The Export

Player Difference

Long bony fingers composed an odd rhythm that tapped to the beat of destruction. Everyone was watching Clarke's light-work warm up with Lupin; Juno and Kaede over Clarke's shoulder, Xhu and Fixer peering with a grimace at Lupin's booth. Watching his marksman's health rinse down to 0 In minutes was unnerving, but playing this well was always a good omen and it thawed Lupin's hands from the stage's chill.

"Not a chance." Fixer said playfully.

"Ah, one more." Lupin cried.

"No, you need to start in 3 minutes." Droned the referee on communications as the character select for The Port vs FyCorp reverse fixture began.

Prioritising Lupin and Kaede as always, Juno and Fixer were designated to tanks and Clarke countered picked last. OAL locked in Nekroz as he had done in the first game. Velkyrie was banned first phase, Zela and Arsene in second. The volume of the caster's microphones was intruding over the team but Clarke liked hearing their thoughts.

"The Port are prioritising Lupin and Kaede as always. They'll first pick two tanks, BAM! For Juno and Bullard for Fixer." They said.

"OAL first-picked Karina and are going back to what worked the first time. The Nekroz and Selachin are locked in for OAL. Let's see if Rookie has an answer this time."

"Raiju." Clarke said, before anybody could add their input. He heard Xhu ponder.

"Don't disrespect One Autumn Leaf, he'll be ready for any curveball." Juno said. 

"If I play with respect he'll walk all over me." Clarke responded. 'you should know after suffering on tank duty all tournament.' He kept that thought down, deciding not to snap back on stage.

"Lock it in." Xhu said, surprising even Kaede who wheeled around in his chair.

"We haven't practiced this." He said. 

"You haven't, but Rookie has. And it'a a damn good pick here. Keep the Centre-lane in a vacuum. I want it a duelling lane where Raiju can have his way. Don't let the rest of FyCorp interfere." Xhu commanded and just like that, Raiju was locked in on the World Championship Stage.

"I barely even know what this Relic of a character does." Lupin said.

The combining buzz of the crowds reaction, the thrill of locking in the forgotten demigod on stage and the still air of the stage chilled every surface of Clarke's skin to a shiver. Incredible performances like his against FSM typically brought enough expectation to shatter players and younger players especially,  but Clarke enjoyed Xhu rallying around him, embracing the challenge. 

'I care what you can do 1000 times.'  Clarke told himself. Almost overwhelming, his adrenaline hit an early pinnacle.

The Port vs FyCorp

Juno: BAM! Vs FinD Yo0: Lyra

Kaede: Shieda vs (Final Kill Artillery) FKA: Selachin

Rookie: Raiju vs (One Autumn Leaf) OAL: Nekroz

Lupin: Kzarka vs Jinta: Karina

Fixer: Bullard vs NuBu: Richter

Trusting the others to play their part, Clarke walked to the middle-lane vacuum on Montaigne, continuing anticipation of the crowd growing. Cold air condensed as he huffed, and there was a remnant of Xhu's strong cologne that Clarke would only remember after the game, already too immersed in his goal. Meeting OAL at level 1, he accepted the Nekroz level 1 gambit, scaling his flash-step first.

OAL bound forward as soon as he saw Raiju in range to initiate the trade, dashing straight to the lightning god's face. Unusually extended roars played ceremony to the two gladiators; Clarke rooted himself and perfectly parried the first luminescent palm, ducked the second and thumped a lightning fist into the Reaper's stomach. The other 8 players deadlocked each other in either river to observe as Clare flicked the first dagger over Nekroz's left shoulder and flash-stepped behind him to combo with the second backfist. OAL hastily plunged the final palm of his 4-hit passive in the space to his right to follow Raiju's attack string but Clarke T-posed, dead-eyed as the palm passed his face to the right. Another double-hit combo stunned Nekroz, setting up the third heavy blow, he'd see Raiju vanish again and take another blow into his kidneys before he could react. Now the brawler advanced, OAL tried to cover up but the off-timings and mix ups confused his defence. Already humiliated he was forced to warp away from the final dagger flying between his eyes, but Raiju's menace still reappeared before him, following him under the sentry as he called for his teammates to capitalise. Raiju's teammates hurriedly covered the entrances to the lane, keeping one eye under the sentry as Clarke landed the tenth hit of his string and took Nekroz to 0. All the tension in the crowd blew into full-flow and hit an all-time apotheosis when they realised Nekroz hadn't registered any damage. The sentry took full credit for Raiju's death in return. Nekroz got no kill credit, nothing in exchange.