"Are they going to forfeit?"


    "Neverfall Navigators haven''t been in good form for thest two years. They''re probably just resting on theirurels instead of training seriously."


    “Now that they''re up against a tough opponent, they have the perfect excuse to ''withdraw due to injury.'' That way, they might even salvage some dignity.”


    These whispers from the crowd reached the ears of Miranda, who was hiding in a


    corner.


    "What nonsense are you spouting?" Miranda, who had been snacking, shot up to her feet and retorted angrily, "Neverfall Navigators will never give up. Never!"


    "Oh my god." The girl who had been speaking nearly jumped out of her skin. "Sorry about that," Hayden said with a smile, quickly pulling his wife back down. "She can be a bit impulsive. My apologies."


    The girl eyed Miranda, who was bundled up like a mummy, with curiosity.


    "However," Hayden continued after his apology, "I don''t know whose fan you are, but you sound like you''re from our country. No matter how rough this match gets for Neverfall Navigators, they are enduring their injuries to fight for our nation''s honor. I''m not asking you to support them, but at least don''t make snide remarks. After hearing what you just said, I have good reason to suspect you''re a traitor to your own team."


    "I''m not," the girl replied, her face flushing red as she stammered, stunned by Hayden''s lecture.


    "Yes, you are!" Miranda jumped up again, fuming. “I—mmph!”


    Before she could say more, Hayden covered her mouth, whispering, "Honey, calm down. If you don''t, the whole world will know you snuck into the arena."


    Miranda instantly cooled down. If it weren''t for the risk of exposing her identity and causing trouble for the Schwartz family, she would have argued the point with that girl until she was blue in the face.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Neverfall Navigators had called for a ten-minute timeout, and no one knew what they were discussing.


    "I''m just going to the restroom," Juniper said, setting down her cup and heading backstage. The person in charge was standing guard at the door, but he didn''t dare to stop her.


    A few stepster, Juniper saw the team''s traveling physician examining the yer from position 3.


    "His hand injury was already severe during thest match," the doctor said, his brow furrowed with concern. "The pain-blocking injection only helped temporarily. He can''t put any more strain on it."


    "There are only two rounds left. I can handle it," the yer insisted, his face pale with pain but his tone firm. “Just give me another injection.”


    Pain-blocking injections could suppress the pain for a short time, but repeated use would be devastating for his future treatment. He had already had so many; another one would mean that by the time the match was over, his hand would bepletely ruined.


    "What about the substitute yers?" the team captain asked in a hoarse voice, his gaze fixed on the yer''s swollen, bruised hand.


    "No progress," the manager replied, shaking his head. "The Batonian authorities are still making trouble. Even if they were released now, they wouldn''t make it in time."


    The timeout was only ten minutes long.


    "We only have two options now," the manager said with a sigh of resignation. “Either we forfeit the match, or we y four against five."


    Neverfall Navigators'' roster was carefully curated. Besides the two yers being maliciously detained they had fewer than three others,


    none of whom had any ace in


    major tournaments. Bringing in a rookie substitute would likely disrupt the team''s rhythm, and the consequences could be even worse. So, rather than subbing in a new yer, fighting four against five might give them a slim chance to win.


    "You have five minutes to think about it," the manager finished.


    The other team members hung their heads in silence. ying four against five... Neverfall Navigators had never fought a match like that since its founding.


    Shanley was closely monitoring the match''s progress. "Any news from Demon?" he asked gravely, calling Cybeic Shadows.


    "Sir, we''ve confirmed that Demon is in Era City," his subordinate replied. “We''re trying to contact him now, hoping he''ll agree to step in."


    This match was incredibly important, after all. It wasn''t just about the honor of their country; it was also about the feelings of his mother and the woman he loved.


    "Tell him money is no object," Shanley said, his voice raspy as he tightened his grip on the phone. “As long as he shows up."


    Backstage, Juniper received a WhatsApp message from Lue Langley.


    Lue: [Neverfall Navigators is in a tough spot, huh? So, are you going to step in?]


    Juniper leaned against the wall, her position giving her a clear view of both teams: The members of Digital Sabers were in high spirits, some even mocking the injured yer by mimicking his keyboard-tapping posture with sneers on their faces. In contrast, Neverfall Navigators'' morale was at rock bottom, and their third yer''s hand was swollen beyond recognition.


    She had been certain Neverfall Navigators would win this match. Even with a mid-game substitution, her previous coaching should have prepared them. But she never expected Batonia to y so deliberately holding up their substitutes. They had gone too far!


    dirty


    After a few seconds of silence, Juniper picked up her phone and replied to Lue. [Tell Shanley I want ten times whatever the prize money is for this tournament.] After all, she didn''t have time to put on a disguise. Her identity would be exposed. The resulting trouble would be immense. A little financialpensation wasn''t too much to ask, right?


    And she happened to be short on cash now.


    Lue: [You got it! You can count on me!]


    The mention of money instantly re-energized her. Lue happily went off to


    negotiate with Shanley, fullymitted to her quest to fleece the old man.


    "Let''s go with four yers," the captain said, having made his decision. "We''ll give it


    ten times the effort, and leave the rest to fate."


    "Right," the other three nodded in agreement.


    As they were about to head back to the stage, they turned and ran right into the


    young woman who had saved them before.


    "What are you doing here?" the captain asked, staring at her in surprise.


    “You''ll lose, four versus five,” Juniper stated, standing in the doorway. A cold, hostile


    aura seemed to surround her, and her voice was low and chilling.


    "We know," the captain said. He was still grateful to Juniper, so his tone was respectful. "But without a substitute, we have no other choice."