved and told him they were summoned downstairs, that somebody was waiting for them in the lobby. A little on guard about who it could've been that wanted to see them so badly that they bothered the front desk, they both figured it couldn't be someone with malicious intent since they were so direct in seeking them. Reaching the lobby after a couple of minutes, the couple found a familiar individual waiting for them in the lobby-his afro still as puffy as they remembered. His hands in his pockets and his demeanor intimidating for those passing by, his menacing aura vanished the moment he spotted Azule and Fuchsia.
Holding his hand up high and flashing a tiny smile, he greets them. "Nice work." he said in his usual lifeless tone as Azule reached out for a high-five. "Congratulations on getting to the knockouts, and most importantly….thank you."
"W-well, it'd be a lie if I didn't say you were our primary motivation for staying in the fight…" Azule blushed with a laugh.
"Seriously, don't do that!" Fuchsia crossed her arms with a scowl; "Putting that much stress on us when we've got our hands full as it is, do you have any idea how hard we had to push through because we'd have cost you your job?"
"Sorry for my selfishness, but I had to. Had I done the conventional way of vouching, you would've been overlooked. A gamble to put my neck on the line when you were deemed unworthy was all I could do and I'm grateful to you all for everything accomplished in the group stage...and proud."
After hearing such genuine words of praise and from an octoling no less, Fuchsia couldn't be mad with him anymore; now that they honored their end of the agreement and even saved him his job, the octoling man decided to at least introduce himself somewhat. Mori is the name he preferred his friends to address him by, and with everything that they've gone through, he considered them to be his friends now. Wondering what they were up to on their day off, he asked them if they were prepared for their upcoming battle against Vulerby, mostly curious because the knapsack Fuchsia carried looked stuffed with plenty of materials. The pair couldn't give him a solid response and tiptoed on giving an answer, and that hesitation led him to the realization that he might've interrupted them in the middle of scouting. Noticing how troubled they look once the subject for Vulerby was brought up and feeling a bit guilty about messing up their reason, he offered to assist them in solving the current issue-not as a committee member, but as a friend. The pair were adamant about him staying out of their endeavors since they had their pride as competitors and didn't want any hand holding from Mori, which was one of the reasons he admired them. Nonetheless he was just as stubborn as them and wanted to lend a hand, and the same way he was able to convince his colleagues, so too could he convince them. Reassuring them that he wouldn't interfere and only wanted to be a third party that could give them a difference perspective on how to tackle their problems, they reluctantly accepted once they heard he would treat them to lunch at the resort, aware that they needed some sort of plan structured soon or risk going into battle without one. Once the couple expressed their frustrations with preparations and the mental block that prohibited them from further progress, he grasped the situation and noticed that they weren't that far off from a breakthrough and sure enough just needed a third opinion to get their minds rolling again.
"As promised, I won't help you all directly but you still need to get over the hump if you'll stand on even footing against Vulerby. First, let's take a look at all the data provided..." Mori said taking a peek at Fuchsia's notes, going over their previous records, weapon choices, and lineups; "Vulerby has a similar build to the Bluerings-that much you've gathered-and they also have a dangerous playmaker leading their squad. He and that team knows that as a match up, they will prove a difficult opponent since they always heat up in multiple ways from various people. Even if you check Romaine, the necessary work needed will hinder you from handling other assignments and vice versa. So, establish that there will need to be a compromise: Lock down Romaine or ignore him? The former assures that he won't be effective with the right defensive approach, but that'll open the door to the rest of the team thriving which could hurt you just as badly and should you opt for the latter, know that he will do everything in his power to out muscle you all and bring them in the mix, or just simply take over like he has in the past."
"Talk about a lesser of two evils..." Fuchsia sighed with agitation, rubbing her forehead while Azule pondered on the options.
Mori nods and continued, "The Bluerings have better individual talent while Vulerby is an overall better team, so the minor details that the Bluerings glossed over that worked in our benefit won't be present for this contest in all likelihood. Then there's Romaine, who is every bit as good as C.C. and will surely expect us to throw everything his way." Azule said with a sour look, his head already letting out steam from overuse.
"We've thought of everything possible but it's just hard to figure out what options could work efficiently when considering effective counters will be used. It'd be easier if we knew the game modes but the schedule won't be released until tonight, and by then that's precious time for extra training and resting that we would be cutting into. I know the others will gladly lend their help and divide the tasks but we need to focus on keeping everyone's body active for battle. It'd be easier to take care of this pronto." Fuchsia sighed again, wrinkles forming on her forehead from the stress.
"Worst thing is...they must know our various lineups by now, and I doubt we'll be able to get away with the element of surprise. It'd be reckless to rely on Fuchsia's spontaneous spurts of genius to bail us o-" Fuchsia clobbers him with a reddened face full of embarassment; "-oww!"
"Don't embarrass me in front a guest, dummy!" she mumbled with a fist full of steam, peeking at Azule to see if he would try her again.
Mori clears his throat and forces a chuckle, "Alright, calm down. We'll sort this through together. Let's start with who they are."
"Er…" Azule rubs the bump hidden under his cap; "Vulerby are the fourth ranked best team in the entire tournament and are considered the most unpredictable team in the lineup with a fusion of explosive offense and impenetrable defense-their tempo shifts at the drop of a hat and they can seem almost unbeatable when they hit their stride."
"Reason for that is because their team has one clear leader and superstar in Romaine while the rest of the team is full of complimentary players that follow key roles and shine in certain scenarios. In fact, their main starting lineup is among the most balanced among teams in the tournament." Fuchsia said, reciting what was already known about their opponents.
"Correct. They are the most unpredictable team in the tournament and their starting lineup is the most balanced...coincidence?"
"Hm…" Fuchsia hums; "Wait! Are you suggesting that they have a weakness because of that balance?"
"Not necessarily a weakness but an exploit for sure. Think about it, Vulerby is an unpredictable team that are trouble to prepare for, but they aren't unbeatable. They have shown plenty of negative moments with their highlights. What is the difference maker is whether their opponents can spot them early on and exploit them. Target that balance of theirs and throw it off-that's the key."
"That's our exploit?" Azule grimaced, a bit skeptical; "Easier said than done, but I suppose it's up to us to figure out the method, right?"
Fuchsia places her hands at her hips and sneered at Azule, "Well, we are the ones playing them."
"They aren't a super team nor are they unbeatable. It's possible to defeat them with your current roster. It surely won't be an easy task, but I have confidence in your abilities." Mori said with confidence.
"Now that we have a target in stirring chaos to disrupt balance, we need to figure out how to create it: Will we play erratically and utilize the element of surprise and trickery? Or perhaps go for broke early on and set the tone for the match? Maybe prepare for another battle of attrition From what we've seen at Nationals, it matters to be aggressive early on to control the tempo and pressure the opponent into playing outside their comfort or force them to make mistakes. But if we try something hasty against a team like Vulerby…"
"It can backfire terribly." Azule added, agreeing with Fuchsia that they needed to stick to a certain style if they were going to take down Vulerby.
Seeing them back on the same page brought a sense of relief for Mori as he watched the pair bounce ideas off of one another in succession, reminded of why he trusted this team so much. A genius coach who hadn't yet reach her potential and a prodigal talent at captain who was far from reaching his final evolution, the future of that team looked promising as long as those two maintained that unbreakable trust. Feeling like his work is done after seeing the kids look sharp again, Mori happily excuses himself and wishes them the best of luck promising to watch their game. Spending a little bit longer going through everything now that their minds were set straight, they were nearing the end of their successful strategy planning when Azule got a text from his sister telling him to meet her outside for something urgent and sure enough after packing up everything to head outside, they're met by Sky and Aaron who just returned from their venture in the mountains; a trip that got cut short because Sky got a sudden notification that was all too important to pass up.
As for why Azule and Fuchsia were summoned, Sky hinted that the people who contacted her wanted them to make an appearance and she couldn't refuse. Reluctant to go since they still had their duty to finish scouting and preparations, Aaron volunteered to take over for them because his day was practically done and he wouldn't want them to waste the entire day indoors doing nothing when they earned at least a few hours of rest and enjoyment. With that taken care of, the trio departed once Sky got dressed into some comfy attire and headed to their unknown destination, arriving at a grandiose location that overwhelmed Azule the moment they stepped out the car. A view that brought back some painful memories still fresh in his mind, Azule grimaced as the casino they visit reminded him of the time he went to one with Spyke.
An awkward Sky rubbed her neck looking uncomfortable, "Believe me, I'm not too thrilled about being here either and I know Aaron's not too happy our time got cut short, but when I got the message I couldn't ign-"
"Ah, there you are!" a familiar voice called.
Right away, Fuchsia recognized that voice and searched for them and to her surprise got a happy reunion as an octoling rushed over to her. "Ciri!" she jumped with joy, springing into her arms.
"You shouldn't be so happy to see a retainer!" Ciri giggled as her princess crashed into her, hugging Fuchsia with a squeeze.
"You're less a retainer and more my family! What are you doing in Ravia? Weren't you accompanying my sister at the conference in inkopolis?"
Sky and Ciri both had nervous looks unable to answer the princess' questions, which led to Fuchsia picking up on what was going on right away and her bubbly expression turning cold in an instant. "Where's my sister?"
Ciri sighed, "Follow me..." Entering the casino and passing through the many colorful slot machines and packed playing tables, they reached a private room where the Ciri told them the rest were awaiting them. Upon entering...
"Here I am!" Shiva announced with open arms to welcome her little sister.
"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" Fuchsia shouts sprinting over to her to do a dropkick, landing a solid strike to her sister's gut.
"That wasn't very princess-like." Pharaoh Nefertina commented, watching the two sisters reunite in the most unconventional way.
"You're here too!? What happened to the meeting?" Fuchsia gasped, sitting on top of her sister pinching her cheeks.
"Oh don't worry about that stuff! Just be happy we're here! And more importantly, congratulations!" Shiva softly clutches her sister's wrists pulling on her to let go of her face.
"Why did you choose a casino as our meeting spot?" Sky asked, taking a seat beside the pharaoh.
"I like this place and they give me good treatment, also the food is great here and you can play if you want, though I'm guessing that's out of the question since all of you are underaged."
"Our apologies…" Handan bowed.
"That answers one question, but why are you in Ravia?"
"Well, it just so happens that Sanyrier has a few reps participating in Nationals and some of them made it to the knockouts. Particularly the Sun and Moon Pharaohs."
A light shines in Fuchsia's eyes as she remembered them from the scouting she did during the group stage, "Oh! Both of them are solid teams!"
"Much like your nation has representatives that have something to prove, so do we. With a rival hosting this tournament, what better way to stick it to that bastard Ruhtab than to win on his own turf!"
"My Pharaoh, please refrain from speaking like that. It's unbecoming." Handan advised, doing her best to maintain the pharaoh's image before her guests, though it wasn't to much use; Nefertina rolled her eyes in response and flashed a smug grin while returning her gaze to the pair of first years.
"Anyways, I requested your appearance here because not only are you Shiva's kid sister, but you're the coach of Squid Academy. And you, little brother of Handan's future husband, you're the captain of the team if I remember correctly."
"H-husband…!?" Handan melts at the thought of marrying Verde.
Nefertina chuckled at Handan's reaction but immediately wiped away her smirk when she returned he gaze to the others, "Beat Vulerby." she said plainly, her aura as a pharaoh apparent as her presence alone forced Azule and Fuchsia to fix their posture.
Sky stepped forward matching her intensity, "We were already planning on doing so. Why do you want us to beat them so badly?"
"No no I'm not saying I want you to beat them, I'm saying you have to beat them. A team who've nearly played perfect with their only loss being a surprise exploit that they've corrected since then, don't think they will make any mistakes or pull their punches. If they are giving a hundred percent effort, then you all have to give twice the effort!"
"We appreciate the pep talk, but we're not like the rest of these teams. We know our backs are up against the wall."
"I'm well aware you all are cut from a different cloth." Nefertina winked; "But nonetheless, I'm warning you all because Shiva has expressed how invested she is in you all doing well in this tournament and I'd like to see your team do well too."
"For the first time, there's a team in the tournament that isn't ranked or near the top teams that stands a chance and has gained plenty of traction. With Fuchsia as the coach, everyone is talking a bout you all. I'd love to see you all prove that even the underdogs can bit the masters at the top." Shiva said, showing some sadness in her eyes as she remembered her days when she competed on the turf.
Aware of the sentiment the two royals were trying to express, Azule, Fuchsia, and Sky all knew of the challenge that awaits them. The magnitude of pressure piling against them as they cross paths with a giant that were blessed with home field advantage, the sea of boos and jeers that'll drown them out while they tried to make a plan and regroup, the image placed on them to be the villains. They were the spoilers, the giant slayers. The team that robbed Vulerby of a thrilling battle against the Titans or Baiji, the team that were on a four match win streak behind a generational talent in third Sky Royale with a squad of resilient fighters. They were ready for the moment regardless of the odds stacked against them.
Sky flashes grin noticing her two companions looked hyped up, "It doesn't matter if we're labeled nor if we're treated unfairly..."
Fuchsia stiffens her shoulders, "As long as there is a giant in our path..."
"We'll slay them." Azule states with conviction, his sharp eyes locked on the pharaoh who could feel the resolve.
Accepting their answer with a satisfied look, the pharaoh decided to skip the topic for now and invited them to spend the day with her and the others-aware that they only had today to get some real rest and rehabilitation since tomorrow would be a working day followed by the tournament resuming.
