Chapter 89: Grand Final

NightEye locked in on map point, held her angle without flinching, and delivered the cold, crisp winning headshot to wrap up the Semifinals.

"LET’S GO!" she screamed, yanking off her headset as the crowd erupted into absolute chaos.

Just like that, Zenith Esports officially punched their ticket to the Grand Finals.

When we all gathered back in the private team room after the post-match interviews, the atmosphere was electrifying. NightEye collapsed onto the couch with a massive grin on her face. "Honestly, boss, I get it now. I’m playing so much better because I’m actually having fun out there!"

"It shows," I smirked, throwing a bottle of water over to her. I turned my attention to our anchor player. "What about you, Angelo? How are you holding up?"

Angelo leaned back against his chair, looking calm and totally grounded. "I’m good, Ethan. The retake setups feel like second nature now. Nothing they threw at us today surprised me."

"You played out of your mind," Amanda said, giving her cousin a proud nod before looking over at me. "So... tomorrow is the big one."

"Tomorrow is the Grand Finals," I agreed, walking over to the white board. "And let’s be real—there’s no doubt TitanSkell is sweeping their match today. They’re going to qualify right behind us."

"Good," Piercer sneered, cracking her knuckles with a dangerous look in her eyes. "Let them win today. It just sets up the main event tomorrow. I can’t wait to wipe that arrogant look off LownGun’s face in front of the entire world."

"Rest up tonight," I told the four of them, looking each of them in the eye. "Tomorrow, we execute the plan. TitanSkell’s reign ends."

The grand final had arrived, and the arena was an absolute pressure cooker. The lights were flashing, the bass from the stadium speakers shook the floor, and tens of thousands of screaming fans filled every single seat. The crowd was completely split, half chanting for TitanSkell’s three-year reign and half roaring for Zenith’s dark-horse run.

Backstage in the tunnel, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. You could see the subtle nerves on everyone—fidgeting with wrist straps, checking gear, deep breathing. It was natural; everything they had built towards over the last few weeks came down to this single series.

NightEye took a shaky breath and looked over at you, giving a half-smile. "Boss... if we lose today, just know I enjoyed every single minute of this."

Piercer instantly rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Thank God you said if you lose, because I don’t lose. Save the tragic speeches for after we lift the trophy."

You chuckled, stepping up beside the captain. "Good luck," you said, turning to Amanda. "Are you alright?"

Amanda adjusted her headset around her neck, her jaw set. "I’m ready, Ethan."

Before they could walk out, TitanSkell emerged from their lounge, marching toward the main stage entrance. The aura around them was pure toxicity—arrogant, smirking, treating the championship match like an annoying formality.

Lowngun caught your eye first, noticing the sharp, pissed-off look you were giving him. He chuckled, brushing right past Amanda on purpose and leaning in just enough for her to hear.

"You’re still the loser you’ve always been," Lowngun whispered mockingly, not even breaking his stride as he led his team out into the roaring stadium lights.

You felt a surge of annoyance, but you immediately stepped in front of Amanda to cut off the noise, holding her by the shoulders. "Hey. Look at me. Don’t let him get into your head, okay? That’s all he has—mind games. You have the better team."

Amanda took a deep, grounding breath, the flicker of doubt in her eyes turning back into pure fire. "He won’t."

You gave each of them a firm handshake and a clap on the back as their names were called over the PA system. One by one—Angelo, NightEye, Piercer, and Amanda—they walked through the tunnel curtains into the blinding lights and deafening cheers of the arena.

The stage was set. TitanSkell vs. Zenith. The final battle was on.

The match started, and the atmosphere in the arena was nothing short of epic. Every shot, every piece of utility, and every tactical trade played out on the massive overhead screens in hyper-crisp detail. Sitting near the stage, I watched the squad pull off high-level plays with frightening execution.

TitanSkell didn’t jump out to an early lead—just as we had anticipated. They were lying low, reading patterns, waiting for the right moment to activate their precision.

Suddenly, the main feed flashed red.

[FIRST BLOOD] Luna_Sky 🔫 LownGun

I smirked, leaning back in my chair. That’s my captain.

Even through the soundproof glass of the booths, you could practically see LownGun’s face contort with rage. He immediately hit his team comms, barking loud enough for the ambient mics to catch his voice echoing through the broadcast replay.

"Beginner’s luck!" LownGun scoffed, adjusting his headset with a snarl. "She got a lucky spawn timing, that’s all. Keep the default push, they’re nothing!"

"Shut up and focus, LownGun," TitanSkell’s shot-caller snapped back. "Execute B-site, now."

As the round progressed into game two, TitanSkell began ramping up the pressure. They started baiting our utility and forcing tight, isolated duels. Zenith slowly began losing ground.

Piercer got caught on an aggressive peek and dropped. Eliminated: PiercerXI

NightEye tried to trade from the backline, but TitanSkell’s crosshairs snapped onto her before she could break cover. Eliminated: NightEye

"I’m down!" NightEye called out over Zenith’s comms, her voice tight. "Amanda, they’re stacking main!"

Amanda held the angle with ice in her veins, taking out one before getting overwhelmed by a double-push. Eliminated: Luna_Sky

"It’s all you, Angelo!" Amanda shouted instantly. "They’re mid-reload, two on site! Use the distraction!"

It was a 1v2 situation, and TitanSkell was already celebrating, assuming the lone support player was free food. LownGun pushed forward carelessly, trash-talking into his mic. "Finish him off, let’s wrap this round—"

Angelo didn’t flinch.

While TitanSkell’s entry was completely distracted looking for the last clear angle, Angelo stepped out from the smoke shadows, fired two precision burst shots, and dropped them both before they could even toggle their auto-aim reads.

DOUBLE KILL: Angelo [ROUND WIN: ZENITH ESPORTS]

The booth mics caught the instant reactions as the win banner flashed across the screens.

"LET’S GO, ANGELO!" Piercer yelled, slamming her hands on her desk in excitement. "Suck on that, LownGun!"

"Clean retake, Angelo, beautiful patience," Amanda called out, letting out a breath of relief.

Over in TitanSkell’s booth, LownGun slammed his palm onto the desk, glaring across the stage toward our side.

Zenith had just secured map one. The momentum was officially ours.