The bracket updated, and Titan felt the weight of their next opponent settle heavily on his shoulders. TSM, the name alone was enough to send a ripple through the entire team. TheRainMan, TheOddOne, Reginald, Chaox, Xpecial. They were the NA powerhouse, a team synonymous with dominance and precision. For ApeX, this wasn’t just a match; it was a reckoning.

  The team call was quieter than usual. Each member stared at the shared screen, Titan’s draft data stark against the dark background.

  “Let’s be real,” BladeSong broke the silence. “This is TSM. Everyone knows they’re favorites for Worlds.”

  Titan didn’t disagree. “Yeah, they’re top-tier. But that doesn’t mean we roll over. We play our game. Stay disciplined.”

  Hai leaned forward, his voice steady. “Their macro is insane, but they’re predictable. If we can catch Chaox or Reginald off guard, we can punish them.”

  “Chaox won’t make it easy,” BladeSong muttered. “He’s solid. But I’ll handle him.”

  Nior typed: “Focus Reginald. He’s their leader.”

  Titan nodded. “Right. If we shut him down early, maybe we can slow their tempo. But we need to be perfect.”

  Game 1:

  The draft began, and it was clear TSM had done their homework. They banned Tristana, Malphite, and Leona, targeting ApeX’s best engage picks. In response, Titan locked in Morgana mid, BladeSong picked Sivir, and Nior opted for Janna to provide disengage. Hai took Nunu, and Balls grabbed Cho'Gath for teamfight control.

  TSM’s draft was ruthless. Reginald secured Twisted Fate, TheOddOne locked in Jarvan IV, and Chaox picked Ezreal for safety and poke. TheRainMan’s Gangplank and Xpecial’s Taric rounded out a composition built for map control and decisive engages.

  ApeX: Cho'Gath, Nunu, Morgana, Sivir, Janna

  TSM: Gangplank, Jarvan IV, Twisted Fate, Ezreal, Taric

  From the first wave, TSM showed why they were the best. TheOddOne’s Jarvan IV ganked mid at level three, forcing Titan’s Flash. Reginald followed up moments later with Destiny, securing first blood and setting the tone for the match.

  “They’re everywhere,” Hai said, his voice tight. “We need to slow this down.”

  But TSM didn’t let up. By 10 minutes, they’d taken first turret top, thanks to a perfectly executed dive. TheOddOne’s Flag and Drag knocked up Balls under the tower, and TheRainMan’s *barrel combo followed, securing the kill.

  “Well, I'm dead” Balls muttered. “I can’t do anything.”

  “Play to scale,” Titan urged. “Don’t give them freebies.”

  Despite their best efforts, ApeX couldn’t find breathing room. At 21 minutes, TSM grouped for Baron, baiting ApeX into a fight they couldn’t win. Balls’s Rupture hit two, but Reginald’s Twisted Fate gold-carded BladeSong mid-fight, removing him before he could deal any damage.

  “GG,” Hai muttered as TSM marched down mid, closing the game in clinical fashion.

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  Game 2:

  ApeX adjusted their bans for game two, removing Twisted Fate to neutralize Reginald’s map-wide pressure, but TSM adapted seamlessly. Their bans remained the same, targeting BladeSong’s comfort picks and Nior’s strongest engage tools. Reginald picked *Annie, TheOddOne returned to Jarvan IV, and Xpecial stayed on Taric. Chaox locked in Corki, while TheRainMan brought out Mordekaiser, a rare but devastating top lane pick designed to dominate prolonged fights.

  ApeX responded with a bold strategy. They locked in Twitch for BladeSong and put Hai on Master Yi, creating a dual carry composition that aimed to rely on Hai’s ability to snowball and BladeSong’s massive late-game potential. Titan stayed on Morgana mid, while Nior picked Janna for peel and disengage. Balls completed the lineup with Cho’Gath top, a tanky pick meant to soak up damage and disrupt TSM’s engages.

  ApeX: Cho'Gath, Master Yi, Morgana, Twitch, Janna

  TSM: Mordekaiser, Jarvan IV, Annie, Corki, Taric

  “We put everything into BladeSong and Hai,” Titan said over comms, his tone steady. “Set them up. If they get rolling, we can win fights in an instant.”

  The game began cautiously, with both teams trading farm and playing around jungle pressure. However, TSM’s superior laning began to show early. By six minutes, Chaox’s Corki had built a 10-CS lead over BladeSong, while TheRainMan’s Mordekaiser was pressuring Balls under turret.

  At eight minutes, TSM struck. TheOddOne’s Jarvan IV executed a flawless dive top, killing Balls and setting TheRainMan’s Mordekaiser up for a dominant mid-game. The kill secured a significant gold lead and allowed Mordekaiser to start exerting pressure across the map.

  “They’re reading us like a book,” Hai admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. “We can’t keep up.”

  “Focus on scaling,” Titan urged. “We just need one fight.”

  ApeX’s moment came at 20 minutes, when TSM overstepped near the dragon pit. With vision control in their favor, Nior’s Janna baited an engage from TheOddOne. As Jarvan IV dove in with Cataclysm, Hai activated Highlander, cutting through TSM’s backline with precision. BladeSong, invisible with Ambush, repositioned perfectly and unloaded Spray and Pray, melting through TSM’s grouped formation.

  In an instant, TSM’s advantage evaporated. Hai and BladeSong combined for 4 kills, with a double kill each. Only Chaox was left alive.

  “Let’s go!” Hai shouted, his voice filled with adrenaline. “That’s what this comp can do.”

  Titan stayed grounded. “Reset. Play smart. We need Baron.”

  Despite the swing, TSM wasn’t shaken. They adjusted their play, focusing on denying vision and isolating ApeX’s carries. By 25 minutes, they forced a Baron attempt, baiting ApeX into a desperate contest. TheOddOne and Reginald coordinated perfectly, with Jarvan IV’s Cataclysm and Annie’s Tibbers obliterating Hai before he could activate Highlander. Xpecial’s Taric followed up with a well-timed Dazzle, locking down BladeSong and ensuring no chance of recovery.

  “Damn it,” BladeSong muttered as his Twitch fell, leaving Titan and Nior to retreat helplessly.

  TSM secured the Baron and pushed into ApeX’s base with ruthless efficiency. TheRainMan’s Mordekaiser was unstoppable, using his ultimate to turn Cho’Gath against ApeX in the final siege. Despite Titan’s desperate efforts to hold the line with Dark Bindings, TSM dismantled their defenses.

  The Nexus exploded moments later, the victory screen flashing for TSM.

  The post-game lobby was subdued, the weight of the loss heavy on the team.

  “They were ready for us,” Hai said finally, breaking the silence. “Even with that ace, we couldn’t keep up.”

  “They’re just better,” Balls added. “Their laning, their macro... It’s all on another level.”

  BladeSong sighed. “We allowed too much of a deficit early to give me or Hai enough space to carry. We’ll need to rethink how to make these comps work.”

  Titan leaned back in his chair, his voice calm but resolute. “We just need to keep improving. Soon we will be able to enter mid-game evenly against top teams. Our laning needs to be better for sure.”

  The team was now in losers top 4. Their next series would be against CLG who had lost their series versus Team Epik Gamer. ApeX needed to beat them to qualify for worlds.

  As the team logged off, Titan opened his Status screen. His rating remained steady at 63, a reminder that progress was incremental. The climb was steep, but he knew they were on the right path.