Chapter 10

"And now let's head over to our casters DJ Riot and ParaTrooper for the match," Lumen announced.

The screen then switched to the 2 people who were supposed to cast the game. One is a guy with loose-fitting clothes, cementing the look of a free-spirited man. The other is a neat and professional-looking man in his mid-20s.

"Thank you, Lumen, here are your favorite duo casters DJ Riot and ParaTrooper to give you the uptakes on this wonderful match. Who do you think will win ParaTrooper?"

Our conversation was interrupted when we heard that the match was about to start. I didn't even remember who these casters were. They must be relatively new to the scene.

"Everyone knows I'm a huge Atelier fan as almost every male player is, so I'm still betting all my money on them. But you also cannot count out the fact that their opponent is Tactical, one of the best strategists in CoA. His unorthodox style of plays may change the tide of the battle even when they are at a disadvantage." ParaTrooper rambled on.

Just as he was saying his biased thoughts, the screen suddenly switched to the match. The Map this time was a grassy plain. Perfect for a direct confrontation and hard for surprise attacks. Both teams started on the other side of each map, team Atelier is composed of 4 female players. All 4 of them were a sight to behold, earning their right to be called an idol group. As the camera gave a close-up view of the players, two of them caught my attention easily. One is wearing what I can describe with my limited fashion knowledge as a Japanese kimono refitted for battle with a blue-themed katana attached to her waist. Her avatar has Dark blue hair complementing her dark red eyes. I can only assume she's Murasame in accordance with her image.

The other one caught my eye because of her cuteness moreso. She is wearing a pink-themed mage outfit with more frills than usual. It is a custom outfit probably made by a talented tailor as most pro player's sets are so it doesn't forgo defense over its looks. Her avatar has pink hair with a lot of work put into styling it appealingly. If Clarissa and she were in the same room, I'd probably die of cuteness overdose right there and then.

When the screen switched to show Team NG, I instantly became nostalgic. I saw Tactical with his usual admiral-looking set and his legendary trusted cannon the 'Armada'. Cannons are the closest thing you can get as a gun in the world of CoA since using a gun would be downright cheating. It is far faster and stronger than arrows but has a longer reload time and is very heavy to make it balanced. One direct hit to the head could be fatal though so it's still a dangerous weapon. His Avatar as usual has a clean haircut and a very long beard akin to a pirate. I always told him that his beard is in the way of his avatar's cute looks and that he should just customize and remove it but he never listens.

Another player that caught my attention was Vanguard. He was the best defensive player a while back in the first Andartha Cup and earned his moniker 'The Wall' For his godly parries and defensive maneuvers. He wears a heavy knight set with a helmet covering his whole head. He is also only armed with a single-handed giant heavy shield. He may seem to not do any damage with only a shield as his weapon but you can never underestimate a well-executed shield bash that can leave you susceptible to combos. I learned that the hard way the first time I fought him.

"There we go ladies and gentlemen the match between team NG and team Atelier is starting! For team NG, we have Critical their ace DPS carry, YNT their time mage support, Vanguard who is one one the best defender and also known as 'The Wall', and of course Tactical their captain. While on the side of Atelier, we have Freya their aggressive axe user, Artemis the 1v1 oriented archer, Yuna their young prodigal captain, and of course, their ace Murasame 'The Unseen Blade'.

We can see team Atelier going for a 1 - 2 - 1 play with Artemis going solo top, Freya and Yuna going mid, and Murasame going solo bottom orb." DJ Riot summarized.

"Oooh, what is this? It looks like team NG is going 2-0-2! What do you think of this ParaTrooper?"

"That's unusual per se since securing mid is the norm so you can either back up the top or bottom orb if necessary since mid orb is the closest to both. But I like what the team NG is doing here. They not only predicted that team Atelier would send only solo players to the top and bottom orb, but they also predicted that Murasame, their ace, would go secure the bottom orb." ParaTrooper analyzed.

"What do you mean by that?" DJ Riot asked.

"Look at team NG's composition, Critical and YNT are going towards the top. Both players won't give you any breathing room with their fast tempo and can run at you due to their assassin and time mage comp. They can instantly close the gap and kill Artemis who is a ranged 1v1-oriented archer if she overextends. And look who is heading at the bottom. It is none other than Tactical and Vanguard, the best duo on their team. They plan to eliminate Murasame, the biggest threat on their opponent's side."

"I see that was a well-executed battle plan indeed! And even if they can't eliminate both, if they could just make them retreat and take the orb instead, it would give them a 2-orb lead. After that, they could just play defensively and stall for time. How do you think team NG knows of team Atelier's battle positions?" DJ Riot questioned.

"I'd say map hacks if I didn't know any better. But knowing Tactical, many of the rumors I heard from his opponents say that he can get into your mind." ParaTrooper answered.

"Whoowhee, I sure don't want to fight him! Can't let him see through my mind or I'd be in jail........ that's just a joke folks. You guys at home watching the stream please don't overthink it." DJ Riot managed.

These casters are good and knowledgeable in the game. They completely analyzed the exact battle strategy of both teams in just a short time. They could use some help with their jokes though.

After a couple of minutes of their nonsensical banter and other trivia they tell to the stream, the teams have finally arrived at their respective orbs.

"Ooohh they finally arrived just in time for the orbs to be capturable!" DJ Riot exclaimed.

"What's this!? Artemis suddenly retreated? Did she notice the enemy has a 2v1 trap in store for her? How perceptive!" He hyped.

"Team Atelier must have a counterplan also in case this happens. Artemis knows that she will just needlessly sacrifice her life in stalling the two so she opts to just help out her other teammates and leave the top orb. Critical is taking the orb while YNT is guarding him in case Artemis comes back which is the best play since they can't see Artemis fully retreating as we do." ParaTrooper explained helpfully.

"That's some fast decision-making skills. Just as expected from pro players!" Liz next to me chimed in.

"I don't understand much of what's happening but thankfully those two casters' insights help a lot," Lenna added.

"And look at the middle map, Yuna is taking the orb while Freya instantly left to back up Murasame as soon as they have the info that their opponent is doing a 2-0-2 play. They communicate and coordinate with each other pretty well and their team captain Yuna makes all the right decisions in a bad situation like this." ParaTrooper commented.

"Ooohh you're right! Team Atelier's gorgeous captain won't let herself fall too far behind against Tactical's maneuvers. And at the bottom orb, Surely Murasame needs to defend this right?".

"That is correct Riot, team Atelier knows that having a 2 orb disadvantage would make the game very hard to win for them. So they're banking all their hopes on their team ace to carry them. They are hoping Murasame can last long enough against the 2 veterans for Freya to back her up."

"Can she last that long though? The trip from mid to bot at full sprint will last roughly 4 to 5 minutes without any movement buffs or skills."DJ Riot quarried.

"It's definitely hard but we'll see. I honestly think she ha-".

"Hold that thought since the action on the bottom lane just started!" DJ Riot interrupted.

Just as both teams spotted each other, I saw Murasame wasted no time and rushed to get to Tactical but predictably, Vanguard got on her way. Murasame unleashed a flurry of fast sword slashes, so fast that even Vanguard was having a hard time blocking all of it even with his 2-handed large shield. The mastery, skill level, speed, and precision of the sword strikes she is showcasing can only come from someone who has held the blade in their entire life. Some of the slashes even went through his guard and connected to Vanguard albeit shallowly. I guess the saying practice one kick 1,000 times applies to her since her sword mastery is something to be feared.

VanguardHp: 83%

"Whoa, she's going on the aggressive instead of the defensive!?" DJ Riot hyped.

"That is always her way of fighting, attacking relentlessly and pressuring the opponent into making a mistake. I don't think there would be any change in her playstyle anytime soon even when fighting at a disadvantage."

Just as Vanguard was receiving the flurry of slashes, he instantly sidestepped to the left and a cannonball went past beside him. Murasame was caught off guard and failed to dodge it. The cannonball clipped her on the shoulder and the impact sent her flying.

"Guhh!" she cried.

MurasameHp: 62%

"Whoaahh, what a godly coordination!" DJ Riot hyped.

"I completely agree, Tactical hides directly on the blindspot Vanguard provided and then coordinates a synergically perfect attack through the use of team chat." ParaTrooper summarized.

It's not just that though, they did it in a pro match with high stakes and a talented opponent, not just in any pubs. The mental strength to do it perfectly in such a situation against another obviously talented pro player deserves praise. They must've put a lot of work into practicing that move just as I expected from you, Tactical.

"Did you see that, guys? Their teamplay is amazing! They might even be able to win!" Liz exclaimed.

"Yes, they really are amazing," I said as I found myself smiling slightly.

You got this Tactical, I'm rooting for you. Show everyone the strength of team Paragon's captain.

"Oho, what is this? As soon as she recovered she instantly went on the offensive again!" DJ Riot exclaimed.

As if nothing happened, Murasame instantly rushed towards Tactical, and as expected, Vanguard got in her way again.Even the speed and precision of her slashes did not falter, maybe it even got faster as Vanguard was failing to block her more than before.

"Tsk!"

VanguardHp: 66%

Then it happened again, Vanguard sidestepped, this time to the right and the cannonball went past him. This time though she was prepared. She sidesteps opposite of Vanguard, which is to the left to completely evade the attack. She dodged the cannonball and then used the instant Vanguard was off balance in her favor to get past him in an attempt to defeat Tactical first.

Vanguard didn't let the opportunity pass and went for a shield charge at Murasame's unguarded back in an attempt to tackle Murasame off balance. However, she instantly did a two-foot kick at the shield and used the momentum of the shield strike to accelerate herself toward the unguarded tactical who was currently reloading after firing the shot.

"Whoah, what a move by Murasame, not only dodging the cannonball but also using the well-executed shield tackle of Vanguard against him!" DJ Riot hyped.

She sprinted towards the unguarded Tactical who had no time to reload his cannon. But not everything is as it seems though.

"Rearm!" Tactical said cooly.

Suddenly his cannon glowed sea blue and then instantly became ready for firing.

'Rearm' is a unique skill to his weapon 'Armada'. Unique skills are just like their namesake 'unique' in that they can only be acquired through very difficult to almost impossible means like an achievement, crafting using a bunch of incredibly rare materials, extreme luck, or other means that are borderline impossible to come by. Most pro players have unique skills embedded into their weapons and these skills are more powerful and valuable than legendary ones. 'Rearm' instantly reloads his Armada in a second for a hefty cost of mp. The overpowered part of it is that it has no cooldown, only a very high mana cost thus, making 6 to 7 straight cannon shots in a row possible before you run out of mana.

After using his skill, Tactical has time to fire a single more round. This will decide the match if it hits Murasame or not. Tactical Aimed slightly lower than necessary, then fired his weapon.

*Boom*

It missed, Murasame perfectly predicted the trajectory of the shot by looking at the angle of the aim and jumped to dodge it when she saw the fire animation.

"Whoaa what a brilliant dodge by Murasame, Tactical is in a tight spot now!"

I smiled. What an outplay. By Tactical that is.

"Displace!" a sudden shout came from the shielder, Vanguard.

Suddenly just as Murasame's jump attack is about to land a hit on Tactical, Vanguard instantly swapped positions with Tactical due to Vanguard's own weapon skill 'Displace'. Murasame, being in the air, has no possible way to cancel her attack. Vanguard used his giant shield to bash Murasame forcefully upward.

"Hwwwrrrrrraaaaa!" Vanguard shouted as he put all his strength into the attack.

Sword and shield collided. Murasame blocked the bash with her sword but was hurled into the air with the sheer raw power of Vanguard's full-force shield bash. Murasame took minimal damage from the collision.

MurasameHp: 55%

"Rearm" Tactical stated unhurriedly.

It's over. She was outplayed the moment Tactical aimed his shot at her lower body. He predicted that she would be able to dodge it by jumping. She would still get hit if she failed to dodge the blast, a win-win situation for him. Now that she is flung into the air, she cannot dodge the shot nor can she activate any weapon skills. Weapon skills can only be activated on the ground with very few exceptions making aerial combos a go-to for pros to avoid defensive weapon skills from messing up their combos.

"This looks like it! One more direct hit and Murasame might die!" DJ Riot hyped.

Boom*

The sound of the cannon blast resounded throughout the field. The cannonball flew straight and hit her in the head.

Or it was supposed to.

Ting*

She slashed the cannonball in half while in mid-air.

"What the?!"

"The heck?!"

"Holy shiiieeeet!"

Liz, ParaTrooper, and Dj Riot shouted simultaneously.

I was speechless. What the heck did I see, is she even human? Tactical once told me his cannonball reaches as fast as 140 mph at its peak speed. That is 2x faster than an average pro baseball pitch speed, and she just slashed it in half while she was mid-air without the aid of any in-game skills? Granted that a cannonball is bigger than a baseball but still, anything other than a well-executed slash at the center would not slice it in half that perfectly. She must have predicted that Tactical would aim for the finishing headshot since her backup is about to arrive. She's insanely skilled and quick-witted to be able to pull that off.

"Did you see that folks? What a monster! This is the first time I've seen a spectacle like that. What a god!" DJ Riot said in awe.

As DJ Riot was expressing every single praise he could for that play, the match continued as Murasame landed close to Tactical and further away from Vanguard who had just switched positions with him. She did not waste a single second for her counterattack as Tactical was currently close and unguarded. She sheathed her katana and then murmured.

"Falling Rain Blossom"

She activated her weapon skill, A skill that I had never seen before. Her sheathed katana glowed dark blue then she disappeared, at least seeming to disappear to the untrained eye. She dashed towards Tactical and then made an insanely fast draw slash. No, not just a single slash, I think it was 4 supersonic slashes but my eyes could not follow it completely.

My eyes that are trained to dodge fast strikes.......lost to her speed.

Whoosh*

She then sheathed her blade signaling the end of the skill with its dark blue glow dimming entirely.

TacticalHp: 0%

"Whoah that was lit! Now you folks know why she is called 'The Unseen Blade' I didn't even see her slash!"

"What the heck was that skill?" I asked Liz.

"That..... was her unique weapon skill. It accelerates speed for 1.5 seconds by 1.7x, the fastest movement haste known so far. She is able to do 3 very fast slashes in that same moment due to her sword skills. It's super strong but the fans speculate that it has an incredibly long cooldown since she only does it 1 time a match. Nobody knows how long its cd is since their team doesn't want to give up that strategic advantage." Liz answered.

That was kind of overpowered. Haste buffs cast by time mages only have a maximum of 1.25x speed increase since movement speed gives high advantages in PVP matches. Haste skills do have their downsides though. It messes with the perception of players so more than likely they make mistakes by attacking too fast which completely destroys their tempo. Only skilled and veteran players would want to get hasted, more so a 1.7x. She's pretty talented to master a skill like that. It only lasts for 1 sec though so you need to be extremely skilled to make the most of it. You also need to use it at the right moment since it has an incredibly long cd or the weapon skill would be a complete waste.

"She did 4 slashes though not just 3... I think." I corrected her.

"Really? All the slow-mo replays I saw her only do 3 slashes at max."

"Maybe Katherine's eyes are better than slow-motion cameras" Lenna joked.

"What an amazing play from The Unseen Blade! She singlehandedly defeated Tactical giving her team the bottom orb advantage and she didn't even wait for the backup to arrive! What a badass!" DJ Riot exclaimed.

This is bad, I don't think anyone on team NG can beat her if even 2 of their best players can be soloed by Murasame. I just hope you can make a strategic play to reverse this situation in the next game, Tactical.

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It was only a matter of time before team Atelier won the first game. With Tactical dying, Vanguard did not stand a chance against Murasame without a proper DPS so the match became a 2v4 with an orb advantage in favor of the team Atelier. The worst part is, Yuna just healed all the damage Murasame received from her fight earlier when all of their 4 of their members regrouped, getting her back to full strength. This resulted in a 2v4 match where team NG had no chance of making a comeback.

Game 2 was worse for team NG since their morale was incredibly low due to the 2v1 of Murasame in their first match and their best strategy failed to even win them a single game. The series ended 2-0 in favor of team Atelier thus putting the final nail in the coffin of team Nexus Gaming's chance of playing in the 4th Andartha Cup and their pro league division 1 run came to an abrupt end.