Vol.2 Chapter 79

 Clarissa’s PoV

The caster, his voice booming through the stadium's sound system, captured the excitement of the moment. "What a match! Team Paragons have taken the first game in a dominant performance! Team Paradigm put up a valiant fight, but the Paragons' teamwork and execution were simply too much to handle!"

As the dust settled, the players from both teams made their way off the main stage, their expressions a mix of elation and exhaustion. Team Paragons, their faces beaming with pride, seemed extremely happy and content with their performance. Meanwhile, Novo’s teammates seemed disappointed and sad. I feel the same. I really want my brother’s team to win.

The crowd erupted in a frenzy of cheers, chants of "Paragons!" and "Go Paragons!" echoing through the arena. The atmosphere was electric, a testament to the sheer intensity and excitement of the match.

There are really a lot of Paragon fans in this stadium. From what I could tell, they are the protégés of a really strong and famous team from back then, so no wonder they still have a lot of supporters. I won’t lose to their shouts, though!

"Brother! Novo! It's okay. You can win the next one!" I roared, my voice a defiant cry against the tide of cheers.

The cacophony swallowed my voice, but I hoped it reached Novo’s and Brother’s ears.

Colin, my little brother, saw my enthusiasm and joined in, his voice a sweet melody amidst the roar.

"Big Brother! You can do it!" he shouted, his eyes shining with determination.

Dad, chuckling, ruffled Colin's hair. "You know, champ, your brother's got this. He's a fighter."

"We're all behind your brother. No matter what," Mom squeezed my hand.

I gave her a determined nod as I tuned in back to the large screen in the center of the stadium.

The caster, his voice now calm and measured, announced the upcoming break. "That was an incredible match! But the battle is far from over. We'll be back in twenty minutes for the second game, but for now, let us head on to our panelist to know what their take is on the first game!”

A wave of anticipation rippled through the crowd as the big screen at the center of the stadium flickered to life. The first face to appear was Raze, the main panelist.

Mr. Raze, whose voice was booming through the stadium's sound system, addressed the crowd, "Thank you, DJ Riot! I’m back again to analyze the breathtaking match we had just witnessed!”

He gestured to Mr. Tactical before continuing, "And joining me tonight is a legend of the game, the captain of the first Team Paragons, Tactical. His experience and insights are invaluable, and I'm sure you're all excited to hear his thoughts on tonight's match."

Mr. Tactical nodded, a small smile playing on his lips as the crowd erupted in cheers.

Mr. Raze then turned to the other panelist, the female one, "And finally, we have the current ace of Team Atelier, Murasame. Her skills as the current strongest female player are unmatched, and I'm sure she'll bring a unique perspective to our analysis."

Ms. Murasame, her face as emotionless as I had seen it earlier, nodded in acknowledgment, and the crowd roared its approval as they heard Mr. Raze introduce her.

“She really is popular…” I murmured to myself in amazement.

I wonder if Novo will be as famous as Ms. Murasame in the future since Novo is also a super strong female player.

“First, I want to ask what are your thoughts on the match, Ms Aoi?” Mr. Raze inquired.

“…I think… that Team Paragons has effectively cornered Team Paradigm's ace, significantly restricting her ability to play freely,”

"I completely agree with you, Ms. Aoi. Understanding your opponent's strengths and weaknesses provides players with a significant advantage in matches like these. It's rather curious how they have such intimate knowledge of her weaknesses and even have a fire mage prepared to counter her, but when you consider that Seer is your protégé, Mr. Bob, it's hardly surprising," Mr. Raze remarked with approval.

Mr. Tactical seemed surprised by the statement but quickly got back to his usual composed state.

“A-ahem, of course! I taught my protégé everything I know, so it’s no surprise that Team Paragons could completely analyze their enemy ace’s weakness. I also heard that they oftentimes do scrim matches during the entire tourney. Therefore, they might have known Novo’s weakness through those matches and already made some counterplays against her,” Mr. Bob helpfully explained.

Oh, so that is why Novo can’t move as fluid and graceful as she usually does. Their opponents are probably aware of how strong Novo is, so they want to hinder her movements as much as possible.

“I can’t refute that, Mr. Bob. Then might I ask, what do you think Team Paradigm can do to get out of this predicament now that Team Paragons has their ace completely restricted by their on-point strategy?” Mr. Raze queried.

"Hmm... Ideally, Novo's teammates would capitalize on the opponent's focus on their ace and step up their own game. After all, there's no 'I' in team, so every member must do their part. That's what defines a strong and unbeatable team: when each member contributes significantly to the team's overall improvement," Mr. Tactical made a valid point.

“Another word of wisdom garnered through experience from no other than one of the most veteran players in the CoA’s e-sport industry. Well said, Mr. Bob,” Mr. Raze highly praised.

He has a point, though. Novo can’t beat all of her opponents alone, especially given how good Ms. Ariadne and Mr. Blitz are from watching their previous matches. I can’t even follow their movements, given how fast they move. I, too, want to assist Team Paradigm in any way I can, but my support is limited to words of encouragement and well wishes. However, even though my only contribution is shouting my support in hopes that they can hear it, I will still do my best!

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We had lost.

Team Paragons had proven to be more formidable than I had expected them to be. Their strategies were flawless, their teamwork impeccable, and their individual skills honed to a razor's edge. I have a mixed feeling of pride due to their improvement and a bit of apprehension because they are our opponent.

I analyzed my surroundings, noticing the extremely solemn atmosphere in the room. The air in the special room for participants hung heavy with the weight of defeat. The silence was broken only by the soft hum of the ventilation system, a constant reminder of the sterile, clinical environment.

Clarence sat calmly in a corner; his expression was that of contemplation.

Liz sank into a plush chair, her face a mask of disappointment. Her shoulders slumped, her gaze fixed on the floor.

Chu remained silent as usual, but I could feel the defeat and guilt in his body language.

Wait... Why are they so gloomy after just one loss?! Especially Liz and Chu?

The best thing to do here is to reset our minds and focus on the next match instead of dwelling on the loss, or we will surely be in trouble in the final match against Aria’s team. We only have one lifeline left, so this kind of atmosphere is not good for the team.

Then, I quickly realized that this was probably their first one, and a super major tournament at that! I had underestimated how bad our first loss would be for our morale!

I'm used to some losses here and there since I was extremely competitive back then. I always joined small tournaments with the different games I've played. Even though our run in the AC was immaculate, as people say, I've already experienced my fair share of tournaments and their ups and downs from my other online tournament runs.

A couple of seconds later, perhaps not able to take in our team's somber mood, Chu left the room. He probably heavily blamed himself for the loss since he was adamant about facing Blitz in a duel. He even promised to win for the team but lost regardless. I can only imagine how damaged his pride is right now.

This is getting worse and worse. Liz, who usually cheers up the team in these kinds of situations due to her cheerful nature, needs consoling this time. I have to do something! We can’t fight the next match like this.  

As my eyes met Clarence's, I signaled him to go after Chu, as we couldn't afford any more problems right now. Clarence had already experienced defeat, a bitter loss to Arthur in the one-on-one tournament. Therefore, it seems as though he was not as downhearted as Liz and Chu were from the loss. I can only rely on him as much as it pains me to do so.

I'm sure Clarence understood the weight of Chu’s guilt, given how prideful that guy is. Even though they would both deny it if asked, they are close friends, I’m sure. A bond forged from our squad's camaraderie and battles fought together as a team.

They probably know each other better than I ever could, so I'll let Clarence do the consoling. Besides, they’re both men, so I’m sure Clarence could fist-bump or headbutt each other or whatever it is that boys do to cheer each other up.

Clarence, noticing my impatient and fierce look, finally made his move.

"I-I'll go talk to him,” he said nervously at my prodding, then quickly left to go find Chu.

Good. Now, this leaves me in another predicament. What to do about Liz?

I looked at Liz, the only one left in the room besides me. She was our captain and the sole person who binds our whole team together. She probably felt a heavy burden of responsibility for the loss. She has always been strong, resilient, dependable, and cheerful. None of that can be found now, though, as she more than likely felt responsible for the loss of our team.

"Uhm… Liz. It's okay. We lost this one, but we'll come back stronger in the next game…” I said awkwardly.

I internally berated myself. I did my best to console her but came off as incredibly awkward in the end. I’m so bad at this!

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with sadness, before speaking her mind.

“Sorry, I haven't been much of a use to you, haven't I? I’m just holding you back. I… I feel I’m not cut out to be your carry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Then it finally clicked. Now I see the root of the problem here.

It seems to me that she’s afraid of messing up as my carry, which is why I believe she played too passively in our match against Aria's team.

Typically, a carry makes risky yet rewarding plays while the support provides backup and mitigates any errors made by the carry.

However, due to my previous duel with Lua, it seems as though there had been a nagging feeling in her mind that I should be the carry in our team instead of her. It also doesn’t help that the public sentiment sees me as our ace of the team due to my previous exploits.

All of that made her gameplay, which primarily focused on offense, become defensive. She had wholly become dependent on me as the carry instead of her support, which is not a good sign of our partnership.

Although she is right that I could act as a carry, it would do more harm than good, considering that she is not used to playing support compared to me, who has always supported her since the formation of our team.

Switching roles now would be more detrimental than helpful, especially since our opponents know my weaknesses. In a case like this, everyone on our team should play their role perfectly, which is needed for us to have a fighting chance against Team Paragons, especially with how much they’ve improved.

For now, let’s try to reassure her as much as I can.
 

I met her gaze, conveying as much seriousness as I could with my own eyes.

"Liz, please don't apologize. Honestly, if you hadn't invited me to join your team as your support, I wouldn't have experienced half the fun I've had. I owe you for all these incredible moments; if anything, I should be grateful to you instead,” I said, my voice firm yet gentle.

She shook her head, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "But I'm not someone worthy of having a support as good as you. I even made a blunder back then; it was a grave mistake on my part that cost us the game! You should’ve been our carry. You're so much stronger than me, and I have the nerve to call myself your carry..."

I reached out and gently took her hand, my touch a silent reassurance. Although I’m not really the touchy-feely kind of girl, I still have to do my best to reassure her with this gesture.

"That's not true, Liz. Please don't put yourself down like that. We all make mistakes, and they're just that – mistakes. If anyone's to blame, it's me for not being able to support you better. We’re partners, after all. Your blunders are also mine to shoulder," I said with as much determination and sincerity as I could muster.

"I..." Liz started, her voice catching in her throat, a tremor running through her frame.

I could see the tears welling in her eyes, which made me a bit emotional in response.

"Besides," I said, my voice soft, "wasn't it you who said not to worry too much about winning or losing and just to have fun?"

In the past, I harbored a strong desire to win. However, now, losing—especially to Aria's team—doesn't seem to bother me as much as I initially anticipated. Perhaps I am somewhat biased, as I also have a fondness for the other team, but a part of me can now relate to Liz's philosophy of simply enjoying the moment and having fun.

"Uh-hmm..." she murmured, a faint smile gracing her lips.

"Then let us both enjoy the last match of our tournament, shall we?" I said, my own smile mirroring hers, a shared understanding blooming between us.

Her gaze met mine, and a flicker of something unreadable passed through her eyes before settling into a dazzling smile—the most radiant one I'd ever seen from her.

"Yes!" she replied, her voice filled with a newfound determination.