DEFEAT

  The red letters fshed on the s, inf loudly of the Leopards’ defeat. The eadium fell silent, no doubt shocked by this ued annou.

  Even the Leopards were sitting silently in pot a single one of them budged from their chairs even though the game was over. Their minds failed to process that this had actually happened.

  When this game started, not a single soul expected to see Stratus triumphant in this game. Not only they were up against the Leopards, but also their lineup was questio best and ughable at worst. And, the more they revealed about their intended game pn, the more it felt like one big joke.

  A, Stratus pulled through. Yes, with this unlikely hyper-aggressive p and with this absolute meme of a Jungler. Stratus toppled the regional champions using the least meta pn there was.

  It was mind-boggling. Unreal. Astonishing. But, also fasating.

  This performance deserved nothihan appuse. And, somebody felt it was necessary to supply it.

  CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! One person's g resounded loudly across the sheer silence of the stadium.

  "Awesome game!" Jaiden praised as he tinued g.

  Surely, Stratus's performance deserved this muot only did they topple the uable regional champions, but they also showed how an unventional noa lineup could still work on the petitive se with suffit know-how.

  And perhaps more than anything, it was impressive how Stratus reproduced the Triarademark "EVERYBODY PUSHES THROUGH MID!" strategy.

  It was a delicate and plicated line of py that Jaiden and Co. researched a lot. This extreme strategy pyed to their strengths, so they really wao make it wainst petitive teams.

  It took them a lot of practid research to nail this strategy, so it was thrilling to finally execute it on the petitive stage i scrimmage. They felt like they broke the meta with that absurd py!

  Yet Stratus, probably under Chessmaster's lead, successfully adopted the strategy and polished it to the point it was usable degree. Not to mention, they used it alongside a spicy meme. Everiangle hadn't gohat far yet.

  So yeah, these guys deserved nothing but praise for this amazing performance. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

  "Yeah, this was some sick shit!" Nash tuned in as well. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

  "Um, we're attrag attention..." Rio sunk in his chair, trying to avoid everybody's gazes.

  The loud pair of g made everybody turn their heads irio's dire. It was so embarrassing!

  But, I agree with them. Rio also quietly joined his hands together. It raiseworthy performahey pulled off something that everybody here must've thought was impossible. I should take some notes from this game so we improve our own tactics more.

  And so, while sinking low in his chair, Rio joined in on the g.

  CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! The three sources of noise resonated with each other and spread across the silent stadium like a tsunami.

  Naturally, everybody got curious about this increasing loudness. Some even sidered joining in, but they felt it was too embarrassing or out of pce. After all, there were only three people g right now, which was hardly a majority.

  But soon enough, another somebody joihe event from a different side of the stadium. CLAP CLAP CLAP.

  "My, are we also doing it?" Ellen tilted her head.

  "Why not?" Howard smiled meaningfully and tinued g. "They deserve that much, don't you think?"

  "Hmm~" Ellen looked curiously at her future husband. "Is that so~? Are you sure you're not doing this to traumatize the poor Leopards?"

  "Traumatize? What a scary accusation. I'm just celebrating that our ex-members are winning."

  Despite what Howard was saying, the smirk on his face id his iions bare for Ellen to see. Therefore, she joined in on this psychological attack. CLAP CLAP CLAP.

  ", you join in as well," Howard instructed the team.

  "Got it, lol!" Roi cpped loudly too. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

  "Haha, this is kinda weird." Dan joined in as well. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

  "This is silly..." Gilbert said so but he plied with the order and started g as well. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

  "Hmph. I guess they kinda deserve it this time." Julia cpped softly too. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

  With this big pack of g joining the fray, the loud sounds domihe eadium. It was no longer just a minority sh Stratus with praise. It felt as if “a lot of people” were doing it.

  The loudness attracted more loudness, so more people followed along with the g. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

  Shortly, the g ied the eadium and resonated loudly as true appuse. That's exactly the oute Howard was aiming for when he joihe g.

  My, what a devilish man I found myself~ Ellen smiled from ear to ear as she cpped along, uanding all too well what her husband had in mind.

  Perhaps, a little tiny bit of Howard's appuse was io praise the team for winning su unlikely game. But surely, that wasn't the main point. No, her handsomely devilish Wardy was far more vicious than that~

  He wao deliver a mental blow to the Leopards, to shake them up at their moment of weakness. The puys must have already felt terrible about losing to such a meme, and now the appuse was going to mentally scar them even further.

  There was no way that the Leopards will be able tet about this humiliation too easily. The frustration will tinue haunting them in the game as well.

  But, why did Howard even go so far in the first pce? Was he trying to help Yuel’s team win? Well yes, sort of.

  Yuel’s team had a very important mission to aplish here today, so Howard lent them a hand where he could. It was all for the sake ing the Leopards’ big secret to the surface.

  Soon, Jin. Soon, they'll drag your arse onto the stage. Howard’s gaze speared the Korean prodigy, who was currently lying low amidst the crowd as if he was nobody important.

  It was crucial to force this key pyer onto the stage today. StormBlitz had to extract more data about his skill and pystyle before their scrimmage.

  As, there were almost no other teams who could give the Leopards a run for their money in this region. As such, Yuel’s ky team had to somehow achieve that.

  You were right to doubt my iions, Yuel. Howard smiled meaningfully as he cpped. I’m not here to run a charity and I’d definitely never help YOUR team for no good reason. I just need you to aplish something for me, that’s all.

  It was like a busirade. Howard offered as much support as he could from the sideline in order to improve Stratus’ standing, helping the diligent puppets do Howard’s work for him. It was a fair transa, nothing more and nothing less.

  CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

  What started off as a brief g of ho appreciation soon transformed into thunderous appuse that filled every er of the stadium. It’s as if the whole audience raising Stratus and booing the Leopards.

  So, on top of suffering an embarrassi, the Leopards now had to cope with this additional mental blow...

  DarkestCymore