From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 210: Knockout Format: Duo Queue, Triple Trouble

Micah dropped into his seat with a huff beside Archie, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. His brows were drawn together in a scowl as he stared at the monitor in front of him.

Darcy, by contrast, moved calmly to the chair beside him. He didn’t say much, just quietly logged into his account with ease, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Micah leaned toward Darcy slightly and grumbled under his breath, eyes darting toward Archie with a glare. "He had to blurt out your account?"

Darcy brushed a few strands of his black hair behind his ear and gave a small, questioning smile. "Why are you so hung up on it?"

Micah’s shoulders tensed. "You told me you have no intention of going pro. Now with this mess, people are definitely going to start pestering you."

Darcy remained calm, looking at his DarkLegend account page. "Don’t worry. Aren’t I playing my alt today? And besides, his teammate won’t say anything. If I don’t join their team, I’ll be their enemy. No one wants that," Darcy replied.

Micah frowned, drumming his fingers against the edge of the table. Something about how cool Darcy was acting made him uneasy. Could this end up like in the novel? What if Archie was slowly orchestrating things behind the scenes, drawing Darcy into his team, into the spotlight, into his web?

He turned toward Archie, who was adjusting his headset. "If you want me to play, you better focus just on the game, no dumb bets or bickering. Got it?"

Archie glanced at him sideways but didn’t take the bait. His expression settled into something unreadable. "Let’s do this, then. You and me for a duo round, then you and Darcy team up for a round. In the end, we play a five-player team."

Micah blinked. "Hm? Like the professional format? Where teams play knockout, then three times in the finale?"

"Yeah. We’ll try a few formats. If you don’t like it, we switch," Archie replied smoothly. "If you are still not pleased, you can join friendly matches."

Micah turned to Darcy. "What do you think?"

"Fine by me," Darcy said simply, stretching his fingers.

"Deal," Micah muttered, turning back to Archie. Then added with a pointed tone, "But you and Darcy should play a round against each other, too."

"Alright." Archie nodded.

They each pulled on their headsets, getting into position. Suddenly, a voice echoed over the speakers, crisp and full of enthusiasm.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to the ongoing knockout rounds of the QC EZone Open! Up next, we have a very special series of matches featuring the SilverBlade Legion, the BlackEagle team, the VeteranComeback, the GrenadeMasters, and the FocusDeities."

Micah flinched at the sudden sound. "What the hell?"

"Broadcasting. This part’s streamed," Archie said.

Micah groaned and rubbed his forehead. He hadn’t realised this part would be aired too. Good thing he was tucked away, out of their sight.

"You can watch the live broadcast here." Archie moved beside Micah, clicked a few buttons, and brought up a screen where the live broadcast was visible in the corner. The camera panned over the venue, stopping briefly on the billboard, showing the participant teams.

Micah leaned away a bit as Archie’s arm brushed his. He moved his chair an inch to the right.

Archie noticed. His expression didn’t change, but his fingers tightened briefly on the mouse. Why was Micah okay with Darcy being so close, yet acted like Archie was carrying the plague?

The broadcasting continued. "That’s right! Today we have something thrilling, a special crossover scrim between a few pro members and some standout rookies from the amateur bracket! Who knows, we might see some surprise stars in making!"

"Hey, how do I turn it off? It’s distracting," Micah muttered.

Archie reached over and shut the screen and the sound off.

"Thanks," Micah mumbled.

Outside on the stage, a young man continued, "And the first two teams that go head-to-head will be SilverBlade Legion and EmpireSlayer, a new team making waves in the amateur scene!"

A female commentator chimed in, voice bright and cheerful. "The exciting news is Archie Norris, the SilverBlade captain makes a rare early round appearance! And joining him is a mysterious support going by the name FrostbiteAshe! Who is this newcomer? A prodigy? We’ll find out soon."

The male commentator added. "I’ve heard rumours that FrostbiteAshe is connected to DarkVyne, the legendary Diamond player. If that’s true, we might have come across him too."

Micah missed all the remarks. The cheers of the crowd and SilverBlade’s team chat buzzed in his ears, drowning out the rest.

Archie returned to his place calmly after Micah’s subtle body rejection. His nails pressed into his palm, irritation flashing across his face.

He grabbed a lollipop and popped it in his mouth.

Micah eyed him. "Got another one?"

Archie paused mid-suck.

Then both Archie and Darcy spoke into the mic at the same time.

"You skipped breakfast again, didn’t you?" Darcy’s voice crackled through the team chat, laced with concern.

"Are you hungry?" Archie asked at the same time.

Micah jolted. "What’s with you two, huh?" He frowned, shooting them both a look. "I had a bun earlier, alright?"

Darcy narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

Micah nodded.

But Archie stood up abruptly. "Wait here. I’ll get something better."

"Hey, wait..."

Before Micah could protest, Archie was gone.

Ten minutes later, he came back with a small pack, handing out takeaway boxes with help from a couple of his teammates.

"Wow! Captain’s being generous today!" Flinn whistled.

"Oh, I am scared now. Is he possessed? What if this is our farewell feast before he kicks us out? Or worse before running us into a nonstop marathon?" Zian said.

"Shut up and eat," Archie muttered, tossing Zian a spoon.

Then he stopped in front of Micah and handed him a specific box with care. "Yours is different. Something light. Suitable for weak stomach."

Micah grabbed it awkwardly. "Uh...thanks."

He opened the lid. Soft rice porridge with bits of sweet potato and egg floated inside, a small packet of pickles on the side. A strange warmth spread in his chest, but he shoved it down. What was he thinking? This had to be one of Archie’s tricks. Trying to soften him up by showing care. Hmph! He wouldn’t fall for it.

Darcy silently watched Archie with a thoughtful expression. He was getting more and more certain that Archie might have feelings for Micah. His chest ached with a quiet, growing dread. A voice in the back of his mind whispered: Keep Micah away from Archie. Don’t let them get too close.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Today was an important day. He had promised himself not to ruin it for Micah.

The SilverBlade section buzzed with activity. All of them were hyped and ready to play.

Zian whispered to Russell. "Why is your big bro so moody today? One moment arguing with that Frosty, next feeding him breakfast?"

Russell waved a hand. "You get used to it in no time. But if you are so curious, you can ask him yourself."

Zian shook his head like a pendulum of a clock. "Nope. I like living," he said and returned to his girlfriend.

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