Kai and Vi retreated all the way to the Turret. Despite the multiple hiccups, Vi successfully rescued Kai. That was good and all. But...

  "Damn, I was so close," Kai cursed through her teeth. "If your stupid wall didn't get in the way, I would've killed him."

  "Then, his minions would’ve killed you."

  "Hmph, who knows. I could've gotten away."

  "I find that hard to believe,” Vi insisted. “You were so focused on the fight that you didn't see anything around you. It's like you were locked inside a Reality Marble."

  "No idea what’s that, but yeah, I got a little oracked there," Kai frowhinking about it, she should've taken the minions into sideration even before she delivered the first attack. But, murderous thoughts raged in her mind and clouded her judgment.

  "Yet again, the Pheromone Buster possessed you," Vi shook his head. "You let the anger trol you. That leads to the Dark Side, young Padawan."

  "Oh, shush already," Kai threw him a look. She finished clearing the minion wave and began recalling. "I'm going back to heal."

  "I hope you'll also use this time to cool down."

  "I'm calm."

  "Indeed, as calm as a raging tornado that spins at the speed of light."

  "What does that even... Eh, fet it," Kai sighed. "I'm calm. I just felt like pying a little aggressive this time, that’s all. I khat bastard is all bark and no bite. I had to put him in his pce."

  "And, you didn’t deem it important to inform your Support about any of this?"

  "Ah, that’s..." Kai didn't have a rebuttal this time.

  "With all due respect,” Vi started. “The way you pyed reminds me of one young and inexperieroublemaker. She had a short-fuse and never cooperated with her teammates, always carrying everything on her own shoulders. I had the distinct impression that said troublemaker grew past such problems, but it appears I was gravely mistaken."

  "Do you have to talk like some pretentious poet?" Kai clicked her tongue. In truth, Vi’s words merely echoed the same exact thoughts Kai has beeling with.

  Holy? It was dumb of her to charge in like that as soon as the game started. She did have an early-game advantage, but that wasn't the right way to use it. An advantage should be used for crushing the opposition, not for suig on them aing a double KO.

  She could've cooperated with Vio increase the ces of seg a kill, but she didn't. Why? Because it was her fight. That chauvinist Pirate called her names, so Kai had to beat that bastard to a pulp with her own two hands.

  Or, did she, really? What was the point? Aside from achieving a small vea, that sort of solo py had no value. Frankly, it in dumb.

  Vi a point. I'm pying like I did at the beginning of the year. Kai cast her gaze downwards. What did she train on for the past few months? Why did she go out of her way to practice together with Yuel and Lars after school?

  She thought she overcame this problem by now. Nowadays, she rarely got mad pying Ranked, even though most of her teammates were boys. These guys were alright. They all treated her as a serious pyer despite being a girl, so she started believing that boys were alright.

  But, all it took was meeting one bastard. Everything came down crashing the moment she ran into TheLegend. Kai s that bastard before she even realized she was getting mad. Naturally, the pressure of standing on a big stage didn't do her any favors either.

  For a moment there, Kai felt she was alone against the entire world. All the encement that Lars and the ave her vanished without a trace the moment the game started. Aook the reins.

  Was she really strohan TheLegend? Could she topple him in a fight? No matter how much Lars praised her skill, words were just words. Kai had to support them with as. That's why she recklessly charged in the way she did. She was like a moth drawn to fire. That py was dumb beyond redemption.

  She wasn't alone in this fight. Vi was right by her side, supp her. Nia, Lars, and Yuel were here too. Kai had dependable teammates who believed in her mettle and fought alongside her. A, she was distracted by somethiy like taking revenge on some scumbag. She was risking the team’s ces of victory for nothing.

  Alright, enough being stupid. Kai took a deep breath. She'll definitely make TheLegend pay for his insults, but she'll do it properly. There was o rush things. She had time. Establishing ne advantage came first.

  "Sorry..." Kai mumbled.

  "Oh? What was that? I didn't quite catch it," Vi preteretg aoward her, even though he was wearing headphones. "Did the stubborn amazon just grace me with an ho apology?"

  "Are you asking to be punched or what?" Kai shot him a gre. "Besides, what's the deal with you? That Ice t was terrible. What were you even trying to achieve?"

  "Oh, about that..."

  "Also, what took you so long? You should've pced the wall as soon as you realized things were heading toward a double KO."

  "Yes, about that..." Vi shifted his eyes from side to side. "Welp, let's just say that a higher force made me stay my hand until the right moment. God works in mysterious ways."

  "Mysterious my ass. Not only he slowed you down, but he also made you mispy. That 'God' of yours sounds like a real dumbass. I'd like a word with him."

  "Haha, I'll try calling him."

  "No need. I kly where he is. RIGHT. HERE." Kai smmed Vi's khigh!

  "Ouch! What the-!?" Vi jumped. "I'm calling violence!"

  "You've been drilling a hole in the floor with all that stomping. Y just won't stop shaking."

  "What are you saying? My leg is perfectly... rexed..." Vi fell silent. His leg started jumping up and down in the middle of the sentence.

  "You're still nervous, huh."

  "A-Am not!" Vi cleared his throat and forced his leg to stay still by force. "See? The Shaking Leg Syndrome has been successfully ralized!"

  "o bluff. We're all nervous in here."

  "No, no, no. I'm perfectly fihe Arbiter of Talents doesn't even have the word 'nervous' in his diary!"

  "Better study it up then," Kai smiled wryly. So, even this loudmouth get nervous. Well, of course he . He's just good at bluffing with all the noise he makes.

  Unlike Kai and Nia, who exhibited clear signs of nervousness, Vi hid his nerves pretty well. Nobody noticed he was secretly wrestling with the pressure, not even Kai.

  I should have figured it out sooner. Kai thought. Today was the first petitive match for Vi as well, so of course the guy will be nervous. In fact, he dialed down his loudness ever sihey set foot on stage. It was easy to ighat fact because it didn’t bother anybody, but irospect, it was odd. Why would the ever loud actor be silent now, of all times? Nerves, what else.

  "Anyway, calm down," Kai said. "It's just a match."

  "Well, at the very least, I believe I'm calmer than a certain amazon who jumped the gun and nearly suicided on the enemy."

  "That was dumb, I admit," Kai nodded. "I'm over it already. Thanks for saving my ass back there."

  "Oh, it was nothing," Vi bowed lightly. "The glorious knight is always here to help those in need.”

  He already looks better. Kai o herself. She was always the first person to make fun of Vi about every little thing, but now wasn't the time to poke at him. Even if it meant crag her tough persona, she felt it was neccessary to treat Vi a little oday.

  After all, in the past two years, Vi was the only boy in the club who openly treated her as a serious pyer. The seniors looked down on her for being a girl and Luke parroted their stupid jokes. He didn't harbor any ill will toward Kai, he was just trying to fit in with the rest. But, was any of it pleasant for Kai to bear? No, far from it. At the time, Kai hated the guy’s guts. And, to this day, she hasn’t fully fiven him.

  Simirly, Ben cked any bae whatsoever. If any senior pressured him enough, he’d cave in and nod in agreement on any insults Kai received. He didn’t mean any of it and always came to apologize afterward, but that only made things more infuriating. Like, he was a boy, yet he was ag like a total submissive weakling. Pathetic, He was teically on Kai's side, but his support was never felt.

  Vi was the only one who stood up to Kai, loudly and fidently. Time and again, he cimed she had this amazing "Rhythm Reader" skill. He always volunteered to py with Kai, evehe rest were hosting a "boys only" party in Ranked.

  It was embarrassing to admit, but the reason Kai pulled through all that mistreatment and stayed in the club - it was all thanks to Vi's support. If not for that one goofy guy, Kai would’ve flipped a table and stormed outta that shithole a long time ago. So, as much as she enjoyed jabbing the guy and talking smack about him, she was genuinely grateful to him. Of course, she'll never admit any of that to his fabsp;

  To Kai, Vi always came across as an immovable force who pushed through any problem with his weirdness. Nothing could ever bring him down. He was always upbeat and loud. That's the kind of invincible weirdo he was.

  But no, Vi was just human, just a teen like everybody else. When it hurt, he felt pain. When something bad happened, he felt sad. When it was his first scrimmage on a big stage, he felt nervous.

  This time, it was Kai's turn to help him. She overcame the pressure by letting off some steam, but Vi was still stu that mud. So, Kai had to pull that idiot out. That's the least she could do for him right now.

  "Let's take it slow for a while," Kai suggested. "I won't charge in. We'll focus on slow and steady farming, just the way you like it."

  "That'll be much appreciated," Vi smiled. Phew, looks like I won't have to worry about any stressing situations for a while. Praise be to the a gods.

  With that, Kai and Vi calmed down a little. However, the battle was still in its infancy. Will they maintain their posure to the very end a their oppos in the csh...?

  DarkestCymore