The Noble's Blinding Ego

For the fifth and last game, StormBlitz subbed in Venus once again.

I suspect they want her to gain experience. Fiona thought. She comes across as a diamond in the rough. If her performance were more consistent, I can see her being ranked among the best players in the region.

Venus and Adapting were like polar opposites. One was a volatile player with high-highs and low-lows, whereas the other was a stable and polished veteran.

At her highest, Venus was definitely the greater threat of the two. However, more often than not, that girl stumbled or got carried away, which hurt her overall evaluation.

I exploited her weaknesses multiple times during the first game. Fiona reminisced. This is probably why they switched her out after that. They wanted to minimize risks and secure an easy victory.

However, now that the score was 1-3 in StormBlitz's favor, they no longer worried about "winning". The last three games were so one-sided they made the Valkyries' first victory look like a fever dream.

But, that victory is something we definitely achieved. Fiona thought. So, we proved it is possible. We can make it happen again.

More specifically, Fiona was the one who had to make it happen. She was the main driving force behind the team's first victory. She did it once, and she will do it again.

Alas, it was naught but a pipe dream at the moment. Even though StormBlitz had already secured victory in the scrim, they did not pull any punches during the final game.

As usual, they were on guard against Fiona during the opening. When she ran into the enemy Jungler, Hitter was accompanying the man like a bodyguard. Clearly, StormBlitz did not want to give Fiona any opportunities to create momentum.

It was an honor that a fresh player like her managed to leave such a lasting impression on a powerhouse like StormBlitz. However, at the same time, this also made Fiona's life a hundred times more difficult, as the enemy's caution continued to extend beyond just the opening.

During all parts of the game, it felt like StormBlitz was keeping a close eye on Fiona's movements. Opponents who ran into her in the jungle always avoided 1v1s, and the laners often retreated fast when Fiona started rotating in their general direction.

Once again, I cannot build any momentum. Fiona frowned. And, we are not getting ahead in any of the lanes, either.

In Top, Corenlia's skill simply did not measure up to Hitter's, no matter how much the girl insisted otherwise. Her farming skills and overall decision-making paled compared to her opponent's, leading to unfortunate incidents. 

"A-Ack! You darn plebeian...!" Cornelia ranted. "How dare you clear out my army so quickly again!? This time, your transgression will not go unpunished!"

"Cornelia, please calm down," Fiona ordered. "It is unbecoming of a lady to lose her cool like this."

"H-Hmph, you're right. My apologies." Cornelia took a deep breath. "I shan't let such base offense get to me. I will simply beat him to the punch next time.!" 

"That is the spirit." Fiona nodded. Though, I doubt you will be able to achieve that in this game.

Their matchup was Berserker vs. Viking once again. Even though Berserker had the faster clearing speed on paper, Hitter had already learned all of Corenlia's patterns and adjusted his farming methods accordingly.

Before Cornelia had the chance to unleash her Barbarian Slam, Hitter threw his axe at her from afar. It was a risky move because it drew the minions' aggro, but it allowed Hitter to completely foil Conelia's game plan.

Berserker's main farming tool was Barbarian Slam, but it had to be fully charged to be truly worth it. And, since charging it up took time, the minions had to be as stationary as possible in order to hit them all together.

Hitter made that difficult by getting the minions' attention and drawing them to the sides of the lane. The enemy minions chased him down, and in response, his own minions chased after Corenlia's minions. It was like a domino effect.

This always sent Cornelia on a wild goose chase, which ultimately delayed her Barbarian Slam too much. By the time she got an opportunity to unleash it, half of the minions had already perished, making Barbarian Slam an unprofitable investment at that point.

Slowly but surely, these repeated failures had been building Corenlia's Rage meter. Not only in the game but also in real life.

How much more will she be able to take before she blows up? Fiona wondered. I can see she is putting more effort than usual into staying calm and collected, but the cracks are becoming increasingly visible...

It was just a matter of time before Cornelia hit her limits and entered Berserk mode in real life. No matter how much Nakajima and Fiona lectured the girl, Cornelia could not suddenly do a 180 on her personality in such a short amount of time.

I would gladly help her out in the lane, but Hitter does not let me flank so easily. Fiona frowned. He is fully aware he is employing a risky tactic, so he uses the gained lane control to secure himself a safe position. A smart approach.

To avoid being ganked, Hitter always drew Cornelia's minions toward his tower area. He did not dare to stay on the frontline while so many enemies were targeting him. This was a man fully aware of the dangers his own play was posing.

I hope Cornelia is watching and learning. Fiona thought. This is how a high-caliber player carries himself.

In general, there was much Cornelia could learn from Hitter. They were both players who leaned toward an aggressive playstyle, but Hitter knew when and how to take risks.

If Cornelia could learn to play more like this, she would become a splendid player. Alas...

"Next time for sure!" Cornelia asserted. "I swear it on the von Galen name! In the next wave, I shall crush this commoner under my heel!" 

Sadly, it sounded like Cornelia was too preoccupied with her ego contest. At best, she would be open to learning something from Hitter when they review this match.

All in all, the situation in Top was in StormBlitz's favor once again. Meanwhile, in Bot, Karen and Lua struggled as usual against the strong duo of Aegis and Athena...