Romancing the Demon Lady

Chapter 012: The Final Countdown

Chapter 012: The Final Countdown

            After more than three weeks and twenty-two matches, the finalists for the S.U.S Men's Soccer League came down to two teams. With six wins, two draws and no loss, Markus-Wayne School for the Arts, Music and Sports easily swept through the eliminations and sealed their fate of heading onto the finals by defeating Saint Vincent's Institute of the Arts and Sciences. Surviving the eliminations with five wins, one loss and two draws, their contender, as expected, was no other than Lucien Heath Academy. Brighton Lee Fox had to settle for third place while Saint Vincent and Liberty Hope was more than happy to win a match or two. They were forced to stay at the sidelines. It always seemed from the beginning that this was not just an inter-school festivity but a war between two institutions that had been rivals for decades. 

            Unlike Viktor's team, Byron and the rest of the men's team didn't breeze through the finals. Knowing Viktor Gallagher, he had used all the dirty little tricks he could think of to secure the win of their team. Although Lucien Heath never lost a single match against Markus-Wayne, their second match got so violently dangerous that it cost three key members of our men's team. Lester Williams got suspended from participating for one whole game. Joshua Condon got hospitalized for the rest of the season after getting a hairline fracture on his skull. Although not as life-threatening, Byron Heath was benched for the rest of the elimination matches after getting deliberately and brutally kicked on his right knee. Viktor got away with a red card but Lucien Heath lost three crucial players for their match against Brighton Lee Fox, leading to our team's defeat.

            The rest of the team managed to survive the eliminations long enough so that both Byron and Lester could make a comeback at the semifinals. After the devastating loss against Brighton Lee, Lucien Heath redeemed itself by crushing them during their bout at the semis. In the end, Byron and Viktor’s teams will have their final showdown and everyone expects that the field will become a battleground.

            Compared to that, the championship of our women’s team was both uninteresting and unremarkable. Winning every match and suffered no setbacks, our team easily swept through the eliminations and butchered our opponents to qualify for the championships. As long as we maintained our dynamics and performance while Liberty Hope performed as lackluster as they had during our previous encounters, the championship would be ours.

            The day before, we were already declared the champions.

            Now, making that a back-to-back championship would more than secure our overall championship for the season.

            “Aren’t you going to wish him luck?”

            Pixie’s comment snapped me out of my daze. We were walking across the field towards the bleachers especially reserved for the women’s team. The whole duration of our journey going there, Pixie was too busy going on and on at how tonight’s match was going to be a bloodbath. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she brought up a ridiculous idea.

            “It’s not luck he needs but skill,” I smartly replied. “And from how he performed so far, he doesn’t need much help in improving that part.”

            “You’re clearly not getting my point,” Pixie moaned frustratingly.

            “What point?” I barked back with equal annoyance.

            This time, Dana had the mind to intervene and interject, “When we were competing against Liberty Hope and with any match before that, the men’s team was cheering for us. Byron was shouting your name in particular.”