『DEFEAT』

That was the outcome of the final game. In the end, Stratus lost the scrimmage.

Perhaps, some would claim it was a close match because of the score 2-3. However, Yuel didn't see it that way. We're still not there quite yet. We have a lot of work cut out for us.

If the Leopards used Apprentece from Game 1, then this scrim could've easily ended as a 0-5. That Korean player was something else.

For better and worse, it turned out Howard wasn't pulling my leg at all. Yuel sighed. Everything he said sounded absurd but it turned out to be true.

Apprentece was an immense threat. He was just one player, but he was the type to dominate the entire game all by himself.

He's like a force of nature. Yuel shuddered. Honestly, I don't even know how we'll deal with him at the regionals.

This was similar to how unstoppable Taurus’ Triangle formation felt. That was another opponent Yuel was unable to fully defeat.

But, at least the Triangle has its share of restrictions. Yuel thought. They need three people to execute the tactic, so there are ways to counter them indirectly.

On the other hand, Apprentece was just one player, so he didn't have the same strings attached to him. He was a legit force of nature, the kind humans simply couldn’t stop.

… well, I still have a few months to solve this. Yuel stood up. For now, let's get this scrim over with.

After the final game, both teams gathered at the center of the stage again for a handshake. This was a custom that didn't really speak to Yuel, but it was enforced every time so he didn’t have a say here.

Perhaps the idea was to "humanize" the competition a little. After all, unlike in regular sports, here both teams barely came into direct contact throughout the game. They only battled through digital avatars.

At times, it was easy to forget that there were living, breathing humans behind these avatars. Especially, when it came to Apprentece's overwhelming skill, it seemed unbelievable that a middle schooler could wield such power.

But, there he was. Among the players who stepped in, there was an Asian boy.

In real life, he looks... small. Yuel didn't mean to insult but that was his honest impression.

Apprentece was a boy with a rather small structure, just a little taller than Nia. He was a freshman according to Howard, so that made sense.

He was so terrifying throughout the game, but in real life, he almost looks harmless. Yuel smiled. The perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover”.

One by one, everybody left their chairs and gathered at the center of the stage. Normally, Lars was among the first ones to make it there, but this time he was dragging his foot a little.

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"Are you okay?" Yuel asked.

"Yeah, just a little spent. What a tiring game, haha."

"It sure was." Yuel nodded.

This was indeed a long match, filled with tons of trials and tribulations along the way. Now that it was over, Yuel also felt heavy fatigue washing over him. All the mental chess battles he fought with Cato throughout the day were finally taking their toll.

Still, for Yuel, feeling tired after a scrim was normal. On the other hand, the goof was usually beaming with energy even after things were over.

But this time, Lars was visibly burned out. He was walking toward the center of the stage with unsteady steps like a drunkard who might trip over his own foot at any moment.

It’s definitely unusual. Yuel thought. Even if this scrim was much harder than the previous, the ever-energetic goof isn't supposed to ever become like that. I'm sure this is the after-effect of “entering the zone" or whatever that thing was.

Then again, it was always difficult to analyze the consequences of this trance state in a vacuum. That condition seemed to strike only after a few intense games in a row, at a point where Lars was already expected to experience some fatigue. As such, it was hard to tell how much “the zone” added on top of that.

He IS a human after all, even though sometimes it's hard to believe that the laws of physics apply to him in any shape or form.

Lars was always positive and energetic, so it was difficult to get an accurate read of his condition. In fact, Lars himself was always so gung-ho that he probably never noticed when he got tried.

But surely, he accumulated fatigue over time like everybody else. And, it seemed that “the zone” only showed itself once the fatigue passed a certain threshold.

Maybe if he could enter that state before reaching that point, then he could actually put it to good use without burning himself out. But, it’s all conjecture.

In the end, there wasn’t nearly enough information to go by. The entire topic was vague at best.

Regardless of the theory behind all of this, it was undeniable that Lars was currently dragging his foot toward the center of the stage. Yes, the ever-energetic goof was exhibiting extreme signs of weariness. It was an impossible scene.

Seeing Lars like this really doesn't motivate me to pursue that "zone" state or whatever it really was…

And so, both teams gathered at the center of the stage and exchanged pleasantries under the referee's surveillance.

"Good game." Both sides delivered the usual exchange. It was a phrase that would’ve come across as sarcastic in an online game, but on the competitive stage, it was expected to be sincere.

Though, this time it's very loaded. Yuel analyzed everybody's expressions as the exchange happened. It felt like neither side was satisfied with how this match turned out, so the "good game" rang hollow.

On their end, Stratus was worn out from the needlessly long games caused by the Leopards' obnoxious defense. On top of that, some of the members’ spirits were likely crushed by Appretence’s unstoppable domination in the final game.

At the same time, the Leopards didn't seem all too happy about their victory either. There was a small cloud of gloominess hovering over them.

Are they not satisfied with the result? Yuel wondered. Well, I'm sure a 3-2 isn't quite what they were expecting to get today against some "underdog" team. Not to mention, the way the final game played out is a little...

The finale didn't feel like a real “Stratus vs. Leopards” game. It was almost exclusively Stratus vs. Apprentece.

I don’t know what are their feelings about playing alongside Appretence, but I'm sure I wouldn't have enjoyed a situation like that if I were in their shoes. Especially, not when it’s the decisive game of the match.

Perhaps this was another reason they were keeping Apprentece on the bench the entire time. The guy was far above the competition, to the point his presence didn’t let the others play the game. That definitely didn’t sound like a healthy environment.

But despite all that, the enemy captain managed to put on his usual impish smile regardless. And, it felt like the disturbing smile grew wider as he approached Yuel...