Jaiden and Co. were in the audience during the sed game. They sat in the front row to not miss any of the a.

  "Iwts, satwrating uwp!" Nash spouted some gibberish while stuffing his mouth with pop.

  "Hey, where did you get that?" Jaiden asked and thurst a hand into the pop box. "Gimme some." He grabbed a handful.

  "I want some too," Rio also grabbed a bunch without reservation.

  "Hey, hey, leave some for me!" Nash quickly shoved more pop into his mouth. He nning the box to st him the entire game but, at this rate, everything will be gone before the game even loads!

  ", don't be stingy," Jaiden grabbed some more.

  "Yeah," Rio also took some more.

  "This is robbery in broad daylight! You guuuuuys!" Nash pined, but he didn't do much to stop his pals. He just sighed and resigned himself to this cruel fate. Welp, it’s not like he minded sharing with his friends anyway.

  While the trio was dev the pop, the game began. Finally, Jaiden will get to see Gunz and Chessmaster py again. How good were these guys? How much did they improve? It gonna be fun to find out!

  Ba the drafting phase, Stratus made a pick that was both iing and disappointing: Dark Knight. It's a pick that always came across as BM. Jaiden was sure Stratus were feeling themselves too mud that this cocky pick will blow up in their faces.

  But, then the game loaded and something ued was revealed. Chessmaster was the one pying Dark Knight. That made things ten times more iing.

  Did Chessmaster have the necessary skill to dominate in the ne against Zeph’s Dragonborher his arrogance will be his undoing, or it'll win Stratus the entire game. With how extreme of a css Dark Knight was, there was little ce for anything iween.

  In fact, Stratus' entire lineup was extremely early-game focused. There was no doubt they po quickly this game and they fully believed they could do that against Taurus. If these mad ds really pull it off, it’ll mean this year’s Stratus actually meant business.

  Gaaaah! If only I was on stage right now too! Jaiden roared internally. He wao be up there, on that dazzling stage reserved for the most petitive pyers. He wao csh swords with Stratus, to test his mettle against the ex-StormBlitz pyers, and to kick the ass of that captain girl, who surely secured her position through some sort of favoritism.

  Dang it, why couldn't he be born one year earlier? Or, be some genius who could skip grades? Warming up the bench while watg the seniors py was such a torment! Gaaaaaaah!

  At least, the game itself was quite the spectacle. Chessmaster didn't disappoint with his Dark Knight pick. He tered everythihrew his way and thhly domihe ne.

  Zeph's Dragonborn was one solid beast, Jaidehat from club practice. A, Chessmaster made it look like a fight between an adult and a toddler. Yes, it was that one-sided.

  "Zeph is a goner," Rio quietly said these ominous words.

  "Yep, he's done for," Nash agreed. "That Chessmaster bro means business."

  "Hey, . Don't sell uy short like that," Jaiden argued. "Zeph still make things happen. He just gotta switch to defense and wait for Dyn to gank. , Zeph! Don't let that DK push you around like this!"

  Maybe the words somehow reached Zeph’s ears, because he fell back just like Jaiden asked. Zeph gave up the offense and focused on luring Chessmaster in.

  "Yeah, that's how you do it!" Jaiden pumped a fist.

  "Heh, let's see if he start something going now," Nash smiled mischievously, like aed kid waiting to see a magic trick.

  "He's still doomed," Rio said matter-of-factly, as if Zeph's defeat has already bee in stone.

  Ever the optimist, heh. Jaiden smiled wryly. Rio rarely ever focused on the bright side of things, but many of his predis were frighteningly accurate. It wasn’t always clear how he reached the clusions he did, but...

  DragonMaster has been killed!

  Just like this, the predi came true.

  What transpired during that gank was too fusing for words to describe. Even from the audience, from where Jaiden could clearly see the positions of all pyers, he didn't cat that py in time.

  At first, it looked like Zeph and Dyn were about to give Chessmaster some heat. Their formidable oppo finally itted a mispy and overextended, giving Dyn a great opportunity to gank. And so, Dyn ganked with his ult, stunning Chessmaster from behind.

  It should've been a right then and there, but it wasn't. Far from it. In a blink of ahe euation flipped on its head. Stratus’ Ninja popped out of nowhere and trashed Zeph hard. He was dead meat.

  "Whoa! Where did that Ninja chie from!?" Nash excimed. "Any of ya saw her ing?"

  "No," Jaiden admitted. “Not until she got very close.”

  "Dang, so sneaky. Zeph is hel unlucky.”

  "Unlucky?" Jaiden asked.

  "I mean,” Nash said. “Bruh almost had it, then Ninja snuck up to him before anybody realized. Tough luck, man."

  “'Almost had it', you say," Jaiden smiled wryly. "What if I told you it robably staged?"

  "Wut?" Nash tilted his head. "Ya mean, someone paid Zeph to lose on purpose? It's a rigged game!?"

  "What is this, WWE?" Jaiden ughed. "I’m saying Zeph robably baited. You saw how Chessmaster overextended, right? I think it was on purpose. He was reeling Zeph in."

  "You pulling my leg. You’re saying that guy was on top of the situation all along!?"

  "I'm saying it's possible,” Jaiden nodded. “Rio, what do you think?"

  “I also think it nned,” Rio said. “The overextension was too obvious. Chessmaster doesn’t make mistakes like that."

  "You think so too, huh?" Jaiden nodded.

  "Whoa there," Nash said. "You guys are trying to spook me, aren’t ya? I mean, you telliratus has a pyer who pull stuff like that? That was some 200 IQ pro gamer mht there!"

  "I told you, Gunz and Chessmaster used to be in StormBlitz," Jaiden reminded. "These guys are something else. They kie serious butt."

  "Man, wish I could fight them myself. Like, right now!"

  "Me too, me too."

  Unfortunately, they had no choice but to remain as idle observers. They were juniors and they beloo a club with many members. Therefore, their ces of setting foot oage were slim to his year. Unless...

  Anyway, Chessmaster drew the first blood of the game. Well, to be more accurate, it was the Ninja girl who scored the kill. Chessmaster only got the assist.

  But, there was little doubt that Chessmaster was the one who staged the whole thing. He became bait to create that precious opportunity, so most of the credit beloo him.

  That was a harsh opening for Taurus. A Dark Knight who domihe his hard in the early-game was bad news. The team will have to shut him do, or else he'll snowball out of trol.

  As Jaiden expected, Chessmaster roving himself as a formidable foe. So, how was Gunz doing? He was fag Raymond in Mid, the captain and stro pyer in Taurus. This gotta be iing.

  Well, it IS iing. In a way. Jaiden thought.

  Gunz and Raymond stantly spaced each other out with their spells. They desperately searched for opportuo strike each other and to increase their ne trol, but without overitting to anything. Both sides were extremely cautious and refused to overextend.

  It looked like a b deadlo the surface, but a lot of high-level gamepy was going on underh. Their spag, timing, and execution were all top-notothing about their cshes articurly fshy or intense, but there were many fiails to appreciate.

  It’s not that exg to watch, though. Jaiden smiled wryly. her side itted to any big pys, so the ne remained frozen. There wasn’t a whole lot of “a” there. It was the kind of high-level fight that’d be iing to analyze iail from a repy, but at the moment it didn’t move the game in any dire.

  Gotta say, Gunz is pyiame there. Jaiden thought. The Gunz engraved in his mind was a wild beast with overwhelming might. Always on the offense, always hungering for kills.

  But, not so much this game. Gunz ying it safe. He was undeniably strong, he held his own against Raymond. A, something was missing from his pys. There was no spark there.

  It was weird. The first time Jaiden saw Gunz on stage, he thought he was no match for that beast. But, the way Gunz ying now, the guy didn't seem like such a big deal. He was strong, but not powerful. Jaiden could probably hold his own against Gunz if they right fought now.

  Did he ge his pystyle? Or, maybe he just pys more defensively in Mid? There was nobody to answer Jaiden’s inquires.

  , Jaiden checked out Bot. That’s where Beat, the female captain of Stratus, ying.

  Thinking of it, they got two girls oeam. The Carry and the Jungler. I didn’t even notice. Jaiden didn’t remember seeing anirl in Stratus’s lineup oage. The Ninja girl was sure an elusive one, both inside and outside the game.

  Anyway, back to Bot Lane. Bruce was about to initiate an atta Beat. A little reckless of him, but it should work out. Bruce won’t let some girl embarrass him in a fight, will he?

  Well, if things go south, I’m sure Bryan will help out. Jaiden thought. The “BB” (Bruce-Bryan) duo was well-known in the club. Bruce delivered the aggression and meical skill, whereas Bryan brought in robust game knowledge and sharp deaking. They plemented each other well.

  Well, it sounds pretty on paper, but it’s usually more like Bruce running into trouble and Bryan doing everything in his power to prevent a disaster. Jaiden cracked a ugh.

  Yeah, those two werely the most amazing duo out there. But, Bruce’s reckless ideas, supplemented by Bryan’s effective support, worked out pretty well more often they should.

  This time as well, their atta Beat started off on the right foot. Bryan was doing a great job weakeni with his rain and keeping her Support away with geysers. It allowed Bruce to easily mop the floor with his oppo.

  The fight was looking like a . The slowdown from Rainfall was incredibly heavy, so Beat couldn’t eve away. And, every time she was about to step outside, Bryan pushed her back with a geyser. His setup had no openings.

  The fight betwee and Bruce was essentially a wild shootout. Bruce fired a bullet at Beat, but at the same time Beat flung a spear at him. It's as if the two were synizing their shots on purpose, to not give the other any time to dodge.

  "Whoa, look at that timing!" Nash excimed.

  "Yeah, it’s iing," Jaiden frowned. What are you doing, Bruce? You should be firing and dodging. You got the speed advantage in both attacks and movement, you gotta use it. Unless...

  It was curious. The shots definitely seemed synized. The first couple of shots might’ve been a fluke, but it couldn’t be a mere ce after they’re fired this many. That synization was on purpose. But, why?

  Bruce shouldn’t have a reason to maintain such a routine, so it couldn't be his idea. So, was the girl doing it? Was she timing her shots to nd them during Bruce's recovery animation?

  Given the slowdown ihe rai probably struggled to nd any hits on Bruce by shooting normally. So, this routine of synized shots robably her bat pn.

  If she’s doing this on purpose, that’s pretty impressive. Jaiden thought. Well, not that impressive, but not bad firl. She at least had some skils, which was more than Jaiden expected. At least, she wasn't pletely useless.

  How is she doing that? Jaiden carefully analyzed every shot. She must be predig Bruce's timing somehow. Is he shooting at a stant rate or something?

  If Jaiden were in Bruce’s shoes, he'd try switg up the tempo of his shots. That'd make it clear whether the girl was relying oion or rea. As, Bruce tinued shooting in the same exact way, oblivious to all these siderations. The guy was a simpleton like that.

  Well, he's going to win anyway. Jaiden shrugged. Bruce had a head start because he wo hits before this synized routine began, so he'll kill Beat before she kills him.

  As for her Support... Jaiden checked around the ne. He probably won’t be able to make a difference. Bryan is doing a great job spag the guy out. So, it's all over for their “captain”. Good job, Bruce. Let her taste hoyers fight!

  However, right before the curtain fell on that py, something ued happened. An invisible shadow snuck up to Brud assaulted him! The Ninja appeared out of nowhere and sshed his back!

  "Again!?" Jaiden blinked in shock. This was so weird. He was in the audience, he could clearly see the movements of all pyers from both teams. Even though he reoccupied with the situation in Bot, he should've spotted the Ninja girl rotating there.

  Yet, he didn't notice her right until she appeared behind Bruce. Could it due to Jaiden not participating in the game? Maybe being a mere observer dulled his senses somewhat. That’s the only expnation he had for VanishingFlower's ued appearances.

  Anyway, this is bad. Jaiden thought. The Ninja’s sneaky gank pletely shifted the tides of battle. The eurhe tables on Brud killed him. It was an unfortuurn of events.

  Bryan escaped the csh alive, but the enemy has already dealt a critical blow to Taurus. They killed Brud used that opportunity to take the Dragon. Nobody dared to get in their way during this 3v5 situation.

  With this development, it became apparent that the game was heading in a bad dire for Taurus...

  DarkestCymore