Before my match started, I chatted with my brother and Lawrence one more time. Fortunately, Michael agreed to have Lawrence stick around while I played my next game.

On my side of the tournament, I had another close matchup. It wasn’t getting any easier, and it could have gone either way. Still, I ended up with the victory in round four. I lost the first game, which felt daunting, but the comeback I made with Obsidian-Golem made it all possible. I decided to stick around on my side since I didn’t have to wait as long for the next match.

I couldn’t believe it. I was in round five. One of the 64 best players in the world. It didn’t feel real, but it really was true.

“Wow, GordieHoward, you’re doing pretty awesome, man. You’re the youngest player to ever get this far in the tournament,” the moderator said after the close of round four.

“Are you serious?” I had to take a few deep breaths to quell the sudden rise of anxiety that came with that statement.

“Yeah, man, congrats. Looks like you’re playing Dayzees up next, though. He’s another young guy, should be a good set. Good luck, dude,” the moderator said with sincerity.

My heart dropped.

There were only three famous pros on my side, Tolz3r (who won the tournament last year), Clover Leef, Zlugburn, and my opponent, Dayzees. Walking around, I watched their matches, and they were destroying people in the game.

Child’s play.

My heart was jumping all over the place for my matchup. Having a massive crowd watch me only added to the intimidation. I snuck a peek at Dayzees to see my competition, and I wish I didn’t. About a hundred people watched, and I threw myself in the thick of the group. I was barely able to see above the shoulder of a stranger. While I struggled with my last matchup, Dayzees steamrolled the guy he was playing.

I heard snippets of people talking around me in the crowd.

“This guy is the next big thing I heard.”

“Do you watch Dayzees’s streams? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I know he’s never gotten that far in tournaments before, but I’m betting he wins it all.”

“How is he that good?”

“He hasn’t lost a single game yet. He’s been going 2-0 this whole tournament. Meanwhile, Tolz3r and the others have lost at least one.”

I gulped. If I won this round, the rest of the tournament would be double elimination. So, if I lost in round 7, I could still win through the losers bracket, but if I lost again, that was it. Unfortunately, the top person in the winner’s bracket would have to be beaten twice.

Time passed, and I stayed in my area, taking numerous deep breaths. I was ready for my match. We played in a larger section with tons of chairs and announcers on our side, commentating gameplay. At least 300 people watched us, hell, maybe more. We were on a small stage with a projected screen above us, but we had a small TV monitor to play on.

I plugged in my ENController, and Dayzees plugged in his.

“I hear you’re fourteen,” Dayzees said.

“Uh, uh, yes,” I said, clearing my voice. I was burning up. Sweat was parading on my forehead and arms. Part of me felt a little cold. The sound of all the people talking in the conference center felt muffled; blood rushed through my head.

“Don’t get your hopes up, kid. I’m winning this tournament.”

“Y-You sound aw-awfully confident.”

“What’s your name?”

“Gord—”

“Actually, I don’t care. You know my name?”

I hesitated, I tried to force some foul language out, but I choked and stared at him in silence.

“That’s right.”

He’s just being a dick because he’s trying to get in your head.

“Asshole,” I uttered, but he turned his head to me.

“Are you even old enough to swear like that? Where’s your mommy at?”

“She’s not here.” Why even say anything, Gordie?

“That’s right, she’s back at my house.”

I felt rattled. A shock pierced my body. Never in my life have I wanted to physically attack someone like that. Taking a deep breath, I tried to shake off what he said. But I felt like I was on my middle-school bus when kids would hurl insults at each other like it was as routine as breathing.

A moderator approached us. Finally.

“You two ready to get started?”

“I am, don’t know about him,” Dayzees said.

I looked at the moderator and nodded.

“You may begin.” He stepped off the stage and sat in the front row among the crowd. Off to the side were the commentators.

I selected my first line of defense, Soul-Steel. He selected Rabid-Savage.

Rabid-Savage was like Mad-Cat, except he was more powerful but slower. Only expert-level players could handle his dodge timings.

“I gotta tell ya, I’m impressed there’s a fourteen-year-old that made it this far in the tournament,” the commentator said to the other.

“They’re starting at The Star’s Edge. It should be an interesting matchup. Dayzees is the latest newcomer to hit the scene with an exclamation point. The only one of the new entrants coined as ‘the next big thing,’ and he hasn’t even gotten this far in a tournament before.”

“How about GordieHoward, though? This kid is a firecracker. If he keeps playing and gets better, there’s no telling how good he’ll be. Although, the match currently looks one-sided as Dayzees is too fast, even as Rabid-Savage. And-oh my goodness- just look at this! Dayzees just landed an impressive, forty-hit combo!”

Being able to hear the commentators was frustrating. I didn’t care to listen to the actions of the game echoed with words.

Rabid-Savage took my Soul-Steel and ripped him in half. Sparks and chunks of metal flew out the top and bottom of the dismembered body.

“Game one, Dayzees!” the moderator shouted.

Reaching the character select screen, I chose Obsidian-Golem, my last and only line of defense. Dayzees stayed put as Rabid-Savage.

“Want to get torched as a different character?” Dayzees said.

“Hey man, what’s your problem! You kicked my ass. You don’t have to rub it in!” I snapped but immediately felt remorse.

“Looks like we have some problems on stage,” the commentator said. “If GordieHoward keeps up that display, he could be kicked out of the tournament. Might not be a bad idea to up the age of entry.”

The moderator rushed toward us. “What’s going on over here?”

“He keeps antagonizing me!”

“Dayzees, don’t say anything offensive. If this persists, we’ll have to investigate the situation, and it’s not going to be good for either of you,” the moderator said.

“Alright, let’s just finish up this round; I’m about to win anyways.”

“This is a warning, Dayzees. You get a warning, too, GordieHoward. Outbursts could result in disqualification,” the moderator said and returned to the front row.

“You’re so dead,” Dayzees whispered.

Part of me wanted to holler at him at the top of my lungs, but I thought of my brother and remembered that I shouldn’t let these guys get to me. I shouldn’t be responding to their mind games.

“Second game is starting up here again. The Desolate Fortress has been selected as the stage,” the one commentator started.

“Wow, GordieHoward is showing some more signs of life than the last game. Landing a few solid 5 hit combos as Obsidian-Golem, this looks like a totally different game,” the other commentator said.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. Dayzees is starting to gain his footing and is picking up on GordieHoward’s new aggressive tactics absent from the last game. Dayzees is well prepared and is retaliating with just as much ferocity as the last game.”

I hated how right the commentators were. It was disorienting to hear them. Every movement I made, I put in so much more thought than I usually did. The combos and attacks weren’t coming out as naturally. The start was strong, but the rest of it was not. However, I realized that my brother had beaten me worse, which meant that if Dayzees was favored to win, my brother had a chance.

“Game two, Dayzees,” the moderator said.

“Good games,” I said as I turned to him with my hand outstretched.

He packed his controller in his bag and walked away as if I didn’t even exist.

“My brother is going to kick your ass.”

Dayzees stopped, laughed, and shook his head.

No one seemed to have noticed that he ignored my handshake. The commentators were still recapping the game and discussing the next matchup.

I wrapped up my controller in my bag and stepped off the stage, slumped posture and my head down. A guy stopped me from the crowd.

“Hey man, tough break out there. I watched and rooted for you, though.” It was J3rry standing in front of me.

“Thanks.”

“That guy seems like a total jerk, so don’t let him get to you.”

“It’s no big deal. I think my brother will get him if they face off in the finals.”

“Oh, right on. You have an older brother here?”

I told him about how he was playing on the other side, and he let me know that he might check out his match. Which reminded me that I still had to get to the other side and check on him.