The pulse of the dome rises ahead of the fifth round, the idea of who would emerge victorious at the end still unclear under a tied score or a couple wins each. A back and forth contest between the two teams with very different identities and paths leading to this fateful crossroads, this upcoming round of splat zones would prove to be pivotal to the success of both teams as odds would have it that whoever emerged victorious would likely win the match overall, according to the pair of commentators calling the match. Teams that won in the fifth round had the statistical likelihood of winning overall with a favorable percentage winning it all in six rounds and a less favorable but still high percentage winning it in seven rounds. When told of these stats, that only riled up supporters more who were anxious for the outcome for the next round. Skolar played well so far and did a great job of taking the first and third rounds, but Squid Academy were the true story of the match so far as they not only tied the match once-but twice-proving that they had an answer to whatever Skolar threw their way and did so without utilizing their main squad for most of it. With the main squad finally together in the fourth round and delivering such an empathic statement to Skolar, the question for the Ogres was how would they respond now that Squid Academy showed their fangs. The match dominating the airwaves, everyone was tuned in to watch the match after hearing that Squid Academy did the unthinkable in tying up the match yet again. Kippy and the Inkstinct were packed together in a room watching the match closely since the winner of this contest were their opponents for the next round pending they advanced today as well.

The ace of the team watching nervously and in silence-the opposite of her usual buzzing personality that always kept noise, the others all understood just how important this game was to her; if they won, she had greater incentive to win her match later because she wanted nothing more than to have a rematch of the fireworks display that happened in the group stage. She wanted this Squid Academy team that ran through plenty of capable rivals on par with her team, she wanted to go head to head with Azule at his best and measure whether she'd eclipsed the person she admired and hailed as her inspiration. Crystal Coast were also watching the match closely, interested in seeing who their potential opponents would be should they win today. At the dome, the section where the Galloways were sitting were in a frenzy and they too were also going wild with excitement during the break, though theirs was more due to seeing how awesome Reice performed in that round. Overall, it felt like the stakes were rising deeper into the match it got.

The two teams huddled around their respective coaches listening to the strategy moving forward, the desperation brewing on the sidelines of both teams as the reality of the situation kicked in and brought with it more pressure than already present. For one unfortunate team, their season full of grandiose ambitions and expectations would come to an abrupt end-and for some of the seniors, a bitter final chapter to their careers knowing they wouldn't become pros. All or nothing, it laid in the hands of the few kids who'd grace the turf. This is what it meant to be a team willing to go down together. To have trust and truly believe in one another even in vain. Skolar's six ogres were selected and trusted to carry the burden moving forward; they'd done so from the beginning but now it was even more concise: they had to deliver. Carmichael, Miralem, Sigurd, Jean, Amber, and Pierre. Chosen to represent the team as the ultimate vanguard, the other players placed their faith in them.

"Henry, Dennis, Mia, Solana, Erik, Marcel, Francois, Noelle, Mathieu, Olivier, Antoine, Remy, Lily, Nisse, Monica, Rizetta, Melie, Amy...thank you for all that you've done in this campaign, and though we have no intention of letting it end here, I want to express my gratitude for placing your faith in us to defend our season." the captain solemnly swore, calling the names of his teammates; "We'll live to fight another day, so watch over us in this next round and take over for the quarterfinals."

The feeling of respect beyond words, they all gave a solid nod and trusted what their captain promised, leaving it to him and that deadly squad that were always the closers. Conviction shown as those six took to center stage, they awaited their opponents who hadn't made their arrival yet. Over at Squid Academy's sidelines where the heads of all the players were lowered with everyone channeling their strength ahead of the next battle, the announcement by their coach stunned them all to silence afterwards. It was a mixture of disbelief and total elation with some players and staff members alike moved to tears once the reveal was proven to be more than just an out of season joke as she stood before them wearing the same look she'd carried all tournament. The octoling overjoyed to see that his eyes weren't deceiving him, he rushed over and held his hand out for a tag.

"Knock 'em dead Sal!" he wished with elation tagging her in.

Her eyes carrying a coldness as she entered her zone, "Yeah…" she muttered, her gaze locked on the battlefield where she would be returning to for the first time in months. Her legs showing no signs of weakness with each step she took and her body looking to be in peak condition as she carried her infamous heavy splatling that earned her the reputation as Squidcom's ace, she now carried an air similar to that of a reaper on the battlefield representing a much bigger cause than the humble team she helped build with those mighty pair of hands. To the eyes of the competition not just on the turf but watching in their rooms, her arrival was the equivalent to the evening bells tolling thy name.

A huge high five exchanged between the subbed out Jory, taking the stage wearing the fiercest glare to a standing ovation from the Squid Academy supporters and an uproar from opposing supporters

"Substituting in for Jory from Squid Academy, it's Sally Walleye…" the commentator gasped, also in disbelief that the famed heroine of the once small team had found a way to beat even fate and make her big return in a critical match. The Squid Academy supporters gave a standing ovation in response, it was a ballistic reaction from the audience in pink and blue who were very appreciative to see her back where she belonged. The Galloways were shouting at the top of their lungs even louder than the sea of Squid Academy supporters, and Marigold and Canary were hopping about, unable to contain their enthusiasm. At home watching proudly sat the elder Walleyes who shed a proud tear seeing their granddaughter command the spotlight taking the stage, and many many miles away, her parents wore the biggest smiles on their faces watching from their mobile devices.

Chills went down the spines of Carmichael and Miralem as they locked gazes with the ace of Squid Academy, the yang to Azule's yin, the end to the beginning. If those two intended on sending her team home, they'd have to go through her-the fierce stare she sent their way a terrifying warning that she was about to show them something they hadn't experienced in their life.

Another one? They both thought simultaneously. The sensation they felt was something only the likes of the Emperors, Hugh-Napri and Crystal Coast had managed to do. Even if they weren't fearful of the rest of Squid Academy, at the very least their instincts told them that Sally Walleye was the one person they needed to proceed with caution the most; she's more terrifying than little blue himself, who was evolving by the minute.

"How many more are they going to keep throwing at us?" Jean sighed, irritated that Squid Academy's roster seemed endless with blinding talent.

"It doesn't matter if they have enough talent to fill the entire deep sea, they're still beatable at the end of the day. We field our best against theirs and take them down head to head. Simple." Amber declared.

"Nothing to get a warrior's spirit excited like being thrown against an opponent of this caliber." Sigurd laughed, masking his fear as even he recognized they'd been put up against quite the powerful force.

Miralem's expression sharpened, "They showed their hand to us, it's about time we cut it off."

The imposing appearance of yet another monster talent for the enemy side, the additional pressure to win the next round now that Squid Academy bolster their squad even further, and most importantly, the fear of failure after making such a declaration before his teammates who place their trust in him, Carmichael could only wear a smirk absorbing the atmosphere. In his opinion, this is what made Nationals such an unforgettable stage in the sport: a shared venue where all dreams sans for one came to die, a hundred and twenty eight teams pouring their mind and bodies towards achieving the same goal all while having to end another's. As a competitor, he couldn't have asked for a better scenario or opponent: the giant slayers and their stacked roster of hidden talent-all after the head of him and his trusted partner in crime. These next few rounds would be some of the best he'll ever play regardless of the result; he owed that much to them is what he believed. "We end this in six. I promise to treat you all to the best dinner when this is all over."

"You sound like a generous person for once, kind of creepy." Jean laughed.

"Don't jinx us with all those red flags." Amber added.

"Regardless, we'll show no regrets so we expect the two of you to go all-out. Promise?" Sigurd looked over to the twin terrors, who both had the resolve to lead them to victory as they each gave a deep nod together.

On the other hand, A team usually full of excitement and buzzing with energy and familiarity, this time was much different. From the dagger-like glares of Pastelle to the intimidating aura surrounding Sally, all of the players who'd been chosen for the pivotal fifth round treated this like it was life or death; in fact that was the case for those who'd already had a close brush with death before. Azule didn't have any words to motivate his team since there wasn't any need: the situation they were in was already more than enough and with Sally's surprise return they all had a fire lit up within them though they masked it under their serious expressions.

"You're looking kind of stiff captain." Sally joked as she rested her arm on his shoulder and placed her splatling on hers, demonstrating her physical strength.

Azule flashed a sneer towards her, "I've been doing a lot of heavy carrying, you see?"

"Oh? And here I was wondering why you were looking a bit more handsome. Been working out, huh?"

"I had to hold down the fort until you came back, so it couldn't be helped."

"Hmph. You've doubled down on that arrogance too."

"It's good to have you back, Sally." he smiled.

Sally returned the smile with a nod and shrugged her shoulders, "And it feels great to be back. Now, leave the rest to me and go off."

"Haven't missed a step, have you?"

"You'll see."

The teams sitting in spawn prepared ahead of the fifth round of Splat Zones, the dome was at the loudest volume it reached for the day thus far cranking to a decibel level higher than the previous personal record for the best of the day, nearing close to the loudest that the arena had ever reached. It was so loud and wild that from inside the building it felt like the place was shaking, so down below on the turf was an incredible experience as it felt like a miniature earthquake was occurring. The countdown done by the audience, a massive roaring cheer opened up the round as the whistle blew to start the round. Instantly the gates empty and the two squads rush at one another en route for the zones, the turf quickly changing to the respective green and pink colors in a matter of seconds. The zones open for occupation, the two teams clash for the early advantage. Skolar's forces were evenly split as they prioritized a simultaneous siege or at least hoped to secure at least one in their favor, but what they faced on the other side was something unexpected as Squid Academy opted for an uneven 4-2 split with Azule and Sally taking one zone while the rest of the squad was sent to secure the other. The trio of Sigurd, Amber, and Jean barked callouts while left in disarray attempting to track down the slippery captain of Squid Academy who utilized his rolls tactically and applied pressure from all angles. If it wasn't for their precision dodging, they would've been splatted by him immediately. But despite the looming threat he posed, he wasn't even the main target for them to be worried about even though he succeeded in grabbing their attention with his breakneck pace, instead it was the other monster on the turf that had them performing with malaise. A thousand yard glare paired with devastating accuracy on the fire, the trio had to deal with Sally and her heavy splatling, a weapon that few used effectively in the tournament. Her tank refilled after submerging while Azule continuously added pressure and knocked on the door of getting a splat, enter stage left: Sally.

Not one. Not two. But three!

A triple splat from the flanking position opened up the zone for the pair to claim, the chemistry of the captain and his ace appeared to be stronger than ever before as it looked like for the very first time, Azule found a teammate equal to him that wasn't his sister. The zone quickly turned pink in no time and the question for the pair moved on to what to do next: stay and defend or link up with the others who were battling for the other zone? It was pretty clear from that small sample that Azule and Sally as a tandem were destined to be a fearsome duo, but for them to challenge Carmichael and Miralem right away would be a bit hasty even if they wiped out half of Skolar's forces in under 25 seconds.

"She obliterated them!" one fan spoke marveling at what Sally accomplished.

"They had this kind of power sitting on the bench!? Oh man, they might be the real deal after all!"

The buzzing comments from the audience was music to the ears of the Galloway family who all grinned from ear to ear hearing the praise going towards Sally. As they scream at the top of their lungs in support of Reice and Sally, they watch along with everyone else how the rest of the game unfolds following the burst from Squid Academy's best pair. The score remained unchanged due to one of the zones still not occupied, the battle on the second front was tight as Skolar did well to hold their ground against the numbers of Squid Academy. With Violet posted up high while Sky maneuvered in a hybrid role as an attacker while also hanging back to be a cover, the attack of Squid Academy thrived behind the emergence of Pastelle and Reice who aggressively challenged Carmichael and Miralem who were backed up by Pierre. The captain's orders were absolute, and with their numbers shredded to half, Carmichael was wary of letting Squid Academy gain the upper hand early on, but with the way things were shaping with the formation of Squid Academy digging into their heels, he knew that desperate times called for desperate measures, especially when the other team caught fire with a player heating up. An aggressive turnaround, Carmichael and Miralem closed down the space between themselves and Reice and Pastelle and ignored the enemy fire looking to overwhelm them, but the duo weren't flustered and instead invited the duel. A fast paced slugfest of trading paint, the twin terrors do well to survive the waves of pink that came their way, only lasting so long thanks to Pierre becoming a nuisance for the two snipers whom he antagonized and drew away from the cone of the zone, in turn leaving his teammates room to maneuver.

I'm better suited to deal with the roller boy than this girl. The way she moves is way too similar to little blue, and at this rate we'll be in trouble if we eat up too much time trying to stall for reinforcements when it's clear the other pair can attack at any moment. But there's no openings from my angle. Miralem should have a better matchup against her with his great tracking ability. I hate to switch but we need this to avoid a crumbling first strike. Carmichael makes a break running in Miralem's direction ignoring the subsequent shots fired from Pastelle.

The other terror remained focused on Reice up until he caught Camrichael in his peripheral vision, and almost on instinct did he break in his direction; he understood from his sudden movements that he wanted to switch assignments, meaning that he must've seen something worth making the effort to change. Reice and Pastelle rushed to close down the gap and prevent the obvious switch, noticing that things might turn out bad if those two got the matchups they wanted but there's also the danger of a team battle that favored the twin terrors. If Pastelle and Reice tried to challenge the pair in a team battle it was assured to go in favor of Skolar; they couldn't allow that to happen either. That hint of hesitation is what would've proved fatal for the pair, if it hadn't been for a third appearance. The audience roaring loud following the elimination of Pierre, the players soon realized why the audience turned up. She's here too. A fierce blast from a blind spot that neither of the terrors detected, Sally took them down in one fell swoop, recording a six consecutive splats and securing the lead for Squid Academy behind the work of Sky and Violet turfing the zone in the process.

A surprising development thus far, the Skolar fanbase rallied behind their players and matched the intensity of the Squid Academy cheer in hopes to rejuvenate their team's offense which boasted a couple of the best to do it, and likewise did Skolar respond. Carmichael and his squad came back with any answer for Squid Academy's attack that first time, managing to briefly strip the lead away behind the teamwork of the twin towers with big help coming from Sigurd and Amber, but that didn't last long as the recurring problem for them reared its ugly head once again: Sally. Despite finding an answer to every problem thus far and seemingly figuring out Squid Academy already, they hadn't found an answer to dealing with Sally just yet, and it was costing them greatly and her presence alone prevented them getting over the hump and building their lead. Like attempting to punch down a wall, Skolar couldn't break through Sally, who quickly became Squid Academy's central piece on the turf.

From a close score to quickly slipping away, the distance put between Squid Academy and Skolar left discouraging feeling of hope slipping away within the hearts of the Ogre's supporters along with a sinking feeling of despair, all due to a single person's impact with her heavy splatling that seemed to be a cheat code at the point with how easily she exploited the team. Many of them thought while watching: "We have to fight her again?" as she continued her mentally and physically draining dominance over them. It wasn't as if Skolar had gotten snuffed out and exposed either, they effectively rendered the entire team of Squid Academy null and void and found ways to block Azule and Sky from having their usual impact, problem was they didn't ever have an answer to Sally and her freshness-boht in pace and in style. As a team who thrived off adaptability this was the one time it couldn't work in their favor due to her making them bleed faster than they could stop it and before they could even dedicate attention to stopping her, that required them to pull numbers away from the others, who in turn prolonged the bleeding by making Skolar pay. Regardless of what they did, they were going to bleed out, and it was a demoralizing sight to witness as Skolar's two best genuinely looked lost in figuring out how to deal with Sally and her unorthodox style. It was tough enough as is dealing with Sky and Azule that they managed to figure thanks to extensive observation and study of the recent footage, but Sally was a cold case entirely that no one would have foreseen playing. It was thought that this round should be close and end in a narrow margin to victory to excite the next round, but instead Squid Academy once again played spoiler and defied all expectations by unveiling the one who was considered the heart and soul of Squidcom-now blooming to become the future queen bee of Squid Academy with her epic return and debut on the biggest stage imaginable. A blur of a fifth round that saw Squid Academy jump ahead in the lead knocking on the door to the quarterfinals, the raucous crowd split into two factions: One rooting for the shocking upset and the other hoping for an ultimate battle in the seventh. An instantaneous end that brought forth a newfound support from the true neutrals, the chants of "One game away" filled to the rafters as the brass band for Squid Academy added insult to injury on the despair-filled Skolar fans.

The eyes of the world turning to the twin terrors who had their heads covered by towels listening to their coaches during the break, the hopes of the school rested squarely on their shoulders. The reality of surviving nationals becoming a harsh one as they find themselves staring down elimination in the next round, how will the duo respond?

Squid Academy-3; Skolar-2.