Yesterday afternoon, after saying goodbye to Hasegawa Shino at the school gate, I - Nakamura Hiyori, walked home with a rather gloomy mood, the reason being that Hasegawa still hadn't found any additional members for our team in the Chronicles of Heroes.
Even though I had said many times that if it was too difficult, I could help, he stubbornly refused, claiming he wanted to find and choose his ideal teammates by himself. And now, he was clasping his hands in desperation, as if reaching for a last straw to save himself, truly an unmanageable person. With time running out like this, who could I find that would be suitable?
"Well, since I'm already bored, I might as well go to the internet café to unwind. Who knows, I might run into someone."
Reassuring myself like that, I immediately turned towards Naga station.
The internet café I chose is about one train station away from where I live. Unlike the nearby cafés, this one is equipped with extremely high-quality facilities, a diverse menu, and enthusiastic service, though the prices are a bit high. Still, given my current mood, treating myself a little shouldn't hurt.
In particular, this place often organizes friendly matches between Chronicles of Heroes players, with each match broadcasted on a large screen and having dedicated commentators so that interested spectators can follow along. I had been here once before and was completely overwhelmed by the lively and bustling atmosphere. So, while I was feeling uncomfortable, immersing myself in this environment might help me feel a bit better.
At that time, I had no idea that this decision would be a crucial turning point to give wings to our dream.
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As I arrived in front of the café, the lively sounds of the commentator echoed out to the street. I quickly headed towards the source of the sound and saw a large crowd of spectators intently watching the big screen, next to which was a commentator deeply focused on narrating the match situation.
"The red team is organizing a major engagement, all five members are hiding in the bushes by the river next to the python's lair."
"The blue team is forced to move out, they are trying to guess whether the opponent is hiding in the bushes or taking the python. What will they decide?"
"The red team is still waiting for their prey, the Void Abyss is always ready to initiate a fight at any moment. Activate the Yin-Yang Split... and go! Healing flash in, the Void Abyss catches 4 people, a beautiful Missile Rain from Arroganxx descends, the blue team is gradually losing their Revival Armor. They don't want to give up, they are trying to trade lives with Arroganxx, but Healing is shielding too well, Arroganxx is still dealing damage, no one can touch Arroganxx at all. Triple kill! He doesn't want to stop yet, flash in and Ballistic Rocket!! The blue team has no chance left! A clean sweep for the red team and a quadrakill for Arroganxx! The bottom duo of the red team has completely crushed the entire formation of the blue team, the main base is destroyed, and the match ends!"
It was truly a spectacular match with a very high level of professionalism. I couldn't believe the play of the bottom duo of the red team in that final moment. One person initiated the fight and shielded his teammate perfectly, while the other maintained position and dealt damage extremely effectively, I could even see a bit of arrogance from the red team's marksman in that moment when he flash in to eliminate the entire opposing team.
The commentator's voice was still echoing throughout the room, and at the same time, the members of both teams gradually stepped out. And what caught my eye was the sight of the five members of the blue team completely stunned, yet they still approached the red team to shake hands in a show of goodwill. As for the red team... only two people? Where were the other members? Seeing my confusion, a spectator standing nearby quickly explained to me.
"This must be your first time watching them play, right? Actually, the other three members of the red team were all randomly matched, only the blue team is a complete five-member team. The true strength of the red team lies in their bottom duo. They have taken down countless prides of the teams that challenged them."
It's truly hard to believe that with just two people who understand each other, they could crush a complete five-member formation. Because in the Chronicles of Heroes, besides having high individual skills, the connection between teammates is also a decisive factor leading to victory. Are they so in sync that they can easily defeat the teamwork of the five-member opposing team?
Who are they really?
"Can you tell me a bit of information about them?"
"The guy wearing glasses is Takahashi Ren, who competes in the marksman position with the nickname Arroganxx - meaning arrogance. True to his nickname, I must say he is quite cocky, both in game and real life. Before a match, he never forgets to taunt the opponents, and during the game, he stands very proudly, ready to dash into the enemy team to deal damage at any moment. But no one here finds that annoying because we know he does it just to heat up the match. In reality, he is the type who talks the talk and walks the walk, arrogance is the privilege of the strong."
"And the girl with short hair next to him is Suzuki Ayaka, who plays the support position with the nickname Healing. She has excellent strategic thinking and a high ability to create breakthroughs; after watching the last match, you probably understand well enough, that play where she pulled four people was truly a nightmare for the blue team. Suzuki has a very wide champion pool, from pure tank support champions that protect the team to champions that are inclined to initiate fights, any champion in her hands becomes a monster. It seems that Suzuki and Takahashi have been childhood friends, so they are extremely in sync. She is also the one who often handles the troubles caused by Takahashi's 'bad mouth'."
Childhood friends? So that's why they are so in sync. But Arroganxx and Healing, I feel like I've heard those names somewhere before. While I was still lost in thought, my gaze unconsciously fixed on them, and then I realized something I had overlooked earlier due to being too focused on the match and the information about them.
Their outfits... aren't they the uniforms of Naga high school? Takahashi is wearing a white shirt with a dark blue tie, topped with the traditional black jacket of the school. Meanwhile, Suzuki combines a shirt with a bow tie and a brown skirt. It can't be mistaken because in this area, only my school has this color coordination style. Realizing what I needed to do, I immediately approached the two of them after they finished shaking hands with their opponents.
"Can I have a moment of your time?"
"Who are you? If you're planning to challenge us, please do it another day. You're the fourth person to do so today."
Right after that, Takahashi received a merciless smack on the head from Suzuki.
"Don't project your thoughts onto others! Sorry about that, this guy is a bit difficult, but he's actually very nice. You are...?"
"I'm Nakamura Hiyori, second-year class A at Naga High School. I saw your outfits earlier and wondered if you were students from our school."
"What a coincidence! This guy and I are also second-year students at Naga High, currently in class B, so we're in the same grade, right? I'm Suzuki Ayaka. Nice to meet you!"
Then Suzuki shot a glare at Takahashi, her voice sharp as she ordered.
"Why don't you introduce yourself? Do you know how rude you're being?"
"Sorry, sorry! I thought you were like those other people here to challenge us, so I got a bit annoyed. I'm Takahashi Ren, second-year class B at Naga High. I didn't expect to meet a schoolmate here."
"Even so, your attitude just now was way too rude, Ren."
"I'm really sorry! It won't happen again Ayaka, Nakamura."
What does it feel like? It's like a mother scolding her son. But it seems both of them are good people, so it's fine, maybe I can directly ask them.
"Actually, I still have another intention in starting a conversation with you two. Are you interested in joining our team for the summer tournament?"
"What do you mean?" they both replied in unison.
"The truth is, we are short on members to form a team for the tournament, so we are trying to recruit more members in time for the upcoming summer tournament. While watching you two compete, I thought both of you would be the perfect pieces to build the team, plus we go to the same school. So please, can you think about this proposal?"
Both of them pondered for a moment, then Takahashi suddenly spoke up.
"Actually, we are like you, sharing the same goal of participating in the summer tournament. And it's unfortunate that we haven't found suitable members at our school."
"So you agree..."
"But my purpose is very clear, if I participate, I must win. Therefore, I will only form a team with people who are at my level or higher. I need excellent teammates to achieve that goal, and does your team meet that criterion? Sorry if I come off as too arrogant, but I think being on the same team with like-minded people and having similar skill levels is proof of my strength and determination to conquer the summer tournament, and I believe Ayaka shares the same thoughts with me right now. Right, Ayaka?"
"Sorry, but I share the same thoughts as Ren. I will enter the summer tournament as a rookie and leave as a champion. So, show us why we should join your team."
Indeed, convincing them is not simple. Geniuses will only associate with geniuses, and I understand that very well.
"So how about starting with the Japanese server rankings? It's the most objective way to prove your strength. What's your rank Takahashi?"
"Ranked 10th, I'm currently standing 10th in the entire Japanese server. Ayaka is 14th. However, we haven't really cared much about the server rankings for a long time. Tournaments and ranked matches are very different, we focus more on interacting with other teams. That's why whenever we have free time, we come here to compete with different teams to accumulate more practical experience. And by the way, since we started coming here, we haven't tasted defeat. That's our pride."
So that's why I found the names Arroganxx and Healing so familiar, I had seen them on the rankings before. This is going to be a tough challenge, I told myself as I continued to negotiate.
"I'm currently ranked 22nd in the entire server, but my skills and mindset are definitely not inferior to yours. Moreover, my friend is currently ranked 5th in the Japanese server. We are confident that our synergy is just as good as yours, and maybe just my friend alone is enough to beat you two up."
"Wow, you're quite bold, you're making me feel fired up for battle now! How about this? This weekend, you and your team come here to compete with us. Your performance will determine whether Suzuki and I should team up with you. I'm sure you don't mind, right, Ayaka?"
"Of course not! Let's create an exciting match this weekend, Nakamura."
"I'll be looking forward to your team's performance. Nakamura, don't let us down!"
"Of course! The pride of the unbeatable duo, this weekend we will crush them. Just wait and see Takahashi, Suzuki."
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"And... that's the whole story."
"Do you have a perception problem, Nakamura? How can you say that just I alone would be enough to make them regret it? I might be able to handle Sato, but those two you mentioned are no pushovers."
"You seem like you haven't been beaten enough by me yet, Hasegawa? To still be so cocky."
"The issue isn't that! Facing familiar opponents always brings a sense of confidence, right? Now not only are we facing tough opponents, but we also know nothing about their playstyle and strategies, how can we win?"
"Then it's even more interesting! Don't you feel excited to face an opponent with an unbeatable pride? If it were me, I would be so thrilled I couldn't sleep. Plus, don't think recruiting members for the team is easy, I'm only doing you a favor by joining your squad. You should be proud to have Nakamura helping you."
"We've only known each other for a short time, but you understand me well, Sato! Go learn from others, Hasegawa."
These two, a council of bullies against the weak.
"Alright, enough teasing! Now we need to focus all our energy on the match this weekend. Sato, even though you just joined the team a few minutes ago, you will still participate with us, right?"
"Of course! Facing such a strong opponent will definitely be very interesting. We will have to practice a lot. Hasegawa, Nakamura, let's set up a training schedule for the team."
This guy, whenever he mentions Chronicles of Heroes, he acts like a different person, but I understand that. The match this weekend will be crucial for perfecting the team. I am extremely excited and nervous about it. And of course, I will bring all those feelings to this match to break down their unbeatable fortress.