Three days remained before the exhibition match.
From that day onward, the Gaming Club no longer ended practice as soon as the dismissal bell echoed across campus. Every afternoon, the members stayed behind until the sun dipped below the school buildings, filling the clubroom with the soft orange glow of evening. The clicking of keyboards, the tapping of phone screens, and the constant exchange of strategies had become the soundtrack of their daily routine.
No one complained.
Not even once.
Everyone understood what was waiting for them.
The exhibition match against Ishika High was no longer just another practice game. It had become the moment that would determine whether all of their hard work had been worth it.
Each scrimmage was treated like the real thing.
Every missed skill, every failed rotation, every mistimed objective became another lesson they desperately tried to correct before match day.
Risa continued practicing Melodious, gradually improving her timing despite occasionally missing the rhythm required to activate the hero's abilities perfectly. Kana focused on coordinating with her, trying different combinations until they finally found a few that worked consistently. Hikari spent nearly every game refining her positioning, while Kazuha quietly led each practice with the same calm composure she always displayed.
Yet...
Something was different.
During almost every scrimmage, Hikari found herself glancing toward Kazuha.
She never said anything.
She simply watched.
Every time Kazuha entered a team fight...
Every time she traded blows with the opposing marksman...
Every time the match reached its late-game stage...
Hikari's expression tightened ever so slightly.
The concern in her eyes became harder to hide with each passing day.
After another intense scrimmage ended, the room fell into a brief silence.
Everyone stretched their sore shoulders while the defeat screen faded from their monitors.
Kana let out a long sigh before collapsing against the back of her chair.
"...We're getting better."
She smiled weakly.
"...But it still doesn't feel like enough."
Hikari quietly looked toward Kazuha.
"...Do you really think we can beat someone like Inori?"
The question lingered in the room.
Even Risa stopped taking notes.
Kazuha smiled as though trying to reassure everyone.
"We'll find a way."
Before anyone else could respond, Ruko slowly leaned back in his chair.
His gaze remained fixed on the dark monitor in front of him.
"...Honestly..."
"...I'm not even sure I could beat her."
The room instantly became silent.
Everyone turned toward him.
Ruko gave a small, bitter smile.
"Inori never stopped."
"I did."
"I stepped away from the game."
"She kept climbing."
"She kept improving."
"She kept adapting."
His fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the desk.
"The person I'll be facing isn't the same teammate I remember."
"She's stronger now."
"Much stronger."
Nobody spoke.
Hearing those words from someone who had once stood on the world stage carried far more weight than anyone expected.
For several moments, only the quiet hum of the computers filled the room.
Then...
A certain realization crossed Ruko's mind.
His expression changed almost imperceptibly.
He slowly looked toward each member of the Gaming Club before quietly speaking.
"...Everyone."
"I think I figured something out."
The group gathered around him.
Ruko lowered his voice.
What he told them caused each of their expressions to change.
Hikari's eyes widened.
Kana blinked repeatedly.
Even Risa paused her calculations for several seconds.
Kazuha quietly nodded.
No one said another word.
Instead...
They returned to practice with renewed determination.
The final three days disappeared faster than anyone expected.
Morning classes.
Afternoon practice.
Evening reviews.
Repeat.
Before they realized it...
Match day had arrived.
The venue was already alive with excitement long before either team entered.
Students from both schools filled the seats, their conversations blending together into a constant murmur that echoed throughout the hall. Teachers stood near the back of the venue while tournament staff checked equipment one final time.
As the Gaming Club stepped through the entrance, Hikari instinctively slowed her pace.
Her eyes wandered across the audience.
"...Wait..."
She looked around again.
"...There are way more people here than I expected."
Her voice carried a hint of nervousness.
"I thought this was only supposed to be an exhibition match..."
Kana looked around as well.
"...She's right."
"Were this many people really interested in a school exhibition?"
Risa adjusted her glasses before calmly answering.
"It was obvious."
"It was inevitable."
Her gaze shifted toward Ruko, who quietly stood at the front of the group, staring toward the illuminated stage.
Kana noticed the direction of Risa's eyes.
"...What do you mean?"
Risa folded her arms.
"They aren't here merely to watch two schools compete."
She paused.
"They're here to witness two former members of Nerva stand on opposite sides of the battlefield."
Understanding slowly spread across Kana's face.
"...Ruko..."
"And Inori..."
Risa nodded.
"Two players who once fought together."
"Now preparing to fight each other."
Her eyes remained fixed on Ruko.
"But more importantly..."
"This is his return."
"The audience knows he left this game years ago."
"They've heard the rumors."
"They've heard the stories."
"And now..."
"They've all come to see whether the player who walked away from the stage can still stand on it."
The murmurs throughout the venue seemed louder than before.
Every conversation.
Every curious glance.
Every spectator.
All of them waited for the same thing.
Not merely an exhibition match.
But the long-awaited clash between two former teammates whose paths had finally crossed once again.
The sound of thousands of footsteps echoed throughout the venue.
The exhibition hall that had once felt like nothing more than a school event had transformed into something far greater.
Large screens hung above the stage, displaying the logos of both schools. The bright lights reflected against the polished floor while the voices of students, spectators, and tournament staff blended together into one enormous wave of excitement.
Today was supposed to be a simple exhibition match.
At least, that was what everyone had called it.
But the atmosphere said otherwise.
The moment the doors opened and both teams began walking toward the stage, the entire venue erupted.
Cheers came from both sides.
Some students shouted the names of their own school's players, while others whispered among themselves, their attention focused on the opposing team.
Especially one person.
Inori Nakai.
The former marksman of Nerva.
The moment she stepped onto the stage, the entire atmosphere shifted.
Students who had only heard rumors about her finally saw the player they had been talking about.
A girl with calm eyes, orange hair, and a quiet confidence that didn't need to be announced.
She didn't wave.
She didn't attempt to draw attention.
She simply walked forward.
And somehow...
That made her presence even stronger.
"That's her..."
A student from the audience whispered.
"The marksman from Nerva."
"She actually came back from Korea?"
"I heard she was one of the best marksmen in the world championship scene."
"Her positioning was insane. She could carry games even when her team was behind."
The whispers continued spreading throughout the venue.
Everyone knew her reputation.
Inori Nakai wasn't famous because she was loud.
She wasn't famous because she chased attention.
She was famous because when she sat in front of a screen and placed her hands on the controls...
She changed the outcome of games.
Ruko quietly listened to the voices around him as he walked onto the stage with his team.
He already knew how dangerous Inori was.
He didn't need the crowd to remind him.
But hearing those words again...
Seeing the excitement on everyone's faces...
It reminded him of something he had tried to leave behind.
The world he once belonged to.
The stage he once stood on.
The game he once abandoned.
Beside him, Hikari looked around nervously.
Even though she tried to hide it, her expression showed the pressure she felt.
"This is way bigger than I expected..."
She quietly muttered.
Kana looked around as well.
"I thought this was just going to be a school exhibition."
Risa adjusted her glasses.
"It stopped being that the moment Inori was announced as their player."
Everyone looked toward her.
Risa calmly continued.
"The audience isn't only here to watch two schools compete."
"They're here because of the history behind this match."
Her eyes moved toward Ruko.
"Especially because of him."
Ruko didn't respond.
He simply continued walking.
The two teams finally reached their stations.
The players sat down.
The monitors activated.
The familiar interface appeared in front of them.
The noise of the crowd slowly disappeared.
For the players...
There was only the game.
The draft phase began.
Both teams immediately started selecting their strategies.
The first step.
The ban phase.
Hikari leaned slightly forward as the opposing team made their decision.
Then...
Her expression changed.
"...Wait."
Risa looked toward the screen.
She noticed it too.
"They didn't ban anything."
Kana blinked.
"What?"
"They passed."
Hikari frowned.
"They're seriously not banning any heroes?"
The three girls looked toward the opposing side.
Inori sat quietly.
Her eyes were closed.
She looked completely relaxed, almost as if she wasn't affected by the pressure surrounding the match.
Beside her sat the team captain.
Sukachi Kiminari.
Unlike Inori, he looked completely confident.
A small smirk appeared on his face as he glanced toward Risa, Hikari, Kana, and Kazuha.
"You guys look surprised."
Nobody answered.
Sukachi leaned back in his chair.
"We don't need to ban anything."
The words immediately caught everyone's attention.
"Because we're not going to lose."
His smirk widened.
"There's no point wasting bans against opponents who aren't strong enough to threaten us."
Hikari's expression immediately changed.
"What did you say?"
Her hand moved slightly toward the table.
But before she could say anything else—
A hand gently grabbed hers.
Kazuha.
Hikari looked beside her.
Kazuha gave her a small shake of her head.
Stay calm.
Don't let emotions control you.
Hikari clenched her fist.
She understood.
Even if Sukachi was provoking them...
Reacting emotionally was exactly what he wanted.
After a moment, she slowly sat back down.
The draft continued.
Then...
It was Ruko's turn.
The entire venue watched.
Everyone expected him to choose a normal ban.
A powerful meta hero.
A hero commonly considered too dangerous.
Something predictable.
But Ruko did something completely different.
The moment his ban appeared on the screen...
The entire venue went silent.
Rhatlos.
His signature hero.
The hero that had defined him.
The hero that people remembered him for.
The hero he had used when he stood at the highest stage of competitive gaming.
Everyone froze.
Even the commentators stopped for a moment.
"What?"
"Why would he ban that?"
"That's his strongest hero."
"Is he giving up his best weapon?"
Across the stage...
Inori opened her eyes.
For the first time since the match began...
She looked interested.
Then slowly...
She smiled.
A small smile.
Almost like she had finally understood something.
"So that's what you're doing..."
She quietly whispered.
Ruko didn't look away.
He already knew what her reaction meant.
Inori understood.
The ban wasn't about removing a hero from the game.
It was a message.
A statement.
Ruko wasn't trying to fight her with the player everyone remembered.
He wasn't trying to return as the same person who once stood beside her.
He was challenging her as the player he had become.
The ban phase continued.
Now it was Inori's turn.
The entire venue waited.
Ruko watched her carefully.
Inori looked at the screen.
Then...
She looked back at him.
"I see..."
Her voice was calm.
"So this is your plan."
The crowd grew quieter.
Everyone waited for her decision.
Then she moved.
The hero appeared.
Raye.
Her signature marksman.
The hero that represented her career.
The hero that countless players associated with her name.
The entire venue exploded.
"What?!"
"She banned Raye?!"
"Her own signature hero?"
"Why would she remove her strongest pick?"
Ruko stared at the screen.
For a moment...
Neither of them moved.
The noise of the venue disappeared.
The cheers.
The whispers.
The excitement.
Everything faded away.
There were only two players.
Two former teammates.
Two people who once stood on the same side.
Now sitting across from each other.
Ruko looked toward Inori.
Inori looked back.
Neither of them smiled.
Neither of them spoke.
But both understood.
The real match had already started.
Not when the game began.
Not when the first hero was selected.
But the moment they removed the heroes that defined them.
The first move had been made.
I kept the focus on the rivalry, the psychological battle during drafting, and the tension between Ruko and Inori rather than only the mechanics of the draft.