As soon as Kashmiri arrived at the Hydra's Lair, she started dealing damage to the monster by summoning an ogre and stealing blood from the Hydra with Sutrarre after immobilizing it with Evocatrice's stunning skill.
She did the same procedure thrice more but in the last two repetitions, she no longer stunned the Hydra.
In the audience's point of view, what Kashmiri is doing can be considered suicide as she's fighting a monster while underdeveloped but she's not there to claim the Hydra, she's there to gather data.
The map used in the National Championship game is different from the maps usually used in the professional league.
Due to that reason, Key came to test the Hydra by dealing damages to see its buff rate and regeneration rate every two minutes, and in the process, she's also developing her skills by using it over and over again.
"Key, what are you doing?" Opal asked while his Laidir is battling the opponent's Fero.
While Evocatrice is in the Hydra's Lair, a battle between Sournoise and Laidir against Fero and Clypeus had begun in the top lane, whereas, a one-side battle between Rasheed's Maesta against Fox's Luccicare and Deck's Luxy is happening in the bottom lane.
"Support," Rasheed called out
"Captain, the Hydra's regeneration is high at the moment but continuous dealing of damage can be used against its current low buff." Key reported just as she navigated the map's jungle from the Hydra's Lair to head to the bottom lane
"Develop, let's claim the Hydra at five," Rasheed said, taking their attention because they prepared to take the Hydra within levels six to seven and they are all currently battling against IBJ's members in their respective lanes
"FIRST BLOOD" appeared on the large screen after Luccicare and Luxy executed Rasheed's shinigami in the bottom lane.
"Wait for me to resurrect," Rasheed said
"Kashmiri, take over the bottom lane," Rasheed said
"Yes, Captain," Key replied and prepared Evocatice's Fero, which she used to stun the enemy
As if expecting that Evocatrice will attack them from behind, Luccicare and Luxy separated, hence, only Luxy was stunned while the ogres that she summoned with her Servitoire-skill battled against Luccicare.
"You expected that, didn't you?" Deck asked Fox who just chuckled
"Sort of," Fox replied while chuckling before he used his Luccicare's first skill, Trave, to deal damage on Kashmiri's Evocatrice
Seeing that he's preparing to attack, Kashmiri focused on killing Fox's immobilized teammate while evading his attack.
It was an advantage to IBJ that the game doesn't permit teammate-damaging or dealing damage on your teammate unless under a skill, like Sournoise's spiorad skill, because otherwise, not only will the immobilized Luxy receive damage from Evocatrice but also from Luccicare.
The competition in this match is not only between IBJ and JLNC as a whole, it's also between Fox and Kashmiri personally.
Given that both of them came from the same family, almost grew up in the same environment, and received almost the same privilege while 'growing up', Fox knows that Kashmiri can read his moves.
She can probably also predict how he'll move so it's up to him to counter Kashmiri's tactics by making sure his teammates don't act in line with Kashmiri's plans.
By the time Rasheed's shinigami has resurrected to the map, Kashmiri's shinigami only had half of its blood remaining.
"Fall back, develop," Rasheed said and his newly-resurrected Maesta leveled up to six on his way because he killed off some minions along the way and dealt damage on the close-to-dying Luxy and Luccicare
"Yes, Captain," Key said but before her shinigami left the battle, she dealt damage on Luccicare by summoning two ogres to assist the captain
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STAGE, Fox couldn't help but shake his head because he thought of the young 'Chantel' that he "grew up" with who used to do the same as a means of childishly getting even.
He found it funny and nice that there's still a lingering fragment of the 'Chantel' that they grew up treating as their little princess.
"Deck, head to the top lane after resurrecting." Monk ordered their support whose blood was drained by that attack from Rasheed's Maesta
"No, let's head to the Hydra's Lair," Fox said
"Fox, that's not part of the plan," Wings voiced out his contradiction
"I know," Fox said and looked past the screen, only to meet Keychantel's eyes as she also looked at him with a teasing expression
"But we never really considered variables like their Kashmiri," he added
"We have to follow the plan," Deck said and they continued playing
Fox returned his focus to his screen and began clashing with JLNC's forward but he already received damage while his opponent is a newly resurrected shinigami with a level higher than his shinigami so their clash ended with Fox dying.
However, even with Luxy and Luccicare executed on IBJ's side, JLNC also lost Laidir and Sournoise to the opponent's top-laner and off-laner.
The clash in the top lane and middle lane was prolonged because both sides preserved their blood and evaded each other's attacks, which meant they were just wasting skills on each other, and so only by the time did the clash in the bottom lane did the battle in their respective lanes have its conclusion.
El's Intrepidus in the middle lane was also executed by Chasseur, the only strong mid-game shinigami in both shinigami lineups, with the help of Clypeus's life-stealing skill.
That victory didn't last that long, however, as Chasseur was soon executed in the middle lane.
"And here I thought the Captain ordered you to develop," El teased when an announcement flashed on the screen right after Luccicare's death was announced
"He never said I can't develop by killing another shinigami, El." Key replied and chuckled
Chasseur was executed by Evocatrice, Kashmiri used her shinigami's stunning skill to stun him just as he was dealing damage within the defense circle of JLNC's defense tower and due to this fact, the underdeveloped Evocatrice managed to take out the mid-game strong shinigami.
The match continued with both teams picking out their opponents, taking them out, and claiming the territory for their team.
"I'm at level 5, Hydra Lair," Key reported just as an announcement of Fero being executed by Evocatrice appeared on the screen
"He's in the Hydra's Lair, and so is every member of IBJ. I'll be heading back to base, I'm low on blood." Key reported while her Evocatrice is fleeing from the scene
"Stay there," Rasheed said
"I'm low on blood," Key repeated
"Stay there," Rasheed said and Key glanced at him for a moment before heading to hide her shinigami in the bushes
"Claim the Hydra before they head back," Monk ordered the rest of IBJ
"Yes, Captain," they replied
"I'll steal it," Key told her teammates
"I thought you were low on blood?" El asked her
"I am, that makes me dispensable at the moment," Key replied and smiled
"I'm heading there for backup," Quant said
"I'm close to level 7, I can head there soon too," Opal said
"Develop while she steals," Rasheed said
"Yes, Captain," Key replied and focused her eyes on the screen
"Yes, Captain," they replied and continued developing
{"I wonder what JLNC is planning,"} Elvis Letterman commented
{"I wonder that too, Elvis,"} Gino Morin nodded
"I caught her!" Deck announced as he forced Kashmiri's shinigami out of the bushes by making her avoid his acenderre-skill
"We'll take her out, she's low on blood." Wings told his teammates
"She's barely useful to her team at this moment," Wings added
"There aren't any JLNC members around." Deck commented
"Shit," Deck suddenly cussed when three Cyclops appeared from behind Evocatrice, not only that, but she also managed to stun the three of them
"You got distracted around her, a grave mistake," Fox muttered and shook his head while continuously landing damage on the Hydra
"It's not like she'll still win this one." Wings assured them and indeed, Key didn't win over him
However, he was taken out by two of her Cyclops, which is a bigger insult to a player of his caliber that has reached this point in the National League.
To be taken out by mere summons instead of an actual player would be a grave insult for Wings.
{"And steal! The low-blooded Kashmiri single-handedly stole the Hydra from IBJ!"} Gino Morin announced as it was announced that JLNC claimed the Hydra
"Great job, Key," El, Opal, and Quant complimented her
"[1]Reset, the game's not yet done" Rasheed reminded them
"Yes, Captain!" they said and continued to play
After JLNC claimed the Hydra, IBJ proceeded to take down their defense towers and JLNC proceeded to do the same.
It has been a while and so the other creatures on the map; the Kitsune and the Manticore became stronger and had stronger buffs alongside quicker regeneration.
"Play with your sibling, will you?" Key muttered under her breath while stunning Luccicare within the Kitsune's attack range
The two of them are currently in the Kitsune's Forest, clashing and this is something people didn't expect as usually Forwards face each other, not to mention the fact that there's a two level-gap between the two but Luccicare isn't overpowering Evocatrice.
"Damn," Fox couldn't help but mutter as he received another damage from the Kitsune
"Deck, shield," he called out to Deck who immediately used Luxy's maceries which saved him from the killing blow but another blow from Kashmiri as his stunning time ran out destroyed the shield and left him vulnerable to be taken out by the Kitsune
"And I'm dead," Fox muttered and shook his head after leaning into his chair
***
"Reset" – players can't be too confident about their small in-game wins or losses as it might ruin their momentum in playing that's why the Captain or the coach reminds them to "reset".