For the fifth and final game of the day, Yuel and Lars finally recimed their rightful positions in Bot. With the two of them joining forces, they'll make sure to keep the enemy’s “Triangle of Doom” at bay.

  The teamwork of their triangle is solid, but it's nothing we 't py around. Yuel reasoned. As long as we properly maintain our spag and watch out fanks, the Triangle won't be able to catch us off-guard.

  That was Yuel’s resolutiohe game began.

  The ning phase started off peacefully in Bot. Both sides focused on clearing minions without poking each other much.

  They're cautious, just like us. Yuel nodded.

  her side was too fident about firing the first shot. Doing so involved a lot of risks and both sides uood that fact. At least, for the most part...

  "Yo, when are we fighting these dudes?" Lars asked. "They're supposed to be hel good, they even gave Kai some trouble. We gotta fight them, yo!"

  "Iime," Yuel said. "If we make any careless moves, they might trap us. These two always cooperate with the Jungler, so overextending is extremely dangerous at all times."

  "Yeah, these dudes sure know how to gang on people." Luke nodded. He already had some experience going up against these trained cops. The barricade they erected to entrap him in Mid was top-notch.

  "But, no sweat," rs insisted. "If they pull their tricks again, we just gotta fight them off and win! Easy peasy lemon squeezy."

  "Sometimes, I wish I knew where you're drawing all that baseless fidence from...”

  "From the heart, yo!" Luke gave a thumbs up. "Just gotta believe it!"

  "Well, I believe that pying safe is best," Yuel said.

  "Haha, ok boomer." Luke ughed. "Seriously tho, what's the master pn?"

  "I want to observe them first. After that, I'll decide what's the best way to hahem."

  "Okey-dokey. Just make sure to pick a strategy in which I get to shoot a lot."

  "I'll do my best."

  Meanwhile, the enemy duo was having a very simir discussion.

  "Dang, they're not attag!" Jaiden pouted. "But, I don't wanhe first to it."

  "Yeah, let's wait for them to make the first move," Rio agreed.

  The ne oppos were ex-StormBlitz pyers, they were even strong enough to py on StormBlitz’s sed-string st year. Worthy oppos, no doubt. Even the smallest amount of carelessness could lead to devastating sequences. heless...

  "Dang, I so wan how good they are!" Jaiden jumped restlessly in his chair.

  For him, this was a long-awaited, fateful battle. Finally, he had the opportunity to test his mettle against the two who made it into StormBlitz in his stead.

  They were strong, there was no doubt about it. But, how strong? Did Jaiden surpass them after one year of interaining? He had to know! He had to know it now!

  "Alright, let’s attack them once we get our ults!" Jaiden suggested.

  "Are you sure?" Rio made a face. "I don't think we should rush it."

  "Welp, my ult is scary as he a fight, so they probably won’t e at us themselves. So, I say it's only fair that we initiate first."

  "Are you sure that’s not just an excuse to fight them?

  "Maybe it is." Jaiden smiled.

  So easy to read. Rio sighed. Well, I uand how he feels. This is like an important exam for him.

  Besides, there was some real logic behind Jaiden’s reasoning. Pirate's ultimate was ihe most dangerous tool currently present in Bot Lane. Gunslinger's ult was also plenty scary in the right hands but, in a 2v2 situation, its efficy couldn’t even begin to pare to Pirate’s Kraken.

  However, even with the ult advahere was no mutive for a Pirate to initiate an early fight. It was a css that beed the most from farming slow and steady until it gained enough gold advao overpower the petition.

  With that said, Gunslinger was also a css that grew much stronger as the game progressed. Fan the Hammer gained more shots the more it leveled up, which turned Gunslinger into a killing mae ier parts of the game. At least, provided the pyer had suffit meical skill to nail headshots.

  Given the skill level that Gunz has been exhibiting the entire day with other csses, he robably profit with Gunslioo. As such, there was some justification f to shut down a Gunslinger early on. But, was it worth the risk?

  There’s no correswer here. Rio cluded. Even though Jaiden’s suggestion was clearly fueled by personal feelings, there was no 100% objective reason to deny it. Besides, if possible, I’d like to make Jaiden’s wish e true.

  That was the least Rio could do here to repay some of his infinite debt toward Jaiden. It was only thanks to Jaiden that Rio was here right now, instead of sitting in some isoted er and sobbing all alone.

  Jaiden was like a hero, always dazzling brightly as he overcame every obstacle on his path. This hero pulled Rio from the darkhat was holding him prisoner, back when he was a loner without any allies.

  I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. Rio shook his head to dispel the ive thoughts. All of that was in the past. He was doh that depressiy.

  Rio had Jaiden and Nash now, and they were pying together on this grand stage as a team. They were even winning! They struck fear in the hearts of their foes and forced Stratus to take them seriously. It was an amazing achievement!

  And, in the ter of all this success stood her than Jaiden. He was the core of their triahe glue kept them all together.

  Therefore, Rio will keep supp Jaiden. Even though Jaiden was getting a little emotional about this fight, Rio will provide his support as usual, for such was his role here.

  “Alright,” Rio said. “I’ll provide back up. Go get him.”

  “Really!?” Jaiden smiled from ear to ear like aed child. “Thanks! You’re the best!”

  “B-But, only as long as your attacks keep w.” Rio awkwardly averted his eyes. “If things go south, we pull out.”

  “Sure thing.” Jaiden fshed his teeth.

  It was time. He’ll finally face his fated adversaries. Will he e on top and prove he was actually worthy of getting into StormBlitz all along? Or, will he lose terribly and feel like total trash? It was now or never! Let’s goooooooo!

  During the minion wave, Jaiden id in wait for his big opportunity. He closely watched Gunz’s movements, to be the first to spot even the fai hint of that beast l its guard. That’s when Jaiden will have to strike!

  Some might say it was cheap of him, but Jaiden needed any advantage he could get. Finding the right moment to strike was skill too, so it was all fair game.

  “I feel like I’m being watched,” Lars said. His beastly instincts kicked in. He khis feeling all too well from experience. When somebody was following his every move, they were usually preparing to jump him.

  “Yeah, looks like their Carry is pnning something,” Yuel said. “Do you want to bait him in?”

  “If that means we’re getting some a, I’m all for it!” Lars nodded repeatedly. “I’m tired of pying his is the st game, so I say we go hard o home!”

  “We’re going home after this game either way.”

  “Haha, smartypants.” Lars ughed. “Anyway, yeah. Let’s do get this started! What’s the pn?”

  “We use the oldest tri the book,” Yuel said. “When you get t the bowmen, go a little deeper than necessary into their territory and show your back to the Pirate. That should suffice as a bait.”

  “Oh, the 200 IQ back-turrat! Lovin’ it!” Lars ran ahead like aed puppy before even hearing out the rest of the pn.

  “I’ll be watg Rengedae’s movements, so you see him on my monitor.”

  “Yep, figured it gonna be my favorite sekret tech!”

  They used a simir tacti this very stage before, against the Leopards of st year. Sihen, Yuel ied it into their training regime so they could master it.

  The idea was simple: Lars will pretend he couldn’t see the enemy with his back turo them, but he’ll actually be watg their movements on Yuel’s monitor. Some would call it cheating, but there was no official rule against it. Besides, the usefulness of this tactic was extremely limited. It demanded godly meical skill like Lars’s to pull anything amazing out of this advantage.

  And so, the bait was set. Lars fearlessly turned his back to the enemy and focused his shots on the bowmen in front of him. He left himself wide open for attacks from behind.

  “Here’s my ce!” Jaiden dashed forth. He only needed a couple of steps to get Gunz within firing range. He gonna nd that sweet preemptive attack! It’ll immediately set him ahead of his oppo. I got this one in the bag!

  I have a bad feeling about this... Rio silently followed Jaiden.

  The enemy’s defenses were fairly tight until now, so why did Gunz carelessly turn his back all of a sudden? Was it a slip-up? Or, could it be...?

  “Got him!” Jaiden fired.

  “Too slow, dude!” Lars saw that ing from a mile away... on Yuel’s s! He rolled aside just in time to dodge the bullet, then he immediately fired back. Headshot!

  “Wha!?” Jaiden froze in pce. His brain failed to catch up with this turn of events.

  One moment, he was shooting his foe in the back. The moment, his shot missed ae a ter instead. And, it was a critical hit, a headshot, to boot! “What in the-!?”

  That wasn’t the end of the bad news. In a matter of seds, dark clouds covered the blue sky. It was Aquamancer’s Rainfall!

  “Dang, they got me good...!” Jaiden tried to backpedal, but he moved painfully slow. It’s like he was stu the mud.

  Before he could gain enough distance, another bullet pierced through his skull. Another headshot, another critical hit.

  “D-Damn! Take that!” Jaiden fired a ter-attacked, but his Pirate was far too sluggish.

  Gunz effortlessly sidestepped the slow ter. And, while sidestepping, he fired another bullet! A third headshot, another critical hit!

  “H-Haha, you gotta be kidding me...” Jaiden twitched.

  Three headshots in a row, just like that. In no time, he lost 30% of his HP. It was insanity! From the moment he initiated, the entire world flipped on its head. Somebody must have tossed him into a bullet hell.

  “Retreat!” Rio implored. He cast Godspeed to cel out the slowdown effect of Rainfall. It also granted Jaiden a boost of Movement Speed, exactly what he o flee the se as quickly as possible.

  “Thanks, you’re a lifesaver-” Jaiden froze mid-sente was too early to celebrate. Just whehought he was about to get away, water erupted from the ground!

  “Whoa!” Jaiden found himself high in the air. It was Aquamancer’s Geyser Eruption with its nasty knock-up Cake things worse, the eruption was carefully pced to kick Jaiden backward, sending him bato the bullet hell.

  BAM! Anunsh before Jaiden even made his nding. Gunz was like a hungry beast, he’d die from starvation if he didn’t fire a bullet every other sed.

  And, to make things worse, the shots were all headshots! Yes, even this fourth shot perfectly nded on Jaiden’s head. Even though he was still high in the air when it happened, Gunz sniped him without failure. How was that even possible!?

  I made a huge mistake. Jaiden gulped. I thought Gunz won’t in top form when he doesn’t py Shooter, but his Slinger is a mooo! Holy moly.

  This was all one huge mistake. Jaiden’s curiosity led him to open Pandora’s Box. A vicious beast was unleashed from within, ying waste to everything in sight!

  Jaiden was a careless fool who overstepped his boundaries. He walked into a territory in which he had no power. This duo of Gunz and Chessmaster was on a whole different level pared to everybody else here, they were light-years ahead of his current skill level.

  Run away! Just run away! Quick! The voi his head shouted like a broken record. There was nothing he could possibly do against these superior oppos. Absolutely nothing.

  As soon as Jaiden reached the ground, he rolled toward allied territory. However, no matter how agile he was, the enemy refused to slow down.

  BAM! Anunshot resounded. It was another hit, even though Jaiden was in the middle of a roll. Luckily, this one wasn’t a headshot.

  So, even Gunz miss sometimes, huh. Jaiden smiled wryly. If only for a moment, Gunz’s gunpy showed a hint of human imperfe. There’s no doubt that guy was a god among men, but he wasn’t invincible. Therefore, Jaiden will be able to get away!

  Fortunately, Rio’s buff was still in effect. With this buffed Movement Speed, Jaiden gonhe hell outta here- SPLASH! Water hit Jaiden from the side! It was Aquamancer’s Spsh.

  “Dang, these guys...!” Jaiden grit his teeth. That Spsh removed his speed buff, leaving him with nothing. The only optio for him was to keep running normally while an aimbot was breathing down his neck.

  BAM! Jaiden attempted to sidestep in respoo the gunfire’s sound, but he was far too te. HEADSHOT. CRITICAL HIT.

  “Damn, I ’t...” Jaiden hung his head.

  The rain tio pour a shower ahead of him. The dark clouds painted a bleak picture. There was no hope to be found anywhere in this sery.

  He had only two ways to deal with this obstacle: either cut through the rain and suffer a speed penalty, or take his time to circle around the rain area. Either way, he’ll lose a lot of precious time. And, that’ll give the enemy more time to- BAM! HEADSHOT! CRITICAL HIT!

  He was already down to 35% HP. This felt like a bad joke. How could a siiny mispy cost him so much life? And, it all happened so quickly, too. He barely even had a ce to blink before over half of his HP vanished without a trace.

  Nah, the real joke here was Jaiden. What was he thinking to himself? He knew Gunz and Chessmaster were on a whole different level, especially when they pyed together. Why did he think he could challehem? Who the heck did he think he was?

  Yeah, that’s right. I’m just some failure who couldn’t eve into StormBlitz. Jaiden bit his lip. The goddess of victory didn’t smile on him during that exam, and she didn’t smile on him today either. He got carried away just because his team did well i two games. It was foolish. He was foolish.

  Guess I’ll die. Jaiden didn’t see himself getting out of this situation alive. Whether he tinues running through the rain or circles around it, the enemy will shoot him down before he gets away.

  Might as well just run straight through it. Jaiden sighed i. It was over for him either way...

  DarkestCymore