"You're dead, fam!" Nash blitzed straight at Gunz to deny any escape. Once he got close enough, he booted Unstoppable Raid. Six savage warriors appeared around him. The monster multiplied! Nash and his brethren were going to tear this dude apart!

"Welp, looks like I gotta fight after all," Lars activated Thunderstorm, summoning dark clouds above him. The entire area transformed into a high voltage danger zone.

KABOOM! Lightning struck all the enemies in range! Not only the Viking, but his pals too. The strike was strong enough to reduce them dudes to 60% HP in one hit.

But, it didn't bother any of them in the slightest. They continued closing in on Lars because they couldn't feel any pain. And, the Viking himself didn't back away either, even though he was inside a deadly thunderstorm. Dude was a legit mad lad, no question about it.

The pack of hungry wolves cornered Lars. There was nowhere to retreat anymore. His back was pressed again the wall. The enemies were about to strike...!

BAAAAM! Another round of electrical discharge! Heavy lightning struck all his enemies at once! But, they were still alive, just barely hanging onto their lives. These dudes had no intention of stopping any time soon!

The savage warriors encircled Lars around the wall and raised their weapons. He had to dodge them! Or, at least some of them!

Roll to the left? Or, to the right? Lars’s eyes shifted from side to side. No matter which direction he was going to pick, something will definitely hit him.

But, there was one more option: roll straight ahead! That's right, he could roll toward his foes and pass by them! They won’t see it coming!

WHISH. The warriors brought down their blades and axes, but they sliced through empty air. Their target slipped right under their noses by rolling past them! 

"Whoa! This guy...!" Nash exclaimed. A dangerous grin surfaced on his face. "Haha, what the heck? Who'd casually do that kinda shit? This is rich! But, I ain't falling for it!"

Nash was the only one who hadn’t started swinging yet. Therefore, he had the time to react to this bizarre development.

Nash turned around and unleashed his axe at the rolling opponent. "Alright! Let's go, let's go, let's goooo!"

"Damn, seriously!?" Lars grimaced. His frontal roll should’ve caught the enemy off guard, but this dude was quick on the uptake. What a wild dude! StormMonster was a worthy opponent.

Lars was almost happy that things turned out this way. This StormMonster dude wasn't messing around, he was strong. It gonna be fun taking him down! 

BAM! Lightning struck again. It wiped out the viking warriors and also smacked hard the main Viking dude. The repeated lightning strikes have already reduced the guy to 65% HP, but he didn't even bat an eye. He was fully intent on continuing this offense! There was no stopping him!

"Crap!" Lars failed to create enough distance between them in time. As a result, he had to eat an axe to the face. Another big chunk of his HP vanished without a trace.

Lars was already down to 50% HP. All the injuries he sustained against Nirvana in lane weren't helping him right now. This was gonna be a rough fight.

KABOOM! The fourth bolt of lightning boomed, but the Viking took it like a champ. He pretty much ignored it, as if it were a mere mosquito bite. All his attention was on Lars. The mad lad continued chasing without break.

Why is this dude so fast!? What’s with this movement speed!? This is too sick, yo! Lars couldn’t tell whether he was gritting his teeth in frustration, or just grinning too hard from the fun. The Viking was sticking to him like glue. It was impossible to create any distance between them.

Lars even tried backpedaling without shooting in order to maximize his movement speed, but it was futile. This Viking as fast as heck. Dude just continued getting in Lars’s face and swinging. How could this dude be so fast!?

Of course, part of it was thanks to all the Movement Speed that StromMonster built. But, there was more to it. There was something wrong with this Viking’s movements. He always caught up in a blink of an eye, as if he already knew where Lars will move next.

All of Lars’s juke attempts ended in failure. Such was the strength of the monster in front of him.

“Whew, Nash is killing it,” Jaiden whistled. When my guy gets like this, nobody can beat him. It’s over.

“Rio, don’t mind Nash’s safety,” Jaiden said. “Focus on stopping Gunz from escaping.”

“Got it,” Rio nodded. He almost caught up with them.

Meanwhile, the duel raged on.

“D-Dang it!” Lars was overwhelmed. He made that Viking eat so many lightning strikes, he reduced the guy down to 45% HP. And yet, Lars found himself overwhelmed. This Viking dude was all over him!

“Then, how about this, yo!!!” Lars unleashed Electrical Explosion. Each lightning strike that hit StormMonster applied an Electric Charge, so it was time to detonate these bad boys! 

BAAAM! The Viking’s body exploded in a flash of whiteness. It wiped out another 20% HP.

But, the Viking didn’t stop charging forward, not even for a moment. The huge explosion didn’t faze the guy. He was pressing onward with just 25% HP, acting so boldly you’d think he was at full health. Dude was legit crazy!

Lars even had the HP lead now, holding up with 40%. By all means, the Viking should’ve considered retreating by now. At the very least, there should’ve been a hint of hesitation in his moves. Anybody would worry about dying once their HP dropped that low. But, StormMonster didn’t care, not in the slightest.

You’re awesome, dude! But, I gonna kill ya! Lars fired a basic attack at the fearless monster in front of him. The shot connected no problem. There’s no way the 200% accuracy sniper would miss from point-blank.

Yeah, the shot definitely connected. But, it hurt as much as poking somebody with a pinky. It barely erased 2% HP.

In response, the Viking brought down his axe once more. WHAM! 10% HP gone, just like that.

“Haha...” Lars laughed dryly. “I’m not winning this one, am I?” 

“Of course not,” Yuel stated matter-of-factly. “Were you seriously thinking about staying to fight?”

“N-No, of course not! Haha...” Lars sighed in defeat and turned his back on the juicy kill opportunity. Even though he unpacked tons of damage on the Viking with his spells, it wasn’t enough to kill the dude. Lars had to rely on his basics to finish the rest of the job.

But, Electromancer was a mage. Dude’s basic attacks were lame as heck. With his entire kit on cooldown, Lars couldn’t fight back any further.

Dang it, if only I was playing a marksman...! Lars clenched his mouse. If he were a marksman, his basic attacks would’ve dealt deal heavy damage. He could’ve easily turned this situation around and scored a kill here.

After that, maybe he could even mount a counter-attack on the enemy fleet in Mid. A 1v4 situation? Ezpz for his Trickshooter and Gunslinger!

But, as a mage, he was powerless without his spells. His basic attacks were slow and weak. Despite his life lead, he couldn't fight back. He’d have to land like a million hits on his opponent to actually deal any damage. There was no way it gonna happen, especially not with the Viking already this close to him.

Dang it! Lars ranted internally. Our whole team is dead. I can't die too...!

And so, Lars turned his back on his opponent and rolled away. He had to give up on the fight. Survival took priority.

"Hey, come back here!" Nash rolled after his target. "Ya ain't getting away, dawg!" 

Just a little more! Lars was already in front of the jungle exit. Once he passes through this gap, the tower area will be right around the corner!

The hallway leading to his survival was right in front of him. But, the next moment, it disappeared from sight. A tall wall erupted from the ground and blocked the entrance. It was an ice wall. 

"Wha!? Ya gotta be shittin' me!" Lars crashed into the wall. There was no way to pass through. And, there was nowhere to run either. His pursuer was already breathing down on his neck. It was over.

『You have killed an enemy!』

"Aww, yeah! Another one for me!" Nash pumped a fist. "That makes it three kills to one!" He lifted his chin as he threw a glance at Jaiden.

"I didn't know we were holding a competition," Jaiden smiled. "Anyway, great job."

"Hehe, thanks," Nash grinned. Thinking back on it, he decimated over half the enemy team with his own two hands. He was the MVP of this game! The audience must’ve been at awe from his stunning performance!

But, of course, none of that was achieved with his power alone. It was all thanks to his pals.

"Thanks for the wall there, Rio." Nash gave a thumbs up.

"You're welcome," Rio nodded.

『An enemy Turret has been destroyed!』

"Whew, these guys are fast!" Nash whistled. Shortly after he scored the kill, Jaiden and the rest have already taken down the Mid Turret. This game gonna be smooth sailing from here.

At the same time, the enemy team was feeling the approaching dread.

"Damn!" Lars smacked his face with both hands. "Sorry, my dudes. I failed ya."

"It's not your fault," Yuel said. "Our opponents played better this time. Plus, they caught us off guard."

"Indeed, indeed," Vincent nodded repeatedly. "We've been caught in the Bermuda Triangle of Certain Doom! Escape was impossible from the start!"

"Would you ever shut up about that Bermuda nonsense?" Kai lashed out. "It's giving me a headache."

"My sincere apologies," Vincent piped down.

"Damn,” Lars muttered to himself. “If only I was playing a marksman..."

A marksman. Yuel caught that pat. Yeah, Lars probably wouldn’t have lost that fight with a marksman.

In that fight, StormMonster unleashed unrelenting aggression with an apparent fixation on scoring the kill. His playstyle was very similar to Julia when she went berserk. Aggressors like that didn't feel any pain. They won't stop at anything and will never question themselves. So, they were the worst types of opponents to fight as a mage.

Not to mention, Lars's combat skill with mages was nowhere near his skill with marksmen. If he were using a marksman, Lars would have turned the tables on his pursuer. He probably would’ve scored a kill there.

Even if the enemy Cryomancer joined the fray and supported the Viking, there was still a good chance Lars would prevail. That's the kind of unstoppable force he was.

Unfortunately, Kai's unreasonable persistence to keep playing Carry denied Lars the option to pick a marksman. That's why Lars, and the team at large, ended up suffering an undeserved terrible defeat. Things shouldn’t have ended that way.

In the first place, the enemy started their tremendous momentum when they killed Kai and Vincent in Bot. Judging by Vincent's uncontrollable hype about the so-called “Bermuda Triangle”, it was safe to assume their new opponents were that good.

Yuel used to question Vincent's nonsense in the past, but he came to accept it by now. Whenever Vincent was hyped, then no matter what utter nonsense he spouted, there was always some sort of truth hidden inside.

And truly, Yuel experienced it first-hand as well. The three players who subbed in were extremely coordinated. They completely shut down all his options when they surrounded him in Top. Their movements were quick and polished. They moved in and encircled Yuel like trained soldiers who have carried out such operations countless times before.

They probably play a lot together. That'll explain their airtight teamwork. Yuel deduced.

That line of reasoning would also explain why the enemy team suddenly subbed in those three. The enemy must have been banking on this trio's team-play. Perhaps those three weren’t that amazing individually, but together they formed a formidable team.

It was similar to how things were for Yuel and Lars. Apart, they were strong players. Together, they were unstoppable.

It was difficult to gauge the trio's full potential from this game alone. The element of surprise rigged the results of this game too much. But, there was no doubt that Taurus transformed into an entirely different team with the inclusion of that trio.

Perhaps that's as far as we go. Yuel thought. With their current formation, they might not be strong enough to topple the new Taurus. This was bound to happen sooner or later.

Lars and I have to take Bot. There was no other way. They couldn't let their opponents get away with another easy win next game.

Yes, "another" easy win, because this game was practically over. The entire enemy team gathered in Mid and pushed the Mid Golem together.

Kai revived in time to defend, but there was little she could do alone. Vincent also revived before the Golem fell to 50% HP, but it was already too late by then.

『An allied Golem has been destroyed!』

This was a devastating blow. Dealing with super minions this early into the game was unreasonable. Even mages struggled to clear them at this stage of the game.

And so, the entire team was stuck defending Mid from super minions while their opponents were free to do as they pleased. Yuel expected the enemy to split-push the other lanes, but they surpassed his expectations yet again.

The Warlock recalled to base, while the rest continued pushing Mid. Sometime later, the Warlock returned to Mid while the other four returned to base. Finally, Stratus thought they had a chance to catch a breather and start pushing Mid.

However, just a couple of seconds later, the entire enemy team was back in Mid! And, with upgraded items to boot. They definitely returned to base to gear up, yet they were already back in lane.

They took advantage of Teleport again. The Warlock placed a Checkpoint Ward upon returning to lane and the rest of the team instantly teleported to it after gearing up.

Such a nasty gimmick. Teleport was undoubtedly an overpowered utility skill, but it was balanced out by its high costs. Not only it was the priciest utility skill, but it also required teammates to buy Checkpoint Wards, which were effectively overpriced normal Wards for most purposes. In short, it was quite an investment.

However, it happened to pay off for Taurus this game. Thanks to Teleport, they scored loads of kills and pushed Mid dangerously far. When Teleport ploys worked out, they were often overwhelming like that.

The entire enemy team back in Mid, stronger than ever, and way ahead of Stratus in terms of levels and items. There was no hope of defending against this overwhelming assault. Stratus fought to the bitter end, but over time, their formation crumbled.

First, Kai overextended a little while retaliating. The enemy didn't miss that chance.

『An ally has been killed!』

Next, Vincent, who tried to rescue Kai, found himself in a bad position.

『An ally has been killed!』

Yuel, Lars, and Nia were the only ones left to defend.

Nia actually joined the defense efforts of her own accord, which made Yuel a little happy despite the grim circumstances. She was a very defensive player in Duel, yet she tended to completely ignore defense in the MOBA mode. She always said it “wasn’t her job” here, which was true to some degree. But, more than that, she didn’t need to do any defending in MOBA mode in order to create opportunities for scoring kills, so that’s probably why she didn’t bother.

Fortunately, Yuel's coaching showed her the light. Nia’s awareness regarding the importance of helping the defense has been increasing in recent weeks. As a result, for the better or the worse, she was now defending Mid Lane as if it was her full-time job.

I’m touched. I’m really am. Yuel thought. But, wouldn’t it have been better to keep looking for opportunities to gank? Drow is decent at defending, better than all her other classes, but it’s still an assassin. It’s better at killing.

Drow was a ranged assassin, so it could contribute to the defense efforts from afar without putting itself in danger. That alone made it much better suited for defending than all the other assassin classes Nia played.

Nevertheless, Drow was still an assassin, so its kit was designed around burst damage. And, said burst damage actually came in the form of a melee dagger strike. So, Nia couldn’t burst opponents down from afar. She contributed to the defense efforts solely with her basic attacks. Those were decent, but not nearly as powerful as a marksman’s.

Still, Nia’s help was much appreciated. It delayed the enemy's victory for quite some time. Alas, their victory was inevitable.

『DEFEAT』

The Colossus crumbled apart. It was over.

After Stratus opened the scrimmage by scoring two convincing wins in a row, they suffered a devastating defeat in the third game...