Kai failed to catch Renegade with her wolf. She fell for the enemy’s bait and wasted her trump card.

  heless, she was still alive. Even with a difference of 30% HP between her and Renegade, she was going to win this one!

  "It's over." Yuel shattered her delusion. "You lost. Retreat."

  "No, I still...!" Kai insisted and fired a bolt at Renegade. Got him!

  You gonna stay and fight? Jaiden shook his head in disappoi. Fine by me. He fired back.

  A hit for a hit. If Beat intends to stay and fight, Jaiden will simply eat her shots and fire undodgeable ters at her. Given his absolute HP advantage, and the fact Beat ran out of trump cards, Jaiden was guarao win this fight.

  "Kai, you lost," Yuel repeated. "Retreat before it's too te. You still make it if you turn baow."

  "No! I win!" Kai unleashed another shot. It tained all her fury and hatred. She couldn't lose! Not here! Not to this bastard in front of her...!

  Renegade has been looking down on her from the beginning. Even now, he robably thinking of her as trash that had no business pying petitively. Kai was nothing but an eyesore for him.

  That’s why she had to prove him wrong. She'll tear this bastard apart, even from this disadvantageous situation. That'll teach him a hard lesson or two. I gonna win this one!

  She lost it. Yuel frowhe situation was turning less and less salvageable by the moment. "Luke, gank the ne."

  "But, they're still fighting," Luke said. "The cap asked to not interfere."

  "Don’t you see what’s going on? She has already lost. She’s just refusing to admit it."

  "Hmm. Yeah, I guess ya right." Luke nodded and booted Burning Spirit. "Alrighty, I’m on my way!"

  Meanwhile, Kai tinued her senseless attacks. She was like a mad beast with rabies.

  It reminds me of the times when Julia went mad. Yuel frowned. Except, unlike Julia, Kai ’t seem to use her ao her advantage.

  Kai nded one shot. Then, another one. pared to her previous hit rate, she definitely seemed strohan before.

  But, that wasn’t the case. It was Renegade who ying differently right now. Kai’s shots didn’t bother him in the slightest. Instead of dodging them, he focused on nding his ters on Kai. It seemed he was fih trading shots due to his life lead.

  "That's it. We lost Bot." Yuel bit his lip. He had no idea what else he could possibly say to wake up Kai. It robably too te anyway. This game was about to bee a repeat of st time.

  "HEY! KAI!" Lars shouted on top of his lungs. "Pull outta there, dude! Ya wan him 'em take Bot? It gonna be like st game all ain!"

  "Ah!" Kai froze. Last game? What happe game? The team lost terribly. But, why? Because Kai carelessly pressed her offense against Renegade and died. It was exactly like this situatiht now!

  I fucked up. Hard. Kai gulped. Reasouro reside in her heated-up brain.

  She lost this duel the moment she failed to nd her Wolf panion. So, what the hell was she still doing here fighting!? She had to retreat!

  She gave up? Jaiden wondered. His oppo came to a halt for no reason. Well, fine by me. Instead of waiting for an opportunity to ter, he initiated the attack himself this time. BAM!

  "Ah! Shit!" Kai sidestepped the bullet at the st moment. It was a smooth st-sed dodge. This was a great opportunity to deliver a ter on the enemy!

  But, she didn't do that. Instead, Kai turned her ba the fight and made a run for it.

  It was frustrating, humiliating, and embarrassing. She was fleeing with her tail between her legs. Kai allowed that cocky bastard to trample all over her.

  heless, she had to swallow her pride and keep running. The eeam will be doomed if she dies here. As the captain, she had to set an example for the rest of the team. Therefore, she couldn't sacrifice the team for her selfish desires.

  Oh, so NOW you're retreating? Jaiden shrugged. Way too te, girl. "Nash, you're up."

  "Already there!" Nash leaped out of the jungle. He has been waiting around the er ever since Jaiden dodged Wolf panion. It was clear the girl will start running soon, so Nash was ready to jump o a moment’s notice!

  Already here!? Kai heard somebody nding behind her. It gotta be the Lancer. What a pain in the ass! She rolled forward to create some distance.

  "Ya like rolling? What a ce, I also like it!" Nash rolled after his prey. He ain't letting her get away! Ain't nobody escapes from the almighty StormMonster!

  Tch, he's getting closer. Kai clicked her tongue. Cold sweat formed her forehead. She heard ead every footstep behind her, loud and clear.

  The metallic shoes produced an ominous heavy sound. Every time the metal stomped on the ground, it sent a shiver down Kai's spi times like this, her acute hearing was like a curse.

  Her pursuer was faster than her. He built items that boosted Movement Speed, for no reason other than chasing targets down. Kai will never outrun him by foot, not in a million years.

  Had Wolf panion been avaible right now, she could've mouhe wolf and ridden away. As, there was nobody to rely on. Kai was pletely alone here.

  Well, that’s what I deserve. Kai wore a self-depreg smile. She selfishly demao fight Renegade against everybody's advice, so it only made sense for her to meet her end alone.

  "Yo, what's up!" Luke appeared in front of her

  "Eh? You came?" Kai blinked.

  "Yep! Luke is here to the rescue!"

  "Ah, t-thanks..." Kai mumbled. Her eyes welled up a little. I'm su idiot. What the hell I've been doing until now!? I got a team. We're all here, fighting for the same goal. Why was I so stubborn about that stupid duel? Why!?

  Kai's heart overflowed with regret as she made haste toward her Turret. Thankfully, with Luke here, they avoided the worst-case sario. Once Kai reaches the tower, she’ll just have to recall, cool down a little, and start making up for the all trouble she caused.

  However, the enemy had different pns for how this story will end for her.

  "Reinforts? Cool." Nash hit the brakes and assumed a firm stance. "You wanna die iead? Works for me!”

  "GAE-" the Lancer shouted the first half. Everybody knew what was i.

  "Crap! He gonna bolg our asses!" Luke rolled away without thinking twice. It'll be no ughing matter if Gae Bolg hits him. He'll be as good as dead!

  "Thanks for opening the path, chump." Nash grinned.

  "- BOLG!" the Lancer's voice thundered. He dashed forth with lightning speed, crossing a quarter of the ne in an instant.

  Heck yeah! I dodged! Luke exhaled in relief.

  Heh, dumbass. You weren't even my target! Nash grinned. I only care about ending this girl's career! His target was now within reach, so he thrust his h one arm.

  "Geh!" Kai flinched. Her HP dropped to 3%. It was the end. One more hit and it was over.

  The Turret area was right in front of her. If she just step in, that might be enough to disce her pursuer from chasing any further. It was unlikely, but she had to believe in something to keep fighting until the bitter end.

  Judging by the sound of the metallic footsteps behind her, Kai was still within the Lancer’s range. If Dodge Roll was avaible, this would’ve been the ideal situation to use it. As, it was still on cooldown. Therefore, Kai had only oio: to predict the attad sidestep it!

  The enemy was eager to finish this as quickly as possible. Therefore, he’ll deliver the finishing strike as soon as possible. That was an important hint for the timing of the ining attack.

  Running diagonally will be too slow. Kai lifted her finger off the W key. Holding W + A steered her diagonally toward the Turret, but it slowed down her ability to juke. Therefore, Kai stopped heading forward for a moment and sharply sidestepped to the left!

  “Wha!?” Nash’s gasped. His decisive strike pierced through empty air. It almost grazed the girl’s right arm, but it didn’t. That freaki sidestepped in the nick of time!

  “Damn, son!” Nash excimed. “Does she have eyes on her back or somethin’? That’s the spookiest shit ever, I’m telling ya.”

  While the oppo was fused by this development, Kai sped up ahead.

  Now! Kai lifted her finger off the A key and pushed W all the way. While her oppo was rec from the whiff, she was hitting all the gas and pulling up ahead!

  “Haha, not bad!” Nash ehe challenge for what it was worth. It was always fun watg his prey struggle to the bitter end like a ered cockroach. It made the kill that much tastier!

  As if to interrupt the fun, a fireball struck against his shoulder from behind. It seemed like the Pyromancer finally realized what was really going on.

  That guy was targeting Kai all along with his Bolg! Luke realized his mistake.

  He rolled aside in panic against the Gae Bolg, thinking the Lancer shifted focus to him. But, in truth, StormMonster’s target was Kai all along! That Gae Bolg was just a scarecrow, a trick to get Luke out of the way. And, Luke fell for it like an idiot. Dang it, I gotta stop him somehow!

  Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Luke could do in this situation. He chased the Lao the best of his ability and shot fireballs at the guy, but StromMonster didn’t even flinch. This beast was dead set on capturing his prey. Nothing else iire world mattered to StormMonster right now.

  Dang it, stop already! Luke fired another fireball, and it hit the Lancer’s back without any trouble. It eve det damage, at least for a basic attack from a mage’s css.

  A, it didn’t do shit for improving the situation. The Lancer was still hot on Kai’s trail. There was no stopping this dude.

  If only I had some CC! Welp. Luke sighed in resignation. That’s what he got for pig Pyromancer as a Jungler.

  Pyromancer had all sorts of cool properties that could make him into an awesome Jungler, but it severely cked in the CC department. This one fw hurt so bad, that it single-handedly branded Pyromancer as a meme Jungler. And now, of all the times, this fw came back to bite Luke in the arse.

  Luke couldn’t stop StormMonster. He couldn’t rescue Kai. The enemy was already breathing down on Kai’s neck. It was over.

  “You’re through!” Nash thrust his nce, impaling his prey through the back.

  The Ranger colpsed on the ground. It was over for her.

  You have been killed!

  The disheartening message appeared on Kai’s s. What a me ending.

  She insisted so hard on dueling Renegade, she even sacrificed Vi for that. But, what did she get iurn? Nothing.

  No, it was worse than nothing. She allowed Renegade to gain the upper hand in Bot again. There was a good ce she doomed the entire game with her selfishness.

  I’m... I’m not good enough. Kai ched her bck cap and pulled it downwards. She wao hide her face from the audience, from her teammates, and from the entire world.

  Kai wasn’t good enough. She has been trying to deny that line of thought sihe previous game, but it turned out to be the truth. Renegade was strohan her. Kai had no choice but to admit that now.

  That bastard defeated her not once, but twice. The first time, she had some excuses up her sleeve, but this time was different. Kai faced Renegade in a pure 1v1 and hly equal terms, but she lost. Terribly so.

  Maybe Renegade was correct after all. Perhaps, Kai really wasn’t strong enough to pete at this level yet. If Lars pyed Carry iead, he surely would have done a much better job. He’d kick Renegade’s ass without breaking a sweat.

  What was I even doing there? Kai looked at Bot ne as if it was some alien y. That wasn’t the ne she should be pying in. What was she even doing there this eime? What was she trying to prove? To achieve? She couldn’t even find the ao these questions anymore...

  DarkestCymore