<h4>Chapter 22: Victor’s Team</h4>


    The day had arrived for <strong>Phoenix Reborn</strong> to face <strong>Astral Vanguard</strong>, the semi-professional team led by <strong>Victor Harrington</strong>. It wasn''t an official tournament match, but a scrimmage—a chance for both teams to sharpen their skills before their next majorpetition. For Kai, however, it was much more than that. This was their first true encounter with Victor in years, and they knew it would be a crucial test of both their team''s resolve and their progress.


    Kai had told the team to expect a tough fight, but even they couldn''t shake the nerves bubbling under the surface. They had fought well in previous matches, but Astral Vanguard was on another level—a team that yed with the precision of a professional squad, guided by the mind games and relentless strategy of Victor himself.


    As they loaded into the scrimmage lobby, Kai felt the familiar rush of adrenaline mixed with tension. This was going to be a fight for survival.


    The map was set in <strong>The Obsidian Keep</strong>, a dark,byrinthine arena with tight corridors, blind corners, and towering walls. It was the perfect map for a team like Astral Vanguard, who thrived on isting opponents and controlling the battlefield. Phoenix Reborn would need to y smarter, faster, and more cohesively than they ever had before.


    As the countdown ticked away, Kai addressed the team over voice chat.


    "Alright, team, we''re up against <strong>Victor''s Astral Vanguard</strong>. They''re going to be aggressive, they''re going to be fast, and they''re going to try to pick us apart. We stick to the n—<strong>Tariq</strong> holds the frontline, <strong>Lena</strong> controls the zone with AoE, and <strong>Nina</strong> and I will nk. <strong>Alex</strong>, they''re going to focus you hard, so stay close to Tariq and be ready to reposition if needed. Let''s keep ourmunication tight, stay calm, and don''t fall for their traps."


    The team responded with quiet determination.


    "I''ve got this," Tariq said, his voice filled with confidence. "They won''t break through me."


    Lena was focused, her tone serious. "I''ll stay mobile. I''m not letting them pin me down."


    Alex, though more nervous than the others, spoke with resolve. "I''ll keep you all alive. I just need time."


    Nina, everposed, simply said, "We''ll adapt."


    Kai nodded, feeling a surge of pride for their team. They hade far, and no matter the oue of this scrimmage, they were going to give Astral Vanguard everything they had.


    The match began, and Astral Vanguard moved with a precision that was almost overwhelming. <strong>Victor</strong>, ying a highly mobile DPS ss, led his team with calcted aggression. His movements were sharp and unpredictable, constantly applying pressure while his <strong>tank</strong> and <strong>healer</strong> supported from behind. It was clear that Astral Vanguard had one goal—<strong>force Phoenix Reborn into mistakes</strong> and capitalize on them immediately.


    "Tariq, hold center," Kai called out, watching as the battle unfolded in the narrow corridors of the Obsidian Keep.


    Tariq''s <strong>Irond</strong> pushed forward, meeting Astral Vanguard''s <strong>tank</strong> head-on. Both teams shed, their tanks exchanging blows while <strong>Lena</strong> unleashed a flurry of <strong>lightning spells</strong>, trying to zone out the enemy DPS. But Victor wasn''t giving her a chance to breathe.


    "They''re focusing me!" Lena called out, frustration in her voice. "Victor''s on me!"


    Kai could see the problem—Victor was targeting <strong>Lena</strong> specifically, darting in and out of the fight, forcing her to waste cooldowns and retreat. <strong>Tariq</strong> was holding the line, but without Lena''s damage output, they were losing the momentum.


    "Nina, nk Victor," Kai ordered. "We need to take some pressure off Lena."


    Nina immediately slipped into stealth, moving around the outer edge of the map to cut off Victor''s escape. But <strong>Astral Vanguard</strong> was ready. Before Nina could engage, <strong>Victor''s assassin</strong> appeared from the shadows, intercepting her with a deadlybo that forced her back.


    "They''ve got me pinned," Nina muttered, retreating. "They''re reading my moves."


    Kai''s pulse quickened. <strong>Victor''s coordination</strong> with his team was wless. Every time Phoenix Reborn tried to make a move, Astral Vanguard was one step ahead.


    "They''re isting us," Alex said, his voice tense as he tried to keep <strong>Tariq</strong> alive under the relentless assault. "I can''t keep up with the damage!"


    Kai gritted their teeth. They were being pulled apart. <strong>Victor''s mind games</strong> were working—he was pressuring them into overextending, forcing them into unfavorable positions, and <strong>exploiting every weakness</strong>.


    "Fall back, regroup!" Kai called out, trying to reset the fight. But it was toote.


    <strong>Tariq</strong> fell first, overwhelmed by thebined force of Astral Vanguard''s DPS.


    <strong>Irond has been in.</strong>


    "They''ve got me," Tariq grunted. "I couldn''t hold them."


    With <strong>Tariq</strong> down, the rest of the team crumbled. <strong>Lena</strong> was picked off next by Victor''s relentless attacks, and without her damage, Phoenix Reborn had no way to push back.


    <strong>Thunderstrike has been in.</strong>


    Kai and Nina tried onest desperate nk, but <strong>Victor</strong> anticipated it, catching them with a well-timed stun as their <strong>tank</strong> blocked their escape route. Both assassins fell quickly under the focused fire of Astral Vanguard''s DPS.


    <strong>Ghostfire has been in.</strong>


    <strong>Wraithde has been in.</strong>


    Alex, left alone and surrounded, couldn''t hold out for long.


    <strong>Frostbite has been in.</strong>


    <strong>Defeat.</strong>


    The screen shed with the crushing word, and the team sat in stunned silence for a moment. They had lost—<strong>and it hadn''t been close</strong>. Astral Vanguard had dismantled them, picking apart their strategy and countering every move.


    Tariq was the first to speak, his voice frustrated but not defeated. "Damn... they tore us apart."


    Lena sighed, her voice tinged with disappointment. "Victor was all over me. I couldn''t do anything."


    Alex, still catching his breath, spoke next. "I tried to keep everyone healed, but the pressure was too much. They knew exactly how to split us."


    Nina, always calm, simply said, "They were better. This time."


    Kai exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the positives. "Yeah, they were better. But we learned a lot from that. <strong>Victor''s team is precise, but they didn''t win just because they''re better yers—they won because they knew how to control the map and iste us.</strong> That''s something we can learn from."


    The team was quiet, processing the loss. Kai knew they were feeling the sting of defeat, but this was an opportunity—a chance to gain valuable experience against a top-tier team.


    "Look," Kai continued, their voice steady. "This was a scrimmage. It wasn''t about winning or losing—it was about learning. And we just learned a lot. We saw how a team like <strong>Astral Vanguard</strong> ys. They exploited our weaknesses, and now we know where to focus. We''re going to get better because of this."


    Tariq nodded, though he still sounded frustrated. "Yeah, I need to work on keeping the frontline tighter. I can''t let them pick us apart like that."


    Lena sighed but smiled slightly. "I need to figure out how to deal with Victor''s pressure. He was too fast."


    Alex, ever the optimist, added, "We''ll improve. We just need to keep practicing."


    Nina, alwaysposed, finished with, "We''ll be ready next time."


    Kai smiled. Despite the loss, the team wasn''t defeated. <strong>Phoenix Reborn</strong> had faced one of the toughest teams in the circuit and hade out stronger for it.


    "Exactly," Kai said. "This isn''t the end—it''s just another step. We learned from this, and we''lle back better. Next time, we''ll be the ones who are ready."


    As the team logged off for the night, Kai lingered in the lobby, staring at the <strong>defeat screen</strong> for a moment longer. Victor had proven he was still the skilled, ruthless yer he had always been, but <strong>Phoenix Reborn</strong> had something Victor didn''t—<strong>a team that was willing to grow together</strong>.


    Kai closed the screen with a smile, already thinking about the next steps. <strong>This loss wasn''t a setback—it was a lesson.</strong> And now, Phoenix Reborn was armed with the knowledge they needed to keep moving forward.


    <strong>The road to victory was long, but Phoenix Reborn was ready for the journey.</strong>