The day of the Valkyries vs. StormBlitz match has finally e.

  For the past two weeks, the Valkyries studied their oppos from top to bottom, squeezing out every possible bit of information from the avaible repys. And, at the same time, they also tinued honing their individual skills to leave no ots in their formation.

  Now, it was time to show their newly gained skill on the petitive stage. They had already faced one embarrassi in Proter, but they had every iion of making up for it today. At least, most of them were fident about that...

  "Ugh, I don't feel so good..." Lua held her stomach. Her face ale as a sheet. It wouldn’t be strao see her colpse at any moment.

  If this were the first time it happehen Fiona would have assumed the worst. After all, one sick pyer would immediately disqualify the eeam when there were no substitutes avaible.

  Of course, unlike sports that pced a physical burden on the pyers, it erhaps a little more passable to force a sick teammate to py in esports. However, doing so will surely not lead to a fruitful game for either side. Only the stroeam has the luxury of pying with such a handicap, and eve was a bad idea.

  Therefore, by all ats, Fiona should have annouhe Valkyries’ forfeit. That is if Lua was truly sick. However, after the experience of the previous scrim, it was clear that Lua’s issues y elsewhere.

  "You appear just as shaky as you did st time, my dear flower," Andria spoke to Lua using her usual theatrics. “Does the grand stage overwhelm you yet again?”

  “P-Probably…” Lua had a seizure as she said that. Just thinking about pying on that huge stage sent shivers across her body.

  In short, Lua’s symptoms were caused by stage fright. The same exact thing happened during the Leopards scrim as well. Back then, Fiona was a few steps away from making the team forfeit.

  Fortunately, as a member of the drama club, Andria had plenty of experieh freshmen who went through simir ordeals. The symptoms always looked grave at first, but it was usually possible to calm dowient with the right words.

  "There is o be so nervous, my dear flower," Andria spoke softly, almost whispering into Lua’s ear. “You have practiced plenty over the past couple of weeks. There is absolutely no reason why you should fear these oppos.”

  “That is true,” Fiona tuned in. "I personally attest that ead every one of you has worked hard over the past month. We are not the same newbie team we were during the previous scrim."

  "R-Right!" Lua rongly. She knew all that in her head, but it sounded a huimes more ving when the La Princess came out and said it out loud.

  "Likewise, there is also no reason to be afraid of the crowd, my dear flower," Andria spoke gently. "Those who came here today to watch this bout will not be ied in critig your performance. Right now, all their eyes are focused on StormBlitz."

  "Yes, that makes sense," Lua agreed, her tone now sounded more rexed than before. Some of the usual colors returo her cheeks, though she still wasn’t looking 100%.

  At the same time, Andria’s words also sparked a fme iher members. "So, they all think we're gonna the back dancers here today, huh," Karen shook her head. "I say we show them who's the real boss! Let’s smoke StormBlitz!"

  "I agree with you for once!" elia rongly. "These peasants have nht to look down on our eam!"

  "Wait, so now the eeam is sidered 'noble'?"

  "What are you talking about? Of course it is!” elia lifted her in fidence. “After all, this team has nobles such as myself and Fiona pying for it! So, it’s obligated to be a eam, even if it has lowly peasants like you."

  "Are you pig a fight, girl?" Karen cracked her knuckles but she didn't get the ce to start anything.

  "Karen, elia,” Fiona said coldly. “I would appreciate it if you spared us your childish quarrels for today.”

  "... okay, fine." Karen pouted but rexed her threatening fists. "You’re right, this isn't the time for this shit. Sorry, sis."

  "Thank you. Also, nguage."

  "Bleh."

  "And, you too, elia," Fiona shifted her gaze to the other troublemaker. "Please refrain from such btant provocations, at least for today."

  "Very well," elia plied. "Just for today, I shall treat this peasant- ack!" A cold shiver ran down her spihe moment she uttered the word without thinking! Fiona was staring daggers at her! "I-I meant, I shall treat this honorable teammate with respect! Yes."

  "Thank you."

  "Phew." elia wiped the noble sweat from her forehead. For a moment there, Fiona's majestic aura was going to choke to death.

  Even though Fiona politely thahem for plying with her request, her words sounded more like firmation that the duo avoided capital punishment this time. It was quite terrifying, to be ho.

  Shortly after that, the ission died down. Lua gathered bits of ce for the uping match, whereas Karen and elia piped down.

  Fiona took advantage of this preparation time to quiz the other members about StormBlitz. It was a st-minute review session about the most important topics of today’s match.

  Sometime ter, the team's coach also joihem in the waiting room. “I see you’re reviewing the material. Good.”

  “Oh!” Karen saw this development as an excuse to tu of the review session. "Heya, coach!"

  "MASTER," Nakajima retorted sharply. "How many times do I have to correct you?"

  "Yeah, yeah, master." Karen rolled her eyes.

  "I’m gd you made it here early," Nakajima said. "I figured you’d be running te since I couldn't give you a ride this time."

  "It was not a problem," Fiona said. "I simply arranged a ride in the limousine instead. It had more than enough space to aodate everybody."

  "Oh, yes, of course..." Nakajima smiled wrly. Rich people and their privileges. Sigh.

  Before tinuing, she took a few moments to examine everybody's dition. Unlike in the previous scrim, this time the girls looked ready. Even Lua wasn't shaking like a leaf anymore.

  "You're lookier than ever," Nakajima said. "I'm impressed."

  "We had a ce to do some pep talk before you arrived," Fioed.

  "I see." Nakajima nodded in satisfa. It looks like there's no need for any of the motivational speeches I prepared. Oh well.

  It was always best when a team overcame such obstacles on its own. The master could only guide the pupils up to a certain point. Ultimately, the pyers will be oage all by themselves, so they had to be able to sort out such issues on their own in the heat of the a.

  Fiona and Andria are good in this department, so I'll leave the job to them. Nakajima thought. It’s going to be hard, but I’ll have to restrain myself from stepping in at the first sight of a problem.

  Despite being a greenhorn team, the Valkyries had the talent to make a big wave in the region’s petitive se. It might not happen this year, but it’ll definitely happen at some point.

  And no, this wasn't just Nakajima's biased opinion as their coach. Some of these girls were really that impressive.

  Currently, their greatest weakness was the ck of practical experience, both with petitive games and with Cssmancers at rge. That's why Nakajima had to carefully lead them by the hand for now so they wouldn’t trip on any of the obvious pitfalls.

  "Very well!" BAM! Nakajima drove her shinai into the ground, produg a loud knock that got everybody's attention. "Since you appear mentally prepared, let's briefly review ame pn for today. If there are still any things you're unsure about or don't uand, then I’m sorry to break it to you, but you should’ve asked me about them at least a week ago.”

  “Dang, harsh…” Karen squirmed in disfort. This review felt like an exam and she wasn’t so sure how well she repared for it. Whoopise, haha.

  “With that said, a moment of embarrassment is far better than ay of ignorance," Nakajima tinued. “So, make sure to ask away, don’t be shy about it. Better te than never.”

  And so, the team went over today’s game p time. Fortunately, everybody remembered the key details about their respective oppos and how the team nning to bat the StormBlitz’s defensive shield at rge. Even the usual suspects, Karen and elia, answered questions correctly. It was a sight to behold.

  Though, of course, they ought to be able to do that much. After all, Nakajima and Fiona drilled all that info into them on a regur basis.

  They spread the many studying sessions across two weeks to make sure the materials slowly but surely sank in. Therefore, nobody here had any excuses. They were obligated to ace this final test. It should e naturally to them at this point.

  However, there was also the pressure of the stage to sider here. After all, if theoretical knowledge was enough to win games, then armchair theorizers would’ve been the world champions.

  Iy, the practical execution of the game pn was a challenge in its ht. It was so on for people to bnk out, to fuse themselves with overthinkic.

  So, to warm up the gears in their brains before the matakajima fired off a pop quiz.. "Karen, how will Athena fight you in a 1v1?"

  "She probably wouldn’t," Karen answered. "She’s gonna run away like a pussy like 100% of the time. And, if she DOES stay to fight, it'll be hel sus. It’ll mean she's probably pnning some shit."

  "Correext, elia. If Hitter picks a fight with you, how should you respond?"

  "Hmph, by teag that peasant his pce!” elia puffed her chest in fide quickly backed down against Nakajima’s sharp gre. “A-Ahem. I mean, I will gracefully retreat to a more favorable position before engaging in bat."

  “And, why exactly do you have to retreat first?”

  “Hmph, because it’s a waste of time for a noble such as myself to deal with a oner of that level.”

  “And, more specifically?”

  “Hmph...” elia scowled. “The formal answer is that some people seem to believe I will struggle to reliably overwhelm Hitter in bat, so I must secure a superior position before fighting him. Though, I must insist that is pletely false.”

  “I see,” Nakajima said. “So, you would rather trust in your baseless fidend take the risk?”

  “I…” elia wao respond with “Of course!” but she k wasn’t the ahe coach was looking for. “No, of course not. For the sake of the team, I shall avoid sucertain battles. Most of the time.”

  “EVERY time.”

  “... yes, of course.” elia averted her eyes. She was vehemently opposed to this, but she had no choice but to bend the k this time. This wasn’t the time or pce to incur the coach’s wrath.

  “With that said,” Nakajima tinued. “We also discussed that there are exceptions to the rule, right? So, in what situations are you allowed to pick a fight with Hitter on even ground?”

  “When Fiona grants such permission.”

  “Huh.” Nakajima was taken a little aback by that answer. “The more accurate answer is: wheire team agrees to the idea given the circumstances.”

  “Hmph.” elia lifted her . “Clearly, Fiona is the only one worth listening to on such matters.”

  “Very well.” Nakajima sighed. “Fiona, I trust you to properly analyze such situations and sult others as needed.”

  “Of course.” Fiona nodded. “I believe events like this will only occur when I’m in a position to provide immediate backup.”

  "That’s a good way of thinking" Nakajima nodded in satisfa. “Alright, question…”

  In a simir manner, everybody cleared the pop quiz without any problems. This much was to be expected, given that Nakajima had already asked them simir questions over the past two weeks.

  In many ways, this was just a review exam. The goal wasn’t to stump the girls with difficult questions but rather to check their state of mind.

  It was all too on for an amateur’s brain to turn into a sad the moment the real event started. This actually happeo some of the girls during the previous scrim, something Nakajima overlooked.

  So, ing up with this carefully pnned pop quiz was Nakajima’s homework for the scrim. Fighting the region’s 2eam was already going to be a Herculean task for the girls, so at the very least, they had to face it in optimal dition.

  And, in addition t out any sads in their heads, ag the pop quiz should fill the girls with fidehat’s why Nakajima specifically picked questions that sounded hard on the surface but which the girls should already know the ao.

  She had already asked them variations of all these questions over the past two weeks, so this “pop quiz” was more like a review exam. Still, it was good to see that the girls remembered the finer points.

  After this, the Valkyries were mentally prepared from every angle for the uping match. They did their homework, they built their fidence, and they improved their skill substantially sihe previous scrimmage.

  Now, it was time to show the results on the petitive stage!

  DarkestCymore