The respawn timer disappeared from Inori's screen.
A familiar glow surrounded Yamashiki as her character materialized once again inside the safety of the Base Camp. The effects of her earlier death had been erased. Her health had been fully restored, her resources replenished, and the brief delay caused by First Blood was already coming to an end.
Seishin Academy had taken the first kill of the match.
Inori knew that.
She knew the elimination had given them gold, experience, and an early advantage in tempo. Under normal circumstances, losing First Blood was something a player would immediately need to account for. It could influence the next rotation, affect the pace of the lane, and give the opposing side an opportunity to press their advantage before the defeated player could recover.
But none of that was what occupied Inori's thoughts.
She was thinking about Ruko.
A faint smile appeared on her face as her fingers settled over the controls.
The earlier fight continued replaying inside her mind.
Every dodge.
Every attack.
Every movement.
The way Ruko had pressured her without ever fully committing. The way he had seemingly understood when she wanted to attack and when she was likely to retreat. Even after all these years, he had managed to catch her in a trap that she hadn't recognized until it was already too late.
And somehow, instead of frustrating her, that only made her want to fight him again.
"Let's see it again," Inori quietly murmured.
Yamashiki left the Base Camp.
The marksman moved across the battlefield, passing through familiar sections of the map as Inori guided her back toward the Bottom Lane. Her expression remained calm, but there was a noticeable energy behind her eyes.
She wasn't returning to reclaim lost ground.
She was returning because Ruko was there.
By the time Yamashiki reached the Bottom Lane, Estan was already waiting.
Ruko had positioned himself near the center of the lane, standing behind the approaching minion wave. The Mage-Fighter's health had recovered enough for him to continue fighting, though he had clearly not forgotten how dangerous the previous exchange had been.
Neither player had forgotten it.
The moment Yamashiki entered his field of vision, Estan moved.
Ruko didn't give Inori time to settle back into the rhythm of the lane.
Estan raised his hand.
A concentrated burst of magical energy shot forward.
The attack crossed the lane with the same speed and precision Ruko had used during their earlier exchange. It was designed as a poke attack, quick enough to punish an opponent who wasn't fully prepared and dangerous enough to force them into an uncomfortable position.
But Inori was watching him.
The instant Estan's hand moved, Yamashiki shifted sideways.
The magical projectile passed harmlessly beside her.
Ruko's eyes narrowed.
He immediately followed with another skill.
The second attack came from a different angle.
Inori dodged it as well.
Ruko adjusted his positioning.
A third attack followed almost immediately, this one aimed toward the direction he expected Yamashiki to move.
Once again, she wasn't there.
Yamashiki slipped past the attack.
Ruko paused.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But it was enough.
Something had changed.
He had seen Inori dodge attacks before. That wasn't unusual. Avoiding skills was one of the foundations of high-level play, especially for someone with Inori's experience and mechanical ability.
What caught his attention was the speed of her response.
Earlier, Ruko had been able to pressure her into uncomfortable movements. He could read the direction she was likely to take and occasionally force her into situations where his attacks had a realistic chance of connecting.
Now, those openings were disappearing.
Inori wasn't simply waiting for his attacks and reacting after they were released.
She was beginning to anticipate them.
Estan suddenly dashed forward.
Before the movement had completely finished, Yamashiki was already moving.
Ruko redirected his follow-up attack toward her expected position.
Inori changed direction.
The attack missed.
Yamashiki immediately returned fire.
A burst of bullets crossed the lane.
Ruko was forced to move Estan away from the attack, barely escaping the edge of the damage range.
His expression sharpened.
"She's faster."
He understood what had happened.
The first exchange between them had been Inori measuring him.
She had been testing his reactions, observing his patterns, and trying to understand how much of the Ruko she remembered still remained.
But that stage was over.
Now she knew.
She knew what he could do.
She knew how quickly he reacted.
She knew the type of pressure he preferred to create.
And, just as she had always done throughout her career, she was adapting.
Yamashiki moved across the Bottom Lane with astonishing precision.
Her positioning constantly changed, never allowing Ruko to become comfortable with a single angle of attack. She maintained enough distance to threaten him with her ranged weapons while remaining ready to change direction whenever Estan attempted to close the gap.
Each movement served a purpose.
She would step forward just enough to pressure him.
Then retreat before he could punish her.
She would shift toward one side of the lane, forcing Ruko to reposition, before suddenly changing direction and attacking from another angle.
Ruko answered her in kind.
Estan moved forward.
Yamashiki dodged.
Yamashiki fired.
Estan shifted away.
Ruko attempted to close the distance.
Inori immediately repositioned.
The two heroes crossed the Bottom Lane repeatedly, moving as though invisible strings connected them. Whenever one player made a decision, the other responded almost immediately.
Neither could establish complete control.
Then Ruko's attention shifted toward the minimap.
Two new movements appeared.
He recognized them immediately.
Hikari was rotating toward the Bottom Lane.
Kana was with her.
Ruko glanced at the minimap once more.
"So they're coming."
He understood the plan without needing anyone to explain it.
If one player couldn't stop Inori alone, then perhaps three players could force her into a mistake.
Hikari and Kana approached from the side of the lane.
Kana remained slightly behind, carefully watching the battlefield and waiting for the right moment to engage. Hikari moved closer to the nearby bushes before slipping inside.
Her character disappeared from Inori's immediate vision.
The trap had begun.
Ruko continued fighting.
He deliberately kept Estan active, refusing to retreat even though Hikari and Kana were now moving into position. Magical attacks continued flying toward Yamashiki, keeping Inori's attention focused directly on him.
It was bait.
Hikari waited inside the bush.
Kana positioned herself close enough to follow up.
If Inori concentrated too heavily on Ruko, Hikari would emerge and attack from an unexpected angle.
If Inori managed to avoid Hikari's initial assault, Kana would move immediately afterward.
The plan was designed to leave her with nowhere to go.
For several seconds, everything appeared to be working perfectly.
Then Inori smiled.
She already knew.
Her eyes briefly shifted toward the bush.
It was only a small movement, almost impossible to notice from a distance.
But she had noticed the rotation.
She had noticed the timing.
And she had calculated what it meant.
There was no reason for her to reveal that she knew Hikari was there.
Instead, Inori calmly changed Yamashiki's weapon.
The firearm in her hands shifted.
Beta.
The sniper.
Yamashiki's long-range poke weapon.
The audience immediately noticed the change.
"She's switching weapons!"
"Beta?! Why now?"
"What is she aiming at?"
Ruko's expression changed.
His eyes moved toward Yamashiki's weapon.
"Inori..."
The answer came a moment later.
Yamashiki fired.
A single concentrated bullet tore across the Bottom Lane.
It didn't travel toward Ruko.
It didn't target the minions.
It went directly toward the bush.
Hikari's eyes widened.
"Wait—!"
The bullet struck her hero.
There was no time to escape.
Her health disappeared.
The elimination notification appeared immediately.
Inori has slain Hikari!
For a moment, the entire venue seemed to freeze.
Then the audience exploded.
"What?!"
"She knew Hikari was there!"
"She fired directly into the bush!"
"How did she know?!"
Hikari stared at her screen.
Her eyes remained wide with disbelief.
"...She knew?"
Kana, who had been waiting nearby for the ambush to begin, looked toward the bush in shock.
"How?"
From the Jungle, Risa had been carefully following the movements on the minimap.
Unlike the others, she understood almost immediately.
"Inori didn't need vision."
Kana turned toward her.
"What?"
Risa adjusted her glasses.
"Hikari entered the bush without revealing herself. Inori didn't see her character."
Kana looked back toward Yamashiki.
"Then how did she know?"
Risa's eyes narrowed slightly.
"She predicted the location."
Kana remained silent.
Risa continued.
"Hikari's rotation timing gave her away. Inori knew Hikari had left her previous position. She knew the Bottom Lane was already being contested. She also knew the most likely place for Hikari to wait was inside that bush."
Kana's eyes widened as she understood.
"So she guessed?"
"Not exactly."
Risa's expression remained calm.
"She calculated."
On the Bottom Lane, Kana knew she couldn't afford to hesitate.
The original plan had already collapsed.
Hikari was gone.
If Kana allowed Inori to retreat now, then the opportunity to punish her would disappear completely.
She activated her battle spell.
Blink.
Surahi instantly vanished from her original position.
A flash of light appeared beside Yamashiki as Kana teleported forward.
"Got you!"
Surahi's first skill activated immediately.
A field of energy expanded around her.
The ability was designed to stun enemies caught within its range, and Kana had positioned herself close enough that Yamashiki should have had little room to escape.
But Kana wasn't relying on a single skill.
The moment the first attack connected, she intended to continue the entire sequence.
The plan was already clear in her mind.
First, stun Inori with Surahi's opening skill.
Then activate the second skill and dash a predetermined distance while pulling Yamashiki along with her.
Once Inori had been displaced, finish the combination with Surahi's ultimate and create another area stun.
If the sequence connected perfectly, Yamashiki would have almost no opportunity to escape.
Kana activated the second skill.
Surahi dashed forward.
But Inori moved.
The timing was perfect.
Yamashiki changed direction at the exact moment Surahi attempted to complete the pull.
Kana's eyes widened.
"No..."
She had predicted it.
The instant Kana began the combination, Inori had already recognized what came next.
There was no hesitation.
Yamashiki's weapon changed again.
Beta disappeared.
A different weapon appeared in her hands.
Delta.
Her close-combat dual-pistol mode.
Inori's movements immediately became faster.
Yamashiki spun away from Surahi's control range and repositioned before Kana could recover.
Then Inori activated her ultimate.
A barrage of gunfire erupted across the lane.
Kana attempted to move.
She was already too late.
The first attacks connected.
Then another.
Surahi's health rapidly disappeared as Yamashiki continued firing.
Kana tried to reposition, but Inori had already committed to the attack and refused to give her an opportunity to escape.
The final shots connected.
The elimination notification appeared.
Inori has slain Kana!
The venue erupted for the second time in only a few moments.
Hikari had been eliminated before she could even launch the ambush.
Now Kana was gone as well.
Two players.
One after another.
And Inori had dealt with both of them alone.
Kana stared at the screen as her respawn timer appeared.
Her expression was filled with disbelief.
"...She read the entire combo."
For several seconds, Risa didn't answer.
Her eyes remained on Yamashiki.
Then she quietly nodded.
"Yes."
That was exactly what had happened.
Kana hadn't simply missed her skills.
Inori had understood the combination from the moment it began.
She knew what Kana wanted to do before the sequence was completed.
And she had moved accordingly.
On the stage, Inori didn't celebrate.
She didn't look toward the audience.
She didn't react to the roar of the crowd.
Her attention was already back on the Bottom Lane.
Because there was still one opponent standing in front of her.
Ruko.
Estan had retreated beneath the protection of the tower.
His health bar was glowing red.
Approximately ten percent remained.
Inori saw it immediately.
Ruko saw her looking at it.
Neither needed to say anything.
They both understood what it meant.
Inori advanced.
Yamashiki's weapons fired repeatedly as she moved forward.
Ruko retreated.
The first attack narrowly missed Estan.
The second forced him farther back.
Ruko used Estan's mobility to escape toward the safety of the tower, placing himself beneath its protection before Inori could finish him.
But Inori didn't stop.
She remained just outside the tower's immediate danger zone while continuing to pressure him from range.
The audience couldn't contain itself.
"She's chasing him!"
"Ruko is almost dead!"
"He's down to ten percent!"
"Inori just eliminated two players by herself!"
The entire venue was roaring.
Students from both schools had risen from their seats.
Players who had been speaking to one another moments earlier were now completely focused on the Bottom Lane.
Inori had transformed the situation in a matter of seconds.
Seishin Academy had attempted to surround her.
Instead, she had dismantled the trap.
Hikari had been eliminated before she could even reveal herself.
Kana's carefully prepared combination had been predicted and countered.
Now Ruko was retreating beneath his tower with only a fraction of his health remaining.
Inori stared at Estan.
Her breathing remained calm.
Her hands were steady.
But inside, she was exhilarated.
This was exactly what she had wanted.
A fight that demanded everything from her.
An opponent who forced her to think faster.
A battlefield where every decision mattered.
For years, she had searched for opponents capable of giving her this feeling.
Players with exceptional mechanics.
Players with experience.
Players who could challenge her.
But this was different.
Because Ruko didn't simply challenge her skill.
He challenged her understanding.
He knew her habits.
He understood her rhythm.
And every time she believed she had figured him out, he found another way to surprise her.
The fact that she was fighting him made the entire experience even more exciting.
Inori smiled.
Ruko watched Yamashiki continue her approach.
He understood immediately.
She was fired up.
More than she had been at the beginning of the match.
The First Blood had awakened something inside her.
Their earlier exchange had awakened something else.
And eliminating Hikari and Kana had only pushed her further.
Ruko tightened his grip on the controls.
He knew what was happening.
The Inori he remembered was returning.
The more difficult the fight became, the more she pushed herself.
The more someone resisted her, the more determined she became to break through them.
She wasn't slowing down.
She was accelerating.
The Bottom Lane had begun as a duel between two former members of Nerva.
Now, however, it had become something far more dangerous.
One player had been pushed to the edge.
The other had found her rhythm.
And Inori had no intention of allowing Ruko to escape.
She smiled at the screen.
"Come on, Ruko."
Yamashiki raised her weapons.
"Show me how much you've changed."
Across the battlefield, Estan remained beneath the tower.
Ruko stared at her.
His health bar was still glowing red.
Ten percent.
One mistake.
One opening.
One successful attack.
That was all it would take.
The roar of the audience gradually faded into a tense murmur as everyone watched the Bottom Lane.
No one wanted to look away.
Ruko had survived the first wave of pressure.
But Inori was still advancing.
The Marksman who had spent years searching for a fight capable of reigniting her passion had finally found one.
And now that she had awakened, there was no telling how far she would go to win.
The next exchange was about to begin.