There were three people in the room.
Roshan, Raj, and Shubham sat around a table. No notebook. No whiteboard. Just three minds and one shared goal.
Planning for the next match.
They discussed positions, patterns, and how to increase their points—
---
A completely different scene in the gym.
Vishal was on the treadmill—his legs moving, breath heavy.
Then—
He stopped.
Hands on the handle. One thought running through his mind—
This is hard. But in the next match, I have to score. Otherwise… elimination.
Then—
A voice.
Vishal turned back—
Vedant.
What he was doing… wasn't normal training.
It was dangerous.
Like his anger had turned into energy—and he was forcing it out.
Vishal's eyes widened—
"Is he insane?"
---
But Vedant didn't care.
There was only one thing in his mind—
Viraj used me. To trap Akash. He used my anger… like a tool.
And that thought made his training even more intense.
---
On the practice ground—
Viraj and Surya.
Both were working on movement. Footwork. Timing. Angles.
Viraj stopped and looked at Surya—
"Surya, your grip is really strong. What kind of training do you do?"
Surya waved it off with a laugh—
"Forget it, man. Don't remind me of that training."
A pause. Then—
"By the way… how did you know two defenders were coming from behind me? Their team hadn't even made their move yet."
Viraj stopped his movement—
"I had been observing for a while that Arya was their mastermind. He had kept those two defenders—the ones who almost caught you in the last raid—hidden."
Surya frowned—
"Hidden? What do you mean?"
"He didn't let them stand out," Viraj explained. "So that the raider's focus stays on the obvious players—Roni, Akash, and the other three. Meanwhile, those two defenders—and Arya himself—stay in the background. When needed, they appear at the last moment. That's when I understood Arya's plan."
Surya stared at him for a second—
"You think this much?"
Viraj—
"Yes. Because if you want to win, you have to think."
---
Then—
BEEP.
Timer—
00:00
The screen turned on.
Ranking update—
@16 → @15
Next match—
@15 vs @11
Another line—
So far, 5 teams have been eliminated.
Viraj read it—
That means 15 teams are left. We're one of them. But @11… they're above us. This won't be easy.
---
Then the TV turned on.
Tane.
"How are you, my warriors?" he smiled. "You must be getting bored, so I thought—let's make the rules a little more interesting."
Everyone stared at the screen.
"First—defenders will now also get points."
Murmurs in the room—
"But how?"
Tane continued—
"Whoever touches the raider first—gets the point. Anyone touching after that gets nothing."
"Second—you can use these points to get food and water here."
---
Viraj's mind started racing—
Why didn't he say this earlier? Because if he had… everyone would just play defense. No eliminations. Tane wanted to eliminate the players who only survive without playing properly. The dirty players. The passive ones. He's smart… very smart.
---
Tane paused for a moment—
"And… one more thing."
Viraj looked at the screen.
Tane's tone changed slightly—
"Maybe this will help you. Maybe it won't."
"Things don't always go straight. Changing paths… changing conditions… sometimes force you to play differently."
A pause.
"If a storm comes—bend. Because the one who stands stiff gets uprooted. The one who bends survives. And the next time the storm comes… he's ready."
"That's all. If it helps—good. If not… your choice."
The screen turned off.
---
Silence.
Some understood a little.
Some didn't understand at all.
---
But Viraj—
Something inside him—29%—clicked.
Not everything. But something.
And from that… a faint aura started forming around him.
Eyes sharp. Jaw tight.
"Last time, I couldn't raid."
A pause.
"This time—I'll raid. And I'll score."
---
On the ground—
@15 and @11 stood face to face.
---
— Chapter 11 End —