The arena lights did not dim this time.
They sharpened.
They made every face look more awake than it deserved to be, every emotion brighter than it wanted to be. The auditorium had turned into a contained storm, full of students, teachers, and hungry attention. People were not sitting anymore. They were perched. Leaning forward. Waiting to witness either a triumph or a humiliation.
On the caster desk, Mr. Kim adjusted his headset like he was about to commentate a championship on national TV. His face carried the kind of calm optimism that made students trust him instantly.
Beside him, the Headmaster sat down with effortless authority, smoothing his suit jacket as if the arena belonged to him by default.
A staff member leaned over to clip the mic wire into place. The Headmaster didn't thank them.
Mr. Kim smiled into the camera feed. "Alright everyone, we are officially in the grand finals. Health Track, Wings Gaming, versus Engineering, Bad Dragons."
The crowd roared.
The engineering section roared louder.
The Headmaster leaned toward his mic with a slow smile. "Bad Dragons have been consistent. Two years of regional dominance. Discipline. Fundamentals. Structure."
Mr. Kim raised an eyebrow. "And Wings Gaming is the story of heart and teamwork."
The Headmaster chuckled. "Heart is cute. Towers require brains."
Laughter erupted from the engineering side.
June stiffened in her seat. Kitty's eyes narrowed slightly.
Thoon whispered loudly to HTN, "He's cooking them already."
June's lips moved without sound. Wait.
Inside the booth, XH placed his hands on the mouse and keyboard. He could hear the crowd, muffled through the booth walls. He could see June and Kitty standing near the front rows with the other girls, their faces lit by the screen glow.
June's gaze was locked on him like a command.
Kitty's gaze was quieter, like an anchor.
Andrew stood behind them with his black notebook, flipping pages with a coach's calm, like he had done this a thousand times.
NS leaned toward the mic. "They banned our comfort."
JP's voice came fast. "They're scared. That's good."
TZ muttered, "Or they're confident. That's worse."
Andrew spoke softly. "Remember. Rat Dota works only if we control tempo. We hit towers. We do not chase kills."
XH nodded once, eyes steady.
Across the stage, Bad Dragons looked relaxed. That was the scary part.
Game One: Engineering Sets the Trap
Draft ended quickly.
Bad Dragons made choices that screamed: "We will force you to fight."
Mr. Kim spoke into the mic. "Engineering's draft looks aggressive. They want to break Wings Gaming early."
The Headmaster's voice was smooth. "They should. Health Track has been favored long enough. Let's see if they can earn it."
Mr. Kim turned slightly toward him. "Favored or not, they have results."
The Headmaster smiled. "Against computing and business."
The crowd reacted with a mix of laughter and oooh sounds.
June's jaw tightened.
Kitty whispered to NC, "He's disrespecting them."
June whispered back, "He's disrespecting XH."
Game One began.
From the first minute, Bad Dragons moved like a machine.
They rotated faster than expected, not just outplaying lanes but suffocating space.
NS called it. "They're three-man ganking top."
Too late.
First blood splashed across the big screen.
The engineering side screamed.
Thoon clapped slowly like she was watching theater.
Mr. Kim tried to keep his voice neutral, but it rose anyway. "That is an early punish. Wings Gaming must not panic. They are a tower team."
The Headmaster replied immediately. "Tower teams collapse when pressured. That is why they are tower teams."
Mr. Kim laughed, half amused, half annoyed. "You're acting like you want them to lose."
The Headmaster's voice lowered, still audible. "I want the best major to represent this campus."
Mr. Kim leaned closer to his mic. "And you think that's not Health Track?"
The Headmaster smiled. "Not yet."
Inside the booth, XH felt the pressure squeeze tighter.
Every time he stepped forward to farm, a shadow appeared.
Every time Wings Gaming tried to group for a push, Bad Dragons were already there, waiting like they had read their map like a book.
JP's breathing sped up. "They're predicting every move."
TZ grunted. "Because we're moving like a tutorial."
Andrew's voice stayed calm. "Reset. We trade towers. We do not fight unless it protects objectives."
But Bad Dragons did not allow trades.
They baited.
They baited again.
They forced Wings Gaming into messy fights, then punished every mistake.
By minute fifteen, Wings Gaming had lost two outer Defense Towers.
The crowd murmured.
Students who had been cheering earlier started whispering doubts.
June's fingers curled into her palms.
Kitty watched XH's posture. Still controlled. But a fraction stiffer now.
SRM leaned toward Kitty with a smirk. "This is what happens when you only know one style."
Kitty didn't look away from the screen. "Watch."
The kill score climbed.
4 to 18.
Mr. Kim's voice tightened. "This is not looking good for Wings Gaming. They need to regain structure."
The Headmaster sounded pleased. "Engineering is giving a lesson. This is how a major builds legacy."
Mr. Kim snapped lightly, "Legacy is not the only measure of worth."
The Headmaster replied instantly, "It is when you want funding."
People laughed.
June's eyes flashed. "He's using the mic to bully."
Cherry whispered, "That's the point. He's protecting engineering."
The final push came suddenly. Bad Dragons grouped mid, forced a fight under the last outer tower, wiped Wings Gaming clean, then marched like executioners.
The throne exploded.
Game One: Loss.
The engineering side roared like a stadium.
Mr. Kim took a breath. "It's a best of five. Wings Gaming has room."
The Headmaster leaned into his mic. "They have room to learn."
Break One: Pride Hits the Table
In the break area, Wings Gaming removed headsets and drank water.
TZ stood up, pacing like a caged animal. "They're not just countering. They're humiliating."
JP laughed too loudly. "Okay, okay, I get it. They're good."
NS looked at XH. "You okay?"
XH nodded. "I'm fine."
But his voice sounded too flat.
Andrew opened his notebook. "They are forcing fights before we are ready. We need cleaner disengage. Better vision. Less ego."
TZ scoffed. "Ego? We're barely alive."
Outside, the cheerleaders clashed again.
Thoon walked up to June like she owned the floor. "Still confident? You look tense."
June stared at her. "I look focused."
HTN smiled at Kitty. "You're quiet today."
Kitty replied calmly. "I'm watching your timing."
SRM laughed. "One kiss and you became a statue."
Kitty turned her head slowly. "Better than becoming a rumor."
Gasps.
June stepped forward, voice sharp. "You talk about men like prizes."
Thoon smiled. "Because they are."
June's gaze cut through her. "Not to me."
Kitty and June stood shoulder to shoulder without planning it.
That alone made the engineering girls pause.
Mr. Kim's voice echoed from the stage speakers as the break countdown played. "If Wings Gaming plays their game, they can still win."
The Headmaster cut in. "If Engineering allows them to."
Mr. Kim replied, "That sounded like hope."
The Headmaster's voice was almost playful. "No. That sounded like reality."
Game Two: Tilt
Draft phase again.
More bans.
More pressure.
Bad Dragons continued banning Wings Gaming's comfort heroes. It wasn't just strategy. It felt personal.
Mr. Kim commented, "Bad Dragons are banning signature picks. They are forcing Wings Gaming outside their hero pool."
The Headmaster replied, "Good. Comfort is a luxury. Engineering does not do luxury."
Mr. Kim said, "You know you're making enemies in the Health Track department."
The Headmaster laughed softly. "Let them win first."
Inside the booth, JP muttered, "He's actually cheering for them."
TZ growled, "After we win, I want him to apologize publicly."
NS said quietly, "Focus."
Game Two began.
It went worse.
Bad Dragons played like they smelled fear.
They rotated with ruthless efficiency.
They forced small fights. Pickoffs. Isolated deaths.
Every time Wings Gaming tried to regain map control, Bad Dragons slammed the door shut.
Kill score climbed fast.
15 to 3.
The crowd noise changed. Less cheering. More reacting.
More pity.
Mr. Kim's voice tried to stay strong. "Wings Gaming must stop bleeding. They need to stabilize and return to objectives."
The Headmaster replied, "They cannot stabilize if they do not understand pressure."
Mr. Kim snapped, "Pressure is not the only lesson. Sometimes it's bullying."
The Headmaster's voice stayed calm. "Sometimes bullying builds champions."
June's eyes widened slightly.
Kitty whispered, "That's a dangerous thing to say."
On-screen, Wings Gaming collapsed in another teamfight.
JP's hands shook slightly on the mouse.
TZ slammed his palm on the desk. "Are you sleepy? Go wash your face and come back!"
JP snapped, "Say that again!"
XH spoke sharply, "Enough."
The booth went quiet.
Even Andrew paused his pen.
But tilt had already infected them.
They took one desperate fight under mid Defense Tower.
Bad Dragons wiped them again.
The throne fell.
Game Two: Loss.
0 to 2.
The engineering side roared. Students stood, chanting "Bad Dragons!" like it was already over.
The Headmaster leaned into his mic, voice satisfied. "This is what experience looks like."
Mr. Kim answered immediately, "Or what arrogance looks like."
The crowd gasped.
The Headmaster chuckled. "Arrogance wins sometimes."
Mr. Kim replied, "Not always."
The Moment Wings Almost Break
Back in the prep area, Wings Gaming sat in silence.
NS rubbed his face. "They broke our rhythm."
Andrew nodded, looking down at the black notebook. "They broke more than that. They broke belief."
JP stared at the floor. "Everyone is watching us fail."
TZ whispered, "We're embarrassing."
XH finally lifted his head.
His voice was quiet, but it sliced.
"They think I'm the burden."
Everyone froze.
Outside, reporters and students yelled near the stage.
"Washed!""Health Track is over!""June carry him!"
June heard it through the hallway.
Her chest burned.
She stepped toward the booth line, eyes fierce.
Kitty followed right behind her, calm like a blade.
June's voice snapped. "Do you think we came here to watch you collapse?"
Kitty's voice followed, softer but sharper. "We didn't choose you for perfection. We chose you for spine."
The boys stared.
June continued, "Stop playing like strangers. You're five people. Act like it."
Kitty looked at XH through the glass. "And you. Stop carrying everything alone. Let them die for you. That's what brothers do."
NS exhaled, almost smiling. "I can do that."
Andrew closed his notebook slowly.
His eyes lifted.
"Next game," he said quietly, "we shuffle."
XH's chest tightened.
Not with fear.
With something like inevitability.
He glanced toward June.
Then Kitty.
Both were watching him.
Both were waiting.
And somewhere high above the arena, clouds gathered without warning, pressing against the windows as if the sky itself wanted front row seats.
The storm was coming.
But Wings Gaming was still hovering.
Still alive.
Still refusing to fall.