Under the bright lights in the Pelagi Dome, two colorful waves sway in anticipation of the opening round. Green, black, and white, the colors of Kalebrough are loud and proud as the flags are raised with them singing their medley of team songs to hype up their side, a favorite among them being the song of the wonder kid who they believed would guide them to victory. Forest green, white, and gold, the colors of Nimaroshi 1st show their loyalty and support by doing their pre-game tradition of a passionate chant for their players. An incoming duel between the teams ranked 7th and 21st respectively, the general consensus among casual viewers and spectators was that this was a surefire spectacle thanks to the star players who headlined the match. The Moreno siblings of Kalebrough and their talented roster led by their captain Zepp, and Yuji Nada of Nimaroshi, who boasted an impressive profile and was considered to be one of those special players who could elevate themselves when it mattered the most, as well as Shinichi, another threat that Kalebrough had to watch out for. With this match serving as the main event of night in prime time, all eyes turned to what kind of performance the "Wonder Girl" Kippy Moreno would display this time with some pundits and fans declaring her to be the potential tournament MVP with how well she's played so far.

As the two teams got ready for their important knockout match, a recap on the day commenced from the broadcasting booth. Touching upon the earlier news from the day, there was discussion about all the match winners with some brief coverage on the victories of the Emperors, Sun Pharaohs, and Yermozani, and there was a greater concentration on the trending topics of upset victories by Squidops and Squid Academy, which turned social media on its head with their shocking results. Not only were the upsets by teams from the same country, but the teams earned the respect of everyone as potential threats to the favorites in the tournament due to their unique styles. But the biggest news of the day were the massive showdowns between the powerhouse teams, namely Skolar and the Bluerings, and Crystal Coast and the Bottlenoses. The former match was as close to an even contest on paper as imaginable as it was a battle of the prodigy of the Bluerings against the twin terrors of Skolar. An epic clash that lasted six amazing rounds full of fierce competition, it was Skolar that prevailed against the might of C.C. and his limitless potential. The latter match was also another fun filled battle that featured the headliners Siot and Hadley going head to head, a pair of players ranked within the top 10 at numbers 3 and 7 respectively. A slow start to the match early on as it tied after the first couple of rounds with the teams feeling one another out, things came to a frenzy when the Bottlenoses narrowly claimed victory in the third round and jumped to a 2-1 lead, the last time they would ever lead in the match as Crystal Coast went on a tear and won the next four rounds to secure their advancement to the next round; they now awaited the winner of this match to know their opponent for the round of 16.

Watching the broadcast closely with a towel over his shoulders with some sweat droplets forming on his face after cooling down, Siot assessed the stats displayed on the screen for the two teams. With a choice between Kalebrough and Nimaroshi 1st, Siot couldn't decide on which opponent he desired for the next round. Kalebrough made sense for multiple reasons: It would be a chance for him to avenge his loss from the group stage and also send a message to the rest of the top teams that they have all intentions of appearing in the final. He preferred the tougher opponent especially with this being his final season as captain, and Kalebrough fit the bill as a team that earned the praise of everyone and emerged as a tournament favorite, giving Siot all the more motivation and desire to face them. To take down a fellow favorite would further strengthen their claim to the title. But his desire to face Kippy and Kalebrough didn't mean he overlooked Nimaroshi at all though, and in fact was wary of what the 21st ranked team was capable of. With Yuji Nada setting off many red flags for him as an unpredictable captain, Siot acknowledged that Nimaroshi 1st had the advantage of the unknown as the scouting data on them was far more limited due to them being one of the less covered top teams. So if Nimaroshi were to be Crystal Coast's opponents in the round of 16, perhaps that might be the truly difficult encounter.

Also watching the television broadcast together while letting the moment sink in that they would be one of the final 16 teams left in the tournament, Squid Academy unpacked their emotions. There wasn't a single face who wore a smile watching the broadcast, mostly because they knew who their opponent for the next round. The Skolar Ogres.

"Honestly, I'm convinced. We're in a simulation-we have to be!"

"Reice, enough already." Sally rolled her eyes.

"Now now, here me out!" He held up his finger with eyes wide open, ready to dish out an explanation; "Aside from our past experiences making it feel like we're some sort of characters in a story, we've been in the group of death and had a gauntlet of top teams to compete against. We ran through the host nation's team that just so happened to be one of the top 5 best and we avoided the trap match in the round of 32. And now, when we finally make it to the round of 16-the sweet 16, we've got to face...Skolar. Skolar fu-"

"We heard you the first time you ranted about this literally half an hour ago."

"It just boggles my mind! Why us! Does our creator hate us? Does he enjoy milking us dry for enjoyment? It's freaking hot man, I want to go home!"

Jory tugs on Violet's sleeve, "Think he has heatstroke?"

"He'll come to his senses." Violet said coldly, a clear show of annoyance on her face from hearing Reice ramble.

With Reice continuing to spread the strange agenda that they were being watched, the others were focused on the match pre-game show airing at the moment. Cobalt and Tangie clicked their tongues in synchronization with a scowl as the broadcast showed Yuji on the screen, remembering the annoying encounter from the other day. The general mood in the room was that they didn't have time to care about other teams when they have their own battle to look ahead to for next week, but they couldn't deny their to root for one of their fellow rivals from Inkopolis, especially Azule, who wanted to see what Kippy would do under the bright lights.

"We knew going into today that our opponents were either the Bluerings in a rematch or tackling a new threat in Skolar. Nothing has changed since then other than confirmation of who we face and how to prepare for the next round." Fuchsia said in her usual calm tone when simulating what a composed head coach would sound like; "It's fine to feel emotion but don't let that fatigue and frustration consume you."

"Still grinds my gears thinking about how we're running a gauntlet and some of these other teams are having a cakewalk." Reice rants again with a stomp.

Snadra nods, "I do resonate with how he feels when considering things would've been preferable if we faced the Bluerings. We've beaten then before and most certainly could do so again."

"Yeah, but the reverse is also true too. They'll want revenge and have the performance of their life against us and that isn't taking into consideration they would already know how we play and have a tactic meant to exploit our flaws." Zaneki adds.

"Wow, everyone's so passionate about this." Kosami mumbled, watching her teammates exchange their views.

Mason also hopped in the conversation, "I think deep down, everyone wanted to face C.C. and the Bluerings again after the match in the group finale. But at the same time it's also scary and exciting fighting another new opponent, though our luck once again is nonexistent considering who we're facing."

"Hm. What do you think, Sky?" Pastelle looks over to her.

No response is given. That silence of hers deafening as her gaze stuck to the screen, disconnected from reality as she absorbed everything from the broadcast. While the team knew Sky was likely paying attention considering Kippy and Kalebrough were playing and she wanted to see what changes the team might've made since the last time they met, they also were aware of the respect Sky had for C.C. and the Bluerings following the conclusion of the epic group finale. She had to be feeling a certain type of disappointment in not facing them again for a rematch.

The black jerseys with green trims huddle together surrounding their captain in the middle who clapped his hands passionately trying to get them mentally prepared for the battle ahead. Prior to the words of motivation they'd receive from their coaches, Zepp had words of his own he wanted to impart on his comrades, hoping to spur them on for another victory against a tough opponent. Composed and authoritative, he left an impression on what the others believed to be a model captain, and today was no different. The reassurance that can be felt by how gentle yet stern his tone carried when he delivered his message, his sturdy appearance and that infectious look of confidence that always had them geared for a war the moment he flashed that smile. Today was a critical match for them and he made sure to remind them of it. Over in the huddle of green and white jerseys with gold trims, Yuji had his arms around Shinichi and the others, encouraging them to loosen up and get comfortable-today was another day they got to compete and a chance for them to soak in another game that several others teams wouldn't get to experience.

"The round of 16 awaits us, so let's handle our business here!" Zepp roars with a raised fist.

"Let's take this one round at a time, everyone!" Yuji commands, clapping his hands together while doing so.

Their teammates absorb their messages and respond with howls and roars of their own, hyped up and prepared for a harsh battle ahead. A first round battle at Pelagi Dome, the game mode is Turf War. Under bright lights at center stage with all eyes on them, the two teams open up the first round swinging. Zepp led his squad, and Yuji led his squad. An open clash of a group battle, Kalebrough saw some casualties early on that tipped the momentum in Nimaroshi's favor, but the engine of Kippy revved as she solo'd and brought with her a pair of kills to make matters manageable. The score reflected how close of a struggle it was for the two teams, and seldom did a side manage to maintain the lead for long as possession swayed like the wind. One moment Nimaroshi would have the momentum and control and a moment later they'd find themselves scrambling thanks to the presence of Kippy who picked them off like weeds in a driveway. Her presence alone boded concern for Yuji and his side, who struggled to answer her explosiveness unique to only her. But they weren't without any answers to Kalebrough's ace however, as Shinichi stepped up to the plate and took on the challenge as Kippy's opponent, often inviting the duel to help draw her away from group settings where she proved to be most effective; this tactic is what kept them in the thick of things as Nimaroshi were a group oriented team that thrived on acts on teamwork rather than individualism. Kalebrough didn't let the obvious attempt to isolate Kippy faze them though, as Zepp, Kappa, and the rest all stepped up their game and coordinated attacks centered around the precision of Virgil's attacks while Pascal and Tiffany assist him with grabbing kills with Zepp and Kappa acting as poachers in Kippy's stead. The lead exchanging several times with bursts of green and yellow splattering everywhere and blinding the vision of the players, the tempo of the game increased rapidly as the match approached its crucial moments.

Pascal got splatted in a trade with Yonji Kobayakawa that saw them both taken out for the moment, but despite the trade it wasn't equal as Kalebrough were down an additional pair of players in Tiffany and Virgil who got caught by Shoto of Nimaroshi. As it stood with under half a minute remaining, Nimaroshi had the narrow lead and was attempting to build upon it to put the first round out of reach. Kalebrough's big trio still remained in the fight. With the map nearly split in possession with more yellow encroaching on the green with a higher concentration on the wings of the map currently out of reach, the goal for Zepp and his juniors was to flip as much of the center map to green as they possibly could with their undermanned trio having to face the music against Nimaroshi's quintet. Far from fatigued and brimming with energy instead, the ferocious trio launch their desperate attack in hopes to take the first game. Kippy flew like the wind dancing through the map painting the floors and walls while acrobatically dodging the fire from Iguro and Shoto en route for Shinichi, her biggest threat of the trio that needed to be dealt with swiftly or else their chances of victory in this round would dwindle. Zepp and Kappa worked in tandem to deal with captain Yuji and Meguri, who were the brains behind this operation proving so successful.

"As time wanes the battle intensifies! The Kalebrough trio march into enemy territory with a split of Kippy drawing a majority of Nimaroshi forces to her location while the duo of Zepp and Kappa turn their focus to the skipper of Nimaroshi."

"With little time left and the score so close one can understand why the aggressive approach. There is likely no chance that their lost teammates will respawn in time to have an impact in this round and that means it works to their benefit to take down Nimaroshi's forces first and work to turf at the same time, which is what I believe Zepp is attempting here: Kippy gets her kills while he and her brother focus on outmaneuvering Yuji Nada and getting that precious turf in the process."

Moves made in the blink of an eye, Kippy darts through the defenses of Iguro and Shoto thanks to her rolls and closes the gap with Shinichi, leaving the pair in the dust as she sets her sights. The Nimaroshi star wasn't fazed in the slightest by Kippy's burst of speed and instead aided in the closure of the distance, intent on neutralizing her force in the match. He kept track of how many rolls she performed and paid attention to his surroundings, aware of the mix of green and yellow everywhere and wary of a potential trick play in the works. If there was one thing Nimaroshi learned quickly about the wonder girl it was her tendency to mimic her idol in utilizing trickery in the most opportune moments and this particular scenario Shinichi believed to be a prime example of that trickery about to be at work. Dualie users were cumbersome opponents due to the versatility of which they had with their weapons. They could be aggressive and bulldoze with speed and mobility, or play with finesse and use acrobatic maneuvers to their advantage, and Kippy seemed to define what a peak dualie player looked like. She had brilliant pace and even better judgment, and seemed to know just the distance to keep when in battle, and then there was her athleticism which placed her high up on the pedestal as one of the most exciting players to watch. Shinichi's breathing alters, his senses tuned to a higher degree as Kippy's imposing aura encroaches on his space; she's coming for him. A split second of a decision, Shinichi was ready to intercept Kippy Moreno and show her that even when she gets serious, she's still just another player in his eyes. Her eyes sharp with a ferocious glint, Shinichi twitched as he memorized that exact look of hers and knew her next action. But even though he had an amazing sense of judgment to anticipate his opponents, his teammates lacked that trait. He opened his mouth wide but the words couldn't come out in time, his voice unable to project the desperate tone he wanted to convey in that instance. The sharp glare, the subtle smirk forming in the process, and the way her body didn't move with any predictable motion. Shinichi knew it was a feint, but his teammates...

The audience roared to a rumble, the commentators on their feet in utter amazement shouting out their thoughts in reaction to what they witnessed.

Shinichi was absolutely right to anticipate Kippy was about to commit a feint and take down his teammates since it'd even the numbers and make it easier for her to focus on the tougher opponent ahead. The hours he spent dissecting her play and imagining how she would play came into effect immediately in the first round already, but he wasn't the only one who was wary of her movements. When she planted her feet firmly and tilted all her momentum to the rear to look ready to turn around and attack Iguro and Shoto, instead she did the opposite and moved forward, leaving Shinichi stunned as she performed one of her most acrobatic feats yet. Her body contorting in midair as she executed a side flip, Kippy used her momentum to land and fire her dualies at the same time to propel herself forward into Shinichi, giving him no time to react. Launching into him like a missile, the reaction from the crowd told the whole story as both fan bases jumped out of their seats in reaction. But that wasn't the only reason why they were brought out of their seats for the other battle taking place also came to a full steam of action as no casualties were recorded but instead a highly contested duel took place. Zepp and Kappa looked merciless in their pursuit of Yuji, who teased them both to his advantage to control the tempo while Meguri operated on assisting him and turfing the remaining turf. An exchange of blows between heavyweights, the captains of the two teams only saw each other in the reflection of the other's eyes: A humble captain supported by stars versus the star captain who could command a legion, the two were two different personalities coming to a clash. The amount of yellow turf slowly turning to green, Zepp demonstrated that he wasn't just a reserved captain who would rely on his juniors to do his bidding; he led by example. The battle between the two far from resolved as time expired with all four still remaining alive somehow, Zepp delivered a message to the still standing Yuji with a point of the finger, the message written on the scoreboard.

"Kalebrough: 1, Nimaroshi 1st: 0"

A declaration of war, Zepp sent the message to Yuji that he had no intention of losing this match after jumping ahead to a 1-0 lead, something Kalebrough had become accustomed to doing all tournament as they won every game they jumped in front 1-0, though they've won all their games regardless. The entire Kalebrough section erupting with a cheer, the sidelines were also showing some emotion as players clapped their hands and raised their fists, understanding that they were in prime position to take victory now that they could control the flow of the match moving forward. Though they stared at an early deficit, the Nimaroshi players and supporters alike didn't look concerned in the least showing little reaction to the close defeat, it was only a single round in their eyes and they weren't the type of team to roll over. The first round in the books with Kalebrough ahead, attention turns to the next round of Last One Standing at the dome. Would Kalebrough jump to a 2-0 lead or would Nimaroshi even up the score? As those questions took form in the minds of many watching, the players themselves are geared for what comes next.