The final game of the scrimmage began.

After the drafting phase was over, it was now clear which player had which role. Gunz took the Gunslinger, whereas Chessmaster went for Aquamancer. In other words...!

"Yes!" Jaiden pumped a fist. "Watch out, guys! The StormBlitz duo is coming for Bot this time! And, they mean business!"

"Awww yeah!" Nash grinned. "So, if we beat these guys, that makes us better than StormBlitz, right? Let's fuckin' gooooooooo!"

"Actually," Rio started. “They weren’t on the first-string there.”

"Only because they were newbies last year," Jaiden said. "I'm sure that, this year, they would've made it into the first-string easy."

"Would they, really?" Rio leveled a difficult question. "StormBlitz had a strong Bot duo last year and they were Juniors, so they’re still around. Besides, if Chessmaster and Gunz could make it into the first-string this year, do you think they’d transfer schools like this?" 

"Transfer? What are you... Ah." It finally hit Jaiden.

One question has been weighing on his mind for a while now. Why did strong players like Gunz and Chessmaster transfer to a school with such a weak team?

Until now, he hasn’t thought much of it. Or, rather, he was trying to not think about it. After all, there was one obvious guess anybody could make, but it'll make him mad if it was true.

As Rio suggested, it was possible Gunz and Chessmaster transferred because they couldn't make it into the first-string this year. It was silly talk, but Jaiden couldn't help but wonder.

It’s suspect that they transferred together like this. Jaiden thought. They don’t look like brothers or anything.

It'd still be one thing if one of them transferred while the other remained in StormBlitz, but both transferred? And, to the same school, too? That was suspect as heck. It really felt like they ran away from the challenge and chose to play on a weaker team’s first-string

But, Jaiden didn't want to believe that. If that was true, he'd lose all the respect he had for them. In his mind, they were an unstoppable high-level duo who didn't yield to anybody. So, for them to quit over such a petty matter would be hella lame. Not to mention, it'd be disrespectful toward everybody who didn't make it into StormBlitz last year.

Gunz and Chessmaster earned their place in StormBlitz by trampling over others. Such was the nature of a selection exam, so nothing wrong with that. Jaiden just happened to be one of the examinees they crushed on their way to the top, that’s all. He didn't hold it against them because, unlike the girl who got in, those two had actual skills.

But still, Gunz and Chessmaster made it into the club at the expense of many other competitors. It meant they were carrying the weight of everybody they defeated. They were obligated to find success on the competitive in the place of those they trampled over.

Therefore, if Gunz and Chessmaster turned their backs on that responsibility and simply abandoned the club, that'd be unforgivable. If that was the extent of their convictions and determination, then they had no business playing Classmancers competitively. What’s more, they had absolutely no right of robbing others of their chances to join a strong team. 

I also transferred because of Mancers. Jaiden thought. But, my case is totally different.

He transferred to Taurus because he was one of those who didn't make it into StormBlitz, partially due to Gunz and Chessmaster’s “fault”. But, unlike those two, Jaiden didn’t abandon any hopes and dreams placed on him.

No, that wasn’t quite right wrong. There were two dreams placed on his back then.

"Become the topdog in Storm, bro!"

"I'm sure you'll make it big."

Two years ago, his two friends encouraged him with smiles on their faces. He informed them about his plans to attend Riverstock Junior High, and they applauded him for that decision.

Of course, they wanted to follow after him and join StormBlitz as well. However, Riverstock was far from their houses, so their parents didn’t agree to that arrangement. In the end, Jaiden had to venture into the unknown all by himself and abandon his friends.

Nevertheless, they were smiling as they saw him off. Rio looked as if he was holding back tears, but he still forced a smile.

Even though Jaiden was abandoning them. Even though he chose Classmancers over their friendship. Even so, his friends were smiling in front of him and encouraging him to chase the competitive scene he was dreaming about.

And so, despite his heart being split in two, Jaiden stuck to his guns and decided on Riverstock as his middle school. He was serious about Classmancers, more so than anybody in his class. And, even more so than his closest friends.

The three of them played together on a regular basis, but Jaiden often continued playing solo after that as well. He just really loved this game, it clicked with him on so many levels. Stuff like teaming up with his friends to wipe out the enemy always felt good. At least, it was a riot as long as his teammates were actually cooperative enough.

That dedication to Classmancers led Jaiden to pursue StormBlitz, the second-best team in the region. It wasn’t an easy decision. Attending Riverstock demanded him to take a bus, a train, and then another bus to get there every day.

Nevertheless, Jaiden had the willpower to bear through these hardships. He wanted to play on the highest level the region had to offer.

In truth, he would've gladly joined the Leopards, but Leo Junior High was on the opposite side of the region. Now that was too far, even for him and his boundless determination.

Besides, joining the 2nd best team sounded cooler. This way, he'd be able to take on crowned champions of the region and make history by destroying their unstoppable winning streak. Yeah, that'd be sick!

He was really pumped about it. Despite the fact he had to abandon his best friends, and despite the fact the school was so far he had to wake up two hours in advance to get there on time, Jaiden was still pumped up about it. He believed that was the best road toward the competitive scene available for him.

But, then he blew the entrance exam. Honestly, it was a shock. It's as if the entire world collapsed from underneath him. He fell into a bottomless pit of despair, with no chance of climbing back to the surface.

Everything he dreamed about and worked toward - gone. Without warning, without a trace. It all vanished right in front of his eyes. Only he remained there, staring at that unbelievable reality like a tool.

He couldn't believe it. His friends couldn't believe it either. It had to be some sort of mistake. Somebody as dedicated as Jaiden failed? How was that possible?

"No fuckin' way. It gotta be a mistake!” Nash argued. “Talk to them, man! Maybe they picked somebody else by mistake or some shit ."

"I agree, you should investigate,” Rio said. “Maybe there was some foul play there."

Jaiden heeded his friends' advice and set out to investigate the matter. Instead of drowning himself in tears, he rather keep moving forward. That's why he confronted StormBlitz's captain.

"I'm sorry to say, but there was no mistake on our side." The captain dropped the truth bomb. "You're indeed a good player. If the school allowed us to pick one more player, you'd most likely be our next pick. Alas, we’re restricted to five newcomers a year."

That was the end. The captain even admitted that Jaiden left a positive impression during the exam, yet he didn’t make it all the way. It meant there were three other candidates who did a much better job than him. They out-skilled him, that's all there was to it.

Maybe Jaiden was just arrogant. He thought he was one of the best because he played the game so much. And, his friends always praised his skill, further boosting his ego.

But, the world was a harsher place than expected. Jaiden was indeed a dedicated player, but there were others who were just as dedicated as him, if not more. There were enough kids his age whose skills rivaled and even surpassed his own. Even in this very region, in this very school, there were that many players who surpassed him.

Such was reality. Yes, it was reality. It was time for Jaiden to leave Lala Land and confront the facts. He just wasn't good enough.

No matter how highly he and his friends evaluated him, it was all biased. Jaiden was trash. He was a nobody. A total scrub. Someone like him wasn't good enough for StormBlitz.

After he finished talking with the captain, Jaiden went around the corner and collapsed. Yes, he simply collapsed. With his back against the wall, he sat on the cold floor and gazed at the empty ceiling. It was as hollow as his heart.

Then, he heard voices. It was a conversation he wasn't supposed to hear, but he heard it anyway. A girl approached the captain with a playful tone.

"Hey, Ronron. Who was that just now?"

"Jaiden." 

"Who?" 

"You already forgot?" The captain sighed loudly. "He was the third candidate we discussed. You know, the one I was vouching for?" 

The captain of StormBlitz vouched for me!? Jaiden's ears perked all of a sudden. That was unexpected. The captain actually wanted Jaiden for the team? And yet, Jaiden still didn’t make it in? How was that even possible...?

"He came to ask why he failed," the captain continued. "Apparently, he chose to attend this school even though it's far from home, just so he could play on StormBlitz."

"My, what a poor boy. His dreams must've been crushed."

"You're talking as if it's not your fault," the captain criticized. "You manipulated everybody to pick Julia instead. It's all on you."

"My, pegging me as the villain here. Not cute. Not cute at all."

"Truth to be told," the captain said. "I still think he should've made it in. Julia didn't exhibit the same level of skill." 

"You just don’t see what I see. That girl is something special~" 

"I'm still convinced you only vouched for her because she's a girl." 

"My, do you really think I'd do such a thing?" 

"Honestly? Yes, I do. You always complain about being the only girl in the club. How did you phrase it? 'A rose among the thorns’?" 

"Teehee~" 

Jaiden shouldn't have heard that exchange. He didn't mean to eavesdrop on anybody, but he did. His hearing only grew sharper with each word. He had to get all the details. He had to know exactly why and how things came to pass.

The truth was far from what he expected. In a word, it was bullshit. Pure, undeniable bullshit. There was no fairness anywhere to be found there.

Apparently, there were two candidates who actually surpassed Jaiden in skill. It was hard to believe anything at this point, but Jaiden wanted to give the captain the benefit of the doubt on that one.

Okay, so two guys were better than me. Jaiden sorted the evidence. But, he said I was supposed to be the third, right? Then...

Somebody stole his spot at the last moment. And, that pick was based on total bullshit.

From the sound of it, it was a girl who passed the test simply for being a girl. Jaiden had the necessary skills to be the third candidate, but that girl didn’t. She got in thanks to favoritism.

It was bullshit. It was unfair. How could such a competitive team pick a player based on such a stupid reason!? Skill was supposed to be everything. Only those who really loved the game and were skilled enough should have the honor to play on StormBlitz. Gender had nothing to do with it.

Jaiden felt his insides were about to explode. He wanted to charge in there and yell at that girl, to give her a piece of his mind. But, he stopped himself at the last moment.

“I just hope you didn’t make a mistake.” Those were the final words the captain spoke on the matter. Even though the guy believed Jaiden was the better player, it didn’t sound like he was going to fight for Jaiden’s sake.

Isn’t he the captain? Shouldn’t it be in his best interests to get the best players? Jaiden couldn’t wrap his head around this scene. His entire understanding of the world was crumbling apart, piece by piece. The dazzling image of StormBlitz, that he has always held in his heart, was now stained black.

The world was a cruel, unfair place. Nobody was there to care about how much Jaiden loved Classmancers or how hard he trained. Even the captain, the one with the highest authority, didn’t bother lifting a finger to help Jaiden.

That irresponsible captain just shrugged it off, as if it couldn’t be helped. As if it was perfectly fine to pick a girl over Jaiden based on nothing but gender.

I almost wish I hadn’t heard that conversation. Jaiden thought. It made him disillusioned with everything. For him, StormBlitz was no longer the amazing competitive team he believed it to be.

No, it was a corrupt organization that people entered via favoritism and connections. At this point, it was questionable how many of its members got in via genuine skill.

I quit. Jaiden stood up and left. There was no point in making a scene over this.

StormBlitz has made its decision. They chose gender over skill, and they won’t change their minds. For some ungodly reason, they believed that was alright. Honestly, it was disgusting.

Therefore, Jaiden just gave it up. If that’s how ugly reality was, then there was no point in pursuing the competitive scene in the first place. He might as well just quit Classmancers altogether.

If that’s how the world was going to repay him for his hard work and dedication, then fuck this game. He didn’t need it. It wasn’t worth his blood and sweat.

However, two voices stopped him.

"You're an awesome player, bro!” Nash claimed. “They’re hella dumb for not letting you in."

"You should try transferring to our school,” Rio suggested. ”There are still some undecided spots left in the club." 

"Oh, yeah! Great thinking! Come over, bro. We'll tell the captain you’re da shit!" 

The two called Jaiden over and over, desperately reaching out to a friend who was lost within the darkness of depression.

Maybe I’m really lost. Jaiden thought.

He was roaming around like a zombie, going in and out of school without paying any attention to anything that transpired there. Every day, by the time he realized he wasn’t paying attention, the school day was already over.

The homeroom teacher urged Jaiden to pick a different club, but he made no effort toward that goal. It was a pain. Why couldn't he just be in the Classmancers club? Why did they have to play favorites and pick some girl over him? Why!?

That one unfair decision screwed all his plans for the upcoming years. He was planning to train hard and get into StormBlitz’s first-string, then participate in the regionals and beat the Leopards. He was supposed to make history! 

But, instead, he became history. StormBlitz decided they didn't need him. He was a nobody. A nobody who couldn't even beat some girl they picked based on gender. Screw it. Screw it all!

Moving from his current spot was a pain. Everything felt pointless. The entire world was painted in hues of gray.

But, even in this desolate gray world, his friends kept talking to him. Their vibrant colors invaded the gray world and tried to paint it anew.

"We talked with the cap,” Nash informed. “Come over tomorrow and show 'em watcha got!"

"We arranged it so that we can play together,” Rio explained. “It should be good."

"Yeah! Let's kick some serious butt!"

Jaiden’s friends were pulling him back to Classmancers. Even though he didn't want it, even though he was tired of everything - they never gave up on him. They even came over to pick him up after school. Seriously, these guys...

And so, Jaiden ended up attending Taurus's entrance exam. Even though his heart wasn't in it, he didn't want to waste the efforts of his friends. Therefore, he feigned motivation and acted as if he was really trying to pass the test.

In truth, Classmancers was history for him now. He hasn't touched the game in a few weeks, maybe more. Just thinking about it brought bad memories.

Yet, there Jaiden was, playing this accursed game again. Just the thought of it made him sick.

I know Nash and Rio mean good, but... Jaiden gritted his teeth. His entire body trembled. He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to be there. Run. Just run away. That's what his mind screamed.

"C'mon, let's rek these guys!" 

"I'm here to help whenever you need."

His friends kept talking, ignorant of his painful feelings. Or, maybe because they knew how Jaiden felt, they found it necessary to keep talking like that. They meant no harm, but it was suffocating. Frankly, Jaiden should've just called it quits.

Nevertheless, he jumped into the game and put on a fight. As expected, his movements were slow and sluggish. He was out of touch with the game for over a week, and more than anything - his heart wasn't truly in it. He just wanted to get it over with. Winning or losing didn't matter.

"Are you even trying?" Rio criticized. "That's not the Jai I know."

"........." Jaiden had no retorts. His performance was really god awful. He missed many shots, and he allowed the lane opponent to land many counters on him. His spacing and aim were all over the place, but he couldn’t be bothered to fix any of it. 

"The Jai I know is an amazing player," Rio continued. "He'd crush guys of this level in five seconds."

The Jaiden you knew is dead. That's the only response Jaiden could come up with.

Even so, Rio didn't give up, and neither did Nash.

"Hey, watch out, man!" Nash delivered a counter-gank on Bot to rescue Jaiden. 

"Retreat. I'll hold them down," Rio sacrificed himself to help Jaiden escape from a dangerous situation found himself in due to his own carelessness.

Unlike Jaiden, his friends didn't give up, not even for a moment. Even though his performance was as sloppy as it could get, barely better than a Bronze rank, his friends supported him. Truly, he was blessed to have such good friends. And, that’s why watching their efforts was so painful.

『An ally has been killed!』

『An ally has been killed!』

Every time they died during the early game, it was somehow Jaiden's fault. He’d make a careless mistake and they’d rush to his aid. Sometimes, they successfully defused the situation. Other times, they paid for Jaiden’s mistake with their lives. Either way, it was all his fault.

It can't go on like this. Jaiden couldn't bear to watch this any longer. His friends were dying for his sake, while he was wasting time mopping like a weak bitch. He only came here for the sake of his friends, so he shouldn't make them suffer like that.

"Let's win," Jaiden said plainly as if it was easy to do.

"Awww yeah, boi! Now ya talking!" Nash grinned.

"About time you woke up." Rio smiled softly.

"Sorry, I was a little out of it." Jaiden stepped forth against his lane opponent. "I'll take him down. Nash, handle the cleanup." 

"You got it!" 

"Rio, make sure to heal me." 

"Of course."

And so, the turnaround began. Jaiden suddenly transformed into an entirely different beast. It caught his opponent off-guard, granting him the powerful “surprise attack” advantage.

"He's all yours," Jaiden announced after reducing the Pirate to 25% HP. The guy figured he couldn't win this one, so he was backpedaling. 

"On it!" Nash leaped out of the Jungle and chased down the hapless prey.

At the time, they haven't yet developed their Invincible Triangle formation, so the other two didn't follow up on Nash’s play. Nevertheless, even back then, Nash was already an amazing chaser who didn't let anybody slip away from him. It was ez.

『An enemy has been killed!』

From there, the team mounted a full-blown comeback. Scoring a single kill during the mid-game was twice, maybe thrice, as impactful as killing during the early-game. Therefore, this one kill made up for all the sloppy performances from the early-game. It was comeback time!

『VICTORY』

Jaiden's strong performance during the mid-game and late-game made everybody forget the numerous mistakes he committed during the early-game. He was strong, that's the impression everybody got, including the captain.

Thus, Jaiden passed the exam. Even though he didn't put all his heart into it, he passed the exam. It was almost laughable.

He worked so hard and sacrificed so much to get into StormBlitz, yet he failed that selection. On the other hand, in this exam, he played worse than usual, yet he still got in. It was irony of life at its finest.

There was one truth he grasped during that exam. No matter how much pain it brought him, no matter how much he wanted to forget all about it - Classmancers was a genuinely fun game. Playing by his friends' side and wrecking the opposition, there was no greater fun than that.

After all was said and done, Jaiden still loved Classmancers. And, he loved his friends. When those two elements came together as one, they combined into something beautiful that made him forget all his sorrow.

"I'll join this club," Jaiden decided. "Let's see how far we can go."

"Awww yeah!" Nash pumped a fist. "We gonna run over everybody together! And, let’s wreck StormBlitz while we're at it. These fuckers gonna regret not picking you." 

"Agreed." Rio nodded.

And so, Jaiden transferred from StormBlitz to Taurus. He relocated from a place where people got rejected for stupid reasons, to one where everybody welcomed him with open arms.

In the first place, it was dumb of him to leave his friends behind just to pursue the highest level of competition. After all, Classmancers was the most fun when he played it together with friends.

StormBlitz or Taurus, the team itself didn't matter. Wherever Jaiden was, he wanted to play together with friends he could trust. Nash and Rio were definitely such friends. Together, they'll conquer the regionals!

Nevertheless, despite all that renewed positivity, a stain remained at the corner of his mind. In one word, it was “revenge”. He felt like exacting revenge on everybody in StormBlitz. That team was corrupt. It deserved to be exposed and crushed.

Jaiden only failed to get in because StormBlitz had stupid priorities. At least, that's what he thought at the time. But, things have changed after he witnessed the spectacle that was the StormBlitz vs. Leopards scrimmage.

There, Jaiden caught a glimpse of Gunz and Chessmaster, the two freshmen who pulled through the rigged entrance exam. Those two meant serious business. They clearly didn't get into StormBlitz based favoritism or anything unfair like that.

I’m pretty sure I wasn't as good as them during the exam. Jaiden admitted. But, what about now? Can I and my homies beat Gunz and Chessmaster? I feel like it'll be a tough fight.

Watching that scrimmage made Jaiden change his mind about StormBlitz.

He still blamed the girl who stole his spot, that part didn’t change. However, Gunz and Chessmaster were fire! Unlike the scrubby girl who got into the club via unfair politics, the two boys were truly talented players. Therefore, Jaiden wanted to test his mettle against them.

If he wins, he'll have the right to rub it in StormBlitz's face. If he loses, he’ll finally come to terms with his failure to get into StormBlitz.

For the first time in a long time, his heart burned with genuine passion. Jaiden wanted to improve, to become stronger, and to wreck those two! 

I remember thinking 24/7 about that goal... during the first couple of months. Jaiden smiled wryly as he recalled his old burning passion.

Once he started throwing himself at intense training regimes, there was no time to think about any distant goals. He had to focus on the challenges right in front of his eyes. Each and every day, he set himself short-term goals which he had to achieve together with his pals.

And so, his grand motivation was pushed to the back of his head, to the point he forgot how Gunz and Chessmaster even looked like. Nevertheless, the flames those two sparked burned strongly to this day.

Jaiden trained harder than ever alongside his friends, and together they brought their team play to new heights. That's how the “Invincible Triangle” was born.

It was one heck of a road. Jaiden thought. But, finally, I made it all the way here.

At this very moment, Jaiden was here, locked into a decisive game against Gunz and Chessmaster, the rivals he swore to defeat a year ago. It was like a dream come true!

However, there was one disappointing thing about the entire arrangement. Gunz and Chessmaster were no longer playing for StormBlitz. Just like Jaiden, they transferred from Riverstock. 

But, why? In Jaiden's case, it was a justified transfer. There was no future for him in Riverstock.

But, unlike him, Gunz and Chessmaster made it into the club. They reached the competitive environment Jaiden dreamed about. Then, why did they abandon it? Were they disappointed by what they found there? Was it never worth pursuing in the first place?

I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but... Jaiden couldn't lie to himself.

Just like Rio, his first guess was that Gunz and Chessmaster left StromBlitz because they wanted to play on the first-string so badly. That's why they joined the weakest team in the region, where it was guaranteed they'll become superstars.

If that was their reason, it was really disappointing. If they just stayed in StormBlitz, they would have made it into the first-string as seniors for sure. Waiting one more year wouldn't have killed them.

Well, maybe I'm just being hostile because they made my plans more complicated. Jaiden smiled wryly. Now, he had to beat Gunz and Chessmaster, and then also beat StormBlitz separately. It made things needlessly complicated.

Heck, whatever. Come at me! Jaiden smiled. I'll take you on! I'll prove that, with my friends on my side, nobody is a match for us!