Provocation
In the PER waiting room, watching the match, the only sounds were gasps of admiration. And for good reason—they'd experienced that tactic firsthand when TAK had still been perfecting it, so they knew it all too well.
"Whoa... they're blocking it just like that."
"How good is their individual skill to pull that off?"
Back then, PER's entire team of five had been wiped out in one shot by that tactic. No wonder PSG's players looked even more impressive now.
'Of course, our team isn't the same as back then...'
It was undeniably true that PSG's players had individual skills exceeding expectations. And once they withstood TAK's all-out assault, the next turn brought PSG's counterattack.
Tactics generally favored the counterattacker overwhelmingly. The first striker held the information advantage, forcing the opponent into an unfavorable fight. That was the norm.
'But when there's a skill gap like this...'
Even that becomes meaningless. The TAK vs. PSG match was exactly at that stage.
Overwhelming attack power. Theoretically, it was simple: dodge the enemy's attacks, land all your own. Move faster than the opponent and act first. That was the essence.
The match unfolding on the monitor was precisely that. PSG dodged better than TAK's players and landed their hits perfectly. That was all.
Of course, TAK had prepared something extra and tried to counter...
Relics were powerful enough to decide battles. But not this time.
'Of all things, a healing relic.'
A relic with special effects or offensive power would have been better. As it was, TAK faltered in the continued fight, crumbling completely under the individual skill gap. It was a thoroughly dominant performance.
Team combat synergy. Moving as one without any miscommunication. PSG excelled there.
'PSG's talkative ace... Han Ji-ho, was it? He barely showed anything before it ended.'
A hint of regret lingered. It would have been nice to see more of their strength. Since Second Division would end with beating PSG anyway, it would have been perfect for pacing checks.
"Whoa... so to win Second Division, we have to beat guys like that?"
"They're definitely better than the other teams we scrimmed for two weeks."
"That's all you got from that? If we fought them now, we'd get wrecked."
The team's reactions were lively. Seeing them perfectly dismantle TAK, a team PER had faced, amplified it. And since PSG hadn't shown their full hand, that fueled it more.
But...
"It'll definitely make for an interesting match. But honestly, I don't think we'll lose. You guys seem unsure, though."
Ryu Jae-jun, who'd been quietly listening, spoke to the other PER members. He paused, then glanced at me and added,
"Except for one guy. Right?"
A chuckle escaped me. He was probably stirring them up to avoid starting the PSG match in a timid mood.
"Yeah. I think our team can win handily."
At that, "...Tch." Yi Yeon-ju clicked her tongue.
"I said they're strong, but I never said we'd lose."
Kim Do-jun refused to concede.
"Haha. True. Our team has an even bigger monster."
Yoon Han-gyeol tossed out the flattery without a hint of embarrassment. The others chimed in, turning it into a marketplace bustle.
'Still, better than cowering at the sight of the opponent.'
Come to think of it, Ryu Jae-jun had a knack for poking at the others just right.
Meanwhile, with TAK vs. PSG over, interviews proceeded as PER vs. QED prepared. It was PSG's captain and star, Han Ji-ho.
Thunderous applause erupted, and soon Han Ji-ho ascended the stage in his match uniform.
Of course, the "unexpected winner candidate votes" clearly targeted PER's two votes. No one watching missed it, and the chat exploded.
The opening match between PSG and TAK ended amid heated debates in chats and communities, heightening anticipation for QED vs. PER—and the eventual PSG vs. PER clash.
"What's with all the commotion? Did the interview have something funny?"
Kim Do-jun was spot on, judging by the crowd's reaction. What could he have said? Something about leading the rival QED? I'd check it later.
Anyway...
"Now, the map draw for this match begins."
The map for QED was decided on the spot. And today's map was jagged cliffs everywhere.
'Perfect timing for testing that tactic. Lucky map for us.'
This would make for an interesting match flow.
'...Spot on.'
The commentator nailed it. PSG had too many changes for old footage to matter, but QED's was available.
QED's essence: elite combat synergy. They knew each other's abilities inside out, synergized perfectly, and most skills specialized in fighting—devastating power, hard-to-dodge attacks. Intuitive "strong in a straight fight" abilities.
Watching their old matches, even I thought, 'These guys... even with our improved teamwork and skills, a head-on clash would wreck us.'
But we didn't need to fight on their turf. Preparing to outdo them in their strength was amateur hour.
With the map chosen, a prepped tactic came to mind. Kim Yu-hyeon, Yoon Han-gyeol, Han Ji-su, Yi Yeon-ju... I assigned merge points one by one.
The wide-open canyon floor. Dead center. No more delay.
"Guys, get ready. We're going with the space defense strategy."