Thank you for your continued reading and please enjoy the chapter!
A cool and serene sight, the morning in the city brought forth yet another day of competition within the city surrounded by mountains and dunes. The locals were getting their routine started and the streets grew busy in return, the city itself awaking from its slumber as the lights turned off in favor of the invading sunlight creeping over the horizon. At a hotel deep in the heart of the downtown district out in the dining hall were a noisy yet orderly bunch of students sitting at various tables where the indistinct chatter was drowned out by the morning news and the focus on what was trending in the tournament. The first day of the round of 16 taken care of, today marked the latter half for the games that featured a couple blockbuster matches dominating headlines: the renewing of the Inkopolis derby on the biggest stage at Nationals with the meeting being the final one between the Ika brothers, and the other featured the team in question, the most explosive team-tenth ranked Toka versus second ranked and arguably the best team, Hugh-Napri. A routine discussion held during the first meal of the day, the players of Toka were gathered together to enjoy one another's company, but to also acknowledge that this was the calm before the storm where they could share their thoughts and feelings ahead of battle since once the whistle blew and it was time for war, every ounce of the energy and mind was to be devoted to the competition. The same sentiment is shared among them all as they munched on their meals, the anxiety of facing the mightiest obstacle in the tournament rearing its ugly head first thing in the morning. After a successful campaign that saw them down their opponents with ease they now found themselves staring down the toughest opponent in the tournament-a team who were one of the few remaining unbeaten teams in the entire tournament now that Kalebrough and Skolar had been eliminated; the others were Rukovna and…Toka! An unbeaten run rooted in the luck of the draw, they handled business in the group stage and fended off the 16th ranked Wizards to take the stop spot in the group stage, then taking care of their opponents in the rounds of 64 and 32 respectively to get to this position while boasting one of-if not-the most explosive squads in the tournament. All due to the team composition that saw many key players known for their ferocious impact stacking the roster, it was captain Shunpei who was the face of the team along with some notable names such as Yuto, Kazuma, and Aoki, who were all excellent players with outstanding caliber.
"That doesn't mean we can get too far ahead of ourselves! We're facing the ultimate goliath of the competition and you best bet they'll come at us hard. We both boast unbeaten records and our play styles will clash. The better performance matters far more than the talent and when that gets taken into consideration, we stand a prime chance at beating them!" Chitose shouts with a shaking fist, her mouth full of steaming food that burns the inner lining of her cheeks and the roof of her mouth forcing her to take exaggerated breaths to cool down.
"Talk about a great message ruined by execution…you're spewing food everywhere damn it!" Kota shouts in response.
"S-sorry!"
"Sorry my A-"
Kazuma clears his throat to divert the attention from them, "It's very true that performance matters on the turf, but in this case it'll be difficult to believe in that philosophy when considering Hugh-Napri is among the most efficient teams in the tournament along with that busted roster they possess. We'll need an effective strategy for dealing with the heavy cannons they'll be launching our way as well as an effective counterattack."
"What we know so far is that they regularly employ a starting lineup of Shiori, Shiore, Takahashi, Akiti, Chidori, and Kentaro with regular appearances from Ono, Beni, and the Sanada brothers. They play at a blistering pace and their offense is performed at such a high level that their defense is of no concern, especially when that sect is covered altogether thanks to those same players I called all proving to be efficient defenders." Aoki adds, scrolling through his phone but still actively listening to whatever went on within the conversation.
Takeuchi nods, "Take into consideration the game modes for the rounds in today's matches: Booyah Ball in the first, Tower Control is second, Hide Ink Seek sits third, Turf War is fourth, Splat Zones at fifth, Clam Blitz at sixth, and Last One Standing is the final round. Of those seven rounds, it can be assured that they will hit especially the hardest in Tower Control, Splat Zones, and Clam Blitz, all game modes where they can quickly dictate the pace at their leisure and control the outcome through a knockout. We target those rounds specifically and disrupt their tempo and that gives us a slight opening to manipulate the momentum."
"Problem is, those are the second, fourth, and sixth rounds respectively. We can't hope to let the match go to the seventh and pray for a victory at the last minute. We need to target one of those rounds and steal them away to prevent a nightmarish final round. We need to take them down early for the better. More than likely they might be thinking the same thing as well."
"Booyah Ball and Hide Ink Seek are the two modes that are also a toss up when considering that they're specialists. Booyah Ball is one thing but whenever they're the seekers, they're practically unstoppable. Since it's all up to chance on whether we can be the seekers, we'll need to brace ourselves for that round as well." Aoki warns, wary of the lofty opponent they'll battle soon.
"I find it a bad practice to think this way before a match but that's what comes with the territory of facing that team. Our first goal should be to match them blow for blow in the first round since we have a great shot. Aim to survive and push them out of their comfort zone first and then think about stealing the round later. There will be plenty of opportunities knocking so we must act when appropriate. The key to taking them down is to make as little mistakes as possible." Kazuma added.
"Simply make fewer mistakes than them…a tall task." Kaoru said, enjoying a cup of coffee.
"Tall task, tall order, tall tale. We didn't come this far to get embarrassed by them of all teams." Shunpei concluded.
With this match serving as a massive challenge for Toka, they were determined to be the ones who would upset Hugh-Napri, a team that were practically untouchable and playing at their peak throughout the entire tournament and resembling the team that won Nationals a couple years ago with many of the first years from that team now full fledged third years who were looking for a third consecutive appearance in the final. As the pride of Ikayumu and the premier team representing that nation in this tournament, Toka wanted to offer relief to their natives back home who were already wrestling with plenty of sociopolitical issues as is. There'd be no better way to cheer up the people and spread unity through the island than to defeat the tournament favorite and eventually make it to the final and even win; they had the team to do it, but once again it all came down to their opponents.
Likewise, Hugh-Napri were continuing the tradition of their morning meal together as the players broke bread and shared laughter under a much lighter atmosphere that stemmed from the players knowing that they were the team to beat and embracing the challenge and pressure that came with being one of the favorites and the most dominant team in competition. In spite of that however, there remained one who was still unsatisfied with the team's performance despite being unmatched. As one of the third years who was on the championship winning team as a first year and then as a runner-up the following year, she knew this feeling far too well and knew to trust her instincts. From her perspective, things were going too well and the team was too comfortable despite the current situation. She believed that although the team was performing well so far, there was this uncertainty that loomed in their shadow as they walked the lonely road to the top-a path that they shared with only another; that was what left her uncomfortable. There shouldn't be another on that path, and yet here she stood in the middle of her wandering gazing at her shadow that seemed to attack her the moment her guard lowered.
"We can't lower our guard." Shiore warns, cutting into the conversation between the starters who all sat with her. "We're playing some of our best matches out there but always remember that there is a target on our backs and we can't ever forget that we've tasted defeat before. We know what it feels like to be hunted and although we're the hunters once again, there are others who are also hunting after our target but are also after us."
"Oh come ON! Relax already, Shiore!" Shiori groaned, annoyed with her paranoid cousin; "We're at our peak and have dominated the scene all tournament. We've done our research on every opponent we've faced and thoroughly dissected them like a lab experiment. Toka will be no different."
Shiore wrinkles her forehead, "Toka are ranked in the top 10 and have a vendetta to come after us, if we're not on our game we'll meet the same fate as the other teams who were ranked within the top 10."
"Yeah, and half those teams got outed by the same team while the others ate one another up. Not the same circumstances."
"Doesn't change the fact that the 'invincibility' around the top teams this year is nothing but an illusion. My point is that we shouldn't wait until a close call to get serious. From the opening whistle we should crush them before the opportunity ever arises."
"I believe the saying goes 'prevention is better than a cure' if I remember correctly."
"Exactly, we shouldn't take Toka lightly."
"Oh please, you just want to test out the results of that new training regimen you w-"
"Hey now, that's confidential! I for one agree with the two of you. We should be wary but still enjoy our time in this tournament. I'm aware that last year was a similar situation since we had that swagger as the defending champion and this year we're looking to avoid falling into the toxic mindset. However, I also believe that is enough grounds for wanting to value this specific run. It is the final year for third years, they deserve some fun."
Elsewhere that same morning, the routine for Beacon Hills remained the same as always even if the pressure of the Inkopolis Derby added to the already lofty and hefty expectations on the team's ambitions for a successful campaign. The players were using this precious time to get mentally prepared for the upcoming battle in the afternoon, already physically ready and warmed up for the fateful clash in what would be a final chapter in the war against this edition of their arch rivals. No further motivation was needed. As for the morning routine, the team weren't doing what other teams were doing during this round and actually avoided having a morning meal together, preferring to instead spend their time doing what they preferred than force a false pretense of unity ahead of a final boss like Special Forces. As the biggest match in the careers of all who donned the silver and black this year, it was a unanimous decision for the team to be split out into their own pockets and circles and gather their thoughts and recollections ahead of the climactic final to help focus on a single piece of emotion to drive them further into a battle ready state, especially for those deeply intertwined in the rivalry. Fear of failure didn't exist in their minds, only resolution knowing this would be the final time some of these players would share the turf with a team they'd grown to hate with immense passion.
It's derby day. Silvia thought after opening her eyes for the first time that morning.
Sure to go down as an instant classic, the news was riddled with promotions and hype surrounding the fateful final battle between the Ika brothers in rivalry that stemmed beyond the team colors and history. A family feud that spilled to an even bigger family feud, this was the match that had the eyes of most viewers-even more than the highly anticipated clash between Hugh-Napri and Toka! The coaches all scattered about making last minute preparations and adjustments ahead of the battle set to start in the afternoon, the players couldn't stop talking about their feelings ahead of the match. A mixture of excitement, hints of nervousness, and some relief apparent from the starters to the bench players, this was a match that they all had been looking forward to becoming a reality for months to years-even. A match to settle the score during their tenure as representatives of their learning institutions and community, it would be the end of an era as after this year would see the end of the Special Forces team that the whole world knew and came to love (and hate) as it appeared that the team was entering an unprecedented transition in culture. The team that had been known terrorizing their competition throughout the years were entering a new era with half of their roster comprised of third years who carried on the tradition of the 'Gold Standard' in Inkopolis looking at their final competition before graduation in the summer and leaving behind a team of some second years and plenty of first years that were slowly etching a different identity from the traditional one seen. Such developments drove home a concise revelation for Beacon Hills, a team who were hellbent on sticking it to their arch rivals: they had one last shot to take it to their old foes before that hallowed team that had their number these last three years got bragging rights for the era.
A dominant topic on the airwaves as pundits weighed in and helped promote the match, one such player who had so much involvement in this mess and knew deeply in her heart what it meant to be a "Silver Squid" living in the shadow of Special Forces was none other than Silvia, the wandering second in command of the team who'd been tasked with finding Gin following orders from the coaches who mentioned that he hadn't been seen all morning. As someone who'd been there since the beginning, never did the thought cross her mind that one day it would all come to an end. That she'd have to say goodbye to those rivals she hated with all her heart, and one day, no longer fight beside Gin and the others.
Now, where is that mush for a brained captain…? Silvia thought wandering aimlessly listening to the indistinct chatter all around her, aware she was garnering attention wearing her silver and black team training sweats. The weather is still favorable, though that's probably going to change once the sun reaches its apex. Luckily we're playing in the late afternoon where it'll start to get cooler as we reach the evening. Strolling along outside after no luck of finding him near the resort, she couldn't help but notice how in some ways the sight of Ravia reminded her of home. The barren land off in the distance, the mixture of friendly and unfriendly folks, the way the city roared to life from sunrise and never settled until deep into the night, everything felt like a foreign yet familiar view of home. Come to think of it, it really has been a long time since then…
It was two years ago when she'd first stepped foot on the campus of Beacon Hills as a starry-eyed first year, the monumental reputation of the institution before her as she saw for herself firsthand just the kind of the place the hallowed Beacon Hills was. A powerhouse and facilitator of students into the armed forces, it was a prime destination for all who called the hills their home. The team who were among the Big 4 of Inkopolis for what felt like an eternity, Beacon Hills were always going head to head with Special Forces as the best team in the nation and unfortunately for as long as she'd remembered, the squids in gold were always triumphant. But that never erred the folks of Beacon Hills from letting their voices be heard and known as the loudest and proudest who always backed their squad regardless of the circumstances. It was that ironclad fortitude of confidence and faith in that team that gave birth to her resolve to becoming one of Beacon Hills' finest soldiers and hometown heroes. Numerous battles fought over the years both on and off the turf, all that time she spent with some of those players that she'd come to consider an extension of her family that now gave birth to the strength she had now to move forward as the beacon for the hills. All thanks to growing up beside that stubborn and vulgar captain Gin that she'd experienced an unforgettable two years. At the very least, she wanted to show her appreciation.
Snapping out of that quick remembrance, off ahead of her running at full speed without a break in his step was her captain who looked possessed. The way his arms cut through the as he swung them in motion with his back remaining erect while lifting his legs in great strides, it was that sight of him and his ever focused gaze that bewitched her to come this far not as a teammate but as something more, though she'd resolved long ago to abandon those feelings. For in her eyes, it was unnecessary-at least that's what she figured he would say and think. The respect she had for him as a captain and as a friend far outweighed whatever trivial feelings she might've possessed in a different context. A wide smile sprouted on her face as the heels of her shoes dug into the concrete sidewalk, immediately leaving a cloud of dust following a set of footsteps that increased in pace. Although he was already moving at top pace, even Gin could feel the presence of another that almost always managed to keep up with him no matter what he did-a presence that had grown to be all too familiar and even comforting at times. His pace increasing tenfold, the stern look on his face softened as he heard those footsteps get closer and felt that presence near him.
"BEAT YA!" she shouts triumphantly, surpassing him in no time and immediately jumping in front of him to bring him to a halt.
Gin couldn't control his speed however…
A crash that led to the pair falling on the floor with Gin on top of Silvia, the captain broke out in a cold sweat in addition to the already dripping appearance. His face getting red from the sudden turn of events, it was the laugh from Silvia that forced him to return to his grumpy self and hide that moment of vulnerability-a side that only she managed to get to see once in a blue moon.
"The coaches are looking for you." she said, dusting off her clothes with a slight giggle while Gin looked away, partially because her sweaty clothes were becoming transparent but mostly because he couldn't believe he allowed her to get such an up close view of himself like that.
"Right…"
"That's all you got? No rude response?" She teased, noticing he was a bit flustered by the sudden development.
Gin shook his head, "What happened here stays here." he sighed in agitation.
"Maybe. If we win." She winked.
"Now's not the time for joking."
"I got it, I got it…But it's amazing isn't it? It's been over two years since our first encounter. All this time later and we're helping make our city a better place, can call ourselves a winter champion, and are fighting at Nationals. To think this time next year we'll be in our third year preparing to graduate. Time really does fly by…"
He shrugged his shoulders, "What, gonna miss me?" expecting her usual cool response. But Silvia didn't answer, her honest eyes telling the whole story as she looked at him in a way he'd never noticed. As such, his face began to redden as even he wasn't so dense to not recognize the mood getting created. "S-sorry, that was bad taste on my part. My bad." he cleared his throat afterwards, looking to switch gears from the subject.
Silvia could only let out a hopeless laugh, "Let's head back before someone else gets sent to find us. I'm sure it'd be hard to explain why we were away for so long if we're seen together."
"R-right." Gin mumbled, his imagination running a bit wild now that Silvia opened pandora's box. Third years. Final season. Gin never thought about life after Jin for these last two years since every waking moment of his life was spent on figuring out how to surpass him. Now that the possibility finally showed itself where he could achieve that goal, not once did he ever consider what he'd be doing afterwards-after Jin retires. Would he step down too? Would he play his final season in entirety? Perhaps focus on his future? And regarding Silvia, maybe even…
"Hey, you coming?" she interrupts his train of thought, already moving on ahead.
"Coming." he responds.
As they make their return back to their team, another Ika brother managed their time isolated from the rest of their team this morning. The phone pressed closely to his ear as he stared down at his feet before a luxurious view of the city scape, Jin clutched the phone tightly as he listened to the voice on the other side. His expression sharper than usual, his wrinkling eyebrows straightened once they finished their statement. The phone hung up afterwards, all he could do was let out a tired sight and crash into his cushioned chair nearby-sitting forward with a thousand yard stare. They're coming. They're coming after all…
Those in reference were the Ika family, all of them. From close to extended, the entire Ika family were going to be in attendance for the epic finale of the Inkopolis Derby featuring the Ika brothers, the conclusion of the rivalry between big brother and little brother enough to attract them all the way out here for a live viewing. Even though they said they were coming here rooting for a classic…he knew it was a lie. Deciphering the conversation a moment ago, a pained expression overtakes him as he stares up at the ceiling above.
"You're coming here!?" A shocked Jin parroted, quickly lowering his voice once he realized it was still early, although the walls were sound proof.
"Yeah, your mother and I managed to coordinate with the whole family and we'll be in attendance for today! Quite a surprise huh? When we saw there was a possibility at the beginning of the tournament and saw how it got shaped for the knockouts we knew we had to have faith in this happening."
"I-it's a surprise for sure…does Gin know?" Jin asked with a hopeful look, expecting there to be a chance that this rivalry may have a turn for the better and can be a purely competitive bout without any bad blood.
"N-not yet! But we'll be sure to notify him as well. Anyway, how are you feeling about today? This may be one of the biggest games you've ever been part of, though you already have your fair share of big battles."
"Wait, you haven't told him? He should've heard about this before even me! When's the last time you talked to him?"
"I admit we haven't spoken very recently but-"
"When was the last time?"
The line was silent.
His face twisted as he began to clench his teeth in anger, "Did you even congratulate him when he won the winter tournament?"
"O-of course we did! We're very proud of the both of you! You're the pride of the Ika family-both of you!"
"Then why are you calling me first? Why does it sound like you're making him an afterthought? He's been the better player recently and deserves all the respect and attention that comes his way. Not just from the media and pundits but from his own family."
There's no answer once again and it was that lack of response that was more than enough for him to get the message.
It didn't take long for the mood to get sour as Jin did his best to pry and decipher what his parents could be thinking by treating his brother like this, and before he knew it, they had to make up some cheap lie to run off the phone. An ugly realization that followed after reflecting on his family, Jin was starting to see what it was his brother had been fighting against all along. He was an outcast within his own family, and he himself had been an agent in it all. Instead of being a loving brother and supporting his younger and vulnerable sibling, he instead treated him the way that he did and helped contribute to the abrasive and hateful nature he now possessed. The guilt was overwhelming to say the least as all those memories from his childhood no longer carried that glittering experience once he imagined it from Gin's point of view. This entire year had become an eye opening experience for him: he fell back down to earth, the landscape changed, and his brother seemingly caught up to him in the process. It felt like things simply weren't going his way, but now he was getting a gut check of the reality he'd been avoiding while living luxury and now, it was up to his response to determine whether it would be for better or worse what this new reality ensues.
"My first battle with Beacon Hills before he showed up, that first time we met on the same floor, the countless battles that followed…" he wanted to let out a chuckle but the guilt got to him; "This will be the final time I can face my brother." he concluded with a bit of melancholy, only now appreciating the many times he was able to defeat his little brother as for the first time ever he was now unsure about his chances against him.
As for the other teams that were competing for the day, all were making their necessary preparations. The 14th ranked Monarchs and 18th ranked Knights were playing in the evening at Pelagi Dome with the winner playing the winner of the night match between Jiuyan and the Moon Pharaohs, the only match in the round where both teams were unranked. As teams that'd been overlooked due to the heavy hitters who headlined all the matches ahead of them, they were still very much capable teams who could hold their own when it mattered and they'd have the chance to showcase that in front of everyone in the primetime slots. For the battle between the Monarchs and the Knights, it was also an overlooked contest that featured some promising talent who were getting outshined by the other storylines dominating the tournament. Captain "King of the Sea" Sinbad of the Monarchs and captain Alistar of the Knights would surely have something to say about that however as both of them not only boasted some of the best teams in the tournament but also had favorable resumes of their own as individual with Sinbad ranked as the 14th best player in the world and Alistar known as a another one of those players that just had something that made them special and a total threat at any moment.
Noon arrived in no time and the time for the matches to commence approached fastly with many of the teams who already competed the previous day using the time before the games started in different ways. Some chose to get their rest for the morning, others headed out to the venue to catch the match live, while others still showed interest but valued any extra bit of practice above all else. Squid Academy were in that third group where they valued as much extra practice as possible, primarily because they knew their opponent was going to be a foe that bested them before and seemingly broke through their original roadblock; Crystal Coast were far better than last time. With a similar approach to the previous times before a match, Shiva and the others split up duties with scouts getting deployed to observe the remaining matches. Cory, Phil, and Dustin were observing the games of significant importance which happened to be the ranked matches since all those teams would be a potential threat later down the line and it'd help to have some updated information on them. Some of the others who regularly scouted like the other members of the Elites were instead staying behind to assist with practice today or working with Fuchsia to devise some strategies from deciphering the raw data gathered from yesterday's battle, although they too intended to do some scouting on their own.
While it was assured that everyone wanted to soar to new heights and settle the score with Crystal Coast especially after what happened with Kalebrough, none carried the same determination and anger as the captain who looked to be in a far more crabby mood. Where he'd usually spend his time managing his bursts with Midnight and drawing as much feeling and sensation, instead he was returning to the basics and working on his fundamentals followed by fine tuning his style of play after noticing how Siot easily picked apart Kippy's dualie play that was arguably superior to his, meaning that if Siot had already figured her out, then he'd have a much tougher time since his style and hers were eerily similar. That similarity also created a frustration for him as it felt like once again he had to stand behind the eight ball in these matches and not by choice, but rather fate. The mental burden he tackled round after round, situation after situation…the boy was just tired. To that end, the rest of the team were motivated to help ease that burden for Azule. Sky and the other charger players worked in tandem to practice marking and deployment of their subs and specials-finding that to play a big part in how they'll deal with Crystal Coast's speed and psychological warfare they loved to introduce. In one of the conference rooms, the trio of Fuchsia, Kosami, and Apollo were busy running through all the data gathered on the matches from the previous day and putting together a compilation of all the necessary information.
Meanwhile Crystal Coast had spent the first half of the day resting and recovering from the brunt of their wild and demanding battle the night before, their plan for the day centered around light workouts in the afternoon and evening to keep their bodies active and avoid getting stiff bodies. But Siot however was the only one who didn't utilize rest and relaxation during this time and instead preferred studying Squid Academy and their recent battles to get extra data and analysis on the future opponent. Laser focused on his observations, his interest in the Royale siblings skyrocketing as he watched the film of the game against Skolar-especially in Azule's case who appeared to be living up to expectations with immense growth shown since the group stage that felt like an eternity ago.
In regards to the other teams who survived the battles of yesterday, they were using this time to get their rest and use the day to their heart's content. For example, Yermozani were out in the city exploring some of the attractions-Janice even managed to become a regular at a local shop she frequented throughout the whole tournament and make friends with the owners. Edward and the Emperors were also enjoying the day knowing they secured their spot in the next round, using the day to soak in some more history of Ravia and Squirabia by visiting some monuments and historical sites that were in the nearby towns and cities. But where those teams enjoyed today as the fortunate ones who lived to see another day, the teams who weren't so fortunate were instead coping with the harsh results in their own way. Squidops and the Inkstinct were both in attendance for the match between Hugh-Napri and Toka, although Kippy was absent while the rest of the starters were there to observe a highly touted battle; some of the bench players for both teams opted to go watch the Inkopolis derby later in the day instead.
Over at Alqamar stadium where people were still filing into the venue, the lot buzzed in anticipation for the heavy bout between two powerhouses. From the passionate and dedicated supporters of both sides making an appearance to some celebrities with ties to the two teams also making it known who they rooted for, everyone had their attention on this particular battle, especially since it was a tough act to follow the match that closed out last night's first day of the round in Crystal Coast and Kalebrough. Also in attendance dressed in their traditional garbs to support their fellow countrymen stood Cobalt and Tangie hand in hand, treating the moment as a retreat away from the usual duty although both still saw this date as a scouting assignment first and foremost. The crowd noise elevates in no time as time approaches for the two teams to grace the turf before their supporters and begin a highly competitive battle for survival.
