Stratus won their fourth game in a row. As expected, this was an easy scrimmage. The Tycoons were no match for any team that took the game seriously.
And, to make things worse for the enemy, Stratus wasn't just "any team". They've already established they could go toe to toe even with the Leopards. Furthermore, today's Stratus was noticeably stronger than before. Nia participated in every game without fail and delivered a convincing performance.
However, all good things eventually had to come to an end. "Uuu..." Nia slowly rubbed her eyes. "Sleepy..."
"Finally, here it comes!" Luke grinned. "Nap hour strikes again! Time for some action!" He tapped on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll take it over from here. You can go sleep for as long as you want. It's all fine."
"Hey, don't encourage her," Kai interjected. "She's the team's main Jungler. There's nothing 'fine' about her quitting midway."
"Naaaah, it's fine, I'm tellin' ya," Luke insisted. "I'll fill in for her. No problem."
Kai rolled her eyes. "I can already see that defeat coming..."
"Hey, c'mon," Luke exclaimed. "You can criticize my DK meme all day, but surely you don't think I'm worse than these guys, right?"
"Hard to say."
"Whoa, seriously…?" Luke's jaw dropped. "Is that how you all see me?"
"Yes," Yuel said without hesitation. "The Tycoons are lacking experience and polish, but at least they play real classes and use legit tactics.
Luke sneered. "Heh, so you're saying they're just scrub-level meta-slaves, right? C'mon, my DK is way superior to that crap, right, guys?" He turned to the only two people here who would support him.
"Heck yeah!" Lars agreed immediately. "Yo, DK is gonna steamroll these dudes, believe it!"
Vincent nodded. "Indeed, that is the most likely scenario. The Tycoons are using sound strategies on paper, but their execution leaves much to be desired."
"You see?" Luke puffed his chest in confidence. "You can leave everything to me, Nia. The Jungler role is in good hands, trust."
"Ok. Then I'mma sleep." Nia dropped on the sofa headfirst and instantly shut down. "Zzz…"
"No, wait!" Kai rushed to the girl. "You can't just go sleep like that in the middle of the scrim!"
"Meh, it's alright," Yuel said. "She survived four games, and her performance didn't lapse at all. I'd say she deserves some rest."
"Are you seriously going to let her off the hook like that?"
"This is fine progress as far as I'm concerned," Yuel explained. "She went from struggling with 3 games to acing 4 games without any hiccups. It shows that all the exercising is paying off, so I'm content with that."
Kai sneered. "Heh, looks like you've become Softhearted Yuel."
"Not at all," Yuel argued. "This progress is just within expectations, that's all. I knew she hadn't fully overcome her sleepiness problem. It's evident from the occasional naps she still insists on taking in the club. So, honestly, I expected worse than what she had already delivered."
Kai shrugged. "Well, alright. You're her coach. If you're fine with it, then who am I to complain? I'll say this, though. I really don't like having to rely on our resident memer in competitive games."
"I'm sure everybody shares that sentiment." Yuel nodded. "But, a situation like this might hit us in the regionals no matter how much we prepare. So, let's think of this game as an opportunity to gain experience with such unexpected situations."
Kai shrugged. "Well, I guess if you think of it that way, then it's not the worst thing ever."
"So, are you two done complaining?" Luke asked. "Like, bruh. I know you guys are scared shitless of having a spicy memer like me on the team, but you're WAY overcomplicating this. Relax. My DK is gonna do just fine. These guys are scrubs."
"Totally, yo," Lars agreed. "Luke is gonna run all over them, two hundred percent!"
Yuel shrugged at that. "I suppose that's a likely scenario considering out opponent's level. But, don't let your guard down. This scrim is much easier than the previous ones, which means we have to ace it. A team that's aiming to win the regionals can't drop a single game against the Tycoons."
"Indeed, we must school them thoroughly!" Vincent waved a fist. "Their club environment has all the ingredients to nurture a powerhouse team, yet they let it rot! We must teach them the consequences of such blasphemy!"
Luke grinned in response. "So, you're saying I should go for an early invade so we properly crush these noobs? Let's goooooo!"
"Heck yeah!" Lars raised a hyped fist.
"That sounds risky..." Ben mumbled.
Yuel nodded. "Agreed. There's no need to shoot for anything over-the-top like that. Let's wrap this up nice and clean."
With that conviction, Stratus headed into the final round of the day. Unbeknownst to them, at around the same time, the enemy team was also making an interesting change to their lineup...