A first round that concluded in favor of the underdogs, the viewers had a sudden growth of interest in the second round of Tower Control thanks to Toka's bold play in the previous round. Could the underdogs do it once more and jump to an improbable 2-0 lead from consecutive victories? Although this year it was unheard of for a team to win back to back rounds against Hugh-Napri and much less in the beginning of a match, Toka did some great convincing with their play led by captain Shunpei, who in just a single round managed to open up the thought processes within the audience the possibility of his side advancing to the quarterfinals. The buzz within spectators forming around entertaining the idea of a heavy clash, Hugh-Napri heard the noise and weren't amused in the least by what was being thought up; it was only one round, but right away Shiore had uncomfortable feeling surrounding Toka. They weren't a team that were dangerous because they were going to have greater strength than her side, but because they knew how to use another's strength against them and this scenario had all the makings of such a case. The biggest enemy to Hugh-Napri was none other than Hugh-Napri, and from the way Toka played, they intended on proving that to be true. A team that prospered on the mistakes made by others while limiting their own, Shiore found this match to be a case of one versus many. Queen of the streets clad in purple and teal, she'll have to fend for her squad until the others were deemed needed.
And thus, the second round begun.
Following a few substitutions made by both teams in hope to bolster their sides in Joi and Kota swapping in Chitose and Meiko for Toka and Akiti going in for Shinsuke, what followed was another violent clash for possession-this time the tower. The jingling prize played frequently and came to a halt just as much every time the color changed between teal and red, the occupation of new faces at every moment just before it reset at the center of the map. An early shootout kicking off the excitement for the round, both teams traded possession in a few wild skirmishes one after the other. The tandem of Shiore and Akiti were clinical with their chemistry having an immediate effect on the team play starting with the Street Queen often occupying the tower with the help of Akiti who helped maintain possession and using that to their advantage to make some strides across the map with help pouring in from the others. But the immediate impact of Joi and Kota were evident as they helped make a response with Shunpei to work on pushing back the enemy forces, specifically the wild duo who were the biggest threat on the turf. An unveiling of that signature speed and impeccable teamwork came the prowess of Hugh-Napri in full showing for all to see, but Toka had a response for that monstrous presence and instead worked to soften the blows sent by the heavy favorites.
But despite the fireworks set off by both sides that captivated the audience with their beautiful display of chaos that left a vibrant display of teal and red all over the environment, the score remained even; neither team allowed the other to ever get an advantage, proved evident by how physically drained some of the players got as it approached the end with sluggish and sloppy play taking precedent with only the fresher legs and heavy hitters like Shiore and Shunpei still playing sharply-aware that every second counted. Close and competitive as time nears expiration, the scores were so close that any little change would make the biggest of differences. The score in favor of Toka 32-38, all Shunpei and his squad had to do was hold possession for another eight seconds and they'd taste a rare 2-0 lead going into a favorable third round of Hide Ink Seek; easier said than done however. Prior to this critical development, there was a heated battle for the tower that saw several casualties: Toka struck first on the tower held by Hugh-Napri and chased off the Sanada brothers who'd been guarding at that point. Nearby within the vicinity was Shiore at a vantage point looking to pick them off and Akiti assisting the brothers while Hanano and Toshi were already engaged with the enemy. Shunpei, Joi and Kota all worked in unison with Aoki, Masahiro, and Kachiya using their attacking position to perfection. What ensued was a brutal trade; Toka lost Three, Hugh-Napri lost four.
What now remained on the tower in this critical moment was Shiore at a distance and Akiti leading the desperate counterattack on the tower guarded by the Shunpei, Joi, Kota, and lastly, Masahiro. The Street Queen found herself in a difficult scenario, her mind racing deciphering the few seconds left-her head swelling attempting to find an answer in the endless sea of obstacles. Akiti approached at breakneck speed splattering teal in his path throwing caution to the wind, likewise did Shiore did-though her body moved on its own. Shunpei and his squad were ready and hurled all their specials at them: missiles, bombs, stamps…everything. But the sea of red didn't swallow the teal pair however, and in vengeance, the pair struck hotly. Kota went down, Joi went down, Masahiro was off the tower, and Shunpei…was in critical condition. The audience howled in response with thousands of supporters wearing teal up on their feet in anticipation. The overtime siren raining in a deafening tone overhead, the tower was free at last! Akiti brushed past the objective and left behind a teal puddle for Shiore to secure.
We need twelve seconds. She thought calmly as the possession changed.
11…
Akiti went straight for the wounded Shunpei and saw nothing but red.
10…
The numbers have changed. Shunpei is gone. Akiti is gone. But Joi, Kota, and Masahiro remained.
9…
The score is 32-35, Shiore remains for Hugh-Napri but here comes the Toka trio.
8…
Her body turning extrasensory in that instant, her eyes widened as she focused everything on this moment. Her grip on her charger tightening as she clenched her teeth angrily, her knees bent in preparation to dash off the tower; the trio felt a terrible shiver down their necks as the coldness in her appearance sent all the warnings off in their minds to avoid her like the plague, but they couldn't shy away from such a critical moment. A fight for the tower, the audience's breath got stolen. Instead of leaving the tower, Shiore whipped her body around in a spin and landed a solid shot on Masahiro-instantly splatting him, her sights already turned to Joi, who picked up on her movements and dodged at the last moment. Kota goes around to her blindside to strike, but before he can make a move he already felt her killing intent; this is what it meant to cross paths with the Street Queen. A two on one showdown in overtime, it didn't feel like the girl with the charger was at a disadvantage with the way she moved, resembling someone using dualies! Nothing but a wave of awe pouring in, the whistle blew to end the match with a pair of players left standing. One from Toka, and the other from Hugh-Napri. By a score of 32-31, Hugh-Napri won it in overtime behind Shiore's stubborn defense, and it paid off exponentially!
The praises raining in from her loyal supporters who flashed their teal and purple proudly during the break, Shiore's serious expression still remained as she wiped her face quickly-her focus still strong even after that exhausting bout. The truth behind that expression she wore laid in the the fact that the results were too close for comfort, and that although she managed to get the win there, it wasn't assured next time. Even worse, it was tied match now which meant that all that effort was a matter of playing catch up when it should've been her and the squad up 2-0 instead. Unacceptable by her standards, she knew she had to now lead the march into the third round of Hide Ink Seek against a team that proved they could push the envelope and force problems. If they didn't watch themselves, they'd be in serious trouble in the following rounds. Now was the time for her and the others to get serious and treat this situation with the utmost care. Over at Toka's sidelines, the players were only motivated by their failure to extend the lead. Shunpei led the call while clapping his hands together and gathering everyone together to keep their spirits up. He expected this type of response from Hugh-Napri, which only confirmed that what they were doing was most definitely effective; another dose and Hugh-Napri may suffer some colossal damage. The third round of Hide Ink Seek lurking around the corner, both teams made their adjustments and prepared for a fight for the lead.
Starting off in favor of Hugh-Napri who won the toss and elected to be the seekers, Toka approached the match with a strategy of absolute defense while always being on the move in hopes that they never stayed in one place for more than five seconds-wary of what Shiore would do with her masterful work as a sniper. And as such, it was a close battle early on as Toka put that strategy to use and proved successful in garnering points and protecting their target from harm, able to score in tiny increments and slowly build a lead despite the onslaught of attacks. A slow and dragged out pace that favored the cautious Toka side, their amazing efficiency couldn't sustain for the entire match-a curse of being the hiders in these battles. A futile effort when facing an aggressive attacking side who had the advantage in their favor as the seekers, the defending hiders couldn't hold off the overwhelming stock of natural predators who were led by the fiercest of them all-a woman who never changed from her poker face when in battle yet seemed to always be calculating in real time. An unfortunate case that was all too familiar for viewers, the match didn't become a matter of if Hugh-Napri would win, but rather a matter of when would they win. From the continuous attacks that grew in succession to the miniscule and fragile lead that Shunpei and his squid held that was slowly getting crumbled after all the hard work they spent building, in seemingly no time did Hugh-Napri erase all that progress and answer back with a knockout victory to secure the lead 2-1.
Despite taking that lead however, it still felt like the pressure was on Hugh-Napri to play up to and beyond Toka's level-at least that's how Shiore felt as she went into the break still dissatisfied with that result. Although they clearly proved to be the better side in that last third of the round, she couldn't shake the uneasiness she felt. It felt like all throughout the match she and her team were playing to the rhythm that Toka created, and already she could feel the psychological effect it was leaving on her as she now began to second guess and question whether they might've fallen into a trap she hadn't detected as of yet. With several scenarios running through her agitated mind, she maintained her poker face while the others received instructions from the coaches and other senior members on the team. At the current pace, Toka were looking like the better team despite trailing in the match and although Hugh-Napri were winning, to the masses it appeared to be based on pure talent rather than strategy. Shunpei's tactics were proving effective even if his side got hit hard that time around. It was only a matter of time until the invulnerability of Hugh-Napri wore off. That's what he reckoned while he was on the bench unfolding a path to victory in his mind.
When would be the time to make the breakthrough? His answer would arrive in the coming rounds.
