Chapter 300: The First Match Was a Tough One!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

More people were cynical about Kyoto being able to defend its title after seeing the results of lot-draw. The forecasters were overwhelmingly pessimistic about the five-time champion.

It was the same for the gambling rings. Olly Casino, the leader of the four major gambling rings, immediately adjusted Kyoto’s odds of defending its title to no more than 1 to 100.

The odds of the crowd-favorite Eastern University winning the title were only 1 to 1.5. Even Military Institute, which was in the same zone as Kyoto, was only at 1 to 65.

Per average performances, Kyoto would meet the top ten universities in the other matches. They would probably meet Military Institute in the eighth to fourth rounds if they waited patiently. They thought they would benefit from this and keep Kyoto out of the top four.

A bespectacled member of Taiwu Institute’s team complained frowningly, “Captain, why is our luck so bad this year? We’ll run into Kyoto in the first round!”

“He’s right, captain. We can easily enter the top 32 with our strength, but it just so happens…” a first-year student beside the bespectacled member echoed.

…

Soon after, the rest of the team members in Taiwu Institute’s lounge began to discuss among themselves.

After listening to their discussions, Taiwu Institute’s captain, Hardey, cleared his throat and said, “Don’t be intimidated just because they’re the five-time champions. Strength is the absolute truth.

“Six of their eleven team members are only first-year students. It’s more like they’re here to train the newcomers instead. So, we must give them a good lesson!”

“You’re right, captain. The competition has always been about strength. We have eight second-year elites participating this year. Also, we’ve been preparing since last year!” Heller, Taiwu’s co-captain, puffed out his chest.

After a pause, he continued, “Since Kyoto is standing in our way, we’ll defeat the defending champions and begin our new journey in this year’s competition!”

Taiwu’s team was in high spirits after listening to their captain and co-captain’s encouraging words. They swept away their previous haze and raised their arms to cheer as if they had injected themselves with stimulants, “Alright!”

Creak!

The door to Taiwu’s lounge opened, and a burly teacher with dagger-like eyebrows and tiger-like eyes entered. It was Taipu, Taiwu’s team leader.

He raised his sharp eyebrows, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he spoke excitedly, “This is the list of our first match against Kyoto.”

The team members immediately surrounded Taipu when they saw the list in his hands.

“They’re using five second-year students and five first-year students,” Heller sneered, “It seems they still value us quite a bit. I initially thought they would send their six first-year students.”

“I’m confident in taking a point from them as long as we don’t face Bishop,” Hardey said calmly.

A first-year student could not hide his joy and shouted excitedly, “If the other seven first-year students in our team meet the five in the other, we will undoubtedly win!”

The other team members also got excited.

“In theory, what Liezer said just now is right,” Taipu nodded as he said affirmatively. Then he glanced at each team member gratifyingly and continued, “They have five newbies, which is a favorable factor for us.

“We must defeat them in the one-on-one segment. Otherwise, our chances of winning will be slim by the time the five-on-five segment starts. How we arrange ourselves will determine this match’s outcome.”

With that, the team members sat around Taipu and discussed their arrangements.

…

The atmosphere was very relaxed in Kyoto’s lounge. Besides Charlie, who had a more serious expression, the rest looked calm and collected.

Meanwhile, Sofia and the five professors sat around the sofa with the team, discussing their first stage order.

Bishop looked calmly at Sofia and said, “Team Leader Sofia, I know Taiwu will target our five new members. They will think we must ensure our new members fight for victory. Even if the new members lose, we can still obtain the final victory through the five-on-five segment.”

“Captain Bishop is right. Taiwu thinks we dare not send too many new members, so they will probably send two of their new members to fight. They want their new members to exhaust our two senior members.

“Then their eight seniors will appear and finish the job,” Sofia had a sweet smile as she said lightly.

Brady said thoughtfully with a calm expression, “I think we can send our five new members to the front.”

Everyone in the lounge looked at him.

“Isn’t that too risky, Professor Brady?” Xiazo frowned slightly and asked with a hint of doubt.

Cubert said worriedly, “If the other team’s first five are seniors, we might face a situation where we were five points behind by the end of the first five matches.”

Sitting on the far right, Moss looked at Sofia confidently and said with a severe expression, “That won’t happen.”

Although his words were brief, they attracted everyone’s attention. Since everyone was looking at him, he continued, “I think Professor Brady’s plan is excellent compared with Leader Sofia’s analysis of our opponent’s psychology.

“Also, after I did some statistics on the first few rounds of our school’s previous competition matches, I learned that we use more 4-2-3-1 second- and first-year student alternate orders to arrange our members.

“Firstly, we send four seniors, then two new members, followed by three seniors, then one new member. That order of appearances is more stable, and making mistakes is hard. Moreover, we can always win when matched with the seniors’ strengths.

“Therefore, I think Taiwu’s first two players will be new members. That way, we will also send two new members in the first two segments. We should win at least one of those. Then we will win the first segment, no matter what we do later.”

Sofia showed no changes on the surface, but her heart surged when she heard Moss’s calm analysis.

‘Moss is insanely meticulous. He even summed up his team’s habits. He doesn’t seem like a sixteen-year-old, no matter how I look at him,’ Sofia muttered inwardly. Her eyes revealed shock as she stared at Moss and nodded.

She was not the only one who felt shocked. The other professors also looked at Moss with shock and approval.

Bishop’s eyes flashed as he smiled and said to Sofia, “Moss’s analysis is perfect, Leader Sofia. We will go with Professor Brady’s plan if we want to train our rookies better. Even so, we can add one to two seniors in the first five matches if we want to be safe.”

Sofia had a sweet smile the entire time as she used a more amiable tone, saying, “Sure, then you guys can arrange the order yourselves. You can tell me the results when you’re done discussing.

“I want to report it to the organizing committee half an hour before the competition starts.”