Ariadne's PoV

"...A-and we have a victor! What an unforeseen outcome and an impressive performance from team Paradigm!" the caster announced, disbelief evident in his voice.

A weighty silence enveloped the stadium, thick with tension and a tangible undercurrent of nervous anticipation. Team Paradigm, considered the underdog in this entire tournament, orchestrated a remarkable upset by defeating the favored Round Table.

As the players emerge from the VR pods, the few supporters of the team Paradigm erupt in a delayed explosion of cheers, a wave of disbelief washing over them before pure joy takes hold. This is followed by a chorus of cheers from the others who want to be part of the celebration to signify the momentous upset that nobody was expecting to happen.

The unified chant of "PARADIGM! PARADIGM! PARADIGM!" reverberated through the air, reaching even this secluded spot, courtesy of the resounding volume of the crowd's cheer. I smiled at the outcome. Katherine’s team deserves better recognition than what they got from the community, and this is exactly what I would like to see from the audience.

“I understand your caution against them now,” Ken, seated beside me, remarked, drawing my focus.

I turned to him gradually, a question forming in my mind. “Do you have any regrets about training with them?”

Ken reflected for a moment before responding, “…No, our skills have also flourished thanks to them, so I have no regrets. Moreover, engaging in continuous battles with them during our training sessions has exposed their vulnerabilities to me."

“But so have their strategist, Katherine,” I rebuked.

My gaze fixed on the girl being embraced by Liz in front of the crowd. Are they not even slightly ashamed of doing such acts in public? I shook my head; they must be simply overwhelmed with happiness on winning a crucial match, particularly Liz, so I shouldn't dwell on it too much.

“...I suppose that's true. We will just have to beat them in skills and team synergy then," Ken responded.

"That’s right...But before that, we have a fight to win..."

As our turn to battle approaches, focusing on our upcoming opponent should be our primary concern. The adversaries we are about to face are formidable. Ken also lacks substantial information about their fourth member, Lua. And my instinct also screams that something is off about that girl.

As if on cue, someone knocked respectfully on the door before opening it.

"Team Paragons, please prepare for the upcoming match. The tournament will resume after a brief break, so ensure you are prepared by then. Once inside the booth, you are not permitted to leave until the match concludes, your team forfeits, or in case of an emergency, as per the regulations," the staff notified us.

"Sure! Thanks for the heads up!" Blake expressed his gratitude to the staff.

"So... are we sticking to the strategy?" Lucy inquired, her nervousness evident in her tone.

"Yes, although reluctantly, considering our limited knowledge of their final member. Therefore, I suggest Blake take charge of facing her," Ken decided.

"Absolutely! Count on me; I'll defeat her, so there is no need to fret. I pride myself on being the most skilled 1v1 player here, except for our champion, the Armsmaster," Blake teased with a playful glance in my direction.

I let out a sigh. They are persistent with that joke, aren't they?

"Be careful, though; Katherine mentioned that girl should not be underestimated," I cautioned.

"Well, that's a bonus for me. I love fighting strong opponents," he responded with enthusiasm.

"Please take this seriously," Lucy urged nervously.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Lucy seems to be under pressure, judging by her actions. I can understand her apprehension, though; this marks her debut tournament, and the burden is undoubtedly mounting, especially considering she is under the protégé of our current guild leader.

"Hehe! You know me! I play best when I enjoy the battle," Blake reassured with a childish yet encouraging grin.

--------------------------

Liz's PoV

I led my team in approaching the Round Table team after our victory. As we neared the opposing team, cheers from the stadium reverberated around us, adding to the buzz of the moment.

Their leader, Arthur, saw us coming and instantly knew what we were up to. He urged his members to do the same. Looking at their expressions, they all don’t seem too affected by the loss, except maybe for Astrid, their support player that we fought earlier, who seems to be in a pensive mood.

One of their members, whose in-game name I remembered to be Xeno, hurriedly approached me first before his teammates even had the chance. I held out my hand to him as a gesture of sportsmanship.

“It's an honor to lose to you, Miss Elizabeth,” Xeno said as he grasped my extended hand with his own, which caught me off guard.

image [https://images-ng.pixai.art/images/orig/5a61896d-b200-4553-9455-a82f955bb272]

Isn’t he acting a bit too close?

“You are as obnoxious as I remember,” said Kat, who was right beside me.

He gave Kat a confident smile. “I’m glad to live in the head of a lady as beautiful as you, rent-free,” the statement was then followed by a playful wink.

Okay, I usually give people I'm not familiar with the benefit of the doubt, but I’m not liking this guy at all.

A sudden critical attack extended from Arthur's hand towards his head, forcing his hold on my hand to be released.

“Please don’t embarrass our team any more than you already have,” Arthur sighed.

“Ouch! What the heck, dude? I’m having my moment here; don’t ruin it!”

“I think it’s already ruined it from the very beginning, so don't worsen it any further with your antics,” Arthur countered.

"Tsk Alright already! You just don't understand what girls truly appreciate," Xeno finally conceded, but not before throwing a jab at his friend before relenting.

After successfully separating Xeno from me, which I greatly appreciate, Arthur began shaking hands and congratulating all of our members. His teammates followed suit, eliciting a cheer from the crowd.

As the moment arrived for Ren and Arthur to shake hands, Ren's loud voice cut through the cheering crowd, making it audible to the rest of us. “I wanted to get my revenge personally, but I guess my teammates did it in my stead!”

I was confused at first, but I remembered that Ren had lost to Arthur in the 1v1 tournament. I guess his ‘manly’ pride that he always brags about can’t let it slide. Indeed, boys will be boys.

“My bad. I wanted to fight you too, but we needed to stick to our battle plan, a plan that was easily thwarted by your support,” he glanced at Kat, admiration evident in his expression.

Before Kat could respond, one of Arthur’s teammates suddenly butted in.

“Can we go now, guys? I can’t sleep here with this much noise,” Gwyneth, his other teammate, said nonchalantly.

I don’t think any normal person would consider even sleeping in a stadium, even if it is silent. I thought to myself.

“I agree. We also need to prepare for our lower bracket matches and reflect on our loss,” Astrid replied, mirroring her teammate’s uneasiness.

She also seems uncomfortable staying here because of the large crowd. She does seem like an introverted person, so I’m not that surprised.

Noticing his teammate’s apprehension, Arthur responded with a tone tinged with regret. “I suppose that’s true.”

“Wait! Let me at least get your number, Miss Eli- Ow, ow, ow!” Xeno didn’t get to finish his request as Astrid pulled him by the ear towards the exit from the other side.

Arthur sheepishly smiled at the situation. A smile that seems like he is used to it happening a lot of the time. A second later, he directed his gaze towards us. “You all are strong. Best of luck going forward," his expression transformed into one of genuine hope for our triumph.

"You betcha! We won't lose! Don't slack off and get eliminated, either. I'm going to wait for you at the finals!" Ren responded enthusiastically.

"You got it. Wait for us. We will have our revenge match," Arthur responded with a competitive spirit only shared by those who treat each other as rivals.

After hearing his declaration, we proceeded to go our separate ways. As we walked towards the exit of our side of the stadium, the roar of the crowd washed over us like a tidal wave. It was a sensory overload of flashing lights, thundering chants of our team’s name, and the joyous pandemonium of a thousand unexpected victories.

Exhilaration courses through me, tingling in my fingertips and making my smile feel impossibly wide. People thought we weren't supposed to win this. We were the team no one expected to make it past the first round, let alone win against a crowd favorite like the Round Table. But here we are, bathed in the electric glow of the match, cheers echoing in our ears like a victory song.

"This feels really good..." I whispered, my words nearly drowned out by the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd.

"Did you say something?" Kat, positioned next to me, inquired.

Ever observant of her environment, she even caught my faint whisper. She truly is exceptional.

“I said I'm glad to have you as my partner," I said wholeheartedly to her.

"Hmph, there you go again. Aren't you embarrassed saying such things?" she retorted, turning her head away.

"It's not embarrassing to say if it's the truth," I gave her a playful wink.

"That's it. I'm leaving you behind," she declared, quickening her pace as she walked ahead, true to her statement.

I chuckled. "Wait for me, Kat!" I called out as I adjusted my speed to keep pace with her.

Exiting the main stage after our exhilarating match, we found ourselves face-to-face with Team Paragons, who were there to prepare for the upcoming battle. The members of Team Paragons met our gaze with a mix of camaraderie and competitive spirit. Ria then approached Kat to congratulate her.

“That was a great decisive play. I expect no less from you,” Ria praised.

“I’m glad I was able to live up to ‘The Armsmaster’s’ expectation,” Kat said in a calm yet teasing manner.

Ria facepalmed. “Not you too…”

“Do you dislike the moniker?” Kat inquired.

"Truthfully, yes. I don’t think it sounds good..." Ria confessed.

"Don’t worry, you'll grow accustomed to it eventually," Kat stated nonchalantly.

The curt response made Ria smile nostalgically; their exchange gave me a feeling there were some nuances in there that I was missing, but I might be just overthinking things. The bond between them was conspicuous to all present, especially considering Kat's atypical behavior, as she typically avoids engaging in casual conversations.

I also can’t help but note that despite our shared training sessions, it's apparent that Ria feels more comfortable with Kat, even though she has interacted less frequently with Kat compared to me in the past few days.

Following their exchange, the rest of Ria’s teammates congratulated us. In return, we all conveyed our best wishes to them, hoping for their victory as well. Even Chu, who is always reserved, initiated a conversation with Blitz. The bond they forged during their training sessions likely contributed to Chu's newfound openness.

As we parted ways, one wish instantly came to mind: I wholeheartedly hope that they win their match.