Baptism of Fire 78

[Kamisato Ayaka Nation]

She’s Just Waifubait!
www.shesjustwaifubait.com

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Succeed So far!
My project has been a success so far! I can finally see my beautiful Ayaka materialise right in front of my eyes! This Twicetagrien technology really does wonders, huh? Praise them for thinking up something like this!

So far I’ve felt a bit lonely. All my friends left me, thinking I was crazy, but I’m not! They dared call my Ayaka waifubait! Waifubait! Seriously, they really don’t know what a beautiful person is… I thought they’d support me, but they all left me… They thought me doing this was otherworldly and impossible, but I’m just taking the opportunity to achieve what I really want! アルレクシル (Arurekusiru), if you’re reading this, I hope you know that I’m happy with my dear Ayaka. You can rot in your regret of not being able to be with the most beautiful person EVER! I’m feeling more at home with Ayaka as time flies

Anyways, it hurts my heart to see my Ayaka so scared and confused. Doesn’t she know she’s in a better place? Teyvat is crawling with dangerous monsters and individuals! With me, they will be safe forever, I promise that. I’m pretty sure my plastic surgery is working because they seem to think I’m Ayato. Great! They will trust me in no time!

Anyways, with my other passion being football, I decided to take part in this World Cup thing. I think only countries can join, so I created Kamisato Ayaka Nation! Isn’t that great? Ayaka being able to represent and only herself, while I’ll spearhead this whole thing! Still, I think a little bit of threatening will work. They still seem a bit self-aware and I can’t let them see the whole operation in its glory yet. I don’t want to act like this, but I have to act a bit domineering so that she will obey me. I feel like what I’m doing is a but wrong, but the only way my Ayaka can be truly happy is if she listens to me…

I just want everyone to know that I’m perfectly fine and happy as I am, and you all are wrong! I’ve managed to achieve what no one else could through my hard work alone. I hope in the future my beautiful Ayaka will finally understand me and will celebrate with me.

~ Ayato

[Fort McKinley]

Fort McKinley end with perfect record
(FMNA) DANNIN CITY, MERTAGNE--The People's Republic National Football Team have completed a perfect 3-0 record here in Mertagne, in spite of suspicious happenings during the matches against Maphidon and Kyhun.

The first episode in the corrupt capitalist plot to cheat the Heroes of the Revolution came during the 2-0 victory over the degenerate Maphidon side, as one section of the Dannin City Stadium began to be swallowed up by the ground underneath, requiring an evacuation of the area. By the conclusion of the match, said section was approximately 4 feet lower than at the start of the contest. The blatant conspiracy carried over to the match against the pampered bourgeoisie from Kyhun as the same end of the ground where the stadium had sunk another 6 feet was nearly unplayable due the boggy pitch, resulting in the fact that all the goals scored in the contest were scored at opposite end.

Nevertheless, the Team have now progressed to a final 16 team knockout stage, where they will face Aleirave, once again playing in the decadent location of Dannin City, where there is no respite from the influence of the capitalist pig dog ideology.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

David Guy Allen scored two of the three goals for Fort McKinley in the 3-2 win over Kyhun, including the game winner. The playing conditions were atrocious, as there was no chance of moving the ball at one end of the pitch over the 90 minutes.
The team were now four wins away from capturing the title, and the mood in training was one of optimistic confidence and quiet contemplation of what might happen if they failed to progress from this first elimination game.

Ahead of the start of qualifying for World Cup 91, there was no guarantee that the current squad would be the same group that would be selected for that tournament; there was no guarantee that manager Chris Gray would even be in charge if the powers that be in Shiloh Springs decided that the results here didn't meet their expectations.

His mom and two older brothers had called and left congratulatory messages on his voicemail after the Kyhun match; cell phones were useless outside of Ft McKinley except for actual phone calls as one couldn't send or receive texts or access the internet in a foreign country. Having Lee-lee here with him gave him an additional peace of mind as well as someone to pass the time with when in training or meetings.

[Trollish Islands]

“Nyhedere vores regioon” newspaper
In our editorial office, the first sheet of this issue of the newspaper was already prepared, in which our team said goodbye to the tournament, without much, however, bitterness, since this is, in essence, a football tournament in extreme conditions. Thanks to success and hard work of our athletes, this first page has not needed and will take its place in the curiosities section of our archipelago, but nevertheless we will not keep comments about the tournament to ourselves. For in the final round of the group stage, all the familiar pictures were again observed - the infrastructure falling apart before our eyes, hooliganism and crime incidents are abound, the general disorganization of the process remained visible, as law enforcement agencies and even firefighters neglect with their duties. And continued cases like at Spectrum Stadium or at La Fantas, which you won’t even understand, where to attribute it to hooliganism or sloppiness. Episode in our game also was of precisely such nature: in the middle of the first half, the players found in their gates someone swaddled to such an extent that he could not even raise voice.

Situation of our team were so complicated by poor performance in the first two matches that it was impossible to reasonably expect success in the fight for a ticket to the playoffs. Yes, the conditions of the games seriously complicated the normal work for the athletes, but this did not change the general situation, because all teams were in the same conditions. Yes, the general opinion, both fans and experts, was that the team could achieve more. And, at least from a team under the flag of two dragons, we could expect a game much more inspirational and convincing. For the final match of the group stage, the expectations were modest - the team, in fact, was expected to have at least one goal scored, and, ideally, make a victory. And, fortunately, our lads were able to provide the first, and then the second. Labor, earned by shed sweat and hard work all over the field, a goal scored in the second half, allowed to achieve the desired result.

And the third factor, which we did not even dare to hope for, was provided by competitors. Fans and officials have already mentally prepared for the departure home, the chances of our team were so small. But Forbidden Islands did us a big favor by crushing Cardenao. Another big question is how much the damage to the stadium infrastructure had an impact on this result of Cardenao - but at least this time such episodes did not play against us, and it is worth noting that this time the administration reacted by at least making efforts to localize the problems. Perhaps not everything is lost for the organizers of the tournament, there are still chances that they will slightly adjust their approach to the things. Our lads have to play with Hopal, an almost invisible team in the media space: except for the publication of the line-up, nothing can be seen or heard from it at all. Information about opponents is also tricky to collect, and since the broadcasts are not really organized, and no one was preparing for the playoffs due the chance of getting into this stage was so scanty, we are not having any infomation about opponents at all. But let's hope for better, our team is not that bad really.

---

Greetings, compatriots! It's TTV with a news about recent BoF, where our beloved cousins from Trollish Islands played their last group game - we all thinking, that this is their last game at the tournament, and, given the fact, that team already announced withdraval from World Cup, maybe last ever. Lads from Trollish Islands, however, deceived the expectations of the ill-wishers, whom, oddly enough, we also have, and managed to slip into the playoffs thanks to their work and good luck.
The decisive goal was scored in the 58th minute, Thorsten Herning received a pass from midfield and managed to shoot while standing surrounded by defenders. The goalkeeper of the opponents, despite the excellent flying jump, failed to catch the ball.

We are congratulate our cousins with this hard-working victory and hoping that we will have some chances to broadcast something else about their successes.

[Forbidden Territories]

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Forthers End Their Group Stage With A Bang As Cardenao Crumble Under Pressure

By a Staff Correspondent

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Tigres,25th April,2022: Forbidden Territories' group stage success continued as they defeated Cardenao by an empathetic scoreline of 4 - 1. Going into this match, the Forthers had already qualified for the Round of 16 stage of the BoF with a 1 goal victories against Kuraita and the Trollish islands. Knott- the ever so reliable, was the difference in both those cases, However Matt Ress had put him in bench for the final match giving him some well deserved rest and the played the same lineup that he talked about in FTS News Network:- Match Analysis with Ian Stoke. Cardenao who were second in the group just needed a draw to go past the group stage into the Round Of 16 , however they were stilll playing their aggresive 4-2-1-3 formation.

The Game began without any interruption , which for this tournament meant Margaret herself had blessed this game, for no game in this Baptism Of Fire has not been riddled with controversies or technical issues. Cardenao started the match aggresively looking to get a goal as soon as possible to get it done with. Juanma Saez had almost managed to score a goal, but Shaun Mansey, the newbie had risen to the occasion by diving towards the ball as soon as Saez released it, saving what would otherwise be an amazing goal. In the 30th minute Herman Miller passed the ball to Marc Rushinburg through an opening. Rushinburg then provided a cross to Sanchez who hit the ball in the back of the net, resulting in a goal for Forthers ( 1 - 0). Holland just missed the ball by an inch. Cardenao responded by attacking agressively. Diego Valenzuela dribbled passed the midfield of Forthers and attempted an aerial pass to Ibai, however it got intercepted by Kael Molluwac, who passed it to the now fit Mandrake Manson. Manson kicked it towards Larry Stevens who headbutted it to Sanchez . Sanchez sped past the midfielders of Cardenao most of whom were still on the offensive half, before backpassing to Rushinburg who then netted in to the back of the net. The First half ended with Forthers leading 2 - 0.

MATCH REPORT
FTS : Cardenao
Possesion 65% 35%
Shots 7 6
Shots On Goal 5 3
Fouls 2 2
Yellow Cards 0 0
Red Cards 0 0
Goals 4 1

The 2nd half began with a slight delay due to an aquarium leakage resulting in the scrambling of fire brigade. Add that to the list of controversies and breakdowns, and I suppose even this match was not free from this curse of this year's Baptism Of Fire. The game started just like in the previous half, however this time, Cardenao managed to find the goal they had been looking for since the start. Giampetro Vera passed the ball to Juanma Saez who scored an incredible long range shot in the top left corner resulting in a goal in the 50th minute ( 2 - 1). Some pundits exclaim that the shot could be the Goal Of The Tournament. However the joy of the goal did not last long, as Alberto Sanchez soon afterwards found a hole in the Cardenao defence that resulted in him scoring yet another goal for Forbidden Territories (3 - 1 ) Cardenao attempted to claw back into the game but to no avail as the Forther's defence stood like wall. In the 79th minute, Forbidden Territories got a corner resulting from the ball getting deflected by a defender. Mohammad Rafique took the corner, and curved the ball into box, after which Herman Miller heatbutted to score the last and final goal for Forbidden Territories, and curtains for Cardenao. ( 4 - 1)

MATCH SCORE
FTS 4 - 1 CARDENAO
30' Sanchez 50' Saez
43' Rushiburg
56' Sanchez
79' Miller

The Average Odds of them winning this match* was 1:2.13 , thus giving them a probability of 31.9% chance of winning. Most experts had predicted a 2-0 or a 1-0 loss, however none of the experts at the FT Studios Panel had this scoreline in mind. Krysten Robinson, one of our analysts had high praise for coach Matt Ress, he said :-

Matt Ress is ideal for the Forthers,He knows how to improve the confidence of the younger players which is essential for the squad full of rookies. His tactics while may not be the most modern and definitely the best for a not so experienced team, and the way he is introducing new formations and techniques to the player at a staggered rate is brilliant. The only issue with him is regarding his tactics in crunch situation which aren't the best as seen during the games against Cardenao and Trollish Islands.

Coach Bryson, the well known coach of the Vezcorians in the soon to be started Forbidden League said:-

Ress has his work cut out for him, I reckon Rushinburg and Sanchez are a must for the knockout lineup, Mandrake obviously must be there alongside Miller,We mjght see a four pronged Attack for the next game assuming Rafique is there too. A lot of talent has been identified from this match , who will be in the future lineups of FTS.Now it's time to blood them.

Much focus is now on the clash between Forbidden Territories and Macbon, where the odds are currently 1:1. In layman terms, it's anyone's game. Football fans across the country are eager to spectate the match. The tickets are being sold like hot cakes in a carnival. The anticipated match in Ring Tank Stadium shall be held on 26th April. Don't forget to mark the date.
* Average Odds means the sum of the combined average of all the odds in the 6 major reliable betting sites of Forbidden Territories, the 2 different match predictors- WinX, and MatchMaster and 2 random sample odds each time divided by hundred. In Mathemathical Terms it is N1= (6 major betting sites + 2 match predictors + 2 random samples)/10. Avg = N1 + N2 +.../100, where the random odds vary every single time. The sample space of random odds being every single betting site.

[Gortolekua]

Seinät’s many subway lines are jam-packed with people during rush hour. You just happen to be one of these sardines that gets to call a subway car home for a few minutes each day. Today, however, isn’t one of those days you’ll be spending a few minutes; the train comes to a screeching halt before a woman’s voice goes over the train intercom.

“This Crimson Line train is stopped due to technical issues. We will continue on trek as soon as these problems are resolved. Thank you.”

Groans from everyone on board, naturally. You gotta waste time somehow in the meanwhile. You pull out your phone and open up your radio app, just for hell of it. The headphones in your pockets are tangled, but you’ve got no energy to untangle them. You tilt your head at a weird angle because of it after you plug them in. Surprisingly, there’s good signal and you start surfing frequencies, tapping your thumb on screen to change the digital dial. Pop radio’s a no-go for now, nor is the radio station your geezers love checking out.

“Screw it,” you tell yourself. “Might as well listen to sports radio.”

---

Royalty-free butt rock of the most egregious variety goes on-air, and the most macho voice follows.

Announcer: “You love ‘em, ya hate ‘em, but you know you rate ‘em. Number one in the country for a reason, it’s time for Iñaki and Keke on G-S-P-X FM — Sport’s Home Base.”

Iñaki Mexa: “Alright, alright, alright, enough of the music, bring that down Erik, will ya?”

Producer Erik fades down the butt rock as the show gets underway.

Keke Jokinen: “Why our bosses won’t give us better music beats me. But we’re glad you’re here with us today for the show WHICH…kicks off with a bang, no time wasting allowed! We’re joined now on the Parlevaxa Guest Line by none other than this country’s Päälehen, Perry Salonen.”

Salonen joins the show over the phone. Naturally, he sounds crunchier than the either host as a result.

Perry Salonen: “Hi guys, good to be here on the show.”

KJ: “Likewise, Perry. We can call you that, right?”

PS: “All fine by me!”

Salonen chuckles as we can hear him gulp some water over the air. He’s getting a bit nervous.

IM: “Now Perry, last time you went on a sports show, our friends at Ottelueguna, ahead of the Aleirave match, your knowledge of ball was surprisingly lacking.”

PS: “Yeah, yeah I know.”

KJ: “Buddy, three minutes on the show and you made so many mistakes. Confusing Kappale and Kyynel, butchering auringonottaja, not knowing who else got promoted…what’s all this for?”

PS: “You know, I think our country in the past has not had the best of relationships with these outlets, so I’m trying to fix that by making appearances on shows — like yours and Ottelueguna — to show that we’ve got a government willing to make inroads for once.”

IM: “So trying to brush off every sense of authoritarianism we once had then?”

PS: “Exactly.”

IM: “But now you’re here with us. Another sports show. What are trying to prove again?”

PS: “Well, the same things as I just mentioned…and that I do know more ball than I’ve been given credit for recently.”

KJ: “We’ll put you to the test then. Erik, start queuing up callers to ask questions. We’ve got some of our own. Welcome to the Hot Seat, Premier Salonen.”

A fire ignition sound effect goes on air. Salonen’s gulp of nervousness is heard ever so slightly in the background of the fire starting.

KJ: “What should we be on the lookout for ahead of the Maphidon match in the Round of 16?”

PS: “Uhhh…”

Salonen quietly fumbles for his notes at his office inside the Parliament building. He’s still time-wasting, trying not to be a bumbling bozo.

PS: “That Henry Garcia Valenci… man he sure knows how to play ball. A hat trick in his last match? I have trust in our team, but he will certainly make it tough for our Winter Lynxes. Based on the highlights I’ve seen on VirtaVideo. Heh.”

Crickets from both hosts. Producer Erik plays a groan sound effect.

IM: “League wise, what can we expect for the upcoming Ohorekunnia?”

Salonen certainly wasn’t prepared for this.

PS: “Shiiiiiiiiii…ps will sail for sure. Teams that had their window of being good will certainly no longer have that. I think Kappale’s window of repeating is getting tougher, thanks to a lot of reinforcement and improvements from their top-8 rivals.”

KJ: “Let’s take a caller now, shall we? Bonnie from the Sanka Sumu district, you’re on the air.

Bonnie: “Hi Päälehen Salonen, are there any teams you expect to make a surprise this season?”

PS: “Erm…not really?”

Bonnie: “So you can’t just name a team? Any team?”

PS: “If that’s the case, I’ll probably have to go with Top de Afaragloto. That’s a team they say is going down after this year, like a yo-yo, right? Well I think they’ll stay up! Somehow, someway, they’ll stay up.”

IM: “Erik, bring on Mikael from across the strait in Aurinkolasit. Boss, you’re on the air.”

Mikael: “You say you’re a big Voitamatton fan, Premier, but honestly: How do you see them doing this season?”

PS: “Well, not last, that’s for sure. Not first either. Somewhere in the middle, most likely.”

Mikael: “Come on, Perry. You can do better than that.”

PS: “Fine, sixth.”

KJ: “Alright, Premier. That’s enough. You made it through the Hot Seat.”

PS: “I did? Oh thank god.”

Salonen’s sigh of relief can be heard over the airwaves. He’s glad he didn’t blunder last time.

IM: “One final question before we let you go, and I’m going to let Keke fire away.”

PS: “What’s up, Keke?”

KJ: “Why is it that the Gortoleki government has continued to remain silent when it comes to increasing calls for transparency regarding Adelaide Island?”

A pin drop could be heard. Salonen certainly wasn’t expecting that.

PS: “Erm…I’m sorry?”

KJ: “What? Just cause you think this a sports show means it’s focusing solely on sports when we’ve got our head of government here? I didn’t go to journo school for nothing.”

PS: “I know, this just wasn’t expected and it wasn’t on our approved topics for the show.”

KJ: “You’re in charge of the government. You’re our premier. We have to know, as Gortoleki.”

PS: “Listen, I’m going to defer and leave you with no comment on this question.”

IM: “He asked the question, you have to answer if you’re wanting to be transparent with government.”

Dial tones go off from Salonen’s line.

PS: “He hung up. Some things might never change, no matter what they say. That’s a shame.”

IM: “Oh well.”

A slight pause before the two break out into laughter.

IM: “Coming up! It’s time for Charlie Pax to come in and we’ll be talking curling! Man how do we get paid to do this. He’s Keke—“

KJ: “That’s Iñaki, you’ve got it tuned to G-S-P-X: Sport’s Home Base.”

---

The train starts moving again. Finally, after what seemed like so very long, you’re on your way home again. And for the first time in your life, you experienced something truly unbelievable.

“Maybe not all sports radio sucks,” you tell yourself, as the train pulls into your station. You hop off, probably never listening to sports radio again. The shoegaze stations are better anyways.

[Aleirave]

A Tale Woven in Time
Part IV: A Ship in the Ocean
Part I | Part II | Part III
Caribbia 3-6 Aleirave

"Well, something tells me it's time to go... though, I think I'm forgetting something..."

Nikita Annedov just banged the final nail into place on his ship... the ship that would take him, in the proud puteshestvennik tradition, to his own colony, a new land, where he could get a fresh start.

"Maybe you could use some colonists?" Anna Poluyeva asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, Anna, haha... yeah, I suppose I could use some colonists for the new colony, can't exactly build a new society on my own, now can I..."
"You've always wanted to be like Tereyev, haven't you? Ever since the first day you found out that the two of you were related... you needed to follow in his footsteps."
"Of course, after all, I'm a Klysevian, this is our tradition. This is our way of life..."

Anna gave Nikita a bit of a skeptical look before asking "Look, the smell of dead fish is kind of distracting me... do you want a drink or something?"
"Yeah, off course I could go for a drink."

The two checked into a bar a couple blocks away from the Grand Kilavi Hotel, where the Council of Oceanic Nations was meeting for it's near-daily strategy sessions. Anna placed her order, and asked Nikita a simple question. "You still want to follow in Tereyev's footsteps?"

Nikita responded with the obvious answer "I just told you back at the docks, yeah, of course."

"Well, I have the perfect way you can be like him."
"What is it?"
"The last male-line Tereyev is dead. Shot and killed by a protester last month."
"What??"
"Yeah. Right now, Boris Kyslyev is looking for someone to succeed him as Supreme Leader of Aleirave, and you were the only person I could think of."
"You've gotta be kidding me--"
"I would never kid you Nikita. So, what's it gonna be? Do you want to help us out or not?"

Nikita paused for a moment before responding: "What do the Aleiravans think?"
"They... don't know about the whole thing. They want the King of Eshialand to succeed him."
"Eshialand? Where is that?"
"It's the place where Grenkov went. It's... a little out of the way. But trust me, they only want him because they don't know you exist. They don't know that Tereyevs are still out there."

Anna felt a pit form in her stomach, knowing that she was lying through her teeth.

"What about the protesters?" Nikita replied. "They clearly don't want us, so why would they want me?"

"Just... ignore the protesters. They'll submit themselves soon enough. The only thing that really matters is that Aleirave needs a new Supreme Leader, and, as far as I know, you're next in line. You won't be able to follow your own adventure, you won't be able to seek out your own colony... but this is a new adventure. Yeah, it may not be the one you planned, but it'll be a wild ride no matter what. So, what do you say?"

Nikita took one last swig of his beer before answering "you're on. Tell Kyslyev I'm all in."

[Farfadillis]

Round of Sixteen Scores

Delte 4–1 Reorganized Portugal
at La Gran Avenida, kick off 22:00.
Match not delayed despite massive draco-mosquito outbreak.

Sudilia 2–4 Kamisato Ayaka Nation
at La Fantás, kick off 10:00.
Match went pretty smoothly. For whatever reason, there was a very elaborate half-time show that almost looked like it was meant for the final, to be played at the same stadium at a suspiciously similar-looking date in the Farf calendar. There was also a closing ceremony after the game.

Efnakia 3–0 New Eestiball
at Rülândéá Çölíséá, kick off 23:00.
Match not delayed, having genuinely been scheduled at 23:00 even though Lìbêrêtê at night could be argued to be the most dangerous place in the Multiverse.

Tekatus 3–3 Gardelrya (3–4 AET)
at Grand René Skaé, kick off 15:00
Match delayed because slight rain kicked off mass hysteria in all of René Skaé, with locals understandably interpreting it as a sign of the impending apocalypse.

Quarter-final Fixtures

Delte vs. Kamisato Ayaka Nation
at Rülândéá Çölíséá, Lìbêrêtê, Rülândéá

Efnakia vs. Gardelrya
at La Gran Avenida, Victoria Lago, Farolera

[Mertagne]

Round of Sixteen Scores

Fort McKinley 2–2 Aleirave (2–3 AET)
at Dannin City Stadium, kick off 20:00.
The subsided corner of the pitch has been hastily levelled out using wood and felt.

Hopal 0–0 Trollish Islands (0–1 AET)
at Cop Limy Stadium, kick off 21:35.
Delayed as a gargoyle fell from the top of the gothic wall and shattered on the ground below.

Gortolekua 2–1 Maphidon
at Flynn Ar3na, kick off 19:00.
The air currents running through the stadium created a large droning noise that cut through the crowd for the entire match.

Forbidden Territories 5–0 Macbon
at The Ring Tank Stadium, kick off 18:00.
Glass reconstruction work is occurring around the stadium, and the animals were being relocated two-by-two in the open during the match.

Quarter-final Fixtures

Aleirave vs. Trollish Islands
at Cop Limy Stadium, Neorudo, Touchpoint

Gortolekua vs. Forbidden Territories
at Flynn Ar3na, New Fligsive, Plitterland

[Reorganized Portugal]

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal

Portugal knocked out of BOF after devastating 4-1 loss
Categories: Sports, News
As Portuguese across the country woke up to a beautiful new day, the shocking news was released. Reorganized Portugal was knocked out of the Baptism of Fire.

The news has been met with a mixture of disbelief, shock, and sadness.

Portugal started its fourth BOF game confidently, despite a plague of draco-mosquitos. However, as the night progress, the Delte team scored goal after goal, shunning the competent Portuguese players. By the end of the night, it was clear who had won.

Head coach Fernando Santos is once more unavailable for comment, however reportedly fans in the stadium heard loud screaming and crying from the direction of the city hotel.

The season began with a spirit of optimism, and was cut short almost as soon as it had began.

On a gloomy, rain-filled day that matched the sadness of the occasion, in Lisbon the Portuguese flag that was carried by the team is folded and carried down the steps of the Palácio da Pena, with His Majesty and Royal Family attending.

The Portuguese team themselves are distraught, with some even crying. The concession to Delte was brief and simple, but there are no denials that Portugal has lost.

A lonely flag and football sitting upon the altar is a cruel reminder that just a few days ago the Portuguese team embarked on their very first journey into the Baptism of Fire, hoping for a victory to bring joy and happiness to the people.

Portugal was in the 78th Baptism of Fire briefly, but that journey will be long remembered.

[Kamisato Ayaka Nation]

Ayaka felt different that day.

Well, to be fair, she had her suspicions that "Ayato" was doing something to her, but this time she could sense the effects of that feeling. How?

She'd scored three in her previous match.

Alright, maybe Ayaka wasn't too shabby at football. She could aim her shots with more precision than when she first started, and she was starting to build synergy with Ayaka the Eleventh. She was excelling, in her standards, at something she knew nothing of just a while ago. Sure, Ayaka could attribute it to her hard work and increased experience, but Ayaka knew that wasn't the case.

An outside force was at work in her, and Ayaka did not like its implications. The fact that someone could toy with her as if she was anything but alive... it was as if they were treating her as if she wasn't a living, breathing human at all. It was a violation of her basic rights as a human being.

Distressed at the prospects, Ayaka quickly narrowed down the options. The others definitely didn't have the tools to do something such as alter someone's whole state of being so there really was only one person left.

---

Ayaka went up to "Ayato", who was conveniently idling about on the training pitch. She had a lot of pent-up anger and malice against her brother's imposter. He was changing what was essentially herself; it was as if she was becoming a different person in his hands. Still, she tried to approach him with as much grace and dignity as she had, which wasn't much.

"Ayato" turned and looked at the person who'd walked up to him. Ayaka could sense that he was looking at her differently. Previously his eyes held an apathetic, almost callous look; the look he had was foreign to his face but not as a concept. She felt she had seen this type of expression before, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Either way, she felt uneasy as chills went down her spine at his unfamiliar expression.

Trying to suppress any signs of strong emotion, Ayaka carefully asked "Ayato", "Brother, I... I don't feel so good..." Ayaka knew she shouldn't have been so round-a-bout with her question but she didn't want to invoke any suspicion in "Ayato". The last thing she wanted was for him to spitefully screw her up even more.

"Ayato" let out a soft chuckle and purred, "Oh, Ayaka..."

She was taken aback. Now he's acting all warm and nice? Where was this receptiveness earlier? His sudden change in behaviour was unsettling to say the least. It was as if a different entity had taken over him entirely.

"Well, the simplest way to explain this is, you're levelling up. You're getting stronger. Don't you remember how much your shooting accuracy improved in the last match?" he mused, he did have a point. In the match against Sudilia her shots more or less hit the target, and most of them were goals. With his explanation the situation cleared up, but Ayaka was still apprehensive about one thing.

"What's levelling up? And you can directly control my aptitude?" Ayaka tried to sound as neutral as possible but the words came off like a threat. Well, to her at least.

"Ayato" gave a light chuckle and replied cryptically, "You'll find out sooner or later~~" With that, he took his leave. Ayaka remained standing still, digesting what he'd said. Not only did what he say not make sense, his behaviour didn't match up either. He was acting unnaturally warmer than last time, as if he was being controlled by something, changing his emotions on the fly. Then Ayaka thought of something: was he possessed? It was the only explanation.

Someone who took the form of her brother, but was nothing like him. Someone who could change how they acted abruptly. Someone who had no care and concern for her. It was definitely a spirit. There wasn't any other plausible reason for this.

Suddenly, Ayaka regretted not taking an interest in thaumaturgy and exorcism as a child.

---

As "Ayato" walked away, something popped up from the hologram he was carrying.

Level Up!
Lv. 6 → 7
HP 1454 → 1458 | ATK 102 → 107 | DEF 80 → 83

"Ayato" let out a contented sigh.

"Oh, how my precious Ayaka levels up so fast..."

[Forbidden Territories]

Calm Before Storm

"Any new info coach? " Matt Ress stopped looking at his computer and furtively glanced to see Manson standing beside trying to decode what was in his computer screen.
"None so far, it seems there is a dearth of information on Macbon. The only videos we could find are from the Independents Cup we both participated in and the current BoF. No prior information of any footballing friendlies. It would seem they also have not had many interviews or media discussion in this tournament or any complains".

"Well atleast it's better than some of our other opponents for whom, we got nothing but void. They seem to be struggling comparitvely in this tournament". Manson added. "Yes, but doesn't mean we can underestimate them. It's the knockouts- anything can happen, thankfully we have got a sorta home advantage since we are playing in the Ring Tank after all. "

" well... I suppose we are familiar with the proceedings of the stadium after all" Manson replied, thinking about all the the algal slime in the pitch, the rampaging octopus and the aquarium leakage. " I do wonder what's going to happen today, my bets are on flooding of pitch, or a power cut. Best case scenario would be a random hooligan but those are as like added bonuses to these events. " He thought to himself.

"For the love of Margaret, I hope today's match doesn't get interrupted by any of those problematic events. From what I can gather, all these events are occuring across the entire country , infact both the countries. It will be really bad if a knockout match gets paused, after all tempo is of utmost importance." Ress replied, understanding what Manson truly meant when he talked about familiarity. " Couple of really good countries selected by the Executive Commitee , won't you agree coach? I do wonder what next year's Baptism Of Fire will be held - The Polar Ice caps, maybe the deadly desert of Scross, or Fenwick Foundations HQ where slaves are gonna maintain the stadium."

Ress agreed with Manson's opinions and replied "Hah, those fools at Executive Commitee are busy getting as much cash as possible. They are the leaches and have sold the Cup to the highest bidders. Unsurprising, we have to suffer for that. They pretend to don't know what they are doing, but are in fact in complete knowledge of who is fit to host. Honestly, just your average corrupt bureucrat. Out of all the ideal hosts they could have picked, they picked , not the worst mind you, but one of the worse ones."
"Can't agree more, what's worse is that no one is going to talk about it, once the competition is over." Manson said.

"If we were to win the cup, I would love to say a word or two about them" Ress said as he clicked his mouse button. "Speaking of winning, I think I have found something that might help us in the coming match." He replied and then motioned Manson to look at it. " What the fuck is this?" Manson asked, just as confused as ever; Being not the most tech- savvy person in the team, Manson often hated filling up internet application form for tournament registration, passport renewals and etc, as it took take him 2 hours to fill in completely all details, Manson thus developed a detestation for tech related things, at the same time, he tried to understand it as he did not want to be left behind. " The database of Macbon, I sent all the match data to the stats analyser, their findings tell me about all the strategic information of Macbon, including the expected formation, the style, and the substitutions." replied Ress. "Quick, call the team, we are holding an emergency meeting right now" he added.

"Ok ok, I get it" Manson replied and sighed. Here he thought he was about to relax a bit longer, but I suppose the life of a professional footballer, especially the one ipat national level is not meant to be relaxing after all. Manson thus left the coach ijn solitude as he went to find the rest of the team. Ress started to save everything he found , when suddenly, he misclicked and opened a new tab of a social media. He was about to close it when he saw the first message being displayed - " Forthers about to succumb to pressure once again? Ress not fit for job? ". " Damn you " he screamed " Stupid Experts and their stupid opinions. I am going to prove them all wrong" he replied and closed the window.

---

---

The Match
Ress had finalised his team for BoF knockouts it was :-

1.GK 1 Shane Rodriguez ( 25)
2.CB 12 Alan Shephard ( 32)
3.LB 35 Chen Huefang ( 33)
4.RB 21 Mandrake Manson ( 29)
5.CM 32 Larry Stevens (20)
6.CM 38 Herman Miller ( 27)
7.CM 39 Marcus Cross ( 30)
8.RW 60 Mohammed Rafique ( 28)
9.LW 43 Marc Rushinburg ( 27)
10.CF 54 Alex Knott ( 23)
11.CF 56 Alberto Sanchez (24)

The match began just like any other match of the competition,filled with controversies as animals were being relocated parallel to the match being played .Both teams attempting at scoring goal. However soon after the Forthers found the rhythm and never looked back. Sanchez found the back of the net in the 7th minute by getting an aerial pass from Marcus Cross, after which Macbon tried to strike back, but Herman Miller did a sliding tackle to get the ball back. He kicked the ball towards Knott who volley-ed it to the goal. Shephard then took the corner and crossed the ball into box, an accidental deflection from Ammar resulted in an own goal. Ammar cursed at the construction work going on, due to which he could not communicate properly with his team mate. There was no doubt, that a glass reconstruction in the middle of the game was unnecessary.
After half time , Forthers were ahead by 3 nil. Any attempt of a Macbonian was thwarted as soon as the 49th minute where Marcelinho dribbled past Perazzo and Tortorelli, resulting in a 1 v 1 vs Circo.He lobed the ball over his head when he drew close, resulting in a fourth goal for Forbidden Territories. All hopes of a Macbon comeback finalky ended when Rushinburg hit the fifth goal when he tricked Circo into diving into the opposite corner and scored a goal. He was about to go into the stands and celebrate when he came across another one of those giant octopus being carried away, and decided it was not worth the risk. When the referee blew the whistle, Forthers had won by 5 - 0. It was one of the most empathetic wins in Knockout, and it also improved the confidence of the fans as well as team players.

Ress was seen smiling when interviewing. A rare sight for a man of his nature. However this was not just another victory, this was a statement, a statement against all those who doubted his role and considered the team to be 'chokers'. Tonight, the team shall celebrate for tommorow morning they must prepare for the match against Gortolekua which will be one of the toughest match they have played. Manson meanwhile contemplated and said to himself, " A glass reconstruction with animals being transported in the middle of match, I swear to Margaret these bastards are doing it purposefully" before deciding to go back into the team huddle to celebrate.

Match Score
FTS 5 - 0 Gortolekua
7' Sanchez
12' Knott
38' Ammar ( own goal)
49' Marcelinho
78' Rushinburg

[Gortolekua]

Rey’s Court: On football’s trials and tribulations, from a Gortoleki fan’s perspective
by Lempi Rey

Before I started covering provincial football, and the lower rungs of it — the “not even in the provincial league” rung of it — I was a football fan.

And I still am a football fan. I wouldn’t have this job if I wasn’t one!

But there have to be qualities about the sport that keep you a fan as you grow older. You see how the sausage is made, per sé. You see politicians — some well-meaning, others nefarious and Perry Salonen in the murky, gray middle — try to latch onto the country’s footballing fever in the midst of a change in the zeitgeist. And what might be a financial reckoning for Gortoleki clubs in the forthcoming transfer windows, and just how much money will funnel into the clubs.

Any splits in quality we start to see with our clubs will come from these new developments as we branch out into the world thanks to our aavekitze. Certain clubs, who are able to attract better players from the start thanks to superior academies, will be able to sell their better players for higher profits that let them pour more money into their club. The window for a smaller club to make a splash (whether it be in the domestic league or in a cup competition) gets smaller and smaller the more we integrate with the rest of the multiverse. Hope will swirl down the drain for these fans, who feel so far removed from everything.

It’s a guarantee football in our country will never be the same. For some, that’s going to take away from their love for the game. I understand — and sympathize with that perspective — completely.

But in all the moments spent covering this Baptism of Fire and the beautiful sights this country has to offer (mostly Flynn Ar3na, seeing as it’s become Gortolekua’s homebase in all but one match), I’m reminded of why I love my job, and why I love being a fan of this beautiful game.

“Love” is a strong word, after all, that no dictionary can properly define, oddly enough. But you know love when you see it. For me, it was seeing a national team, something that had once been a mere pipedream to all of us, actually play a match.

And then go undefeated in the group stage.

Scoring no less than four goals in each of those three matches.

For once, the infighting stopped. The Eteroa Strait wasn’t a place for bickering to the other side from your own side. It was a place of genuine, national unity in a time where there was little of it being spread around thanks to our nation’s current political turmoil.

We got to see Landen Pilgrim, shot knees and all the bad that comes along with it, make an appearance for his country after being told that where he was born would make it impossible for him to play multiversal football. We got to see him score a goal in one of those early group stage thrashings, crying over the fact this was all he dreamt of as a kid. And we got to see him wearing an armband for his country, proud of the fact he was the face, even if just for a day, of a country ready to be truly open.

And we’re getting to see football on prime display as well. Myra Randal might be wishing she was a wee-bit younger, but she’s still in the prime of her career. She’s showing that with goals and assists left, right and center. This is her debutante party, and the rest of the multiverse is hopefully being put on notice for what could be a limited time offer to play outside of the country soon.

But most importantly: We’re seeing the future of Gortoleki football right before our very eyes. Lía Lindsey, the fresh 20-year-old centre-back who should hopefully lead Gortolekua to a World Cup finals appearance before her career is wrapped up, has been terrorizing opposing offenses by finding the right time to put a foot in. And in that Round of 16 match against Maphidon? Well, she certainly knew the right time to get her head in the game.

How could I forget Ivor Esteban, who, in his limited playtime, has certainly made an early mark on the team through his goal contributions. He, like Lindsey, is for the future and their contributions down the line will be appreciated greatly when we (knock-on-wood) qualify for the World Cup finals. But there is beauty in seeing them start to develop now, and watch them grow in due time.

Players, moments, scorelines, passion…it’s why football is so beautiful. Because it makes you feel.

It makes you feel pain of the most excruciating varieties. The physical and mental swellings of at least 90 minutes worth of hell. But it makes you feel the good that comes with a win, or the heart-pulling that comes with an unknown great having his moment in the spotlight. It even makes you feel the calm peace in hearing a beautiful pop song, like we did in the Maphidon match, that was disparagingly referred to as “a large droning noise” by Mertagnian officials.

Whatever happens against the Forbidden Territories — an eye-gouging defensive dismantling of our roster, a thrilling breakthrough of their backline and high scoreline, or even an anti-football jambalaya from both squads that leaves more questions than answers — football will change in Gortolekua.

Some will change for worse, but after this Baptism of Fire? Mostly for the better.

DIG DEEPER
>CULTURE: Limited edition pressing of “Flynn Ar3na Pop Song” to hit Gortoleki record stores next month
>CULTURE: Review - Cannon: The Avant-Garde Musical is anything but avant-garde
>TECH: High-definition television still can’t woo Gortoleki shoppers. Why?
>ANAIA: Gortolekua looks to establish greater diplomatic relations with region mates — fast

Gortolekua 5-2 Unpleasant
Gortolekua scorers: T. Allan - 13’, 27’; C. Mäkinen - 39’; K. Lynton - 64’; M. Randal - 83’
Gortolekua substitutes: R. Ragnvaldsson ⇄ P. Heikkilä 45’; M. Randal ⇄ M. Salinas 70’

Gortolekua 2-1 Maphidon
Gortolekua started with its standard Starting XI
Gortolekua scorers: D. Douglas - 57’; L. Lindsey - 89’
Maphidon scorers: J. Arievilo - 72’
Gortolekua substitutes: I. Esteban ⇄ K. Lynton 67’; R. Guadarrama ⇄ J. Partanen 75’; J. Berge ⇄ C. Mäkinen 86’
Maphidon substitutes: T. Vaughan ⇄ F. al-Helfi 55’; J. Airevilo ⇄ H. Garcia Valenci 67’;

[Delte]

---

Delte 4-1 Reorganised Portugal
Kim Samrodd in Farfadillis for the Sullenden Morning Bugle

---

I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match, but certainly mention should be made of young brothers Burus and Onun Tasher in the midfield for The Surprisingly Victorious Representatives, who, after much hype (in the Sullenden Morning Bugle, that is), finally made headlines - in the Sullenden Morning Bugle, that is - for the right reasons: forgiven for a range of indiscretions on tour with the team in Farfadillis, it being their first time away from home on their own and them rather over-excited, disciplinarian coach Enda Clentin finally selected them in the starting line-up against the Portuga and they paid back the faith shown in them with willing running, creative invention, and an assist each. Bravo boys! Your headmaster back home will be proud of you!

---

The Representatives
Slim To No Chance

---

BUT SURELY, I hear you ask, there must be someone along the whole of the River Delte and its lush valley besides Slim Dyndeling who can knock up a fancy graphic for the Baptism of Fire team sheet and daily blog posts? Sorry if you missed the bit where the All-Week Super Ultra Premier Football Association reluctantly announced there would be no fancy graphics because Slim refused to help out - let me explain. You see there is a national shortage of graphic designers along the Delte, and all the work in that department goes to Slim Dyndeling’s design house, Slim By Design, in Ughmirren. Well, calling it a ‘design house’ is a bit of a stretch - it’s actually just Slim, in his house. Upstairs in the spare room. But everyone agrees, he is a good designer. He’s got one of those computers - you know the one? - and all the peripherals, and he went off to the far far away for a year to get a certificate in graphic design from a bona fide college. Now there are just under fifty thousand people living in valley of the Delte and most of them are occupied with river business, whether that’s boat building or canal fixing or river bank management or the docks or the locks or the wharfs or the marinas and the trout farms and the narrow boat museum at Warlye and so on and so forth. Those who don’t work the river itself might work the railway, and many work the farmsteads all along the valley slopes for wool and dairy and meat and grass crops and vegetables. After old Tyr Twentyman the draughstman retired, Slim was the last good pencil left in the valley.

When the All-Week Super Ultra Premier Football Association turned up the World Cup sign-up sheet, courtesy of Aleard Sullenden and his family vacation to the far far away, and decided they would send a group of representatives to the Baptism of Fire, the head of the FA Issenda Tenning decreed that wherever possible the appointed coaches in charge of selection would deploy a ‘multi-tasking’ priority when picking the squad - maximising the skillset of the squad by having players with useful careers wherever possible over and above the out and out stars - by the standards of the Oswark Parish Advertiser anyway - of the Delte Valley Tuesday Evening & Sunday Lunchtime Super League. That is why (in case you were wondering) coaches Clentin and Bellish overlooked the likes of Iack Tase - and Slim Dyndeling, the Ughmirren FC right winger and chief designer at Slim By Design, the only graphic designer in the valley and a half decent footballer. Instead they chose a doctor, and a physio, and a nutritionist, and Perran Garimund of the River Patrol (which is the policing agency in the valley)(mainly to look after ex-convict Enor Perro, fresh out of the Auld Triangle). Rumour has it that Slim, hearing of Issenda’s ‘multi-tasking’ rule, thought he was nailed-on for a spot in the squad.

After all, everyone needs good graphics in the World Cup, right?

[Efnakia]

HANDLED IT
Dumo hom Ccahor enter quarterfinals despite handball fiasco

LIBÊRÊTÊ, Rülândéá, Farfadillis – The Blue and Golds eased to victory in their Round of 16 match after controversially going down to ten men as they defeated New Eestiball at the Rülândéá Çölíséá, 3-0.

Another game in the books, and another funky day in Farfadillis for the Efnak national team. Last night’s shenanigans involved an 11pm kickoff in Lìbêrêtê, described by local Rülândéans as “the most dangerous place in the Multiverse”, with Efnak reporters attending the game noting that the ongoing shootouts throughout the city reminded them of firework displays at Unification Day celebrations in eastern Abmas (their annual reminder to Melhamese across the border of their defeat in the Unification War).

Both sides came out of the blocks rather slowly, with New Eestiball registering the first shot of the game on 25 minutes, but it was another devastating counter-attack 12 minutes later that put the Efnak side in the lead. With a free kick along the sideline 45 yards from goal, the ball into the penalty area from the Eestiballer midfielder was poor, and Ssute Katemam continued his excellent form by stretching the defense before sliding a ball in for Lanel Kamosspeffe to finish to take the lead.

Right on the stroke of time, however, controversy struck, after a shot from an Eestiballer striker was deflected before going out for a corner. After being summoned to look at the video monitor, however, the referee returned to point to the spot for a penalty kick and show a red card to Efnak center back Ukcca Katla, allegedly for a handball offense, though it appeared unclear as to what body parts the shot actually struck. However, goalkeeper Mo Kacceo would make an excellent dive to his left to save the penalty and keep the lead at 1-0.

The second half would be a repeat of the script that the Blue and Golds have executed so brilliantly throughout this tournament. The second goal came on 62 minutes, as the side actually kept consistent possession before a cheeky chipped through ball from central midfielder Tedo Kanla found Kamosspeffe in behind for his second. The third would be a classic counter-attacking goal with 11 minutes left, as Katemam again received the ball off a headed clearance off a New Eestiball corner and sprayed a brilliant 40-yard ball to release Uhtetul Kahelto for his second goal of the tournament with a cool finish slid into the bottom right corner.

Next up for Efnakia is a trip across Farfadillis to the picturesque La Gran Avenida in Farolera, where the team will face Gardelrya in the quarter-final. Gardelrya are coming off a victory over the robots of Tekatus in extra time in the Grand René Skaé, after finishing 2nd in Group G and advancing on goal differential, while Efnakia will obviously be without Ukcca Katla due to his suspension last game. As always, kickoff time is to be determined, but prematch coverage will begin 2 hours prior to the match both in Efnak on MMSsE1 and in Common on MMSsE3. Hok Efnakia!

Thanks, dear reader! Buccoss kal, medunffob kasal! Ccam son ccamol teb he kem Efnak-asske bef bet’ tem ssa.

Ccam son omol ohaskof he al onka asske faf kem mat' ass kem Onka Ssaddo Loksob (Ssufuta hom Kodam) 395. Ccam ssal-lak ccamol omabu he Efnakia hom ccamol an Efnak ssaccess "memekmab mef".

[Trollish Islands]

“Nyhedere vores regioon” newspaper

Well, what can I say, dear readers, being on Baptism of Fire has finally given us a moment to celebrate in earnest. Even we ourselves in the editorial office, too, to be honest, doubted that our team would cope with the understandable excitement. If we have such a grim outlook, what can we say about almost everyone else in this regard? Basically all the experts looked at the prospects of our team in the playoffs with great doubt. And we are very glad that the players did not live up to the expectations of the public in this sense.

The match with Hopal, winners of their group, was held at the stadium, which have iconic status for local sports, very skillfully decorated on the outside. The effect of antiquity was reinforced by an episode that delayed the match for half an hour: to the accompanement of impressive decibel squeal of the female half of the audience, one of the gargoyles adorning roof slowly began to slide. For some time it seemed to be considering whether to stay at its spot or set off on a journey. At the end, gargoyle decided to try the strength of its wings, but did not succeed in using them properly and its flight ended right on the ground. The spectators took her flight to heart and we fully understand them, for half the match we themselves looked at the field with only one eye, and with the other warily stared at the structural elements - whether some other part of the decor would decide to go on the full throttle and live his life like never before.

But, it must be admitted, not all matches have already seen incidents of extraordinaire nature, which indicating the relaxation and focus on the wealth of the inner world to the detriment of other things, which are characteristic of the population of countries hosting the tournament. Yes, at one of the games the closing ceremony was played by mistake, due to some confusion with the dates - but at least now we know what the hosts have prepared for the end of the tournament, and we can appreciate their creativity. Yes, recently one of the corners of the field at the stadium sank into a swamp, but now this piece of the field has been returned to the players - even though it is paved with wood, but it has been nevertheless put in order! So it is not known whether we will be able to look at events closer for some time, but we hope that life in Mertagne and Farfadillis will still improve and normalize.

In the meantime, we can spend a minute for praises to the great lads from our football team. Hopal is a serious opponent, and the scales in the game could have tipped in both directions even in regular time. All of Trolleborg pushed back their business and sat down at their screens and entertainment areas and move everything, no matter how important, until later when extra time began. And finally, here it is - a goal, so important and necessary, and then a victory which we all craved for.

But just remember that we can spend a minute on praises, but the team has no right to relax, because today lads will take the field in the quarterfinal match. Whatever fate has prepared for us – gang shootings, floods, rude people, upset stomach and mind, we must show all the best that football players from our islands can present to the world.

---

Greetings, compatriots!
It's TTV from Mertagne. Today we will give you a short newsreel about our cousins' last match against Trollish Islands. After a stubborn fight, they got victory over Hopal. Jesper Fjellerup made a great air pass and Thore Rinkebing shot irresistibly from just a few meters away. He tried to send the ball as far as possible from the goalkeeper and almost overdo it - he hit the crossbar, but, thanks to a bit of luck, the ball bounced right into the net.

Congratulations to the team on the occassion of victory, which was not easy, but even more precious! And we inform you that maybe this is our last show from Mertagne and BoF at all. This is due to the face that this match may be the last for the team, and people from Aleirave are strictly against broadcasting games in 3D, apparently for religious reasons - as far as you can understand, they believe that people in the image and people in reality, on the field, are not the same thing. Well, let's treat other people's beliefs with understanding. But let’s hope that our team give us a chance to broadcast at last one more game after this one.

[Aleirave]

A Tale Woven in Time
Part V: A Fire in Spirits
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV
Fort McKinley 2-3 Aleirave (A.E.T.)

One year later...

"Ten hut! Give me a one! Two! Three..."

The sights and sounds of the Klysevian barracks were unlike any others Nikita had heard before. Whereas the world he had always known was full of wonder and mystery, everything about this place was structured, bland, and bleak. "So, Nikita Petrovich," Boris Kysleyev asked him, "are you liking what you're seeing?"

"Well, honestly..." Nikita told Boris, "I'm not entirely sure why all of this is being done."

The tour of the barracks that Boris was giving him reminded him of a grim reality. Boris told Nikita that taking back Aleirave was just going to be simple. They swoop in, enforce martial law, storm the Presidential Palace, and what was done would be done. However, this was going to be no easy task. These troops knew that this "easy" mission wouldn't end too well. They were going up against the might of the Eshian military, which, despite being unsurprisingly underfunded by the peace-loving King William, would still likely pose a major barrier.

"Of course you know why this is being done. We need our island back. We need to restore order to our misbehaving brethren. The Klysevian people there agree, we need to bring a Tereyev back into power... we need to bring you into power."
"Well, alright..." he replied. "Just make sure there aren't any lives lost... well, not too many lives lost."
"I'll make an attempt, but no guarantees. This is going to be... complicated."

"Boris..." Anna said as she walked towards the two. "We've hit a bit of a snag."

"Excuse me Nikita, let me handle this... what is it?"
"Well... Bestairitza's having some supply chain issues." Anna told Boris as they walked away from Nikita.
"Supply chain issues? What kind?"
"The kind that stop MREs from getting to front-line troops. They aren't gonna be able to get ships to port for a while because... the port was damaged in a hurricane."
"A hurricane?"
"Indeed."

This was going to be a major snag for the Klysevian troops. Bestairitza was between Klysevia and Aleirave on the world ocean, so it was their stop-off point to repair the ships on their way to Aleirave, as well as the place where food-bearing ships would be launched from. Without a functional port in Bestairitza, there would be a massive issue getting the counter-coup to work.

"Can we take over without Bestairitza?" Boris asked Anna.
"Well... possibly? If Eshialand's troops don't come in time, then yes. If they're prepared though... it'd be a slaughterhouse."

Boris paused to ponder the options before asking one last question. "Do the Eshians know of our plans?"
"As far as I know, not an inkling. I don't know everything they know, however."

President Kyslyev thought one more time, weighing the risks and rewards of the situation. If Eshialand didn't know, the Klysevian alliance would jump in with the element of surprise and take over easily. By the time Eshialand was ready, Klysevia would be entrenched and the supply chain issues would be resolved. If they did know however... all would be lost, and Aleirave would be Eshian forever.

"I'm calling it off." he told her. "We can try this again when I know it's safer..."

Boris looked over at Nikita before telling Anna: "I promised him we wouldn't risk too many lives."

[Mertagne]

Quarter-final Scores

Aleirave 3–2 Trollish Islands
at Cop Limy Stadium, kick off 18:00.
An order for '100 half-time oranges' was input incorrectly, and 10,000 half lime oranges were delivered to the side-lines by truck at the end of the first half.


Gortolekua 1–0 Forbidden Territories
at Flynn Ar3na, kick off 20:00.
A mispainted line led players off the pitch after the match to the stadium's bar, instead of the dressing room. It was happy hour.

Semi-final Fixtures

Aleirave vs. Gortolekua
at Dannin City Stadium, Dannin, Dannmarsh.
Stadium subsidence is undergoing rapid repairs.

[Farfadillis]

Quarter-final Scores

Delte 0–2 Kamisato Ayaka Nation
at Rülândéá Çölíséá, kick off 15:00.
VAR equipment was stolen and robber had to be tracked down, delaying the match.

Efnakia 1–0 Gardelrya
at La Gran Avenida, kick off 19:00.
Match delayed because unexpected solar eclipse left referee blind.

Semi-final Fixture

Kamisato Ayaka Nation vs. Efnakia
at Grand René Skaé, René Skaé, Szoirsia

[Delte]

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Delte 0-2 Kamisato Ayaka Nation
Kim Samrodd in Farfadillis for Stoic Magazine

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I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match, but certainly mention should be made of team captain Eremo Olde's supremely stoic performance in defence for The Representatives, never once complaining or despairing in the face of overwhelming quality from the opposition. His leadership qualities in keeping his team unperturbed when forced to go minutes at a time without possession is entirely laudible, and his sporting example throughout as a defeated but unruffled competitor will serve the team well in their next adventure, the entirely thankless task of failing to land a glove on many a good nation's representatives in the procession to the World Cup, let alone qualify.

---

The Representatives
HOMEWARD BOUND

---

THE LAST match - as it would turn out - for The Representatives in Farfadillis was notable for the moment when Enor Perro’s reputation (and criminal record) caught up with him in Lìbêrêtê. On their way to Rülândéá for their quarter final match-up with the magical multi manga team, Marcos el Triturador their Rulandese coach driver called ahead to his ‘contacts’ to see if they could find any work for his unemployed new best friend. But it was the other side of the law, that is to say the right side of the law (theoretically) who were waiting at the Rülândéá Çölíséá for a chat about his career with young Enor, since there had been a break-in at the Coliseum and the foreigner who had recently got out of gaol free was invited to help the good officers with their enquiries. Now the fact he had been on a bus for the last 23 hours travelling across the wide wild island of Farfadillis seemed wholly unimportant to the good officers of the precinct, and they took him - and Marcos - in for a little light questioning. An hour later he reported for duty in the team dressing room, but with two black eyes and one of them nearly closed, plus a broken arm acquired when he ‘fell off a bunk bed’ he was ruled out of the playing team for the quarter final. Marcos did not return, however. Ever. That seemed rather a shame, agreed the whole team, who had enjoyed Marcos’ company and high-quality banter if not his rather lower quality bus driving skills.

Defeat in the match meant a return home for the young representatives of the Delte Valley community, and although they had to get a series of notoriously perilous taxis to the airport for the first leg of the long homeward sojourn, everyone eventually arrived safely back on platform 3 of Oswark station, pride intact after a decent showing at the Baptism of Fire. They all needed a change of underwear but the assembled dignitaries on hand to welcome them back to a tune or two from the Uskoranton Colliery Brass Band politely pretended not to notice. Only one man didn’t return - Enor Perro. Marcos el Triturador the Rulandese bus driver, though never to be seen again, made good on his promise to put the young man in touch with his contacts, appreciating his abilities as a defensive midfielder capable of picking a lock or two. After meeting with said contacts, Enor signed a professional contract with Shango-Fogoa Premier League big-hitters Rülândéá Kôstä. Although, with his arm in plaster thanks to the Farve Feds’ robust conversational techniques, and his eyesight still a little obscured, whether his scrawled 'X' signature would hold up to scrutiny in an employment dispute tribunal was open to speculation.

[Gortolekua]

It's an early afternoon for everyone in the television studio, cast. The lights on stage dim. It's almost pitch black here. There's plenty of anticipation in the air. A woman can be heard loudly and confidently counting down from five.

"And we're rolling in five, four, three, two..."

Lights go on to reveal an ornate curtain, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling with a black marble floor. A bellowing voice comes over the voice intercom, crisp and direct. The house band starts their jam, in sync with the show starting.

"LLLLLLLLLLIVE FROM THE CENTER OF NOWHERE STUDIOS IN BEAUTIFUL SEINÄT, GORTOLEKUA...IT'S GETTING 86ED WITH HARVEY VARRASKURA."

An applause sign, bright and red, flicks on. The hundreds of audience members begin cheering and clapping. Some wooping goes on, but not too much. The announcer pauses to let the audience tire themselves out from cheering momentarily, and the applause sign turns off. He continues bellowing.

"TONIGHT ON THE SHOW: ACTOR KEYOSI AYADERGE...SCIENTIST SORLEY HELLSTRÖM...AND A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE FROM MERTXIKA JOGURTA."

The audience cheers once again after the applause sign returns.

"AND NOW, THE HOST OF GETTING 86ED... HARVEY VARRASAKURAAAAAAAA."

The curtain opens to reveal Harvey Varraskura, in a bespoke navy suit, smiling as he greets his band, his announcer and sideman Kynaston Serrano, and the audience altogether. He waits for the audience and his band to settle down so he can begin his monologue.

"Everyone, everyone, please you are all too kind to me!"

He smiles, knowing it's good to be back. Varraskura is hosting his first show since his party gained enough votes to hold 27 seats in Parliament. It wasn't enough for his party to truly wreak havoc on what was an already tumultuous government, but 27 seats is 27 seats, after all. And his crowd loved it.

Harvey's, however, did not have its party leader take a seat – he didn't even stand for election. But what he had was better than one of 537 seats in Parliament: his very own late-night talk show that went out to millions of Gortoleki every night. What a time to be alive, he thought as he was waiting for the applause to settle down again.

"Now I know we've got some football going on, which has made our schedule a bit wonky – I love it, honestly. Good stuff and good playing that's actually kind of impressive."

"Did you see that Malone Newport last night against the Forbidden Territories," Serrano asked his host. How many saves did he have?"

"I think it was something like 14? And that Drummond Douglas... man can he score a goal when it matters, pretty good link-up from Randal to get there too," Varraskura replied. He paused for a minute to gauge the audience hearing football talk. He could tell they were bored of it already, so he knew he had to lighten it up.

"Couldn't be me though, y'all have seen me play dodgeball before," he said, referring to one of his all-time memorable skits.

The crowd laughed at that one.

"Now, I know it's been a minute since the whole...you know what."

The crowd oooohs in unison, as if they're hearing a schoolyard secret from somebody.

"And I know that there are a lot of questions for me about what is going on, and what is going to happen. I'm still going to do my show, but I know this show will get infinitely more political, or at least as political as I can make my monologues. Outside of that, it'll be as normal of a show as it can be."

Everyone sat intent, looking at Harvey Varraskura with the great anticipation of what he would say next. Like a pastor holding a sermon, Harvey had captured and infatuated his fans.

"But I know I can start doing my monologues now. So I'll start."

Harvey looked at everyone, and everyone looked at him. He was admittedly a little nervous, not knowing what to expect the next morning in the papers, or what would be said about him on the news. This was a brave new world, and Varraskura felt sheepish to a certain extent.

But being on television for a living means you have to fake confidence. And he knew how to do that well.

"I started my whole campaign and my whole political party because I believe in better for this country. Believe it or not, I do. What I don't believe in, however, are the people who are trying to run this country."

He paused before continuing.

"I don't believe in Perry Salonen. It's true. I don't. And I don't believe in Veera Balbina, or Markus Carman, or Catherina Derricks, or anyone else as a politician. They're all just trying to tell you what you want to hear, and you know that. I know that for sure.

"But what I also do know is that at the end of the day, genuine people have to run this country in order for it to be better. People who actually believe in transparency, honesty, fairness — the values that every politician should live by and express. It wouldn't be fair to any of us as Gortoleki to have someone in office who wasn't that.

"And that's why I launched Harvey's. I want everyone to see that we've got a party who will actually question authority and speak on behalf of y'all. Not 'y'all' in my audience sense, but 'y'all' in my citizenship sense. The people who live here and vote, especially those who don't watch my show.

"We are going to call out power as we see fit. Everyone in power in Gortolekua will be held accountable by a Harvey's party member. There is no doubt in my mind that when we speak our mind on how to best improve the country, we will see results.

"A transparent Gortolekua is a better Gortolekua. And for my first declaration, as leader of Harvey's — the political party that has no business of being a political party..."

The crowd's eyes are beaming with anticipation. Everyone knows who Varraskura will call out, but they're just waiting for the official announcement.

"Perry Salonen: You have an open invite on to my show. When the time is right, when you're done postponing Questions because of the football, when you're done coming up with excuses, when you want to actually be transparent: my couch is your couch. It's gonna be a hot couch, but it's your couch. And that's all I gotta say, politically, for tonight."

Harvey lets out a breath of relief, glad he finally got off what he had set for tonight. The crowd cheered as he smiled and moved on to being a talk show host instead of a political figure.

"We have got a great show for you tonight! Keyosi Ayaderge is here, and so is Sorley Hellström! Plus, killer music from Mertxika Jogurta off their newest album: All is Well.

We'll be right back, stay right here."

The crowd cheered once again for Harvey, as Varraskura smiled and waved at his crowd as well. He knew he had something big brewing. And it was just a matter of time before the country would have to listen to him.

It was now the waiting game for him.

[Efnakia]

Lu ccamol Tedo Kanla sasdena kem erfe bef kem dok modab. Ol humol humol an sadto uf ccam doff dde acc. Akccolt'es ol tamla, hom fek te konddess kem erfe he kem dunem. Ol ccamol al am erfe he hom enab ko Kamosspeffe ho kem ccuff kopla! MAPLEEEEEEEEEK SSU EFNAKIA! MAPLEK SSU LANEL KAMOSSPEFFE! Kem Dumo hom Ccahor so kem bab he kem Baptism of Fire ssota mabarcceb! Mu al ma bet’ SEL ssu! Mu al ma bet’ AFF ssu! Efnakia bab Gardelrya, dam te ale, fa ha TOCC CCATUFF fuff he kem uf! René Skaé, ssa bet’ bob!

There’s Tedo Kanla over the ball on the right wing. He’s had an excellent game so far tonight. Raises his hand, and now goes to whip the ball into the box. It’s a good ball in and met by Kamosspeffe at the back post! GOAL FOR EFNAKIA! GOAL FOR LANEL KAMOSSPEFFE! The Blue and Golds take the lead in the Baptism of Fire semifinal! What a moment for our country! What a moment for our team! Efnakia lead Gardelrya, one to zero, with just SIX MINUTES left in the game! René Skaé, here we come!

---

JUST TWO MORE
Dumo hom Ccahor squeeze through to Baptism of Fire semifinal

LIBÊRÊTÊ, Rülândéá, Farfadillis – The Blue and Golds achieved a tight victory to advance to the semifinals as a lone goal made the difference against Gardelrya, 1-0.

A surprisingly shenanigans-free match (only being delayed due to a solar eclipse predicted well in advance apparently everywhere except Farfadillis), the change in venue didn’t hurt the Efnak side as they executed a brilliant defensive performance to take the victory. The first half ended without a shot on target for either side, with neither team willing to come out of their shell as the local Farf fans in the crowd began to throw things onto the pitch after getting increasingly restless with the lack of attacking play.

It would be another well-executed set-piece that made the difference, though. With 84 minutes played, Tedo Kanla whipped an excellent ball into the area from the right side of the field, and who else but the leader Lanel Kamosspeffe was there to thump the ball home for his fifth goal of the tournament. Gardelrya never truly threatened throughout the game, as Efnak manager Tutsem Katemabffu withdrew his team into the “turtle-shell” 6-3-1 formation pioneered by some in the domestic league, stopping the opponents from having any shot more effective than a speculative longshot, which all either fell off target or were easily caught by keeper Mo Kacceo.

Next up for the Efnak side is a trip back to where the tournament began – the Grand René Skaé, in René Skaé in Sziorsia. There, they will face Kamisato Ayaka Nation, a team full of robot (?) clones who defeated the valley folk of Delte 2-0 in the other Farf quarterfinal. Their only loss was to the (definitely) robots of Tekatus in the group stage, 3-2. With the special importance of the match, all seven provincial governments have worked with MMSsE to provide outdoor screenings in major squares around the nation, with pre-match coverage beginning (in Efnak) 3 hours prior to kickoff on MMSsE1, and 2 hours prior in Common on MMSsE3. Hok Efnakia!

Thanks, dear reader! Buccoss kal, medunffob kasal! Ccam son ccamol teb he kem Efnak-asske bef bet’ tem ssa.

Ccam son omol ohaskof he al onka asske faf kem mat' ass kem Onka Ssaddo Loksob (Ssufuta hom Kodam) 395. Ccam ssal-lak ccamol omabu he Efnakia hom ccamol an Efnak ssaccess "memekmab mef".

[Aleirave]

A Tale Woven in Time
Part VI: A Leak in the Barracks
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V
Aleirave 3-2 Trollish Islands

"Excuse me, what? They're planning to... what???"

Igor Tadafirov couldn't believe his ears. He was on a phone call with his cousin Mikhail, who he didn't hear from often. Since he was from Aleirave and Mikhail was from Klysevia, the two only got to talk in person on very special occasions, but they always set aside some time every month to call each other on the phone... until Mikhail went radio silent. Today, Igor found out why.

About a year earlier, Mikhail Tadafirov had been conscripted into the Klysevian Armed Forces, one of thousands of young Klysevian men and women ordered to fight for their national pride in the latest offensive operation: The Aleiravan Counter-Revolution.

"Yes, Igor, this is why I haven't been able to talk to you. We don't get to make many phone calls at the barracks, much less to your island... this is why I haven't been able to talk to you. But, I am telling you now: Boris Kyslyev plans to put Klysevians back in power in Aleirave. He found a distant cousin of the Tereyev line, and he's going to try his hardest to make Aleirave a Klysevian nation again."

Igor was rocked by this. He, like all other Klysevians on the isle of Aleirave, was quite skeptical of the regime change brought about by the Klysevian Revolution. He was never too sure if Eshian rule could ever work there, but a year later... nothing bad had happened. He wasn't persecuted for being "a part of the problem"... in fact, he wasn't treated any differently from the native Aleiravans at all, despite them being the ones in power (beneath the mainland Eshian government, of course). For him, it was like nothing had ever changed from the time of the Tereyev regime. All he noticed was that life was getting a lot better for all of the natives there, and that Aleirave was overall better off for it.

"Well, Mikhail... this is truly great news." he said. He didn't want to sound like he supported the Eshian administration, not on a phone call to Mikhail, who, for all he knew, was still in the barracks with a superior officer listening in. "I can't wait for order to be restored to this anarchical hellscape."

"Igor, you can tell me the truth. I'm not at the barracks, but rather at a small café in the Old Town. Nobody can hear you but me, and I want to hear how you really feel."

"Okay then Mikhail, here's the truth... I'm scared. I've actually really liked this whole Eshialand deal, it's been very nice. Everybody's so much better off, and we've all been living in peace. Sure, some of the old fogies around here aren't happy with Aleiravan "swine" being treated like equals... but I'm happy to see them treated well. They seem so nice when you're actually allowed to get to know them, well, except for the ones who still see me and think of their oppressed days of old. Still, even most of those ones are willing to forgive me when I say that I never treated anyone differently, that I was never a part of their problem..."

"You don't want this invasion either Igor?"

"No, of course I don't... wait, you don't want it?"

"Of course not! I look at the Aleiravan government and I see a success. Sure, you may not be fully independent, but I still see a great deal of progress being made. This isn't the Aleirave that used to be, it's far more... I don't wanna say utopian, since that would be idealizing things too much... maybe favorable would be a good word? Yeah, I'm always in favor of equality."

"Heh, Mikhail, it's good to know that we're in the same boat on this one. Take care, and hopefully it won't be another year before we talk again."

"Cheers."

Igor was still shocked by what Mikhail had told him. The Klysevian Army was going to intervene in Aleirave's coup? But one was in the South Pacific and the other was in Anaia, surely that was way too far to have any hope of intervening in their affairs... still, there was only one thing he could do. He had to tell Governor Refilene Adari'ena. He had to let him know of the incoming invasion. There were no two ways about it.

As for Mikhail, he wasn't as safe as he thought he was in that coffeeshop. Major Grigori Klessekin had entered to get a mocha latte "heavy on the cream, easy on the drizzle", and he heard Mikhail talking about the invasion, and how he in fact was against it. He now had a decision to make: should he tell General Yuri Mehevets about this? Mikhail was one of his brightest young soldiers, and he surely didn't want to see him dead, as he surely would wind up if Mehevets found out... but didn't he have an obligation to rat Mikhail out?

"Um, Mikhail?" Grigori asked. "Could we talk? About what you said on that phone call?"

[Mertagne]

Semi-final Scores

Aleirave 1–1 Gortolekua (3–1 AET)
at Dannin City Stadium, kick off 20:00.
The subsided corner of the pitch has been levelled, but the stands haven't. Balls that were kicked off on that corner flew into the faces of those in the stands,
including prominent Mertagnian Foreign Affairs politician Julian Vermudyen. Have fun explaining that one at the next summit.

3PPO Fixture

Gortolekua vs. Kamisato Ayaka Nation
at Cop Limy Stadium, Neorudo, Touchpoint.

[Farfadillis]

Semi-final Score

Kamisato Ayaka Nation 0–0 Efnakia (0–0 AET) (2–3 pen.)
at Grand René Skaé, kick off 20:00.
The giant scorpion that managed to make it into the stands at half time was rather quickly dispatched of by professional hunters. The FFFF has not revealed whether there were any casualties during the ten minutes it took to get rid of it.

Final

Aleirave vs. Efnakia
at La Fantás, Ferdullaele, Ferdullaele.

[Gortolekua]

Following the disappointing loss to Aleirave in the Baptism of Fire semi-finals, where goalkeeper Malone Newport made two quick errors in extra time that led to a 3-1 loss, young Gortoleki fans went to Chirper to voice their complaints and feelings following the match. Here is a brief, for everyone's sake, selection of Chirps, courtesy of Gortolekua's bright future.