CHAPTER 233: PLAYOFF DRAW

The regular league season was over.

But it was not the end for the top clubs of the English Pro Alliance.

For the top 6 clubs in the English Pro Alliance league table, there was still an avenue for them to compete and challenge for the biggest trophy in the English Pro Alliance, the Warstar RPG Champions League trophy.

This was why team Echelon restrained their league trophy celebrations to only one day. The next day, they went right back to training and post-game recovery.

The day after, making it 2 days since Matchday 38, a big event in English Warstar was finally about to take place... the playoff draw.

It took place in the Pro Warstar headquarters in England, in Manchester.

Inside the big event center...

The opening music faded into thunderous applause, golden spotlights scanning the dazzling auditorium at the Geneva.

Fans and players from across Europe watched from the grand venue, while millions tuned in online and on TV. The Warstar RPG Champions League logo glowed at the center stage.

It was one of the most significant events in every English Pro Alliance season since its inception. Tonight, the playoff draw would be made.

The first host, Marcus LeClaire, a former Warstar pro of the English Pro Alliance kickstarted the show.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most anticipated moment in Warstar RPG since the end of matchday 38!"

"The league season may be over, but tonight, history begins again".

"This... is the Champions League Playoff Draw!"

The fans and players buzzed with excitement, speculations flying wild in the air as the second host of the show, Irene Valdez, a retired pro and analyst of the English Pro Alliance took over.

"6 teams. Two quarter finals. Two semifinals. One chance to write themselves into legend".

"We’ve seen meteoric rises, heartbreaking collapses, and sheer brilliance all season long. But now? This is where giants fall and immortals rise".

Marcus took over. "And let’s not forget... this is Echelon’s debut in the Champions League stage after a historic debut domestic run in the English Pro Alliance".

"But can they carry that momentum consistently against just England’s elite?"

"Or will someone like Cyber Squad, wounded but dangerous, rise again? What about Juggernaut, the dark horse team turned power player? And of course Phoenix Rising, the unstoppable tank that never stops rolling!"

"Let’s not forget Scarlet Rose too. To me, they were the 2nd-best club for large swathes of this season, it took an incredible moment of determination and staying locked-in for Phoenix Rising to topple them in the league table".

Irene smiled. "I have a hunch that just like this season brought with it so many surprises, so many records being broken, we’ll also experience a playoff battle unlike ever before".

"The top 6 clubs all played at an elite level just to make it to this stage. They won’t want to leave without putting up a fight".

"Mark my words friends," she smirked. "This battle shall be legendary!"

The camera panned to the teams sitting in front-row seats, all wearing their club jackets. All 6 clubs that secured playoff qualification this season had a 2-player slot to be represented in the playoff draw.

For Echelon, it was Noah and Jeff.

Noah was calm and focused. Gabriel? He leaned back confidently in his chair, clearly looking forward to the draw.

Juggernaut’s captain was masked and unreadable. Steel Dominion’s captain? He was stoic and hungry.

Having been involved in a tight and tense playoff qualification battle with Nightfall, to finally qualify, this captain felt that it was fate. And now, he believed that his club could prove their doubters wrong and go all the way.

He was extremely motivated.

On another side, Caster and Anabella sat, both smiling at the camera when it panned in their direction.

As for Scarlet Rose’s representatives? Jonathan and Chris made it to the playoff draw. When the camera panned in their direction, Chris looked at it with a stoic face, while Jonathan smirked and winked at the camera.

And finally, it was time.

Golden bowls glimmered on stage as the drawmaster stepped forward.

"By the decree of the Warstar Committee, and according to the playoff rankings, the matchups will be drawn at random. The first team drawn will host the first quarterfinal game".

"Let’s begin!"

The drum roll began as the crowd held their breath.

It started.

And in a jiffy, it was over.

DING!

The holographic screen A.I made a sound, and then it displayed the result of the first playoffs draw.

[Quarterfinal One: Scarlet Rose vs Steel Dominion]

Marcus reacted. "Wow! Right off the bat! The blazing rebels of Scarlet Rose versus the iron-fisted Steel Dominion!"

"Two drastically different philosophies. Chaos and freedom against order and control. That’s fireworks waiting to happen!"

"And a revenge arc for Steel Dominion too," Irene chipped in. "Having lost both of their league games against the Leeds-based club, can Steel Dominion do it in the playoff round?"

"Well, expect mind games, counterpicks, and no mercy".

"Stay tuned on our TV to get live updates".

The result of the second quarterfinal draw followed.

DING!

[Quarterfinal Two: Cyber Squad vs Juggernaut]

"There it is," Marcus started. "That’s the draw of destiny".

Irene grinned. "London vs Birmingham City, what a game we have looming in the horizon! Finesse versus force. Caster versus the wall of Birmingham City".

"This season, they’ve been fearsome, unstoppable at times".

"If anyone can crack Juggernaut’s code, it’s Cyber Squad’s Battle God, Stinger of War. But one slip, and they’re done".

And then...

DING!

[Semifinal Seed One: Scarlet Rose]

[Semifinal Seed Two: Echelon]

...

[Quarterfinal 1:]

[Scarlet Rose vs Steel Dominion]

[Winner faces Scarlet Rose in the Semifinals]

...

[Quarterfinal 2:]

[Cyber Squad vs Juggernaut]

[Winner faces Echelon in the Semifinals]

"And there you have it," Marcus smiled, staring straight at the camera. "No second chances. No group stages".

"It’s the playoff, and here? It’s just do or die, battle for battle, for the greatest prize in Warstar".

Irene chipped in finally. "See you in the playoffs. Because now, it’s war".

"See you in 3 days".

Like Irene said, Warstar fans around England had to wait 3 days before the first quarterfinal game of the Warstar RPG Champions League.

...

Fans were still reeling from the conclusion of arguably the most entertaining and thrilling season in the history of the English Pro Alliance when the playoffs loomed, already knocking at the door.

And once again, the top 6 clubs were forced back to the training room.

These days, Echelon’s club building felt like a cave. A cave where team Echelon trained for peak fitness in preparations for the war of the playoffs.

Once again, Noah was at the helm, drilling his team, forcing them through analysis sessions before game-playing sessions.

Unlike the regular league season where you could recover from a blunder in the next game, in the playoff, there was no next game.

You lose, you leave.

You win, you progress.

No two ways about it.

This was why Noah drilled his team even more intensely than usual. He trusted that his old friends understood the stakes, but Noah already began realizing that the substitutes, Jeff and Rosalind became arrogant since they won the league trophy.

Thankfully, they still had some time till the war of the playoffs started, more than enough time for Noah to knock some humility back into his players.

He didn’t hold back at all, humbling them by beating them over and over again till they were forced to go back to the basics and train.

Not just Noah and Echelon, the 5 other clubs trained.

Gabriel? He pushed his team more than ever before in the preparations for the playoff battle that loomed in the horizon.

At some point, some of the players complained, but Gabriel didn’t care.

What mattered was winning, everything else was just noise. This was what he believed, and he worked with that mindset.

Scarlet Rose? Jonathan also drilled his team, making sure that they were fit both physically and psychologically for another big moment of their careers.

As for Juggernaut and Steel Dominion? As the certified underdogs of the playoff round, both clubs decided to make up for their inferiority by training more.

Steel Dominion players trained like men possessed.

While all these happened, time moved fast.

Day 1 passed, then Day 2, then Day 3, then... it came.

D-day was here.

This time, not just England, millions of Warstar fans around the world tuned in to the first quarterfinal playoff battle of one of the biggest Warstar-playing nations in the world.

The game was played in a neutral stadium... the Etihad in Manchester.

[Quarterfinal One: Scarlet Rose vs Steel Dominion]

By an hour before the game, the Etihad became filled to the brim with tens of thousands of fans, fans sharing the crimson colors of Scarlet Rose and the gray color of Steel Dominion.

The pre-game ceremony was anchored by Drake, setting the stadium ablaze, and then the game started.

[LOADING...]

[FIRST ROUND: INDIVIDUAL BATTLE]