The arena went quiet in a way that felt unnatural.
Not silent. Never silent. But restrained, like a crowd holding its breath too long and daring itself not to exhale.
Game Five.
The words glowed above the stage in bold white letters, reflected in the glass booths where both teams sat facing each other. Wings Gaming on the left. Bad Dragons on the right.
No handshakes.
No nods.
No smiles.
Just eyes.
XH adjusted his headset slowly, fingers steady even though his pulse was anything but. The hum of the computer beneath the desk felt louder than it should have. He glanced at the other booth without turning his head fully.
Engineering.
KM sat there with his arms crossed, lips curled into something that barely qualified as a smile. Shinso leaned back in his chair, white hair freshly dyed again, tapping his fingers against the desk like he was already bored.
They looked confident.
Too confident.
The giant screens flickered, and the draft interface appeared.
A ripple moved through the audience.
Mr. Kim's voice came through the speakers first, warm and animated.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final game. Wings Gaming versus Bad Dragons. One match. One throne. One deal on the line."
A pause.
Then another voice joined him.
Calmer. Measured. Almost amused.
The Headmaster.
"I would like to remind everyone," he said, "that this match is not about emotions. It is about discipline. Engineering majors have shown discipline consistently."
Mr. Kim chuckled softly. "Discipline does not win you a Game Five when your back is against the wall."
The crowd reacted instantly. Cheers. Laughter. A few boos.
June stiffened in her seat.
Kitty crossed her arms.
"Oh," Kitty murmured. "So he's doing that."
June did not look away from the screen. "He already chose a side."
Behind them, Thoon laughed loudly on purpose.
"Of course he did," she said, leaning toward HTN and SRM. "Why would anyone bet on a team that already showed their whole hand?"
HTN smirked. "Especially when their mid player looks exhausted."
SRM tilted her head, eyes sharp. "I give it ten minutes before they tilt."
June finally turned.
Her smile was polite. Controlled. Dangerous.
"You've been watching us for months," June said. "If you think this is our whole hand, then you haven't learned anything."
Thoon scoffed. "You've been chasing one guy for eight months and still haven't locked him down. That's not strategy. That's hesitation."
Kitty stepped forward before June could respond.
"I don't chase," Kitty said calmly. "I attract."
The words landed harder than a slap.
SRM laughed, but it sounded forced. "One shy kiss and you think you've won something?"
Kitty met her gaze evenly. "No. I think you're loud because you're insecure."
A few gasps rippled through the nearby seats.
On stage, the first ban appeared.
Terrorblade banned.
The audience reacted immediately.
"Expected," Mr. Kim said. "They remove Wings' most explosive closer."
The Headmaster nodded. "Smart. You remove the crutch."
XH's jaw tightened.
The second ban followed.
Shadow Fiend banned.
NS exhaled slowly through his nose.
"Figures," he muttered. "They don't want us playing comfort."
The first pick lit up on Bad Dragons' side.
Anti-Mage.
The crowd roared.
KM leaned toward his mic, voice carrying through the arena. "You left it open. We'll take it."
Laughter erupted from the engineering section.
Shinso grinned and blew a kiss toward the Wings booth.
JP slammed his palm lightly against the desk. "They're mocking us."
TZ leaned back, eyes narrowing. "Let them."
Wings Gaming's first picks appeared.
Enigma.Naga Siren.
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Mr. Kim raised his eyebrows. "Interesting. Control and delay."
The Headmaster laughed softly. "Or panic."
From the stands, someone shouted, "What are they doing?"
Thoon clapped slowly. "Random heroes now? This is desperation."
June leaned forward, hands clasped tightly together. "No. They're buying time."
Kitty glanced at her. "You see it too."
Next pick.
Pit Lord.
JP straightened in his chair.
SRM laughed outright. "Pit Lord? What is this, a tutorial match?"
Kitty's eyes flashed. "Careful. He knows how to make people miserable."
Bad Dragons answered with their mid pick.
Invoker.
The undefeated one.
The crowd exploded.
"Regional best," the Headmaster said proudly. "This is where skill matters."
Mr. Kim did not respond immediately.
XH's cursor hovered.
The final pick slot blinked.
People leaned forward in their seats.
"Whatever he picks now," Thoon whispered loudly, "Anti-Mage eats him alive."
XH inhaled once.
Then clicked.
Sven.
The arena erupted into noise.
Laughter. Shouts. Disbelief.
"He's trolling!" someone yelled.
"He's throwing!"
Thoon doubled over laughing. "Sven into Anti-Mage? That's suicide."
HTN shook her head. "He's done."
June's heart slammed against her ribs.
Kitty did not move.
She watched XH's screen, her expression unreadable.
On the caster desk, Mr. Kim leaned closer to his mic.
"That," he said slowly, "is either madness or absolute conviction."
The Headmaster smiled. "Conviction does not break mana burn."
Behind the Wings booth, Andrew flipped open his black notebook, pages filled with cramped handwriting and arrows. He pointed once at the screen.
"High ground," he said quietly. "We hold. We bleed them dry."
XH nodded without looking away.
In the audience, June felt something twist in her chest.
Fear.
But underneath it, something else.
Belief.
She pressed her palms together unconsciously.
Not praying.
Focusing.
Somewhere near the back of the arena, a woman stood partially hidden by shadows, her gaze fixed on the Wings booth.
June's mother.
She did not smile.
She did not clap.
She watched Sven lock in and whispered under her breath, "Foolish."
The countdown began.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
The booths sealed.
The noise faded behind soundproof glass.
Inside, Wings Gaming stood together for a brief moment.
No shouting.
No bravado.
XH spoke quietly.
"We don't bow."
The others echoed him.
"We don't bend."
He looked at each of them.
"And we don't run."
The loading screen appeared.
Outside the booth, Kitty and June stood shoulder to shoulder.
June's fingers trembled.
Kitty reached out and took her hand.
Neither of them let go.
The game began.