Vol.2 Chapter 46
Hana's PoV
The air crackles with anticipation. A low murmur washes over the crowd, punctuated by the occasional shout as fans greet their friends. Stage crews bark orders over the thrumming of bass music. A rhythmic hammering echoes from somewhere unseen. The organized chaos throbs with barely contained energy, a live wire waiting to be sparked as my teammates and I walk through the hallway toward our destination, the room for the participating player.
"Feeling nervous?" Kaito inquired out of the blue.
"A bit..." I responded softly, admitting my apprehension.
'Kind of' is an understatement. My stomach churns like a washing machine on a spin cycle. I try to focus on the warm-up exercises flashing on the screen, but all I hear is the muffled roar of the crowd, a constant reminder of the anticipation building outside these isolated hallways for the players to prepare for their matches.
"Don't be nervous cause,"
"We won't lose this time,"
Ren and Rei reassured me.
I smiled at their attempt to encourage me. Even when I made a huge blunder on my first match, they still did not blame me in the slightest. I'm glad to have a teammate like them. It is also the reason why I'm doubly nervous today. What if I fucked up again? What if my mistake cost us all to be eliminated? I don't want to drag my teammates down again.
As we made our way to the room designated for our team to ready ourselves for the imminent match, I made a conscious effort to rein in the overwhelming emotions bubbling within me.
Upon reaching the specially arranged room, we all entered. Even within the enclosed booths, the vibrant energy of the stadium seeped through. Distant cheers and chants merged into a continuous roar, occasionally interjected by heightened bursts of excitement. While the panelists' voices hummed faintly, their words remained indiscernible, yet their infectious enthusiasm lingered in the background. The subdued thrum of bass and the rhythmic echoes from the stage preparations reverberated in the air, serving as a constant reminder of the invigorating ambiance just beyond the soundproof walls.
As I surveyed the room, my gaze settled on our manager seated in the middle, entirely focused on his laptop. Upon our arrival, he promptly stood up and greeted us with enthusiasm.
"Oh, you're all here at last!" he exclaimed cheerfully.
Without delay, my teammates and I approached him, exchanging warm greetings and smiles to acknowledge his presence.
"Mr. Takahashi, you seem particularly joyous today," Kaito observed.
"Ah, is it that evident? Well, it's because I have an exciting announcement to share about a new coach," he shared joyfully.
"A new coach?" I inquired, seeking clarification.
"Indeed! Oh, I assumed you were already aware of Hana," he responded, slightly surprised, then muttered, "So I suppose she intended to surprise you..."
Before I could inquire further about his cryptic statement, the door to our room swung open, unveiling a figure draped in layers of clothing, sporting a face mask and sunglasses that obscured their identity. From the physique, it appeared to be a woman, although her features were difficult to discern. Yet, one aspect stood out - a sense of familiarity lingered about her presence.
"OH! You're already here!" our manager exclaimed.
“Good morning. I will be in charge of your strategies from here on out,” the woman said curtly as she removed her disguise.
Seeing her face as she removed her accessories, the woman standing before us exudes unmistakable Japanese heritage, emanating a powerful and resolute aura. Her confident demeanor and exquisite beauty demand attention, showcasing a harmonious fusion of grace, vigor, and refinement that captivates all who behold her.
With sharp features that convey determination and focus, her facial expressions are intense yet alluring. Her eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, are captivating and expressive, revealing a depth of intelligence and resilience. But the most surprising fact is that she is someone I’m extremely familiar with since I’ve been with her ever since I can remember. The person before us is my one and only sister.
“No way…”
“Is that…”
"Why is THE legendary Murasame here?!"
The twins murmured in disbelief while Kaito exclaimed in shock.
He had always been her most devoted fan among us. While I acknowledge my sister's exceptional talent and stature in the CoA community, having seen her almost every day back then while being aware of both her good and bad points, I don't hold the same level of admiration as Kaito. Still, her presence instantly filled me with much relief. My hand, which had been shaking since earlier due to nervousness, suddenly stopped.
"Your former coach lacked competence, so I aim to remedy his lack of knowledge and capability," my sister responded to Kaito’s question in her customary straightforward manner - perhaps a bit too direct, to be frank.
"I'm glad to have you on board, Ms. Yamamoto! I'm pleased to have you as our coach, especially since I didn't have a good rapport with our previous one. I look forward to working together!" our manager gushed like a fanboy.
I gave him a skeptical look. If I remember correctly, weren't you just praising your close friendship with our previous coach the other day? Seems like you've changed allegiances rather swiftly, Mr. Takahashi.
"Likewise. I've been eager to meet the teammate my sister often boasts about," my sister remarked calmly.
"I don't boast about them!" I interjected, refuting her claim.
Their names just sometimes come up in my conversations with my sister about the game since they are also admirers of hers and play CoA a lot, but I don’t brag about them at all.
"Could we have,"
"Your autograph?"
The twins inquired simultaneously.
"I-I'd love one too! Please!" Kaito chimed in enthusiastically, seizing the chance to request an autograph.
“Let us save that for later. For now, let us focus on the upcoming match,” she reminded us.
A minute ago, the mood was lighthearted, but it suddenly became serious. The calmness of the mood might be attributed to how much we trust in my sister’s capabilities, so I don’t blame them for being caught off guard. We still have a lot of time before our match starts, so I’m also feeling quite relaxed, especially in her presence.
“Let's begin by zeroing in on the primary threat - their ace, Draven," she stated with a shift in demeanor, embodying the familiar determination I often witnessed during her kendo matches.
“From my analysis, the enemy team's formation hugely relies on their ace, Draven, who is also their strategist from what I gathered, to create a favorable matchup for them. He will most likely secure the middle orb, the most important spot, in their favor,” she continued.
“Uhm- what if they change tactics?" Kaito asks valid questions.
"They do not seem to have a capable strategist, so their tactics are unlikely to shift, I'm quite certain of it. Their captain, who seems to call the shots in their team, exudes overconfidence and arrogance. I've crossed paths with numerous players of that ilk - excessively assured in their abilities, unwilling to alter their strategies, and driven by an insatiable craving to assert dominance, especially after his prior defeat in the one-on-one tournament. And in the offset that their tactic do change, I have a contingency plan in place," my sister declared with unwavering confidence.
Her description does seem to match the arrogant punk’s behavior when we encountered him yesterday while we were with the team Paradigm.
“I see, so what do we do?" our manager inquired, fully engaged in the strategic deliberation.
“It is simple: we match him with an ace of our own,” my sister stated as if it was an obvious solution.
She looked at me as if to prove a point, and everyone followed suit.
“Uhm... I'm not sure if I could beat him alone. Why don't we send two people to face him?” I hesitated.
What if I commit another mistake? What if my defeat jeopardizes my team's standing? The thought of bearing that weight once more is daunting...
"No, that's not an option. Devoting excessive resources to counter him would jeopardize our chances of securing the other orbs, as he excels in combatting multiple adversaries. Furthermore, your strengths lie in one-on-one engagements," she argued, countering my concerns.
"But..." I began to protest, though my anxiety lingered visibly.
“Don't worry, Hana. I'm confident you won't lose to him,” she gazed at me earnestly, instilling confidence with her unwavering gaze.
My sister stared at me as she said those words; her eyes conveyed her absolute trust in my skills. How unfair of her to do so… It looks like I won’t be able to run away from this anymore.
Thinking back to the events of the one-on-one tournament, it was like this back then. All the eyes and expectations made me extremely nervous that I couldn't play at my best. But the biggest difference is now that I have my sister with me. I completely trust her strategy, so I'll do my best to accomplish it and follow it as best as possible. I will not fail this time! I gathered all my courage to finally show my resolve.
I met her gaze with determination and nodded emphatically.
"Leave it to me, Sis!"
------------------------------
Tactical's PoV
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the commencement of the main event!" declared the main panelist, Raze.
"Finally, it's about to begin!" Celeste, my previous teammate, exclaimed eagerly. Her excitement mirrored my own.
Both of us are currently positioned in the distinguished room allocated for honored guests to observe the match on the large screen. Despite the sound-dampening walls, the vivacious energy of the crowd resonates through the room, immersing us in the vibrant atmosphere of the event.
“First up in the line of matches we have in store for you guys today. It is a match between two strong contenders who I'm sure many of you are not expecting to be in the lower bracket: team Unfiltered vs. Sakura eSports!" the panelist exclaimed.
“What do you think of the match, Mr. Bogdan?” the lead panelist queried.
“Hmm… I anticipate a closely contested match, making it challenging to predict the outcome. However, I think Murasame's sister, Yatsufusa, and Team Unfiltered’s ace, Draven, are going to play pivotal roles in this matchup,” Vlad expertly stated.
I share the same viewpoint as him. Although, considering the girl from the Sakura team’s subpar performance in her previous match, I don’t expect too much from her. But perhaps I’m setting the bar too high, comparing her to that prodigious sister of hers.
“That's a fair point, Mr. Bogdan. Let's see what our statistics and analysis say about the match!”
Just as the panelist said, the screen shifted to a graph that showcased a bunch of statistics, all resulting in the match probability win rate of both teams. Sakura eSports has a 51.8% win probability, while the team Unfiltered has 48.2%. According to these statistics, the match is not going to be one-sided. However, you can never be too sure since a lot of factors can affect the outcome of the match, especially for something this close of a probability.
"Oh! It looks like the statistics favor the Sakura eSports a little more! Keep in mind, folks, that these results are taken from our state-of-the-art AI input, along with the viewer votes, so please take it with a grain of salt!”
“I agree, Raze. These stats are only a probability, not the results themselves. And now, without further ado, let's give a warm welcome to both teams!" the co-panelist announced, prompting a thunderous applause from the audience.
The two teams emerged from opposite entrances of the stadium, igniting the crowd's excitement to a fever pitch. As they proceeded to their respective booths, the spectators' cheers grew even louder, fueling the teams' determination for the impending battle.
Team Sakura eSports, led by their captain, Hana, donned matching jerseys adorned with a Sakura tree logo, exuding a sense of unity and purpose. Their focused expressions and confident demeanor hinted that they seemed to have a good strategy in mind, evident in their assured presence. Each team member shared nods and words of encouragement, silently reaffirming their collective objective.
On the opposing side, Team Unfiltered proceeded to the VR pod booth with their captain, Draven, leading the charge. They entered with a distinct aura of self-assuredness and a hint of arrogance, reflected in their unique jerseys. They emanated a quiet confidence, punctuated by shared glances and boisterous laughter, signaling a belief in their capabilities.
“Now, let us head onto the casters for the match commentary!”
