Reincarnated Avatar; I got 2 SSS-Rank Unique Skills
Chapter 208: The homecoming

Chapter 208: The homecoming

Club Echelon secured another victory against an opponent in the English Pro Alliance, Cerberus Core this time. Another flawless performance.

And with it, they took their points tally to 12 points for the season, level on points with Cyber Squad while 3 points behind Phoenix Rising and Scarlet Rose who both won all 5 of their games at the end of matchday 5.

Club Echelon was 3 points behind because their initial matchday 4 encounter against Cyber Squad was postponed due to the emergency that happened.

Phoenix Rising and Scarlet Rose were at 15 points each.

After matchday 5, the fact that Club Echelon was keeping up with the top 3 clubs in the English Pro Alliance was not what shocked fans more, rather, it was because of the incredible record that they broke with it.

It was already more than a decade since the English Pro Alliance started, and yet, no club had been able to get more than 3 flawless victories in a row.

And yet, Club Echelon just did it, shattering the record.

They doing it was shocking, but it was not the most shocking factor. The most shocking factor was the fact that this season was Club Echelon’s inaugural season in the English Pro Alliance, their debut season, and to go on and shatter such a significant record immediately... was just crazy.

After matchday 1, Club Echelon was already highly rated and yet, after each matchday, English Warstar fans kept on realizing that they still underestimated the new London club.

After matchday 5, they no longer predicted. Club Echelon was the dark horse this season, and those guys were out to shatter some crazy records in the league.

Earlier in the season, fans acknowledged that Echelon was good, a top tier club, but not yet at the level of legendary clubs like Cyber Squad, Phoenix Rising, and Scarlet Rose this season.

And yet, after 4 consecutive flawless victories, fans were forced to reevaluate their opinion of the new London club.

In the buildup to matchday 4, Warstar fans still saw Club Echelon as the underdog in first top of the table clash of the season between Club Echelon and Club Cyber Squad.

And yet, after matchday 5, they were no longer as certain.

Cyber Squad was strong, yes.

It was a Cyber Squad home game, yes. But Club Echelon already proved enough times this season that the last thing you could do was underestimate them.

After matchday 5, Cyber Squad and Echelon’s clash was rescheduled to take place in 3 days.

The buildup to the D-day was filled with speculation, publicity, and excitement.

To Cyber Squad fans, it meant a lot. They dubbed it the homecoming.

After all, on that night, legends of their club, the ones who wrote the 5-peat history that made Cyber Squad the biggest club in England would be returning to their home stadium. Not as legends though, not as spectators either, rather as players playing for the opposition team.

In a blink, D-day arrived.

...

[Matchday 4:]

[Cyber Squad vs Echelon]

[Time: 8:00pm]

England, London, Cyber Stadium.

The 50,000 capacity stadium was filled to the brim on the night.

Tens of thousands of fans filled the stadium, most in the black jerseys of Cyber Squad, while few in the purple colors of Club Echelon.

And yet, on the night, despite the fact that this was a top of the table clash, there was no hostility in the stadium. Just excitement, nostalgia, and emotion.

Cyber Squad fans were experiencing a whirlwind of complicated emotions. They never got the opportunity to give a proper sendoff for the legends of their club, including the greatest player to ever play for Cyber Squad, God Noah.

Meeting them again in this stadium, they all felt emotional.

This was enemy ground but as soon as team Echelon entered the stadium, the fans in black unfurled a gigantic banner of Sam.

[God Noah]

[Forever a Club Legend!]

It was enemy stadium, and yet Noah chants exploded from the mouths of tens of thousands of fans filling the stadium.

"Noah!" "Noah!" "Noah!"

Climbing the podium in this familiar stadium, hearing this familiar chant, Noah could not help the nostalgia flowing through him like a flood.

Not just him, no matter how nonchalant they tried to be, Aria and the others felt like him. After all, this specific stadium, this specific fanbase, it was what they all called home and family for over a decade.

Connections like this, it could not be severed just because they were separated for a year. It was a connection for a lifetime.

Team Cyber Squad itself paid attention to their legends, Caster leading the line as they hugged their opposition before entering the player booth.

And then...

[LOADING...]

[FIRST ROUND: INDIVIDUAL BATTLE]

Like expected, Lord Doom and Noah came out to represent Club Echelon fr the first individual battle.

As for Cyber Squad? Caster and Stinger of War stepped out.

In the arena, Noah froze, looking at the Avatar that was once such an integral part of his life. An Avatar that was once part of him.

[God Noah] Caster greeted in chat.

Noah grinned behind his monitor, and simply typed.

[Let’s fight. Let the best man win.]

BOOM!

Both Avatars exploded into action.

Just like in almost every other game since making his return to the English Pro Alliance, Noah did not utilize the versatile advantage of Aetherforge yet. Rather, he only used the battle lance form of the SSS-Ranked weapon.

And so, it became a battle of Combat Mages.

It was fast-paced, intense, and exceedingly exciting. The fans got a show.

Sparring against his old Avatar, Noah had so much fun. Caster managed to take 78% of his HP, but in the end, Lord Doom was the one left standing at the end.

---<VICTORY>---

[Cyber Squad: 0 point]

[Echelon: 1 point]

Cyber Squad fans experienced a bittersweet feeling.

On one hand, they were glad to see their OG captain win again just like he always did. And yet, to see Stinger of War being the one at the end of his battle lance this time, they could not help the pang of sorrow that overwhelmed them.

And yet, they cheered still.

"Noah!" "Noah!" "Noah!"

They chanted.

For the second individual battle, Aria and her Reckless Storm took the stage, taking on the new Blademaster controller that was used to replace her.

Just like Noah, she faced her old Avatar in battle.

They also cheered for her.

"Sword Saint!" "Sword Saint!" They cheered.

Aria showed no mercy despite the fact that this was the Avatar that she used for over a decade in the English Pro Alliance.

She fought against it ruthlessly, cutting him down with ruthless efficiency.

Reckless Storm won with 38% HP still remaining.

And yet, it was in the 3rd individual battle that Club Echelon finally faltered, Caleb and his Enlightened Flame losing to Cyber Squad’s Elementalist.

Benjamin’s old Avatar defeated Caleb.

Watching it, Benjamin was all smiles. "That’s my boy!" He said like a proud father watching his son shine in his stead.

The 3 vs 3 battle rush was a classic.

Cyber Squad fielded their strongest III lineup, and they showed exactly why they were part of the 5 teams dominating at the top of the English Pro Alliance league table.

Caster did the impossible, using terrain advantage to defeat Aria in the first clash, buying the opening for his team.

Against God Noah who was Echelon’s second challenger, he wasted time, kiting Lord Doom and Noah didn’t rush him. He didn’t want to waste his energy.

He killed Caster eventually but by then, too much time passed already.

Cyber Squad won by Health decision. By the time the countdown hit 0, they had combined overall HP more than Club Echelon.

The team battle was also a tight spectacle.

Both teams held nothing back, putting everything out there on the arena to give the fans a show. Both teams had their time, dominating at intervals, but in the end, one team outlasted the other.

In the most dire moment of the team battle, Aria exploded, truly embodying her persona as the Sword Saint as she completed a 3v1, taking down 3 enemy Avatars with her to oblivion.

That was what gave Club Echelon the advantage.

At the end, Lord Doom simply led his team to ride on the momentum that was given to them by Aria’s rampage.

At the end of a truly exciting battle, Club Echelon managed to edge the home side, maintaining their perfect start to the season with another 3 points display.

---<VICTORY>---

[Cyber Squad: 3 points]

[Echelon: 7 points]

Club Echelon’s flawless run came to an end, but it didn’t matter because they got the even more important 3 points.

At the end of the game, the Cyber Squad players embraced their opponents, showing their respect for their legend in the club.

Cyber Squad home fans lost, but they didn’t let the sorrow get to them.

They took advantage of the moment to give their legends the perfect farewell that they deserved as they sang their names in order.

The end of the game was an emotional one.

But with it, the fans felt like a weight that has been burdening them for almost a year was finally lifted.