CHAPTER 231: END OF THE SEASON

[English Pro Alliance League Table:]

1) Echelon – MP: 38; Points: 108

2) Phoenix Rising – MP: 38; Points: 103

3) Scarlet Rose – MP: 38 ; Points: 102

4) Cyber Squad – MP: 38; Points: 101

5) Juggernaut – MP: 38; Points: 92

6) Steel Dominion – MP: 38; Points: 83

7) Nightfall – MP: 38; Points: 82

8) Shadow Dominion – MP: 38; Points: 73

9) Cerberus Core – MP: 38; Points: 73

10) Lionheart Legacy – MP: 38; Points: 69

11) Oblivion Knights – MP: 38; Points: 68

12) Blazing Gryphons – MP: 38; Points: 65

13) Imperium Tyrannus – MP: 38; Points: 62

14) Pendragon Esports – MP: 38; Points: 58

15) Stormborn Esports – MP: 38; Points: 54

16) Avalon Sovereign – MP: 38; Points: 51

17) Exo Genesis – MP: 38; Points: 49

18) Cross Guild – MP: 38; Points: 46

19) Helix Nova – MP: 38; Points: 43

20) Crimson Crow – MP: 38; Points: 36

...

[League Champions: Echelon]

...

[Top 6 Playoffs:]

1) Phoenix Rising.

2) Scarlet Rose.

3) Cyber Squad.

4) Steel Dominion.

5) Juggernaut.

6) Steel Dominion.

...

The 12th season of the English Pro Alliance came to an end, and with it, a new league champion was crowned.

A new league champion for the first time in 5 years.

What a campaign. What a season.

So many records were broken.

The top 4 rivalry pushed the limits of what is achievable by a club in the English Pro Alliance, ripping point records apart as Echelon, Phoenix Rising, Scarlet Rose, and Cyber Squad all got above 100 points.

That was unprecedented in the history of the English Pro Alliance.

To the fans who paid attention to Matchday 38 of the English Pro Alliance? None of them regretted the decision as they witnessed one of the best matchdays in the history of the English Pro Alliance.

On that night, the main highlight was Echelon announcing themselves across England, crowning themselves league champions of England.

But that was not the only highlight of the final matchday of the season, of the end of the season.

There were far more exciting, tension-packed races than Echelon’s title race that was already a forgone conclusion before matchday 38.

On that night, Steel Dominion fought against fate.

Not only did they have to win their game, at the same time, Nightfall had to lose their game. That was their only hope of securing playoff qualification, the main goal that they’ve been fighting towards all season.

The odds were against them on the night.

Nightfall knew what was at stake. They would do everything to win their final matchday of the season and secure playoff qualification for themselves.

In those final hours, Steel Dominion fans felt like their heart was being toyed with as they paid attention to 2 games at the same time.

They finished their game first, winning.

And then, they waited. Praying, hoping.

Well, the impossible happened.

Nightfall lost!

That was not the only drama of the final matchday of the English Pro Alliance season. Just like Steel Dominion fought for playoff qualification against Nightfall, Cross Guild also fought against relegation, Exo Genesis being their main rivals.

Cross Guild put their all into the game, gambling their season, and all their ambitions on the result of the final matchday of the season.

They prepared for the game like it was a death battle and their lives was on the line, and not that it was a video game.

They did everything possible to be in their best state, and then they welcomed the league leaders to their home stadium.

Cross Guild trained hard, they were prepared. They were determined. Their fans were loud. But sometimes, even all of this is not enough to win, not against a prime Echelon. Not against this Echelon.

[Cross Guild: 1 point]

[Echelon: 9 points]

A ruthless 1-9 performance loomed in the 3-way holographic screen at the end of the game, cementing Club Echelon as league champions.

Echelon tore Cross Guild apart.

And with that, Cross Guild’s run came to an end, torn apart by a ruthless Echelon. Of course, it didn’t matter anymore but for what it was worth, Exo Genesis also lost their final game of the season.

If only they won their game, then they would have avoided relegation.

But now, it was already too late.

Bristol City, The Crucible...

The stadium in Bristol City witnessed a contrast of emotions at the end of the game. On one side, majority of the fans in the stadium were left in a somber mood as soon as the game came to an end, mourning their team’s loss.

With that loss, Cross Guild failed in their number 1 priority quest this season to secure their position in the English Pro Alliance.

They could not secure their position.

They lost. And now, they were relegated.

On one side, the majority, there was a somber silence, mixed with sobs as Cross Guild fans could not hold in their emotions.

On the other side though, pure ecstasy.

"And finally, they’ve done it!" The commentator announced excitedly.

"Echelon have managed to achieve the impossible".

"They won the league title in their debut season in the English Pro Alliance!"

"Not just that, it’s an unbeaten title win!"

"What a season!"

"What a club!"

"What a team!"

"From God Noah to the least, Rosalind, what a season performance all of them put out. They performed their roles to perfection, all contributing to this incredible result, the unstoppable machine called Echelon".

"They deserve everything they’re feeling right now".

"They’re deserving league champions!"

As soon as the game came to an end, in Echelon’s player booth, Noah leaned back in his chair, staring at his monitor with a lost look on his face.

There was a giddy smile lining his features.

And before he knew it, his teammates swarmed him, hugging him as they celebrated excitedly.

It seemed easy, what they did, but only they knew how much effort they actually put into the season.

The endless training sessions, the boring analysis sessions, the duels, the APM training, the finger coordination training.

None of it was easy, but pushed by their captain, they pushed through.

And now, they reaped the results.

They were league champions of England!

...

While on one side, Echelon celebrated their title win in Bristol City, The Crucible, Cross Guild’s home stadium, on another side, Nightfall mourned their loss.

It was Matchday 38, the final game of the season.

It was Helix Nova, an already relegated club this season.

All the odds were in favor of Nightfall to go all the way and win the game, securing the first playoff qualification of the club’s history.

And yet, at the last moment, in the last game, when it mattered most, Nightfall faltered and lost the team battle.

During the halftime break, they were literally leading 1-4 despite the fact that they were in away ground.

Everything pointed towards a dominant victory for them, but when the team battle started, things didn’t go the way that they planned.

Yes, Helix Nova was a club already doomed to relegation.

They had nothing to fight for, well, who said so? They still have their pride to fight for, and the joy of their fans too.

This was why when the team battle started, Helix Nova’s stadium came to life, the fans turning the stadium into a cauldron of noise in support of their team, their voices rising into an incredible crescendo.

The energy of the fans was electric.

And riding this energy, Helix Nova went on to play one of the best team battles of their season on Matchday 38.

Nightfall was just unlucky to be the one on the receiving end of their moment of magic, and they paid the price.

Nightfall lost. Helix Nova won.

Helix Nova was still relegated, but with that loss, Nightfall’s goals and ambitions fell apart, their season unraveling as they lost the playoff spot.

As soon as the game came to an end, the Nightfall players collapsed right there in their player booths, most burying their heads in front of their monitors as they burst into tears, while others collapsed to the ground, unable to take the full weight of the loss.

It was heart wrenching.

The visiting away fans felt it even more. One moment, playoff qualification seemed closer than ever before and the next, it just disappeared.

Puff!

Just like that.

Like their players, lots of Nightfall fans also collapsed in tears.

In another part of England though, in Stormborn Esport’s home stadium, Steel Dominion had the time of their lives, their players and fans erupting in a mad dance of joy as soon as the outcome of Nightfall’s game was concluded.

They celebrated like mad men, dancing, jubilating.

Their joy could not be tamed.

And on another side, Cross Guild fans only felt mild disappointment as they were relegated from the English Pro Alliance.

Those final few matchdays for them was a rollercoaster, being involved in an exciting relegation battle and all.

They didn’t like the result, but they knew that their players gave their all.

Echelon was just too overpowered.

And so, they applauded their players despite the loss, cheering them on even as Echelon continued celebrating their title win.

What a legendary season it truly was.