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

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

"Hey, where did you get that?" Jaiden asked and thurst a hand into the popcorn 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 popcorn into his mouth. He was planning the box to last him the entire game but, at this rate, everything will be gone before the game even loads!

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

"Yeah," Rio also took some more.

"This is robbery in broad daylight! You guuuuuys!" Nash complained, 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 devouring the popcorn, the game began. Finally, Jaiden will get to see Gunz and Chessmaster play again. How good were these guys? How much did they improve? It gonna be fun to find out!

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

But, then the game loaded and something unexpected was revealed. Chessmaster was the one playing Dark Knight. That made things ten times more interesting.

Did Chessmaster have the necessary skill to dominate in the lane against Zeph’s Dragonborn? Either his arrogance will be his undoing, or it'll win Stratus the entire game. With how extreme of a class Dark Knight was, there was little chance for anything in-between.

In fact, Stratus' entire lineup was extremely early-game focused. There was no doubt they planned to quickly wrap up this game and they fully believed they could do that against Taurus. If these mad lads 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 wanted to be up there, on that dazzling stage reserved for the most competitive players. He wanted to clash swords with Stratus, to test his mettle against the ex-StormBlitz players, 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 watching the seniors play was such a torment! Gaaaaaaah!

At least, the game itself was quite the spectacle. Chessmaster didn't disappoint with his Dark Knight pick. He countered everything Zeph threw his way and thoroughly dominated the lane.

Zeph's Dragonborn was one solid beast, Jaiden knew that from club practice. And yet, 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, c'mon. Don't sell our guy short like that," Jaiden argued. "Zeph can still make things happen. He just gotta switch to defense and wait for Dylan to gank. C'mon, 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 can start something going now," Nash smiled mischievously, like an excited kid waiting to see a magic trick.

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

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

『DragonMaster has been killed!』

Just like this, the prediction came true.

What transpired during that gank was too confusing for words to describe. Even from the audience, from where Jaiden could clearly see the positions of all players, he didn't catch on that play in time.

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

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

"Whoa! Where did that Ninja chick come from!?" Nash exclaimed. "Any of ya saw her coming?"

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

"Dang, so sneaky. Zeph is hella 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 was probably 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 laughed. "I’m saying Zeph was probably 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 was planned,” 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 telling me Stratus has a player who can pull stuff like that? That was some 200 IQ pro gamer move right there!"

"I told you, Gunz and Chessmaster used to be in StormBlitz," Jaiden reminded. "These guys are something else. They can kick some 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 belonged to a club with many members. Therefore, their chances of setting foot on the stage were slim to none this 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 belonged to him.

That was a harsh opening for Taurus. A Dark Knight who dominated the lane this hard in the early-game was bad news. The team will have to shut him down ASAP, or else he'll snowball out of control.

As Jaiden expected, Chessmaster was proving himself as a formidable foe. So, how was Gunz doing? He was facing Raymond in Mid, the captain and strongest player in Taurus. This gotta be interesting.

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

Gunz and Raymond constantly spaced each other out with their spells. They desperately searched for opportunities to strike each other and to increase their lane control, but without overcommitting to anything. Both sides were extremely cautious and refused to overextend.

It looked like a boring deadlock on the surface, but a lot of high-level gameplay was going on underneath. Their spacing, timing, and execution were all top-notch. Nothing about their clashes was particularly flashy or intense, but there were many fine details to appreciate.

It’s not that exciting to watch, though. Jaiden smiled wryly. Neither side committed to any big plays, so the lane remained frozen. There wasn’t a whole lot of “action” there. It was the kind of high-level fight that’d be interesting to analyze in detail from a replay, but at the moment it didn’t move the game in any direction.

Gotta say, Gunz is playing real tame 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 was playing it safe. He was undeniably strong, he held his own against Raymond. And yet, something was missing from his plays. 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 was playing 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 change his playstyle? Or, maybe he just plays more defensively in Mid? There was nobody to answer Jaiden’s inquires.

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

Thinking of it, they got two girls on the team. The Carry and the Jungler. I didn’t even notice. Jaiden didn’t remember seeing another girl in Stratus’s lineup on the stage. 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 attack on 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 mechanical skill, whereas Bryan brought in robust game knowledge and sharp decision-making. They complemented 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 laugh.

Yeah, those two weren’t exactly 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 attack on Beat started off on the right foot. Bryan was doing a great job weakening Beat with his rain and keeping her Support away with geysers. It allowed Bruce to easily mop the floor with his opponent.

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

The fight between Beat 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 synchronizing their shots on purpose, to not give the other any time to dodge.

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

"Yeah, it’s interesting," 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 synchronized. The first couple of shots might’ve been a fluke, but it couldn’t be a mere coincidence after they’re fired this many. That synchronization 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 land them during Bruce's recovery animation?

Given the slowdown inside the rain, Beat probably struggled to land any hits on Bruce by shooting normally. So, this routine of synchronized shots was probably her combat plan.

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

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

If Jaiden were in Bruce’s shoes, he'd try switching up the tempo of his shots. That'd make it clear whether the girl was relying on prediction or reaction. Alas, Bruce continued shooting in the same exact way, oblivious to all these considerations. The guy was a simpleton like that.

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

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

However, right before the curtain fell on that play, something unexpected happened. An invisible shadow snuck up to Bruce and assaulted him! The Ninja appeared out of nowhere and slashed his back!

"Again!?" Jaiden blinked in shock. This was so weird. He was in the audience, he could clearly see the movements of all players from both teams. Even though he was preoccupied 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 explanation he had for VanishingFlower's unexpected appearances.

Anyway, this is bad. Jaiden thought. The Ninja’s sneaky gank completely shifted the tides of battle. The enemy turned the tables on Bruce and killed him. It was an unfortunate turn of events.

Bryan escaped the clash alive, but the enemy has already dealt a critical blow to Taurus. They killed Bruce and 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 direction for Taurus...