Happy new year everyone! Hoping the holidays was a wonderful time for you all and that this new year will be one full of exciting milestones achieved and new experiences that impact you in a great way. In this essay, I will-


Evening arrived in due time.

The pandemonium from earlier subsided as all the hype built up from the daytime matches were now focused on the match of the evening between 3rd ranked Crystal Coast and 7th ranked Kalebrough at the Hulabo Dome where all eyes turned to a showdown that would've been a preview to the final had the drawing been done differently. With a plethora of storylines coming into the match such as the possibility that the winner of tonight's match may very well become the eventual champion, the much anticipated showdown between Siot and Kippy in a clash of old versus new between the third year captain of Crystal Coast and the hotshot first year ace of Kalebrough, and the excitement raised that the winner of this match would face the upset kings Squid Academy in a rematch of another group stage battle, but the most exciting storyline of the match was this specific rematch of the group stage clash earlier in the tournament that saw Kalebrough upset Crystal Coast in a match for the ages. In what became a catalyst for the way these two teams continued their stories in this tournament, Kalebrough propelled to greater heights and Kippy became a household name as a result while that loss painted the image of Crystal Coast perhaps not being as worthy of the hype as all believed-although they did well to assure such a loss never happened since then. An opportunity to truly see whether that first result was a fluke, viewers wanted to know which would prevail: Revenge for Crystal Coast or Kalebrough's confirmation as a contender for the championship.

"Looks like we were able to get here in time." Fuchsia remarked as she grabbed some seats for the others who followed behind her; attending this match were Squidcom as a whole after Azule mentioned he would go and support Kippy and Kalebrough. Although the rest of the team preferred to head back and get some much needed rest, Squidcom tagged along since it'd be a great chance to scope out their future opponent for the quarterfinals.

Cobalt surveyed the venue, "This makes our match look like a small gathering...not an empty seat in sight."

"It's because this is the biggest game of the day!" Tangie chirped, digging into Sally's bag of popcorn. "Fyuh bwhouldn't bwe excited?"

"...You shouldn't talk with your mouth full." Cobalt cringed a bit, wiping off the friendly fire that landed on his shoulder. Her gluttonous habits hadn't changed after all this time.

"Kalebrough won the first meeting and although it was close that time, they've evolved to become an even more incredible team behind their ace and the collective efforts of their starting squad. Almost like they've bloomed into a true contender for the championship from the hype filled team that everyone supported. They're the real deal now." Sally said with a pumped up expression, more than excited about the possibility of facing them after missing the first meeting on the bench.

"With that said, Crystal Coast have also made a ton of progress since that loss and rival the likes of the top two stat-wise. That first meeting might not have any real relevance other than it being the first head to head match when considering these two aren't really the same teams that faced each other then. Kalebrough's become more polished, sure, but Crystal Coast are the team that I'm worried about more. They appear more vengeful than they already were coming into the tournament. I think Kalebrough might have woken them up with that reality check and subsequently made them stronger." Kosami added, a little nervous about the start of the game; both teams were incredibly strong and the thought of facing them made her uneasy even when she had the utmost confidence in her friends and the team overall.

The brim of his cap creating a shadow that covers his eyes, his arms folded as he leaned back into his seat ready to critique the two teams. "All that matters is that we'll be facing the winner and have more information on how to take them down." His tone showed no hint of worry or doubt since he was invested in this match but more importantly was invested in his team's future. The girl who went from being his biggest admirer who surpassed on the one platform they shared, or the captain who made a threatening declaration at the end of their first encounter, regardless of who his opponent was, he didn't intend to show any mercy to his future opponent and wanted to use any means necessary as both of these teams left a profound impact on him.

A highly anticipated match that commanded the attention of everyone involved with the tournament, there were all walks of players and officials in attendance who didn't want to miss the match live. From players who'd already been eliminated to team scouts from the remaining competitors still alive, everyone wanted to get quality footage of these two teams against a worthy opponent. In attendance for the Emperors stood their newest starter, a proven talent who'd been a rising star behind the shadows of his seniors: Royce. Accompanied by a few scouts who were recording data for further analysis on the potential opponents they might run into somewhere down the line, he made an appearance because he was genuinely interested in seeing the potential clash between Siot and Kippy. From his perspective, the short but burning rivalry formed between the two resembled the sparks that flew between Edward and Shiori of the past couple of years. Soon he found his gaze wandering to the two captains meeting on the floor who were doing a coin toss to decide who started with possession for the first set of Booyah Ball. As expected, the captains showed respect towards one another and shook hands, making sure to keep eye contact with one another-difference being that Zepp wore his familiar and friendly smile while Siot looked beyond serious, ditching his usual arrogance.

"Should be an interesting match today, hopefully there'll still be peace between us when it's all over." Zepp joked as he felt the applied strength of Siot on the handshake.

Siot's eyes however weren't friendly, "Peace was never an option." he responded abrasively

Zepp's smile faded, "Is that as a declaration?" his gaze turned sharped follow the hollow smile he attempted to maintain.

"No need when the war already started back in the group stage."

"Interesting, that means that history will repeat itself." Zepp winked.

Siot scoffed, "Better have a good couch to watch the rest of the tournament."

"I think you'd look pretty nice out in the bleacher seats."

No love lost whatsoever, the two captains concluded the coin toss and returned to their teams with a fire lit under them. Neither wanted to lose this match with all the implications that come with it. The team that were a year ahead of schedule with a phenomenal young team and a breakout first year, and then the team that were regarded as a favorite to dethrone the top two; which of these two teams were going to advance to the quarterfinals? That question would be answered in the next potential seven rounds. The team lineups significantly different from the usual rotation, it was all thanks to starting with the unique game mode of Booyah Ball where teams could utilize specialist players instead of heavily relying on their best squad to tank the entire match. Crystal Coast fielded a team consisting of Siot, Lagi, Tiki, Upo, Natia, and Matua, a squad with great agility and speed that would prove useful in this game mode, and for Kalebrough, their lineup consisted of Zepp, Kippy, Pedro, Fiona, Alannis, and Gerard. The team colors for today were Crystal Coast sporting their red and gold alternate uniforms with red ink and for Kalebrough, their black and green uniforms were donned with the same color of green for their ink. The teams fielded and the crowd all warmed up and ready, Crystal Coast won the coin toss and were the ones to start with possession. Up to serve first came Upo, who got plenty of support from the Crystal Coast crowd who hyped him up for the serve in hopes he delivered with an ace...but it grazed the net. Pedro dived on his back to save the ball and sent it over to the back line where Zepp awaited to aim at the Crystal Coast defenses with a set of his own, and for finish came the wonder girl. A first point secured off the power of the ace, Kalebrough struck first and the audience roared behind Kippy as she closed her fists, the hype already kicking in. After winning that point came Kalebrough's turn to serve and it was a thundercracker from Gerard, who timed his jump and shot at just the right moment to get an apex of an arch that had the Crystal Coast players struggling to determine whether the ball was in or out; it was in. 2-0 to Kalebrough, Crystal Coast dug their soles in for the third point and got down and dirty in keeping the ball in play. The wall of Matua, Lagi and Upo proved effective in harrassing Kippy off of constant attacks by limiting how successfully she could strike the ball beyond the net-earning a few block points off of those attempts. But Kalebrough weren't letting them take advantage however as Alannis, Fiona, and Gerard all played their part to alleviate the burden for Kippy and pitch in for points. By the ten point mark, it was all tied at 10 and the noise of the crowd only increased.

Jory whistled, "Talk about being competitive."

"You can feel the tension from up here and it's only the first round." Sally adds, reacting to the point won by Kalebrough just at that moment.

Fuchsia glazed over the turf and folded her arms to analyze, "Both teams are strong in this kind of game but the edge goes to Crystal Coast for experience whereas Kalebrough have the more explosive offense. In all likelihood, the winner of this set might be the winner of the round."

"What makes you say that?" Reice chortled, finding it amusing for a match to be decided so early on.

"This match will be a battle of momentum and the crowd is largely favoring Kalebrough thanks to their reputation earned at the tournament and the obvious head to head battle in which they won. When factoring in those variables and then adding the possibility that they can snag the first set, Kalebrough has that advantage. A win in this first set and the pressure is on Crystal Coast to answer back, and if Crystal Coast fails, they'll be down by two-a kiss of death when facing a team of this nature."

Listening intently to what they had to say, Azule kept his gaze locked on the action and followed closely as the scores altered throughout the match. Kalebrough had the early jump thanks to the rhythm established by Kalebrough's other weapons helping Kippy get her groove going, following the match as it proceeded in a very quick pace with the early half benefitting Kalebrough thanks to their quick rally points and ace serves. Crystal Coast did well to stay in the mix by stumping the tempo with block points and ace serves of their own and taking the defensive approach of making them uncomfortable and forcing them to make more errors that kept them in the match and prevent Kalebrough from running away. Starting off as a 9-6 lead that turned into a 14-12 slug fest, Crystal Coast were slowly but surely keeping themselves within the mix behind the unity of Siot and his leadership with some great performances from the likes of Tiki and Natia who helped rack up some points along with blocking efforts from the trio.

The score now at 18-16 following the continuous clash between the two heavyweights but the score still in favor of Kalebrough, it was Kippy who was now up to serve-a potential nail in the coffin for Crystal Coast when considering that she was one of those dangerous players who could chain together their ace serves and end the game easily; her showing up this late in the rotation was a tactical decision to ensure she'd play a factor when it mattered the most and with the defense of Crystal Coast already agitated by how well Kalebrough were operating as a team to the point that Kippy didn't even need to flex hard only drove home the frustration of how difficult it'd be to contain her when she has the floor. The venue silencing out of respect for the wonder girl, they're treated to an ace serve that moved so quickly it felt like an after image was left behind: the toss, the jump the timing of her gun to the ball, all combine to send the ball with ferocious speed that none could read the spin of the ball and its trajectory, leading to a costly ace serve point to stretch the lead further. The dome erupted in cheer, and the Kalebrough crowd chanted for another one. They wanted to bury Crystal Coast early. Kippy once more took a deep breath and slammed it in; this time Upo's there to stop it but the power she placed was far more than he could handle, and as such, he fumbled on the reception.

"That's another point for the Inkstinct! They stretch their lead to a four point cushion following a couple aces from their star Kippy and now with the score at 20-16 we've got to wonder if they're thinking about closing the game here."

The color commentator shook his head in disagreement, "Still too early to have such a thought but Crystal Coast are in trouble and if they allow her to get any more aces, this deficit will be too great to overcome. In booyah ball, such deficits are all about erasing and building. They have to understand that not only do they have to get possession back and score all those points they've lost but they have to stop Kalebrough from scoring any further, and with the way the Inkstinct have been playing, I can't see it."

"That is true, it's been the case that no matter what Crystal Coast has done to slow down Kalebrough, the team in green has done just about everything to continue scoring in spite of the defense."

"And that's where the trouble brews because at that rate Crystal Coast are going to be gassed by the second set and thinking about a third set is not likely right now. They need to finish strong at the very least if they want some confidence going into the second." Crystal Coast knew this already, but in their eyes it was much easier said than done. Kalebrough were a team that on the surface looked to be ran exclusively through Kippy's production, but this wasn't the at all as Kippy was only the spearhead behind the offense-the true strength of this team laid in Zepp's leadership and the overall chemistry of the team to put extra effort at every avenue. Especially in booyah ball where effort shined its brightest, not every team went after the ball the way that Kalebrough did.

The score ending 25-21 in Kalebrough's victory following the block point earned by the trio, conclusions were already being drawn as viewers were becoming convinced of Kalebrough's victory. After such a strong showing against Crystal Coast and their vengeance driven performance it was apparent that the Inkstinct had gotten in their heads after all and were winning the battle of mental warfare against them. Siot and his crew looked disorganized and agitated when it came to dealing with Kippy and the rest of Kalebrough and that frustration increased tenfold once they were reminded that the rest of Kalebrough's starters would arrive at any moment. To help calm themselves down during the break they reminded one another that it was still only the first round and there would be room for improvement, they just couldn't let their emotions overtake them. As such, the second set began. Kippy played with greater determination than what was shown in the previous set by taking over the offense early on and recording most of the team's points to start-a 6-2 lead proving effective in building Kalebrough's confidence behind her two ace serves, kill, and even a return that Crystal Coast failed to cover. Siot and his crew however fought back valiantly and had the score close at 12-11 after the skipper kicked it up another notch and demanded more from his teammates, to which they responded in kind. A surging effort to cut down the lead after a 15-11 burst, Crystal Coast fought back with block points and close calls near out of bounds to bring it to a two point contest of 15-13 with a follow up of trading points to bring it to a 19-17 score.

Problem is, Crystal Coast didn't account for what would follow next. Kalebrough went off and it started with a mighty serve from Zepp that couldn't be returned, leading to another point scored for the Inkstinct that only piled the momentum. Whether it be a bump or dig, a block or a kill, Kalebrough played with greater desperation to take the first round and challenged Crystal Coast's resolve for war with the captain displaying why he stood at the helm steering the ship of the Inkstinct. 20-17 then turned to 23-17 and finally, 25-18 with Crystal Coast only managing to grab a point for pride and end the crazy streak of points scored by Kalebrough at five as they tried to keep them from getting the set and match point.

They're waiting for me, she repeated in her mind, controlling her breathing. Wiping her face with a towel, she felt her head pulsating and could hear her breathing clearly, the ambient noise around her fading as she focused on the next round ahead. She knew it was only the beginning, but already she could tell from the way her body was functioning that she'd be turning in a performance for the ages; she wanted to end this as quickly as possible and soak in the preparation for the next round. "Alright, everyone! One down and three more to go!" she shouts holding up her finger; "One round at a time! One at a time! Let's keep it up in the next round too!"

It was clear to Kappa and the others that she was still anxious despite clearly looking to be in good form today and they all understood why since this was the equivalent of going to bed when the day was the first day of school or when you're minutes away from a big presentation or about to go on stage before a massive crowd. In this case, it was the match before the quarterfinals-one where the team she sought after awaited her and the obstacle in front of her was the team that should've been behind her considering she conquered them already. They were annoying pests, a hindrance that she needed to get rid of at once and yet here she was having to face them in order to get to the dream match she wanted more than anything.

"She's talking more than I ever expected…" Kappa said, a tiny smirk forming as he watched his sister speak with her friends.

"She's come a long way." Zepp nodded, proud to see the growth she'd made from that shy girl that joined at the beginning of the season back in the fall.

It wasn't only them that noticed this, but all the others as well. Seeing Kippy grow up before their eyes at such a rapid pace was such an inspiring phenomenon for them as it instilled within them a purpose to keep extending and overachieving. When they started the season, their goal obviously was to go to Nationals, but realistically speaking they just wanted to be able to stand on the same stage as the Big Four. But with one retiring and the other vulnerable, they saw at every chapter that their hopes of accomplishing their most ambitious goal became a possibility, not only beginning a new member of the big four on the same stage as the hallowed Special Forces and Beacon Hills, but also winning a tournament and garnering global attention! At every step the experience became more surreal and it was all thanks to their lucky charm in Kippy, so for them, they wanted to deliver on her dream and give her the best match of their life, and beyond that, hopefully an appearance in the final as a sending off gift for the third years who'd cultivated the current roster and built the foundation of a future powerhouse.

Over on the Crystal Coast sidelines, the players weren't fazed by Kippy's monstrous performance since they knew she was a force to be reckoned with and would always get her way in a match. Instead, they turned their focus on the rest of the Kalebrough team. The coaches saw that there was something that could be done to break through Kalebrough despite them practically being an unbeaten team their entire tenure since Kippy arrived there; they needed to weaken the rest of the team. Even if she had the skill and firepower to be a one man team, at the end of the day she was still only an individual part of a team. Eliminate the team and you eliminate her. Siot took it a step forward and shared his insight now that he'd cross paths with her on multiple occasions, enlightening them with the plan he was formulating in real time but unsure if it could get pulled off at the current moment. The second round of Tower Control started with the same intensity as the prior round with both teams putting an emphasis on attacking and controlling the tower. Siot and Crystal Coast played with more energy and less conservatism this time, wary that allowing Kalebrough to get the upper hand here would only dig them into a deeper hole. Kalebrough weren't fazed by the new attitude of Crystal Coast however as Kippy was the first to test the backbone of the team and led the rest to a rowdy contest for the tower at every opportunity. An even battle throughout the whole match, it was Crystal Coast who emerged victorious at the end of regulation to hold off Kalebrough's hopes of an overtime battle. A metaphorical exhale released throughout the building, everyone could finally breathe again after having to hold their breath that entire round. It was fast paced and highly competitive, but most of all, it was unpredictable. After a couple of rounds, Azule and Squidcom couldn't pinpoint who the victor would be when both teams were showing such incredible potential. Kalebrough were looking like the more explosive team thus far, but Crystal Coast were also showing how experienced of a side they were by being able to retaliate against such fiery opposition.

It may go down to the wire. Royce concluded, rewinding both rounds in his mind attempting to draw the final outcome. As a fellow competitor who'd experienced his fair share of these types of matches, it made him uneasy imagining the result since there was still so much match to be played and any little thing could have a profound impact, but as a spectator getting to watch two of some of the best, it was a different kind of treat to enjoy. The attention of the masses locked on how Kippy would respond in this coming round after turning in yet another explosive performance, it was lost on many that quietly and efficiently was Siot playing at his best today as well-without all the fanfare. To Royce, that was a troublesome sign; he knew that if there was anyone as terrifying as the Emperor or Hugh-Napri's Shiore, it'd be the captain of the third best team altogether.

After the coin toss is won by Crystal Coast, Siot reiterates his intention to hunt down Kalebrough and squash them in the name of war and in turn selects Crystal Coast to be the Seekers making Kalebrough the Hiders. Zepp welcomed the challenge, amused at how deeply his side got under the supposed top 3 player's skin in seemingly no time; that prior battle in the group stage really left a sour taste in the captain's mouth. The third round of Hide Ink Seek saw Kalebrough bring their response to Crystal Coast's victory with Kappa and Virgil making their appearance for the day after watching from the sidelines anxiously. A slow but sure approach by Kalebrough, they wanted to implement their usual starters into the match one at a time and mix things up with their rotation in preparation for the latter half of the series, hoping to snag some victories without having to expend their best weapons so prematurely. Problem is however, so too were Crystal Coast following an identical strategy and refraining from deploying their main squad so early on, instead fielding a squad that could be utilized entirely by the captain as the match progressed. Where the first half of the match saw plenty of slow buildup and mind games taking precedence, the two sides looked to feel the other out and it was only a matter of time until both teams would showcase their true strengths in the latter half. Crystal Coast was relentless. They traded points early on but stuck to their objective: taking down the target player. The target player in this case was none other than Kippy, who played her usual style despite being the most vulnerable on the turf. A suffocating and ruthless pursuit of Kalebrough's ace, Crystal Coast made sure to trap her into difficult scenarios consistently and forced her to critically decide: Fight or Flight? Each time they squeezed her into such a precarious situation, the ace who'd never experienced such hostility for the first time looked very much vincible. But that aggressive approach didn't falter Kalebrough altogether as the team played with unity and an overwhelming trust in their ace with the captain commanding the team to support her in every way imaginable; she didn't need protection, just support. As such, Kippy understood their intentions and kept her morale up despite the tactics of the enemy proving effective.

I'll take responsibility! Her thoughts echoed as she moved erratically through the turf surviving the onslaught of attacks from Crystal Coast, her sights set on Siot-the orchestrator behind this mess. As long as she stood up to him and took him down, the message would be loud and clear that she had no intentions of becoming the beast they planned to slay, but instead prove to be the unconquerable nightmare who'd send them home.

That bravado however, backfired.

The hop in her step, the freedom in her movements, all of it evaporated with each merciless splat recorded by Crystal Coast as time waned. Siot especially fished for the kills, licking his chops whenever Kippy looked to take him on in a solo duel; he enjoyed sending the message to her that she still wasn't on his level yet. Over and over again, her mental fortitude was tested, and once again, she came up short. The points gathered for Crystal Coast thanks to her stubbornness, Kalebrough were forced into a precarious situation and had to choose between actively competing to save this round or to sacrifice for the next round. To avoid succumbing to a brutal defeat that could severely affect their morale and focus in the ensuing rounds, Zepp made the ultimate call and played conservative once he noticed that at the rate the round was going, there was no chance for a comeback. A savage knockout that left an ugly wound on Kalebrough, Crystal Coast jumped ahead to a 2-1 lead.

The noise in the dome growing by the second in reaction to the convincing victory earned by Siot and his crew, the Inkstinct appeared to be a bit concerned during the break. Their ace sitting off to the side gathering her thoughts and seemingly staring off into space, the concern of her teammates was that her uncharacteristic isolation and silence stemmed from getting mentally rattled by Siot and Crystal Coasts tactics. This was a rematch after all and it wasn't surprising for such an opponent to hit harder than before, especially now that they had data on how to deal with Kippy directly. For the longest of times, there was one insecurity they possessed that had never really been tested and that was due to Kippy simply being too good to be stopped. But now, here she stood faced against an even opponent that now knew how to counter her and put her on the ropes. For the first time, Kippy was experiencing the pressure that came with the expectations she'd long carried.

"You two don't need to worry about her." Kappa said joining Alannis and Fiona, who were worried about her since it was the first time they ever saw her in such a state.

"B-but, she's never been this quiet before!" the pair responded in sync.

"At ease you two." Zepp hopped in; "Big brother over here knows better than we would."

"Stop that." he hissed.

She didn't show her usual attitude but it wasn't due to feeling defeated or even scared, but rather... She's getting serious. He thought, observing her at a glance. It wasn't unheard of for him, but he'd seen this side of his sister before when they were younger and now was no different. Anytime had that expression so clear he could see it through that mask, he knew it was time. "Hey, finally waking up from that dream?"

Kippy nods, "Sorry it took so long. I won't be a burden any longer."

"Are you kidding? We've been waiting for you." he said with a smirk, a wave of relief washing over him as the look in her eyes was one that instilled a new confidence.

A brewing ember hidden in her irises, her gaze finally stopped piercing beyond the enemy and instead directly at them. On the brink of entering that place where it was nearly impossible to gain entry on sheer willpower, her determination to turn that dream into a reality was enough to grant her that chance. Her mind emptied and her avatar present, Kippy found herself in the sea of darkness where a green glimmer of light awaits. "Time to strike before the eleventh hour."

Zepp and the others can feel the difference now. Finally, their battle for the quarterfinals can resume.