CHAPTER 237: SEPARATING THE CHAMPIONS FROM THE CHALLENGERS

---VICTORY---

[Phoenix Rising: 7 points]

[Scarlet Rose: 4 points]

Scarlet Rose lost, knocked out of the playoff round in the semifinal.

It was one of the tightest and most exciting playoff semifinal in recent years. A game fielding some of the best players and Avatars in the league, and 2 distinct but well-refined strategies.

By resting for the 3 vs 3 battle rush, Gabriel got 20 or 25 minutes to rest his fingers, and prepare himself mentally for the team battle.

When it started, Dain Ironvalor exploded.

Last season, Phoenix Rising played a very tight Warstar RPG Champions League final against the same Scarlet Rose, the toughest final that they played in their dominant 4-season run, even tighter than when they played God Noah’s Cyber Squad.

It was not Dain Ironvalor who pushed his team to victory. He was stifled in that game. Rather, a substitute pushed Phoenix Rising to victory.

It was a pyric victory.

That game lingered in Gabriel’s mind for a long time, and tonight, he received the opportunity to avenge himself finally.

He did just that.

Jonathan led his team, playing a flexible 2-Paladin lineup where he and Chris aimed to frustrate their opponents by playing a defensive and drawn-out game. It had a name... the Grind style.

For a time, it worked, till it no longer worked.

The reason?

Dain Ironvalor.

Gabriel went gaga on the night, his APM rising to levels that had never been seen in the English Pro Alliance prior to the night.

Gabriel’s effective APM rose to over 350 in the game!

Scarlet Rose played their best game, dragging the game for over 20 minutes with the help of their Cleric, but with Gabriel like that, and the even more crazy fact that he managed to sustain it through the course of the game, they stood no chance.

Chris’s Crimson Saint fell to Dain Ironvalor first, and then Jonathan’s Paladin too. Gabriel completed a 2v1 in the team battle against Scarlet Rose’s 2 best players.

And with that, the outcome of the game was set in stone.

Jonathan and Chris’s efforts were not in vain though. By keeping Dain Ironvalor occupied, their teammates managed to kill both of their Elementalists, but in exchange for their 2 best players, it was not worth the exchange.

With Jonathan and Chris out of the game, Gabriel was burned out, but it was worth it as he took a step back, allowing his teammates to steal the show.

For the final 10 minutes of the team battle, Phoenix Rising obliterated Scarlet Rose in a suddenly dominant match.

As every subsequent Scarlet Rose Avatar died, one after the other, some Scarlet Rose fans could not take it, breaking down in tears in the stadium.

Gabriel claimed the MOTM award for the semifinal.

And then, all attention went to the other semifinal clash the next day between Echelon and Cyber Squad.

...

[Semifinal Two: Echelon vs Cyber Squad]

While the first semifinal clash took place in Manchester United’s stadium, Old Trafford in Manchester, the second semifinal clash took place in Tottenham’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

For the opening ceremony of this important game in London, the guest performers invited for it were Nigerian superstars, the duo of Rema and Burna Boy.

Both ignited the stadium in preparation for the epic clash, performing a few of their hit songs and leaving the fans excited.

And then, the moment came. The moment of truth.

Unlike the extremely boisterous atmosphere in Old Trafford yesterday as both club players entered the stadium, entering their respective player booths, when the players came out this time, there was a somber atmosphere in the stadium.

The stadium was noisy, but still filled with somber energy.

"Leading the line for Echelon players in black is God Noah, the player with the most MVP awards in a season with 6, his 6th MVP award coming from this season".

"He’s a legend of the English Pro Alliance, can he add another legend to his storied collection this night?"

"This time, he’s facing his old club in the same stage that he won so much with them, the same stage that he forged his legend as a god of the game".

"He’s won 5 Warstar RPG Champions League trophies, can he claim his 6th champions trophy this season?"

"Well, if he wants to achieve his ambitious goal, he has to do it by plowing through his old club first, can he do it?"

The players entered their respective playing booths, and then it started.

[LOADING...]

[FIRST ROUND: INDIVIDUAL BATTLE]

A familiar Avatar entered the stage, representing Echelon.

Like expected, it was Lord Doom going first. He’d gone first all season, winning all 38 individual battles that he’d played in the regular season.

Lord Doom was yet to meet an Avatar and opponent that could topple his imperious run in the individual battles.

Could tonight be the end of his run?

Well, on paper, his opponent stood a chance since after avoiding Noah in their 2nd leg clash in the league in the individual battle, Caster finally grew balls big enough to face his mentor on the big stage.

Caster and Stinger of War came out to face Lord Doom.

FIGHT!

The battle started, and a clear favorite set a marker early on.

Compared to last season, Caster was better now, his skills more refined and with more game experience at the big stage of the English Pro Alliance, having taken on more responsibility as Cyber Squad’s captain.

But no matter how much he grew, he didn’t grow enough to eclipse Noah yet. Lord Doom dominated the fight against Stinger of War.

Fighting against his old Avatar was weird. After all, this was a companion that he had so many memories with, having shared the stage for over 10 years.

Noah didn’t let sentiment hold him back though.

He played his best game when it mattered, dominating Stinger of War from beginning till end.

And then...

---VICTORY---

[Echelon: 1 point]

[Cyber Squad: 0 point]

Lord Doom won with 39% of his HP still remaining.

It was a testament to Caster’s skill that he managed to take more than 60% of Lord Doom’s HP.

The second individual battle started.

Like predicted, Aria came out to represent Echelon, and Isabella came out to represent Cyber Squad. The 2 old teammates clashed in one of the biggest stages ever in English Pro Warstar.

Well, the outcome was even more convincing than Stinger of War vs Lord Doom. Like Noah, Aria dominated her opponent from beginning to end.

In the big stage, the Sword Saint blossomed a final time.

She won with more than 40% of her HP still remaining.

With 2 of their best players having played in the first 2 individual battles already and lost, Cyber Squad suddenly found themselves in a precarious position.

There was nothing they could do to salvage the situation though. They could only trust their next representative to go and get the job done, but he failed.

After a whole year of being away from the English Pro Alliance for so long, Noah and his teammates were hyped for their return. The grueling 38-matchday season was long and draining, not giving them many chances of exploding in a single game, and giving their all without worrying about burnout for future games.

Tonight though, in the semifinals, they exploded.

Caleb went next for Echelon, and he dominated his opponent even more than Noah and Aria did.

With an ingenious strategy, taking advantage of the environment and terrain, he collapsed a section of the arena, burying his opponent in rubble just 2 minutes into the game, draining his remaining HP in one go!

And that was over 50% HP.

If it didn’t take him that long, it would have been another one hit, one kill in his collection.

Caleb and his Enlightened Flame won with 65% HP remaining.

Echelon claimed a clean sweep in the individual battle round.

[Echelon: 3 points]

[Cyber Squad: 0 point]

Cyber Squad rallied for the 3 vs 3 battle rush, desperate to win and tie the game. But against a spirited Echelon, they had a steep obstacle to climb and win.

Aria anchored the 3 vs 3 battle rush. And this time, Caster decided to be strategic, not going in first.

But it didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Aria started and defeated the first 2 Cyber Squad opponents, completing a 2v1 before dying to Caster’s second attack.

Lord Doom entered the game next. And once again, Stinger of War had a rematch against the 11th server Avatar.

Caster played well beyond his limits, but it was not enough.

Noah won.

---VICTORY---

[Echelon: 6 points]

[Cyber Squad: 0 point]

The game came to an end early.

It was over.

With 6 points already, it didn’t matter what Cyber Squad did. Even if they won the team battle, Echelon already won and so, the game came to an end early.

It was a flawless victory for Echelon.