CHAPTER 235: PLAYOFF QUARTERFINAL; CYBER SQUAD VS JUGGERNAUT

The next day...

[Quarterfinal Two: Cyber Squad vs Juggernaut]

[Neutral Ground: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London]

[Format: Individual Battle Round – 3 vs 3 Battle Rush – Full Team Battle]

Yesterday, the first epic clash of the playoff quarterfinals took place, an exciting game that ended with the favorite winning... Scarlet Rose.

Yesterday, Steel Dominion were eliminated out of the playoffs.

Now, today, it was up to Juggernaut to challenge fate.

Could they do it?

Could they create the greatest underdog story of the season?

Only time would tell.

Hours later, 5:00pm, an hour before the time scheduled for the 2nd epic quarterfinal clash of the playoffs, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium became filled to the brim with tens of thousands of Warstar fans who came to watch the show.

If yesterday’s game was any indication, Juggernaut, who were ranked higher in the league than Steel Dominion were definitely not going to roll over their bellies for their superior opponents to get an easy win.

If Steel Dominion had it in them to push Scarlet Rose so much, then, Juggernaut surely had it in them to go even farther.

After all, they had a much more impressive league campaign than Steel Dominion. This hyped up the ticket sales price for the game, but still it wasn’t enouh to faze fans. Tens of thousands of fans booked the stadium down.

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric.

Cyber Squad’s loyal fans, this time drenched in neon colors waved luminous banners, a specific banner bigger than all the others, and in it was Stinger of War, the Battle God seemingly going to war with his imperious battle lance.

In the banner, all his enemies were on the floor, cowering in fear and staring at him with horror-filled eyes.

An emblem was attached to the images of his enemies in the banner, and that banner belonged to Juggernaut.

Juggernaut’s fans were not faced by the taunting of their opponents. They were a stone-faced contingent wrapped in cold, screaming lethal precision.

They supported their team with a rhythmic, relentless hum of their voices.

A looming tension gripped the air.

The Warstar digital battlefield flickered to life atop the stadium field, warping it into a futuristic data grid overlayed with jagged, urban ruins.

The commentators were already hyped.

Eli Caster, the main commentator of the night started. "And just like we witnessed yesterday, tonight, two philosophies collide: Cyber Squad’s tech-fueled aggression against Juggernaut’s iron defense".

"Only one advances".

Vera Nacht, the assistant commentator chipped in. "And remember, the Juggernauts don’t just play. They suffocate. No room to breath".

"This season, they’ve been the only club outside the top 4 to topple giants. Can they do it tonight again when it matters the most to their ambitious bid?"

"It won’t be easy for Cyber Squad either".

"To win, Cyber will have to break the unbreakable".

The players walked into stage to loud fanfare, their fans cheering them on as they entered their respective playing booths, and then it started.

[LOADING...]

[FIRST ROUND: INDIVIDUAL BATTLE]

Just like predicted, the first individual battle of the game was between the 2 team’s captains, Caster’s Stinger of War vs Juggernaut’s Stahlbund, a Paladin.

FIGHT!

As soon as the game started, Stinger of War opened strong, fully embodying Caster’s fight style and philosophy as he rushed into close combat.

But even before he closed the distance, the Combat Mage already erupted with a deluge of ranged attacks, a rain of arcing plasma mines dancing around him, exploding in pixelated bursts as he used Stinger of War’s Unique skill.

Stahlhund didn’t flinch. The Paladin Avatar, plated in runic armor, looking valiant and unstoppable absorbed every hit with his shifting barrier shield.

But as soon as Stinger of War closed the distance, he became disadvantaged.

Paladins were good at close combat battles, but not as good as Combat Mages. That Avatar class was literally designed with battle and carnage in mind.

As soon as Caster caught his opponent in a skill combo, juggling him backwards, chaining one skill after the other seamlessly, it was over.

The last hit was the battle lance slamming into the Paladin’s back from an awkward angle... a CRITICAL HIT.

Final move: Hammer Judgement.

Stinger of War crashed down like a meteor with his battle lance.

---VICTORY---

[Cyber Squad: 1 point]

[Juggernaut: 0 point]

Juggernaut was already losing, but even as Cyber Squad fans celebrated in the stadium stands, losing their minds, Juggernaut fans kept their composure.

It was eerie, almost as if like they knew the outcome of the game ahead of time. It didn’t matter though, what mattered was what happened in the arena.

The second individual battle was between Isabella, Cyber Squad’s vice-captain and Paladin, versus Juggernaut’s Direwolf, an Ice Elementalist.

The 2nd battle was fast-paced, a dance of invisibility and mirrored steps, the Paladin bulldozing and at other times dancing through the haze of ice spells that the Elementalist spammed at her.

And once the opening showed, Isabelle struck like lightning, draining a chunk of his HP, but the Elementalist was not done yet as her summoned ice hounds swarmed and slowed her down.

But then Isabella used Green-White-Green, a Blademaster player-created skill with her Paladin, a flicker-step triple slash involving her long sword, her shield, then her long sword again to crush her opponent.

With it, she dealt tremendous damage, ending the Elementalist’s life.

Once again, Cyber Squad won.

The third individual battle was between Cyber Squad’s Blademaster and Juggernaut’s Gunner.

It was close combat vs range.

The one better at bringing out the strengths of his class would win.

Well, Cyber Squad lost, for the first time.

And with that, the individual battle came to an end.

[Cyber Squad: 2 points]

[Juggernaut: 1 point]

And then, round 2... the 3 vs 3 battle rush.

Cyber Squad entered with a squad comprising Caster’s Stinger of War, Isabella’s Paladin, and their Elementalist.

As for Juggernaut? They entered with their captain’s Paladin, the Gunner, and a Brawler.

Like expected, Caster went first but Juggernaut sent out their Brawler to counter him.

Stinger of War darted across the field with surgical precision, evading all the mid-range attack skills of the Brawler like sand toss and brick toss.

It was when he closed the distance that the true battle started.

Both Avatars clashed.

BOOM!

It was intense and bloodcurdling, one Avatar swinging his battle lance with lethal precision and skill, while the other went all in with brutal simplemindedness, swinging his fists wildly like a barbarian.

It was a far tighter duel than fans, and even Caster expected.

His opponent managed to push him all the way, eating a chunk of his HP along the line before dying.

Stinger of War won with only 15% HP remaining.

The next Juggernaut challenger was the enemy captain, Stahlhund. This was a mismatch. With the Paladin fresh at 100% and his enemy at just 15% HP, it was a mismatch.

Caster tried to channel his inner Jonathan, hoping to nick off some HP while stalling for time, but the Paladin stonewalled everything.

He ended Stinger of War with a single Heaven’s Wall Slam, barely losing 20% HP in the process of taking down the enemy Paladin.

Stinger of War out. Stahlhund at 80% HP.

Cyber Squad sent out their Elementalist next. The elemental artist played wide, laying traps and terrifying AOE zones with his spells.

Stahlhund is methodical but the Paladin took damage over time. The Elementalist hit him with Thermal Overdrive Pulse, shaving off his barrier.

Just before dying, the Paladin unleashed a detonation sequence, activating an Awakened level Paladin skill in conjunction with his Unique Skill and sacrificing his remaining HP for temporary power to vaporize the Elementalist’s last 15% HP.

Both died. Both were out, score tied.

For the final clash of the 3 vs 3 battle rush, Isabella, Cyber Squad’s Paladin went up against the enemy’s gunner.

It was intense, but Isabella came out on top, closing the distance after tying to no avail for minutes.

Once she managed to close the distance, the Gunner was cooked.

During those minutes while she struggled to close the distance, she survived because of her Paladin class, its high HP, few healing skills, and her shield.

The Gunner was beaten to death by the Paladin.

---VICTORY---

[Cyber Squad: 5 points]

[Juggernaut: 1 point]

Juggernaut had an uphill mountain to climb, if they wanted to win.

Well, the team battle was relatively short and straight to the point, both teams preferring an all-out battle royale to a game of too many tactics.

The arena transformed into a post-apocalyptic city map with tight alleys, high rooftops, and vertical chaos.

Juggernaut started in their classic Triangle Formation, shielding their Cleric. Cyber Squad went full spread, a V-Drift Assault, spreading thing to confuse focus fire, Stinger of War leading the way.

Early on, Juggernaut took the upper hand, their captain taking his brilliance of the 3 vs 3 battle rush to the team battle.

But Caster countered with sheer tenacity, skill, and his preparation.

He KO’ed his opponent despite the fact that he was already in the state of flow. Once they lost their captain, Juggernaut fumbled.

Clayton ran riot, tearing them apart.

By the end of the game, a lot of Juggernaut fans lost their composure, collapsing in tears as they watched their beloved club being ripped apart by the demons of London.

Cyber Squad won.

---VICTORY---

[Cyber Squad: 9 points]

[Juggernaut: 1 point]

It was a dominant 9-1 victory to Cyber Squad, sending their opponents home.

Eli Caster chipped in amid the Cyber Squad celebrations. "And Cyber Squad have done it, they’ve cracked the Juggernaut!"

"They’ve shattered the fortress!"

"Stinger of War was poetry tonight," Vera Nacht added. "What a match. What a WAR".