SDO I - T.C. Chapter 8: Coordination Cup Part 1

Soul Digitalization Online 1 - Team Championship
Chapter 8: Coordination Cup Part 1.

October 24th. The day finally came. The Team Coordination Cup will be starting today. LLENN and I used these few days to grind our levels, and now I'm LV 33 and she's LV 31. Most of our skills are already at proficiency 3, except for the newest one we got, that are at proficiency 2.
"I'm a bit nervous." I said.
"It will be fine! I know we can do it!" LLENN said while smiling. She really believes in our teamwork. Of course I believe in it as well. But the anticipation always makes me feel uneasy... In the real world is the same, I'm always ready for exams and stuff, but always when the day comes, I start feeling nervous all of a sudden. I think it's a bad habit of mine...
We stepped on the event room. I'm still wearing outfit similar to LLENN's, as the rules stated. We saw then some other players. I guess these will be our opponents in this...
"Hey Alex! There you are! Hahah, nice outfit." A male voice said as someone was approaching me.
"Oh, it's you Chazz." I see he now wears some glasses. I assume its some kind of accessory that gives him bonus stats in game.
"It's finally the day isn't it. I'm really excited for this." Chazz added "Of course my team, 'Soldiers of Guns' will win."
"Heh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. After all, the Pink & Blue Enforcers almost win the last tournament." I said with a smile on my face. Then LLENN entered the conversation.
"Is this the friend you told me about Alex?" She asked.
"Oh, where are my manners. I should introduce you 2. Chazz, this is LLENN, my partner and leader of the Pink & Blue Enforcers. You should be careful around her, one mistake and she'll eat you alive." I introduced LLENN, with a bit of exaggeration on the last part.
"H-Hey! That's not true!" LLENN said "Nice to meet you."
"And LLENN, this is Chazz. He's a guy I met back at Aquolas City. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, but can take a hit or two." I introduced him now.
"You should really find better quotes for introducing people Alex, in any case, nice to meet you LLENN." He and LLENN had a handshake.
There was something missing here... Where could Chazz partner be? After all, the point of the Team Championship events are forming a team, right? Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask the guy.
"Hey Chazz... can I ask something?" 
"Sure, fire away!"
"Where is your partner? This is a team event, so I imagine you have a partner, right?" 
"Oh, right, here is he." Chazz then looked at a guy nearby "Hey Eido! Here!"
That name ring a bell in my head... I had a good and bad feeling about this...
"Hey yo Chazz! Ready to bust some butt!" Yes, there was no doubt in my mind... this Eido guy is actually Aruto, my friend who lives in the apartment I live in, but in the next door... I remember when we played online games on the PC, he always chooses the nickname 'Eido', and also his mannerism in games is still the same, ready to bust some butt is one of his catchphrases anyway...
"NO WAY! Those guys here are..." Eido said while looking at LLENN and me.
"The famous Pink & Blue Enforcers, indeed they are." Chazz added. I see, so Aruto has heard about me and LLENN, but of course he doesn't knows that I'm the Alex he knows back in real life.
"Incredible! I saw your fights in the Team Tag Cup! I can't believe I'm seeing you 2 so close. I'm Eido. It is a pleasure to meet you 2, and it will be a pleasure to bust your butts in this tournament." He introduced himself... adding his usual quote...
"I'm LLENN, nice to meet you. Let's have a good match when the time comes"
"And I'm Alex. Nice to meet ya, I guess"
"Hah, you almost remind me of a friend I have back in real life" Eido said, then he added "His name is also Alex. Too bad he doesn't has the game yet." Looks like my name jogged up his memory a little. I hope he doesn't suspects that I'm the Alex he is talking about.
 
"In any case, we have to go, right Chazz?" Eido said looking at Chazz.
"Right, we'll be the first ones to fight." Chazz added.
They bid us farewell and then they left. I looked at the bulletin board on the screen, there were posted the time and the pairings for each fight today.
{Fight 1: Soldier of Guns v.s. Farthest Horizon - Time: 09:00 AM}
{Fight 2: Azure Spark v.s. Doombringers - Time: 13:00 PM}
{Fight 3: Pink & Blue Enforcers v.s. Rondo Hope - Time: 17:00 PM}
{Fight 4: Metallic Strikers v.s. Dawn - Time: 21:00 PM}

 It looks like we are the second fight... that name... 'Rondo Hope'. I remember they were the winners of the last event... when LLENN disbanded our team. It seems we'll be able to fight them after all.
LLENN then approached me and told me if we should see Chazz's fight.
"Meh, let's leave them for now" I said.
"But why? It wouldn't be better for us to see them so we can learn about what we'll be facing?"
"That's exactly why I won't see them. Chazz is not just a friend, is a rival. I want him to come at me with all he has, and surprise me with all his new tricks."
"So that's how you see things?"
"Yes. After all. I'm sure that way it will be more entertaining. Will you put your trust in me LLENN? The trust that we can win no matter what it comes our way?"
"But of course. I trust you 100 percent Alex!" LLENN said. We still have some time until our match, so I think I should relax a bit. After all, this nervousness of mine isn't going away.
"I think I'll go to the food stalls to spend some time." I said.
"I'll go and prepare myself for the battle. I might take this chance to get the level difference between us." She said. That's right, now I'm more leveled than her. She used to be higher leveled than me before, but my training with Chazz and the accessory I use for EXP + gave me an advantage of 2 levels against her.
We said our goodbyes and parted ways. I remember that a bit past mid day, I received a message from Chazz saying they won their match. He said the opponents were under leveled and wasn't a hard thing to do. I'm glad to hear he's doing fine, after all, he's the one I want to face at the finals.

After a bit of shopping I did in the meantime. It's finally 16:53 PM. The time has come!
LLENN was already waiting for me. This time she's LV 34. One level higher than me, like old times. I equipped again my Scorpion Pendant, to have the weapon switch speed + bonus again, and as these are tournament battles, no team gets EXP, so I won't extend the gap between my level and LLENN's. I don't know why, but I prefer being at a lower level than LLENN for some reason... I wish I knew the reason though.
The announcer NPC started.
"Right now starts the third match of the day 1 of the Team Coordination Cup! Receive first, the team anticipated by many, Pink & Blue Enforcers!"
That's our call. LLENN and I both went to the arena. We were wearing LLENN's outfit, so people were a bit surprised seeing me here, yet they still praised my looks...
"Now, on the other side, the winners of the previous tournament, team Rondo Hope!!"
Then they came. 2 tall guys, LV 34, the same level as LLENN... They were wearing some gray hood with bandages on their arms. The weapon equipped by both is a two-handed axe. Those are slow weapons, so I think I can handle them. But I must not forget, only the primary weapon is mandatory for coordination, that means they don't necessarily have the same secondary weapon... I should be careful on that detail...
"Rules are simple, defeat both opponents to win. No use of items allowed. Ready? START!"
"Speed Shoes 3!" I activated my skill and began charging towards one of the guys with my P90 SMG, firing on the way. The guy also activated Speed Shoes 3 and started avoiding my bullets. I didn't though a two-handed axe user would have that kind of skill. I can make an approximate deduction that he's the one that had to change his equipment to fit with the other guy. 
LLENN was pursuing the other guy, which activated the "Stone Body 2" skill. A skills that makes the user unable to flinch from attacks received for a time, he also gets damage reduction by having it at proficiency 2. He was just tanking LLENN's bullets as he approached her to attack with the axe.
"Force Rush 4!" The guy attacking LLENN activated, attacking with a fast rush at LLENN, I never expected someone having a proficiency 4 skill yet. It seems now it covers more distance and the impact force is even greater. It sent LLENN flying. 
"LLENN!!" I got enraged and attacked the guy, but the other one blocked my way, he changed into his secondary weapon, a photon sword. Now it all makes sense, he's also a fast built avatar, like myself. He then activated "Hasty Slash 3". I had no choice to avoid it now, so I decided to block it. Of course I know that blocking just like that is not gonna work, so I quickly changed into my secondary weapon.
"Force Rush 3!" I attacked with my Force Rush in order to block his Hasty Slash. It seems the shock was strong that we both were sent flying a bit backwards. He got ready really fast and activated a "Twin Slash Combo". A sword unique skill that makes two consecutive slashes with it. It also has the probability of lowering the opponent's AGI if hit. That is a pretty advanced sword skill, even I don't have that skill unlocked yet. Even though now I understand how this one plays. He's fast and always tries to reduce their opponent's AGI in order to exploit his movement speed. Too bad that won't work on me. 
I quickly switched to my P90 and hastily executed "Sliding Shot 2", sliding on the floor avoiding his strike, while also closing my distance to the other guy. The bad thing is that it looked like they had predicted my move.
"Split Breaker 4!" He hit me with that monstrous axe of his. That was careless of him, not only it dropped my HP to less than half. It also reduced my DEF considerably. LLENN approached me and helped me to stand up.

"Thanks LLENN." I said.
"They seem pretty tough, have you figured them out?" LLENN asked. She knows I'm quite perceptive about how people play this game. For me it's easy to measure and foresee the roles of the players.
"I've only figured one guy. The one with the photon sword. He's a high AGI character, like us, and he's specialized in de buffing AGI, exploiting the difference of it" I said, then I started shooting the AGI guy, which avoided my hits easily.
"We have to find their weakness! Otherwise we'll not gonna win." LLENN said.
To make matters worse, the other guy changed his weapon, it was a Machine Gun, those heavy ones. He's a tank with firepower. He activated "Super Armor 2", giving himself a considerable boost on DEF. This guy plans on tanking us while killing us with that monster of a gun, a strategy similar to an opponent we've faced before.
"Alex! Let's switch targets. The speedy one is mine!" She said as she headed towards the speedy guy. I'm left with the tanky guy then. Okay, time to finish this once and for all.
"Power Boost 3!!" I activated, greatly increasing my power output. My effects of Speed Shoes 3 are still ongoing, so I have to take my chances now!
I started running towards the guy. He fired at me with his Machine Gun. I knew that I couldn't possibly avoid all those shots fired at me, so I decided to move in zig zag, trying to minimize the number of bullets that would hit me. I know it's hard to move that thing in zig zag, so I have the higher ground now. He could see that I was approaching, he decided to change weapons back to his axe. I know his proficiency with it is better, as he has proficiency 4 skills with it. He then attacked with "Split Breaker" again. This time I avoided it to the right by executing "Side Shot 3!" He tried attacking me more times, but, as the proficiency of my Side Shot is 3, I can chain the move 3 times to avoid attacks.
"You won't be able to avoid me much longer!!" He added. And he's right, my Speed Shoes 3 buff is going to be over soon. So I think my only choice now is a full melee fight. I changed my weapon to my Sword, the Hero's Mark.
He attacked with the axe, I blocked the blow with my blade. The force of his strike was so strong that even that shock reduced some of my HP.
"MWAHAHAHAHA!! YOU'RE FINISHED LADY!" Man, I hate this guy's guts, and moreover, calling me lady. He's got it coming!
"Whirlwind Axe 4!!!! RAAAARGH!!" He executed the skill, it makes him spin with his axe like a spinner and attacking his surroundings, while also being able to move.
"DIE!!!!"
I smirked. The enemy was a fool using that skill, it is a great skill that can deal significant amount of AOE damage, but he's only fighting a single enemy, and a very evasive one nonetheless. I activated my skill "Quick Dash 3!" Avoiding his attack with a dash.
"YOU WON'T ESCAPE YOUR DOOM!!!" he kept spinning coming at me. What he seems to forget is that Quick Dash can be chained in succession 3 times, but when using a close range weapon, I can chain the skill 6 times, enough times to avoid his attack completely, and having him vulnerable.
LLENN was getting close to the speedy guy, shooting her P90 SMG bullets like hell. Even with his great speed, he couldn't avoid them all. He then prepared to strike her with a Hasty Slash 3. But LLENN activated "Bullet Blade 2". A skill I've never seen before on her. She kind of turned her P90 in a close range weapon. She blocked the guy slash with enough force to stun him momentarily. Then she pierced her Bullet Blade through his entire avatar, finishing him off. LLENN has won her part, and now it's my turn!
After all my evading, the guy's skill finished. That skill leaves the user vulnerable for a bit after use, so I'll take the chance. "Nimble Vertical 3!!" I attacked him with a fierce vertical slash from my blade, that makes more damage as less heavy I am. I always make sure that be as light as I can be, for this skill is most of the time my finisher. This time he wasn't dead yet, but I wasn't done yet. I activated "Force Rush 3", attacking all of his body, finishing him off.
An alarm sounded, and the announcer NPC said.
"Battle Over. The winner is Team Pink & Blue Enforcers!!"
"Yes Alex! We won!!!" LLENN jumped happily. I have to admit, it was a hard fight. One wrong move I did almost got my butt handed down in defeat.
We exited the arena. I went to the public rooms for watching the fight. I didn't see Chazz there. I checked my messages. I had one from Chazz.
"Figured you didn't see our match right? I know what you're thinking, you want us to fight with all we have. I'm glad, I also think the same. I won't go to see your fight. I want to see all the surprises you have readied for me
-Chazz"
I smiled, guess Chazz and I really understand each other well. 
In any case. I still have some college work to finish, so I bid my farewell to LLENN.
"Well, I gotta go, some real life stuff to do, so I guess we'll see each other tomorrow" I said.
"Sure! We have the semifinals in the afternoon! I really hope Chazz's team to make it to the finals. You two seem like good friends and rivals." LLENN said "In any case, see ya Alex, thanks for today!"
I logged out. I don't get why she thanked me. I'm not doing anything special. I'm just being myself and having a great time. I'm really glad I met LLENN, and more to have it as my partner. I'm sure she and I will get pretty far in the game.
Chazz, you better win tomorrow's fight. I won't forgive you if we don't meet at the finals.
Time to hit the books for today.
 
---End of Chapter 8---