The countdown reached zero.
The screens behind the stage flared to life, casting sharp light across the main hall. The familiar opening theme of the City League broadcast rolled out, louder and more polished than anything Epoch had heard so far.
"Good afternoon, everyone," the commentator's voice rang out. "Welcome to today's featured City League match. I'm Leo, joined by—"
"—Mason," the second voice followed. "And we've got something interesting lined up today."
The camera swept across the stage.
"And there they are," Leo continued. "Team Epoch. A newly registered squad that's been… let's say, quietly efficient so far."
Mason chuckled. "Quietly is right. They weren't even on stream last round, but one clip made its way around last night. People started asking questions."
The camera paused, zooming in on Daniel.
"And that," Leo said slowly, "is Nightwalker."
The game loaded.
Draft phase began.
Mason leaned forward. "Alright, let's see what they lock in."
WildZone hovered jungle.
CrystalFeather locked mid.
Blackstone took top without hesitation.
Ironwall selected support.
The cursor hovered over Daniel's slot.
"…No way," Leo said as the icon appeared.
"Holy Crusader," Mason confirmed. "On stream."
The chat exploded.
"CRUSADER??""Is this a joke?""Top 100 Crusader in City League?""Wait—this guy's undefeated."
Leo laughed nervously. "That's not something you see every day."
The match began.
Early game was restrained.
Epoch didn't force vision fights. Didn't chase early kills. They spread out, took space, denied angles.
Mason frowned slightly. "They're… not doing much."
Leo replied, "They're doing something. It's just hard to see."
At six minutes, WildZone invaded.
Ironwall moved first.
CrystalFeather rotated second.
Daniel stepped sideways—not forward.
The enemy jungler retreated.
"No fight?" Mason asked.
Leo shook his head. "No fight. Control."
The first real engagement came mid.
CrystalFeather pressured lane aggressively, forcing cooldowns. Daniel held position just out of vision.
The enemy mid stepped forward.
Too far.
Daniel engaged.
Shield slam.
"THERE IT IS!" Leo shouted.
The follow-up landed perfectly.
First blood.
The crowd reacted a half-second late, catching up to what had already happened.
Chat scrolled wildly.
"Did you see that angle?""He didn't even charge forward.""That positioning is insane.""This doesn't look like City League."
Mason's voice tightened. "That wasn't mechanics. That was prediction."
Mid-game unfolded like a lesson.
Blackstone absorbed pressure top, never calling for help. WildZone punished overextensions relentlessly. Ironwall's presence erased enemy flanks before they formed.
Daniel anchored the map.
Not flashy.
Inevitable.
At fifteen minutes, the gold lead wasn't massive—but the control was absolute.
Leo lowered his voice. "This feels… clinical."
Mason nodded slowly. "This feels like a team that shouldn't be here."
The decisive fight came near the objective pit.
The enemy forced it.
Hard.
Abilities overlapped. Damage spiked.
For a moment, the screen looked chaotic.
Then—
CrystalFeather slid into position.
Ironwall cut vision.
WildZone flanked.
Daniel moved sideways.
Again.
The enemy carry disappeared.
Then another.
The fight collapsed.
Leo stood up halfway from his seat. "THIS IS—"
"—OVER," Mason finished quietly.
The final push was methodical.
No taunts.
No dives.
Just structure.
When the crystal shattered, the screen filled with light.
VICTORY
The hall erupted—not deafening, but unmistakable.
Leo exhaled sharply. "Ladies and gentlemen… Epoch."
The camera lingered on the team.
WildZone grinning openly now.
CrystalFeather calm, focused.
Ironwall unmoving.
Blackstone steady.
Daniel removed his headset slowly.
No celebration.
Just acknowledgment.
Mason spoke softly. "I think we just watched something begin."
Leo nodded. "And I don't think City League is ready for it."
Somewhere far from the stage, a different screen went dark.
A man in a quiet office leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled.
"So," he said to no one in particular, "he chose that path."
The Dawn logo glowed faintly on the wall behind him.
"This time," the man continued, "we'll do it properly."