Triple Point

Chapter 4: Main Event

March 19, 33 AE

As expected, the spectator turnout for the team matches was twice the size as the individual ones, and crowds swarmed the outside of the stadium before it was even open. Thankfully, Elsie and Jordan had VIP seats and were allowed in through a side entrance without a hitch.

The first round was relatively uneventful, with one exception: the US team. As expected, they were ruthless from the start; their opponents even did the unthinkable and surrendered less than four minutes in, and no one could blame them.

While the level of their team was a combined Class 11, the US was a whopping Class 17—officially, at least. There was a widespread rumor that Camilla Wyatt was actually a Class 6, which would make the US team an unofficial Class 19, but because no one could prove it, her rating with the UN was kept at a Class 4. Regardless, the US's preceding reputation and their live demonstration of that reputation came down swiftly on their first opponents, and the surrender was announced soon after.

As soon as the match was called, the US team switched their tone entirely, going from ruthless killers to the type of people who would pay a stranger's parking meter. Immediately, the US members began helping their opponents to their feet or tending to their injuries until the medics arrived. Camilla, who had been ten seconds away from reaching the opponent's home base, could be seen chatting with the Class 3 she had been fighting, and the two laughed at something hilarious she must have said.

Elsie could barely stifle her grimace before turning to chat with her own befriended neighbors: a Canadian politician, a Portuguese actor, and a Chinese pop star.

In Japan's first round match, Elsie finally got a good look at where she recognized Hitomi from. She was much more recognizable to Elsie in her guardian uniform, and with both her meta-abilities and leadership, she easily took her team to the second round. It was an impressive match, but all Elsie could think of was if Camilla was actually friends with her, or if that was another one of her lies.

A small part of Elsie wanted Japan to make it to the finals just so she could see how a match-up between Camilla and Hitomi played out. Realistically, even if the two were actual friends, they were also professionals, and whatever would happen on the field wasn't related to whatever happened off of it. Besides, they were hardly the only pair of guardians whose friendship spanned borders. Still, Elsie was curious; unfortunately, her curiosity had to be put on hold when England took the win over Japan in the semi-finals on the third day.

No one was surprised that they would be facing the US in the finals.

The air around the city felt different on the fourth and final day of the team matches. There was a buzz of excitement that was so intense, it couldn't be compared to the earlier days of the Games. It was the battle that everyone was waiting for, and most people wouldn't be able to see such a spectacle for another five years.

When Elsie and Jordan walked around the town in the late morning, everything and everyone revolved around the upcoming match. Stores that had previously been selling generic Games paraphernalia were now focused on the participating teams, and restaurants were selling food in red, white, and blue colors or decorated with either the stars and stripes or Union Jacks. Every conversation Elsie passed was discussing the match; even those that weren't in English mentioned some sort of variation of the words "America," "England," or a name of one of the competing guardians.

By the time Elsie and Jordan got seated in the stadium, the stands around them seemed more packed than usual, even though they've already been at maximum capacity for the past several days. There was definitely an increase in red, white, and blue as the fans from those countries, and even some foreigners, went all out in their team pride.