The evening sun already vanishing and replaced by a bright white moon suspended up high overseeing the skyline of Ravia, the first day of the knockouts came to a close with only a final pair of matches remaining. The stadium lights shining brightly on the lush green turf with supporters from both sides making some noise in the stands, the players of their respective teams are unable to contain their excitement for their appearance on prime time. The first day of the knockout rounds started off red hot as the dominating headline for the morning was of the monumental upset by Squidops after defeating the 12th ranked Blazers, showing the whole world that the trend of ranked teams losing to a particular unranked team wasn't just exclusive to that particular team from Inkopolis, though it was captivating that yet another Inkopolis team pulled off a similar upset. And speaking of that particular team, the other massive headline for the day included the stunning upset by Squid Academy in defeating the fan favorite 4th ranked Vulerby in a victory that seemed to flip the tournament on its head as Romaine and his squad were going home before even reaching the last 16. Also making the top of the tournament news feed was the 6th ranked Bluerings beating 20th ranked Wobblegongs in the first of hopefully many ranked versus ranked matches in the knockouts. As for the other notable winners of the first day so far, defending champions and top ranked Rukovna Emperors were slated to face Gideon-Strawsburg in the next round, 22nd ranked Polaris were due to face Squidops in an interesting exchange, 15th ranked Yermozani will face Youngstown and perhaps the two hottest matches early into the next round were 3rd ranked Crystal Coast versus 11th ranked Bottlenoses and perhaps the match that had potential to be a "Match of the Tournament'' contender, 5th ranked Skolar facing 6th ranked Bluerings. With all those exciting games to look forward to for the next round with still a whole day of exciting matches tomorrow, the day wasn't over as the two final matches for the night were about to begin shortly.
They happen simultaneously at different venues. 7th ranked Kalebrough versus Burste-Riota Tech at Ravia stadium and 21st ranked Nimaroshi 1st High versus Olo Tech at the Pelagi dome. Heavily favored to win their matches, the reason for all the buzz about these two teams performing on prime time was more about how their star players would showcase their might in front of the whole world. On the Kalebrough side Kippy Moreno emerged as the sweetheart of Inkopolis and now at Nationals, the whole world was falling in love with her all the same as she displayed her humility and sincerity after every single victory. Nicknamed the Wondergirl and Wonderkid, Kippy left everyone astonished with her breakout performances in the group stage where they were the only team in the group of death to go unbeaten-a feat that not even the other unbeaten teams could take lightly. As many were calling it-especially with Vulerby out of the tournament-Kalebrough were the biggest threat to the defending champions and runner ups now, and given they already beat Crystal Coast earlier they were in prime position to take the crown. But as much as Kippy and her squad were hyped up, they weren't the only ones dominating the airwaves as on the side of Nimaroshi 1st were pleasant talks about the team considered to be a fun watch with their stars Yuji Nada and Shinichi Nishida leading the way; they were hot picks among many to make a deep run...except there was quite a troublesome outcome.
"If Kalebrough and Nimaroshi win tonight, they'll end up facing one another in the next round." Fuchsia announced to her team after viewing the tournament bracket and noticing where the two teams were positioned. Gathered behind her sitting comfortably in the chairs out by the illuminated poolside, the players all wear relieved looks. An air of calmness surrounds them as their gazes focus on the pair of monitors suspended above on the pillars, the players felt an amazing weight lifted from their shoulders.
"Talk about beating up on each other, those are a pair of headliners right there." Parker said with raised brows, surprised by the potential match up happening so early.
Zaneki looked unimpressed by the potential match up, "Better for us, if you ask me. One less tough opponent to face will just benefit us."
"Good thing nobody asked." A cutthroat Sally responds, shooting a glare at him.
"Woah there I'm not looking to start a noise, just saying it's easier for us! What's the harm in that? Don't tell me something sappy like the preserving the 'spirit of competition' when we know it's far more beneficial to avoid those opponents. I mean, we're this far as it is, might as well get some lucky breaks."
"Sally's been sidelined indefinitely and can't compete in the one tournament she worked her ass off to get in. That comment you made is a disrespect to the hard work teams like us have put in to get to where we are. We play who is in front of us but never wish for a team to fail in hopes of an easier opponent. There are no shortcuts to the finish line."
A giant smile replaces the ugly frown on Sally's face, "Well said."
"I'm just saying, one of the teams could get upset tonight."
"I think you're smelling the roses a little too hard." Todd mumbles dryly.
"Oh, come on! Not you too!"
"Alright alright enough wailing on him…" Fuchsia claps her hand with a sigh, "I've gathered you all here after your freshening up so we can observe the two teams in their respective games. Thanks to the managers being so kind to oblige, we're able to view the games out here in this nice weather!"
"Pay close attention to these teams and observe any of the little idiosyncrasies that make them who they are. This will be a valuable experience since it's possible we could face them further down the line." Apollo announced in all seriousness.
Reice twisted up his face in distaste, "Even after a win, we're already doing homework on upcoming opponents. Brutal…"
Hannah raises her hand, "What about our schedule for tomorrow? Will we be watching any of the games?"
Fuchsia shakes her head with an emphatic "Nope!" following as she crossed her arms, "It'll be business as usual for us with our team practice. I've decided to send the others to do scouting on the other teams while we're busy so that we can watch the film later and dissect them and come up with new strategies."
"Always thinking one step ahead I see!"
Getting shushed by Tangie as Kosami turned up the volume on the pair of tvs broadcasting the games, Squid Academy joined many other viewers in watching how things would unfold in the prime time games. Over at the lodging where Beacon Hills were staying, a similar watch party is held with the players all huddled together in one of the rooms with their attention glued to the big monitor atop the dresser and many of them munched happily on their snacks they smuggled in-receiving some flak from Gin who urged them to take it the viewing seriously for scouting purposes rather than sit back and relax like it didn't concern them; Gin had an especial fixation on Kalebrough ever since they defeated Special Forces. And speaking of Special Forces, they too were watching the pair of matches in their respective rooms with Jin inviting his juniors to watch with him and his roommate Clemente, only choosing to invite them since he and the other senior players weren't on the same page lately despite their success on the turf. Also tuned in to view the coverage but specifically to watch Nimaroshi play under the lights were the starters of Toka, who already had history with the team from the heated battles in the last couple of years in big tournament games.
"Wow, no remorse right from the start!" Shiori's jaw drops in disbelief as the gang of green and black jerseys were already moving out in numbers.
"Looks like they plan on sweeping them. I guess the little first year is growing up fast too." Takahashi had a huge smile on his face, proud to see how quickly Kippy's progress went but a little envious of how well she was improving from where she started.
A usually noisy pair who were always at each other's throats, their attention to the match became a huge relief for the others who were exhausted by how animated the pair got during the day when they seemed to disagree over almost everything yet somehow having the most similarities out of anyone else on the team. Viewing the match intently with her notepad out and her forehead wrinkled, Shiore watched attentively what transpired on the screen. The Tower plays a most joyful tune as chaos unfolds all around with splashes of green clashing with the splatters of orange, the green and black jerseys of Kalebrough darting about shutting out the attack of the crimson red and purple jerseys of Burste-Riota Tech. A one-sided contest thus far, Kalebrough opened up the match with a purpose as they claimed the tower immediately and took out half of the enemy's forces along the way and all thanks to the leadership of Zepp. He was by far the hungriest on the turf and not because he wanted to show the world who was the capable leader reigning in the feisty sibling duo, but because he wanted to elevate their game as well. And his attitude was contagious. Swift and severe on the punishment, Zepp made Burste-Riota suffer on their shortcomings of attempting to contain his squad by cashing in on several successful kills that eventually led to possession always in their grasp. A mighty struggle for the crimson shirts watching Kalebrough move at light speed, they couldn't keep up with the trailblazing inklings in green and were reminded every second that they didn't have any business on the same turf as them. Kalebrough most certainly looked like the team the media had been hyping up for the last few days with their players firing on all cylinders. Kippy looked flawless as she seemed to almost be feeding off of the energy of the crowd, Kappa was on his game today having not missed a single mark when targeting an opponent, and Zepp and the rest were all playing a superb game by spreading out Burste Riota thin and taking advantage of the messy response. A quick result in the first round as the whistle blew, it was a knockout victory that everyone foresaw based on that intensity and as the second round began, the questions settled in on whether Kalebrough could follow up such an impressive debut round with another. That question was answered shortly after. Not even lasting an entire minute, the rainmaker found its goal via a power slam by Virgil, who was extra fired up after seeing how his teammates were performing.
"A back to back pair of victories, Kalebrough takes a 2-0 lead!" the lead commentator announces on the broadcast.
Sitting in silence with a disturbed looks watching on were the Squid Academy roster, who never thought they'd see Kalebrough become such a dominant force in so little time. This was supposed to be a game at nationals where the best of the best go head to head in tight contests that can sometimes be decided by luck or a miracle and yet...Kalebrough were destroying their opponents like they didn't even deserve to be there! Reice sucked his teeth and leaned in his seat, frustrated not because of Kalebrough winning so easily, but at the defeated faces of the Burste-Riota players who looked shell shocked. They got punched in the mouth and never recovered and the worst part of it all? It's an elimination game. To perform so poorly in an elimination game after working so hard in the group stage to get to this point had to be the ultimate disservice to the supporters, coaches, and players themselves. Reice wasn't the only one who was upset with the quitter's mentality of Burste-Riota as Jin too looked dissatisfied watching the match. Seeing a team fall to despair on live television against a strong opponent felt like a slap to the face to all the other teams who missed out on this chance. The Moreno siblings didn't care however with their eyes telling the whole story of how they felt-not even breaking a sweat yet. Laser focused with light in their irises looking beyond the checkpoint at the end goal. This stadium would host the final game of the tournament and by all means did they want to return here for that occasion. In the third round, they delivered a killing blow. It was a game of Hide Ink Seek with Kalebrough as the seekers and Kappa and Kippy laid out their true strength and played on automatic, accruing enough points in as little time possible and securing the knockout all just a little over a minute in a jaw dropping performance.
To say the audience was in awe was an understatement.
The way their stars shined so brightly despite the lacking of experience, their captain showing poise as he led the pack, the coaches showing immense trust and reassuring them of their continuous growth, and the overwhelming support from their fans who were behind them every step of the way. For the opposition and those viewing at home, this team looked deadly and every bit worthy of being considered the champions. Beacon Hills, Special Forces, Yermozani, and Squid Academy all shared the same sentiment watching that team out on the turf: they truly are a scary bunch. Kalebrough weren't the only monsters making an impact on prime time as over in the Nimaroshi-Olo game at the Pelagi dome were the 21st ranked team putting on a show of their own with three consecutive victories in their rounds. Yuji and Shinichi didn't disappoint in their return to the knockout stage with a couple dominating performances in the first couple rounds followed by an amazing team effort in the third where the team displayed their chemistry and ability to single out their target and light them up in forest green ink and essentially break the will of Olo Tech. Burying them away quickly it was a satisfying match to call at the end as the Olo players already looked defeated under the greatness of Nimaroshi.
"The barrier of Olo's goal bursts yet again. Here comes the swarm of Nimaroshi players on the prowl to end it as Olo gets cornered with no numbers to defend. Shoto tosses in a couple. Kobayakawa protects him from enemy fire. Yuji and the others are in the area but they won't be needed as Shinichi wraps a bow on this dominant victory."
The whistle blowing to conclude the round and match, the broadcast displayed the Nimaroshi players already hugging one another and shaking hands with the Olo players, remembering to show respect to their opponents first and foremost. A suitable ending for one of the heavyweights, Nimaroshi advanced to the round of 32 where their opponents would be the promising Kalebrough Inkstinct who just concluded their match as well. Watching on with great interest not because they would have to face one of these teams soon but because it was meaningful scouting material were the trio of Hugh-Napri, Rukovna, and Toka, all wearing serious faces as they observed the shiny numbers 9 and 21 besides both team's names. A match that had massive implications for who might have a deep run in the tournament, one of two major death matches for the round of 32 were confirmed tonight.
"Well then…" Austin abruptly rises out of his seat, having seen enough. His feelings were shared by the rest of the players, who felt a fire lit under them after watching the two teams perform. It was to be expected from their rivals in Kalebrough, but after seeing Kippy and Kappa elevate themselves once again, they all recalled that battle they had in the group stage against them which in turn triggered a nagging sensation to blow off some steam. However, Fuchsia wouldn't have that. Though she was left speechless by their performance, she couldn't allow her team to behave irrationally and as such, dismissed the players to get some rest without an appeal. No more work for the night. Inspired by what she witnessed, she already had a blueprint in her mind of what she wanted to put on the turf but it'd take more than visualizing to craft a proper weapon for Dango. As her players made their exits to their rooms, she held her staff behind with a fire in her eyes warning them that she'd had an epiphany. The after hour preparation for the skilled team of charger users begins.
