Warstar world championship [2]

(Elementalist Character Flames of Oblivion has been killed!)

(First individual battle: Winner- Dain Ironvalor!)

(+1 point to Team England)

"…"

There was a deafening silence in the Michigan Stadium.

On the 3-way holographic screen, the virtual battlefield flickered with dying embers of elemental magic, the air still crackling with the lingering aftershocks of the Elementalist's final desperate spell.

The Paladin, battered and barely standing, exhaled sharply even as the victory screen flashed across the colossal holographic screen.

Above the Paladin's head hovered his remaining HP.

{HP: 8/100%}

A sliver of health remained in his bar, that was how close Gabriel came to losing this legendary duel in the biggest eSports stage of all.

A single misstep, a fraction of a second slower on the last parry and the match would have ended differently.

And considering that the Paladin class was more suited to individual battles than an Elementalist was, Gabriel frowned behind his computer screen. 'Difficult,' he thought.

His thoughts didn't get to the spectators though.

BOOM!

The crowd erupted in a mixture of cheers and gasps as soon as the victory screen overlapped on the holographic screen, the tension finally breaking.

Hearing the loud cheers around the stadium, Gabriel, gripping his mouse with white-knuckled intensity slumped back in his chair, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

His heart pounded in his ears, his fingers still tingling from the sheer precision required in those last moments.

In the end, he smiled. 'What a battle!'

…

On the other side of the stage, on the other gaming booth, Team Portugal's captain leaned back on his gaming chair, shaking his head with a wry smile, a mix of frustration and admiration swirling in his eyes.

He felt like smashing his keyboard in anger but in the end, he sighed. "What a pity".

He looked towards one of his teammates. "I'm sorry, I couldn't win, it's up to you now".

"Don't worry captain," his teammate smiled. "I'll definitely win!"

Team Portugal's captain looked at his screen again, recalling the last moments of that extremely intense battle.

He had unleashed a relentless storm of fire, ice, and lightning, perfectly utilizing his catalogue of Elementalist skills and pushing the Paladin to the brink.

The final clash had been a blur of steel and raw arcane fury but in the end, the Paladin's resilience had barely outlasted his avatar's overwhelming power.

In his regret, the commentators, barely able to contain their excitement unleashed their commentary skills even as the editors replayed the final moments in slow motion, highlighting Gabriel's heroic finishing attack.

Dain Ironvalor's last-ditch counterattack, Flames of Oblivion's near-successful evasion, every frame was analyzed in agonizing detail.

"What a battle it was!" The commentator raved.

"What a way to kick-start the tournament!"

"Paladin vs Elementalist, England's Paladin comes out on top!"

"Now, Team England are leading by 1 point, can they mount on their advantage?"

…

The second individual battle started soon enough and, in that battle, Portugal's Vice Captain finally showed his prowess, controlling his Berserker in-game avatar to dominate and win against Team England's Battle Mage.

Both teams were tied at a point each after that battle.

For the third individual battle, Team England sent out their Vice Captain who controlled an Elementalist avatar, facing off against Team Portugal's Spellblade.

Team England won the 3rd individual battle, taking 2 points.

After trying each other's hand out in the individual battles, both teams had 5 minutes to rest and strategize in preparation for the 3 vs 3 Battle Rush.

And that was where Gabriel shocked the whole world by pulling off a crazy move, he didn't participate in the 3 vs 3 battle rush!

Led by Team England's Vice Captain, the 3 English players who represented controlled an Elementalist, a Cleric, and a Combat Mage.

Team Portugal saw their chance and they took it without hesitation.

Led by their Captain, the Portugal team went haywire, steamrolling through their opponents as they overwhelmed them.

From beginning to end, Team England was just hanging on.

The game was pushed to last for 18 minutes of the 20 minutes though as with their Cleric's help, Team England was able to survive all the way.

In attack, they tried their best, dealing significant damage to their rivals but after a grueling battle, Team Portugal won the 3 vs 3 battle rush with 2 survivors and 1 of the 2 survivors having more than half of his HP remaining.

"A weird decision by the Team England Captain". The commentator finally voiced out his thoughts.

"Now, his team are trailing 2 to Team Portugal's 4 points, can they do a comeback in the team battle?"

"But after winning the 3 vs 3 Battle Rush in such tyrannical fashion, clearly, the momentum is on Team Portugal's side".

"My money is on Team Portugal progressing to the next round of the World Championship!"

The commentator didn't have to wait long to put his money to the test.

Both teams had a rest of 5 minutes and then they entered the arena again, this time settling back in the location where they first appeared in the Ancient Frost Realm, separated by a steep mountain range.

The team battle was always the decider in any playoff Warstar game.

With 5 points to be awarded, it held the key to the life and death of any team competing in a professional Warstar championship.

For this team battle, both teams started with their strongest lineups.

On Team England's side, they started with their infamous all-offensive lineup of 2 Elementalists, 1 Warlock, 1 Combat Mage, and of course led by Gabriel's Paladin, Dain Ironvalor.

As for Team Portugal, they started with a balanced but formidable lineup that was led by their Captain's Elementalist, Flames of Oblivion.

Apart from the Elementalist, their team comprised of a Spellblade, a Berserker, an Elementalist, a Gunner, and a Cleric.

It was the deciding battle of this World Championship first round battle.

The stakes were high…

As for the situation, it looked like this.

(Warstar World Championship:)

(Venue: Michigan Stadium)

(1st Round:)

(Team England vs Team Portugal)

(Individual Batte: 2 points – 1 point)

(3 vs 3 Battle Rush: Winner- Team Portugal; 2 points)

(5 vs 5 Team Battle: Ongoing)

(Location: Ancient Frost Realm]

…

(Team England Current Points: 2)

(Team Portugal Current Points: 3)

Under the bright spotlights of the eSports world in Michigan Stadium in the U.S.A, 2 legendary teams clashed in a battle for supremacy.

Which would reign supreme?