Nia went to sleep. She was forfeiting from today's scrimmage. This left Stratus without a Jungler.

But, Yuel was prepared for this. After all, when it came to Nia, nobody could say for sure how much the team could rely on her. In fact, it was impressive she made it this far.

Yuel was prepared for the worst from the start. He even considered the possibility of Nia not playing today at all due to stage-fright. Fortunately, she proved to be a sturdier girl than that. Though, it took some effort to get her started... 

Either way, the team had a substitute ready from the start. It was Luke, the "Meme Jedi" himself. Luke was the last person Yuel wanted to rely on during an official match, but there was no other choice.

"Luke, we need you to sub in," Yuel said. "Nia is too tired to keep going."

"Oh! So, it's finally my time to shine!? I've been waiting for this!" Luke clenched a fist and grinned broadly. "My body is ready! Hit me up any time, bro!" 

"Good to see you got the fighting spirit." If nothing else.

It's not like Yuel was looking down on Luke's skill. On the contrary, Luke was a very accomplished player. He had the 3rd best mechanical skill in the club, his decision-making was airtight, and he sufficiently researched the game to better himself.

Unfortunately, all these impressive qualities only applied within a very specific category of classes: memes. Despite possessing such skill, this guy restricted himself to bad picks. As a result, his performance was far from reliable.

So, even though Luke’s performance was often “impressive”, it was only within the scope of memeing. He was a top-tier player among memers, no doubt about that. But, compared to what players could achieve with meta classes, Luke didn't leave much of an impression.

To make things worse, the memes were so deeply rooted in Luke's expertise, that it was impossible to expect him to perform well with meta classes even if he agreed to pick them. He barely practiced them, so he barely had any experience. It was a sad story, but that’s the best Stratus had at the moment.

"So,” Luke pointed at Lars and Kai. “What we gonna do about these guys?”

The quarrel went on without an ending in sight.

"Look, dude. Just give us one game as Bot. Just one." 

"No, I'll be playing Carry until the end."

The two bickered like little kids. Both sides refused to yield even though neither of them was providing convincing arguments. And, even if one of them leveled a good argument, it was unlikely the other side will listen. They were just shooting their raw thoughts at each other, trying to submit the opposition by showing assertion. It was a sad sight.

I'd like to take over Bot too. Yuel thought. But, it doesn't look like Kai will agree any time soon.

It was a difficult situation. It reminded him of the breakdown Trever had during last year's scrimmage. Back then, Yuel had to come up with a solution as well.

Is this going to happen every scrimmage? Yuel sighed deeply. Last time, Yuel resolved the issue with Trever thanks to Lars stepping in. But, in this situation, Lars was part of the problem.

As far as Yuel was concerned, Lars was in right here. But, siding with Lars would look like playing favorites. It won’t quell Kai. In fact, it might only make her angrier.

So, Yuel had to find another way. It was important to make both sides agree on a truce. But, what could Yuel possibly do about this? He lacked the skill to make people calm down and listen to reason.

What would Howard do here? Yuel couldn't help but ask.

If this were Howard's team, he’d calm everybody down in a matter of seconds. That's the kind of dominance he exhibited as a captain. When he was commanding a team, everybody saw him as a king who couldn’t be opposed.

Compared to that, how did Yuel's teammates saw Yuel? It didn't feel like they thought much of him. Every time he suggested something, he had to justify himself to no end before anybody agreed with him. The only one who was always unconditionally on his side was Lars. 

That’s why it’d be so easy to side with Lars here and 2v1 Kai. Together, they had quite the authority in the team. Everybody recognized them as the best players in the club, save maybe for Kai who always acted like she was the top dog.

So, if Yuel and Lars teamed up against Kai, the rest of the club will probably side with them. Especially, after that terrible defeat in Bot that brought ruin to the rest of the team. Everybody will agree the team needed a stronger duo in Bot.

So, Yuel and Lars should be able to get their positions with the help of peer pressure. But, at what cost? Kai won't be pleased by such a development. It’ll only tilt her further.

There were various ways in which she could retaliate. For example, she could feed or go AFK. Kai should be mature enough to not resort to such childish sulking, but there was never telling what a tilted Kai was capable of.

However, it was more likely Kai will object by picking a marksman despite what the team decided. This was a common stunt online when two players called the same role and neither was willing to step down.

How did players usually resolve these situations online? Usually, they didn’t. Both players just locked into the same role and then the game went to hell.

That's how online teams sometimes ended up with bizarre formations. Two mages in Mid, two bruises in Top, or two marksmen in Bot. Yuel has seen all these combinations before.

Needless to say, these non-meta formations were far from optimal. They usually doomed the team to a devastating defeat, especially at higher ranks.

We can’t play like that against Taurus. Yuel thought.

Perhaps, a gimmicky lineup would have worked against Taurus before they got their new subs. But now, the new players turned Taurus into a dangerous team. They were swift, calculating, and organized. If Stratus tried to face these new foes with a wonky formation, it’ll be another crushing defeat.

Then, what was the solution? Kai had a personal grudge against the enemy Carry, so it's unlikely she'll step down from playing Carry. Yuel didn’t have the skill to convince her.

Then, do I ask Lars to give up? That didn't feel right either. Lars's frustration was well justified and Yuel felt guilty for it. After all, it was Yuel who convinced Lars to play Mid for now.

Yuel believed that, in time, Kai will come to understand that Yuel and Lars were much better in Bot than her and Vincent. And, he was right. Kai won't openly admit it, but she must’ve realized that Yuel and Lars were the stronger Bot duo. That was evident by how much she trusted their performance during their after-school training, in which Yuel and Lars always played Bot.

Nevertheless, Kai insisted to play Carry. She was refusing to come to terms with the facts. Or, perhaps she believed she'll surpass Lars as a Carry with enough training. Either way, she didn't step down and this was the result.

The moment the team ran into a truly strong Bot duo, Kai and Vincent didn't quite cut it anymore. Many unexpected things happened in that game, but everything started in Bot. The main reason the team lost so badly was due to their lack of dominance in Bot. It was all because Yuel and Lars weren’t the Bot duo.

And, it was Yuel who approved of this situation. He convinced Lars that this setup was fine, that there was no need to rush Kai into surrendering her Carry role.

So, it's all my fault. Yuel bit his lip. He was the culprit here. If not for his passiveness, they would have easily scored their third victory of the day, which would’ve won them the entire scrimmage. Stratus could’ve opened the season with a strong 3-0.

Alas, now they were in a 2-1 situation and the team was thrown into disarray. It was all because of one bad decision Yuel made a while ago, long before this scrimmage was even announced. It was such a grave miscalculation on his part.

If only there was a way to grant both Lars and Kai's wishes at the same time. That'd be the ideal resolution to this entire mess.

But, that was impossible. The team needed a magical damage dealer, or else the enemy will focus on building physical defense and Stratus' offense will no longer pose a threat. The entire game will be one big uphill battle.

So, somebody had to play a mage. And, that somebody had to be the Mid. Or, did they...?

What if our mage won’t be in Mid? The idea struck Yuel out of the blue. There were other positions in which a magical damage dealer could be played. For example, Kai could play Pyromancer as a Carry.

I doubt she'll agree to it, though. Yuel reasoned. Pyromancer has received numerous nerfs throughout its life cycles to ensure it wasn't a top-tier Carry. It was an understandable balancing direction since the class had to pay for its flexibility in some way.

However, Bot wasn't the only alternative position for Pyromancer. There was one niche, borderline a meme, alternative. “Pyromancer Jungler” was a thing that existed.

Overall, it had more flaws than advantages. But, precisely because of that, there was one madman who'd gladly take on the challenge: Luke. For the better or the worse, Luke actually knew how to play Jungler with Pyromancer.

Yuel was responsible for coming up with the team’s lineups, so he had to learn the preferred classes of all his teammates. That included memorizing Luke’s classes, which gave Yuel nothing but a headache.

Memes, memes, and more memes. Memes as far as the eye could see. That was the list of Luke’s preferred classes in a nutshell.

However, within that mountain of garbage, Yuel spotted a couple of classes that were borderline acceptable. Extremely niche Jungler picks, that were only scarcely picked in the competitive scene and only under specific circumstances that most players weren’t familiar with. Most people would regard them as a joke without a second thought, but they were at least borderline viable. Yuel always focused on these classes for Luke when simulating the team’s lineups.

One such a niche Jungler pick was Pyromancer. This marksman-mage hybrid class was flexible enough to be played as a Jungler since it had a huge burst potential like that of an assassin.

Based on how the previous game went, the team definitely needed a strong aggressive Jungler. It was the most effective way to instill fear in their new foes and make them second-guess themselves. That should stop the “Triangle” from going after so many risky plays.

It would’ve been better if Luke were a sane player who could pick a proper assassin Jungler, but the guy insisted on subpar picks. Few of them had the kind of aggression the team needed right now, but Pyromancer was one of the best options among them, if not the best.

Pyromancer’s main weaknesses for jungling were the lack of strong CC and good escapes, but there were a couple of advantages as well. It was an unusual Jungler because it dealt magical damage. Its damage might catch the enemy off-guard if they don’t build enough magical defense during the early-game.

In addition, Pyromancer cleared minions quickly. So, it was great for split-pushing and for defending lanes when the laners were absent.

If Luke picks Pyromancer, the team will secure itself a magical damage dealer. That’ll make it more acceptable for Lars to pick a physical class for Mid. For example, a marksman.

A Mid Carry, huh. Yuel knotted his brows. It was a niche formation that was used once in a while even on the competitive scene. Throughout Classmancers’ history, there were even times when Mid Carry was meta. Though it was usually formed with a mage playing in Bot, so it was a little different from Yuel’s idea

Two Carries, that’s what Yuel had in mind. That should resolve the bickering between Lars and Kai. They'll both get to play Carry, one in Mid and one in Bot. Meanwhile, Luke will fill in as the team’s magical damage dealer.

But, Carry in Mid can be rough. Yuel leveled an argument against his own idea.

The main reason mages were prioritized for Mid was their fast wave-clearing speed. Mid was the shortest lane in the game, so both sides wanted to position their best wave cleaners there.

Fortunately, Lars mained Trickshooter, a marksman that excelled at wave clearing when utilized optimally. In Lars’s hands, Trickshooter will easily hold its own against most mages on lane.

In fact, Lars’s wave-clearing with Trickshooter was probably better than his wave-clearing with actual mages. That's how absurd was the skill level gap between his Trickshooter and his other classes.

The more Yuel thought about it, the more he convinced himself of this lineup. Two Carries, one in Mid and one in Bot. The Jungler will be the mage. The team should have enough experience to pull this off. In addition, the weirdness of that lineup might catch the enemy off guard and give Stratus the surprise element. 

"Luke, can you please pick Pyromancer next game?" Yuel requested.

"I dunno, man," Luke said. "I really wanted to show off my sick Rogue skills." 

"Pick Pyromancer," Yuel insisted. This was no longer a request. "If you pick Pyromancer, Lars and Kai can both pick marksmen. That should put an end to their bickering."

"Oh, I see whatcha doing there," Luke nodded. "Alrighty, you got it. Pyro it is."

"Thanks," Yuel cleared the first hurdle. Now, it was time to deal with the two troublemakers. Kai shouldn't have any problem with this setup, but Lars might complain. The goof was unusually worked up about the whole thing.

Lars has been doing his best to maintain his usually goofy smile, but Yuel could see through the cracks in that facade. Lars was a breath away from snapping at Kai and becoming really angry. It was a rare side of Lars that only surfaced during the most critical times. Yuel had to act before the sealed demon breaks out.

"Can I have a moment?" Yuel interrupted the heated argument. "I have a suggestion." 

"Huh?" Kai turned to him with an annoyed glare. All her irritation was suddenly directed at Yuel. Yikes.

"Go ahead, dude," Lars tried to sound as casual as ever, but there was a hint of irritation in his tone as well. Those two have been fighting over the Carry role for so long, that they started seeing everybody as hostile. It didn't help that Yuel was the one who convinced Lars to play Mid until now, so it was possible Lars was blaming Yuel for all of this.

"Kai, you insist you'd win against Renegade next time, right?" Yuel asked.

"Of course I will," Kai answered without the slightest hint of hesitation. "I'd rip that bastard apart."

"Then, how about we put that to test?" Yuel suggested. "You play Carry next game. If we win, you can keep playing Carry. But, if you lose to Renegade again, you'll hand Bot to us."

"Fair enough," Kai nodded. It was surprisingly easy to convince her. Perhaps, the possibility of losing to Renegade again didn't even register as an option in her mind. She was going to win, no matter what. Such was her unyielding conviction.

Okay, that's one problem off the table. Yuel nodded to himself. Unfortunately, this wasn't over yet.

"Yo, dude, what the heck?" Lars demanded. "We gotta play Bot. We can't be dropping games like that."

"I agree,” Yuel said. “But, Kai insists she can win, so let's give her another chance. The previous game was filled with many unexpected developments and we picked a hyper-aggressive lineup, so everything crumbled like a domino effect from one mistake."

"That's why I'm saying we gotta handle Bot ourselves. That way, there won't be any mistakes." 

"Aren't you a cocky one," Kai gave Lars a look. "I can get it done myself no problem."

"I dunno about that."

"I'll show you,” Kai declared. “I'll crush Renegade like a bug!" 

"Guys, please," Yuel intervened before war broke out again. "Lars, don't forget we still have a lead of one game. We won't lose the scrimmage even if we lose next game."

"What's with that weak mentality, yo?" Lars demanded. "Are you planning to throw the next game? Doesn’t sound professional to me."

"Of course I want to win," Yuel reassured. "I'm just saying it's not the end of the world if we lose one more game. If Kai insists she can do it, let's trust her on that. If we lose again, you and I will take over Bot for the final game to make sure we win the scrimmage." 

"Dude, but I wanna play Carry!" Lars bared his true feelings. What he wished for right now, more than anything, was to wield some strong guns and go PEW PEW BAM BAM BOOM! He didn't wanna let dudes like StormMonster catch him defenseless like last game. As long as Lars had stable DPS, he could take on anybody! He could even topple Maker, yooooooo!

"No problem," Yuel said. "You can play a marksman next game." 

"Wut...?" Lars blinked multiple times.

"Wait," Kai started. "Didn't you just say you were fine with me playing Carry? What the heck?" 

"How about you both play Carry?" Yuel suggested.

"Huh???" Kai was completely thrown off, so much that she forgot she was angry just a moment ago. "What are you on about? I dunno what you smoked, but it gotta be some serious shit." 

"Lars will play Carry in Mid and you in Bot," Yuel explained his idea. "Nia went to sleep, so Luke will be subbing in." 

"Huh? Nia is out?" Kai checked around. It took her a while to find Nia, which didn’t surprise anybody. However, in this case, it was more justified than usual because a blanket covered Nia from head to toe. It was almost as if the girl went into hiding.

"She can't go on," Yuel informed. "So, Luke will sub in." 

"Woohoo! The star of the show is here!" Luke pumped a fist and flashed his teeth. It was probably his own way of injecting some positivity into the air.

"Oh, we're done for," Kai sighed. 

"Hey, hey, hey!" Luke sulked. "Doncha write me off like that! I gonna meme these guys to death! Ez." 

"More like, you gonna meme us into losing" Kai rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," Yuel interrupted. "You know how Luke can only play bad picks?" 

"Wow, wow, wow!" Luke exclaimed again. "It's meme picks, bro. Get your facts straight." 

"Yeah, I know he can only play trash picks," Kai nodded.

"It's meme picks. Memes."

"So," Yuel continued. "I thought about the list of horrible picks he has to offer." 

"It’s meme picks, I'm tellin' ya..."

"And,” Yuel continued. “Pyromancer is one of the more viable options he has to offer." 

"Jungler Pyro? Seriously?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "That's what you call 'viable'?" 

"Cut me some slack, I don’t exactly have much to work with." 

"Yeah, fair enough,” Kai nodded. “Forgot you only had crappy picks to work with."

"It's memes..." A mosquito buzzed some nonsense but the two ignored it.

"If Luke picks Pyromancer, we'll have a mage," Yuel explained. "So, Lars won't have to play a mage anymore. He can pick Trickshooter, who can lane just fine against mages."

"Oh!" Lars exclaimed. "You're a genius, dude! I'm lovin' it." 

"Isn't that risky?" Kai asked. "Mages are the meta in Mid for a reason, you know." 

"I know,” Yuel sadi. “But, Lars's Trickshooter is better than all his mages combined. Common sense doesn’t apply to it." 

"Ya got that right!" Lars flashed his teeth. "My mages are like Bronze rank compared to my Master rank Shooter, believe it!" 

"That's not something to be proud of," Yuel retorted. "Work harder on your other classes." 

"Yeaaaah, weeeelp," Lars glanced aside and whistled innocently.

"Anyway, there you have it," Yuel summarized. "You can both play Carry this way."

"But, what if we lose because of this lineup?" Kai asked. "You'll just use that as an excuse to kick me outta Bot." 

"Don't worry, dude," Lars said. "I ain't gonna lose with Trickshooter. And, if I do, that's all on me. You just gotta kick Renegade's ass. That's all ya have to worry about." 

"Fair enough," Kai smiled for the first time since they entered the room. The two finally reached an agreement. “Okay, let’s roll with this plan.”

"Phew," Yuel sighed in relief. He wasn't confident in his ability to defuse this charged situation, but it was a success. Unlike last year, he resolved the team's turmoil without any help from Lars or Howard. Finally, he reached the point he was capable of such great feats without external help!

And so, the team resolved its bickering and headed into the next game with renewed determination. However, will that be enough to topple the enemy’s triangle of doom...?