“Whoa, that DK is such a ballsy pick,” Karen ented. “Either they’re brave or they’re hel dumb. Sis, are you sure these guys are really worth our attention?”

  “Hmm.” Fiona knotted her brows. That Dark Knight pick caught even her off-guard.

  Both in chess and in Cssmancers, following the meta was the key to victory. In the same way chess pyers studied the optimal openings, Cssmancers pyers picked the superior csses and formed the best team positions.

  That was the primary guideline by which Fiona studied Cssmancers, and the various coaches she hired endorsed this approach as well. Naturally, that also included Fernando Ruez, the Leopards’ famous coach.

  The only coach who ever tried to teach Fiona differently was the one who insisted to call herself “Esmeralda”. The witch’s unorthodox approach was the main reason Fiona didn’t mesh too well with the teags. Even though some of the woman’s crafty advice was definitely valuable, a lot of the cepts didn’t sit right with Fiona.

  Out of all the coaches, Esmeralda would likely be the one only to not bat a a Dark Knight pick. She’d even go as far as g that a Dark Knight pick erfectly fine, even against a powerhouse like the Leopards.

  As far as that oddball of a woman was ed, Cssmancers was a game without hard rules. It only had guidelihat people could greatly be from following, but otherwise, nothing was set in stone.

  Acc to her, there were always exceptions to everything. Esmeralda insisted there was always value in trying out hings that strayed away from the meta, no matter what others thought of it.

  It was an iing point of view, one could even call it “revolutionary”. But, in the end, it was simply too unrealistid ineffit.

  Humans had a finite amount of time and resources for polishing their skills in any one particur field. Nobody uood that fact better than Fiona La, who peted in many different sports at the same time.

  In order to climb to the top of eapetitive field, it was necessary to study and master the “meta” of the game. That was the fastest and most effit method for turning into a high-level petitor.

  As such, ineffit off-meta picks like Dark Knight were simply uable. The css definitely had its urengths, but it was far tile and fwed to be utilized iours.

  From the top of my head, I only recall a handful ames in which Dark Knight was ever picked. Fiona thought. And, if memory serves, none of these were A-League teams. As such, even the feles that exist are not worth taking seriously.

  The A-League housed the teams that had the most robust experien the field. As such, only their opinions oa were relevant to sider.

  Therefore, if no A-Leaguer ever seriously picked Dark Knight, then clearly the css was not meta under any circumstances. A mere middle schooler couldn’t possibly discover a strong use for Dark Knight that the best pros missed.

  As such, this Dark Knight pick was undeniably faulty in the currea. This wasn’t an opinion or aimation, but a hard, cold fact.

  A, I find myself w. Fiona admitted. Is ‘he’ going to show us an innovative tactic of some sort that ter the Leopards using a Dark Knight?

  Normally, Fiona would dismiss suonsensical ideas on the spot. Awo years ago, Fiona was defeated by precisely this sort of nonsense.

  Somehow, Yuel Fermond found an odd line of py that threw Fiona off her game. His ideas in that game were nearly as nonsensical as this Dark Knight pick, yet the man mao make them work.

  Of course, if I had just calmly analyzed the board back then, then I would have immediately discovered the fws with his pys. As, I was a bit too inexperie the time...

  When the chess engine analyzed the two games Fiona lost, it immediately discovered swift and effit ter-pys to the bizarre moves Yuel Fermond mouhese were not the simplest ter moves to find as they required a fair share of fht, but finding them should not have been that far beyond Fiona’s level at the time.

  Yes, she should have been able to stay calm and take her time finding these answers. A, Fiona failed to do so.

  Yuel’s pys were so off-putting, so far removed from standard theory. It was almost on par with pying against Cato’s usual nonsense, except ten times more bizarre.

  For one, Cato pyed the way he did because he worshiped defense. But, why did Yuel Fermond pull the moves he did? What was the otivation behind all these unorthodox ideas? The answer escaped Fiona to this very day.

  Of course, I would not lose to suonsense again if we pyed today. Fiona asserted. But, in the same way I have improved my mettle over these past two years, I am sure Yuel Fermond did the same. So now, two years ter, what new manner of trickery is he going to show me?

  When a dark horse pyer like Yuel Fermond was involved, even a Dark Knight pick did not seem too out there. Maybe, just maybe, the man actually had a method of actually putting this inferior css to good use against the Leopards.

  It is a hyper-aggressive css. Fiona analyzed. Therefore, against a hyper-defeeam like Cato’s, there might be some merit to dialing up the aggression tenfold aing out the waters... No, I should stop. It is no use for me to try and uand the minds of those who make irregur pys on a regur basis.

  Dark Knight oor choice, such was the absolute truth Fiona La stood by. A, she was also ied in seeing how this pick would py out. Because maybe, just maybe, it will positively surprise her in some manner.

  Unlike Fiona, her younger sister lost all faith in Stratus right away.

  “Sis, are you SURE it was worth io watch this guy’s game? What’s his name, again? Yarl or something?”

  “You most likely refer to Yuel Fermond. And, just to make it clear, we did not e here to watch his game in particur or anything of the sort.”

  “Oh, is that so?” Karen tilted her head. “But, this is the first time you’ve personally e to watch a scrim. Before, you’ve always said it’s a ‘waste of precious time’ because we just buy the repy and watch it ter.”

  “I still stand by that statement overall. The repys of the scrimmages tain all the information we need for analyzing our oppos.”

  “Yep, I agree. But then, why are we here, again?”

  “I simply had a little bit of free time before my piano lessons, so I figured I will drop by to see how this match pans out.”

  “Huh. So basically, you’re hel ied in seeing how this Yarl guy fares.”

  “It’s Yuel, not Yarl. And again, I insist that I did not e here specifically to watch his team’s performance or anything of the sort. Perish that nonsensical thought at once.”

  “Oh~?” Karen snickered. “Okay, okay. So, we’re actually here to watch Cato get his ass hao him, right?”

  “Now it sounds as if you are projeg your own is.”

  “Hehe, maybe~” Karen stuck out her tongue. “But gotta say, so far, I’m disappointed. I thought that Yarl guy or whatever was supposed to be amazing?” After all, he did beat sis on chess. I mean, I know she had an off day that oime, but it still takes some serious skill to take her down.

  Kare all these thoughts to herself, knowing all too well that it was a touchy topic for her sister. No matter how tough and indifferent Fiona acted about it, that one unfortunate defeat clearly haunted her to this very day.

  That was most certainly the reason why they were here today, watg a game that nobody would normally expect to be anything more than one-sided stomping. Fiona undoubtedly believed she’ll see something more iing than a straightforward crushi.

  But, so far? Stratus was a “meh” team at best. They fell behind really early in the previous game and lost miserably. Holy, Karen wasn’t impressed at all.

  “I would say they put on ae performance,” Fiona argued. “There is a clear skill gap betweewo teams’ pyers, but Stratus persisted until the very end and almost mounted a eback.”

  “Hmm. Yeah, I guess they weren’t too terrible if you put it that way.” Karen shrugged. “Well, let’s see if they do aer this game. So far, the DK pick is REALLY not inspiring fidence.”

  “I agree with that.”

  Just like them, most of the audience wao write off the Dark Knight on the spot. A, sidering how Stratus nearly turhe tables on the Leopards in the previous game, many were hoping to see another simir upset this game.

  Will Stratus live up to any of these expectations? Or, will they crash and burn horribly?

  DarkestCymore